The Olde Angel Inn of Niagara-on-the-Lake
The Olde Angel Inn’s rooms, with exposed hand-hewn beams and thick plank floors laid in 1815, still echo the sounds of British soldiers and townsfolk who, two centuries ago, gathered here for food, drink and lodging. Small but unique, the Inn is believed to have been founded as The Harmonious Coach House on land granted to the deputy surveyor-general around 1789.
The town was then called Newark and was destined to become the first Capital of Upper Canada. Records from this time are sketchy but it is known that in 1793, the new Assembly passed an act outlawing slavery, the first such law enacted anywhere in the world. It is believed that the legislators celebrated the event over dinner at the Inn that evening.
The Inn is thought to have hosted such historical figures such as John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant-Governor; Alexander Mackenzie, the explorer; Prince Edward, the father of the future Queen Victoria; and Thomas Moore, the Irish National Poet.
The Inn was badly burned during the War of 1812-14. It was rebuilt by John Ross in 1815, who named it the Angel Inn, in a tender reference to his wife.
In 1826, Richard Howard bought the Inn, and also operated the Promenade House or Howard’s Hotel just down the street. John Fraser purchased the Angel in 1845, and it was known as Mansion House, then Fraser’s Hotel until reverting back to its earlier name of the Angel Inn.
Their Ghost Story...
Some believe the Ghost of Captain Swayze is fated to walk the Inn at night, perhaps in longing for his sweetheart. There have been reports of noises coming from the empty dining room, rearranged place settings, and other unexplained occurrences. It is said that his ghost will remain harmless as long as the British flag flies over the Inn, a precaution prudently taken by the proprietor.