Documentary Context and its Importance: Preliminary Research Into a Nineteenth Century Toronto China Merchant

Conference Paper

Abstract

Most documents, according to Robert Schuyler, give us direct insight into emic phenomena and indirect views of behaviour (etic). This paper will examine how these two dimensions have been considered and incorporated into research on one of Torontos most prominent nineteenth century China merchants, Glover Harrison, and his King Street shop 'China Hall'. A cracked maker's mark uncovered during the 1990 excavation of 'Gore Vale' in Trinity Bellwoods Park initiated an often unique search for this obscure cont-ributor to Toronto's commercial history.