Historical sketches of the county of Elgin

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T o :R, o IT T o.

HISTORICAL SKETCHES

OF THET

COUNTY OF ELGIN

PUBLISHED BY

THE ELGIN HISTORICAL AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE,

ST. THOMAS, ONT.

THE TIMES PRINT.

V

1895.

Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year 1895, by
J. Wilkinson, Publisher, at the Department of Agriculture.

4-5

PREFACE.

The Elgin Historical and Scientific Institute was established
on the 29th day of Apri>, 1891. .One of its principal objects is
that of collecting and preserving records and memorials of the
early history of the County of Elgin. The public have shown a
sympathetic interest in the work. By voluntary contributions
the nucleus of a library and museum has been formed which it
is hoped will in time grow to considerable dimensions.

The Institute, in now issuing its first volume, desires to
recognize the generous and public spirited action of the Council
of the County of Elgin in voting a sum to defray the expenses
of publication.

Persons having old letters, books or manuscripts relating to
the early settlement of the County, or any archaeological remains
of the aboriginal inhabitants, are requested to deposit them with
the Institute. If the owners would prefer not to part with the
property in such articles, the Institute would be glad to take
charge of them as custodian for the owners for such period as
the latter may desire.

The special thanks of the Institute are due to the Very
Reverend Dean Harris, author of The History of the Early
Missions in Western Canada, to the Librarian of the Legislative
Assembly for Ontario, and Messrs. D. McColl, ex-M. P. P., H. B.
Donly, Richard Locker and others, for courtesies in connection
with the preparation and publication of this book.

ST. THOMAS, June 1st, 1895.

OFFICERS

KLGIX HISTORICAL AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE
1891.

s H. (1oY\i: President

JUDGE KILMATLXCKK Vice-President

W. H. Mr IK MI Secretary
J. S. ROBERTSON - Treasurer

F. HrxT Editor

K. W. McKAY Librarian

Frank L. Farley Curator

COUNCIL

J. WILKINSON, W. R. JACKSON, J. S. BRIERLEY,
A. W.CAMPBELL, AND W. ATKIN.

1892

JUDGE ERMATINGER President

DR. H. H. WAV Vice-President

W. H. MURCH Secretary

K. W. McKAY Treasurer

J. H. COYNE Editor.

J. W. STEWART Curator and Librarian

COUNCIL

W. ATKIN, J. S. ROBERTSON, W. R, JACKSON, A. W. CAMPBELL

J. S. BRIERLEY, J. WILKINSON, F. HUNT.

1893-4.

K. W. McKAY President

W. ATKIN Vice^ President

W. H. MURCH Secretary

J. A. BELL - treasurer

J. W. STEWART Librarian and Curator

JUDGE ERMATINGER - Editor

COUNCIL

J. H. COYNE, J. S. ROBERTSON, W. R. JACKSON, A. W. CAMP-
BELL, J. S. BRIERLEY, J. WILKINSON, F. HUNT, DR. WAY.

ELGIN HISTORICAL AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE.

LIST OF MEMBERS.

Atkin, W.
Brierley, J. S.
Bell, James A.
Coyne, Jas. H.
Campbell, A. W.
Doyle, Matthew
Ermatinger, Judge
Ford, N. W.
Gilbert, M. A.
Glasgow, Chas.
Hunt, Frank
Hughes, Judge
Henderson, Chester
Jackson, W. R.
Jell, H. F.
Kains, John A.
Murch, W. H.

Moore N. W.
Marshall, John
Me Ad am, Jos.
McKay, K. W.
McKenzie, Geo.
McCausland, Jno.
McDougall, Colin
McLennan, J. C.
Oakes, Chas.
Robertson, J. S.
Stewart, J. W.
Stacey, Jno.
Suffel, Geo.
Sutherland, Peter
Wilkinson, J.
Way, Dr. H. H.

CONTENTS.

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

The Southwold Earthwork, 1— THE NEUTRALS. De Laroche-Daillon's visit in
1626, 3— Brebeuf and Chaumonot's Visit in 1640-1, 7 — Champlain's Account of
the Neutrals in 1616, 9— Laleinant's Account of the Neutrals in 1641, 12— The
Iroquois attack the Neutrals 1650-1, 18 — THE IROQUOIS' HUNTING GROUND, 20 —
French Exploration, 21— Dollier De Casson and Galinee, 1669-70, 21— Stimu-
lating effect of their exploration, 2o —Kettle Creek (Tonby River), 23, 27, 28 —
The Indian Title, Cession by the Iroquois, 1701, 28— Cession by the
Mississagas, 1784, 29 -Cession by the Chippawas, etc., 1790, 29 -— Charle-
voix' visit in 1721. Describes the North Shore, 29— THE BRITISH OCCU-
PATION. Land Board at Detroit, 32— Patrick McNiff's Exploration. On Lake
Erie "Settlement Impossible," 32 — Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe, 33 — His
journey to Detroit, 1793, 34— Site of London selected for his capital, 33, 34, 36,
39, 42— The Winter-express ; Traders; Land-hunters, 41 — McNiff's map of the
Thames, 1793, 42— Detroit surrendered to the United States, 1796, 34. 38, 43,
—COLONEL TALBOT, 44— Settles at Port Talbot, 1803, 44— State of Settlement
at that date.

THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT.

Colonel Talbot's birth and ancestry, 1 — Colonel Talbot's early career, 2—
Colonel Talbot and the Duke of Wellington, 2 —Colonel Talbot's arrival in
Canada, 1790, 2 — Secretary to Governor Simcoe, 2 — Application for laud grant,
1803. 2 — Governor Sineoe's letter, 3 — Lands comprised in first grant, 4 — Aim
and object, 5 — Extent of settlement, 6, — Conditions of settlement, 7 — Roads and
road making, 7 — Mode of recording allotments, 8 — War of 1812-15 raids on
settlement, 10, 11, — An early settler's experiences, 12 — Early prices, 13 — Courts
and court houses, 15 — Turkey Point, 15 — V-ittoria, 15 — London, 15 — Sandwich,
16— Death of Colonel Talbot, 16.

DEVELOPMENT O? THE COUNTY OF ELGIN.

Origin of Local Government, 1— Canada, 5— Quebec 1763 to 1788, 6— District
of Hesse 1788 to 1792, 7— U. E. Loyalists, 8 Western District 1792 to 1798, 9—
London District 1800 to 1837, 14 — Organization, 14— Proceedings of courts 1800,
14— Turkey Point, 36— The London District, 36— Courts, 37— Records, 37 —
Court of Requests, 37— Vittoria, 37— London, 39, County of Middlesex 1837 to
1852, 41— County of Elgin, 43.

APPENDIX.
List of Surveys.

List of Parliamentary Representatives.
List of Wardens.
Municipal Nomenclature.

ILLUSTRATIONS.
Galinee's Map of 1670.
Portrait of Colonel Talbot.
Portrait of Thomas Locker.

CARTH

JUE AUW.DOLL1ER DE CASSON ET DEJ GAL1NEE, AISSIONNA1RES DESTSULP1CE.

OUT PARCOURU

Dresser par Ic mfme Mr de Galinee

fFW fa Uttre dc Mr Talon 4u 10 Nore mbre i6fi)

/'»/• P r>im r Uxutrfn.illr .'.

.ncaise," and in "The History of the Early Missions in Western Canada."
mentioned book.

gan or Fresh-water Sea of the Hurons." (These lakes were erroneously supposed to be but one).
jof the Iroquois, which we broke up and threw into the water." ESSEX PENINSULA : " Large prairies."
• " " "

•eror Tina-Toua." EAST SIDE GRAND RIVER : "Excellent land."
;ara) Falls said by the Indians to be more than 200 feet high."

WEST SIDE GRAND RIVER (up
LAKE ONTARIO : "I passed

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

BY
JAMES H. COYNE.

In that part of the township of Southwold included in the
peninsula between Talbot Creek and the most westerly bend of
Kettle Creek there were until a comparatively recent date
several Indian earthworks, which were well-known to the
pioneers of the Talbot Settlement. What the tooth of time had
spared for more than two centuries yielded however to the
settler's plough and harrow, and but one or two of these inter-
esting reminders of an almost forgotten race remain to gratify
the curiosity of the archaeologist or of the historian. Fortun-
ately, the most important of all is still almost in its original con-
dition. It is that, which has become known to readers of the
Transactions of the Canadian Institute as the Southwold Earth-
work. It is situated on the farm of Mr. Chester Henderson,
Lot Number Four North on Talbot Road East. Mr. David
Boyle in the Archaeological Reports printed in 1891 has given
the results of his examinations of the mounds. A carefully pre-
pared plan made from actual survey by Mr. A. W. Campbell, C.
E., for the Elgin Historical and Scientific Institute of St.
Thomas, was presented by the latter to the Canadian Institute-
(a) These will together form a valuable, and, it is hoped, a per-
manent record of this interesting memorial of the aboriginal in-
habitants of South-western Ontario.

The writer of this paper has been acquainted with "the old
fort," as it was called, since the year 1867. At that time it was
in the midst of the forest. Since then the woods have been
cleared away, except within the fort and north of it. Indeed, a
considerable number of trees have been feiled within the south
ern part of the enclosure. In the mounds themselves trees are
abundant, and there are many in the moat or ditch between.
The stumps of those which have been cut down are so many
chronological facts, from which the age of the fort may be con-

(a) Mr. J. H. Scott, of St. Thomas, has made a number of photographs of the
mounds at the instance of an American lady, who, it is understood, will repro'
duce them in a work about to be published by her.

2 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

jectured with some approach to accuracy. A maple within the
enclosure exhibits 242 rings of annual growth. It was probably
the oldest tree within the walls. A maple in the outer em-
bankment* shows 197 rings; between the inner and outer walls a
beech stump shows 219 rings, and an elm 266. Many of the
trees were cut down a good many years ago. Judging from
these stumps, it would be safe to calculate the age of the forest
at about two hundred years, with here and there a tree a little
older. The. area enclosed is level. In the field south there are
numerous hummocks formed by the decayed stumps of fallen
trees. The walls were manifestly thrown up from the outside.
There is an exception on the south-east. Here the ground out-
side was higher, and to get the requisite elevation the earth was
thrown up on both walls from the intervening space, as well as
on the exterior wall from the outside. Each of the walls runs
completely round the enclosure, except where the steep bank of
the little stream was utilized to eke out the inner wall for five
or six rods on the west side, as shewn on the plan. Opposite
the south end of this gap was the original entrance through the
outer wall. The walls have been cut through in one or two
other places, doubtless by settlers hauling timber across them.

The writer accompanied Mr. Campbell on his visits in the
spring and fall of 1891. The members of the Elgin Historical
and Scientific Institute made a pretty thorough examination of
a large ash -heap south-east of the fort. It had, however, been
frequently dug into during the last score or two of years, with
ample results, it is said, in the way of stone implements of
various kinds. There still remained, however, arrow-heads and
chippings of flint, stones partially disintegrated from the action
of heat, fragments of pottery whose markings showed a very
low stage of artistic development, fish scales, charred maize and
bones of small animals, the remains of aboriginal banquets.
Within the enclosure, corn-cobs were found by digging down
through the mould, and a good specimen of a bone needle, well
smoothed, but without any decoration, was turned up in the bed
of the little stream where it passes through the fort.

The original occupants were manifestly hunters, fishermen
and agriculturists, as well as warriors. Nothing appears to have
been found in the neighborhood, pointing to any intercourse be-
tween them and any European race.

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

It would seem that the earth-work was constructed in the
midst of a large clearing, and that the forest grew up after
the disappearance of the occupants. A few saplings, however,
may have been permitted to spring up during their occupancy
for the sake of the shelter they might afford. These are repre-
sented by the oldest stumps above mentioned.

The question, who were £he builders, is an interesting
one. To answer it we need not go back to a remoter period
than the middle of the seventeenth century, when the Iroquois
after destroying the Huron Settlements turned their attention to
the southwest, and the Neutral Nation ceased to exist. The
enclosure was, we may reasonably believe, a fortified village of
the Neutrals at the time of their evacuation of this province,
nearly a quarter of a millennium ago.

Substantially all that is known of the Neutrals is to be found
in Champlain's works, Sagard's History, the Relations and Jour-
nal of the Jesuits, and Sanson's map of 1656. A digest of the
information contained therein is given in the following pages.
The writer has availed himself of one or two other works for
some of the facts mentioned. Mr. Benjamin Suite's interesting
and learned articles on " Le pays des grands lacs au XVIIe
Siecle" in that excellent magazine, "Le Canada Francais," have
been most valuable in this connection.

The first recorded visit to the Neutrals was in the winter of
1626, by a Recollet father, De Laroche-Daillon. His ex-
periences are narrated by himself, and Sagard, who includes the
narrative in his history, supplements it with one or two addi-
tional facts.

In company with the Jesuit Fathers Brebeuf and De Noue,
Daillon left Quebec with the purpose of visiting and converting
the Hurons, who were settled in villages between the Georgian
Bay and Lake Simcoe. After the usual hardships, journeying
by canoe and portage, by way of the Ottawa and French Rivers,
they arrived at their destination. The ill-fated Brule told won-
derful stories of a nation, whom the French called the Neutrals,
and Father Joseph Le Caron wrote Daillon urging him to con-
tinue his journey as far as their country.

He set out accordingly on the 18th October, 1626, with two

THE COUNTY OF THE NEUTRALS

other Frenchmen, Grenolle and La Vallee. Passing through the
territory occupied by the Tobacco Nation, lie met one of their
chiefs, who not merely offered hi.s services as guide, but fur-
nished Indian porters to carry their packs and their scanty pro-
visions. They slept five nights in the woods, and on the sixth
day arrived at the village of the Neutrals. In this as well as in
four other villages which they visited, they were hospitably
entertained with presents of food, including venison, pumpkins,
"neintahouy," and "the best they had." Their dress excited the
astonishment of their Indian hosts, who were also surprised that
the missionary asked nothing from th«m but that they should
raise their eyes to heaven, and make the sign of the, cross.

What excited raptures of admiration, however, according to
his narrative was to see him retire for prayer at certain hours
of the day; for they had never seen any priests beyond passing
glimpses when visiting amongst the neighboring Hurons and
Tobacco Indians.

At the sixth village, Ounontisaston, in which Daillon had
been advised to take up his abode, a council was held at his
instance. He observes that the councils are called at the will of
the chiefs, and held either in a wigwam or in the open air, the
audience being seated on the ground ; that silence is preserved
whilst a chief is addressing the assembly, and that what they
have once concluded and settled is inviolably observed and
performed by them.

Ddillon explained that he had come on the part of the
French to make alliance and friendship with them and to invite
them to come and trade, and begged them to permit him to stay
in their country "to instruct them in the laws of our God, which
is the only means of going to Paradise." They agreed to all he
proposed and in return for his gifts of knives and other trifles,
they adopted him as "citizen and child of the country," and as a
mark of great affection entrusted him to the care of Souharissen.
who became his father and host. The latter was, according to
Daillon, the chief of the greatest renown and authority that had
ever been known in all the nations, being chief not only of his
own village, but of all those of his nation, to the number of
twenty-eight, besides several little hamlets of seven to eight
cabins built in different places convenient for fishing, hunting, or

THE COUNTY OF THE NEUTRALS.

cultivating the ground. Souharissen had acquired his absolute
and extraordinary authority by his courage and his success in
war. He had been several times at war with the seventeen
tribes, who were the enemies of his race, and from all he had
brought back the heads of those he had slain, or prisoners taken
alive, as tokens of his prowees. His authority was without
example amongst other tribes.

The Neutrals are reported by Daillon as being very warlike,
armed only with war-club and bow, and dexterous in their use.
His companions having gone back, the missionary remained
alone, "the happiest man in the world," seeking to advance the
glory of God and to find the mouth of tho river of the Iroquois,
(probably the Niagara,) in order to conduct the savages to the
French trading posts. He visited them in their huts, found them
very manageable and learned their customs. He remarked that
there were no deformed people amongst them. The children,
who were sprightly, naked and unkempt, were taught by him to
make the sign of the Holy Cross.

The natives were willing that at least four canoes should go
to trade if he would conduct them, but nobody knew the way.
Yroquet, an Indian known in the country, who had come
hunting with twenty of his tribe and secured five hundred beaver
skins, declined to give him any indication of the mouth of the
river; but he agreed with several Hurons in assuring Daillon
that a journey of ten days would take him to the trading post.
The missionary, however, was afraid of taking one river for
another and getting lost or perishing of hunger.

For three months he was treated with kindness. Then the
Hurons became jealous lest the trade should be diverted from
them. They accordingly circulated rumors through every
village, that Daillon was a great magician, that he had poisoned
the air in their country, and many had died ir>. consequence, that
if he was not killed soon, he would burn up their villages and
kill their children, with other stories as extraordinary and
alarming about the entire French nation. The Neutrals were easily
influenced by the reports. Daillon's life was in danger on more
than one occasion. The rumor reached Brebeuf and De Noue,
that he had been killed. They at once despatched Grenolle to
ascertain the truth, with instructions to bring Daillon back if
alive. He acquiesced, and returned to the Huron country.

THE COUNTRY OP' THE NEUTRALS.

He speaks of a Neutral village called Ouaroronon, one day's
journey from the Iroquois, the people of which came to trade at
Ounontisaston. Their village was the last of the Neutral
villages, and was probably east of the Niagara River.

Daillon, like every other traveller, was charmed with the
Neutral country, which he pronounces incomparably greater,
more beautiful and better than any other "of all these countries."
He notes the incredible number of deer, the native mode of
taking them by driving them into a gradually narrowing
enclosure, their practice of killing every animal they find whether
they needed it or not. The reason alleged was that if they did
not kill all, the beasts that escaped would tell the' others how
they had been chased, so that afterwards when the Indians need
ed game it would be impossible to get near it. He enumerates
moose, beaver, wild-cats, squirrels larger than those of France,
bustards, turkeys, cranes, etc., as abundant, and remaining in
the country through the winter. The winter was shorter and
milder than "in Canada." No snow had fallen by the 22nd
November. The deepest was not more than two and a half
feet. Thaw set in on the 26th of January. On the 8th March
the snow was gone from the open places, but a little still lingered
in the woods. The streams abounded in very good fish. The
ground produced more corn than was needed, besides pumpkins,
beans and other veg3tables in abundance, and excellent oil. He
expresses his surprise that the Merchants' Company had not sent
some Frenchman to winter in the Country ; for it would be very
easy to get the Neutrals to trade and the direct route would be
much shorter than that by way of French River and the
Georgian Bay. He describes the Neutrals' country as being
nearer than the Huron to the French, and as being on one side
of the lake of the Iroquois (Lake Ontario) whilst the Iroquois
were on the other. The Neutrals, however, did not understand the
management of canoes, especially in the rapids, of which there
were only two, but long and dangerous. Their proper trade was
hunting _and war. They were very lazy and immoral. Their
manners and customs were very much the same as those of the
Hurons. Their language was different, but the members of the
two nations understood one another They went entirely unclad.

Sagard adds that "according to the opinion of some," the

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

Neutrals' country was eighty leagues (about 200 miles) in
extent, and that they raised very good tobacco which they
traded with their neighbors. They were called Neutrals on
account of their neutrality between the Hurons and the Iroquois;
but they were allies of the Cheveux Releves (the* Ottawas)
against their mortal enemies of the Nation of Fire. Sagard.was
dissuaded by some members of the French trading company
from attempting to bring about a peace between the Hurons and
the Iroquois. It was supposed that this would divert the
trade of the Hurons from Quebec by sending it through the
Iroquois country to the Dutch of the Hudson River. At so
early a date did the question of closer trade relations between
the territories north and south of the lakes agitate the minds of
statesmen and men of commerce.

In the winter of 1640-1, the Jesuit missionaries, Brebeuf
and Chaumonot traversed the country of the Neutrals. The
former composed a dictionary showing the differences between
the kindred dialects of the Hurons and Neutrals. Chaumonot
made a map of the country, which is not extant, but there is
reason for believing that it was the authority for the delineation
of the territory on Sanson's map of 1656 and Ducreux's Latin
map of 1660. From the facts hereinafter detailed it is highly
probable that they reached the Detroit River, and that they
visited and named the Neutral village of which the Southwold
Earth work is the memorial. The ilrst printed map in which
Lake Erie is shown was made by N. Sanson d'Abbeville,
geographer in ordinary to the King, and printed in Paris, with
"privilege du Roy" for twenty years, in the year 1656. It is a
map of eastern North America. The sources of information are
stated in general terms, which may be translated as follows:
" The most northerly portion iz drawn from the various Relations
"of the English, Danes, etc. Towards the south the coasts of
"Virginia, New Sweden, New Netherlands and New England
"are drawn from those of the English, Dutch, etc. THE GREAT
" RIVER OF CANADA, or of St. Lawrence and all the neighboring
"regions (environs) are according to the Relations of the French."

Now, we know that Father Raymbault visited Sault Ste.
Marie in 1641 and mapped Lake Superior, and that Father
Chaumonot in the same year rendered the same service for the

THE COUNTY OF THE NEUTRALS,

Neutral Country. Sanson's map is fairly accurate for the upper
lakes, when compared with some maps published at much later
periods when the lakes had become tolerably well known to
traders and travellers. It shows an acquaintance with the
general contour of Lakes Erie; St. Clair and Huron, with several
of the streams emptying into Lakes Erie and Huron on both
the Canadian and the American sides, with the names of tribes
inhabiting both shores, and with the locations of live towns of
the Neutrals, besides some towns of the Tobacco Nation. The
Neutral towns are given as S. Francois, (north-east of Sarnia) S.
Michel, (a little east of Sandwich), S. Joseph, (apparently in the
county of Kent), Alexis, (a few miles west of a stream, which
flows into Lake Erie about midway between the Detroit and
Niagara Rivers, and where the shore bends farthest inland), (b)
and N. D. des Anges(on the West bank of a considerable river,
probably the Grand River, near where Brantford now stands).
The Detroit and Niagara Rivers and four streams flowing into
Lake Erie between them are shown but not named. The great
cataract is called "Ongiara Sault." The name Ongiara may,
however, be that of the Neutral village east of the Falls. Lake
St. Clair is called Lac des Eaux de Mer, or Sea-water Lake,
possibly from the mineral springs in the neighborhood. The
country of the Tobacco Nation includes the Bruce peninsula and
extends from the Huron country on the east to Lake Huron on
the west, and Burlington Bay on the southeast. The Neutral
Country (Neutre ou Attiouandarons) would embrace the whole
of southwestern Ontario south of a line drawn from the west
end of Lake Ontario to a stream which flows into Lake Huron
about midway between Point Edward and Cape Hurd, and which
is probably the Maitland River. The tribes to the south of the
lakes are indicated from the Niagara River to Lake Superior.
The Eries or " Eriechronons, ou du Chat," are south-east of Lake
Erie ; the ' Ontarraronon" are west of what is probably the
Cuyahoga River; at the southwest of the lake appear the
"Squenqioronon;" west of the Detroit River are the "Aictaer-
onon;" west of Port Huron the "Couarronon;" Huron County in

(b) Alexis corresponds with the actual position of the Southwold Earthwork,
and the stream with that of Kettle Creek.

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

ichigan is occupied by the "Ariaetoeronon ;" at the head of

maw Bay and extending southward through Michigan are
taeronons ou du Feu ;" in the peninsula extending
are the "Oukouarararonons ;" beyond them
as "Lac de Puans;" then come the
;perieur." Manitoulin Island is

marked Th^veux .the old French name for the
Ottawas. The Tn »n called . "N. du Petun on

Sanhionoiitateheronons" includes village? of "S. Simon et S.
lude" in the Bruce promontory, "S. Pierre " near the south end
of the County of Bruce, and "S. Pol," southwest of a lake which
may be Scugog.

To return to the narratives, these agree in stating
that the Neutrals, like their kinsmen of the Huron, Tobacco
• and Iroqudis Nations, were a numerous and sedentary race
living in villages and cultivating their fields of maize,
tobacco and pumpkins. They were on friendly terms with the
eastern and northern tribes, but at enmity with those of the
west, especially the Nation of Fire, against whom they were
constantly sending out war parties. By the western tribes it
would appear that those west of the Detroit River and Lake
Huron are invariably meant.

Champlain refers to the Neutrals in 1616 as a po.werful
nation, holding a large extent of country, and numbering 4,000
warriors. Already they were in alliance with the Cheveux
Releves (the Ottawas), whom he visited in the Bruce Peninsula,
against the Nation of Fire. He states that the Neutrals lived
two days' journey southward of the Cheveux Releves, and the
Nation of Fire ten days from the latter. The Nation of Fire
occupied part of what is now Michigan, probably as far east
as the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers.

Describing his visit to the Cheveux Releves, l^e adds: — "I had
"a great desire to go and see that Nation (the Neutrals), had not
"the tribes where we were dissuaded me from it, saying that
" the year before one of ours had killed one of them, being at war
"with the Entouhoronons (the Senecas), and that they were
"angry on account of it, representing to us that they are very
"subject to vengeance, not looking to those who dealt the blow,
"but the first whom they meet of the nation, or even their

10 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

"friends, they make them bear the penalty, when they can cat<
"any of them unless beforehand peace had been made with
"and one had given them some gifts and presenj
"relatives of the deceased: which pivvent'-d me for the r-,
"from going there, although some of that nation assured us thaf
"they would do us no harm for that. Tins decided us, and
"occasioned our returning by the .me road as we. had come, and
"continuing my journey, I found the 'nation of the Pisierinij etc."

Brebeuf, who reckoned the Hurons at more than 30,000,
describes the Neutrals in 1634 as much more numerous than the
former. The Relation of 1641 gives them at least 12,000, but
adds that notwithstanding the wars, famine and disease (small
pox), which since three years had prevailed in an extraordinary
degree, the country could still furnish 4,000 warriors, the exact
number estimated by Champlain a quarter of a century earlier.
The name of the Neutrals is variously given as Attikadaron,
Atiouandaronk, Attiouandaron, Attiwandaronk, but the last
is the more common. The name signified "people who spoke a
slightly different dialect," and the Hurons were known to the
Neutrals by the same name. The latter are mentioned in the
Relations as one of the twelve numerous and sedentary nations
who spoke a common language with the Hurons. The
Oueanohronons formed " one of the nations associated with the
Neutral Nation." They are afterwards called in the same
Relation (1639) the Wenrohronons, and are said to have lived on
the borders of the Iroquois, more than eight}^ leagues from the
Huron country. So long as they were on friendly terms with
the Neutrals they were safe from the dreaded Iroquois ; but a
misunderstanding having arisen between them, they were
obliged to flee in order to avoid extermination by the latter.
They took refuge, more than 600 in all, with the Hurons, and
were received in the most friendly and hospitable manner.

The Relation of 1640 speaks of a Huron map communicated
by Father Paul Ragueneau in which a large number of tribes,
most of them acquainted with the Huron language, are shown,
including the Iroquois, the Neutrals, the Eries, etc. The
"Mission of the Apostles" was established among the Tobacco

NOTE. — This is a literal translation, and shows the crudity of Champlain's sailor style
of composition.

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS 11

Nation by Gamier and Jogues in 1640. Nine villages visited by
them were endowed by the missionaries with the names of
apostles, two of which are given in Sanson's map of 1 656. (c)
In one "bourg" called S. Thomas, they baptized a boy five years
old belonging to the Neutral Nation, who died immediately
afterwards. "He saw himself straightway out of banish-
ment and happy in his own country." The famine had driven
his parents to the village of the Tobacco Nation. The devoted
missionaries add, that this was the first fruits of the Neutral
nation.

