The Beginning of Things in Waterloo & Wellington Counties, 

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These records were contributed by Marg Hutton. rkhutton@mars.ark.com. Thanks Marg!!

The Beginning of Things in Waterloo & Wellington Counties, 
by A. E. Byerley, published 1935 
Guelph Publishing Company, Guelph, Ontario, 

Copied.
Erin.
Erin was next to Eramosa in settlement.  In 1820 Abraham Nelles of the Niagara district 
was given a  grant of land in Erin.  He nor any of his family, ever lived on it, but sold the lots 
to early settlers..

Nathaniel Rozell was the first settler in the township, November, 1820.  William How, of 
Hillsburg, was the second settler, coming in 1821.  He was accompanied by his wife, and 
his brother.  Land was sold in 1821 and 1822 to George Rosell, Nath. Rozell, Charles Kennedy, 
Ben Smith, Sam Kennedy, Wm. Applegarth, Ann Read, and in 1823 and 1824, John Bessey, Wm. 
Steward, Robert Lambert, Samuel Kitchen, Dan Smith, Margaret Snider, Absalom Smith, 
Cornelius Read, Henry Anger, Christina Carter and John Anger.

Henry Trout settled in Erin in 1822 and in 1824 the widely known McMillan family arrived, 
viz., Donald, McMillan and his six sons, Daniel, Hugh, Charles, Archibald, John, Duncan, and 
four daughters.

Other very early settlers were Peter McGill, Robert Barden, George Henshaw, Abram Buck, 
Aaron and James Wheeler, Aaron and Isaac Teeter, Wm. Clarke, Philander Hopkins.

Erin village, is with Guelph, the oldest settlement in Wellington County.  About 1827. Henry 
and William Trout started a small store and a saw mill, but it was not until 1830 that Erin 
had a real start through the enterprise of Daniel McMillan.  The post office was started in 
1832, William Cornock, postmaster.