Sarah and Kimberley Hurst U.E United Empire Loyalists of Canada

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The Maple Leaf Forever (Canada`s former National Anthem) by Orangeman Alexander Muir

In Days of yore, from Britain's shore,
Wolfe, the dauntless hero came,
And planted firm Britannia's flag,
On Canada's fair domain.
Here may it wave, our boast, our pride,
And joined in love together,
The thistle, shamrock, rose entwine,
The Maple Leaf forever!

Chorus:
The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear,
The Maple Leaf forever!
God save our King, and Heaven bless,
The Maple Leaf forever!

At Queenston Heights and Lundy's Lane,
Our brave fathers, side by side,
For freedom, homes, and loved ones dear,
Firmly stood and nobly died;
And those dear rights which they maintained,
We swear to yield them never!
Our watchword evermore shall be,
The Maple Leaf forever!

3. Our fair Dominion now extends
From Cape Race to Nootka Sound;
May peace forever be our lot,
And plenteous store abound:
And may those ties of love be ours
Which discord cannot sever,
And flourish green o'er freedom's home
The Maple Leaf forever!

4. On merry England's far-famed land,
May kind Heaven sweetly smile;
God bless Old Scotland evermore,
And Ireland's Emer'ld Isle!
Then swell the song, both loud and long,
Till rocks and forest quiver,
God save our King, and Heaven bless
The Maple Leaf forever!

Alexander James Muir Ontario LOL

ALEXANDER MUIR
Orangeman, Patriot, and Poet

(written by Bro. Alex Rough)

LISTEN TO "THE MAPLE LEAF FOREVER"

Alexander Muir was born at Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1830.
His family emigrated to Canada when he was five years old and he spent
his childhood in Scarborough Township. He attended Queens University at
Kingston from which he graduated in 1851. He married Agnes Thompson of
Scarborough and taught school there until 1860 and then moved to
Leslieville. In 1864 his wife died and the following year he married
Mary Alice Thompson of Holland Landing. He taught school at the
Yorkville School, now known as Jesse Ketchum school, and at schools
in Newmarket and Beaverton before returning to Toronto in 1885 as
principal of Howard Park School, known as Shirley Street School. From
there he went to Brock Avenue School and in 1888 when Gladstone Avenue
School opened, he became its principal and remained there til his death
in 1906.

Margaret MacTaggart in an article in the Toronto Globe and Mail,
recalling her recollections as a pupil under Muir, told of his love for
music. When they were tired from long study, she wrote, that he would
make the pupils stand up and march around the room singing patriotic
songs and carrying a small Union Jack.

Muir's patriotism was no mere bluster. He carried to his grave a stiff
left arm as the result of a wound he received in the Northwest Rebellion
and he was with the Queen's Own Rifles of Toronto in fighting and
defeating the Fenians at Ridgeway, Ontario in 1866. Later, he was one of
the few principals who insisted on military training in his school and
Mrs MacTaggart remembered that while the boys carried only wooden guns
'the training was of the finest.'

Muir was a deeply religious man and a lifelong adherent of the
Presbyterian Church. He never opened or closed his classes without
asking God's blessing. His favourite closing words, either spoken or
sung were;

'Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son,
The ills that I this day have done;
That with the world, myself and me
Ere I sleep at peace may be.'

In 1867 Muir composed 'The Maple Leaf Forever', not only writing the
words but the music also. Writing songs was a hobby for Muir and when he
was a youth he penned his first poem and set it to music. A visiting
Scottish minister, Reverend Dr. Norman McLeod, heard him sing it and
said "Laddie, ye'll be well kenned before ye dee."

He was also a devoted and active Orangeman. He served as the Master of
Ontario L.O.L. No. 142 in the city of Toronto, and his talents were
generously given where necessary to assist the Order. The following
tribute was published in 'The Sentinel' announcing his death;

"Worshipful Brother Muir was a staunch advocate of loyalty to the
British Crown and Protestant principles. He was a familiear figure at
patriotic demonstrations and public celebrations, where he took a
prominent part in the programme. He was a man of magnificent physique
and matchless eloquence. The many occasions at lodge banquets and other
public assemblis where he thrilled his audiences with a recital of the
encounter at Hart's River in South Africa when our brave Canadian boys
were inspired to glorious deeds by 'The Maple Leaf Forever' will never
be forgotten by those who had the privilege of being present.'

A sad note is the fact that although his most famous song was a best
seller he never received any remuneration in the way of royalties. Muir
had to pay a publisher thirty dollars to have the song published and the
only return he got was the sum of four dollars, so in fact 'The Maple
Leaf Forever' cost him the sum of $26, although the sales were enormous
and a large profit was made on the song. Muir never regretted not making
money on the song. He was happy that he had made so many unknown friends
by his songs and felt that he had thus been rewarded.

When Muir died in 1906 tributes poured in from all over the country from
every class of citizen. The account of the funeral in 'The Sentinel' of
July 3, 1906, was three full long newspaper columns in length and was
only such as given the highest in the land. The Orange Order was well
represented at his funeral service by County Master - Fred Dane; Deputy
County Master - Joseph Thompson; Edward Floody - Grand Director of

Ceremonies of the GOL of Canada; William Lee - Grand Secretary of the
GOL of Ontario West; E.T. Essery - Deputy Grand Master of THE GOL of
Ontario West; and Cecil Armstrong the Master of L.O.L. No. 142 of which
Muir had been a member for forty years.

On June 20, 1958, a plaque was placed by the Orange Association of
Canada on the fence that guards the maple tree on Laing Street in
Toronto which inspired Muir to pen his famour song. The plaque was
unveiled by the Toronto Historical Board and a choir composed of
children from nearby Leslie Street public school sang the 'Maple Leaf
Forever.' Muir's grave in Mount Pleasant Cemetery is marked with a
granite obelisk erected by the Orangemen of Canada. In 1967 the Queen's
Own Rifles adopted his song as the Regimental March.

QUEEN'S OWN RIFLES

NO ONE CAN GAINSAY THE WORTHINESS OF THIS TRIBUTE, OTHER THAN TO ADD
THAT ALEXANDER MUIR'S PATRIOTISM WAS THE PRACTICAL AS WELL AS THE
RHETORICAL KIND. HE CARRIED TO HIS GRAVE A STIFF LEFT ARM AS A RESULT OF
A WOUND HE RECEIVED IN THE NORTHWEST REBELLION WHEN HE WAS WITH THE
QUEEN'S OWN RIFFLES OF TORONTO IN FIGHTING AND DEFEATING THE FENIANS AT
RIDGEWAY, ONTARIO IN 1866. LATER, HE WAS ONE OF THE FEW PRINCIPALS WHO
INSISTED ON MILITARY TRAINING IN HIS SCHOOL. HE MADE THE BOYS CARRY ONLY
WOODEN GUNS BUT THE TRAINING WAS THAT OF THE FINEST.

A SIDELIGHT ON THE CHARACTER AND THE PRESBYTERIAN UPBRINGING OF
ALEXANDER MUIR WAS THE FACT THAT HE NEVER OPENED OR CLOSED HIS CLASSES
WITHOUT ASKING GOD'S BLESSING. HIS FAVORITE CLOSING WORDS, EITHER SPOKEN
OR SUNG WERE;

"FORGIVE ME LORD, FOR THY DEAR SON, THE ILLS THAT I THIS DAY HAVE DONE;
THAT WITH THE WORLD, MYSELF AND ME, ERE I SLEEP AT PEACE MAY BE'