In the fall of the same year " The Mission of the Angels "
was begun among the Neutrals. The lot fell upon Jean de
Brebeuf and Joseph Marie Chaumonot. The former was the
pioneer of the Jesuit Mission. He had spent three years among
the Hurons from 1626 to 1629, and, after the restoration of
Canada to the French by Charles I., he had returned in 1634 to
the scene of his earlier labors. His associate had only come
from France the year before. Brebeuf was distinguished for his
mastery of the native tongues, and Chaumonot had been
recognized as an apt student of languages. The plan of the
Jesuits was to establish in the new mission a fixed and per-
manent residence, which should be the " retreat " of the mission-
aries of the surrounding country, as Ste. Marie was of those of
the Huron mission.

Lalernant from their report describes the Neutral Nation as
exceedingly populous, including about forty villages ("bourgs
ou bourgades.") The nearest villages were four or five days'
journey or about forty leagues (100 miles) distant from the
Hurons, going due south. He estimates the diilerence in latitude
between Ste. Marie and the nearest village of the Neutrals to the
south at about 1 ° 55\ Elsewhere the distance is spoken of as
about thirty leagues.

From the first "bourg," going on to the south or south-west
(a mistake for south-east it would seem,) it was about four days'
journey to the mouth of the Niagara River. On this side of the

(c) The principal "bourg" was Ehwae, surnamed S. Pierre et S. Paul. If S. Pierre
on Sanson's map is the same place, this must have been near the southern end of the
county of Bruce. The other village or mission shown on the map is S. Simon et S
lude.

12 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUT&ALS.

river, and not beyond it, as "some map" lays it down, (Cham-
plain's, doubtless,) were most of the "bourgs" of the Neutral
Nation. There were three or four on the other side towards the
Eries. Lalemant claims, and there is no doubt as%to the fact, that
the French were the first Europeans to become acquainted with
the Neutrals. The Hurons and Iroquois were sworn enemies to
each other, but in a wigwam or even a camp of the Neutrals
until recently each had been safe from the other's vengeance.

Latterly however the unbridled fury of the hostile nations
had not respected even the neutral ground of their mutual
friends. Friendly as they were to the Hurons and Iroquois,
the Neutrals engaged in cruel wars with other nations to the
west, particularly the Nation of Fire, as has been stated above.
The previous year a hundred prisoners had been taken from the
latter tribe. This year, returning with 2,000 warriors, the
Neutrals had carried off more tham 170. Fiercer than the
Hurons, they burned their female prisoners. Their clothing and
mode of living differed but little from those of the Hurons.
They had Indian corn, beans and pumpkins in equal abundance.
Fish were abundant, different species being met with in different
places. The country was a famous hunting ground. Elk, deer,
wild cats, wolves, " black beasts" (squirrels) beaver and other
animals valuable for their skins and flesh, were in abundance.
It was a rare thing to see more than half a foot of snow. This
year there was more than three feet. The deep' snow had
facilitated the hunting, and, in happy contrast with the famine
which had prevailed, meat was plentiful. They had also multi-
tudes of wild turkeys which went in flocks through the fields
and woods. Fruits were no more plentiful than amongst the
Hurons, except that chestnuts abounded, and wild apples were a
little larger.

Their manners and customs, and family and political govern-
ment, were very much like those of the other Indian tribes, but
they were distinguished from the Hurons by their greater
dissoluteness and indecency. On the other hand they were
taller, stronger and better formed.

Their burial customs were peculiar, although similar customs
are reported at this day amongst some African tribes. The
bodies remained in their wigwams until decomposition rendered

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 13

them insupportable, when they were put outside on a scaffold.
Soon afterward, the bones were removed and arranged within
their houses on both sides in sight of the inmates, where they
remained until the feast of the dead. Having these mournful
objects before their eyes, the women habitually indulged in cries
and laments, in a kind of chant.

The Neutrals were distinguished for the multitude and
quality of their madmen, who were a privileged class. Hence it
was com uioii for bad Indians to assume the character of maniacs
in order to perpetrate crimes . without fear of punishment.
The Jesuits suffered very much from their malice. Some old
men told them that the Neutrals used to carry on war "towards"
a certain western nation, who would seem to have lived on the
Gulf of Mexico, where the " porcelain, which are the pearls of
the country,*' was obtained from a kind of oysters. It is an
undoubted fact that a traffic was carried on with tribes as far
south as the Gulf of Mexico, from whom shells used for
wampum were obtained by successive interchanges of com-
modities with intervening tribes. They had also some vague
notion of alligators, which are* apparently referred to by the des-
cription, " certain aquatic animals, larger and swifter than elk,"
against which these same people had "a kind of war," the details
of which are somewhat amusing, as given by Lalemant.

The two Jesuits left Ste. Marie the 2nd November, 1640,
with two French servants (probably " donnes,") and an Indian.
They slept four nights in the woods. The fifth day they arrived
at the -.first village ("bourg") of the Neutra.- Nation called
Kandoucho, but to which they gave the name of All Saints.
This is probably the same as N. D. des Anges on Sanson's map,
and was not far perhaps from the site of Brantford.

Owing to the unfavorable reports which had been spread
through the country about the Jesuits, the latter were anxious to
explain their purposes to a council of the chiefs and old men.
The head chief, " who managed the affairs of the public" was
called Tsohahissen (doubtless the same as Daillon's Souharissen).
His "bourg" was "in the middle of the country;" to reach it, one had
to pass through several other villages (" bourgs et bourgades.") In
Sanson's map, Alexis is placed almost exactly "in the middle of the
country " of the Neutrals. No other village is marked on the

14 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS

map, to whirh the expression could be applied. Its situation
nearly midway between the Detroit & Niagara Rivers, a few
miles west of a stream which flows into Lake Erie just where
the mouth of Kettle Creek would appear in a map of our own
century, corresponds with that of the Southwold earthwork.
Was the latter the Neutrals' capital ? We can only conjecture;
but the evidence of the Relations, the map and the forest
growth, all points to an affirmative answer. There is a strong
probability that it was here Tsohahissen reigned (if the expres-
sion is allowable in reference to an Indian potentate) as head
chief of the forty Neutral villages. Through the western gate,
doubtless, his warriors set out to wage their relentless warfare
against the Nation of Fire. Within these mounds, returning
satiated with blood, they celebrated their savage triumph,
adorned with the scalps of their enemies.

Brebeuf's Huron surname " Echon " had preceded him. He
was regarded as "one of the most famous sorcerers and demons
''ever imagined." Several Frenchmen had travelled through the
country before him, purchasing furs and other commodities.
These had smoothed the way for the Jesuits. Under the pretext
of being traders, Brebeuf's party succeeded in making their way
in spite of all obstacles interposed. They arrived at the head-
chief's village, only to find that he had gone on a war party and
would not return until spring. The missionaries sought to
negotiate with those who administered affairs in his absence.
They desired to publish the Gospel throughout these lauds, " and
" thereby to contract a particular alliance with them." In proof
of their desire, they had brought a necklace of two thousand
grains oi: "porcelain" or wampum which they wished to present
to "the Public." The inferior chiefs refused to bind themselves
in any way by accepting the present, but gave the missionaries
leave, if they would wait until the chief of the country returned,
to travel freely and give such instruction as they pleased.
Nothing could have suited the fathers better. First however
they decided to return in their steps and reconduct their
domestics out of the country. Then they would resume their
journey for the second time, and " begin their function." As it
had been the servants however, who had acted the part of
traders, this pretext was now wanting to the Jesuits. They

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 15

suffered everywhere from the malicious reports which had been
circulated as to their purposes in visiting the nation and the acts
of sorcery with which they were charged. The Hurons of the
Georgian Bay alarmed for the monopoly they had hitherto
enjoyed and jealous of the French traders, had sent emissaries
amongst the Neutrals to poison their minds against the
adventurous travellers, by the most extraordinary calumnies.

For these reports two Huron Indians Aouenhokoui and
Oentara were especially responsible. They had visited several
villages, presented hatchets in the name of the Huron chiefs and
old men, and denounced their white visitors as sorcerers who
desired to destroy the Neutrals by means of presents. These
representations were so effectual that a council was at length
held by the chiefs and the present formally refused, although
permission to preach was granted.

From village to village, they passed, but everywhere the
doors were barred to them. Hostile looks greeted them
wherever they went. No sooner did they approach a village
than the cry resounded on all sides "Here come the Agwa."
This was the name given by the natives to their greatest
enemies. If the priests were admitted into their dwellings at all,
it was more frequently from fear of the " sorcerers'" vengeance
than for the hope of gain, " God making use of everything in
order to nourish his servants."

In the graphic language of Lalemant : "The mere sight of
the fathers, in figure and habit so different from their own,
their gait, their gestures and their whole deportment seemed
to them so many confirmations of what had been told them.
The breviaries, ink-stands and writings were instruments of
magic; if the Frenchmen prayed to God, it was according
to their idea simply an exercise of sorcerers. Going to the
stream to wash their dishes, it was said they were poisoning the
water: it was charged that through all the cabins, wherever
the priests passed, the children were seized with a cough and
bloody flux, and the women became barren. In short, there was
no calamity present or to come, of which they were not
considered as the source. Several of those with whom the
fathers took up their abode did not sleep day or night for fear;
they dared not touch what had been handled by them, they

16 THE COUNTRY OF THE NETTKALS.

returned the strangers' presents, regarding everything ,-.s
suspicious. The good old women already regarded themselves
as lost, and only regretted the fate of their little children, who
might otherwise have been able to repeople the earth."

The Neutrals intimidated tli3 fathers with rumors of the
Senecas, who they were assured were not far ottl They spoke
of killing and eating the missionaries. Yet in the four months
of their sojourn Brebeuf and Chaumonot never lacked the
necessaries of life, lodging and food, and amidst difficulties and
'inconveniences better imagined than described they retained
their health. Their food supply was bread baked under ashes
after the fashion of the country, and which they kept for thirty
and even forty days to use in case of need.

" In their journey, the fathers passed through eighteen
"villages (bourgs on bourgades), to all of which they gave a
"Christian name, ,of which we shall make use hereafter on
" occasion. They stayed particularly in ten, to which they gave
"as much instruction as they could find hearers. They report
" about 500 Fires and 3,000 persons, which these ten bowrgades
" may contain, to whom they set forth and published the Gospel."
(Lalemant's Relation.) (d)

Disheartened, the fathers decided to return to Kandoucho
or All Saints to await the spring. Midway, however, at the village
of Teotongniaton, or S. Guillaume, (perhaps in the vicinity of
Woodstock) the snow fell in such quantities that further progress
was impossible. They lodged here in the cabin of a squaw, who
entertained them hospitably and instructed them in the language,
dictating narratives syllable by syllable as to a school boy.
Here they stayed twenty -five days, "adjusted the dictionary and
" rules of the Huron language to that of these tribes (the
" Neutrals), and accomplished a work which alone was worth a
"journey of several years in the country."

Hurons from the mission of La Conception volunteered to
go to the relief of the daring travellers. After eight days of
travel and fatigue in the woods the priests and the relief party
arrived at Ste. Marie on the very day of St. Joseph, patron of
the country, in time to say mass, which they had not been able

(d) In another place it is stated that there were 40 villages of the Neutrals in al

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

to say since their departure.

Amongst the eighteen villages visited by them, only one,
that of Khioetoa, called by the fathers Saint Michel, gave them
the audience their embassy merited. In this village, years
before, driven by fear of their enemies, had taken refuge a
certain foreign nation, " which lived beyond Erie or the Cat
"Nation," named Aouenrehronon. It was in this nation that the
fathers performed the first baptism of adults. These were
probably a portion of the kindred Neutral tribe referred to
above as having fled to thes Huron country from the Iroquois.
Their original home was in the State of New York. Sanson'a
map shows S. Michel a little east of where Sandwich now stands.

Owing to their scanty number and the calumnies circulated
amongst the Indians respecting the Jesuits of the Huron Mission
the latter resolved to concentrate their forces. The Neutral
mission was abandoned, but Christian Indians visited the
Neutrals in 1643 and spread the faith amongst them with a
success which elicits Laleinant's enthusiastic praises. Towards
the end of the following winter a band of about 500 Neutrals
visited the Hurons. The fathers did not fail to avail themselves
of their opportunity. The visitors were instructed in the faith
and expressed their regret that their 'teachers could not return
with them. A different reception from that experienced by
Brebeuf and Chaumonot three years before was promised.

Lalemant relates that in the summer of 1643, 2,000 Neutrals
invaded the country of the Nation of Fire and attacked a village
strongly fortified with a palissade, and defended stoutly by 900
warriors. After a ten days' siege, they carried it by storm,
killed a large number on the spot, and carried otf 800 captives,
men women and children, after burning 70 of the most warlike
arid blinding the eyes and "girdling the mouths" of the old men,
whom they left to drag out a miserable existence. He reports
the Nation of Fire as more populous than the Neutrals, the
Hurons and the Iroquois together. In a large number of
these villages the Algonkin language was spoken. Farther
away, it was the prevailing tongue. In remote Algonkin tribes.
even at that early day, there were Christians who knelt, crossed
their hands, turned their eyes heavenward, and prayed to God
morning and evening, and before and after their meals : and the

18 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

best mark of their faith was that they were no longer wicked
nor dishonest as they were before. So it was reported to
Lalemant by trustworthy Hurons who went every year to trade
with Algonkin nations scattered over the whole northern part of
the continent.

Ragueneau in the Relation of 1648 refers to Lake Erie as
being almost 200 leagues in circuit, and precipitating itself by "a
"waterfall of a terrible height" into Lake Ontario, or Lake Saint
Louys.

The Aondironnons a tribe of the Neutrals living nearest to
the Hurons were treacherously attacked in their village by 300
Senecas, who after killing a number carried as many as possible
away with them as prisoners. The Neutrals showed no open
resentment but quietly prepared to revenge themselves. A
Christian Huron, a girl of fifteen, taken prisoner by the
Senecas, escaped from them and made her way to the Neutral
country, where she met four men, two of whom were Neutrals
and the others enemies. The latter wished to take her back to
captivity ; but the Neutrals, claiming that within their country
she was no longer in the power of her enemies, rescued her and
she returned in safety to Ste. Marie on the Georgian Bay.
These incidents were the prelude to the storm which shortly
afterward burst.

In 1650 the principal part of the Iroquois forces was directed
against the Neutrals. They carried two frontier villages, in one of
which were more than 1600 men, the first at the end of autumn,
the second early in the spring of 1651. The old men and children
who might encumber them on their homeward journey were
massacred. The number of captives was excessive, especially of
young women, who were carried off to the Iroquois towns. The
other more distant villages were seized with terror. The
Neutrals abandoned their houses, their property and their
country. Famine pursued them. The survivors became scattered
amongst far-oft woods and along unknown lakes and rivers. In
wretchedness and want and in constant apprehension of their
relentless enejny, they eked out a miserable existence.

The Journal (April 22, 1651) adds that after the destruction
of the Neutral village in the previous autumn, the Neutral
warriors under the lead of the Tahontaenrat (a Huron tribe) had

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 19

followed the assailants and killed or taken 200 of them ; and
1,200 Iroquois warriors had returned in the spring to avenge
this disaster. In August a Huron reported at -Montreal the
capture of Teot'ondiaton (probably the village in which Brebeuf
composed his dictionary, and which is referred to in the Relation as
having been taken in the spring). The condition of the
Neutrals was desolate and desperate. In April, 1652, news
reached Quebec that they had leagued with the Andastes against
the Iroquois, that the Senecas ha 1 been defeated in a foray
against the Neutrals, so that the Seneca women had been
constrained to quit their village and retreat to the Oneida
country; also that the Mohawks had gone on the war path
against the Andastes during the winter, and the issue of the war
was unknown. The last of July, 1653, seven Indians from the
Huron country arrived at Quebec and reported a great gathering
near Mackinac of all the Algonkin nations with the remains of
the Tobacco and Neutral Nations at A^otonatendie three days
above the Sault Ste. Marie (Skia^e) towards the south. The
Tobacco Indians had wintered at Tea(onto'rai ; the Neutrals to
the number of 800 at Sken'chio,e towards Teo'chanontian. These
were to rendezvous the next fall with the Algonkins, who were
already on the spot to the number of 1,000.

This is probably the last we hear of the Neutrals under their
own name. Some of the survivors united with the remnant of
the Hurons at Mackinac and on Lake Superior ; and under the
name of the Hurons and Wyandots they appear from time to
time on the page of history. Their removal to Detroit on the
establishment of the latter trading post by Cadaillac, is perpetu-
ated by the name of Wyandotte, to the south of the City of the
Straits,

Parkman mentions the circumstance that an old chief named
Kenjockety, who claimed descent from an adopted prisoner of
the Neutral Nation, was recently living among the Senecas of
Western New York.

It is stated in the " History of the County of Middlesex" that
over 60 years ago, "Edouard Petit, of Black River, discovered
the ruins of an ancient building on the Riviere aux Sables, about
40 miles from Sarnia. Pacing the size, he found it to have been
40x24 feet on the ground. On the middle of the south or gable

-0 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

end, was a chimney eighteen feet high, in excellent preservation,
built of stone, with an open fire place. The fire place had sunk
below the surface. This ruin had a garden surrounding it, ten
or twelve rods wide by twenty rods in length, marked by
ditches and alleys. Inside the walls of the house a splendid oak
had grown to be three feet in diameter, with a stem sixty feet
high to the first branch. It seemed to be of second growth, and
must have been 150 years reaching its proportions as seen in
1828-9."

This must have been the mission of S. Francois shown on
Sanson's map.

THE IROQUOIS' HUNTING GROUND.

After the expulsion 'of the Neutrals, the north shore of Lake
Erie remained an unpeopled wilderness until the close of the last
century. The unbroken forest teemed with deer, racoons, foxes,
wolves, bears, squirrels and wild turkeys. Millions of pigeons
darkened the sky in their seasons of migration. For generations
after the disappearance of the Neutrals, the Iroquois resorted to
the region in pursuit of game. The country was described in
maps as "Chasse de Castor des Iroquois," the Iroquois' beaver
ground. Numerous dams constructed by these industrious little
animals still remain to justify the description.

The French built forts at Detroit, Niagara and Toronto to
intercept the beaver traffic, which otherwise might be shared by
the English on the Hudson and Mohawk rivers ; but for nearly
a hundred and fifty }'ears no settlement was attempted on the
north shore. References to the region are few and scanty.
Travellers did not penetrate into the country. Coasting along
the shore in canoes on their way to Detroit, they landed as
rarely as possible for shelter or repose. There were forest paths
well known to the Indians, by which they portaged their canoes
and goods from one water stretch to another. One of these led
from the site of Dundas to a point on the Grand River near
Cainsville ; another from the latter stream to the Thames River
near Woodstock; and a third from the upper waters of the
Thames to Lake Huron. Besides these, there was a trail from
the Huntly farm in South wold on the River Thames (Lot 11,

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 21

Con. 1,) to the mouth of Kettle Creek ; and a fifth from the
Rondeau to M'Gregor's Creek near Chatham. These were
thoroughfares of travel and of such rude commerce as was car-

O

ried on by the savages with their French and English neighbors.

THE FRENCH EXPLORATION.

Joliet was the first Frenchman to descend Lake Erie
from Detroit. He had been sent by Talon to investigate the
copper mines of Lake Superior. He returned to Quebec in the
autumn of 1669 by way of the lower lakes, instead of taking the
usual route by the French River and the Ottawa. At the mouth
of Kettle Creek he hid his canoe. Thence he portaged, doubtless
by the well-known trails to the Thames and Grand rivers, until
ha reached Burlington Bay. (e).

At the Seneca village of Tjnaouatoua, midway between the
Bay and the Grand River, he met La Salle and the Sulpician
priests, Dollier de Casson and Galinee on their way to Lake Erie
and the Ohio River. The result of the meeting and of the
information given by Joliet was that the priests altered their
purpose and decided to proceed to Sault Ste. Marie and then to
the Pottamatamies, where they would establish their mission:
whilst La Salle, who evidently was dissatisfied with his com-
panions, went back with Joliet and, it is now pretty generally
believed, discovered the Ohio by journeying overland from the
Seneca villages south of Lake Ontario during the winter or the
following spring. Joliet gave the missionaries a description of
his route, from which Galinee was able to make a map which
was of great assistance in the further progress of their ex-
pedition. (/•'). The priests descended the Grand River to Lake
Erie, and wintered at the forks of Patterson's Creek, where Port
Dover now stands. After a sojourn of five months and eleven
days, during which they were visited in their cabin by Iroquois
beaver hunters, they proceeded westward along the north shore
of the lake. Losing one of their canoes in a storm, they were
obliged to divide their party. Tour men with the luggage
proceeded in the two remaining canoes. Five of the party,
including apparently the two priests, made the wearisome

(e] This is the most probable inference from the facts stated by Galinee.

(/) Galinee's map is reproduced in Faillon's Htstoire de la Colonie Francaise.

22 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

journey on foot from Long Point, all the way to the mouth of
Kettle Creek, where on the tenth of April, 1670, they found
Jol iet's canoe, and the party was reunited for the rest of the
long journey to the Sault. Upon leaving their winter abode
however the whole party had first proceeded to the lake shore,
and there on the 23rd March 1670, being Passion Sunday ?
planted a cross, as a memorial of their long sojourn, antl offered
a prayer. The official record is as follows:

" We the undersigned certify that we have seen affixed on the
"lands of the lake called Erie the arms of the King of France
"with this inscription: The year of salvation 1669, Clement
" IX. being seated in St. Peter's chair, Louis XIV. reigning in
" France, M. de Courcelle being governor of New France, and
" M. Talon being intendant therein for the King, there arrived in
" this place two missionaries from Montreal accompanied by seven
" other Frenchmen, who, the first of all European peoples, have
" wintered on this lake, of which, as of a territory not occupied,
" they have taken possession in the name of their King by the
" apposition of his arms, which they have attached to the foot of
"this cross. In witness whereof we have signed the present
"certificate."

" FRANCOIS DOLLIER,
" Priest of the Diocese of Nantes in Brittany.

"DE GALINEE,
"Deacon of the Diocese of Rennes in Brittany."

Galinee grows enthusiastic over the abundance of game and
wild fruits opposite Long Point. The grapes were as large
and as sweet as the finest in France. The wine made from them
was as good as vin de grave. He admires the profusion
of walnuts, chestnuts, wild apples and plums. Bears were fatter
and better to the palate than the most "savory" pigs in France.
Deer wandered in herds of 50 to 100. Sometimes even 200
would be seen feeding together. In his enthusiasm the good
priest calls this region " the terrestrial paradise of Canada."

Fortunately for the explorers, the winter was as mild at
Port Dover as it was severe at Montreal. Patterson's Creek
was however stil] frozen over on the 26th March, when,
having portaged their goods and canoes to the lake, they
embarked to resume their westward journey. They had to pass

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 23

two streams before they arrived at the sand beach which
connected Long Point with the mainland. To effect the irrst
crossing they walked four leagues inland before they found a
satisfactory spot. To cross Big Creek, they were obliged to
spend a whole clay constructing a raft. They were further
delayed by a prolonged snow storm and a strong north wind.
On the west bank was a meadow more than 200 paces wide, in
passing over which they were immersed to their girdles in mud
and slush. Arriving at the sandy ridge which then connected
Long Point with the mainland, they found the lake on the other
side full of floating ice, and concluded that their companions had
not ventured to proceed in their frail barques. They encamped
near the sandbar and waited for the canoes, which had doubtless
been delayed by the weather. The missionaries put themselves
on short rations in order to permit the hunters to keep up their
strength for the chase, and were rewarded with a stag as the
result. As it was Holy Week the whole party decided not to
leave the spot until they had kept their Easter together. On
the Tuesday following, which was the eighth day of April, they
heard mass and, although the lake had still a border of ice, they
launched their canoe, and continued their journey as before, five
of the party going by land. When they arrived at "the place
of the canoe," on the 10th great was their cMsappointment to find
that the Iroquois had anticipated them and carried it away.
Later in the day however it was found, hidden between two
large trees on the other side of a stream. The discoverers came
upon it unexpectedly whilst looking for dry wood to make a
fire, and bore it in triumph to the lake. The hunters were out
the whole day without seeing any game. For five or six days
the party subsisted on boiled maize, no meat being obtainable.
Being provided now with three canoes, the party paddled up the
lake in one day to a place where game was abundant. The
hunters saw more than 200 deer in a single herd, but missed
their aim. In their craving for flesh-meat, they shot and
skinned a poor wglf and had it ready for the kettle, when one
of their men perceived twenty or thirty deer " on the other side
" of a small lake on the shore of which we were." (g) The deer

(g) Evidently the Rondeau.

24 THE COUNTRY, OF THE NEUTRALS

were surrounded and forced into the water, where 10 were killed,
the rest being permitted to escape. Well supplied with fresh
and smoked meat they went on nearly twenty leagues (about
fifty miles) in one day, " as far as a long point which you will
" find marked in the map of Lake Erie. We arrived there on a
" beautiful sand-beach on the east side of this point." (A) Here
disaster overtook them. They had drawn up their canoes
beyond high water mark, but left their goods on the sand near
the water, whilst they camped for the night. A terrific gale
came up from the north-east, and the water of the lake rose until
it swept with violence over the beach. One of the party was
awakened by the roaring of the waves and wind and aroused the
rest, who attempted to save their supplies. Groping with
torches along the shore, they succeeded in securing the cargo of
Galinee's canoe, and of one of Dollier's. The other canoe load
was lost, including provisions, goods for bartering, ammunition,
and, most important of all, the altar service, with which they
intended establishing their mission among the Pottawatamies.
The question was debated whether they should take up their
mission with some other tribe, or go back to Montreal for a new
altar service and supplies, and, returning at a later period,
establish themselves wherever they should then determine.
Deciding in favor of the latter view, they concluded that the
return journey would be as short by way of the Sault and the
French River as by the route which they had followed from the
east. In favor of this decision was the further consideration
that not only would they see a new country but they would
have the escort of the Ottawas who were assembling at the Sault
for their annual trading visit to Montreal and Quebec. Galinee
continues : " We pursued our journey accordingly towards the
" west, and after having made about 100 leagues on Lake Erie
"arrived at the place where the Lake of the Hurons, otherwise
"called the Fresh-water Sea of the Hurons, or the Michigan, dis-
" charges itself into that lake. This outlet is perhaps half a
" league wide and turns sharply to the north-east, so that we
" were in a measure retracing our steps; at the end of six leagues
" we found a place that was very remarkable and held in great

(K\ This was Point Pelee.

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 25

"veneration by all the savages of these regions, because of a
" stone idol of natural formation, to which they say they owe
"the success of their navigation on Lake Erie when they have
"crossed it without accident, and which they appease by
"sacrifices, presents of skins, provisions, etc., when they wish to
"embark on it."

" This place was full of huts of those who had come to pay
" homage to- this idol, which had no other resemblance to a.
"human figure than that which the imagination chose to give it.
" However it was painted all over, and a kind of face had been
"formed for it with vermillion. I leave you to imagine whether
"we avenged upon this idol, which the Iroquois had strongly
" recommended us to honor, the loss of our chapel."

" We attributed to it even the scarcity of food from which
" we had suffered up to that time. In fine there was nobody
" whose hatred it had not incurred. I consecrated one of my
"hatchets to break this god of stone, and then having locked
" canoes we carried the largest piece to the middle of the river,
" and immediately cast the remainder into the water, that it
"might never be heard of again."

"God rewarded us forthwith for this good act: for we killed
'' a deer that same day, and four leagues farther we entered a
" little lake about ten leagues long and almost as wide, called by
" Mr. Sanson the Lake of the Salted Waters, but we saw no sign
"of salt. From this lake we entered the outlet of Lake
" Michigan, which is not a quarter of a league in width."

