CONTENTS—Eighth Township—Sidney—Name—Survey—Settlement, 1787—Letter
from Ferguson—Trading—Barter—Potatoes—Building—Cows—No salt to
spare—First settlers—Myers—Re-surveying—James Farley—Town Clerk at
first meeting—William Ketcheson—Gilbert’s Cove—Coming to the front
River Trent—Old names—Ferry—Bridge—Trenton—Its settlement—Squire
Bleeker.
THE EIGHTH TOWNSHIP—SIDNEY—ITS SETTLEMENT.
No Royal name being available for this township, the noble one of SIDNEY
was conferred. The name is derived from Lord Sidney, who, at the time of
the Revolutionary War, was His Majesty’s Secretary for the Colonial
Department.
A map in the Crown Lands Department, has written upon it “Sidney, in the
District of Mecklenburgh, was surveyed in 1787, by Louis Kotte.” This
was probably written by Kotte himself. It is most probable that the
first lots only were then laid out. While Kotte was the chief surveyor
to whom was entrusted the duty, it is gathered from different sources
that he was not present to superintend the work. Mr. William Ketcheson,
of the fifth concession, who came with his father to the place, in 1800,
says that one McDonald was the surveyor, and laid out the land as far
back as the 5th concession, when he died.
While the townships fronting upon the two shores of the Bay were being
surveyed in the western portion, not a few were on the look out for a
good location. These parties consisted of all classes, but it appears
most likely that the majority of those who had the first choice were
individuals connected with the surveyors, and who had influence with
them. The officers, naturally, enjoyed greater privileges, and some of
them sought suitable spots with the view of trading with the Indians, or
streams of water to supply power for sawing and flouring-mills.
As illustrative of those times we will make use of a letter lying before
us, written at that time.
In the year 1789, John Ferguson and Wm. Bell opened a store in the
Eighth Township. It appears with the view of trading with the Indians,
and such of the settlers as could pay for the goods they might buy. A
letter written by Ferguson, in 1790, from Kingston, to his partner,
says: “As to again taking up goods for trade, had I money I would not
think it worth while—notwithstanding all I said and begged of you, you
nevertheless have let the white people have almost everything we had.
When do you think they will pay for it?” By the foregoing we may learn
the difficulties attending mercantile pursuits, as well as the procuring
of the common necessaries of life. It was no doubt a matter of first
importance to Ferguson to see that the goods brought a return. It was no
hard-heartedness that caused him to find fault; for in the same letter
he says, “Forsyth is arrived, and I know not how I’ll pay him.” On the
other hand, Mr. Bell, with his little stock of goods upon the Bay Shore,
in the distant Eighth Township, is applied to by the needy settlers for
necessaries. They have no money; it is an article almost unknown among
them, but they want this and that, and who could refuse? Ferguson
afterward says, “You must oblige every one to pay you in wheat, or
otherwise I will want bread before winter is over—if they will not take
3s. 9d. for wheat, make them pay in money immediately, or else send me
down their accounts, and I’ll summon every one of them. Let your half
bushel be examined before Squire Gilbert. Do not spare a potatoe to any
one soul. I hope to get a barrel of pork here, but do not trust to
that.”
In the same letter Mr. Ferguson says, “If convenient, I could wish
you’ld get cut and brought home, as many logs as would build a house the
width of the one we have, and 14 feet long. Let them be small and handy—
we have plenty of small pine handy—and it soon can be put up when I get
home. If Johnson will saw ten logs about 14 feet long, for us, into inch
boards, and find himself. He shall have the loan of the saw from the
time he finishes them until the 15th day of April next.” “The cows must
be sent up. I do not know how the calf will be kept. I have bought two
pairs of ducks which I’ll take up, and also some fowls if I can get
them.” “Spare no salt to any one, as none is to be had here, but at a
very dear rate.” “The Indian prints goes up, which will spoil the trade
this season, as after this the Indians cannot want clothing until the
spring.” “Rum I must endeavour to take up, as without that nothing can
be had.”
