Township of Burford

The township of Burford is situated in the north west part of the County. The first conveyance of land in this township which was registered, was a mortgage from one Rolph Church to George Forsythe and John Symington, dated November 8, 1798, and recorded November 19, 1800, on lot number three, in the first concession, and lots seventeen, eighteen, nineteen and twenty in the third concession. The first patent of lands was granted January 9 1798, being on lot 21, in the twelfth concession and lot sixteen, in the fourteenth concession, and various other lots.

Burford was originally surveyed in the early part of 1798, part by the late Deputy Surveyor, Stegman, and part by the late Deputy Surveyor, A Jones. The settlement of Burford began at an early day,  under the superintendence of the late Thomas Hornor, Esq., along the south side of Dundas street, in the first concession, and in the sixth and seventh concessions in the east part of the township.

Burford is the most westerly township in the County of Brant, and is bounded on the north by Dundas Street., (commonly known as Governors Road), on the west by the township of Oxford, on the south by the township of Windham;  on the east by the townships of Brantford and Oakland. The principal roads are the old London Road, leading to the township direct from Brantford to Oxford, a little north of the center of the township; one branch of which leads south-westerly to Norwich from a point a little east of the centre of the township; the other branch leads from about number nineteen northerly to Woodstock. Honor's Creek enters Burford from the north, near the west quarter of the township, runs southerly through the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth concessions; it then turns easterly and leaves Burford near the line between the fifth and sixth concessions, but in the fifth concession, and enters the township of Brantford. There are numerous mill privileges along the route of this creek. A creek known as Big Creek rises in Oxford, and enters Burford at the south west quarter of the west line of the township, and after running diagonally across that part of the township in a south-easterly direction, it passes into Windham, at about the southwest quarter of the south line. There are some valuable mill privileges on this creek. There are other smaller streams in various parts of the township, which are tributaries to the principal streams.

The concessions number from the north, and the lots number from the east. The east part of the township, from the front of the sixth concession is plains land, of a good quality of sandy soil, embracing, perhaps, nearly a fourth-part of the township; the rest of the township is timbered land, and in some parts well supplied with pine lumber. The soil of the timbered lands is a rich sandy loam, and capable of a high state of cultivation. The township is now pretty well settled with industrious and respectable inhabitants.

The villages of Claremont, Burford and Sydenham are situated, the old London Road, and the village of New Durham is on the Norwich Branch of the said road.

Post offices- Burford, Cathcart, Harley, Kelvin, and New Durham. 
In 1817 the population numbered 550; in 1841, about 2000, and in 1852, the number had increased to 4,133. In 1866, the number of acres assessed was 66,654, valued at $ 1,333,052.

RETURNS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE, LANDS HELD,  OCCUPIERS OF LAND 
FOR THE TOWNSHIP OF BURFORD, 1861.

Total occupiers of land, 332; occupiers  of ten acres and under, 4; occupiers  of ten to twenty acres, 5; occupiers  of twenty to fifty acres, 162; occupiers of fifty to one hundred acres, 231; occupiers of one hundred to two hundred acres, 102; occupiers of upwards of two hundred acres 28, amount held in acres, 52,203; acres under cultivation, 30,372; acres under crops 22,514; acres under pasture, 7,284; acres under gardens and orchards, 574; wood and wild lands, 21,831; cash value of farms $ 1,610,060; cash value of farming implements, $ 55,187; produce of gardens and orchards, $ 10,058; quantity of land held by townspeople not being farmers, 1,343 acres; acres of fall wheat, 90,008; acres of spring wheat, 2,450; bushels of spring wheat, 32,394; acres of barley, 636; bushels of barley, 14,420; acres of rye, 102; bushels of rye, 981; acres of pease, 2,250; bushels of pease, 96, 937; acres of oats, 2,220; bushels of oats, 62,508; acres of buckwheat, 437; bushels of buckwheat, 8,089; acres of Indian Corn, 502; bushels of Indian, 12,510 ;acres of potatoes, 574; bushels of potatoes, 65,977; acres of turnips, 288 ;bushels of turnips, 82, 963 ;bushels of carrots, 20, 380; acres of mangel wurtzel, 11; bushes of mangel wurtzel,, 3,450; bushel of beans, 142; bushels of clover, timothy and other grass seeds, 575 ;tons of hay, 4,612; maple sugar, 599, 470 pounds; cider, 17, 441 gallons; wool, 18, 022 pounds; fulled cloth, 7,489 yards; flax and hemp, 290 pounds; bulls, oxen and sheep, 242; milch cows 1, 916; calves and heifers, 1,557; horses over three years old, 1,411; value of same $ 93,668; colts and fillies, 405; sheep, 5,966; pigs, 3,368; total value of livestock, $ 160,102; butter, 123,095 pounds; cheese, 24,435 pounds; beef in barrels of 200 pounds, 132; pork in barrels of 200 pounds, 1,348; carriages kept for pleasure, 418; value of same $ 23,747; carriages kept for hire, 22; Population 5,600

CENSUS OF 1868 - horses 2,114, hogs, 2,947; sheep 13,352; cattle, 4,731; total value of real and personal property and income $ 1,344,407; number of acres, 65,096; occupiers of land, 1,234; number of acres cleared, 37,296. Population, 5,020.

         Go to          PART TWO  Burford Township   
                          Part 3 Burford Township  

Go to   Part 2  Burford Township
          Part 3  Burford Township

Search the Farmers' Directories  or the web               Farmers' Directories  Search

Site Search WINGROVE WORLD WIDE Return to Wingroves at ROOTSWEB

             

Specializing in Genealogy Web Site Development & Family History Resources