" At last ten or twelve leagues farther on, we entered the
" largest lake in all America, called here "the Fresh-water Sea
"of the Hurons," or in Algonkin, Michigan. It is 600 to 700
"leagues in circuit. We made on this lake 200 leagues and were
" afraid of falling short of provisions, the shores of the lake
" being apparently very barren. God, however, did not wish
" that we should lack for food in his service. "

" For we were never more than one day without food. It is
" true that several times we kad nothing left, and had to pass an
" evening and morning without having anything to put into the
" kettle, but I did not see that any one was discouraged or put to
" prayers (sic) on that account. For we were so accustomed to
" see that God succored us mightily in emergencies, that we

26 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

" awaited with tranquility the effects of his goodness, thinking
"that He who nourished so many barbarians in these woods
" would not abandon his servants."

" We passed this lake without any peril and entered the Lake
"of the Hurons, which communicates with it by four mouths,
" each nearly two leagues in width."

" At last we arrived on the 25th May, the day of Pentecost,
"at Ste. Marie of the Sault, where the Jesuit fathers have made
" their principal establishment for the missions to the Ottawas
" and neighboring tribes."

Here they found fathers D'Ablon and Marquette in charge of
the mission, with a fort consisting of a square of cedar posts,
enclosing a chapel and residence. They had cleared and seeded
a large piece of ground. The Sulpicians remained only three
days and then hired an experienced guide to take them to
Montreal, where they arrived on the 18th June after a fatiguing
journey of twenty-two days. They had been absent since the
6th July 1669, and were welcomed as if they had come to life
again after being dead. It was their intention to return in the
following spring and renew their search for the Ohio River,
where they purposed establishing a mission : but this intention
was never carried into effect.

" This famous voyage," says Dean Harris in his interesting
" 'History of the Early Missions in Western Canada/ stimulated
" to an extraordinary degree enthusiasm for discovery, and in
" the following year Talon sent out expeditions to the Hudson
" Bay, the Southern Sea, and into the Algonquin country to the
" north." Marquette, Tonty, Hennepin, Du Lhut, La Salle and
Perrot explored the Mississippi valley, and the head waters of the
St. Lawrence system, and almost the entire continent was claimed
by the French as belonging to New France. As far as appears,
there were no Indians having settled abodes on the north shore
of Lake Erie for more than a century after the expulsion of the
Neutrals. Nor does any attempt appear to have been made by
the whites to explore south-western Ontario until the close of the
last century. The Iroquois continued for a long period to range
its forests for beaver in the winter. The rivalry between the
French and the English for the control of the vast western fur

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 27

trade led to the erection of outposts by the English at Oswego

and by the French at Cataraqui, Niagara, Detroit and Michili-

makinac, during the latter part of the 17th century. English traders

sailed or paddled up the lakes to get their share of the traffic,

and were from time to time summarily arrested and expelled by

their rivals. Both parties tried to ingratiate themselves with

the natives. The French were as eager to maintain a state of

warfare between the Iroquois and the Indians of the upper lakes

— the Hurons, Ottawas, Pottawatamies, Ojibways etc. — as to

induce the former to keep the peace with the white inhabitants

of Canada. There were two great trade routes to Montreal, viz:

by Mackinac, the Georgian Bay and the French and Ottawa

River and by Detroit, Lake Erie and Niagara ; the Lake Simcoe

portage routes by the Trent River system, and the Holland

River and Toronto were also used. Trading or military parties,

under the leadership of La Salle, Tonty, Perrot, Du Lhut,

Cadaillac, passed along the coast of L. Erie in canoes; but

little record if any remained of their visits to the shores. Kettle

Creek was long called the Tonty River. It is so named in one of

BeHin's maps of 1755, and by the Canadian Land Board at Detroit

as lately as 1793. The only northern tributaries of Lake Erie to

which names are given on the map of 1755 are the Grand

River, River D'Ollipr (Patterson's Creek), which in some maps is

called the River of the Wintering — a manifest reference to

Galinee and Dollier de Casson's sojourn in 1669-70 — the River a

la Barbue (Catfish Creek), the River Tonty (Kettle Creek) a

little east of P'te au Fort (Plum Point or else Port Talbot) and

the River aux Cedres (M'Gregor's Creek in Essex). The Thames

is described as a "River unknown to all geographers, and which

"you go up eighty leagues without finding any rapids (saults)"

The Chenail Ecarte is indicated as the only outlet of the Sydem-

harn river the map-makers assuming that Walpole Island was

part of the mainland. The mouths of four or five streams are

shown between Long Point and "the Little Lake" (Rondeau), and

the shore is marked "The High Cliffs." "The Low Cliffs" were

between the Rondeau and Point Pelee. In one of Bellin's maps

of 1755 in the present writer's possession Long Point is shown

as a peninsula, and the streams now in the' County of Elgin are

marked "Unknown Rivers," but the map firstly mentioned and

28 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

published in the same year, is more complete, represents Long
Point as an island, and names the Barbue and Tonty rivers and
Fort Point, (P'te au Fort) which are not named in the other.
The Tonty, moreover, is represented as an inlet by way of
distinction from the other streams (including the Barbue) which
appear as of equal insignificance. The naming of Kettle Creek
after the great explorer and devoted lieutenant of La Salle
indicates its consequence. Its harbor was of paramount im-
portance to the navigation of these early days, but no doubt the
portage route extending from its mouth to the Thames exalted
the little river in the eyes of the explorers who honored it with
Tonty 's name. (i).

THE INDIAN TITLE.

On July 19th, 1701, the Iroquois ceded to the British the
entire country between the lakes, "including the country where
"beavers and all sorts of wild game keep, and the place called
" De Tret," (j) but this appears to have been a mere formality
as no possession was taken by the purchasers.

The Ojibways have a tradition that they defeated the
Iroqu^is (called by them the Nottawas or Nahdoways) in a
succession of skirmishes, ending in a complete victory at the
outlet of Burlington Bay, and the final expulsion of the Six
Nations from that part of Ontario between the Great Lakes.
The Ojibways then spread east and west over the country. "A
"treaty of peace and friendship was then made with the
" Nahdoways residing on the south side of Lake Ontario, and
''both nations solemnly covenanted, by going through the usual
"forms of burying the tomahawk, smoking the pipe of peace,
"and locking their hands and arms together, agreeing in future
"jfro call each other Brothers. Thus ended their war with the
"Nahdoways," (fc)

(0 General John S. Clarke, of Auburn, N. Y., in correspondence with the

present writer, dwells upon the importance of the Kettle Creek portage route in

the seventeenth century. He is a recognized authority upon the subject of Indian

trade routes.

(/) History of Middlesex County, p. 17.

(fc) "Peter Jones and the Ojebway Indians," p. 113.

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 29

Whatever may be the truth of the details, there is no doubt
of the fact that the Ojibways or their kindred the Mississagas
were the sole occupants of Western Ontario at the time of the
conquest in 1759, except near the Detroit River where the
remnant of the Hurons or Wyandots had settled. It was with the
Mississagas that the British negotiated in 1784 for the cession of
the country from the " head of the Lake Ontario or the Creek
91 Waghguata to the River La Tranche, then down the river
"until a south course will strike the mouth of Cat Fish Creek
"on Lake Erie." On the 21st May, 1790, Alexander M'Kee
announced to the Land -board at Detroit the cession to the
Crown by the Indians of that part of Upper Canada west of
the former grant. The surrender of the Indian title opened the
way in each division of the lake shore district for settlement. *

CHARLEVOIX'S DESCRIPTION.

In the year 1721 the distinguished traveller, Charlevoix,
passed through Lake Erie on his way up the Lakes and thence
down the Mississippi to New Orleans. The north shore of
Lake Erie, and chiefly that part now embraced within the limits
of the County of Elgin, is singled out by .him as the most
beautiful country he met with in his passage. Many travellers
since Charlevoix have admired the charming scenery at the
mouths of Otter, Catfish, Kettle and Talbot Creeks, but few if
any have described it so well. As Colonel Talbot was influenced
mainly by Charlevoix's description of t)ie country to establish
his settlement at the outlet of Talbot Creek in 1803, the present
writer makes no apology for reproducing the following extended
passage from the celebrated and gifted traveller:

NOTE. — The explanatory notes referring to the extract are by the late Leonidas
Burvvell, M. P. P., and are given by him in a letter to His Honor, Judge Hughes,
which has been kindly presented by the recipient to the Elgin Historical and
Scientific Institute.

* The north shore of Lake Erie appears to have been so little known to the
officials, that Kettle Creek and Cat Fish Creek were continually confused
and taken as being one or different streams as chance would have it. The
Land-board considered that a surrender of the lands west of Kettle Creek
gave the Crown all the territory net previously ceded. The Indians at
Detroit who made the cession were the Ojibways, Hurons, Ottawas artd
Pottawatamies.

30 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

"The 28th May, 1721, I went eighteen leagues and found
"myself over against the great river which comes from the
" East in forty-two degrees fifteen minutes. Nevertheless the
" great trees were not yet green. This country appeared to me
" to be very fine. We made very little way the 29th and none
" at all the 30th. We embarked the next day about sun riss,
" and went forward apace. The first of June being Whitsunday,
" after going up a pretty river almost an hour which comes a
" great way, and runs between two fine meadows, we made a
" portage about sixty paces to escape going round a point which
" advances fifteen leagues into the lake : they call it the Long
"Point. It is very sandy and produces naturally many vines. (I)

"The following days I saw nothing remarkable, but I coasted
"a charming country that was hid from time to time by some dis-
"agreeable skreens, but of little depth. In every place where I
"landed I was enchanted with the beauty and variety of land-
" scape bounded by the finest forest in the world ; besides this
" water fowl swarmed everywhere. I cannot say there is such
"plenty oi game in the woods : but I know that on the south side
" there are vast herds of wTild cattle, (m)

" If one always travelled as I did then, with a clear sky
"and charming climate on water as bright as the finest
" fountain, and were to meet everywhere with safe and pleasant
"encampings, where one -might find all manner of game at little
"cost, breathing at one's ease a pure air, and enjoying the sight
"of the finest countries, one would be tempted to travel all one's
"life."

" It put me in mind of those ancient patriarchs who had no
" fixed abode, dwelt under tents, were in some manner master
' of all the countries they travelled over, and peaceably enjoyed
"all their productions without having the trouble which is
" inavoidable in the possession of a real domain. How many

(/) This river is what is now known as "Big Creek" and answers this descrip-
tion at the present day. It enters the lake a little above Port Rowan.

(m) This charming country is evidently, the greater part of it, the County of
Elgin, as the portage is not more than thirteen miles from the boundary line of
Bayham. In passing up the lake one would meet with a great variety of
landscape as the sand-hills in Houghton and the mouths of the Otter, Catfish and
other creeks would be passed. The lofty pines and chestnuts and oaks along
this coast, in their original state no doubt appeared like the "finest forest in the
world."

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 31

"oaks represented to me that of Mamre? How many fountains
"made me remember that of Jacob ? Every day a situation of
"my own choosing, a neat and convenient house set up and
" furnished with necessaries in a quarter of an hour, spread with
"flowers always fresh, on a fine green carpet, and on every side
" plain and natural beauties which art had not altered and
" which it can not imitate. If the pleasures suffer some inter-
"ruption either by bad weather or some unforseen accident, they
"are the more relished when they reappear.

" If I had a mind to moralize, I should add, these alterna-
tions of pleasure and disappointment which I have so often
" experienced since I have' been travelling, are very proper to
"make us sensible that there is no kind of life more capable of
"representing to us continually that we are only on the earth
"like pilgrims, and that we can only use, as in passing, the goods
"of this world; that a man wants but a few things; and that
"we ought to take with patience the misfortunes that happen
" in our journey, since they pass away equally, and with the
" same celerity. In short how manv things in travelling make
" us sensible of the dependence in which we live upon Divine
" providence, which does not make use of, for this mixture of
" good and evil, men's passions, but the vicissitudes of the seasons
" which we may foresee, and of the caprice of the elements,
" which we may expect of course. Of consequence, how easy is
'•' it, and how many opportunities have we to merit by our
" dependence on and resignation to the will of God ?

" They say commonly that long voyages do not make people
" religious, but nothing one would think should be more capable
" of making them so, than the scenes they go through."

THE BRITISH OCCUPATION.

The conquest of Canada in 1759 was followed by the occupa-
tion of Detroit and the upper forts by a British force under the
famous Major Robert Rogers. He followed the south shore of
Lake Erie, and near the site of Cleveland was met by the
celebrated Ottawa chief, Pontiac, who challenged his right to pass
through the country without the formal permission of its savage

32 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

sovereign. The operations of the conspiracy of Pontiac (1763-5)
are described in Parkman's glowing pages. The success of the
American Revolution was followed by the settlement not only ol
the U. E. Loyalists but also of many of the disbanded British
troops in the most fertile districts north of the lakes. To locate
these advantageously a Land-board was established at Detroit
by the Canadian Government and it continued to perform its
functions until the surrender of that post to the United States
under the provisions of the Jay Treaty of 1794.

McNIFF'S EXPLORATION,

The Indian title to the whole north shore region having been
surrendered to the Crown, no time was lost in opening the
territory for settlement. Patrick McNiff, an assistant surveyor
attached to the Ordinance Department, was ordered by Patrick
Murray, Commandant at Detroit, to explore the north shore
from Long . Point westward and investigate the quality
and situation of the land. His report is dated 16th June 1790.
The following extract is interesting :

" From Pointe aux Pins to the portage at Long Point, no
" possibility of making any settlement to front on the Lake,
"being all the way a yellow and white sand bank from 50 to 100
" feet high, top covered with chestnut and scrubby oak and no
" harbours where even light boa.ts may enter except River Tonty
" and River a la Barbue. (ri) A load boat may enter the latter
" having four and a half feet water on the bar ; on each side of
" River a la Barbue are flats of excellent lands, but not above
" fifteen or twenty chains wide, before very high land commences,
"which in many places does not appear to be accessible for any
" carriage. On the tops of these very high hills, good land,
"timber, some very large chestnut, hickory and bass. These
" hills are separated by dry ravines almost impassable from their
" great depth — on the back of Long Point very good land, not so
" hilly as what I have passed. Timber bass, black walnut and

(n) Kettle and Catfish Creeks.

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 33

" hard maple, but marshy in front for twenty or thirty
chains, (o)

In consequence of this unfavorable report, townships were
elected to be laid out on the River Thames, instead of the lake
shore.

LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR SIMCOE,

In the year 1791 the Quebec Act was passed, dividing
Quebec into two provinces, and Colonel John Graves Simcoe
became the first lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada. Before
the Bill was introduced into parliament, it was understood
that Simcoe had be^n selected by Pitt to govern the new
province, direct its settlement and establish constitutional
government after the model of the British system. As
early as January, 1791, he had written a letter to Sir Joseph
Banks, President of the Royal Society, (p) in which after men-
tioning his appointment, he explained his own plans as to the
administration, and stated his desire to profit by the ideas of his
correspondent whom he would wait upon for that purpose.

" For the purpose of commerce, union and power, I propose
" that the site of the colony should be in that Great Peninsula
" between the Lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario, a spot destined by
" nature, sooner or later, to govern the interior world.

" I mean to establish a capital in the very heart of the
" country, upon the River La Tranche, which is navigable for
"batteauxs for 150 miles — and near to where the Grand River,
" which falls into Erie, and others that communicate with Huron
"and Ontario almost interlock. The capital I mean to call
" Georgina — and aim to settle in its vicinity Loyalists, who are
" now i)i Connecticut, provided that the Government approve of
'* the system."

As a member of the House of Commons, Simcoe spoke in
support of a provision in the bill for the establishment of an
hereditary nobility, which Fox had moved to strike out. The
report states that Colonel Simcoe " having pronounced a pane-

(o) Record book of the Land Board at Detroit, now in the Crown Lands Depart-
ment at Toronto.

34 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

"gyric on the British constitution, wished it to be adopted in the
" present instance, as far as circumstances would admit." The
provision was in the bill as finally passed.

Having proceeded to Quebec to enter upon the performance
of his duties, he appears to have utilized every opportunity for
informing himself of his new domain. He writes to Hon.
Henry Dundas from Montreal, December 7, 1791, in a letter
marked "secret and confidential," as follows: —

"I am happy to have found in the surveyor's office an actual
•: survey of the River La Tranche. It answers my most
" sanguine expectations, and I have but little doubt that its
"communications with the Ontario and Erie will be found to be
" very practicable, the whole forming a route which, in all
" respects, may annihilate the political consequences of Niagara
" and Lake Erie. * * * * My ideas at present are to
"assemble the new corps, Artificers, etc., at Cataraqui (Kingston),
" and to take its present garrison and visit Toronto and the
" heads of La Tranche, to pass down that river to Detroit, and
" early in the spring to occupy such a central position as shall be
" previously chosen for the capital."

On the 16th July, 1792, the, name of the River La Tranche
was changed to the Thames by proclamation of the Governor,
issued at Kingston. In the spring, he had written that "Toronto
" appears to be the natural arsenal of Lake Ontario and to afford
"an easy access overland to Lake Huron." He adds: "The
" River La Tranche, near the navigable head of which I propose
" to establish the Capital, by what I can gather from the few
"people who have visited it, will afford a safe, more certain, and
" I am inclined to think, by taking due advantage of the season,
" a less expensive route to Detroit than that of Niagara."

At Quebec Simcoe had met the Hon. Thomas Talbot, who had
joined the 24th Regiment as Lieutenant in the previous year.
Talbot was then a young man of twenty, whilst Simcoe was in
his fortieth year. A strong attachment sprang up between
these two remarkable men, and Talbot accompanied the
lieutenant-governor to Niagara, in the capacity of private and
confidential secretary. After meeting the first Legislature
elected in Upper Canada during the fall of 1792 Simcoe decided
to make a journey overland to Detroit. He left Navy Hall on

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 35

the 4th February, 1793, and returned on the 10th March. His
travelling companions were Capt. Fitzgerald, Lieutenant Smith
(previously Secretary to the Detroit Land Board, subsequently
the first Surveyor General of Upper Canada, an M. P. P., Speaker
of the House, etc , and afterward created a baronet), Lieutenants
Talbot, Gray, Givens and Major Littlehales. All of these were
prominent afterward in the history of the Province. Talbot
became the founder of the Talbot Settlement. Gray was
appointed Solicitor General ; he perished in the schooner 'Speedy'
on Lake Ontario in 1804 with Judge Cochrane, Sheriff Macdonell
and others. Givens was afterward the well-known Colonel
Givens, Superintendant of Indian Affairs at York. Littlehales
was afterward Sir E. B. Littlehales, Secretary of War for
Ireland, during the Lord-Lieutenancy of the Marquis of
Cornwallis; he married in 1805 the Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald,
daughter of the Duke of Leinster and sister of the unfortunate
Lord Edward Fitzgerald, (p)

The journey was made partly in sleighs but chiefly on foot.
Littlehales kept a diary of the occurrences on the way. The
route was by Ten-mile Creek, Nelles' house at the Grand River,
the Mohawk Indian village (a little below Brantford), the
portage route to the Forks of the Thames (London), and then
down or along the River to Detroit. Joseph Brant with about a
dozen of his Indians accompanied the party from the Mohawk
Village to Delaware, doubtless to furnish them with game and
guide them over the long portage. The Indians excited
admiration by their skill in constructing wigwams of elm bark
to lodge the company. After leaving the Grand River the trail
passed a Mississaga encampment, a trader's house, fine open deer
plains, several beaver dams, "an encampment said to have been
" Lord Fitzgerald's when on his inarch to Detroit, Michilimacki-
" nac and the Mississippi," a cedar grove ; crossed a small
branch of the La Tranche, and the main branch soon after-
wards; " went between an irregular fence of stakes made by the
" Indians to intimidate and impede the deer, and facilitate their
"hunting;" again they crossed the main branch of the Thames,fg)

(p) Dr. Scadding's notes to his reprint of Littlehales' Journal
(q) This was no doubt where London now is.

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

and " halted to observe a beautiful situation, formed by a bend
"of the river — a grove of hemlock and pine, and a large creek.
" We passed some deep ravines and made our wigwam by a
" stream on the brow of a hill, near a spot where Indians were
" interred. The burying ground was of earth raised, nearly
" covered with leaves ; and wickered over — adjoining it was a
" large pole, with painted hieroglyphics on it denoting the
" nation, tribes and achievements of the deceased, either as
" chiefs, warriors, or hunters." This was on the 13th February.
The food of the party consisted of soup and dried venison, to
which squirrel and racoon meat added variety. Littlehales
remarks about the latter : " The three racoons when roasted
" made us an excellent supper. Some parts were rancid,
" but in general the flesh was exceedingly tender and good." On
the 14th they encamped a few miles above the Delaware village.
During the day the diarist had " observed many trees blazed,
" and various figures of Indians (returning from battle with
" scalps) and animals drawn upon them, descriptive of the
" nations, tribes and number that had passed. Many of them
" were well drawn, especially a bison."

" This day we walked over very uneven ground, and passed
" two lakes of about four miles in circumference, between which
" were many fine larch trees."

Next morning they walked on the ice of the river five or
six miles to the Delaware village, where the chiefs received them
cordially and regaled them with eggs and venison " Captain
" Brant being obliged to return to a council of the Six Nations,
" we stayed the whole day. The Delaware Castle is pleasantly
" situated upon the banks of the Thames ; the meadows at the
" bottom are cleared to some extent, and in summer planted with
" Indian corn. After walking twelve or fourteen miles this day,
" part of the way through plains of white oak and ash, and
" passing several Chippawa Indians upon their hunting parties,
"and in their encampments, we arrived at a Canadian trader's;
" and a little beyond, in proceeding down the river the Indians
"discovered a spring of an oily nature, wnich upon examination
*' proved to be a kind of petroleum. We passed another wigwam
" of Chippawas, making maple sugar, the mildness of the winter
" having compelled them in a great measure to abandon their

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

•' annual hunting. We soon arrived at an old hut where we
" passed the night."

On the 17th, after a journey of four or five miles, they passed
the Moravian Village which had been begun in May, 1792. The
Delaware Indians were "under the control, arid in many particu-
" lars, under the command of four missionaries, Messrs. Zeis-
'" berger, Senseman, Edwards and Young." They were making
progress towards civilization, and already had corn fields and
were being instructed in different branches of agriculture. " At
" this place every respect was paid to the Governor, and we
" procured a seasonable refreshment of eggs, milk and butter.
" Pursuing our journey eight or nine miles, we stopped for the
" night at the extremity of a new road, cut by the Indians and
"close to a creek."

" 18th — Crossing the Thames and leaving behind us a new log
"house, belonging to a sailor named Carpenter, we passed a
" thick, swampy wood of black walnut, where His Excellency's
"servant was lost for three or four hours. We then came to a
" bend of the La Tranche (Thames) (r) and were agreeably
" surprised to meet twelve or fourteen carioles coming to meet
" and conduct the Governor, who, with his suite, got into them,
" and at about four o'clock arrived at Dolsen's, having previously
" reconnoitred a fork of the river, and examined a mill of
" curious construction erecting upon it. The settlement where
" Dolsen resides is very promising, the land is well adapted for
" farmers, and there are some respectable inhabitants on both
" sides of the river ; behind it to the south is a range of spacious
"meadows — elk are continually seen upon them — and the pools
" and ponds are full of cray fish."

" From Dolsen's we went to the mouth of the Thames in
" carioles, about twelve miles, and saw the remains of a consider-
" able town of the Chippawas, where, it is reported, a desperate
" battle was fought between them and the Senecas, and upon
" which occasion the latter, being totally vanquished, abandoned
" their dominions to the conquerors. Certain it is, that human
" bones are scattered in abundance in the vicinity of the ground,
" and the Indians have a variety of traditions relative to this

(r) Afterwards referred to by the diarist as the high bank.

38 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS

" transaction." *

We pass over briefly the Governor's reception at Detroit.
The Canadian militia on the east bank fired a fen de joie. He
crossed the river in boats amidst floating ice. The garrison of
Detroit was under arms to receive His Majesty's representative.
A royal salute was fired.

The farms, the apple orchards, windmills and houses close
together on the river bank gave an- appearance of population
and respectability. Talbot's regiment, the 24th, was stationed
at Detroit. Fort Lenoult and the rest of the works were in-
spected. The party visited at the River Rouge a sloop almost
ready to be launched. They went to see the Bloody Bridge,
memorable for the slaughter of British troops by Pontiac 30
years before.

On the 23rd, the Governor left Detroit on his homeward
journey, Col. McKee, Mr. Baby and others escorting His Excel-
lency as far as the high bank where the carioles had met the
party on the 18th. •" Here we separated ; and each taking his
"pack or knapsack on his back, we walked that night to the
" Moravian village."

On the 27th the chiefs at the village entertained the party
with venison, and dancing, "a ceremony they never dispense
" with when any of the King's officers of rank visit their
" villages."

"28th. — At six we stopped at an old Mississaga hut, upon the
" south side of the Thames. After taking some refreshment of
" salt pork and venison, well cooked by Lieutenant Smith, who
" superintended that department, we, as usual, sang God Save
" the King, and went to rest."

"March 1st. — We set out along the banks of the riv?er:
" then, ascending a high hill, quitted our former path, and
" directed our course to the northward. A good deal of snow
" having fallen, and lying still on the ground, we saw tracks of
" otters, deer, wolves and bears and other animals many of which
" being quite fresh induced the Mohawks to pursue them, -but
" without success. We walked 14 or 15 miles and twice crossed
"the river, and a few creeks, upon the ice; once we came close

* Note Peter Jones' statement as quoted on page 28.

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

" to a Chippawa hunting camp, opposite to a fine terrace, on the
" banks of which we encamped, near a bay. * * * 2nd.—
" We struck the Thames at one end of a low flat island
" enveloped with shrubs and trees : the rapidity and strength of
" the current were such as to have forced a channel through
" the main land, being a peninsula, and to have formed the
" island. We walked over a rich meadow, and at its extremity
" came to the forks of the river, (s) The Governor wished to
" examine this situation and its environs ; and we therefore
" remained here all the day. He judged it to be a situation
"eminently calculated for the metropolis of Canada.. Among
" many other essentials, it possesses the following advantages :
" command of territory, — internal situation, — central position,—
" facility of water communication up and down the Thames
"into Lakes St. Glair, Erie, Huron and Superior, — navigable
"lor boats to near its source, and for small crafts probably to
" the Moravian settlement — to the northward by a small portage
" to the waters flowing into Lake Huron — to the south-east by
"a carrying place into Lake Ontario and the River St. Lawrence;
" the soil luxuriantly fertile, — the land rich, and capable of being
" easily cleared, and soon put into a state of agriculture, — a
" pinery upon an adjacent high knoll, and other timber on the
" heights, well calculated for the erection of public buildings, — a.
" climate not inferior to any part of Canada."

"To these natural advantages an object of great consideration
" is to be added, that the enormous expenses of the Indian
" Department would be greatly diminished, if not abolished
" the Indians would, in all probability, be induced to become the
"carriers of their own peltries, and they would find a ready,
"contiguous, commor'ous, and equitable mart, honorably ad-
" vantageous to Gr ernment, and the community in general,
" without their becoming a prey to the monopolizing and
" unprincipled trader."

"The young Indians, who had chased a herd of deer in
" company with Lieutenant Givens, returned unsuccessful, but
" brought with them a large porcupine ; which was very
" seasonable, as our provisions were nearly expended. This

(s) Now the city of London.

40 THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

" animal afforded us a very good repast, and tasted like a pig.
"The Newfoundland dog attempted to bite the porcupine, but
" soon got his mouth filled with the barbed quills, which gave
" him exquisite pain. An Indian undertook to extract them,
" and with much perseverance plucked them out, one by one, and
" carefully applied a root or decoction, which speedily healed the
" wound."

" Various figures were delineated on trees at the forks of the
" River Thames, done with charcoal and vermillion ; the most
'' remarkable were the imitations of men with deer's heads "

" We saw a tine eagle on the wing, and two or three large
" birds, perhaps vultures."

