The Lanark Settlement 1820
Text from the plaque
In August, 1820, a government depot was completed on the site of this community to serve as the centre of a military settlement in the newly surveyed townships of Lanark and Ramsay, North Sherbrooke and Dalhousie. By the spring of 1821 some 1,500 settlers, the majority of whom were unemployed Scottish weavers, discharged soldiers, and their families, were established in this area. Placed under the jurisdiction of the quartermaster-general's department, they received land, tools, farm implements and seed from the superintendent, Capt. William Marshall. In July and August 1821, another group of over 1,800 Scottish emigrants arrived. Although some of the land proved unsuitable for agriculture, these pioneers laid the foundation for successful settlement in this region.
Transcribed from the marker, not summarised.
Find the place
The County of Lanark
The Township of Lanark Highlands
In Lanark, on the grounds of the town hall
on the east side of George Street (Road 511)
just south of Clarence Street
Also recorded for this place: The County of Lanark
N 45 01.072 W 76 21.889
Recorded June 2004. Check current access before visiting.
More information
More views
Where it stands
Visitors' notes
December 18, 2012
G'day all. That plaque is a keeper for sure. It confirms some things I am turning up on my own. I'm researching the first member of our family in Canada, Robert Affleck, and it, the plaque, gives some proof of some items I have found. Much appreciated. Regards, Colin Affleck, L'Orignal, Ontario.
January 22, 2012
I really like this page. I was born in the town of Lanark in 1940 and lived there for 5 years with my mother and older brother, while my father was away in the war. When he returned we moved to Foger, my fathers family farm. We lived there for two years and then to Kingston where my father couldn't find steady work and rejoined the army and we then grew up on the base. I now live in Halifax which is just full of history which I love. Joan Simpson