"In the early part of the year (1819), 14 Scottish families came from the Red River to what is known as the Scotch Settlement in West Gwillimbury. They were joined by three Irish families from the south. Thus the Scotch Settlement, which is considered to be the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Lines, was established.” – Donald McGugan, in We Must Tell the Stories.
The simple paragraph doesn’t hint at the struggle and suffering that eventually led the families to West Gwillimbury.
Between 1811 and 1814, Scots from Kildonan, in Sutherlandshire, Scotland, who had been ordered from their rented crofts during the “Highland clearances,” were persuaded by Lord Selkirk to settle in the Red River area of Prince Rupert’s land.
They were lured to the New World by the promise of land and a new life, establishing an agricultural colony for the Hudson’s Bay Co.
Instead, they found harsh weather, disease, crop failures, and escalating violence by the opposing North West Company.
“In 1813, the ship The Prince of Wales set sail for Hudson’s Bay on the way to Selkirk’s settlement, with about 90 passengers of men, women and children. Typhoid fever broke out aboard the ship, on Hudson Bay. The captain put all of the passengers ashore 100 miles north of their destination at York Factory, and they had to manage to survive the winter on the barren shore… First Nations helped them to survive and to find their way next spring to York Factory. Here they had a short rest then set out on the approximately 800 mile trip to Red River.” – Jan Blommaert, BWG Local History Association
By 1815, many of the Selkirk settlers were grateful to accept the offer from the North West Company of free transportation back to Upper Canada.
Arriving in Holland Landing, they found work in the area, some with the Quaker families. In 1819, after the survey of West Gwillimbury was completed, a number of them came to take up land in the new township.
“In 1819, Andrew McBeath crossed the Holland River with his younger brother Charles and brother-in-law Alexander Gunn on a raft, with a rope strung between trees to pull it across. There were no roads or bridges across the river… Their friend Samuel Lount had helped survey this township, and agreed to show them the way.” – Jan Blommaert, BWG Local History Association.
Andrew and Charles McBeath (later spelled McBeth) and Alexander Gunn were among the first Selkirk Settlers who came to West Gwillimbury. Other families included Bannerman (George and Alexander), Sutherland (the families of Donald, William, Haman, Robert and Angus), Matheson (“Red” John and “Black” John - a reference to their hair colour), McKay (James, Roderick and Donald), Arthur Campbell and George Ross.
They were joined by several Irish families and settlers from elsewhere – Armstrong, Faris, Algeo, Wallace, and Stoddart – who first settled the area known as the Scotch Settlement.
The names show up again and again in the history of West Gwillimbury and surrounding areas, and in the early political life of Simcoe County. And they are more than names from the past; their descendants still live, work and farm in Bradford West Gwillimbury, New Tecumseth, Innisfil and surrounding areas.
It was a hard life, carving farms from forest, but no harder than life in Prince Rupert’s land, and the thankful settlers made worship a priority. They first built a log Church of Scotland and school on Line 6 in 1823. In 1827, the log cabin was replaced by a frame church.
The existing Auld Kirk was built on the site in 1869 – and that’s where, this Sunday, the BWG Local History Association will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Scotch Settlement.
From 1 to 4 p.m. June 16, the public is invited to come out to 3380 Line 6 in BWG, for an afternoon of history, displays, music, tours of the pioneer cemetery, old-fashioned games, children’s crafts, a scavenger hunt, and light refreshments.
And some of the descendants of those first settlers – Cathy Reid, seventh generation descendant of Robert Sutherland; Jim Culbert, a descendant of George Bannerman; Robert Sutherland, bringing the family Bible that belonged to his namesake; Ann Campbell, whose husband Tom was a descendant of Arthur Campbell – will be there to share the stories of the pioneers.
There will be formal speeches and opening ceremonies at 2 p.m., and a closing hymn at 3:45 p.m., both inside the restored church, which is now a Heritage Site.
The event will run rain or shine, although weather may limit outdoor activities. The event is free, but donations toward the preservation of the Auld Kirk are welcomed.
“Charles McBeath received the patent for the north half of Lot 9 Concession 4. He married Christina Gunn, another resident of the Scotch Settlement who had been to Red River. They had six children: John, Donald, Jennet, Hannah, Andrew and Benjamin, who all grew up in the Scotch Settlement.
"John (1834-1881) married Lundia McKay (1834-1921) and they farmed near Gilford. John died from a horse kicking him, and Lundia was left with a young family to raise.
"Donald (1839-1869) married Nancy Penfield of New Tecumseth; he drowned in the Holland River while fishing, leaving Nancy to raise two small children.
"Jennet (1832-1887) did not marry; she is buried at the Auld Kirk. Hannah (1837-1907) had a late-in-life marriage in 1887 to widower James Goodfellow. They lived in Bond Head, and were buried at the Bond Head Cemetery.
"Andrew (1840-1876) did not marry. Benjamin (1844-1899) became a veterinary surgeon and moved to Battle Creek, Mich., where he married Mary Aurelia Packard… The story of the McBeath family is just one of many similar stories of the settlers who arrived in 1819.” – Jan Blommaert.