" 3rd. — We were glad to leave our wigwam early this
"morning, it having rained incessantly the whole night; besides,
" the hemlock branches on which we slept were wet before they
" were gathered for our use. — WTe first ascended the height at
"least 120 feet into a continuation of the pinery already
" mentioned ; quitting that, we came to a beautiful plain with
" detached clumps of white oak, and open woods ; then crossing
" a creek running into the south branch oi: the Thames, we
" entered a thick swampy wood, where we were at a loss to
" discover any track ; but in a few minutes we were released
" from this dilemma by the Indians, who making a cast, soon
" descried our old path to Detroit. Descending a hill and
" crossing a brook, we came at noon to the encampment we left
" on the 14th of February, and were agreeably surprised by
'* meeting Captain Brant and a numerous retinue ; among them
" were four of the Indians we had despatched to him when we
" first altered our course for the forks of the River Thames."
,v* On the 4th, after crossing brooks and rivulets, much
swollen by a thunder-storm, and passing the hut occupied by
them on the 12th February they noticed " very fine beech trees/'

Next day : — "We again crossed one of the branches of the
*' south-east fork of the Thames, and halted in a cypress or cedar
" grove, where we were much amused by seeing Brant and the
" Indians chase a lynx with their dogs and rifle guns, but they
" did not catch it. Several porcupines were seen."

On the 6th they reached the Mohawk village, crossing the
river at a different place and by a nearer route than before. The

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 41

Indians had met the Governor with horses at " the end of the
"plain, near the Salt Lick Creek." The party finally arrived at
Navy Hall on the 10th day of March.

At this period the overland route from Detroit to Niagara
was apparently well known. There was an annual "Winter-
" express" each way, which Simcoe met on his westward journey
on the 12th February and on his homeward route on the 5th
March. Littlehales mentions a Mr. Clarke as being with it on
each occasion. On their first meeting, the express was
accompanied by a Wyandot and a Chippawa Indian. The
second time, Mr. Augustus Jones, the surveyor, was either with
or following it. He surveyed the north-west part of South wold in
the following year. On the up trip, the Governor's party met
one man, who afterward proved to be a runaway thief from
Detroit. They were also overtaken by a traveller, who, as they
were subsequently informed, had got himself supplied with
provisions and horses to the Grand River, and a guide from
thence to Detroit, by the false representation that he had
despatches for the Governor. " He quitted us under the
" plausible pretence of looking for land to establish a settlement."

It appears that immediately after the capture of Niagara by
Johnston in 1759, merchants from New England and Virginia
had rushed in to participate in the fur-trade, which until that
time had been largely monopolized by the French. As might
be expected, many lawless acts were committed by these
adventurers, and various proceedings were adopted by the
Government to check and control them. After the American
Revolution land-hunters came into the peninsula and undertook
to purchase lands directly from the Indians. These purchases
were ignored by the Land Boards, who always repudiated the
idea that the Indians were proprietors of the land. No steps
were taken however to locate settlers until the Indian title by
occupancy was surrendered to the Crown. Even then, Simcoe's
first step was to procure surveys for the purpose of establishing
military roads, fortified posts, dockyards, etc., in order that when
the settlers came they might be easily defended against hostile
attacks, whether from the Indians, the United States troops, or
the French or Spanish, who it was believed might invade the
province by way of the Mississippi, the Ohio and the upper lakes

THE COUNTRY OF THF NEUTRALS.

Patrick McNiffs survey of the River Thames, as far as the
upper Delaware village, was finished in 1793. His map is dated
at Detroit on the 25th June of this year. In it he mentions that
"from the entrance to the 12th lot of the 3rd township was
"surveyed two years since, from the 12th lot * * to the
" upper village was surveyed in April and May 1793."

The map gives the " road leading from the Delawares to the
-" Moravian village," " corn-fields" along the east bank of the
river, an Indian village in the Southwold bend, and opposite on
the southerly bank the "road leading to the entrance of Kettle
•" Creek (t) on Lake Erie. Five hours' journey." It also shows
the road leading to the Mohawk village on the Grand River.

The Moravian village is near the site of the battle field, and
it is marked "commenced in May, 1792." The present location
of Dundas Street and the Longwoods Road would appear to
correspond with the roads east and west of Delaware as laid
down, (u) Simcoe in forwarding McNiffs survey to Mr. Dundas
on 20th September, 1793, thus refers to the Lake Erie region :

" The tract of country which lies between the river (or rather
"navigable canal as its Indian name and French translation
"import) and Lake Erie, is one of the finest for all agricultural
"purposes in North America, and far exceeds the soil or climate
"of the Atlantic States. There are few or no interjacent
" swamps, and a variety of useful streams empty themselves into
"the lake or the river."

The Governor makes frequent reference in his correspondence
and state papers to his plans for establishing the capital, of
Upper Canada at the upper forks of. the Thames, to be called
Georgina, London or New London. Down to the very time of
his departure in 1796, and after the seat of government had
been transferred to York (now Toronto), he regarded the latter
as but a temporary capital, the real metropolis having yet to
be built at London in accordance with his original design.

Talbot remained in the service of the Lieutenant Governor

(/) This disposes of the story told by Colonel Talbot to Mrs. Jamieson in 1837.
He informed her that the name originated from his men having lost a kettle
in the creek. But the creek was called Riviere a la Chaudiere or Kettle
River by the French, and that is one of the names given to it in D. W.
Smith's Gazetteer, of Upper Canada published in 1799.

(u) The writer has not been able to see Mr. McNifFs report upon this survey.

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS. 43

until June 1794, when as Major of the 5th Regiment he
departed for England under orders for Flanders, carrying with
him special letters of recommendation from Simcoe to Duildas
and to Mr. King, the Under Secretary of State. He1 h&d beefi
employed in various confidential missions. In 1793 he had been
sent to Philadelphia to await news from Europe, when war
with France was believed to be imminent. On the 22nd
August, 1793, we find Talbot in "the most confidential inter-
" course with the several Indian tribes," as Simcoe expresses it,
at the Miamis Rapids, where he had met the United States
Commissioners and the Confederated Indians to consider the
boundary question. In April, 1794, Simcoe was himself at the
Falls of the Miami, and he repeated the visit during the
following September, going by way of Fort Erie. This visit
was a prolonged one; for we find that in October he met an
Indian Council at Brown's Town in the Miami country. It is
probable Talbot accompanied him in his capacity as military
secretary. The construction by Simcoe of the fort at the foot
of the rapids of the Miami in the spring of that year was
an audacious step, which might easily have produced a new
war between the United States and England, although Simcoe
believed it had had the opposite result, and prevented war.
All disputes between the two nations were however concluded
by the treaty of 1794, usually called the Jay Treaty. Provision
was made for the abandonment of the frontier posts hitherto
occupied by English garrisons. Forts Niagara, Detroit, Miami
and Michilimackinac received American garrisons in 1796 or
shortly thereafter ; English troops were stationed in new forts
at St. Joseph's Island, Maiden, Turkey Point, Fort Erie, Toronto,
etc. The English flag floated no longer south of the great lakes.
During the year 1796, Simcoe went to England on leave of
absence, and he never returned to Canada.

COLONEL TALBOT.

The Honorable Thomas Talbot received his company and his
majority in the same year, 1793. He was Colonel of the Fifth
Regiment in 1795, at the early age of twenty-five. After eight

tt;. ' THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.

. • £V, ,»— ,;_

years of military service on the Continent, partly in Flanders
and partly at Gibraltar, he was still in 1803 a young man with
every prospect that is usually considered alluring to ambition.
Suddenly, to the amazement of his friends and the public, he
abandoned the brilliant career upon which he had entered under
so favorable auspices, cut himself loose from civilization itself,
and buried himself in the recesses of the Canadian forest. He
determined to settle on the north shore of Lake Erie, where he
had previously selected a location on one of his journeyings with
Governor Simcoe. Talbot had formed plans for diverting the
stream of immigration from the United States, or rather for
continuing its current as far as Upper Canada. He would
attract settlers from New York, Pennsylvania and New
England, who were dissatisfied with republican institutions or
allured by the fertility of the Lake Erie region, and would
build up a loyal British community, under the laws and institu-
tions of the mother land.

It wTas a memorable event in the history of the County of
Elgin, when on the 21st day of May, 1803. landing at Port
Talbot, he took an axe and chopped down the first tree, thus
inaugurating what has since been known as the Talbot Settle-
ment. Henceforward, Colonel Talbot, Port Talbot, the Talbot
Road, and the Talbot Settlement, are names inseparably
connected with the history of the making of Upper Canada.

At that time the nearest settlement on Lake Erie was near
Turkey Point, 60 miles away. In 1802 there was but one
settled minister west of Niagara, Father Marchand, of Sandwich,
a Roman Catholic priest. There were but seven clergymen
settled in the whole Province. The record (v) states, however,
that " Besides, there are several missionaries of the Methodistical
" order, whose residence is not fixed." Even at that early day
the circuit-rider threaded the maze of forest between the
Long Point clearings and those near the mouth of the Thames,
and made his way down the Detroit River to. the Essex shore of
Lake Erie, where there was a fringe of settlement. But,
generally speaking, the country north of Lake Erie to the
borders of Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay was still a
wilderness of continuous unbroken forest.

(v) Tiffany's Upper Canada Almanac, Niagara, 1802.

feteo Historical socieij

190C

COLONEL TALBOT.

THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT.

BY

C. O. ERMATINGER.

THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT — with which civilized life in this
and surrounding counties began-may be said to have commenced
with the nineteenth century. Colonel Talbot, the founder of the
Settlement, is said to have traversed the tract now comprising the
County of Elgin in company with Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe,
proceeding from the lake shore to the forks of the Thames, before
the dawn of the century, (a)

Whether this may be accepted as an historical fact or not, it is
manifest the Colonel must, before forming his plan of settlement,
have been possessed of some information regarding the Township
of Yarmouth and country surrounding it, leading him to believe
it suitable for the purpose he formed, "as being from the
nature of the soil favorable to his design of raising hemp for
exportation, and also afford ing scope for the establishment of
such a number of families as may be induced to follow him into
the province." (b) It may be said that his subsequent abandon-
ment of the hemp industry indicates that he had no personal
knowledge of the locality before he settled in it. Yet, the fact
remains that he did select this locality for some reason and did
settle it.

The Honorable Thomas Talbot was born at Malahide, County
of Dublin, Ireland, 17th July, 1771. His parents Richard Talbot
and Margaret Baroness Talbot, were of the Talbots of Malahide
Castle, a family descended from Richard de Talbot, of the
time of William the Conqueror and ancestor of the Earl of
Shrewsbury. " Apart from its achievements, this is one of the
oldest families in the English aristocracy which traces alike its

(a) E. Ermatinger's Life of Col. Talbot, Page 13.

( b) See extract from Lord Hobart's letter dated 15th February, 1803, app. to
Journal of Assembly U. C., 1836, No. 22.

THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT.

descent and its surname from the Norman conquerors of Eng-
land ; and it may really be said that there has hardly been a
time during the last eight hundred years in which the Talbots
have not been of considerable account in public life. " (bb)

Colonel Talbot's early education was obtained in the
public free school of Manchester, and at the age of eleven
years he obtained a commission in the army, and became at the
age of 17 or 18 years one of the aides-de-camp to a relative,
then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Marquis of Buckingham.
Arthur Wellesley, afterwards the renowned "Iron Duke" of
Wellington, was his brother aide. This was in 1786-88. These
two companions in early years renewed their acquaintance at
long intervals. They met for the last time at the advanced age of
four-score years and doubtless indulged in a retrospect of their so
widely divided lives. The great Duke died 14th September
1852 ; Colonel Talbot on 6th February 1853. The Duke of
Wellington had accomplished a life work of the greatest conse-
quence to the whole of Europe. Colonel Talbot's life work, though
carried on in comparative obscurity, was of equal consequence to
the settlers of the Talbot settlement, in far off Canada, and their
descendants.

In 1790, Mr. Talbot joined the 24th Regiment, as Lieutenant
at Quebec, and in the following year was attached to the suite of
the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, General Siincoe,
with whom he continued as his private and confidential secretary
some four years, when he joined his regiment in Europe, having
previously received both his company and majority. In January
1796 he became Lieutenant-Colonel of the 5th Regiment of Foot,
with which he served on the continent, and at Gibralter, until the
Peace of Amiens.

Early in the year 1803 Colonel Talbot applied to the Home
Government for a grant of land in the " distant Township of
Yarmouth in the County of Norfolk." (c) His application was

(bb ) Encyclopedia Brittanica 9th eel. vol. 23, p. 25.

(c) See extract^ from Lord Hobart's letter already referred to. Also letter of
General Siincoe, dated llth February, 1803. It is elsewhere pointed out in this
volumne that Yarmouth was then in the County of Suffolk as constituted by the
U. C. Legislature, though immediately adjoining the County of Norfolk on the
West.

THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT. 3

endorsed by General Simcoe in a letter in which he speaks of
Colonel Talbot and of his services to himself and the colony in
terms of the highest praise, and especially in the confidential
measures he took for the preservation of peace, for "his most con-
fidential intercourse with the several Indian Tribes, and occasion-
ally with His Majesty's Minister at Philadelphia, " — which
duties without any salary or emolument, he executed to the
Lieutenant-Governor's "perfect satisfaction."

" I consider these circumstances," continues General Simcoe
addressing Lord Hobart, "as authorizing me in general terms to
recommend Mr. Talbot to your consideration and protection.
Mr. Talbot's specific application, which I beg leave to support to
the utmost of my power, consists of two points. The first is the
grant of five thousand acres of land as a field officer, actually and
bona-fide meaning to reside in the Province for the purpose of
establishing himself therein. The king's bounty having been
extended to the field officers who had served during the American
war, in grants to a similar extent (exclusive of an allot-
ment for every individual which their families might consist
of) it was judged expedient by myself, Mr. Chief Justice
Osgoode, and other confidential officers of the Crown in
that colony, to extend the provision of five thousand acres to any
field officer of character, who, bona-fide, should become a
settler therein, it being obivous that it was for His Majesty's
interest that a loyal set of European gentlemen should, as
speedily as possible, be obtained to take the lead in the several
districts. This principle, my Lord, was acted upon at the time of
my departure from the country, and should I at this moment have
remained in the government thereof, I could have seen no reason
whatever for departing from it. In consequence, had Mr. Talbot
been totally unknown to me, except by his character, and the
high rank he had borne in the King's service, I should have
thought him a most eligible acquisition to this province, and on
this public ground, without hesitation, have granted him 5,000
acres on the same principles that had been laid down and acted
upon — this is the first part of Mr. Talbot's request. The second
request of Mr. Talbot is, that these 5,000 acres may be granted
in the Township of Yarmouth, in the County of Norfolk, on Lake
Erie, and that the remainder of that township may be reserved

THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT.

for such a period as may appear advisable to government, for the
purpose of his settling it, on the following specific plan, namely:
that 200 acres shall be allotted to him for every family he shall
establish thereon; 50 acres thereof to be granted to each family
in perpetuity and the remaining 150 acres of each lot to become
his property, for the expense and trouble of collecting and
locating them."

Although it was found that the grant of 5,000 acres could not
be made in the Township of Yarmouth, in one block, in the
position desired by Col. Talbot, as large grants had already been
made there to the Baby family and the Canada Company, it was
made in the Township of Dunwich ; while further lands were from
time to time granted in that and other townships according to
the plan of settlement proposed in the second part of Col.
Talbot's application as stated by General Simcoe. The cultiva-
tion of hemp upon which Col. Talbot based great hopes at first,
when applying for lands in Yarmouth, was abandoned as either
unprofitable or unsuitable to the needs of the settlement.

It may be of interest to here mention the lands comprising the
5,000 acre grant. They were covered by two patents both dated
7th May, 1804, or two weeks less than a year after the day the
Colonel landed at Port Talbot, and cut the first tree in the new
settlement, — a day long after celebrated annually under the name
of the Talbot anniversary as a general holiday and festival, — 21st
May, 1803. The lands comprised in one patent were lots 14 to 24,
inclusive, and lots A and B, in the llth Concession of Dunwich,
together with broken lots 14 to 24; inclusive, and broken lots A
and B, in the 12th Concession. Those covered by the other
patent were lots 22, 23 and 24 in the 9th and broken lot 5 and
lots 21 ty 24, inclusive, and lot A, in the 10th Concession. With
the exception of lot 5 in 10th Concession, they formed a solid
block at and west of Port Talbot, a demesne of great natural
beauty of situation and fertility of soil, where the doughty
Colonel is reported, on landing with General Simcoe some years
before, at the mouth of Talbot Creek, to have announced, — "Here
will I roost!" (d) The isolated lot 5 in the 10th Concession
appears to have succumbed to the beating of the lake storms and
gone to the fishes, as it no longer appears on the map.

(d) E. Ermatinger's Life, p. 15.

THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT.

General Simcoe, in the letter already quoted, proceeds to say,
that the possibility had been suggested to Colonel Talbot by the
representative of the government to whom he had presented his
application for the grant of land, of procuring settlers in the old
country, but that many reasons opposed themselves to that idea,
"but should it be practicable to turn the tide of emigration*
which government cannot prevent from taking place to the
United States, ultimately to rest in this province, I beg to
consider it as an object of the greatest national importance, and
that will speedily fulfil the idea with which I undertook the
administration of that government, under my Lord Greenville's
auspices, of elevating this valuable part of His Majesty's
Dominions from the degrading position of a petty factory, to be
a powerful support and protection to the British Empire ; in some
instances, such a plan in the infancy of the government had
great success, as I had the honor of pointing out to your
Lordship, and Mr. Talbot, from habit, observation and nature, in
my judgment, is perfectly well suited to give it a wider extent.
His plan is to introduce himself amongst a large body of Welch
and Scotch families, who arrived at New York in the summer of
1801, and who have temporarily fixed themselves in the interior
of that State, many of whom are disgusted with the dissolute
principles of the people there, (e) and feel a strong inclination
to return under the government of England, but do not possess
the means of purchasing land or paying the fees demanded by
the Province on grants. "

Whether Colonel Talbot introduced himself among the body of
settlers referred to or not, it is certain that a considerable num-
ber of settlers who had been more or less permanently settled in
the United States, came to the Talbot settlement (/) ; and that

(e) Governor Simcoe has been charged with undue hatred against the United
States. Be this as it may, it seems to have been part of his policy to
encourage the repatriation of British families from that country. See extracts
from Travels of the Duke de la Rochefoucault Liancourt, published in Gourlay's
Statistics of Upper Canada, Vol. 2, p. 142.

(f) According to a list of settlers on Talbot Road attested by M. Burwell, M.P.,
iu 1817 appearing in Gourlay's Statistics of Upper Canada, Vol. 1, p. 352, out
of 25 settlers therein named, 11 were natives of the United States ; all of whom
came in before or during the war of 1812, and many of whose descendants are
still resident here.

THE TALEOT SETTLEMENT

in many cases they found it difficult to pay even the fees required
to take up their patents from the Provincial Government after
Colonel Talbot had assigned them their lands, (g) a fact which
caused some conflict between the Colonel and the Provincial
Government. Indeed his difficulties^ with the government
officials at York necessitated the Colonel's repairing occasionally
to England, where on all occasions he seems to have gained the
ear of the Home Government and succeeded in retaining the
authority assumed by him in the settlement, an authority more
extensive and independent than that of any other individual in
the country-an authority too, which it is now generally admitted
was wisely administered in the interests of the settlers and the
country generally.

In his memorial to the Secretary of State for the Colonies
written in 1822, and appearing among the documents published
by order of parliament in 1836, Colonel Talbot names 23 townships
as then composing "the whole of what is at present called the
Talbot settlement, " which he goes on to say, " has now become
the most compact and flourishing settlement in Upper Canada,
containing as it does, a population of at least 12,000 souls, and
establishing an uninterrupted communication between the East-
ern and Western extremities of Lake Erie, and the settlements to
the Northward." (h)

From the return published in the appendix of the Journal of
the House of Assembly for 1836, it appears that the lands placed
in the hands of the Hon. Thomas Talbot, under orders in
Council and orders from the Lieut. Governor for the time being
amounted to 518,000 acres, lying in 28 townships, the population
thereof being estimated in 1831 at nearly 40,000. By a state-
ment given by Colonel Talbot to Mrs. Jameson, the authoress, in
1837, the acreage then settled by him had risen to 650,000
acres, of which 98,700 were cleared and cultivated, while the
population had increased to 50,000. " You see ! " said he gaily,
" I may boast, like the Irishman in the farce, of having peopled a
whole country with my own hands. " (i)

(g) See Colonel Talbot's letter to the Lieut. -Governor, dated July 29, 1831,

App. Journals, L. A. U. 0., No. 22, p. 18.

(h) App. Jour. 1836 (No. 22) p. 10.

(i) Sketches in Canada, by Mrs. Jameson, (new edition) p. 105.

THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT. /

It must not be assumed that the whole of this vast tract was
settled by Colonel Talbot on the original terms granted him, viz.
150 of every 200 acres on which he had placed an actual settler.
The Colonel had in 1820 completed the location of the lands put
under his direction by virtue of orders from His Majesty's Gov-
ernment in England, by placing settlers upon 50 acres for every
two hundred (j), and obtained a right of pre-emption of 100
acres additional for each of his settlers, which many availed
themselves of — while much of the land he afterwards settled did
not come within the terms of his grant.

The conditions on which free grants were made to settlers
were that the settler should clear and sow ten acres of land,
build a house of prescribed dimensions and open one half the
road in front of his farm, all within three years. Failing this,
he forfeited his claim. If he performed the conditions, he obtained
fifty acres free, and the other 150 acres at S3 per acre ; and a right
to a further 100 acres, on payment of certain fees, was conceded
also by the Provincial Government, as already stated.

The provision as to road making soon resulted in the settle-
ment becoming noted for possessing some of the best roads in the
province — notably the Talbot Road, the main artery of the
settlement. Colonel Talbot's foresight in the location of grants
to actual settlers and the relegation of Crown and Clergy
Reserves to the rear of them, as well as the duty of road-making
imposed on the settlers, brought about this result ; and his policy
was commended by the Home authorities for general adoption by
the Provincial Government, (k) who had indeed already
endeavored to introduce his mode of settlement generally
throughout the Province, according to the Colonel's statement
contained in the memorial sent by him to the Secretary of State
for the Colonies in 1822, already referred to. A perusal of the
dispatches and other documents published in 1836 leads to the
conclusion that Colonel Talbot's policy generally, as to the
opening up of the Country, commended itself to the Home
Government, and it is fair to assume that the influence which the

(j) See letter from Col. Talbot to Sir Peregrine Maitland of 25th March, 1820.
App. Journals 1836.

(k) See Lord Bathurst's dispatch of 9th April, 1822, App. Journals, 1836, (No. 22,)
p. 9.

THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT.

Colonel was able to bring to bear to overcome the opposition of
the Provincial Government was the result of a proper apprecia-
tion by the Home authorities of the situation, rather than of any
family or other influence — a recognition of the fact that the
Talbot settlement was advancing in a manner unexcelled in any
part of the province.

The Crown and Clergy Reserves, however, though relegated
to the rear, were long a source of complaint, as impeding the
improvement of the country. (I) But time has gradually effaced
this grievance.

The manner in which the land transactions of the settlement
were recorded by Colonel Talbot in early days, has been the sub-
ject of much comment. It certainly possessed the merit of
simplicity, resembling in some respects the Torrens system of
land transfer now in force in certain parts of the province. The
permanency, which is one of the characteristics of the latter
system, was not however so scrupulously provided for in the
Colonel's simple method — indeed permanency of title could not
of necessity obtain, where the performance of settlement duties
was the chief condition, until those duties had been performed as
well as the necessary fees paid, entitling the settler to obtain his
patent. Until the settlement duties were performed, the settler's
title rested on a simple entry in pencil of his name on his lot by
the Colonel upon the map kept by him at Port Talbot. If he
deserted his land or failed in the performance of his duties, his
name was subject to erasure by the Colonel's rubber, and its place
to be taken by that of some other more deserving settler. When
his settlement duties were performed, the settler obtained from
the Colonel a certificate to that effect, entitling him, on payment
of the prescribed fees at York, to obtain his patent from the
government.

Simple as this method was, and liable to abuse in the hands of
one of a dishonorable or unjust character, to the credit of Col.

(/) Among the reports sent to Gourlay in answer to questions submitted by him
to the various townships in 1817, are those from the townships in the present
County of Elgin, everyone of which winds up with a complaint as to non-resident
lands and crown reserves retarding settlement. These reports were adopted at
meetings of the principal settlers of each township, and present many interesting
facts and statistics. Unfortunately the book in which they are preserved is now
out of print — tho' a copy remain* in the Legislative Library at Toronto —
Gourlay's Statistical Account of Upper Canada published in 1822.

THE TALIOT SETTLEMENT. 9'

Talbot be it said, that no abuses are recorded, no unjustice
appears ever to have baen done. The settlers generally had
confidence in the Colonel's integrity, and found that their confi-
dence was not misplaced. Where their duties were reasonably
performed they obtained their certificates ; but, difficult as no
doubt were found the performance of these simple duties of
building a small log house, making half the road in front and
clearing and sowing ten acres of land, within three years, the
settlers often found it more difficult to obtain the small sum of
money necessary to enable them to take out their patents, and, hav-
ing implicit confiJence in the integrity of Colonel Talbot, and the
potency of his certificate, they often left these patents slumbering
in the pigeon holes at York for long periods — insomuch that the
Provincial Government at one time complained that upwards of
5,000 deeds remained to be taken out by the settlers located
under the superintendence of Colonel Talbot. (771)

The Colonel soon after establishing himself at Port Talbot

rt

found that he had some rough customers to deal with, who would
not hesitate to employ physical force, or even weapons, to enforce
their demands or take revenge for their disappointment, in case
these demands were denied them. As a precautionery measure
therefore, he conducted his land business through a
window, a mnveable pane of glass in which afforded a
convenient opening for communication with the visitor without.
Jeffrey Hunter, the faithful attendant of the Colonel, handed
down the maps. The laconic " Well, what do you want ? " with
which the Colonel opened the interview, and the "Jeffrey, set on
the dogs ! " with which he is said to have closed an unsatisfactory
one, have become historical expressions.

The wisdom of placing within the reach of one man 150 acres
of the public domain for every 50 acres settled by him would no
doubt now provoke much opposition. This is not the place to
enter into a discussion of the question, which has been more or
less discussed in connection with our northwest colonization
companies of recent date ; yet it may not be out of place to point
to the beneficial results of an early and evenly distributed settle-

(m) See Letter of Lord Goderich to Sir J. Colborne dated 5th February, 1831. App.
Journals, 1836, Vol. 1, p. 18. See also Col. Talbot's reply to Sir J. Colborne,
dated July 29, 1831, at same page.

10 THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT.

merit of this fine district and to the fact that elsewhere large
tracts, — whole townships in some cases, — were by the Provincial
authorities granted to individuals, as well as to the Canada
Company, and that such tracts were allowed in many cases to
remain undeveloped until the demand for new territory raised
the price to a profitable one for the owner. That settlers them-
selves had a preference for the Talbot settlement, even with the
limited grants given them there, to settling in other districts
where large grants could be had, is indicated by the public
documents already referred to, particularly that signed by Chief
Justice Powell, (n) Either that was the reason of their "flocking"
(as Chief Justice Powell termed it) to the Talbot settlement, or
else the other desirable lands of the Province had been so
disposed of to individuals or corporations as to be practically
unavailable for settlement. So far as Colonel Talbot was himself
concerned, the opinion has been expressed that he could have
bought all the land he acquired, at the time he obtained his con-
cession from the government, or later, for the amount he after-
wards expended in settling it.

