1853 PORT BRUCE AND AYLMER PLANK OR GRAVELLED ROAD COMPANY 1854 by Robert G. Moore 2002
HISTORY AND COMMENT
In the early 1850’s, the merchants and farmers of Malahide and South Dorchester in Elgin County were all very interested in a better way than by wagon and stage from Hamilton in exporting their produce and timber and importing manufactured goods from Great Britain and the eastern United States. Water transport was the only economical method of moving goods and Port Bruce on Lake Erie was the only port in the area.
A toll road in Bayham Township (Elgin County) from Ingersoll though Tillsonburg and Vienna to Port Burwell had been built by 1853 and already the economic benefits were apparent in that area.
The residents of Malahide and Aylmer also hoped to take advantage of the economic boom in Ontario that was occurring during the Crimean War. Great Britain required large quantities of timber and wheat as their previous sources in Eastern Europe were no longer available.
The proposed road from Port Bruce northerly through Aylmer would be built and operated by a group of citizens who formed themselves into a stock company. Tolls would be charged for the use of the road and would pay for the upkeep of the road, tool gate keepers etc and provide a return to the investors.
For the toll road to be success, the harbour at Port Bruce would require dredging and new wharfs built. In 1851 Lindley Moore and Amasa Lewis had started to develop the harbour.
Business increased in the 2 next years. A stock company for further harbour work was organized in December 1853 in anticipation that the harbour work would be well underway when the toll road was completed. Wharfage fees on goods and produce passing through the harbour would pay for the construction work and continued maintenance.
The harbour stock company unable to raise sufficient capital was forced by 1855 to borrow 2000 pounds from the Council of the Township of Malahide. Exports began to decrease after 1856 as the country fell into the depression which followed the Crimean war. The harbour company failed to pay its debts to the Township and by 1860 the Township assumed control of the harbour.
Malahide Township Council was also heavily involved in the toll road investing 1000 pounds in the stock company to begin road construction. The Council loaned an additional 3000 pounds in an attempt to complete the road.
By 1860 the company defaulted on their loan and Township was forced to assume the entire toll road. They auctioned the three toll gates on the road to the highest bidder to try to recoup some of their investment.
Railroads construction boomed in the 1870’s though out Elgin County . The Canada Southern Railway passed just north of Aylmer and the Great Western Railway’s Air Line Route passed through Aylmer were the two main railroads of the 1870’s.
These railroads provided farmers a more economic method to get their produce to markets and to obtain manufactured goods. Trade with the United States had replaced much of the trade with
Great Britain. As the pine forests of the area were nearly depleted, lumbering ceased to be the major industry.
By the mid 1870’s the general depression in Canada that followed the American Civil War had hit rural Elgin County. However the toll road had served its purpose, although the stock holders had been not rewarded ,the Village of Aylmer did grow to a major centre in East Elgin while Port Bruce became a quiet fishing and summer resort hamlet.
For a detailed summary of economic developments in Elgin County please refer to
“Economic Development in the County of Elgin 1850-1880″ by David J Hall published in 1972.
As the 1851 census has been lost for the southern part of both Malahide and Bayham Townships including the hamlets of Vienna and Port Burwell and all of Yarmouth Township other than the village of St Thomas, Stock Book lists such as this one help us track the very transient population of Elgin County during the period between 1842 and 1861.
The assistance of Fred Prong and Bruce Johnson of the Elgin Genealogical Society is much appreciated.
