Genealogical Resources Specific to:
Bradford West Gwillimbury
{ in alphabetical order }
200 Years Yonge: A History 971.354 Two
On pages 70-73, there is some information on early Bradford and
West Gwillimbury settlers. The pictures help get a feel for what
Bradford was like.
A History of St. Luke’s Anglican Church Pinkerton, Ontario
1871-1971 971.317 H
Page 56-71 may be useful to people who know their relatives lived
in the area or attended the church. These pages list some of the
early families and their children. It also provides some detailed
information about where some of these early families lived.
An Index to Hunter’s History of Simcoe County 971.317
Ind
This lists which part of the book, and which pages a particular
family or business is located. This is helpful if one does not
know which area their ancestors are from.
And the Swamp Flourished: The Bittersweet Story of Holland Marsh
971.3547 Van
This does have some information on some early, predominately
Dutch settlers to the Marsh. It also has pictures, which may be
useful. At the very least, it provides a history of the Holland
Marsh.
Bradford’s 125th Anniversary 971.317
Bra
This was published in 1982, and contains details about Bradford’s
past. While it does not contain specific genealogical data, it
does provide good information about what early Bradford was like.
It does mention some specific people, such as Bradford’s
early teachers and business owners if one reads through it.
Bradford’s Centennial Anniversay 971.317
McK
This book is helpful in some of the descriptions of the early
settlers. It also has some historical class pictures which may
provide one with a photograph of their ancestors.
Cemetery Inscriptions: Tecumseth and WG Townships, Simcoe County,
Ontario – 1982, 1994 editions 929.5
Cem
Of particular interest is the index which starts on page 317
and lists the names. Often included on headstones are date of
birth and death, and a wife’s maiden name. On some of the
settlers who emigrated, their birth location is also inscribed.
It is also helpful in finding the birth/death dates of children.
County Marriage Registers 1858-1869 Index to
Simcoe County 929.3713 Cou v.12
These are alphabetical, and list the bride/groom’s residence,
father, spouse, and year of marriage. The full record, which would
include the parties ages, both parents names, and birthplace,
is available at the Archives of Ontario. These are useful in tracking
a female relatives name change, and it should be noted that some
of the marriages recorded, albeit a few, predate the 1858 starting
point (at which time legislation was passed making it mandatory
to record marriages in Canada).
Gazetteer and Directory of the County of
Simcoe for 1872-3 929.371317 Gaz
This book is extremely useful. For information on ancestors who
lived in Bradford, turn to page 64. After a brief description
of Bradford and its chief industries, it proceeds to list the
names of male residents, and their occupation. It also lists the
same for any unmarried, or widowed women who worked outside the
home. From page 66-69, it provides copies of advertisements for
Bradford businesses (if one is listed for a person’s business,
after occupation is will say “see adv”). There is
also a listing of all the advertisements, divided by village,
on page iii-vi). For information on WG, turn to page 267. Here
is lists alphabetically those that owned land (usually men, but
some widowed women), and on what lot/concession they owned the
land. After their address appears either the letter F or h, indicating
whether they were a freeholder or a householder. On page 148-157,
a business directory is compiled, indicating in which village
you could find a certain blacksmith or physician. Pages 11-20
list members of agricultural associations, reeves, magistrates,
and military personnel, which could be an ancestor. Other areas
of interest include: Bond Head, Cookstown, Deerhurst, Fennels,
Gilford, Innisfil Township, Middletown, Newton Robinson, Painswick.
Genealogical Index to the Illustrated Atlas of the County of
Simcoe, 1881 929.371317
This only lists the subscribers for the whole county that are
available on page 41-53. This is useful if you are not sure what
village/township your ancestors would have belonged to. But it
only lists the subscribers, not all of the residents.
Historical Atlas of Simcoe County, 1881 911.713
This atlas starts by providing a brief history of the townships
or villages in Simcoe County. Of particular interest for this
area is page 12, on which Bradford and West Gwillimbury are profiled.
On page 30, there is a map of West Gwillimbury with the property
of some residents labeled (Armson, Bennett, Brandon, Coulson,
Duck, Evans, Geddes, Hambly, Howard, Jelly, Kidd, Kneeshaw, Lawson,
Landerkin, Male, McAfee, McArthur, McCarroll, McKeenan, O’Donnell,
Platt, Rogers, Rose, Ross, Scanlon, Sutherland, Thorpe, Walker,
Wardle, Wardman, Wilson, Wright, Wood). On page 37, there is a
portrait of Hugh McCarroll of West Gwillimbury. On pages 52-3,
there is a list of West Gwillimbury subscribers, and includes
the above mentioned, plus: Broughton, Brown, Chester, Dowd, Garrett,
Graham, Grantham, Green, McBeth, McKay, McCracken, Neilly, Ormsby,
Ogilvie, Sutton, Towse, West). It lists their address, number
of acres owned, occupation, and when they were born or when they
moved here. On page 85, there is a map of West Gwillimbury with
all of the occupants of the lots labeled. On page 88-9, it lists
alphabetically all the inhabitants of West Gwillimbury, and their
lot and concession, and whether they are a freeholder or tenant.
This atlas is also useful to other areas in Simcoe County. It
lists residences and addressed for most townships, and provides
similar maps indicating who lived where. It also has drawings
of some churches and buildings, and portraits of special people
within Simcoe County.
Historical Atlas of York County, 1878 911.713I
The last page lists the names of patrons in WG, and provides
some useful information on them, such as occupation and address.
Page XXII gives a brief description of early Bradford and West
Gwillimbury. Page 44 shows a map of West Gwillimbury, lot owners,
and the location of some buildings. This is considered one of
the most useful maps when researching West Gwillimbury. Page 45
has a map of Bradford, and the owners of the surrounding rural
plots are labeled. The lots inside the town of Bradford are labeled,
but no information is given as to who occupied each lot.
History of Simcoe County by Andrew Hunter 971.317
Hun
This book is considered one of the best sources that Simcoe County
has on its past. It gives a very thorough development of the county.
In tracing individuals, the following pages are particularly useful.
In the second half: Page 277-85 lists the settlers in Wg before
1837, all were considered farmers, and the men’s names and
concession/lot numbers are listed. Page 266, lists the male settlers
in Bradford before 1837, and their concession/lot number, and
occupation. Page 13-31 provides some detail about certain settlers
in Bradford and WG.
Inventory of Cemeteries in Ontario: A Genealogical
929.3713 Inv
Research Guide (1987 Edition)This provides a listing of all the
cemeteries that exist in Ontario, and their location, in terms
of lot and concession. Of particular interest to this community
is page 150-156 (which is Simcoe County). West Gwillimbury is
page 156.
Inventory of Historic Buildings in Bradford, Ontario
720.9713 Hal
This report profiles several older buildings in Bradford. If
you have an address of where your ancestors lived, this report
may provide you with a picture of their house. Also, about 30
of the houses profiled include the name of its original, or longest
resident. Blackwell (52); Broughton (122); Campbell (131, 133);
Clement (169); Cobourn (123); Collings (89); Cook (62, 158); Curry
(113); Davey (53); Day (66); Edmanson (101); Ellis (80); Fisher
(164); Garrett (99); Green (85); Gummerson (87); Hulse (70); Lukes
(67); MacDonald (94); Melbourne (82); Morton (128); Neilly (148);
Nesbitt (55); Pringle (57); Scanlon (88, 111); Scott (83); Sinclair
(115); Stoddard (75); Thorpe (69, 156); Tyndall (126); Wilkinson
(168); Wood (72)
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