During the war of 1812-15 the settlement suffered at the hands
of American marauders and their sympathisers on this side of
the line, some of whom visited Port Talbot and destroyed Colonel
Talbot 's mill, the only one at that time in the settlement. The
Colonel tells the story briefly himself, in his memorial to the
Secretary of State already referred to, as follows : —

"That so early as the breaking out of the late war with the
United States of America, your memorialist had conquered the
principal difficulties which obstruct the growth of new settle-
ments, and as the produce of lands sold at a fair price, your
meinoralist had a reasonable prospect of being rewarded for his
long and vigorous executions, and an expense of upwards of
£15,000. That from the character of the Talbot settlement and
the principles of loyalty inculcated amongst its inhabitants it
became peculiarly obnoxious to the enemy and the more so as
your memorialist during the war commanded the militia of the
London and Western districts and infused into them the spirit
of his own settlers ; two expeditions were therefore sent against
Port Talbot, by which the settlement was nearly ruined. That

») App. Journals, 1836 No. 22, p. 13.

THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT. IF

your memorialist returning to Port Talbot on the restoration of
peace, found a large farm which he had cleared and brought into
cultivation, completely laid waste by the enemy, his grist and saw
mills, erected by him at a very heavy expense for the accomoda-
tion of the surrounding settlers, burnt to the ground — all his
effects carried off or destroyed, and his people reduced to the
utmost distress and poverty. Nevertheless he did not despair,
but diligently set himself to repair the damages he had sustained
in the best manner he was able. " (o)

The buildings of Colonel Burwell, near Port Talbot were
among those burnt on this occasion, the Colonel (Burwell him-
self) having been carried off as a prisoner on a former
occasion, (p)

Two months later (Nov. 1814) the work of destruction in the
settlement and as far East as the Grand River, was almost com-
pleted, so far as mills and produce were concerned, by a raid made
by a force of Kentuckiaris and Indians under General McArthur,
who entered the Country with the avowed purpose of destroying
all mills, to cut off supplies from the British forces. They proceeded
from the Detroit to the Grand River, returning by way of the
Talbot Road, pillaging the settlers, but allowing three mills in
the Long Point Country to escape them in their rapid retreat, (q)

These rev erses however were not allowed long to check the pros-
perity of the settlement, ar?d after the close of the war mills were
soon erected in St. Thomas and elsewhere throughout the settle-
ment, to once more take the place of the rough wooden beetle and
mortar in which the grain of the earlier pioneers was pounded
into coarse flour.

The militia of the settlement, who rendered excellent service
in this war as well as in the rebellion of 1837, were, of necessity,
but poorly trained and equipped. Indeed there could have been
no training at all previous to the war of 1812, when however a
number of the Talbot militia were at the capture of Detroit by
General Brock, and rendered service also on the Niagara frontier,

(o) App. Journal, 1836, (No. 22) p. 10.

(/•) See dispatch of Lt. General Drummond, dated Sept. 19th, 1814, Canadian

Archives C. 685, p. 208, Michigan Pioneer, &c. Coll Vol, 15 p. 652.

(</) See dispatches of Capt. Bostwick, dated 3rd Nov. 1814, Mr. Chambers 10th

Nov. 1814 and Col. Talbot, Can. Archives c. 686, 139, 187, 677, Mich. P. and

H. Coll, vol. lo pp. 659, 667, 677.

12 THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT.

Subsequently an annual training day was appointed — the King's
birthday, 4th June, — when the militia gathered by regiments and
performed such evolutions as their meagre opportunities for
discipline would allow, finishing the day by toasting the King,
and much jollity. Rough and undisciplined as they were, the
militia of those early days stood the test of active service in a
manner which drew enconiums from the highest military -author-
ities, and went through hardships, cold and privation, in defence
>of their country, which seem well nigh incredible in the present
comfortable, peaceful times.

"The first improvement in this settlement," says an old
settler (r) speaking of the settlement along Talbot Road, "was
in 1810. In 1812 the Americans declared war against Great
Britain, and Canada was the theatre of their operations ; so that
improvement in the settlement was suspended for three years,
which was a trying time for empty purses and lonely women,
•while the husbands were on duty to protect a home that was yet
in embryo. Yet the thought of that home carried to the heart a
thrill of pleasure which the wealthy cannot enjoy, for the reason
that anticipation stimulated to action for years, or until the
object was obtained, whereas easily acquired possession often
soon cloys, so that the gratification anticipated is of short dura-
tion."— A wholesome truth is here somewhat obscured by wealth of
language. The narrator proceeds : "The first act of a settler
was with axe in hand to select a spot on which to erect a shanty ;
then felling the huge trees to a circumference that others could
not reach the building when erected ; then the timber had to be
cut piled and burned to form a starting point for further
improvement. The shanties were uniformly built of logs with
elm bark for roof and floor. Then came the furniture which was
invariably of home manufacture. The bedstead was made of
poles with bark taken off and bass wood bark for bedcord, and
the tools for its construction were an axe and an auger. The
table leaf was made from a piece of wood two inches thick, split
from the centre of a large log, and holes made with a two inch
auger to receive the legs ; the seats were tripods, the material
and workmanship the same as the table. Then cradles were
ready for use by putting rockers to a sap-trough. I knew one

(r) Garrett Oakes' "Tales of a Pioneer" in the London Free Press.

THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT. 13

family where the same sap-trough served to rock four of their
babes in succession. The mortar was indispensable in each
family. This article was made by cutting a log three feet long
and 15 inches in diameter. The log then stood on end and a Is*
fire kept burning in the centre till it formed a bowl-shaped con-
cavity to hold ten or twelve quarts. Into this a quart of corn
was put and with a heavy wooden pestle pounded to the required
degree of fineness, which process had to be repeated morning ^
noon and night — or go without the indispensable johnny cake."

The settler whose remarks have been just quoted gives the
prices of goods during the early days of the settlement, when
there was no store west of Long Point and but one there ;— —
established in 1807 : "Broadcloth $20 per yard ; printed cottons,
$1 ; steam loom cottons, $1 ; brass buttons a York Shilling each ;
pins, 50 cents a paper ; green tea, $2 per Ib ; tobacco, $1 ; nut-
megs, 25c. each ; board nails, 25c. per Ib ; shingle nails, 30c. ; 7x9
glass, 25c. a light ; and every other article in proportion"
Taking the long journey to Port Ryerse into account as well as
the prices, one wonders that the merchant had any customers
from this district — but necessity compelled, and we may only
hope that the nutmegs did not turn out to be of the manufac-
tured wooden variety, when brought home ! " During the war, "
we are told, nearly all the settlers had to go to Port Ryerse for
their salt, pay $12 a bushel for it and carry it home on their
backs. In the winter of 1813 I went to Long Point and paid
$6 for 28 pounds, a neighbour offering to take it home in his *
sleigh. He staid over night on the road, but left his load exposed,
so that a cow destroyed the salt, killed herself, and caused me to
return to replace the loss. This necessitated two hundred miles
of travel on foot, and $12 in cash, to realize 28 pounds of salt.
During an unusual scarcity a pedlar came with a horse load. I
took fourteen pounds for whicn I paid $8. Two of my neigh-
bours, David Brush and Moses Rice, went to Hamilton and paid
$75 for a barrel, and, allowing for their time, "expenses and team,
it cost them $100. But, a few days after, peace was
proclaimed, and in a short time salt could be had at Port Ryerse
for $12 a barrel. " A settler who could be accounted "worth his
salt " in those days must have been considered an acquisition
indeed to the community !

14 THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT.

Stores were, before the lapse of many years, however, opened
nearer home, in St. Thomas and elsewhere in the settlement,
making the comforts of life more accessible and less costly than
in the earliest days. The hardships, the privations, the discom-
forts, of those earliest and even later days were very great and
real, though borne with great cheerfulness. Bad roads, or none
at all, scarcity of everything, except fuel and perhaps game, poor
clothing, rude huts, rather than houses, the wolf literally at the
door, or howling near it, every night — such seem to have been
the common lot of all the first settlers. Mrs. Amelia Harris in
her memoirs (r) of early life at Long Point tells how by day
the men took their cow with them to the woods to browse upon
the branches of the trees they were felling, at night fastening her
to the door latch of the house to prevent her falling a prey to
prowling wolves. Sheep were unknown in the Talbot settlement
during its first ten or twenty years, flax forming the staple
material for clothing. The climate was quite as rigorous — if not
more so — then as now, — yet the hardy settlers battled with the
forest and defied the frost king, despite the lack of woollen gar-
ments and other things accounted luxuries then — necessaries
now.

The rude ox-team dragging a pole split at the further end and
parted in shape of a V, a board nailed across to hold the load,
kept in place by wooden pins — this rough team and carriage of
the early settlers has given place to the best of horses, wagons
and carriages, the express train, the electric tram, the pneumatic
tired bicycle, of the present day — all within less than a century.
Macadamized roads, paved streets, steel railways, have taken
the place of the primitive bridle paths and rough corduroy roads:
gas, coal oil and electric lights, the pine knot and tallow dip.
The sickle, with which the early pioneers reaped among the
stumps of the freshly felled forest trees, gave place to the scythe
and the cradle, they in turn to the mowing and reaping machines,
they, through various stages of developement, to the present self-
binders, — and this within the memory of living men who have
used them all. Few, very few, of the original log houses and
outbuildings remain. In their place we now see on every side
handsome, slate roofed, brick residences, mammoth barns with

(r) See Ryerson's Loyalists of America Vol. 2, p. 235.

* THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT. 15

stone basements, in which cattle are housed with far better pro-
tection from the weather than the early farmers and their fami-
lies enjoyed. Hundreds of acres of smiling fields, only too
thoroughly cleared of forest trees, waving with golden grain or
freshly worked with modern machinery, or green in pasture,
meet the eye everywhere throughout the country, where once the
hardy pioneer hewed out with his axe a fewr acres from the all
embracing forest, to raise the means of sustenance— his descend-
ants now perhaps burning imported coal in their houses, so valu-
able and scarce has wood become. Shall those whose lives may
span the next century witness advances and changes greater than
these ?

In the early years of the Talbot Settlement the Courts for the
London District which embraced a large portion of the settlement
were held at Turkey Point, or more strictly speaking at the
" Town of Charlotteville, " (s) on the high land overlooking the
point. The Township of Charlotteville was not one of those
settled by Colonel Talbot, but formed part of what was known
as the Long Point settlement. The Court House having been
destroyed by fire, a statute passed in 1815, (t) authorized the
removal of the District Courts to " the immediate vicinity of
Tisdale's mills in the Township of Charlotteville " and a new
Court House and Gaol were accordingly erected at Vittoria, which
became the capital of the London District. This Court House
having also fallen a prey to the flames, the Courts were ordered
in 1826 to be holden " within some part of the reservation hereto-
fore made, for the site of a town, near the forks of the River
Thames in the Townships of London and Westminster in the
County of Middlesex, so soon as a Gaol and Court House shall be
erected thereon " (u) and the same year Thomas Talbot, Mahlon
Burwell, James Hamilton, Charles Ingersoll, and John Matthews,
of Lobo, were appointed Commissioners to erect the buildings,
were authorized to borrow £4,000 for that purpose, the Commis-
sioners to first meet at the " Village of St. Thomas, in the
County of Middlesex " on the first Monday in March, 1826, to
select a President and Vice-President. (v) The Gaol and Court

(v) 7 Geo. 4, Cap. 14.

(s) See stat. of U.C., 41, Geo. 3, Cap. 6, (1801.)

(t) See 55th Geo., 3 Cap. 16.

(n) 7 Geo. 4 Cap. 13.

16 THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT.

House at London were accordingly built, the Courts removed
thither and a town begun-destined to be, ere many years, a large,
handsome and prosperous city.

The Western part of the Talbot settlement (w) was
judicially served by the District Courts of the Western District
held at Sandwich.

Sandwich and its neighborhood had a white population along
the Detroit River during the French Regime long previous to the
commencement of the Talbot settlement. The Township of
Sandwich as well as Rornney, Mersea, Gosfield and Maidstone,
was however included in what was known as the Talbot settle-
ment in 1822 and previously (x) and these townships were no
doubt all largely settled by, or the titles to their lands
granted under the supervision of Col. Talbot. Over the vast
tract of country extending from the Detroit River on the west
to the Long Point settlement on the east, Colonel Talbot was
practically sovereign. That it improved rapidly under his
management was quite apparent from its condition at the time
of his death, while now no more beautiful, thriving and populous
agricultural district can be found perhaps in Canada. Its people
are chiefly of English. Irish, Scotch, American, French and
German descent, the French in the west, the Germans scattered
through Aldborough and some other townships. The district
now contains considerably above 300,000, including three pros-
perous cities, some half dozen towns and innumerable thriving
villages. Its aggregate wealth is great.

Colonel Talbot died in his 83rd year, at London, in his own dis-
trict, in 1853, on his return from a sojourn of a year or so, in
Great Britain. His remains were interred in the picturesque little
churchyard at Tyrconnell, where a plain but massive stcne slab
covers their last resting place. He never married. A consider-
able portion of his property was in his lifetime made over by the
Colonel to his nephew, the late Lord Airey, military secretary, at
the Horse Guards, who had, as Colonel Airey, resided with his

(tf) The Talbot District established by Statute in 1837 — must not be confused
with the Talbot Settlement, as it embraced but a small portion of the settlement
proper, though named no doubt in honour of the Colonel who had settled the
Western Country.

(x) See Col. Talbot's memorial to the Secretary of State, for the Colonies app to
Journ. 1836, No. 22, p. 10.

THE TALBOT SETTLEMENT. 17

family at Port Talbot for some time, during his uncle's life. The
balance of the lands and other property Colonel Talbot devised
to the late George Macbeth, formerly M.P. for West Elgin.

" I have accomplished what I resolved to do — it is done, " said
Colonel Talbot to Mrs. Jameson in 1836, " but I would not, if
any one was to offer me the universe, go through again the
horrors I have undergone in forming this settlement. But do
not imagine I repent it; I like my retirement (y) . "

(y) Mrs. Jameson's Sketches in Canada, (new edition) p, 107.

Ontario Historical Society

190C-

jftt

THOMAS LOCKER.

WAKDKN 1852-5.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY OF ELGIN.

BY

K. W. McKAY.

ORIGIN OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

It is said that Government by town meetings is the oldest
form of Government in the world, and the student of ancient
History is familiar with the Comitia of the Romans and the-
Ecclesia of the Greeks. These were popular assemblies held
usually in the market place, the Roman Forum and the Greek
Agora. The Government carried on in them was a more or less
qualified Democracy.

The principle of the Town Meeting however, is older than
Athens or Rome. Long before streets were built or fields fenced
men wandered around the earth hunting for food in family
parties. These were what we call Clans, and are supposed to have
been the earliest form in which civil society appeared on the
earth. Each Clan usually had a Chief or head man, useful more
particularly as a leader in war -times. Its Civil Government,
rude and disorderly enough, was in principle a pure democracy.
When a Clan, instead of moving from place to place, fixed upon
some spot for a permanent residence, a village grew up there
surrounded by a belt of vacant land or somewhat later by a
stockaded wall. The belt of land was called a " mark " and the
wall was called a " tun " ; afterwards the enclosed space came to
be known sometimes as a " mark " and sometimes as a '* tun " or
town, and in England the latter name prevailed. It was customary
to call them by their clan names. Town names of this sort are
to be found all over England, and point us back to a time
when each was the stationary home of a Clan. These old
English towns had their Tungemot or Town Meetings in which
By-Laws were made and other important business transacted.
The principal officers were the Reeve, the Beadle and the Tithing
Man or petty Constable. At first these officers were elected by
the people, but after awhile as great lords usurped jurisdiction
over the land, the Lord Stewart or Bailiff came to supercede the

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

Reeve or Beadle. After the Norman Conquest, the Townships,
thus brought under the sway of great Lords, came to be gener-
ally known by the French name of " Manor " or dwelling places.
When the taxes imposed by the Lords became excessive, the
people rebelled with the result that this issue has been tried
over and over again in every Country, and in every age, with
various results. How much the taxes shall be, and who is to
decide how much they shall be, are always questions of the
greatest importance. A very large part of what has been done
in the way of making history has been to settle these questions,
whether by discussion or by blows, whether in Council Chambers
or on the battle field.

After the English had been converted to Christianity, local
Churches were gradually set up all over the Country, and districts
called parishes were assigned for the administrations of the
Priests. The Parish generally coincided in area with the Town-
ship, and in the course of the Thirteenth Century we find that
the Parish had acquired the right of taxing itself for Church
purposes. Money needed for the Church was supplied in the
form of Church rates voted by the ratepayers, at the vestry
meetings. The officers of the Parish were the Constable, the
Bailiff and the Vestry Clerks, the Beadle, the Way- Wardens or
Surveyors of Highways, and the Hay-wards or Fence-viewers,
and common drivers or Collector of Taxes, and at the beginning
of the Seventeenth Century Overseers of the Poor were added.
There were also Church Wardens, usually two for each Parish ;
whose duties were primarily the care of the Church property,
assessing the rates, and calling the vestry meetings. The officers
were all elected by the ratepayers.

In addition to the Parish or Township, we find upon examina-
tion that a map of England shews the Country to be divided into
Counties. We have seen how the Clan, when it became stationary
was established as a Town or Township, and in these early times
Clans were generally united more closely into tribes, made up
of a number of clans or family groups. The names of the tribes
were applied first to the people and afterwards to the land
they occupied. A few of the oldest county names in England
still shew this plainly, for example Middlesex was originally

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

occupied by the Middle Saxons. Each tribe had its leader whose
title was " Ealdorman," or elderman, and as they increased in
influence they took the title of kings. The little kingdoms
coincided sometimes with a single shire, sometimes with two or
more shires. The Shire was governed by the Shire Mote which
was a representative body. Lords of Lands, including Abbots and
Priors, attended it, as well as the Reeve and four selectmen from
each Township. As the cities and boroughs grew into importance
they sent representative Burgers to these meetings. This Shire
Mote was both a Legislative body and a Court of Justice. After
the Norman Conquest the Shire began to be called by the French
name County because of its similarity to the small pieces of
Territory in that Country governed by Counts. The officers of
the Shire Mote were the Shire Reeve or Sheriff, who was at first
elected by the people and held office for life, but who was after-
wards appointed by the King for a term of one year. The
Coroner or " Crowner " 'was especially the Crown officer of the
Court, and the Justice of the Peace. In 1362 the Justices of the
Peace in each County were authorized to hold a Court four times
a year.

The origin of municipal institutions in this country is due
to the people who first came from England to America. They
were dissatisfied with the way Church affairs were carried on in
the Old Country, and wrere desirous of establishing a reform,
whereby members of the congregation should have more voice
than formerly in the Church government. It was owing to their
inability to secure a reform of this nature that they crossed the
ocean, settled in groups, and built their houses near together so
that they could all go to the same Church. Thus a Parish, which
for municipal purposes is called a Township, was formed and
consisted of as many farms as were within convenient distance
from the meeting house. Around the meeting house a village
gradually sprang up with the customary tavern, store and town
hall.

A Township, taken as a whole, and in relation to the govern-
ment of the country, may be looked upon as an individual who
obeys the Government, not because he is inferior to or that he is
less capable than his neighbor for governing matters, but because

DEVELOPMENT O? THE COUNTY".

he acknowledges the utility of an association with his fellowmen,
and because he knows that no such association can exist without
.& regulating force. As the Townships increased in number, they
'became a part of larger districts called counties, without which a
system of united self government would be far from complete.

In 1635 the first County was established in Massachussetts as
.a judicial district with its Court House, Gaol and Sheriff. The
•early English settlers were used to a County as a district for the
Administration of Justice, and they brought with them Coroners,
Sheriffs and Quarter Sessions. In Virginia a different county
system was introduced. There was an insurmountable distinction
-between the owners of plantations and the men and women who
had been indentured " white service." An aristocratic type of
society was largely developed in Virginia, as readily as the
democratic type was developed in New England.
In Virginia the system was that of the English Parish, with its
Church Warden and Clerk, and the Vestry composed of twelve
chosen men elected by the people of the Parish. The difference
between the New England Township and the Virginia Parish in
respect of self-government was quite plain ; in New England the
Township was the unit of the representation of the Colonial
Legislature ; in Virginia not the Parish, but the County was the
unit of representation. The conditions which made the New
England Town Meeting were absent, the only alternative was a
kind of representative government and for this the County was
a small enough area. There were usually in each County eight
Justices of the Peace, and their Court was a counterpart of the
Quarter Sessions. In addition to the Administration of Justice
these Courts superintended the construction and repair of high-
ways and bridges, and for this purpose divided the County into
precincts, appointing annually for each precinct a highway
surveyor. The first representative government in America was
established in Virginia. In 1619 the colonists secured the appoint-
ment of a Governor and Council in England, and there was added
a general assembly composed of two burgesses from each planta-
tion or settlement elected by the inhabitants ; this assembly met
for the first time in the Church at Jamestown on 30th July, 1619.
In 1634 when the Counties were re-organized the Burgesses sat

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

for Counties. This system of Government was continued until
long after the war of independence.

CANADA.

The development of Canada as the abode of civili nation was
not so rapid as that of her sister country to the South, for the
ruggedness of the land, the opposition of savage tribes, internecine
warfare between settlers, the severity of the winter season,
together with many other obstacles, offered little encouragement
to early settlers.

Originally the home of several tribes of Indians, who lived by
the chase, prairie-land and forest were in the same condition as
they had been a thousand years before the first pioneer from the
eastern world penetrated into the gloom of the forest or wended
his toilsome and dangerous course along the vast water-ways
that led to the interior.

The brave Jacques Cartier, with his followers, took possession
of the land in the name of his sovereign, Francis I., in 1534
The following year he made another visit, entered the Gulf on
St. Lawrence's Day, named gulf and great river, for this reason,
the St. Lawrence, sailed up to the Indian village Stadacona,
(Quebec) and continuing his voyage reached another Indian
village, called Hochelaga, which he named Mount Royal (Mon-
treal). Seventy years afterwards Champlain and Pontgrave were
sent out from France to trade with the Indians in furs, and
subsequently, from a favorable representation of the fertility and
beauty of the new country, French colonists were induced to
immigrate. Several families arrived in New France, as it was
then called, tradesmen built houses, soldiers erected forts, and a
knowledge of Christianity was imparted to the savages by
French clergymen. From the colony to the south, some English
traders came and in consequence of wars at different times
between England and France and between the English Colonies
and the Mother Country, the early history of Canada is one of
much bloodshed. Indian tribes sided with both national ties in
the country and frightful atrocities were committed on either
side. In 1713, the treaty of Utrecht gave Acadia (Novia Scotia),
New Foundland and Hudson Bay Territory to England, leaving

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

Canada, Cape Breton and Louisiana to France. About this time
Quebec had a population of 7,000, Montreal 2,000, and the whole
of Canada about 25,000. Trading posts were established in the
west on the shores of the lakes, the principal being Kingston >
Newark (Niagara), and Detroit.

QUEBEC— 1763 to 1788.

By the Treaty of Paris signed on February 10th, 1763, Canada
passed under British rule. In the month of October following
the treaty, a proclamation was published under the great seal of
Great Britian for erecting four new Civil Governments, those of
Quebec, East Florida, West Florida and Granada, in the countries
and islands in America wJiich had been ceded by the definite
treaty. During the interval from the capitulation of Montreal
in 1760, to the conclusion of! peace between the two mother
countries in 1763, Canada was held under occupation by British
troops. General Murray, with his headquarters at Quebec, was
the chief officer over the colony. The affairs of the Country
were regulated by a Council composed of military officers.

On the 21st of November, 1763, Captain James Murray was
appointed Captain General and Goverrior-in-Chief of the Province
of Quebec by Royal Commission. From the wording of the
proclamation and commission it appears to have been His
Majesty's intention with respect to the Province of Quebec, to
assimilate the laws and government of it, to those of the other
American Colonies and Provinces, which were under His Majesty's
immediate government, and not to continue the Municipal laws
and customs by which the conquered people had been here-to-
fore governed, any further than as those laws might be necessary
to the preservation of their property. This was found to be
impracticable as the people had been accustomed to the French
laws since 1663. Instead of a complete introduction of the
English laws, a compromise was adopted. In criminal cases, Trial
by Jury, and English Legal forms were established ; in civil cases
that effected property and inheritance, the ancient laws of the
Colony were allowed to have force, but a considerable period
upwards of fourteen years, elapsed before any definite constitution

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 7

Or real settled modes of administration of laws can be said to
have been introduced.

In '1774 when Sir Guy Carleton, the successor of General
Murray, was Governor of the Colony, the Quebec Act was passed
which provied for the appointment of a Council for
the affairs of the Province of Quebec to consist of
persons resident therein, not exceeding twenty-three or
less than seventeen to be appointed by the King. This
Council had the power to make ordinances for the peace, welfare
and good government of the Province with the consent of the
Governor. Every ordinance passed had to be transmitted to
England for the approval of the King.

In 1788, under the authority of twro Acts passed by the
Legislative Council, Lord Dorchester, Governor, by proclamation
issued on the 24th day of July, 1788, divided the Province of
Quebec into five districts. The two most westerly districts were
called Nassau and Hesse. In the words of the Proclamation
Nassau was bounded "on the East by the North and South Line
intersecting the mouth of the river now called Trent, discharging
itself from the West into the Bay of Quinte, and extending so
far Westerly as to a North and South line intersecting the
extreme projection of Long Point into the Lake Erie on the
Northerly side of the said Lake Erie. "

The District of Hesse was to "comprehend all the residue of
our said Province in the W7estern or inland parts thereof, of the
entire breadth thereof from the Southerly to the Northerly bound-
ary of the same.

THE DISTRICT OF HESSE.— 1788 to 1791

The formation of the District of Hesse is the first recognition
of the necessity of some system of administration of justice in
what is now Western Ontario. On the day the procla-
mation forming the District was issued the following officers
were appointed therefor : — Justices of the Court of Common
Pleas, Duperon Baby, Ale3*inder McKee and William Robertson.
There were also eight Justices of the Peace, a Sheriff named

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

Gregor McGregor, a Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, a
Clerk of the Peace and Sessions of the Peace, Thomas Smith, Esq.

At this time the District of Hesse comprehended a very large
and undefined territory ; the only inhabitants were in the settle-
ments around Detroit. These were computed at about 4,000. The
public buildings at Detroit were the barracks, government house,
council house where the Indians delivered their speeches, and
other buildings connected with the fort and naval dock yard.

In September, 1789, an order was issued from Quebec to the
board of Justices in the District of Hesse, defining the lands for
settlement in Canada, " beginning at the Western boundary of the
last purchase made by the Crown from the Indians, West of
Niagara, (which Western boundary commenced at the mouth of the
Barlow or Orwell River, now known as the Catfish Creek
emptying into Lake Erie at Port Bruce ; thence up a line North
sixteen degrees West. This line, when produced as directed, is
very near the location, if not exactly on the Western Town Line
of Dorchester hereafter referred to in the formation of the County
of Norfolk in 1792 as the Western boundry thereof.) Then
" extending along the whole of the border of Lake Erie to the
Straits of Detroit up to such distance towards Lake Huron and
to such depth from the shore as they might deem expedient.''
These were to be surveyed and parcelled out for the accomodation
of emigrant loyalists and other settlers, but before any part could
be granted to individuals the whole had to be ceded to the Crown

o

by the Indians. After this had been done the magistrates were
authorized to select the proper site for a country town for the
district. A situation opposite the island of Bois Blanc was
recommended as the best, and for the purpose of deciding this the
Magistrates were ordered to consult with the officers of the
Militia and other English inhabitants. After the town site had
been decided upon, the Surveyor of the District was to lay out
the Townships and proceed to receive applications and issue
certificates for town and farm lots. Those who already occupied
improved farms were to receive certificates.

U. E. LOYALISTS.

As soon as the struggle had ended in the old Colonies by

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

their successful assertion of independence a vast migration of
Loyalists took place into Canada, These people, who had been
accustomed to the exercise of the electoreal privilege, joined with
those of their countrymen who had previously settled there in
demanding a modification of the Quebec Act, and the establish-
ment of a Local Legislature. This resulted in the passage of the
Constitutional Act, being 31, George III, chapter 31, by which
representative institutions were conferred and the whole Province
divided into two, with the designation of Upper and Lower
Canada, now known as the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

WESTERN DISTRICT— 1792 to 1798.