PORT BRUCE HARBOR COMPANY
1853
THE STOCK BOOK
Be it remembered that in this eight day of September in the year of Our Lord One thousand Eight hundred and fifty three, We the undersigned stockholders met at Port Bruce in the Township of Malahide in the County of Elgin in the province of Canada and resolved to form ourselves into a company called the Port Bruce Harbor Company according to the provisions of a certain act of the Parliament of this Province entitled “An act to provide for the formation of Joint Stock companies for the Construction of Piers, Wharfs and Harbours” for the purpose of constructing Piers, Wharves and making and dredging a harbor at the mouth of Catfish Creek And we here do declare that the capital stock of said company shall be five thousand pounds to be divided into one thousand shares at the price or sum of five pounds each and we the undersigned do hereby agree to take an accept the number of shares set by us opposite our respective signatures and we do hereby agree to pay the calls thereon accordingly to the provisions of said in part recited Act and of the Rules, Regulations, Resolutions
and By Laws of the said Company to be made or passed in that behalf and we do hereby nominate Lindley Moore, Amasa Lewis, C G A Tozer, Jacob Cline & E S Ganson to be the first directors of the said company.
(The stock book was signed by the various individuals purchasing stock, some of whose signatures are very difficult to read) (An other reference to the person and their occupation is given when it could be located)
THE STOCKHOLDERS
Name Address Stock Shares Other References to Person by RGM
Bens, Elijah C. Vienna 100
Brown, James Aylmer 25 51 Mal miller
Brown, Walter Aylmer 24 61 Mal farmer
Campbell, William Aylmer 5 51 Mal court clerk
Clarke, Lewis J. Malahide 10 42 Mal
Cline, Leonard Malahide 20 Tre Lot 5 Con 9 Mal
Cline , Jacob South Dorchester 100 Tre Lot 18 Con 11 S Dorch
Finch, Henry Aylmer 20 51 Mal innkeeper
Ganson, E S Temperanceville 25 61 Mal (Orwell)
Provisional Warden of Elgin 1852
Hagan , John S. Port Bruce 50 61 Mal farmer (Haggan)
Hill, Charles Malahide 16 61 Mal age 73
Hodgkinson, Philip Aylmer 25 51 Mal merchant
Jones, William Jamestown 50 51 Mal farmer
Kirkland, Ward T. Aylmer 25
Lewis, Amasa , Port Bruce 200 61 Mal forwarding merchant
Martin, Henry Aylmer 20 51 Mal speculator
Moore, Lindley , Yarmouth 200 Tre Lot 6 Con 1 Mal
Mott, Roswell Aylmer 10 51 Mal innkeeper
Orr, Joseph L,. Port Bruce 25 61 Mal farmer
Partlow, Wm T. Aylmer 20 51 Mal pedlar
Rogers, A. &. J Malahide 25 51 Mal millers
(Arthur and James)
Tozer, Charles G.A. Aylmer 50 42 Mal
Tuttle, John South Dorchester 20
Williams, Adolphus Malahide 10 61 Mal doctor
Schedule #1 Joint Stock Co Port Bruce Harbor Co
Recorded the 7th day of December A. D 1853 at 50 minutes past 10 .0’clock AM in Liber A
Register for Joint Stock Companies Folio 1 J McKay D Registrar Elgin
These references are
42 Mal Malahide Twp census 1842
51 Mal Malahide Twp census 1851
61 Mal Malahide Twp census 1861
Tre Tremaines map of Elgin 1864 Malahide Twp unless noted
PORT BRUCE AND AYLMER PLANK OR
GRAVELLED ROAD COMPANY
1854
THE STOCK BOOK
BE IT REMEMBERED that on this twenty first day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty four, we , the undersigned Stockholders met at the village of Aylmer in the township of Malahide in the county of Elgin in the Province of Canada and resolved to form ourselves into a company to be called the Port Bruce and Aylmer Plank of Gravelled Road Company, according to the provisions of a certain Act of the Parliament of this province entitled “An Act to amend and consolidate the several Acts for the formation of Joint Stock Companies “for the construction of Roads and other works in Upper Canada, for the purpose of constructing a road from Port Bruce in the said Township of Malahide to the southern limit of the Township of South Dorchester to intersect the side road between Lots number Ten and Eleven in the said Township of Malahide..- to commence on Hales street in Port Bruce aforesaid and to follow the line of the said side road northward to South Dorchester aforesaid and we do hereby declare that the Capital Stock of the said Company shall be five thousand pounds to be divided into one thousand shares at the price or sum Five Pounds each and we the undersigned stockholders do hereby agree to take and accept the number of shares set by us opposite our respective signatures and we do hereby agree to pay the calls thereon according to the provisions of the said in part recited Act and of the Rules, Regulations, Bylaws of the said Company to be made or passed in that behalf and we nominate James Little, Charles G. A Tozer (Jacob Cline scratched out and replaced by William W Davis), Elijah C Bens Esquire and Thomas Locker Esquire, Reeve of the said Township of Malahide to be the First directors of the said Company.
