The township of Percy is bounded on the north by the River Trent, west by Alnwick, east by Seymour and south by Brighton and Cramahe. It is watered by the tributaries of the Trent. It was laid out and surveyed in 1795 and 1796. The population in 1842 was only 920; in 1860 it had increased to 2,162; in 1861 to 3,515; in 1871 to 4,084; total assessment 1876 - $1,049,044. The population is mostly Canadian born. There is however a considerable Irish and Irish Canadian element, which includes a good many Roman Catholics. About a fourth part of the township is estimated to be of that denomination.

The earliest grantees of land were; CASSIDY, Benjamin PICARD, Abraham CRONKHITE, Solomon SPAFFORD, Giles STONE, Abraham WINER, Aaron HOLT, Solomon HUFF, Johnson MERRIAM, Samuel DANFORTH, Samuel PITTS.

On the 2nd & 3rd concessions; Barrett DYRE, John DINGMAN, Francis & Henry WEES, Abraham & David SYMONS, Mary BLAKER, Resolved CLEVLAND, Joshua BOOTH, Barnabus BRUNSON, David SMITH, Andrew VANIMAKER, Robert GRAHAM, Samuel WAY, Benjamin RICHARDSON, William ROBINS, Joshua Atwell SMALL, Solomon WADSWORTH, Roger MERRITT, On the 4th and farther to the north; Robert GRAHAM, Samuel SMITH, Charles TRIPP, Daniel SILVER, Stephen TRICKNER, Rufus WELLS, Ezra WOODSWORTH, John DEVINE, Ezra WILDMAN, Ruloff WHITNEY, Amasa BRUNSON, the BABCOCKS, GORMANS, HENNESYS, Elihu LINCOLN, Samuel TUFFIE, John Waldon MEYERS, Warner NELLES, Joshua FORSYTH, Emanuel ELLERBECK, Elizabeth POWLEY, John LIONS, James WHEELER, John GRIFFITH, John FERRIS, John WARNER, Peter MCPHERSON, William ORR, Jacques VALIANT, Samuel SHERWOOD, John LEONARD, Barnabas DAY, John LOVELL, Andrew LYONS, Garrett MILLER, John Burnett CANNON, Thomas SPARHAM, Hazelton SPENCER, William OSTERHOUT, Nicholas SMITH, John CADDY, Burton GUINNESS, James BAYMAN, William HARE, Richard SHARP, Josiah VANORDER, Alexander SNYDER, John MORGAN, the BLACKS, BOYCES, CURTISES, COLLINS, COGLIENS, DOUGLASS, DRUMMONDS, EWINGS, ELY, FOULDS, GORMAN, GREENLEY, HUMPHRIES, HONNESTOS, KELLYS, KENNEDYS, KINGS,MCCARTHYS, MCDONALDS, MCGUIRES, MCGRATHS, OMELIAS and WATERS, were all old settlers.

Giles STONE, one of the old grantees, is represented by his son Samuel STONE, who was born on the old place.

John DINGMAN is represented by his son Abraham, born in the township, and a prosperous farmer. The SYMONS, WEES and BRUNSON families have left few representatives. Barnabas BRUNSON is still to the good in the old place. The families of TRIPP, SILVER, POWLEY, WARNER, GORMAN and WATERS have all disappeared.

William ORR is a respectable old Irish settler of many years standing. As is also John CURTIS, who was one of the commissioners of the Court of Requests with B.F. EWING. Mr. CURTIS is a prominent well-to-do man in the township.

Timothy COUGHLIN survives his father, a respectable Irish Roman Catholic settler of the early date.

The DOUGLASS family has several wealthy representatives who hold prominent positions in the township, and take an active part in local and municipal affairs. They are of Scotch extraction. James FOULDS{FOWLDS} has been for many years reeve. He is a J.P., owns saw and grist mills and gives a large amount of employment. He also keeps the post office in Hastings. Is of Scotch origin. John GREENLEY, of Irish parentage, is an old settler, about 70; has retired from business and is a man of means. Squire KENNEDY, of Warkworth, is a well-to-do merchant who has lived in Percy for many years. Irish. Israel HUMPHREY was born in the township, is a descendant of the old settled family of that name. The Maguires, Magees and Omelias are Irish Catholic farmers who settled in Percy a long time back. They hold a large quantity of land, have numerous families and are doing well. Mr. COWIE, A Scotch gentleman of property, put up saw and grist mills at Norham, as did Mr. CLARKE at Warkworth, which do a large business. There is a good road to Percy from Colborne to Hastings, a distance of 25 miles. It was made through money borrowed from the Municipal Loan Fund, which is now being paid off. Percy is a good grain and grazing country. Ascending by the river Trent made its survey easily accessible at so early a date as 1795, before many of the older settled townships in the front. The principal villages are Warkworth [also called Percy Village], Norham, Dartford and Hastings.