The late Mr. Bleeker, of Belleville, tells us that among the very first
settlers upon the front of Sidney, were Chrysler, Ostrom and Gilbert.
The interesting history we give elsewhere, of Capt. Myers, as a loyalist
and pioneer, shows that he was one of the first inhabitants of Sidney. A
pioneer in the construction of mills upon the River Moira, he had
previously built in 1794 or ‘5, a sawing mill upon a small uncertain
stream which empties into the Bay a few miles east of Trenton.
We have seen that the survey took place in 1787. It is questionable,
however, whether more than the first concession was at this time laid
out. There is some reason to believe that Louis Kotte did not attend
very closely to his duties, but left the surveying to an incompetent
assistant. Probably he thought it did not matter whether the side lines
were correct or not, in a remote township so far removed from
civilization, as Sidney. At all events, in later days, it was found
necessary to re-survey the township, which was done by Atkins.
The first settlers, most likely, came in 1787, yet it may be that one or
two had previously squatted by the Bay Shore. We do not find in the
Crown Lands Department any map with the names of grantees upon the
different lots, such as exist in connection with other townships.
No doubt that in Sidney, as in other places, many lots were drawn, and
subsequently disposed of before the patents were issued, so that the
original owner cannot be traced. By the close of last century the
township was pretty well settled. An early settler who has recently
passed away, and who leaves highly respectable descendants, was James
Farley. He came in 1799.
The first township meeting was held the following year at Gilbert’s
Cove, and James Farley was chosen Town Clerk; but Surveyor Smith was
present and did the writing on that occasion. Another early settler, the
first one in the back concessions was Wm. Ketcheson. Reference is made
to him elsewhere. His son, now almost 90 years of age, remembers full
well the days of their coming, and settling. The 400 acres of land was
bought of Martin Hambly, who lived by the Napanee River, at one dollar
per acre, in 1800. Gilbert’s Cove was the place of landing, which was
for many years a central spot. Here the batteaux unloaded their
contents, and the provision was stored. William Ketcheson, my informer,
says, “he used to come every Saturday during the season, through the
trackless woods, some seven-and-a-half miles, and carry upon his back
provisions of pork, peas and flour, sufficient to serve three of them
for a week.” After a while they would come to the Front by the way of
the River Moira. To do this they constructed a scow which was kept near
the present village of Smithville, in which they crossed the river.
In the western part of the township is the River Trent, which empties
into the Bay, somewhat to the west of the boundary line between Sidney
and Murray. This river possesses no little interest as one of the
original routes of Indian and French travelers; and as the way by which
Champlain entered the Bay, and discovered Lake Ontario. The Indian name
we find upon an old map was _Ganaraske_. Upon many ancient maps the bay
and river are very imperfectly distinguished. It is named Quintio
occasionally.
The Trent being a stream of considerable size, it formed a barrier to
journeying up and down, from Kingston to York. A ferry was established
here about the beginning of the present century, by the Bleekers, after
which the main road between Kingston and York gradually became fixed to
the north of the Bay, instead of by Prince Edward.
The construction of a bridge across the Trent, which took place in 1834,
was a great benefit. It was 750 feet long and 32 broad. It was for many
years “the best bridge in Upper Canada.” The _Hastings Times_, of
Belleville, has an advertisement for tenders by the Commissioners, &c.,
C. Wilkins, Reuben White, and James G. Bethune, dated River Trent, 9th
March, 1833.
At the mouth of the Trent there naturally sprung up a village. Up to
1808 the site of the village was a dense cedar swamp. Two years before
A. H. Myers had removed from Belleville and erected a mill about a mile
from the mouth of the river, first a saw mill, afterward a flouring
mill. Excepting the mills, and a very narrow road, the place was a
perfect wilderness. The land upon the west side, where the village
stands, originally belonged to “old Squire” Bleeker. The portion of land
between the river and Sidney was held by Dr. Strachan. The first lot in
Sidney was owned by Judge Smith.
Old Squire Bleeker was probably the very first settler between the Trent
and the Carrying Place. He was a trader with the Indians, and was
probably Indian Agent. At all events he was a man of considerable
authority among them.