Norfolk County Land Records
Wm. H. Smith's 1846 Canadian Gazetteer, Upper Province or Canada West
1846 HISTORY
Reference: Wm. H. Smith's 1846 Canadian Gazetteer, Upper Province or Canada West
Published for the author by H. & W. Rowsell, Toronto
Courtesy of Elva Sanghera
Burnaby, B.C.
BAYHAM
A township in the London District; is bounded on the east by the townships
of Houghton and Middleton; on the north by Dereham; on the west by Malahide;
and on the south by Lake Erie. In Bayham, 40,192 acres are taken up,
7,907 of which are under cultivation. Big Otter Creek enters the township
near its north-east corner, runs south-west to its western border where it
enters the township of Malahide, makes a semicircular bend, and re-enters
the township of Bayham, and runs a south-east course till it reaches Lake Erie.
This is one of the finest mill streams in Canada, and there is a large quantity
of fine pine on its banks. The village of Richmond is situated in Bayham, on
Talbot Street. There are three grist and twenty-five saw mills in the township.
Population in 1842, 2,250
Ratable property in the township, £34,591
CHARLOTTEVILLE
A township in the Talbot District; is bounded on the east by Woodhouse, on the north by
Wyndham, on the west by Walsingham, and the south-east and south by Lake Erie. In
Charlotteville, 31,064 acres are taken up, 9546 of which are under cultivation. This
township contains a considerable quantity of pine. The villages of Vittoria and Normandale
are situated in Charlottville. There are three grist and seven saw mills,
and two distilleries in the township.
Population in 1841, 1969; who are principally Canadians and Americans.
Ratable property in the township, £36,777
FREDERICKSBURG, or MIDDLETON
A village situated on the town line between Windham and Middleton, twelve
miles from Simcoe, and twelve miles from the lake. It contains about 100
inhabitants, one store, two taverns, on blacksmith, one waggon-maker, one
tailor, and two shoemakers.
HOUGHTON
A township in the Talbot District; is bounded on the north-east by the
township of Walsingham; on the west by Bayham; and on the south by Lake
Erie. In Houghton 9,830 acres are taken up, 1,803 of which are under
cultivation. This is a small wedge-shaped township, the timber of which
is principally pine. There are six saw-mills in the township.
Population in 1841, 277.
Ratable property in the township, £6,491.
LONG POINT, or NORTH FORELAND
A long strip of land in Lake Erie. It is nearly twenty miles long, and from
one to two broad; it was formerly a peninsula, running out from the land in an
easterly direction, nearly half way across the lake; but the sea having made a
wide breach across its western extremity, has converted it into an island.
MIDDLETON
A township in the Talbot District, is bounded on the east by the township of
Windham, on the north by Norwich and Dereham, on the west by Bayham,
and the south by Walsingham. In Middleton 13,249 acres are taken up,
1976 of which are under cultivation. Otter Creek runs through the north-west
corner of the township, and a branch of Big Creek through the east of the
township. The land in Middleton is generally light, and the timber mostly
pine; large quantities of which are sawn up, and exported. The village of
Middleton is situated in the township, on Talbot street. There are
seven saw mills in the township.
Population in 1841, 555
Ratable property in the township, £7673
PORT DOVER
A village in the township of Woodhouse, situated on Lake Erie, at the mouth of
the River Lynn. It was first laid out in the year 1835, but on account of the
stagnation in the business of the province caused by the rebellion, it did not
begin to increase till about 1842. About £9,000 have been expended in improving
the harbour, erecting a light-house, and building a bridge across the river.
Six or seven hundred pounds more are required to complete the works. A road has
been formed from Port Dover to Hamilton (distance thirty-six and a half miles),
four and a half of which are macadamized, and the remainder planked. Two daily stages
run to Hamilton (fare 5s currency), and during the season, steamboats call here regularly.
There is a grammar school in the village and a Presbyterian church in the course of erection.
Village lots sell at from £20. to £75. c'y.
Population nearly 400
Post Office, post every day
Professions and Trades:
One physician and surgeon, one brewery, five stores, two tanneries, one foundry
four taverns, two saddlers, four tailors, one baker, five shoemakers, two cabinet
makers, three blacksmiths, two butchers, two waggon-makers.
Principal Taverns:
"North American" and "Royal Exchange"
There is a grist and saw mill on Patterson's Creek,
about three quarters of a mile from the village.
