PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THESE RESOURCES. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LDS OR LIBRARY. GENEALOGICAL.COM IS ANOTHER GOOD RESOURCE. REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION CANNOT BE ANSWERED AS ALL I HAVE IS BELOW.
History of the County of Perth, 1825-1902 William Johnston, 1903
p.542-3
Milner HARRISON was born near York, England, in 1816. His father was engaged in the sea-faring business, trading to Russia. In 1820 the family removed to Canada, settling in London township, which at that period was rapidly being taken up by emigrants from the old land. In 1842 Mr Harrison married Catherine Howard, whose father had come to London in charge of a surveying party, and where he afterwards settled in 1822. The Howards were related to the eccentric Col. Talbot, who founded the Talbot settlement on Lake Erie. In 1844 Mr Harrison arrived in St Marys, then fast becoming an important trading center. Here he opened a general store on Queen street, with a stock of such goods as were in demand by the settlers. The staple articles of trade in those early days consisted of potash and black salts, as being the principle products of a new farm. As time increased his wealth so his business extended, until he was able to retire with a considerable fortune, the result of hard work and careful manipulation of his affairs. Mr Harrison was in many respects a clever man, with all the qualities that lead to success. If he had been a farmer he would have been a good one, and made himself rich. If he had been a labourer he would have earned the highest wages. He was plain and simple in his tastes, jovial in his manner, and had the most perfect contempt for the namby-pambyism of those who affect what is called high society. He was honest in his convictions, and in all his transactions. He knew no standard of manhood but that set up by Burns - "the rank is but the guinea's stamp, the man's the gold for a' that."
In the discharge of those duties appertaining to public-spirited citizenship he did his part, and his work in this department will be found in the local histories of Blanshard and St Marys.
About Perth County, Ontario
Welcome to Perth County GenWeb, your online guide to Perth County Genealogy since February 1998! I am Meg Fuller, Your Coordinator for this County site.
I hope you enjoy your visit. Please email me if you have any suggestions or contributions you would like to make.
I hope you find my efforts helpful in your research of your County roots. I am unable to do additional research on your family as I do not have direct access to records. I post everything I have for all to use.
Perth County is located in south-western Ontario in about the middle of the peninsula. There are many small towns and hamlets in this area, and the largest city is Stratford. Stratford currently has a population of about 30 000. This population swells in the summer tourist season! For the most part Perth County consists of rural agricultural land. The other major industry is tourism because of the Stratford Festival.
It is one of the few counties in South-Western Ontario that doesn't touch any of the Great Lakes. Because of its location, and distance from the Great Lakes, it was one of the last areas in Ontario to be settled. People who aren't familiar with Ontario often confuse it with Perth, a city in Lanark County. If it's Perth, Lanark County you're after, or if your reference just says Perth, here's a link to the Lanark County GenWeb. But it was nice of you to visit.
Surrounding Counties
Oxford | Middlesex | Huron | Wellington | Waterloo