Early Inhabitants along Dundas Street from the 1841 East Flamborough Township Assessment Roll

Originally Published in Heritage Happenings, November 1992
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One of the pleasures of researching local history is the frequency that a connection with another researcher is made. Soon after completing the October 1992 newsletter, a letter from long time member Mrs. Rhonda Glofcheski of Sioux Lookout was received with news that while in Salt Lake City searching for some of her elusive Flamborough ancestors, she had discovered a microfilm of the 1841 East Flamborough Township Assessment Roll. I believe this is the earliest listing of inhabitants who had settled in the township that is still in existence. As a conclusion to the series on Dundas Street, the property owners along the Third Concession which was divided by Dundas Street are listed, together with the description of their property assessment.

LOT 1:

JOHN KING: Concession 3, Lot 1 North part. Assessed for 115 acres uncultivated, 35 acres cultivated, frame house under 2 storeys, itemized livestock.
AMOS READ: Concession 3, Lot 1 South east part. Assessed for 25 acres uncultivated, 25 cultivated, squared or hewed log house under 2 storeys, itemized livestock.

LOT 2:

DAVID CULP: Concession 3, Lot 2 North west part. Assessed for 40 acres uncultivated, 60 acres cultivated, framed house under 2 storeys, itemized livestock.
MARY SMOKE: Concession 3, Lot 2 South west part. Assessed for 15 acres uncultivated, 15 acres cultivated, itemized livestock.

LOT 3:

JOHN BROWN: Concession 3, Lot 3 North part. Assessed for 40 acres uncultivated, 60 acres cultivated, framed house under 2 storeys, itemized livestock.
WILLIAM SMOKE: Concession 3, Lot 3 South part. Assessed for 50 acres uncultivated, 50 acres cultivated, itemized livestock.

LOT 4:

ALEXANDER BROWN: Concession 3, Lot 4. Assessed for the whole lot of 200 acres.

LOT 5:

ALEXANDER BROWN: Concession 3, Lot 5. Assessed for the whole lot of 200 acres.
A total of 160 acres uncultivated, 240 acres cultivated, a house of frame, brick or stone of 2 storeys with 2 additional fireplaces, a sawmill, itemized livestock.

LOT 8:

FREDERIC FEILD: Concession 3, Lot 8 North part. Assessed for 30 acres uncultivated, 52 cultivated, squared of hewed log house under 2 storeys with an additional fireplace, itemized livestock.
THOMAS ENGLISH: Concession 3, Lot 8 South part. Assessed for 68 acres uncultivated, 50 cultivated.
(Thomas English was also assessed for the 200 acres of Concession 2, Lot 9 on which was a framed house under 2 storeys and a sawmill)
HENRY MILLEN: Concession 3, Lot 8 South east part. Assessed for ½ acre cultivated, itemized livestock.

LOT 9:

ISAIAH GRIFFIN: Concession 3, Lot 9 East part. Assessed for 30 acres uncultivated, 50 acres cultivated, itemized livestock.
THOMAS HORNING: Concession 3, Lot 9 Itemized livestock.
DAVID BASTEDO: Concession 3, Lot 9 West part. Assessed for 45 acres uncultivated, 55 acres cultivated, itemized livestock.

LOT 10:

JOSEPH A CROOKER: Concession 3, Lot 10 North part. Assessed for 70 acres uncultivated, 50 acres cultivated, itemized livestock.
ISRAEL ALLEN: Concession 3, Lot 10 South part. Assessed for 55 acres uncultivated, 25 acres cultivated, frame house under 2 storeys, itemized livestock.

LOT 11:

JOHN DAVIS: Concession 3, Lot 11 North part. Assessed for 70 acres uncultivated, 65 cultivated, frame house under 2 storeys with an additional fireplace, itemized livestock.
Mrs CHURCH, Widow: Concession 3, Lot 11 South part. Assessed for 40 acres uncultivated, 50 acres cultivated.
JOHN McKEAG: Concession 3, Lot 11. Assessed for itemized livestock.

LOT 12:

WILLIAM LONG: Concession 3, Lot 12. Assessed for the whole lot of 200 acres, 60 acres uncultivated, 140 acres cultivated, itemized livestock.
MICHAEL BANGHART: Concession 3, Lot 12. Assessed as living on the same lot in frame house under 2 storeys, itemized livestock.

One of the most interesting facts that the Assessment Roll immediately reveals is the small number of houses in this concession. The very important Third Concession was divided by the Dundas Street Highway, yet outside the village settlement of Waterdown which occupied Lots 6 and 7, only nine other houses were recorded for assessment purposes. Of these houses, the majority were recorded as being of frame construction, and less than 2 storeys, with a fireplace that was probably in the kitchen for cooking purposes. Alexander Brown appears to have the only house outside the village built of brick or stone and boasting an additional fireplace. All of which suggests that there was little development outside the village area, even though the highway had almost certainly become the main routeway for settlers moving into and through the area.

© The Waterdown-East Flamborough Heritage Society 1992, 2022.