PORT ROWAN
A small village in the township of Walsingham, situated on
Lake Erie, four miles west of St. Williams. It is a shipping-place,
and has a resident Collector of Customs.
Population about 50
Post Office, post twice a week, one store, one tavern
PORT ROYAL
A settlement in the township of Walsingham, at the mouth of Big Creek,
two miles and a half west of Port Rowan. It contains about 50 inhabitants,
steam saw mill, one store, two taverns, one blacksmith, one waggon-maker.
PORT RYERSE
A small settlement and shipping-place in the township of Woodhouse at the
mouth of Ryerse's Creek, six miles from Simcoe, and four miles from Port
Dover. It contains a saw mill, one store, and about half a dozen houses.
RICHMOND
A small village in the township of Bayham, situated on Talbot Street,
twenty miles east from St. Thomas. It contains about 80 inhabitants.
Post Office, post three times a week.
Professions and Trades:
One store, one tannery, one tavern, one waggon maker, one tailor,
two blacksmiths, two shoemakers, one cabinet maker
NORFOLK, see TALBOT DISTRICT
NORMANDALE
A village near the centre of the south of the township of Charlotteville
situated on Lake Erie, has been settled about twenty-five years. A blast furnace
for smelting iron ore, has been in operation since 1823. It is supplied with ore,
of the description called "bog ore" from this and adjoining townships. As much as
three or four thousand tons of ore have been found within the space of a few acres.
The ore yields from twenty to thirty-five per cent of iron, but averages twenty-seven
per cent, and is worth at the furnace from $2¼ to $2½ per ton. The furnace is kept in
operation about ten months in the year, and when in blast produces about four tons of
iron per day. There is also in the establishment, a cupola furnace, and castings of all
descriptions are made. There are in the village, a machine shop, blacksmith, one store,
one tavern, one tailor, two shoemakers.
Population about 300
Post Office, post twice a week
SIMCOE
A District Town of the Talbot District, situated in the north-west corner
of the township of Woodhouse, twenty-four miles from Brantford. Simcoe is
well situated, in the midst of a fine old-settled country, but being away from any
public road, and having no regular means of communication with any place
except Brantford, it is kept rather in the back-ground. There is a stone jail
and court-house. Churches and chapels are three: viz, Methodist, Baptist, and
Congregationalist. A weekly newspaper is published here, the "Long Point Advocate."
Population about 1,400
Post Office, post every day
The following Government and District offices are kept in Simcoe: Judge of
District Court, Sheriff, Clerk of Peace, Inspector of Licenses, Crown Lands
Agent, District Clerk, Treasurer, Clerk of District Court, Deputy Clerk of
Crown, Superintendent of Schools.
Professions and Trades:
Two grist mills, two saw mills, one brewery, two distilleries, one foundry,
one ashery, one carding machine and fulling mill, three physicians and surgeons,
two lawyers, one threshing machine maker, one surveyor, nine stores, six taverns,
two druggists, six blacksmiths, one watch-maker, three cabinet makers, two saddlers,
six tailors, one chair maker, one turner, one liverly stable, one temperence house, two
butchers, one cooper, one grocery, one gunsmith, four shoemakers, one bank agency-"Gore."
TALBOT DISTRICT
Consists of the county of Norfolk, which comprises the townships of Char-
lotteville, Houghton, Middleton, Townsend, Woodhouse, Windham, and Walsingham,
and for all purposes, except that of representation in the Legislative Assembly,
and that of registration titles, the townships of Rainham and Walpole. The
Talbot District is bounded on the north-east by the Niagara District and the
Gore District; on the north by the Brock District, on the West by the London
District, and on the south by Lake Erie. The district is watered by Big Creek,
and a small portion of Otter Creek, besides numerous smaller stream, many of
which are excellent mill-streams. The land varies in quality, that in the
townships of Walsingham, Houghton, and Middleton is principally timbered with
pine, that in the other townships is hardwood and pine intermixed. Long Point,
which is now an island, is included in the district. Much of the land in the
district is rolling, and Simcoe, the district town, is very handsomely situated.
The Talbot District is settled principally by Canadians, with a few Scotch, Irish,
and English. It improves but very slowly, and between January 1842, and January
1844, only 2,800 acres of land were brought into cultivation.
Besides Simcoe, the district town, there are in the district, the villages of Port
Dover and Port Ryerse in Woodhouse, Normandale, (where is a blast furnace for
smelting the iron (bog) ore found in the neighbourhood), Vittoria and St. Williams in
Charlotteville, Waterford in Townsend, Port Rowan and Port Royal in Walsingham, and
Fredericksburg in Middleton. There are no Crown lands for sale in the Talbot District.
