Wentworth County, Ontario

Wentworth County, area convert|269057|acre|km2|0, is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario.

It was created in 1816 as part of the Gore District in what was then Upper Canada and later Canada West. It was named in honour of Sir John Wentworth Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia (1792 to 1808) and intimate friend of William Jarvis, the first Provincial Secretary of Upper Canada. The Wentworth County originally consisted of seven townships which formerly belonged to Haldimand, Lincoln and York Counties.

For a brief period between 1850 and 1854, Wentworth County and Halton County were joined for government purposes as the United Counties of Wentworth and Halton, although for administrative purposes they remained distinct.

In 1973, Wentworth County was replaced by the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth. In 2001, the Regional Municipality and its six constituent municipalities were amalgamated as the "megacity" of Hamilton.

Constituent townships

Each township that was ever part of the county is listed alphabetically below along with its years of existence, and its previous and subsequent configurations.

* Ancaster,, area convert|44946|acre|km2|0, (surveyed 1798), 1816-1973, later became a village then town and part of township to Town of Dundas
* Barton, area convert|9958|acre|km2|0. The township was surveyed 1792 and named after the English town. The township included Hamilton and existed from 1816-1973, later became Village and City of Hamilton
* Beverly, area convert|69920|acre|km2|0. Surveyed and opened for settlement in 1798. The five northern concessions were surveyed in 1794 and the southern part in 1797. The Township was named from the town in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Community centres were: Copetown, Lynden, Rockton and Westover. The Township existed from 1851-1973, later divided with one part to North Dumfries, Ontario and majority to Town of Flamborough
* Binbrook (surveyed 1798), existed from 1816-1973, later one half of Glanbrook Township
* Caistor, existed from 1845-1851, earlier and later part of Haldimand County and then Town of West Lincoln
* Flamborough East, , area convert|33815|acre|km2|0. Both East and West Flamborough were surveyed and opened for settlement in 1792. The Township existed from 1851-1973, later divided with one part to City of Burlington and majority to Town of Flamborough
* Flamborough West,, area convert|31028|acre|km2|0 Both East and West Flamborough were surveyed and opened for settlement in 1792. The Township existed from 1851-1973, later divided with one part to Town of Dundas and majority to Town of Flamborough
* Glanford, area convert|23527|acre|km2|0 Was surveyed and opened for settlement in 1798. The township was named from Glanford-Brigg in Lincolnshire. Community centres were Glanford and Fenton. The Township existed from 1816-1873. The Township was later the other half of Glanbrook Township
* Onondaga, existed from 1816-1851, home of the Six Nations of the Grand River
* Saltfleet , area convert|28321|acre|km2|0. Was surveyed and opened in 1792. The name was suggested by the existence of several salt water springs. The Township existed from 1816-1973, later the town and city of Stoney Creek
* Seneca, existed from 1816-1851, later part of Brant County

Source: "Province of Ontario -- A History 1615 to 1927" by Jesse Edgar Middleton & Fred Landon, copyright 1927, Dominion Publishing Company, Toronto]

External links

* [http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/maps/districts.htm Changes in Wentworth County 1792-1899]
* [http://collections.ic.gc.ca/wentworth/twps.html Chronology of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth]