Fred Cumberland: Building the Victorian Dream

Greta Hildebrand teaches in the Canadian Studies Program at Brock
University in St. Catharines.

Geoffrey Simmins, professor of Art and Architectural History, explores
the life and work of Fred Cumberland (1820–81). Cumberland personified
the colonial ideology of diligence and industry through his achievements
as an architect, railway engineer and manager, and politician.
Simmins’s research, combined with that of notable scholars, has
resulted in a meticulously documented and unpretentiously written
three-part volume.

Part 1 explores the character of Cumberland, who immigrated from Dublin
to Toronto in 1847. Cumberland’s letters and his wife’s diary
entries soften his public image as that of stoic autocrat. Of interest
are his return trips to Great Britain to gather information and to form
associations with such influential architects as Sir Charles Barry. In
letters to his wife, Wilmot, Cumberland discusses his architectural
projects, ranging from Toronto’s controversial St. James Cathedral to
University College. The biography moves into Cumberland’s career as
chief engineer, and subsequently as manager, of the Northern Railway.
The Victorian fervor for upward social mobility drove him toward a
political career that ended with his position as aide-de-camp to the
viceregal couple, Lord and Lady Dufferin.

Part 2 combines an impressive collection of Cumberland’s detailed
building plans with photographs, letters, and speeches. The final
section includes data research by Shirley Morriss and a catalogue
raisonné of Cumberland’s work and library listings. Unfortunately,
there is no glossary of architectural terms for readers unfamiliar with
the field. Nevertheless, Simmins’s book is an important addition to a
recent series of publications exploring Victorian architecture in
Canada.