I had the good fortune of meeting Stephen Francom, Manager/ Archivist at the Elgin County Archives. We have been interested in getting to know more about the history of our property. This entire area is part of Col. Thomas Talbot's land grant, and we would like to go back as far as that to see who owned the land etc. Stephen has given us some advisce and we are going to go to the Archives well prepared to start our search. It shouls be fun.
Talbotville's first settlers arrived in 1817, however it wasn't called Talbotville but Five Stakes. Col. Thomas Talbot, with the help of Sir John Graves Simcoe, secured a land grant of up to 5,000 acres. He pitched the government by saying he would bring settlers in from Europe and the United States and for every 50 acres settled upon he, Talbot, would get 150 acres. He also promised to grow and export quantities of hemp for the ropes of the Royal Navy.
When you are born to privelledge you get these good deals. He was born in Malahide Castle in the County of Dublin in 1771 to wealthy connected parents. He was in the army ar 11 years old and eventually ended up in Upper Canada as the confidential secretary to Simcoe. Simcoe being the governor of the time recommended Talbot get the grant.
Talbot arrived back in Upper Canada in 1803. He quickly ignored a great many points that were required of him. Talbot ended up with close to 65,000 acres of land.
More to come.