In July, 1792, Governor Simcoe by proclamation issued from
the Government House of Kingston, under the authority of the
Constitutional Act, divided the Province into nineteen counties.
The Sixteenth, or County or Norfolk, was "bounded on the North
and East by the County of Lincoln, and the River La Tranche
now called the Thames. (The Eastern boundary was the Grand
River which formed the Western boundary of the first
and fourth ridings of the County of Lincoln. ) On the
South side by the Lake Erie until it meets the Barlue
to be called the Orwell River," (now known as the Catfish
Creek emptying into the lake at Port Bruce,) " thence up
a line North sixteen degrees West until it intersects the river
La Tranche or Thames."; "thence up the said river until it meets
the North- WTest boundary of the West Riding of the County of
York." This line from the mouth of the Orwell river, when pro-
duced as described, is very near the location, if not exactly on the
Western Town-line of the Townships of North and South Dor-
chester The Seventeenth, or County of Suffolk, was bounded on
the East by the County of Norfolk ; on the South by Lake Erie
and until it meets the carrying place from the Point au Pins
unto the Thames; on the West by the said carrying place, thence
up the said River Thames until it meets the North-West bound-
ary of the County of Norfolk. " This placed the territory now
known as the Townships of Malahide, Dorchester and Bayharn
in the County of Norfolk ; the remainder of the present County
formed part of the County of Suffolk.

10 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

In this division of the Province into Counties, but very little
attention seems to have been paid to the boundaries of the four
districts into which the Province had been already divided. If
we consider the circumstances that no surveys had been made in
the District of Hesse, except in the neighborhood of Detroit, and
the fact that the greater part of the country on both sides of the
Grand River was thickly populated by Indians, it was evidently
the intention to divide the District of Hesse into four Counties,
namely, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent ; the three first occupy-
ing all the territory South of the Thames. The County of Kent
occupying all of the country not being territories of the Indians
not already included in any of the other counties extending
Northward to the Hudson Bay, and Southward of the said line to
the utmost extent of the country known by the name of Canada.

For the purpose of representation the fourth riding of the
County of Lincoln which was bounded on the East by the Niagara
River, on the South by Lake Erie, on the West by the Grand
River or Ouse, and on the North by the Chippawa or Welland
River and the road leading from the forks of the Welland to the
Grand River, was united with the County of Norfolk for the
purpose of sending one representative to the House of Assembly.
The County of Suffolk and the County of Essex were also joined
together for the same purpose.

The first session of the first Provincial Parliament was con-
vened at Niagara on the 17th day of September, 1792. The
session lasted twenty-eight days. Eight Acts were passed; the first
"to introduce English law as the rule for decision in all matters
of controversy relative to law and civil rights." The second " to
establish trials by Jury"; the third, " to establish the use of the
Winchester measure and a standard for other weights and
measures " ; the fourth, " to abolish all summary proceedings in
Courts of Common Pleas in actions under ten pounds sterling " ;
the fifth, " an Act to prevent accidents by fire " ; sixth, " for the
more easy pay and speedy recovery of small debts " ; seventh, " to
regulate the tolls to be taken in mills" and the eighth •' for build-
ing a gaol and court house in every district within the Province,
and for altering the names of the Districts."

The District named Hesse was hereafter called the Western

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 11

District. Section 13 of this Act enacted that the gaol and court
house for the Western District should be built in the manner set
forth, and as near the present Court House as conveniently may
be. This was at Detroit.

The first Act of the Second Session of the first Parliament
was "for the better regulation of the militia." The second was
an Act " to provide for the nomination and appointment of parish
and town officers." This Act provided that " any two of His
Majesty's Justices of the Peace acting within the Division in
which any parish, township, reputed township, or place may be,
may issue their warrant giving eight days previous notice to the
constable of such parish, township, reputed township, or place
authorizing him on a day to be fixed by the said Justices in the
present year, and on the first Monday in the month of March in
every ensuing year, to assemble the inhabitant householders,
paying or liable to pay to any public assessment or rate of snch
parish, township, reputed township, or place, in the parish church
or chapel or in some convenient place within the said parish * *
for the purpose of choosing and nominating the parish or town
officers hereinafter mentioned, to serve in their respective offices
for the year next ensuing, at which meeting the said constable
shall preside." The office of constable appears to have still
retained some of its ancient dignity in the estimation of the
colonists. The inhabitant householders who assembled, were
authorized to cnoose a Clerk of the Parish or Township, whose
duty it should be " to make a true and complete list of every
male and female inhabitant within the limits of the Parish or
Township, and return the same to the Justices acting as afore-
said," and " to enter and record all such matters as shall
relate to the said Parish, Town or Township, and shall apper-
tain to his office." They were also authorized to choose two
persons to serve as assessors, one person to serve as collector of
taxes, and not less than two or more than six persons as specified
in the warrant issued by the Justices, to serve as overseers of
highways. The duty of these officers was " to oversee and
perform such things as shall be directed by any Act to be passed
touching or concerning the highways and roads," and to serve as
fence viewers. They were also to choose a pound-keeper, and

12 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

two persons to serve as town wardens, but, " as soon as any
church was built for performance of divine service according to
the use of the Church of England with a parson or minister duly
appointed thereto," the householders should choose one of those
wardens and the parson or minister nominate the other. The
two so chosen and nominated were declared " a corporation to
represent the whole inhabitants of the town or parish, "and as
such " may have a property in the goods or chattels of or
belonging to the parish, and may prosecute, or defend in all
presentments, indictments or actionsfor and on behalf of the in-
habitants of the said parish. "Persons neglecting or refusing to
take the oath of office, and discharge the duties were
subject to a penalty of forty shillings in each case, and the
magistrates at a special Sessions, could name one or more persons
to fill the positions they left vacant. The Act did not define the
duty of any of these officers further than to state that the over-
seers should do whatever may be directed respecting the high-
ways by any Act to be passed, and that as fence-viewers they
should, upon receiving proper notice view and determine upon
the height and sufficiency of any fence "conformably to any
resolutions that may be agreed upon " at the meeting so held.
And the pound-keeper was authorized to impound all cattle
found trespassing upon any land properly fenced, and any stallion
of more than one year old that may be found roaming at large.
The same Act authorized the Magistrates at Quarter Sessions to
appoint a high constable for each District annually, and
constables for each Township.

If the Township did not contain 30 inhabitants it was not
lawful for the Justices to issue their warrant calling a meeting
therein, and said Township was joined to the Township adjacent
thereto that contained the smallest number of inhabitants.

The system of County Government then introduced was similar
to that already established in the state of Virginia. Chapter 4
of the Act of this Session was to regulate the laying out and
mending and keeping in repair the roads and highways in the
Province.

Chapter 6 was to fix the times and places of holding the Courts
of General Sessions of the Peace within the several Districts of
the Province.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 13

Under the authority of the Act 33 Geo. Ill, it was directed
that the Courts oi Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the Western
District of the Province, should commence and be holder? in the
Town of Detroit, and that special Sessions of the Peace should
commence arid be holden yearly and in every year in the Town
of Michilimackinac. By Chapter 4 of the Acts passed by the
first Parliament on the 3rd June, 1796 it was enacted that the
Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the Western
District shall commence and he holden in the Parish of Assump-
tion, now Sandwich, in such place as may be found to be most
convenient for the Magistrates of said District or the major part
of them, on the second Tuesdays of the months of July, October,
January and April until such time as it shall seem expedient to
the Magistrates or the major part of them to remove and hold the
same nearer to the Island called the Island of Bois Blanc (opposite
Amherstburg,) being near the entrance to the River Detroit. The
District Court for the cognizance of small cases was also at this
time removed from the town of Detroit, and ordered to be held
at and in the same place wherein the General Quarter Sessions
were to be held. This change was necessary owing to the
evacuation of Detroit by the British in 1795. The work of
surveying Townships under direction of the Provincial Govern-
ment was now being carried on, and during the second session of
the Second Parliament, held at York in 1798, an Act was passed
constituting the Township of London, Westminster, Dorchester,
Yarmouth, South wold, Dunwich, Aldborough and Delaware, to
form the County of Middlesex, and also to- constitute the Town-
ships of Burford, Norwich, Dereham, Oxford upon the Thames,
Blanford and Blenheim as the County of Oxford. The Town-
ships of Rainham, Walpool Woodhouse, Charlotteville,
Walsingharn, Houghton, Middleton, Windham and Townsend
were formed into the County of Norfolk. Section 37 of this Act
enacted "that the Counties of Norfolk, Oxford and Middlesex
with so much of this province as lies to the westward of the
Home District and the District of Niagara, to the southward of
Lake Huron and between them and a line drawn clue north from
a fixed boundary (where the easternmost limit of the Township of

14 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

Oxford intersects the River Thames) till it arrives at Lake
Huron, be constituted to form the District of London.

DISTRICT OF LONDON— 1800— 1837.
ORGANIZATION.

With the promulgation by Proclamation bearing date the first
day of January, 1800 of the Act passed establishing the District of
London, a general commission of the Peace was issued for the said
District. The following extract from the original records will
shew the manner in which the Commission was received, the
District organized, and a General Quarter Sessions of the Peace
established : —

DISTRICT OF LONDON, UPPER CANADA.

On the first day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred, and about noon on the same day, a packet was
delivered to me by Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, which packet con-
tained a General Commission of the Peace for the District of
London, dated at York the first day of January, one thousand
eight hundred. And in and by the said Commission of the Peace
the following Honorable Gentlemen and Gentlemen are appointed
to be His Majesty's Justices of the Peace, in and for the District
of London, that is to say, the Honorable John Elmsley, the
Honorable Peter Russell, the Honorable Phineas Shaw, the Hon-
orable James Baby, the Honorable Alexander Grant, the Honor-
able John McGill, the Honorable David William Smith, the
Honorable William Dummer Powell, the Honorable Henry
Allcock, Samuel Ryerse, William Spurgin, Peter Teeple, Thomas
Hornor, Benjamin Springer, John Backhouse, John Beemer and
Wynant Williams, Esquires ; also three other commissions nomi-
nating and appointing me to be Clerk of the Peace, Clerk of the
District Court and Registrar of the Surrogate Courts. Also, a
Commission dated at York the twelfth day of February, one thous-
and eight hundred, nominating and appointing Samuel Ryerse,
Thomas Hornor, Esquires, and myself to be commissioners for tak-
ing the acknowledgements of recogni sance or recognizances of bail

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. W

or bails for the Court of King's Bench ; also, Dedimus Potestatem
dated at York, the first day of January, one thousand eight
hundred, nominating and appointing Samuel Ryerse, William
Spurgin and Peter Teeple, Esquires, to be Commissioners for
administering the oaths prescribed by law to the officers of the

Government.

THOMAS WELCH, C. R

April 1st, 1800.

April 2nd, 1800.

At a meeting of the Magistrates resident in the Townships of
Charlotteville and Woodhouse, who met at the house of James
Munro, in Charlotteville, for the purpose of carrying into execu-
tion the intention of His Majesty's Commissioners of the Peace for
the District of London, the following persons were duly sworn
into office according to law, that is to say : — William Spurgin,
EsqUire, by Samuel Ryerse, Esquire ; Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, by
William Spurgin, Esquire ; and Peter Teeple, Esquire, by Samuel
Ryerse, Esquire, as Justices of the Peace ; Thomas Welch, Esquire,
by Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, as Clerk of the Peace, all between the
hours of 9 and 12 o'clock in the forenoon of the same day.

THOMAS WELCH, C. P.

The aforesaid Justices then formed themselves into a special
Session of the Peace.

THOMAS WELCH, C. P.

The Court of Special Sessions of the Peace opened in due
form ; Samuel Ryerse, Esquire in the chair.

Ordered by the Court that a Venire be made out in due form
requiring and commanding the Sheriff of the District of London,
to make Proclamation throughout the District, that a General
Quarter Sessions of the Peace, in and for the District of London
will be holden at the house of James Munro, in Charlotteville, on
Tuesday, the eighth of this present month of April, at ten o'clock
in the forenoon of the same day, and to summon a jury for the
said Court, which being done, the Court is adjourned to Tuesday
next, at 10 o'clock a. m.

THOMAS WELCH, C. P.

DISTRICT } APRIL the 8th, 1800.

OF LONDON. [•
TO WIT : J The General Quarter Sessions of the Peace holden

16 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

at the house of James Munro, in Charlotteville, in and for the
said District on the eighth day of April, in the fortieth year of
the reign of our Sovereign Lord George III, of Great Britain,
France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth,
and in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred ; before
the Justices of our said Lord the King, assigned to keep the
Peace in the said District, and also to hear and determine divers
felonies, trespasses and other misdemeanors in the said District
committed, and of the Quorum.

1. Samuel Ryerse, Esquire — Chairman.

2. William Spurgin.

3. Peter Teeple.

4. John Beemer, and

5. Wynant Williams, Esquires, associate Justices attending.

JOSEPH RYERSON, ESQUIRE, Sheriff,

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

GRAND INQUEST.

1. Dan Millard— Foreman. 8. William Cope.

2. Nathan B. Barnum. 9. Jacob Buckner.

3. William B. Hilton. 10. Peter Walker.

4. Robert Munro. 11. Phillip Force.

5. Silas Secord. 12. James Mathews.

6. Lucas Tederick. 13. John Gustin.

7. John Davis.

APRIL the 8th; 1800.

The Court met according to appointment or adjournment and
opened in due form.

Wynant Williams and John Beemer Esquires took and sub-
scribed the oaths subscribed by law, as Justices of the Peace, in
and for the District of London, the oachs administered by Samuel
feyerse, Esquire, in open Court, between the hours of 9 and 12
o'clock in the forenoon.

William Budd Gould, gentleman, is appointed by the Court to
be High Constable of the District of London, and sworn into
office, according to law, in open Court ; and Constables for the
present year were at the same time nominated and appointed by
the Court, viz. -.—Moses Rice for Charlotteville, sworn in open
Court. Albert Berdan, for Woodhouse, Walpole and Rainham

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 17

and Crier of the Quarter Sessions and District Court, and sworn
in open Court. Simon Mabee, for Walsingham, sworn in open
Court, 'and John Muckle, junior, for Townsend and Windham,
and sworn in open Court.

The Grand Jury sworn in due form, and the charge given
them by the chairman.

Simon Mabee, Constable attending the Grand Jury.

APRIL, the 8th, 1800.

The Grand Jury present, the publick roads of the District as
being not la/id out according to law, by means whereof they are
^rievious and a public nuisance.

Ordered, that Juries be summoned and sworn in different
parts of the District, to view and report on the grounds on which
roads are required to be laid out.

Personal applications in Court for better regulations of the
publick roads in different Townships, viz.: —

For Charlotteville, Dan Millard.

For Townsend and Windham, Jabez Collver, Sr.

For Woodhouse, Richard Mead.

The Court is adjourned to two o'clock p. m.

The Court met according to adjournment, and opened in due
form.

Samuel Ryerse sworn into office as Surrogate, and Thomas
Welch also sworn into office as Registrar of the Surrogate Court :
both sworn according to law in open Court.

The Grand Jury dismissed by the Court at four o'clock p. m.

The Court is adjourned until to-morrow at ten o'clock a. m.

APRIL the 9th, 1800.

The Court met according to adjournment, and opened in due
form.

1. Samuel'Ryerse, Esquire, Chairman. 2. William Spurgin.

3. Peter Teeple. 4. John Beemer, and

5. Wynant Williams, Esquires, associate Justices.
Joseph Ryerson, Esquire, Sheriff.

The petition of James Munro of Charlotteville, praying to be
recommended by the Court in order to obtain a License to keep a
house of public entertainment at the house he now dwells at, was
read in Court, and the prayer of the Petitioner granted.

18 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

The petition of Joseph Woolley of Walsingham, praying to
have his Statute Labor on the highways lessened, was read in
Court, and his labor on the publick roads stated by the Court, at
two days for the ensuing year.

The petition of Titus Finch and others for a road, read in
Court and ordered to lie on the table.

The petition of Walter Anderson of Charlotteville, praying to
have his Statute Labor on the Highways lessened, was read in
Court, and the prayer of the petitioner granted, stating his
statute labor on the public highways at four days for the ensuing
year.

ORDERED BY THE COURT

That no composition for labor on the highways for the
ensuing year, be permitted within the District of London.

The Court is adjourned to Saturday next at 9 o'clock a. m

APRIL the 12th, 1800.

The Court met according to adjournment, and opened in due
form.

1. William Spurgin, Esquire, in the chair. 2. Peter Teeple.

3. Wynant Williams, and 4. John Beemer, Esquires, associate
Justices.

The opinion of the Court being taken, respecting Mr.
Jabez Collver's papers, the Court is of opinion that with the
addition of his oath if required, his ordaination may be suffi-
ciently authenticated.

The petition of sundry inhabitants of Charlotteville, praying
for a road to be laid out in that Township, read in Court and
ordered to lie on the table.

Nathan Bunnell Barnum, and Finlay Malcom are appointed
by the Court to be each of them a keeper of a standard for
weights and measures within the District of London, and the
Clerk of the Peace is ordered by the Court, to notify them
respectively of their appointment as soon as possible.

ORDERED BY THE COURT.

That Samuel Ryerse, Wynant Williams and John Beemer?
Esquires, do act as Justices of the Court of Request, and Com-
missioners of Highways in and for that Division of the District

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 19

of London which is composed of the Townships of Rainham,
Walpol/3, Woodhouse and Townserid. The Courts of Request for
the said Division to be holden at the house of James Clendennen
in Woodhouse.

That William Spurgin and Peter Teeple, Esquires, do act as
Justices of the Court of Request, and Commissioners of Highways,
in and for that Division of the District of London which compre-
hends the Townships of Charlotteville, Walsingham, Houghton
and Middleton. The Courts of Request to be holden at the
dwelling house of Miden Stacy in Charlotteville.

The petition of Silas Secord and others, praying redress of
grievances on account of the officers appointed in this County*
particularly of the person whom the Petitioners state is
appointed Deputy Sherift ; was read in Court, and ordered by
the Court to be filed of record.

Dan Millard Esquire, of Charlotteville, is appointed by the
Court to be Treasurer of the District of London.

The Court do resolve as follows, that is to say :

1st. That as soon as the Court can be furnished with certain
information of what is allowed in the Court of Quarter Sessions
for the District of Niagara for extra services performed by the
Clerk of the Peace in the line of his duty.

2nd. Fees to the Town Clerks for services performed in the
line of their duty.

3rd. Fees to the Pound -keepers for the services performed in
the line of their duty.

4th. Fees to the Crier of the Court of Quarter Sessions for
services performed in the line of his duty ; the Court will proceed
to take order therein accordingly.

5th. That the Court will proceed to consider and determine of
the ways and means for defraying the expenses which will be
incurred in procuring seals, books, etc., etc., for the several
Courts of Quarter Sessions, the District Court and Surrogate
Court of this District.

The Court is adjourned to the Second Tuesday in July next.

THOMAS WELCH,

Clerk of the Peace.

20 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

DISTRICT } JULY 8th, 1800.

OF LONDON, j-

TO WIT : J The General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, holden
at the House of James Munro, in Charlotteville in and for the
said District on the eighth day of July, in the fourtieth year of
the Reign of our Sovereign, Lord George the Third, of Great
Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so
forth. Before the Justices of our said Lord, the King, assigned
to keep the Peace in the said District, and also to hear and
determine divers felonies, trespasses and other misdemeanors in
the said District committed, and of the Quorum.

The Court met according to adjournment, and opened in due
form.

1. Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, Chairman. 2. William Spurgin.
3. Peter Teeple. 4. John Beemer.

5. Thomas Hornor. 6. John Backhouse,

7. and Wynant Williams, Esquires, Associate Justices.

JOSEPH RYERSON, Sheriff.

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

Proclammation made in due form, and the Commission of the
Peace, and the Act of Parliament for the better securing the
Province against the King's enemies publickly read.

THE GRAND INQUEST.

1. Isaac Gilbert, Foreman. 8. Job Slaght, Sr.

2. Walter Anderson. 9. Philip Sovereign.

3. Robert Henderson. 10. John Culver.

4. Joseph Lemon. 11. Michael Shoaff.

5. Larrance Johnson. 12. William Dill.

6. Daniel McColl, Jr. 13. John Sovereign.

7. Abraham Powell.

Moses Rice, Constable attending the Grand Jury.

The Grand Jury sworn and their charge delivered to them in
due form, by the Chairman.

John Backhouse, Esquire took and subscribed the oath pres-
cribed by law, as one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for
this District in open Court. Oaths administered by Samuel
Ryerse, Esquire.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. '21

RULE OF COURT.

The 'Clerk of the Peace shall be allowed to ask, demand and
receive of and from each person claiming a Bill of Indictment, the
sum of Ten Shillings, lawful money of this Province, and two shil-
lings like money for each subpoena, except in extraordinary cases
where the Court may think proper to order otherwise.

The proceedings of the last April Sessions being publickly
read by order of the Court, and the opinion of that session
relative to the proof offered by Jabez Collver, sr., of his ordination
to the Ministry of the Gospel, is protested against by Samuel
Ryerse, Esquire.

Artimus Rogers is nominated and appointed by the Court to-
be Constable for the Township of Burford.

Hammon Lawrence is appointed by the Court to be Constable
for the Township of Oxford.

Proclamation being made in due form, and the Justices of
the Peace called upon to give in their record, a conviction and
six shillings fine against Daniel McColl, jr., for profane swearing
on the 28th day of June last.

Silas Secord appears in Court on Recognizance at suit of the
King, and is discharged on paying costs.

The Court is adjourned to to-morrow at ten o'clock a. in.

JULY the 9th, 1800.

The Court met according to adjournment and opened in due
form.

1. Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, Chairman. 2. William Spurgin.
3. Peter Teeple. 4. Thomas Hornor.

5. John Beemer, and 6. John Backhouse, Esquires,

Associate Justices.
JOSEPH RYERSON, ESQUIRE, SHERIFF.

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

The Grand Inquest and Traverse Jurors called and dismissed
by the Court.

A Report of the Road between Townsend and Windham, also
in the Township of Oxford and Burford, and on Dundas street
was read in Court.

ORDERED BY THE COURT.
That the Commissioners of Roads, in and for the Townships

22 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

Windham and Townsend, do proceed and lay out the above roads
as soon as it can conviently be done. The said four reports being
delivered to the Commissioners of roads by order of the Court.

Ordered by the Court, that John Beerner and Thomas
Hornor, Esquires, do act of Justices of the Peace and Commis-
sioners of Roads in and for the Townships of Windham and
Townsend in the County of Norfolk, and also in and for the
Counties of Oxford and Middlesex. And that the places for
holding the Courts of Request for the above division shall be at
the dwelling houses of Mordecai Sayles, in Townsend, and John
Fowler in Burford alternately. And that John Backhouse'
Esquire, do act as a Justice of the Peace in the Court of Request
holden at the dwelling house of Moiden Stacy in Charlottevillle*
and as a Commissioner of Roads for the Township of Charlotte-
ville and Walsingham.

Hammon Lawrence, of the Township of Oxford, is appointed
by Court to be a keeper of a standard for weights and measures
agreeably to the Provincial Statute in that case made and
provided.

The petition of Hammon Lawrence of Oxford, praying to be
recommended for the purpose of obtaining a license for keeping a
publick house of entertainment at the house he now dwells at, was
read in Court, and the prayer of the Petitioner granted.

The petition of John Fowler of the Township of Burford^
praying to be recommended for the purpose of obtaining a license
to keep a publick house of entertainment at the house he now
dwells at was read in Court and the prayer of the petitioner
granted.

The Court is adjourned to Saturday next at three o'clock in
the afternoon.

JULY the 12th, 1800.

The Court met according to adjournment and opened in due
form.

1. Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, Chairman.

2. William Spurgin.

3. And Wynant Williams, Esquires Associate Justices.

JOSEPH RYERSON, ESQUIRE, Sheriff

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

The Treasurer of this District is notified by the Court, he

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 23

being present in Court, that he must give bonds with good and
sufficient security, (as soon as assessed rates in and for this
District shall be ordered t ) be collected) in the penal sum of one
hundred and twenty-two pounds lawful money of this Province,
for the faithful discharge of the duties of his office as Treasurer.
The Court is adjourned to the second Tuesday in October

next.

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace

DISTRICT } OCTOBER the 14th, 1800.

OF LONDON. |

To WIT : I The General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, holden
at the house of James Munro in Charlotte ville, in and for the
said District, on the Fourteenth day of October, in the Fortieth
year of the Reign of our Sovereign, Lord George the Third, of
Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith and
so forth. Before the Justices of our said Lord the King, assigned
to keep the Peace in the said District, and also to hear and
determine divers felonies, trespasses and other misdemeanors in
the said District committed, and of the Quorum.
1. Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, Chairman ; 2. William Spurgin, 3-
Peter Teeple, 4. John Backhouse, 5. Thomas Hornor, and 6 John
Beenier, Esquires, associate Justices.

JOSEPH RYERSON, ESQUIRE, Sheriff.

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

The Court met according to adjournment and opened in due
form.

Motion of Samuel Ryerse Esquire, that the Justices will
nominate a Chairman, which being done, Samuel Ryerse, Esquire,
was unanimously chosen.

THE GRAND INQUEST.

1. Nathaniel Landon, Foreman ; 2, Justice Stephens ; 3,
David Farmer ; 4. Josiah F. Deen ; 5, Hugh Graham ; 6, Samuel
Baker; 7, John Fowler ; 8, Charles Burch ; 9, John Wells; 10
James Smiley; 11, Elijah Mudge; 12, Alexander Hoy; 13, John
Mudge ; 14, Roswell Matthews; 15, Reuben Dayton; 16, John
Eaton ; 17, Thomas Sayles.

The Grand Jury duly sworn, and their charge delivered to
them by the Chairman.

24 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

Constable attending the Grand Jurv.

Motion by William Budd Gould, High Constable of the
District, requesting leave to resign the office of High Constable,
the Court will accept of his resignation, he continuing to serve
during the present Sessions of the Peace.

The Petition of William Hambly of Woodhouse, praying for a
Road to be opened on lands reserved for that use in that
township.

ORDERED BY THE COURT.

That all reserves for Roads as the same are marked off in the
Map of each Township within this District, be henceforward left
uninclosed for the purpose of the King's Highways only.

Daniel McColl, James Munro, John McColl, Jabez Collver,
jr., Nisbitt Collver, Aaron Collver, John Cullver, appeared in
open Court and acknowledged Mr. Jabez Collver, sr., to be their
settled Minister of a' congregation of Presbyterians in the
District of London.

The Court is adjourned until to-morrow at ten o'clock a. m.

OCTOBER the 15th, 1800.

The Court met according to adjournment, and opened in due
form.

Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, Chairman ; William Spurgin, Peter
Teeple, John Backhouse, Thomas Hornor and John Beemer,
Esquires, Associate Justices ; Joseph Ryerson, Sheriff ; Thomas
Welch, Clerk of the Peace.

The Petition of Frederick Oustine of Rainham, praying to be
recommended for the purpose of obtaining a license to keep a
public house of entertainment at the house he now dwells at, was
read in Court, and the prayer of the petitioner granted.

Dan Millard sworn in Court, to give evidence to the Grand
Jury.

Ordered by the Court, that a road leading from Lake Erie to
the Mills of John Backhouse, Esquire, as it is now marked and
in part opened between lots number Sixteen and Seventeen, be
henceforward considered and kept in repair as a public highway.

John McColl and John Coltman, sworn in Court to give
evidence to the Grand Jury.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 25

The Grand Jury having presented the Road from James
Manro's to Burford.

Ordered by the Court, that the Commissioners of Highways
do immediately proceed to open that part of the said road that is
already laid out.