Population in 1841, 9,626, since when it has probably increased one-sixth.
1842--acres cultivated, 54,049, ratable property, £166,003
1843--acres cultivated, 54,895, ratable property, £169,124
1844--acres cultivated, 56,899, ratable property, £185,633
Number of Common Schools in operation in the District:
Townsend 19
Woodhouse 12
Charlotteville 10
Walsingham 8
Houghton 6
Middleton 7
Windham 9
Walpole 6
Rainham 4
Total 81
TOWNSEND
A township in the Talbot District, is bounded on the east by the township
of Walpole, on the north by Oakland and a small portion of Brantford, on
the west by Windham, and on the south by Woodhouse. In Townsend 47,871
acres are taken up, 16,623 of which are under cultivation. This is a well
settled township, containing excellent land, and many well cleared farms.
There is no large river in the township, but it is well watered by some good
mill streams, on which are one grist mill and eleven saw mills. The village
of Waterford is situated a little west of the centre of the township.
Population in 1842, 2517
Ratable property in the township, £46,210
VITTORIA
A village situated near the south-east corner of the township of Charlotteville,
nearly three miles from Lake Erie, and seven miles from Simcoe. It was laid out
in 1816, and was for a short time the district town of the London District, till
the removal of the district offices to London, in 1826. The registry office
for the county of Norfolk is kept here. There are three churches and chapels,
viz. Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Baptist. A good mill stream runs through the
village, on which it is intended to erect two grist mills during the present year.
There are two carding machines and fulling mills about half a mile from the village.
Population, about 300
Post Office, post six times a week
Professions and Trades:
Two physicians and surgeons, one laywer, one distillery, two tanneries, three stores,
two taverns, three tailors, four waggon-makers, four blacksmiths, four shoemakers,
two saddlers, one cabinet maker.
WALSINGHAM
A township in the Talbot District, is bounded on the east by the township
of Charlotteville, on the north-west by Middleton, on the west by Houghton,
and on the south by Lake Erie. In Walsingham 18,635 acres are taken up,
5322 of which are under cultivaton. A stream called Big Creek runs
through the township from north-east to south-west, at the mouth of which is a
settlement called Port Royal, where is a steam saw mill. Near the centre of the
south of the township is a shipping place called Port Rowan. The principal
part of the timber of the township is pine, and large quantities of sawed lumber
are exported. There are two grist mills and six saw mills in the township.
Population in 1841, 1,046
Ratable property in the township £18,412
WATERFORD
A village in about the centre of the township of Townsend, on the road
leading from Simcoe to Brantford, seven miles from Simcoe, and eighteen from
Brantford. It is situated in a valley, surrounded by high hills, and the Nanticoke
Creek runs through the village.
It contains about 150 inhabitants, who have a Baptist Chapel.
Post Office, post every day
Professions and Trades:
One grist mill, one saw mill, one distillery, three stores, two taverns, one
waggon-maker, one blacksmith, one tailor, one shoemaker, one cooper
WINDHAM
A township in the Talbot District, is bounded on the east by the township
of Townsend, on the north by Burford, on the west by Norwich and Middleton,
and on the south by Charlotteville. In Windham 31,710 acres are taken up,
11,396 of which are under cultivation. The township is watered by Big Creek,
which nearly runs through its centre. This is a well settled township, containing
good land, the timber is a mixture of hardwood and pine. There are one grist
mill and two saw mills in the township.
Population in 1841, 1568
Ratable property in the township, £28,203
WOODHOUSE
A township in the Talbot District, is bounded on the east by the township
of Walpole, on the north by Townsend, on the west by Charlotteville, and on
the south by Lake Erie. In Woodhouse 28,226 acres are taken up, 10,232 of
which are under cultivation. This is a well settled township, containing excellent
land, and many well-cleared and cultivated farms. The land is generally
rolling, and most of the farms are handsomely situated. Simcoe, the district
town, Port Dover on Lake Erie, at the mouth of Patterson's Creek, and a small
shipping place called Port Ryerse, are situated in the township. The plank
road from Hamilton to Port Dover, passes through the township. The timber
in Woodhouse is a mixture of pine and hardwood. There are three grist and
eleven saw mills in the township.
Population in 1841, 1694, who are principally Canadians and Americans.
Ratable property in the township, £41,864
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