(The stock book was signed by the various individuals purchasing stock some of whose signatures are very difficult to read) (An other reference to the person and their occupation is shown when it could be located)
THE STOCKHOLDERS
Name Stock Shares Other Reference to Person
Adams, James 5 51 Mal tailor
Backhouse, James J. 5 mill owner on Silver Creek at Lake Erie
Belle? Joseph 5
Beemer, Abram 10 42 Mal farmer
Beemer, Bradford 5 51 Mal farmer
Bencroft Henry? 5 51 Mal Cooper Lot 11 Con 5 (Bancroft?)
Bens, Elijah C. 20 Res Vienna
Brooks, Daniel 20 mark X witness J Kirkland 51 Mal farmer
Brown Nicholas 10 61 Mal farmer
Brown James 5 51 Mal miller
Brown, Walter 10 42 Mal farmer 61 Mal farmer
Brown, William B 10 61 Mal farmer
Brown ? J 5 61 Mal farmer
Brush Hiram D 5 51 Mal farmer
Buck? Willson 5 a William Buck in 42 Mal census
Campbell, William 5 51 Mal Clerk of the Court
Caswell Ambrose 6 51 Mal waggon maker Lot 10 Con 7
Chase, John 5 51 S.Dor
Clarke William 5 51 Mal shoemaker
Clendenning, Jarret S. 5 61 Mal Wagon maker (Jared)
Clendenning, Alexander 5
Cline, Jacob 10 Tre S Dorchester Twp Lot 18 Con 11
Cline, Leonard 6 42 mal farmer Lot 5 Con 9
Clutton & Feanian 15 61 Mal Joseph Clutton
Woollen maufacturer
Colk Thomas C 5 51 Mal farmer
Cottingham George 10 42 Mal
Crandell, Ruben 10 51 Mal merchant
Cronk Ephraim 5 51 Mal shoemaker (Crank in census index)
Cutler, Nathan 5 51 Mal blacksmith
Davis, Warren F. 10 51 Mal farmer
Davis, Loder 5 51 Mal Farmer
Davis, Wm H 15 51 Mal farmer
Doolittle, Ira 5 42 Mal farmer Lot 13 Con 4
Doty, Lewis 5 51 Mal occ.grafter
Feuthers, Thomas 10
Finch H 20 51 Mal innkeeper (Henry)
Foot, Ezra 10 61 Mal doctor
Given William 10
Graves Daniel 10 51 Mal pedlar
Hagen, John A 5 61 Mal farmer
Haney, Isaac Sr 5 51 Mal farmer (Hainey)
Haney, George I. 5
Harvey William 5 61 Mal farmer Walkam age 32 in 61 census
Harvey Joseph 3 42 Mal farmer Lot 17 Con 4
Hegler Adam 5 51 Mal farmer (Hagler)
Herrington Edward J 5 61 Mal Harness maker
Hill, E.&.A. 10 42 Mal Elias Hill farmer Lot 16 Con 4
Hill, Charles 5 61 Mal age 73
Jagur, Edward 8 (Yager)
Johnson, James 5 51 Mal farmer
Kennedy John 10 51 Mal innkeeper
Kinsey. Jesse 5 61 Mal farmer (recorded as Kinney)
Kirkland, Wood 10
Laur, William 10 51 Mal farmer
Lewis Joel 10 Tre Yarmouth Twp Lot 26 Con 7
Lewis, Amasa 5 61 Mal forwarding merchant
Tre produce dealer Port Bruce
Little, James 10 51 Mal merchant
Malahide Township 200 Signed by Thos Locker Reeve for the municipality
McArthur, John 10 Dorchester
McCausland, John A. 5 51 Mal blacksmith
McCausland, John 10 61 Mal one farmer, one a wagon maker
McIntosh, William 5 51 Mal farmer
McIntosh, Daniel 5 Tre S Dorchester Twp Lot 5 Con 12
McIntyr J.C 5 61 Mal farmer (James MacIntyre)
McKinney John 5 51 Mal farmer
McKinney Hamilton W. 2 mark X witness J Kirkland 51 Mal farmer
McKinney, John 5 name scratched out
McLachlan James 5 51 Mal farmer
McLachlan, A.J. 5 51 Mal farmer (Archibald?)