John Fowler brought before the Court by the complaint of
John McColl, for selling spiritous liquors without License.

By the Court, no complaint can lie in John Fowler's case, he
being considered as having authority to retail spiritous liquors.

John Davis and Luther Cooley being presented by the Grand
Jury for sailing spiritous liquors.

Ordered by the Court, that summonses do immediately issue
for John Davis and Luther Cooley to appear at the Bar of this
Court, at two o'clock on Friday next, in the afternoon, to answer
to the above complaint. Artimus Rogers, Constable, is appointed
to serve the above summonses. •

The Court is adjourned in due form till to-morrow at ten

o'clock a.m.

THOMAS WELCH, C. P.

October the 16th, 1,800.

The Court met according to adjournment, and opened in due
form. The same Justices as yesterday.

Abraham Powell, sworn in Court to give evidence to the
Grand Jury.

Motion of Thomas Horner, Esq., that movable stocks and whip-
ping post be immediately erected at the expense of the District
and paid for out of the first collection of assessments for this
District. Carried unanimously in the affirmative.

Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, agrees to have the same immediately
erected on the above terms.

Motion of William Budd Gould, High Constable for leave of
absence from the Court, to go to Murphy Creek, near Long Point
on a pressing occassion. Granted.

Abraham Powell recognized in the sum of five pounds lawful
money of this Province, to appear at the next Court of Quarter
Sessions of the Peace for this District, to give evidence for our
Lord the King, against Samuel Miles.

High Graham, recognized in the sum of five pounds, lawful
money of this Province, to appear and give evidence for our Lord

26 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

the King, against Luther Cooley at the next General Quarter
Sessions of the Peace for this District.

David Farmer, recognized in the sum of five pounds, lawful
money of this Province, to appear and give evidence for our Lord
the King, against John Davis at the next General Quarter
Sessions of the Peace for this District.

Silas Secord, presented by the Grand Jury, for wilful and
corrupt perjury ; Preceipt issued for Silas Secord to appear on
the Seventeenth instant, at ten o'clock in the forenoon of the
same day.

The Grand Jury dismissed by the Court.

The Court adjourned till to-morrow at ten o'clock a.m.

THOMAS WELCH, C.P.

OCTOBER the 17th, 1800.

The Court met according to adjournment and opened in due
form.

1, Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, Chairman; 2, William Spurgin ; 3>
Peter Teeple ; 4, John Backhouse, 5, Thomas Hornor, and 6, John
Beemer, Esquires, Associate Justices.

JOSEPH RYERSON, ESQUIRE, Sheriff.

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

Ensign John Eaton, appeared in Court and took the oath
prescribed by law as a Militia Officer.

Luther Cooley being Indicted by the Grand Jury for selling
spiritous liquors without License, appeared on Process and pleaded
not guilty, recognized to appear at the next sessions of the Peace
to prosecute his Traverse to affect himself in the sum of 40
pounds. Artimus Rogers and John Mudge in the sum of 20
pounds each.

John Davis, being indicated by the Grand Jury for selling
spiritous liquors without License, appeared on process arid pleaded
not guilty ; recognized to appear at the next sessions of the
Peace, to prosecute his Traverse, to affect, himself in the sum of
40 pounds, and John McColl arid Albert Berdan each in the sum
of 20 pounds as his sureties.

Silas Secord, being indicated by the Grand Jury for wilful
and corrupt perjury, on the 20th day of September last, appeared
in Court on process, recognized to appear at the next Assizes to
be holden in and for this District, himself in the sum of 100

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 2?

pounds, and John McColl and Moses Rice each in the sum of 50
pounds as his securities.

Dan Millard, recognized to appear at the next Assizes to be
hoi den in and for this District to prosecute Silas Secord on
behalf of the King, himself in the sum of 100 pounds and Albert
Berdan and Othniel Smith as his securities, each in the sum of
50 pounds.

Ordered by the Court, that process shall issue against Samuel
Miles at the suit of the King, to be bound o\7er in recognizance to-
appear at the next session of the Peace.

The Court is adjourned till to-morrow at ten o'clock a.m.

THOMAS WELCH, C.P.

OCTOBER, the 18th, 1800.

The Court met according to adjournment and opened, etc.

The Petition of Moses Rice of Charlotteville, pra}dng to be
recommended for a Tavern License. Granted.

Justices attending to-day the same as yesterday.

Bejamin Fairchild, Ensign of the Militia of Norfolk, came into
Court, and took the oath of Allegiance as such.

Thomas Hornor, Esquire, with Joseph Ryerson, Esquire and
Benjamin Fairchild entered into regular Recognizance, as the
said Thomas Hornor being appointed by His Excellency the
Lieutenant Governor, Register of Deeds, Conveyances, Wills and
other Incumbrances, etc., etc., for the Counties of Oxford and
Middlesex, before Samuel Ryerse, William Spurgin, Peter Teeple,
John Backhouse and John Beemer, Esquires, Justices; who
approved of the principal and securities. And the said Thomas
Hornor was sworn into office as Registrar as aforesaid, before
Samuel Ryerse, and William Spurgin and John Backhouse,
Esquires, in open Court.

John Bostwick is appointed by the Court to be High
Constable of the District of London.

Ordered by the Court that William Budd Gould's resignation
of the office of High Constable is accepted of. And that the
Clerk of the Peace do furnish him with a certificate thereof, and
of his services whilst in that office.

Ordered, that the Court do meet in Special Sessions of the
Peace, at the Town of Charlotteville on Monday the Third day of
November next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, to consider of

28 DEVELOPMENT Or<" THE COUNTY.

ways and means for building a Gaol and Court House at the
Town of Charlotte ville aforesaid for the District of London.
The Court is adjourned until the day prescribed by law.

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

NOVEMBER the 3rd, 1800. — Special Sessions.
The Special Sessions of the Peace met at the Town of
Charlotte ville according to the ordsr of Sessions of the eighteenth
of October last, the Court opened in due form.

Present in Court, William Spurgin, Peter Teeple, and John
Backhouse, Esquires, Justices.

THOMAS WELCH. Clerk of the Peace.

ORDERED BY THE COURT.

That the Clerk of the Peace do publish in the name of the
Court according to written orders and directions to be made out
And sent him, by William Spurgin, Esquire concerning the object
of this Special Session. And that a Special Sessions will be
holden at this place on Monday the Tenth of this present month
in order further to proceed touching and concerning the object of
this special sessions. To which time, this special sessions being

adjourned in due form.

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

NOVEMBER, the 10th, 1800 — Special Sessions.

The Special Sessions of the Peace met according to adjourn-
ment and opened in clue form.

Present in Court, Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, Chairman ;
Wynant Williams, William Spurgin, Peter Teeple, and John
Backhouse, Esquires, Associate Justices.

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

Levi Comber agrees to build a Gaol :<,ncl Court House at this
place for the sum of Three Hundred and Twelve Pounds Ten
Shillings, lawful money of this Province, and to wait for his pajr
by receiving the annual interest yearly, therefor, until the
District shall be able to pay the principal ; mason work, brick,
Btone, lime, window glass, nails, spikes, locks and hinges
excepted.

Ordered by the Court; that Samuel Ryerse and Wynant
Williams, Esquires, be and are by this Special Sessions appointed
a committee to assemble and meet at the House of the said

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 29

Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, on Saturday the Fifteenth day of this
present month in order to enter into a contract in form with the
said Levi Comber, to perform the said buildings ; and that the
Clerk of the Peace do notify each person recommended for a
Tavern License, to produce the same licenses at the next General

Quarter Sessions.

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

NOVEMBER, the 15th, 1800. — Special Sessions.
The Special Sessions met according to appointment in
Committee.

Pr3sent in Committee, Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, ) ^ ., ,
and Wynant Williams, Esquire, } C

John Backhouse, Esquirel v- -,
and Peter Teeple, Esquire,/ V
THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

Levi Comber having declined the business of the contract for
builcing a Gaol and Court House at the Town of Charlottevilie.
Ordered by the Court that the Clerk of the Peace do publish
that a Special Sessions will be holden at the house of James
Munro on Saturday the thirteenth day of December next, where
proposals will be received by the Magistrates for the District of
London, for the contract for building a Gaol and Court House at
the Town of Charlottevilie. A plan or plans of the said building
will be produced at the time and place aforesaid for public
inspection, and of the party contracting to perform the work,
good and sufficient security will be required.

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

DECEMBER, the 13th, 1800— Special Sessions.

The Special Sessions met according to adjournment and
opened in due form.

1, Samuel Ryerse, Esquire, Chairman; 2, William Spurgin; 3,
Peter Teeple ; 4. Wynant Williams ; and 5, John Beemer,
Esquires, Associate Justices.

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

No proposals being offered to the Court, of the contract for
building a Goal and Court House. The following description is
ordered by the Court to be published by the Clerk of the Peace,
that is to say : —

Any person or persons who may be willing or inclined to

30 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

undertake to erect and complete a Gaol, on the ground laid out
and set apart for that purpose, at the Town of Charlotteville in
and for the District of London, are hereby desired to deliver their
proposals in writing sealed, into this office, before the second
Tuesday in January next, and at the General Quarter Sessions
of the Peace, then to be holden in and for the District aforesaid,
the lowest bidder will be employed to erect and complete the said
Gaol, provided such person or persons do then and there enter
into Bonds with good and sufficient security for his or their per-
formance. The description of the said building as agreed upon
by His Majesty's Justices of the Peace this day in Special
Sessions of the Peace assembled at Chariotteville, in and for the
District aforesaid, is as follows, that is to say : — To be built with
squared logs of white oak ten inches thick, on a foundation of
black walnut logs, so deep in the ground that the lower floor of
the building may be below the surface of the earth. The build-
ing is to measure thirty-four by twenty feet from outside to out-
side, and ten feet from floor to floor, and to be divided into three
rooms of twelve feet by ten each, and the remainder to be an entry ?
to be lined as the outsides. The partition walls to be made with
squared logs six inches thick. The whole building is to
be weather boarded with inch and quarter boards, not to exceed
ten inches in width, and to be lapped with feather edge, and the
whole building is to be lined with good two inch white oak
plank to be lapped, halved or groved at each joint, and spiked
with such spikes as are usually made use of for such purposes.
The building is to be covered, first with inch and quarter
white oak plank, then with good shingles, the plank to be lapped
with feather edge. The logs of the floors are to be squared
white oak ten inches thick, and laid close together side and side,
and the floors over those logs to be two inch white oak plank to
be lapped, halved or groved as aforesaid. There is to be a good
brick chimney in each of two of the rooms with a three feet
back to each, with the customary fleer. The four doors one out-
side and three inside are to be made of two inch white oak}
plank doubled and spiked in the usual manner ; with a lock and
key to each door of the usual size and strength. There are to be
a window in each of the two rooms with iron grates to each

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 31

window, to be more particularly described at the time of making
the contract, and the whole to be completed on or before the
second Tuesday in October next.

THOMAS WELCH, Clerk of the Peace.

This Special Session is adjourned till the 2nd Tuesday in
January next.

THOMAS WELCH. Clerk of the Peace.

In 1801 an Act was passed which provided that the Courts
of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the District of
London should be holden in the Town of Charlotteville on the
second Tuesday of the months of March, June, September and
December. Charlotteville was situated in the south-west part of
the Township of that name in the County of Norfolk at Turkey
Point. It was sometimes called Port Norfolk, and it was here
the building was erected which was used as a Court House up to
the year 1816.

The foregoing proceedings of the Quarter Sessions will serve
to illustrate the success that attended the organization of the
District.

The following extracts of the proceedings up to September the
9th, 1809, will show the progress made by the Court as an official
body, and the extent to which Townships comprising the present
County of Elgin were interested.

April 14th, 1801, a Constable appears to have been necessary
for the County of Middlesex, and Timothy Kilburn, of Delaware,
was appointed to fill that office, during the same sessions it was
ordered that the Township of Oxford and the County of Middle-
sex were to be a distinct division of the District, and that
Thomas Ingersoll and Daniel Springer were to act as Justices of
the Court of Request and Commissioners of Roads for the said
division ; the Court of Request GO be holden alternatively at the
houses of Thomas Springer of the Township of Delaware and
Hammon Lawrence of the Township of Oxford.

MARCH 10th, 1803. — A memorandum shows that the Gaol,
although previously ordered, had not been finished. The Grand
Jury then present that it is highly necessary that there should be
a publick Goal in this County for the reception of prisoners, and
that the one erected on the public ground, if finished, would

32 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

answer the present purpose. At this time the Courts were being
held in the house of Job Lodor.

JUNE 15th, 1803. — It was decided to hold a Special Sessions
to receive proposals from any person who may be willing or
desirous to contract for finishing the Gaol at Turkey Point.

OCTOBER 4th, 1803. — It was proposed and agreed to have a
Court House erected on the public ground at the Town of'
Charlotteville of the following description : — A frame building
forty feet in length by twenty-six feet in width, to be two
stories high the first or lower story to be ten feet bstvveen floor
and ceiling, and.the second or upper story to be eight feet high.
The building to be erected on a foundation of white oak timber
squared, the same to be sound and of sufficient thickness, the
building to be shingled and to have two sufficient floors, an entry
of eight feet wide to be made from the front door across one end
of the lower story, from which winding stairs are to be erected to
ascend to the second story, two rooms are to be partitioned off in
the second or upper story, for the Juries. Nine windows are to
be made in front, and ten in rear, of twenty four lights each,
seven by three. The front door to be made of inch and a half
plank, 6 panel, to have a good sufficient lock and key. Two
windows are to be finished in the first story opposite each other,
so as to afford sufficient light to the Bar, besides two windows of
fifteen lights each behind the Judge or Chairman's seat. The
rest of the windows are to be cased and nailed up for the present
the Bar, table, Justices' seat, benches for the Bar, and a table for
each jury room, and benches for the same are to be finished ; the
three inside doors to be temporary ; a seat and writing table for
Clerk, to be made between the bench and the Bar. Note — The
house to be raised, shingled, weather boarded and floored, and the
bench for the Judge and Justices, Judge or Chairman's writing
desk, Clerk's seat and table, the bar and table and benches there-
for, the four windows below and two above to be finished, the
rest of the windows cased and nailed up. The front door to be
finished, and the other three temporary doors to be made and hung
Comprehends the present contract proposed by the Court to be
performed by the next Assizes for this District.

DECEMBER the 10th, 1803. — The contract was let to Job
Lodor for 250 pounds.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 33

MAT 19th, 1804. — The site of the Gaol seems to have
again engaged the attention of the Justices, after making an ex-
amination of it they gave as their opinion that the "Debtor's room
i;s sufficient for the reception of prisoners of that description
excepting the lock, which the Court agrees to send for." An
agreement was also made with Mr. Job Lodor to undertake the
business of Gaoler for the salary of £25 which the Court agreed
to allow him for one year.

DECEMBER llth, 1804. — The Court of Quarter Sessions
Assembled at the Court House, but immediately adjourned to
the house of Job Lodor.

JANUARY 26th, 1805.- We have an evidence of settlement in the
Township of Dunwich, the Court ordering " that the Township of
Dunwich be included in the next year's assessment with that of
Delaware. "

MARCH 12th, 1805. — Application was made by Thomas
Noland, "to be recomended for the purpose of obtaining a license
to keep a house of public entertainment at Port Talbot in the
Township of Dunwich. Allowed. "

MARCH 13th, 1805. : — The following amusing case is reported;
John McColl is brought into Court in custody of the under
Sheriff, charged with high crimes and misdemeanors by William
Hutchison, Esquire. John McColl, the prisoner, asked William
Hutchison, Esquire, "What he wanted with him?" William
Hutchison, Esquire, in answer said, " To find Bail for the Peace
and good behaviour and your appearance at the next Assizes. ''

The prisoner said: " Will you take land, or horses, or money, or
dogs for the security, I have two good dogs." William Hutchison
Esquire, answering said : " No, none but personal security will
do. "

Benajah Mallory, Esquire, appearing at the Bar, William
Hutchison, Esquire, threatened to send him to gaol, and demand-
ed bail for his good behaviour, which Benajah Mallory positively
refused to give, said he had done nothing and plead priviledge,
as being a member of Parliament.

The prisoner John McColl, said : "Speak up Captain Mallory,
you are a gentleman, you are the only gentleman in the house, "
William Hutchison, Esquire, said : "If you open your mouth again,

34 DHVKLOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

I will order you to be put in the stocks. " The prisoner then gaped
his mouth wide open and said : " I shall want some more
whiskey. " William Hutchison, Esquire, then ordered the prisoner
to be put in the stocks, and the under Sheriff' commanding
assistance took the prisoner out of the Court room and reported
upon oath with the oath also of the High Constable that the
prisoner was rescued out of their hands by Philip Fonger,
Constable of Charlotteville, Joseph Miller, of Charlotteville,
Miller; Peter Coombs, of Charlotteville, Carpenter; Robert
Munro, of Charlotteville, Farmer ; and many others, and by the
oath of Henry Bostwick and the under Sheriff, that Anthony
Sells of Charlotteville laborer, being commanded to assist in
putting the prisoner in the stocks, disobeyed those orders and
fled.

13th JUNE, 1805. — In order to better maintain the dignity of
Court, it was decided to procure 12 staves for the Constables of
the District, the staves to be seven feet in length and one and
three-quarter inches in thickness with the name of the Township
on each staff in plain legible letters.

NOVEMBER 16th, 1805. — A Commission was received appoint-
ing John Bostwick, Sheriff* of the District of London.

llth DECEMBER 1805. — That the Whipping Post previously
erected was used, is shown by the record of the case of The
King vs. Peter Coombs, indicted of petty larceny, on this date.
" The sentence of the Court upon the prisoner is that he shall
receive 20 lashes on his bare back, well laid on, the Sheriff being
ordered by the Court to have the above sentence put into
immediate execution. " It is done accordingly.

That the prisoners in the District Gaol were not allowed
to have a fire in the building is shewn by the record
of the Petition of Ebenezer Allan, presented to the Court
on this date, when it was ordered that Ebenezer Allen, the
prisoner above named be allowed the use of fire in the Gaol
provided he, the said prisoner, secured the Sheriff to his satisfac-
tion, and if the Sheriff is willing to comply with this additional
order, and not otherwise.

MARCH 12th, 1806. — The system of paying members of the
Provincial Legislature at this time was different from that of the

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 35

present day. The following entry appears on this date, " It is
ordered that a full rate of assessment be collected for the present
year, and one-fifth be added to pay Benajah Mallory Esquire, the
representative in Parliament in this District for his services as
such, for 39 days in the second session of the fourth Provincial
Parliament at 10 Shillings per day amounting to 19 pounds 10
shillings."

JUNE 10th, 1806. — Thomas Talbot's name appears for the
first time among those of the Justices in Session, and he attended
for one day only. During the next few years there is nothing to
shew that he took any interest whatever in the proceedings of
these Courts.

JUNE 10th, 1807. — Ebenezer Green was appointed Constable
for Dunwich and Aldborough, and Thomas Talbot, James
Burdick, Archibald McMillan, and Daniel Springer were
appointed Members of the Court of Request for the County of
Middlesex. The Legislature having granted money to the
District for the purpose of Roads, it was agreed that 50 pounds
be expended in the Township of Westminster, and 150 pounds on
the north side of the River Thames, so as to meet the provincial
road through the Western District, and the members of the
Court of Reqilest, with the exception of Colonel Talbot, were
appointed to superintend the surveying and laying out of the
road.

The increased dignity and importance of the Quarter Sessions
Court is shewn by the following order: " That no person what-
ever shall be admitted within the Bar unless business calls him
there, and that a Constable do attend at the entrance of the door
to stop any person coming in who has no business there, except
asked in by the Court."

SEPTEMBER 9th, 1807. — The financial business of the District
having assumed sufficient proportions, it was ordered "that a book
should be purchased for the purpose of entering all accounts
which shall pass this Court in future, and that all former
accounts as far as the same shall be ascertained, shall be entered
in the said book particularly specifying the particulars of each
respective account. "

DECEMBER 8th, 1807. — The Grand Jury declare themselves
entirely satisfied with the Treasurer's account up to the year

36 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

1806 inclusive, and said that in this account a wolfs' scalp which
was in arrears was accounted for.

That there was a difficulty in making collection of taxes
levied by the District Court, is shown by a reference in nearly
every session to the dilatory manner in which the Collectors
made their returns.

In 1808 John Quick was appointed Constable for Dunwich,
and Samuel Guam say was appointed C Elector.

JUNE 14th, 1809. — Joseph Smith was appointed Constable for
Dunwich.

TURKEY POINT.

TURKEY POINT, was an original Government Reservation selected by
Governor Simcoe, for a Town and Garrison.

In 1798, instructions were issued by D. W Smith, A.S.G., to Mr. Welch, " to
take a sketch of the ground above the point which may be suitable for a town.
The ground immediately above Mrs. Mabee's old house has been set apart and
approved for that purpose. In the projection of this sketch you will

have regard to such a situation as may be fit for Barracks and such other
accoinodation as may be looked for in providing space for a small fort. " It was
situated in the South-West part of the Township of Charlotteville, and was at
one time called " Port Norfolk. "

THE LONDON DISTRICT.

Dr. Ryerson, in "The Loyalist of America," published a historical
memoranda by Mrs. Amelia Harris, of Eldon House, London, Ontario, only
daughter of the late Colonel Samuel Ryerse who settled at Long Point, (Port
Ryerson) in 1794. She refers to the formation of the London District as follows :

"About this time the London District was separated fro 11 the Western, and
composed what now forms the Counties or District of Middlesex, Elgin, Huron
Bruce, Oxford and Norfolk. The necessary appointments 'were made, and the
London District held its own courts and sessions at Turkey Point, six miles above
us on the Lake Shore. The people, in a most patriotic manner, had put up a
log house, which served the double purpose of court house and gaol. The Courts
were held in the upper story, which was entered bv a very rough stairway, going
upon the outside of the building. The gaol consisted of one large room on the
ground floor, from which any prisoner could release himself in half an hour xmless
guarded by a sentinel. The juries for some years held their consultations under
the shade of a tree. Doubtless it was pleasanter than the close lock-up jury-room
of the present day. My father, in addition to his other commissions, was
appointed Judge of District Court and Judge of the Surrogate Court. Turkey
Point is a very pretty place ; the grounds are high, and from them there is a very
fine view of the bay and lake.

2. General Simcoe had selected it for a County Town, and the site of a
future city. Now it boasts of one house, an inn kept by Silas Montross. There
was also a reservation of land for Military purposes. But the town never
prospered ; it was not in a thoroughfare, and did not possess water privileges.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 37

Twenty years afterwards it contained but the one solitary house. The County
town was changed to a more favorable situation, Vittoria. "

COURTS.

From 1800 to 1803 the Courts were held in the house of Mr. James Manro,
in the Township of Charlotteville. In the latter year they were moved to the
house of Mr. Job Lodor, innkeeper, situated at Turkey Point, he having
furnished increased accommodations, and were continued to be holden there until
a log gaol and a two story framed Court House were erected near the same place,
at the expense of the district by Mr. Job Lodor, the contractor. In this Court
House the Courts were held in the first story, and the second was divided off for
Jury rooms.

The Courts continued to be held at this house until it became necessary to
appropriate the building for the use of the Troops, during the war of 1812, — '13
and '14. (From the Oxford Gazetteer by Thos. S. Shenston.)

RECORDS.

The Records of the Quarter Sessions Courts with the exception of the years
1810,— 11,— 12, are complete.

Early reports of the Assize Courts are very irregular, and, with few excep-
tions, are of little use for historical purposes.

The names of the Judges who attended these Courts were Powell, Allcock,
Scott and Thorpe. They always came by water and were often several days
behind time in consequence of the weather.

The first entry in the Road Register of the London District was made by J.
B. Askin, Clerk of the Peace, under an order of Session dated 12th January,
1822. The entry shews an examination by A. A. Rapelje, Surveyor for the
Townships of Walpole and Rainham, of a road from the bank of Lake Erie,
on the eastern line of Rainham Township to the western limits of the
Township of Walpole. Richard Bristol, deputy surveyor, laid out a road January
llth, 1821, from the line between lots five and six Talbot Street to the conflux of
Otter Creek and Lake Erie. In 1821, Louis Burwell Deputy for John Bostwick,
surveyor, laid out a road from the mouth of Kettle Creek to Talbot road. In
1822 part of this road from Goodhue's mills to their still house, was reported
unpracticable and the road was altered so as to run from the mill by .the house
of Daniel Rapelje, and thence to the summit of the said hill, keeping along the
brow on the lands of William Drake.

Note— This is the road leading from TurvilPs Mills, in St. Thomas, north
around the bend of the hill west of the Court House.

COURT OF REQUESTS.

The Court of Requests established by 32 Geo., Ill Chap. 6, provided for the
trial by two or more Justices of the Peace of all disputes in the matter of debt
and contract where the amount involved did not exceed ten pounds.

VITTORIA.

In 1815 an Act was passed to repeal Sec. of 41 Geo. Ill, Chap,
6, which provided that the Courts of General Quarter Sessions for
the District of London should be holden at Charlotteville, and
providing that from and after the passing of the Act " the Courts
of the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace and the District

38 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

Courts in and for the said District shall be holden and assemble
at the most convenient place in the immediate vicinity of Tisdale's
Mills in the Township of Charlotteville in the said District, and
the Magistrates at the next ensuing Quarter Sessions of the
Peace to be holden in and for the said District, shall be and they
are hereby authorized to make choice of a place in the vicinity of
the said Mills in the Township of Charlotteville as aforesaid
whereon to erect a Gaol and Court House for the said District. "
The Magistrates as directed, decided to erect a gaol and Court
House for the said District at Vittoria, which is situated near the
eastern corner of the Township of Charlotteville, and it was here
that a brick Court House was built at an expense of Nine
Thousand Pounds : the Government contributing Two Thousand

' O

Pounds. This building was used until 1826 when it was partially
destroyed by fire.

To describe the proceedings of the Courts held at Vittoria the
following extracts are taken from the Pioneer Sketches by
Garrett Oakes, Esquire, who speaks from personal observation
having attended as Constable and Juryman. " All Magistrates
and Constables were in those days ordered to attend at each
session of the Court of King's Bench or pay a penalty, for at
these Courts the Grand Juries were composed of Magistrates
only, and as there were four Quarter Sessions annually the
Constables were in duty bound to attend five Courts each year.
As I was living fifty miles from Vittoria I had to travel going
and returning three hundred miles a year, or nine hundred
miles in three years. This I had to do on foot, at the same time
carrying provisions to last until my return home, and I had to
do it without one cent to pay. There was no accommodation at
Vittoria for one-tenth of those attending Court. But I had
plenty of company every night when there. We used to make
field beds in the Court Room with our knapsacks of provisions
as a substitute for pillows. . During our absence from home we
were usually unable to get a cup of tea or coffee to assist degluti-
tion. But the Jurymen had the advantage of the Constable, for
when a case of debt was tried each juror received twenty cents
from the prosecutor. Yet those of us who lived within fifty
miles of Vittoria were favored, when compared with such as

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

lived .at the western limit of Middlesex, for these had to
travel one hundred miles to attend Court when their only road
was made by clearing off the underwood and old logs to the
width of twelve or fifteen feet, a road that went winding between
and around big trees, and following the high ground to avoid the
swamps and impassable places. It was inevitably necessary to
sleep two nights in the woods before reaching Vittoria, and the
same of course on the return journey. "

LONDON.

