William Berczy

Early years

Berczy was born in Swabia, Electorate of Bavaria (part of the Holy Roman Empire and now in Germany) as a son of the Wirklicher Hofrat (Albrecht Theodor Moll) and Johanna Josepha Walpurga Moll (née Hefele). Berczy was originally named Johann Albrecht Ulrich Moll, but later changed his name.

He studied at the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna and at the University of Jena in Saxony. His early career was spent in several European countries, including Italy (meeting with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in Florence) and England, where he exhibited at the Royal Academy.

Immigration to British North America

In 1792 Berczy sailed for the Americas, settling in Philadelphia, then setting up a business in York, Upper Canada (now Toronto). A few years later, his work took him to Lower Canada (Quebec).

Although best known for his portraits, he also carried out religious paintings and architectural work, including plans for Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal in 1803, and was a surveyor.

Berczy married, on 1 November 1785, Jeanne-Charlotte Berczy née Allamand (1760–1839) of Lausanne (canton of Bern, now - since 1803 - canton of Vaud), Switzerland. They had two sons, William Bent Berczy and Charles Albert Berczy.

Settler

Berczy helped John Graves Simcoe establish a settlement north of Toronto, which became the town of Markham, Ontario. "William Berczy, co-founder of Toronto, along with his German Pioneers, cleared part of the townsite of York (Toronto), erected houses and a magazine, built 15 miles of Yonge street (Eglinton to Elgin Mills some without shoes) in addition to 30 miles of roads in Markham township and also cleared 24 miles of the Rouge river waterway for navigation."

His son Charles Albert Berczy became the second postmaster of Toronto.

His two best known pictures are a full-length portrait of the Mohawk chief Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant) (c. 1805) and a group portrait of the Woolsey Family (1809).

Builder

Berczy built homes in York and Markham, uncluding Russell Abbey in Toronto.

Death

Berczy travelled to New York City during the War of 1812 and was stranded when attempting to travel stayed in Middlebury, Vermont with friends, then to Albany, New York then to New York City before heading to England. He fell ill and in care of friends died in the city and was buried in an unmarked grave at Trinity Church as William Burksay.

His wife moved in with William Bent Berczy and died on September 18, 1839 in Sainte-Mélanie, Lower Canada. He was also survived by another son , Charles Albert Berczy.

Legacy

An elementary school in northern Markham is named William Berczy Public School in his honour. The school, founded in 1967, has approximately 600 students in grades K-8. Current principal is Lindsey Rhamey.

Also in honour of this founder, the then Town of Markham named one of its densely populated neighbourhoods after him, the Berczy Village.

Berczy Creek is a tributary of the Rouge River in Markham.

William Berczy Boulevard is a major road from Major Mackenzie Drive to 16th Avenue in Berczy Village, Berczy Gate is a short street near Highway 7 and Nineth Line and Berczy Creek Way is a short road near 16the Avenue and Warden Avenue in Markham. In Toronto Leader Lane was renamed from Berczy Lane. There is also Berczy Street in Newmarket.

Berczy Park is a small park located behind the Gooderham Building at Front Street and Wellington Street in Toronto. The park had been vacant for many decades and once used as a parking lot after the buildings on the site were demolished. A tree lined city park emerged after the late 1980s and has undergone renovations from 2015 to 2016.

A bronze statue of Berczy will be situated in at Berczy Square, a park to be built at Berczy Village near Kennedy Road and 16th Avenue in Markham.

Berczy Street Park and Berczy Street are found in Barrie, Ontario. Berczy-Strasse is a street named for him in Wallerstein, Bavaria.

In 2016, Berczy was named a National Historic Person.

Literature