Collection 82-002 - Emily Township municipal records collection

Emily Township in Victoria County, previously Northumberland County in Newcastle District, was partially surveyed between October 18 and December 31, 1818 by Samuel Wilmot. The second part of the survey was completed by March 31, 1819. Emily Township is bounded by Verulam Township to the north, Ops and Manvers Townships to the east, Ennismore Township to the west, and Cavan Township to the south. It was described by Wilmot in a letter to the Suveyor General: "The quality of the land whereon there is maple, oak, elm and beech timber is exceedingly good, but the township is very much cut to pieces with swamps and a river that takes its rise in Manvers, presses diagonally through the township from the 2nd concession on that (west) boundary to the 12th concession on the east boundary, with immense marshes on each side." By the end of 1819, 44 settlers had been granted 100 acre half lots in the six concessions of Emily, between lots 8 and 23. By the end of 1820, the population had reached close to 100. The granting of lots tapered off between 1822 to 1824, and the first half of 1825. This occurred for two reasons: 1) the number of individuals coming to the district to seek land had decreased, and 2) the Land Board showed an interest in sending more newcomers into Smith, Otonabee, Ops and Mariposa Townships. Between 1822 and 1824 only 40 land grants were made in Emily. Even though migration into the township had decreased, the population continued grow. By 1825, the population had more than doubled to 216 inhabitants. From September to November of the same year, there was a large influx of Irish emigrants brought into Emily Township by Peter Robinson. In the following year, the population had increased to 837, three quarters of which were Robinson emigrants. The main source of livelihood for the settlers in Emily Township was agriculture. There were no mills in the Township until 1832, when William Cotnam built both grist and saw mills on his land beside the Pigeon River. Industry never really began and the township has remained mainly an agricultural area to the present day. (taken from Pammett, Howard. "Lilies and Shamrocks: A History of the Township of Emily in the County of Victoria". Lindsay: John Deyell Co., 1974.)