Ontario Genealogy Database Index Site 350 000 Genealogy Records Indexed
The first township surveyed of the present County of Victoria was Emily, said to be named after a daughter of the Lieut. Governor. The work, commenced in 1818, and finished the following year, was done by a Mr.Wilmot, one of the government surveyors. The next township laid out was Mariposa, in 1820; then Fenelon, and next Ops in 1824; and Eldon in 1826. Bexley, Somerville and Verulam were next surveyed, and the townships further north at considerably later dates. These townships were originally part of the Newcastle District, and so continued till the formation, in 1841, of the Colborne district, which in 1850 became the County of Peterborough. In 1854 Victoria became a Parlimentary District; but remained united to Peterborough for municipal purposes till 1861, in which year it became a separate and independent County with the Town of Lindsay as its chef-lieu. Since then, as for some years previously, its progress has been steady.
The earliest pioneer work in Emily was done in 1819 by David Best, who then went back to Cobourg. Before his return, Humphrey Finlay came in with his wife and family and located, thus attaining the title "King of Emily." In the fall of 1820 the Cottingham's and James Laidley made a clearance on Pigeon Creek, where is now Omemee Village, went back to Cavan for the winter, and the following spring built a shanty and brought in their old people. There was then no road from the 10th Concession of Cavan, and bands of Indians roved the woods. These settlers had left Fermanagh, Ireland, because their rents had been raised. A man named Jackson, a settler in Cavan, who went to Ireland to bring his family, had arranged with a ship captain to carry a party at reduced fares; and gathered as many as he could, advising them to come and settle in the newly opened Township of Emily. Nearly 400 sailed from Belfast. Some went among friends in the Perth Settlement; but the greater number came to the Newcastle District.
The settlement thus begun was augmented from time to time with fresh arrivals from the north of Ireland. These located at the south, the north of the Township not being taken up till a few years later. At first the nearest mill was at Port Hope; but soon one was built in Cavan, where is now Millbrook, and was resorted to until a mill was put up on Pigeon Creek by William Cottingham. Afterwards settlement became somewhat retarded here, as elsewhere, by locatees merely doing the settlement duties (clearing two rods and slashing four in front of lots, for a road), then holding the land as speculation - residence not being compulsory.
In 1825 occurred the Hon. Peter Robinson settlement of Irish immigrants, whereby the northern part of Emily was taken up. The new-comers were Roman Catholic, whereas the former settlers in the township were nearly all Protestant Irish. The surveyor, John Huston, of Cavan, who ran the lines for the Robinson settlers reserved lots towards the already settled parts for Protestants, while the Roman Catholics were settled at the rear of the township. Thus arose the creed-marked division of Emily. Many of the earlier settlers made money in locating the new ones, building houses for them and acting as agents for supplies, for which services they were paid by the Government. It was not long till their were churches and schools of a primitive kind, and Emily already began to take its place as a rising township. A return to the British parliament shows that in 1826, of the 397 Robinson emigrants then located, 142 were in Emily, with 351 1/2 acres cleared; and seven in Ops, with 12 acres cleared.
The claim of first settler in Ops is held by John Connell, who located in the south-west, being speedily followed by other Irish families, who came in by way of Rice Lake, Peterboro', and through Emily. The next townships to receive settlers were Eldon and Mariposa, about 1827, a number of Scotch immigrants being sent in from Toronto, by way of Yonge Street and Lake Simcoe, and located, by Squire Donald Cameron, who had received grants of land in Thorah and Eldon. They were speedily followed by families of U.E. Loyalists who had settled first near the Lake Ontario shore, and by many pensioners who took up land in these two townships. Much of the land in Mariposa was in the grasp of the Canada Company. The first settlements were about Big Creek, and toward the northern boundary. Verulam lands were put in the market in 1832, but were bought by speculators. Settlements were made in the neighborhood of Bobcaygeon, the credit of having built the first house being claimed by William Bell. John Hunter, who settled at the south, also lays claim to being the first. A few others followed within the next five years. The Township had not 90 householders in 1842. At that date settlement was only beginning in Fenelon, though quite a lumbering trade was done at the Falls, where there was also a grist-mill, an Episcopal Church, and a parsonage, occupied by the Rev. Mr. Fidler.'to be cont'
Ontario Genealogy Database Index Site 350 000 Genealogy Records Indexed
Upper Canada (Ontario) Insane Asylum Database
Ontario Genealogy Historical Newspaper Collection Historical Newspaper Files from various regions of Ontario
Ontario Genealogy Postcard Site - Great old-time landscape views
Upper Canada Land Petitions 51000 Records Indexed
Newcastle District CRIMINAL Database
NEWSPAPER Genealogical and Historical Records - Thousands of entries
January 2004 Join the Ontario Genealogy mail list now. Discussion group for genealogy and history of the Province of Ontario post 1867, or join the Upper Canada (Ontario) mail list now, discussion group for genealogy and history of Upper Canada prior to 1867.
Subscribe: Type subscribe in message subject and body.
Upper Canada Genealogy Mail List
Search the Ontario Genealogy Website
Need HELP With Your Family Research?...
Northumberland County Genealogy and History
Victoria County Genealogy and History
Durham County Genealogy and History
Haliburton County Genealogy and History
Peterborough County History and Genealogy
Newcastle District (Upper Canada) History and Genealogy
Ontario County History and Genealogy
Upper Canada History and Genealogy
Echoes of the Past - Ontario Genealogy Home