McMaster, Lewis 5 61 Mal tavern keeper (Lucius)
Merrill, Jarvis 5 married Mary McKenney
related to James Merrill?
Millard, Matthais 5 61 Mal farmer
Miller John C 5 signed by X 51 Mal farmer
Miller, Frederic 10 51 Mal merchant
Miller Johnson 10 51 Mal cabinet maker
Moore George C 10 61 Mal farmer
Moore Lindley C. 20 61 Mal farmer signed (of)Malahide
Mott, Roswell 10 51 Mal innkeeper
Murray A.&W.E. 5 61 Mal Merchant (Andrew) E. age 80 in 61
Neff, Jacob 10 Tre S Dorchester Lot 1 Con 12
Nickerson Alfred 10 1871 Malahide census
Orr, Joseph 10 61 Mal farmer 42 Mal Lot 11 Con 1
Page, Benjamin 5 42 Mal
Pepper Robert 10 signed by X witness 61 Mal farmer
Plant Charles 5 51 Mal labourer
Price, Aaron 10 61 Mal printer
Rogers, A.&.J 10 51 Mal Millers (Arthur and James)
Smith John H. 5 died age 37 in 1863
son of Zenophen Smith
Smith, Enoch 5 51 Mal farmer
Smith & Morgan 5
Summers John R. 5 51 Mal farmer
Summers J.? 5 51 Mal farmer (James)
Teeple, George H 5 51 Mal farmer
Thayer, Israel 5 42 Mal Sawmill Lot 13 Con 3
Tibbets Abrah 5 42 Mal
Tisdale & Co, 20 51 Mal (Henry farmer
Walker D , Merchant)
Tozer, Charles G.A 15 61 Mal farmer
Vanpatten Daniel 5 51 Mal indexed as Vanplatter
Vanpatter, Warren 5 61 Mal farmer
Vanwagner Samuel 5 51 Mal farmer (Vanwagoner)
Walton , John 5 51 Mal labourer census index Walt
Westover, Samuel 5 61 Mal farmer
Westover James 10 61 Mal labourer
Williams, Adolphus 5 51 Mal doctor
Woolley, Peter 10 51 Mal farmer
York Samuel D. 5 51 Mal currier
Young Robert 5 51 Mal labourer
Young Jacob H 5 51 Mal labourer
Young Samuel 5 51 Mal labourer
(John Kirkland the treasurer did not subscribe and was listed as a merchant in the 1861 Malahide census)
Aylmer 3 March 1854
This is to certify that I have received of stockholders in the Port Bruce and Aylmer Plank or Gravelled Road Company Three hundred pounds being amount of instalment of Ten per cent on the capital stock of said company
John Kirkland
Treasurer
Registry office certification
Port Bruce and Aylmer Plank or Gravelled Road Company
Recorded the 29th day of April A D 1854 at 11 am in Liber 1 for Joint stock companies
Folio 3 J McKay, D Registrar, Elgin
References are
42 Mal Malahide Twp census 1842
51 Mal Malahide Twp census 1851
61 Mal Malahide Twp census 1861
Tre Tremaines map of Elgin 1864 Malahide Twp unless noted