My grandfather, William Colbeck, Sr., or "Squire Colbeck" as he used to be called, was born in 1806 and came from South Lincolnshire, England, with his wife and eight children. They had attempted to sail the year before, but were shipwrecked off the north coast of Ireland. The second attempt was successful, and they sailed from Liverpool to Quebec on June 10, 1846, on the ship "James Moran".

The journey took 14 weeks, and there were 640 passengers aboard. There was only one death-a small baby. The family were in the steerage at first, then they asked the Captain for better quarters; in two days he cleared out two storerooms and gave to them. There were only 40 or 50 Protestants on board.

There were two Protestant girls in the steerage, and someone tried to kill them because they were Protestants. The Captain then let them help a steward to keep them safe. Water was scarce, and they were only allowed a pint a day for some weeks. For the last few days it ran out so they were very happy to see land.

From Montreal they proceeded by batteau and sailing vessel to Toronto. After living a few months in Toronto on John Street, they moved to Thornhill, where they lived for a few years. Holden S. Colbeck, my father , and Mrs. David Bettschen (Mary), my aunt, were born there in 1848 and 1853.

The family (ten of them), then moved to Brantford from "Muddy York" as Toronto was then called. They went to a farm at Smokey Hollow, later called Pine Grove. Grandmother was distressed as there was no fireplace, and she had no stove. While there, Aunt Fanny arrived in Hamilton (she had been inservice when the family left, so stayed behind); Grandfather had no horses yet, so he walked through the rough Indian trail, 25 miles, to meet her. She wept with fatigue before they arrived home.

During the course of the next three years, they rented a farm near Mohawk Lake. The younger brothers had a great time riding the bobbing logs that used to float nearby. This farm was known as the "Lovejoy", farm (50 acres).

Grandfather bought it from the crown in 1860 it a land sale and without seeing it, as more land was needed for the boys. So, from here, they made the famous trek into the north. By this time, Grandmother was in possession of her much-prizedstove, which had created a problem in getting it to the farm. The boys had carried it in their strong arms through the trackless forest, it was a very tiring job. They had lifted the oven off to make it easier to handle.

The several Colbeck farms were on the 11th Concession of East Luther in Dufferin County-800 acres in all. 200 of them were for Joseph, later known as the Hayes and Warren farms; 200 acres for William on which the United Church and parsonage now stands; 200 acres which was the old homestead and on which the cemetery is now situated across the road from the church. It was here the first funeral service in the locality was held. 200 acres were for Edward, where the Colbeck store and Post Office was located. For this land, he paid 50C an acre, getting the Crown deeds.

William, Edward and Joseph came up in the winters of 1860 and 1861 to build shanties and chop wood. Grandfather and the other members of the family came in 1862.

My Grandfather and Holden (my father) built a log house on Lot 23 in 1866, which is still standing. They split their own shingles (cedar) and laths, and sawed their own lumber. They burned their own lime from limestone gathered in the vicinity. They got sand from the bank, of the river at the back of the farm. Grandfather was very proud of the fact that they built the first actual house in Luther township. It was a story and one-half structure with a cottage roof. When first built it had verandahs on three sides and was looked upon as a very commodious dwelling.

  During the first few years, their wheat, which was almost always frozen, had to be taken to Hillsburgh to be ground. When the Hill brothers came in north of them, they and the Colbeck brothers united forces to cut a road from what is now Monticello to the Town Line, which was the old Simcoe Military Road from Alliston to Mount Forest. This was done to gain access to the latter town with its grist mill and manufacturing concerns.

As soon as it was open, William Colbeck Jr. took a grist to Mount Forest. It took a day to go and another to return. It was arranged that my father would meet him with fresh oxen five miles west of the Town Line to assist him on the return trip. Father, who was then 16 years old, waited until dark, but William did not arrive. There were no settlers in the district, and darkness was coming on.

The wolves began to howl and hover near. He thought discretion the better part of valor and, not wishing to spend the night in the swamp, he turned the oxen toward home. They only had a yoke and a long chain. He was not far on his way when the wolves began to follow him, so he climbed on the back of one of the oxen. The oxen, equally frightened, began to run. The end of the long chain swinging behind was, so my Father vowed, the only thing that saved him; the wolves would not come closer than the chain. He decided to stop at Jonathan Hills, but the oxen thought otherwise and ran home, where they lay down exhausted. It was then about 4 a.m. The following day, he went to meet William who had returned with the grist.

The following is an account of the death and burial of Thomas Colbeck, presumably the first death among the settlers in the new community. This account was copied from a newspaper of 1863 and posted in an old family Bible.

  "Thomas Colbeck, the subject of the following sketch, was the fifth son of William and Charlotte Colbeck, late of Brantford. He was born in England on June 5, 1845. He came with his parents and others of the family to the Township of Luther in 1862, and settled in the wilderness. He was always of a serious turn of mind, and latterly had given evidence of vital piety. On the 11th. of February, while with his brothers he was engaged in falling timber; a limb blown from a falling tree struck him in the front part of the head, causing instant death. This was the first death in the family, and it wrung the hearts of surviving relatives. It was also the first in the settlement, and made a deep impression on every mind.

The family, nearly all being Methodists, resolved to have his funeral services conducted by a minister of their choice. The writer, being the nearest minister to where they lived, came a distance of twenty miles to solicit attendance at the funeral. The call was responded to, of course, for hard indeed must be the heart of a man who could willingly refuse under such circumstances. His funeral took place on Saturday, the 14th instant, when a sermon was preached in his father's house, the first sermon ever preached in his father's house, and the first sermon ever preached in the neighbourhood.

The deceased was in the habit of joining with the family every evening in reading a portion of the Word of God. The last verse that he read before his death (Isaiah 2.22) "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted op" By request this verse was taken as his funeral text. His remains were buried on his father's farm. May the good Lord bless the bereaved parents and friends and bring them all at last to the place where death can never come.

Signed., Rev. J. H. Hilts, Garqfrax. Feb. 18, 1863  

His burial plot was the beginning of the present Monticello Cemetery.