Ontario's Historical Plaques

Here's where you can learn a little Ontario history.

The Wilberforce Settlement 1830

Photo by Anonymous - June 2008

Plaque Location

The County of Middlesex
The Township of Lucan Biddulph
Behind the Post Office, 179 Main St., Lucan

Plaque Text

In 1829 a group of fugitive Negro slaves in Cincinnati decided to seek a more secure refuge in Canada. In 1830, with the help of Quakers in Oberlin, Ohio, they purchased 325 ha of land in this vicinity from the Canada Company. A settlement was established, the first in Biddulph Township, and groups from New England and New York State joined those from Ohio. By 1833 there were thirty-two families, two schools and a sawmill in this settlement, which was named after the great British abolitionist William Wilberforce. One of the earliest Negro colonies in Upper Canada, its population dwindled rapidly in the 1840's although some families remained for more than a generation.

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