In 1826 an Act was passed to " establish a District Town in
the District of London in a more central position than at present, "
and enacted " that the Courts of General Quarter Sessions of the
Peace and the District Courts should be holden and assembled in
some part of the reservation heretofore made for the site of a
town near the forks of the River Thames in the Townships o£
London and Westminster in the County of Middlesex. General
Sirncoe, afterwards Governor, when making a tour through
Upper Canada, gave as his opinion that the forks of the Thames
would be an eligible situation for a town. This site was surveyed
by Colonel M. Burwell in 1826 under the authority of an Act
passed in that year which ordered "that the Town shall be
surveyed and laid out under the direction of the Surveyor
General within the Reservation heretofore made for the site of a
town in the Townships of London and Westminster in the County
of Middlesex in the said District of London. " The Act directed
that a tract or space of land not less than four acres should be
designated as reserved for the purpose of Gaol and Court House
within the said Town plot. Thomas Talbot, Mahlon Burwell
James Hamilton, Charles Ingersoll and John Matthews were
appointed Comr \issioners for the purpose of erecting on said
reserved tract as aforesaid, a good and sufficient Gaol and Court
House of brick or stone, and for the purposes of defraying
the expenses of erection of the building, the Commissioners were
authorized to raise by way of loan, the sum of Four Thousand
Pounds, and to levy an additional rate of one third of a penny on
the pound until this sum and all interest thereon were paid. The
Commissioners were ordered to hold their first meeting in St.
Thomas. Garrett Oakes, in his pioneer, sketches refers to the

40 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

location of the Court House at London as follows : — " When the
Court House at Vittoria was burned it was determined
to erect a new one on a reserve made by Governor
Simcoe, the first Governor of Upper Canada, for the site
of a town to be called London. The building was con-
structed of flat logs, and on the ground floor was a log
partition to separate the gaol from the gaoler's room. The Court
room above was reached by stairs outside. As soon as the house
was roofed, William Parke, the old Vittoria Gaoler, removed to
London to assume his office in the new building, and I assisted
him to finish the Court room in a rough manner as a makeshift
until the new Court house should be ready for occupation. In
the year 1828 I attended Court in London."

Up to the year 1834 the Justices in Session managed all local
matters pretty much as they pleased, and in that year an Act
was passed which provided that the inhabitant householders at
their annual township meetings should appoint not less than
three nor more than eighteen persons to be fence viewers. The
meetings were also authorized to determine what should be con-
sidered a lawful fence, and the Act provided at great length
what the powers, duties and remuneration of fence viewers
should be, and how their decisions should be enforced. By this
Act also provision was made for opening ditches and watercourses
among the several persons interested, as the fence viewers might
decide.

In 1835 an important change was made ; several Acts
previously passed respecting town meetings were repealed, and
it was provided that the Township Clerk should assemble the
inhabitants of the Township being house holders and free holders
at a place agreed upon at the previous yearly meeting. This
meeting was empowered to choose the following Township
officers: — The Clerk, three Commissioners, one Assessor, one
Collector, and any number of persons they thought proper to
serve as overseers of Highways, Roads and Bridges and as Pound
Keepers. The Collectors gave bonds to the District Treasurer to
whom they paid the proceeds of the rates levied, and the Town-
ship Clerks gave bonds to the Commissioners. The most
important change was the appointment of Commissioners to

DEVELOPMENT O"? THE COUNTY. 41

whom were now transferred many of the powers respecting the
construction and repairs of bridges and roads previously held and
exercised by the Justices in Quarter Sessions. The Board of
Commissioners were required to meet three times at the place in
which the last Township meeting was held, and were authorized
to hold as many other meetings as they thought best at any
place they choose. They were to receive from the District
Treasurer Five Shillings per day for their services. The Quarter
Sessions still maintained the authority they formerly held in
reference to the administration of Justice, the location and
alteration of highways and other matters general to the District.
This was the Municipal system in vogue at the time of the
Rebellion of 1837, which led to the abolition of separate Provin-
cial Governments and brought about Legislative union.
DISTRICT OF LONDON OR COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX— 1837 to 1852.

In March 1837, an Act was passed setting apart the County^f
Oxford as the District of Brock and the County of Norfolk as
the District of Talbot, so that we have now to consider only the
County of Middlesex or District of London.

Up to this time no mention has been made of the Townships
of Malahide and Bayham. When the Counties of Norfolk,
Oxford and Middlesex were formed in 1798 these Townships had
not been surveyed, but were unoccupied territory, included
within the boundaries of the District of London. When surveyed
in 1810 by M. Burwell, they were not placed in any particular
County. In 1837, when the Counties of Oxford and Norfolk
were set apart as the Districts of Brock and Talbot respectively,
Norfolk included only the Townships referred to in the Act of
1798, leaving these Townships in the County of Middlesex.

In 1839, the Township Commissioners provided for in the
Act of 1836, were named Town Wardens. The change whereby
the people were intrusted with the freest of action in the elec-
tion of municipal officers, viz : the Clerk, Assessor, Collector,
Commissioners or Wardens does not seem to have been much in
the direction of popular self-government, as officers thus chosen
were not intrusted with any of the duties or powers which are
necessary for really efficient Municipal Government, but any Act
that took from the nominative Magistracy any of the powers

42 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

they exercised was appreciated. This system was continued up
to the year 1841, when the legislature of the United Provinces
endeavored to create a municipal system that would meet all the
requirements of Upper Canada.

In 1840 the authorities recognized the necessity of leaving the
people free to control their own internal affairs and giving up
that system of paternal government which had worked so
unsatisfactorily. Some difficulties arose in dealing with this
question on account of the position taken by Lower Canada.
During the suspension of the constitution in French Canada an
ordinance had been passed by a special Council to provide for
the better internal government of the Province for the establish-
ment of local or municipal institutions therein.

The Province was divided into Districts and the Governor
and Council determined the number of Councillors and appointed
the Warden. Consequently the system in operation in Lower
Canada was entirely controlled by the Government. It was the
desire of the Upper Canadians, who had been gradually educated
for more popular local institutions, to elect the Warden and
their officers. This furnished the basis of the Municipal Act of
1841 which provided for District Councils, to be composed of one
or two members to be elected at the regular meeting in each
Township, and hold office for three years, retiring in rotation ;
the Council was required to meet four times a year. The
Warden, Treasurer and Clerk were appointed by the Governor of
the Province. Every By-Law passed had to be approved of by
the Provincial authorities. The Governor had the power to
dissolve District Councils at any time. To the District Councils
were transferred the powers of the Quarter Sessions with
reference to the administration of municipal afiairs.

On the 10th February, 1842, the first District Council in the
County of Middlesex met at London. Andrew Moore and John
Burwell represented Bayham ; Daniel Able and James Brown,
Malahide ; Thomas Hutchinson and John Oill, Yarmouth ; George
Elliott and Levi Fowler, Southwold ; Thomas Coyne, Dunwich ;
Thomas Duncan, Aldborough ; William Niles, Dorchester. John
Wilson was appointed Warden by the Governor and George S.
Fraser, Clerk pro tern., and the appointment of Mr. J. B.
Strath ey as Clerk of the District Council was announced before

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 43

the second meeting in May of the same year. The Council of
the London District continued until 1849, when a municipal
system essentially the same as that we enjoy to-day was intro-
duced. The inhabitants of every Township having one hundred
or more resident free-holders or house-holders on the tax collec-
tors' Roll were made a body corporate. The Township Council
was to consist of five members elected by a general Township
vote or by Wards. The Councillors were to elect one of them-
selves Reeve and a Deputy Reeve for each 500 freeholders or
householders on the Collectors' List. Townships containing less
than one hundred free holders and householders were by By-Law
of the District Councils to be attached to some other adjacent
township. Under the present system the Reeve is elected by the
direct vote of the electors as are also the Deputy Reeves in
Townships not divided into Wards. In Townships divided into
Wards,' a Reeve and four Councillors are elected, and the Coun-
cillors appoint from among themselves a Deputy Reeve for
each 500 names on the Township Voters' List.

COUNTY OF ELGIN.

In July of the year 1846 an agitation for the partition of the
extensive district of Middlesex was commenced. The principal
reasons urged were that it was two unwieid to manage its
own affairs with prudence and economy, that the inhabitants of
the Townships east and west of St. Thomas had to pass through
that place on their way to London, that the interests of the
northern and southern portions of the district were separate, that
no improvements of importance had been made in the southern
part of the District, that everything was done to benefit London
and its immediate neighborhood. The principal objection urged
was the expense of building a Court House and Gaol. In the
month of August official notice was given that an application
would be. made to the Provincial Parliament at its next session,
for setting off the Townships of Aldborough, Dunwich, South-
wold, Yarmouth, Malahide, Bayham and South Dorchester into a
new District. On the morning of Thursday, the 27th day of
August the Town of St. Thomas put on its gayest appearance.
The St. George's Amateur Band made a circuit of the Township
passing through the villages of Sparta and New Sarum, and

44 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

returning to St. Thomas at 12 o'clock noor?, the hour appointed
for a general meeting of the inhabitants to take into considera-
tion the most feasible means of obtaining a partition of the
London District. The balcony of the Mansion House in which
the meeting was held wore a splendid appearance. Flags were
flying ; a diagram of the old Discrict, and banners inscribed "Our
Queen and Country, a Division of the District'* presented by
Mr. Walthew assisted in improving the appearance of this
important meeting. Murdock McKenzie Esquire, was appointed
to the Chair, and T. Hodge, Esquire, Secretary. Resolutions
were passed unanimously and with unbounded applause
approving of the proposition presented for the separation of the
District, and it was in this way that the first impetus was given
to the movement which resulted in St. Thomas being made the
County Town of the new District. As an inducement Mr.
Benjamin Drake offered gratuitously a sufficient quantity of land
in the most central part of the Town for a site for a Market
place, Court House and Gaol. A large Executive Committee
having been appointed, meetings were ordered to be held
to take the sense of the other Townships. The " Canadian
Freeman" published in St. Thomas, advocated very strongly the
division of the District, and the "Western Globe" published in
London, expressed the views and opinions of the opposition.

Among the Villages in the County which were at this time in
a flourishing condition, are mentioned : Hall's Mills, Yarmouth
Mills, Talbot Mills, Jamestown and St. George's Town ; of these
but very little trace can be found at the present time.

Among the different propositions for the division of the
District that were prominently advocated, was that Malahide,
Bayham and South Dorchester, Houghton, Middleton and part
of Durham should form a separate District with Vienna as the
County Town. Considerable opposition emanated from Port
Stanley, where the people were at first warm advocates for divi-
sion, but when it was ascertained that St. Thomas and riot Port
Stanley, would likely be the County Town of the new District,
they got up an opposition Petition.

The Legislature seems to have been considering a general Act
for the Division of the Counties and Districts of the Province,
and the matter was delayed during some two sessions. In 1851

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY. 45

L. Burwell, Chairman of a Committee of the London District
Council, appointed to consider a proposal for the division of the
County reported as follows : — " Understanding that the Govern-
ment intend, during the ensuing session, to introduce a Bill for
the purpose of dividing the larger Counties, your Committee have
given attention to that portion referring to Middlesex. Your
Committee are of the opinion that the division line proposed,
running east and west, embracing the six frontier townships, and
portions of Delaware, Westminster and Dorchester, will be
opposed by a majority of the inhabitants of this County, and that
a division for other than electoral purposes is unnecessary ; and
that for electoral purposes the line should run north and
south, embracing Dunwich, Aldborough, Mosa, Ekfrid, Caradoc,
Metcalfe, Lobo, Adelaide and Williams, as the new County, and
that the same be called the County of Elgin. " This Committee
further reported in favor of giving Bayham to Oxford County
in lieu of a portion of Nissouri to be attached to Middlesex.

In August of the same year an Act was passed establishing
tiie County of Elgin to consist of seven Townships as at present.
The Counties of Middlesex and Elgin were to be united for
Municipal, Judicial and other purposes. This Act also provided
for the division of the Township of Dorchester at the line
between the 6th and 7th concessions south of the River Thames.
The Act made provision, by Proclamation of the Governor, for
the Town Reeves and Deputy Reeves of certain Counties-
including Elgin, to be formed into provisional municipal Coun-
cils, and also provided for the dissolution of the union of the
Counties so soon as the Court House and Gaol was erected and
completed at the County Town.

Under the authority of a proclamation bearing the signature
and Seal of James Hamilton, Sheriff, Upper Canada, Middlesex
and Elgin, the provisional Council of the County of Elgin met in
the Town Hall, St. Thomas, at 12 o'clock noon on the 15th April,
1852 ; David Parish was Chairman appointed by proclamation.
The following were members of the Provisional Council : —

Duncan McColl, Reeve. Aldborough.

Moses Willey, Reeve, Dunwich.

Colin Munro, Reeve, Southwold.

46 DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.

Nicol McColl, Deputy Reeve, Southwold.

Elisha S. Ganson, Reeve, Yarmouth.

Leslie Pierce, Deputy Reeve, Yarmouth.

David Parish, Reeve, St. Thomas.

Thomas Locker, Reeve, Malahide.

Lewis J. Clarke, Deputy Reeve, Malahide.

Jacob Cline, Reeve, South Dorchester.

John Elliott, Reeve, Bayham.

J. Skinner, Deputy Reeve, Bayham.

E. S. Ganson, was elected Warden.

The erection of the County buildings was then proceeded with
on a block of land donated to the County of Elgin by Benjamin
Drake, Esquire, and in September 1853, an agreement was
arrived at by the Committees appointed by the two Counties to
adjust the debt between them preparatory to dissolution.

In accordance with the Proclamation dissolving the union of
the united Counties of Middlesex and Elgin published in the
Canada Gazette, the 30th day of September, 1853, the first meet-
ing of the County Council of the County of Elgin was held in
County Buildings, St. Thomas, on Tuesday, the 8th day of
November 1853. Thomas Locker, was Warden at this time.

fetario Historical Mto

1906

X

Ontario Historical Society

SURVEYS.

Statement of the several Townships comprised in the County
of Middlesex before its Division, with the dates of survey,
superficial extent in acres of each Township, and names of the
surveyors by whom thee surveys were made.

TOWNSHIP.

DATE OF
SURVEY .

SUPER-
FICIAL
ACRES.

NAME OF
SURVEYOR.

REMARKS.

Aldboroufh

. .1797. .

Law & Hambly . .

1 , 2, and 3 Con Law

Aldboroufifh . • '

1803. .

Hainbly

West Line, Hambly.

1797

78,000

Law

Crown & Clergy Res

A and • Dunwicli

1811

M. Burwell

TalbDt Road

Aldborough
Dunwich

..1832..
1799

Carroll
Hambly

Line between S & D

Dunwich

.1803. .

Hambly

5 to 12 Con , E Line.

Dunwich
Dun and Aldborough

..1832..
1811

70,000

Springer
M. Burwell

Con.A.B.,1 to 11 & S.
W. & N. E. Boundar'a
Talbot Road throu^h-

Dunwicli

Lowe .

see Aldborough.
1,23 and 4th Cons

Southwold

1819 .

M. Burwell. . .

South part

Southwold
South wold
Southwold

..1830..
..1797..
.1797. .

M. Burwell
Hambly
Hambly . .

North part.
K. Thames in Southw'd
Traverse of the front

Southwold

. .1809.

68,600

M. Burwell

and part of outlines,
also Yarmouth etc

Southwold

. .1809. .

M. Burwell

Talbot Road through

Southwold ....

. .1850. .

C. Eraser . . .

Part of 3rdCon under

Southwold

. 1854 .

C. Fraser.

12 Vic. C. 35, Sec. 31.
ivltitiicip il survey of

Yarmouth
Yarmouth
Yarmouth

.1799 .
..1809..
1819

71,000

Jones
M. Burwell
M. liurwell

Palbot road Eanu W,
See Southwold.

Malabid.6

1809

M Burwell

Mai abide
Bayham
Bayham
Dorchester S

..1810..
..1818..
. . 1809 . .
.1810. .

59,400
60,000

M. Bur well
M. Burwell
M. Burwell

Wilmot (partial )

Taibot road through.
E & W & ba-e line

Dorchester North ....
Dorchester North ....

..1799..
. . 1799 .

32, 600 N
43,200 s

Hambly
Hambly

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7, 8,9,
10, 11, 12, & 13 Con.
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5th Con
and Western line.
River Thames in

Dorchester S

Lowe

Dorchester S

. . 1793 :

Jones

Dorchester S . -

. .1847.

Wm. Smiley

Clergy lots Cons A.&B

D. and Westminster..
Dorchester North

Dorchester North

..1852..

..1858'..

. . 1858 ;

C. Fraser
Wm. McMillan. .

S. Peters

Line between (survey
under 12 Vic. C. 35)
Municipal survey line
between 1st and 2nd
cons S. of Thames.
Municipal survey E.
Survev of 1st Con.
line(S". D.)

TOWNSHIP.

DATE OF
SUJIVKY.

SUPER-
FICIAL
ACRES.

NAME OF
SURVEYOR.

REMARKS.

Dorchester North
Dorchester North ....

Westminster
\\ i-st minster

. .183!)
.1859. .

.1820. .
1824

S. Peters . . . ,
\Y. (_!. Wonham.

3ui well
Burwell

Municipal survey Con.
B(S. D.)
Municipal survey by
[ine between N. D. &
X. Oxford.
Partial connecting
Talbot Road
and London \Yharn-

Westminster .

1821

Mount

cliffe Highway.
2nd Concession.

Westminster

1810

Watson

Traverse of Thames &

Westminster

36,600

Bostwick.

1 , 2, and 3 Cons.
3rd to 9th Cons.

W and Dorchester

1852

C Fraser

See Dorchester.

Westminster . . .

. . 1839

P. Carroll for

Line between (survey
under 12V. 0. 35.)
Part of B. and 1 Con.

Westminster

1857

Sound'y Comr's. .
C. Fraser

Municipal Survey 2nd

Westminster

1859 .

Win. McMillan . .

Concession
Municipal Survey line

bondon (town).

1836

Carroll

in front of 2 Con

London (town)

1810

Burwell

1st to 5th Con. (see

London (town)
London (town)

..1819.
1833

3urwell
Rankin

Westminster).
6th to 16th Cons. A.
B. and C. Cons.
Mill privilege

London Road
London

. 1830..
1829

McDonald
McDonald

2nd * 3rd Con. E&W
of London Koa-i.
Fro :st tier of lots.

London Townplot ....
London Millsite .

.1X2,). .
1841)

M. Burwell ......
Carroll

London Township. . . .
Lobo

.IS,"),!. .
1820

I 05. 200

[>. Springer
Burwell

Lois 31, 32, 1 1 lh C-iii.
(Municipal S)
Tart of \V. line B F.

Lobo

18>70

48 600

Burwell

& 1st & 2nd Con. and
line between 10 and 11
lots
YV line 3 to 13 Con.

Delaware
1 )ela ware
Delaware ...

..1798..
1793..
1852

27,600

Hambly
Jones
W. McMillan

and side roads also
rear line.
2, 3, 4, £ 5th Coil. &
S. Boundary.
I <fc 2 Cons, and ri\x;-
lots.
iSurvey under 12th

Delaware .

1 Sf>.")

B. Springer

Vic. C. 35 1st Con.
Municipal Survey lots

Ekf rid

1820. .

Burwell

31 & 32 llth Cou.
2nd to 8th Con. K. S

Ekfrid

.1820. .

56,150

Burwell

W. and real- lines.
Long woods road a ml

\Iosa

1820

49 600

Bui well

ranges in rear.

Adelaide

1833

Carroll

Adelaide Village

..1833..

43,000

Carroll

1

1

The above is a list certified by the Assistant Commissioner,
Crown Lands Department, Quebec, 5th March, 1860.

NOTE :— There is however in the Crown Lands Department a map by Augustus
Jones, the Surveyor, of lus survey of the Xorth-west part of Southwokl,
made in the year 1794. It shows the base-line and the Concessions running
from it to the Dunwich town -line. The field notes of this survey were never
fyled, and were no doubt lost or destroyed.

* * * *

Patents for lots in Dunwich were issued in 1795. So that an early survey in
that Township was overlooked by the Crown Lands Department in making
up the above statements.

* * * *

The original instructions under which the Townships were named and blocked out
before beinaj sub-divided into lots have not been found.

* * * (r

By 16 Vic. , Chap. 225, Errors in the early surveys of Aldborough were cor,
rected.

PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATIVES.

UPPER CANADA LEGISLATURE 1792 TO 1841.

YEAR OF ELECTION. (XOKKOI.K AND 4'rn RIDING OF LINCOLN) SUFFOLK AND ESSEX.

1792 D. W. Smith. James Baby.

1797 D. W. Smith, James Baby.

LONDON DISTRICT.

1800 D. W. Smith.

1804 Benajah Mallory

1809 Benajah Mallory

NORFOLK OXFORD AND MIDDLESEX

1813 Robert Nicol. M. Burwell.

1817 Robert Nicol. M. Burwell.

During the fifth Session of the Seventh Parliament, (March,
1820) an act was passed which provided "that from and after
"the end of the present Parliament each and every County now
" formed or organized or that may hereafter be organized the
<c population of which shall amount to one thousand souls, shall
"be represented by one member and such County or Counties
" that amount to four thousand souls by two members." Mr.
Burwell in his address to the electors of the County of Middle-
sex at the next general election says : "By the provisions of
" this law of which I had the honor of being' the mover a

o

" County having a population of one thousand souls will return
"one member to the House and a County having a population of
" four thousand souls will return two members, so that the
" County of Oxford with which we have heretofore been incor-
" porated will this Session send its own member and the County
"of Middlesex one." Oxford Gazetteer by T. S.

COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.

1820 Mahlon Burwell.

1825 John Matthews. John Rolph.

1829 John Matthews. John Rolph.

1831 Mahlon Burwell. Roswell Mount.

1835 Elias Moore. Thomas Park.

1836 Elias Moore. Thomas Park.

UNITED PARLIAMENT 1841 TO 1867.

COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.

1841 Thomas Park.

1844 Edward Ermatinger.

1848 William Notman.

MIDDLESEX AND ELGIN.

1852 Crowell Wilson.

COUNTY OF ELGIN.
EAST RIDING. WEST RIDING.

1854 George South wick. George Macbeth.

IS57 Leonidas Burwell. George Macbeth.

1861 Leonidas Burwell. George Macbeth. (J)

1863 Leonidas Burwell. John Scoble.

(£) On petition Mr. Macbeth was unseated and Mr. Scoble took his place,
ONTARIO LEGISLATURE 1867 TO 1895.

1867 D. Luton. Nicol McColl.

1871 J. H. Wilson. Thomas Hodgins.
1875 J. H. Wilson. Malcolm G. Munro. (*)

1878 David McLaws.

1879 T. M. Nairn, (ob.) John Cascaden.
1883 C. O. Ermatinger. John Cascaden.

1886 T. M. Nairn. A. B. Ingram.
1888 J. C. Dance.

1890 H. T. Godwin. Dugald McColl.
1894 C. A. Brower. Donald Macnish.

HOUSE OF COMMONS 1867 TO 1895.

WEST ELGIN EAST ELGIN

1867 John H. Munro. T. W. Dobbie.

1872 George E. Casey. Wm. Harvey.
1874 George E. Casey. Wm. Harvey, (ob.)
1874 Colin Macdougall.
1878 George E. Casey. Thomas Arkell.
1882 George E. Casey. John H Wilson.

1887 George E. Casey. John H. Wilson.

1891 George E. Casey. A. B. Ingram.

(*) Mr. Munro was unseated by the Court and Mr. Hodgins sat from 1875 to
1878, when he resigned in order to become a candidate in Toronto for the
House of Commons.

LIST OF WARDENS COUNTY OF ELGIN.

1852 E. S. GANSON AND THOMAS LOCKER

1853 THOMAS LOCKER

1854 THOMAS LOCKER

1855 THOMAS LOCKER

1856 RANDOLPH JOHNSON

1857 RANDOLPH JOHNSON

1858 LEVI FOWLER

1859 LEVI FOWLER

1860 JAMES ARMSTRONG

1861 J. H. JONES

1862 J. H. JONES

1863 DANIEL LUTON

1864 GEORGE SUFFEL

1865 JOHN CLUNAS

1866 T. M. NAIRN

1867 T. M. NAIRN

1868 T. M. NAIRN

1869 T. M. NAIRN

1870 T. M. NAIRN

1871 T. M. NAIRN

1872 JOHN ELLISON

1873 JOHN MCCAUSLAND

1874 JOHN MCCAUSLAND

1875 GEORGE SUFFEL

1876 GEORGE SUFFEL

1877 SAMUEL DAY

1878 EDWARD HEGLER

1879 T. W. KIRKPATRICK

1880 JAMES MARTIN

1881 MANUEL PAYNE

1882 J. B. MILLS

1883 JOHN A. MILLER

1884 A. J. LEITCH

1885 SAMUEL S. GLUTTON

1886 JAMES HEPBURN

1887 J. C, DANCE -

1888 DONALD TURNER

1889 H. T. GODWIN

1890 JOHN J. STALKER

1891 A. N. CLINE

1892 M. S. LYON

1893 A. A. McKiLLOP -

1894 W. M. FORD

1895 JOHN THOMPSON

Provisional Wardens
Malahide

- Malahide
Malahide
Yarmouth
Yarmouth

- Southwold
Southwold
Yarmouth
Bayham

- Bayham
Yarmouth
Vienna
Dorchester

- Malahide
Malahide

- Malahide
Malahide
Malahide
Malahide

- Southwold
Malahide
Malahide
Vienna

- Vienna
Yarmouth

- Dorchester
A Id borough
Yarmouth
Port Stanley
Springfield
Yarmouth

- Dunwich
Aylmer

- Yarmouth

S. Dorchester

Southwold

Bayham

- Aldborough

S. Dorchester

- Malahide
Dunwich

- Bayham
Aldborough

MUNICIPAL NOMENCLATURE.

The County was named Elgin in honor of the Earl of Elgin,
Governor-General of Canada from 1847 to 1854.

TOWNSHIPS.

Aid borough so called after a Town in the County of Suffolk
England. The township was in the County of Suffolk when
surveyed in 1797.

Dunwich so called for the same reasons as those given in the
case of A Id borough and also as a compliment to Earl Stradbroke,
who was called Viscount Dunwich and whose family name wras
Rons.

Southwold was called after a Seaport in Suffolk, England,
for the same reasons as those given in the case of Aldborough.

Yarmouth was so called after a seaport town in the County
of Norfolk near the boundary of Suffolk and also as a compli-
ment to Francis Seymour or Lord Corn way, who in 1793 was
made Earl of Yarmouth.

Malahide owes the origin of its name to Malahide Castle,
the home of Richard Talbot, father of Colonel Talbot.

Bayham was so called as a compliment to Lord Camden,
who was Viscount Bayham. Lord Camden was Secretary -of -
war and Colonies in 1804 and Lord President of the Council
1805-7.

TOWNS.

Dutton was named after an official employed in the con-
struction of the Canada Southern Railway.

Aylmer was first called Troy, but in 1835, just before the
Rebellion, a meeting was held in Caswell's wagon shop to decide
upon a name for the place. The majority were in favor of Troy,
but the name Aylmer, from Lord Aylmer, then Governor-Gen-
eral, was in some manner sent to the Post Office Department.

St. Thomas was named as a compliment to Thomas Talbot,
the founder of the settlement.

Springfield so called when the grist mill in the east end of
the village was raised over a large spring, one of many in the
village. The post office, " Clunas," was afterwards moved one
mile south and the name changed to to Springfield.

Vienna was first named Shrewsberry by Col. Burwell, but
the people did not like the name, so it was named Vienna by the
Edison family, who were quite influential people, their ancestors
having originally come from Vienna, Austria.

Port Stanley, named after Lord Stanley, afterwards Earl
Derby, father of the late Governor-General of Canada, the
present Earl Derby. Lord Stanley was visiting Col. Talbot
about the time the place was named.

Dorchester (Township) so called as a compliment to Sir Guy
Carleton, who was three times appointed Governor General, and
held office from 1766 to 1796. For his services he was made a
peer of the realm under the title of Lord Dorchester.

F Elgin Historical and
5545 Scientific Institute, St.
E6E48 Thomas, Ont.

Historical sketches of
the county of Elgin

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET

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