Our Four Communities - Our Common Story

The Settlement of Four Municipalities
“Settlement in Southwestern Ontario began along Lake Erie and then moved north into the Thames watershed. “The Thames River was the highroad for commerce and travel, binding the people on both banks into one community…early decisions were made to front the townships for the area on the Thames River and not the lake shore.” (Source: The Early History of Dunwich Township 1790-1903.)

The uniqueness of our heritage from the Thames River to the shores of Lake Erie continues to connect people in the villages, hamlets and outlying farmlands of Dutton-Dunwich, Newbury, Southwest Middlesex and West Elgin. Therefore, this centre will profile the heritage of these four municipalities.

The interrelationship of the municipalities began with the arrival of Colonel Thomas Talbot on May 22, 1803, who received a land grant in south Dunwich and Aldborough from the British government. When he died in 1853, the Talbot Settlement included all land along the north shore of Lake Erie to the Thames River from the Detroit River to Norfolk County and land north of the Thames including Mosa and Ekfrid.

West Elgin, consisting of Aldborough Township and the villages of West Lorne and Rodney, holds the distinction of being the home of the first settler, James Fleming. He received a grant by the Thames River in northwest Aldborough, settling in 1796. Early settlement brought Scottish Highlanders and Germans and the arrival of the Canada Southern Railway introduced merchants of other ethnicities. The next great wave of immigrants arrived between the two great wars, particularly after World War II. Today, West Elgin is a multicultural society.

Dutton-Dunwich is the heart of the Talbot Settlement. Colonel Talbot chose Port Talbot, at the mouth of the Talbot Creek, as the site for his homestead. The first settlers were from the United States and probably were employed by Talbot. Nova Scotians and Scottish Highlanders followed. The coming of the railway brought diversity and led to the incorporation of Dutton in 1891. The development of the township resembled that of West Elgin so the ethnic composition is similar.

Southwest Middlesex consists of two townships - Mosa and Ekfrid - and two villages, Glencoe and Wardsville. In 1810/12 the first settler, George Ward, established himself at Wardsville, undoubtedly drawn by the Thames River. The village was incorporated in 1867, a few months prior to Confederation. Colonel Talbot’s land in south Aldborough and Dunwich was quickly taken up, and since Mosa and Ekfrid fell under the Colonel’s authority, he placed Scottish Highlanders there as early as 1820. As with West Elgin, the railway and 20th-century world events introduced other cultures to Southwest Middlesex.

The village of Newbury owes its beginning to the arrival of the Great Western Railway in 1851. By 1872, it boasted a population over 700, and incorporated in 1873. Throughout the years, the railway attracted businesses and Newbury has long been associated with lumber. Growth continued with the opening of Four Counties Hospital, an example of the co-operation among the four municipalities. Newbury boasts that it is in the Heart of Skunk’s Misery, an attraction for hikers, bird watchers and other nature activities.

The interrelationship of the four municipalities, begun in 1803, continues 205 years later. Their similar history and development has resulted in a common heritage.