Vaughan Township Residents from A History of Toronto and County of York

John Malloy, lot 35, concession 4, is a native of Argyleshire, Scotland, having been born in the year 1802. He emigrated to Canada in 1824 with his parents. His father was the late Neil Malloy, who was well-known in his day throughout this district. In the year 1829 John Malloy purchased land in Vaughan Township, the same lot on which he now resides. Mr. Malloy remembers the first church being built on concession 6,at which time there were no roads. He was married in 1837 to Isabella Mitchell; they have a family of four sons and one daughter living. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and casts his vote for the Conservative Party. (vol. II, p. 354)

Gilbert Mathewson, lot 20, rear of concession 4, was born in the Township of Vaughan on the same lot where he now lives. His father, the late Joseph Mathewson, emigrated from Ireland with his parents and settled in Vaughan at an early day, the locality at that time being very wild; he located in 1836 on the farm now occupied by his son Gilbert. He died in 1873; his wife is still living, being seventy-five years of age. Gilbert married in 1860 Susannah Line, a daughter of Samuel Line, who lives in Maple Village. At her death he married his present wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Shunk; she is a daughter of Mr. Simon Shunk, of this township. He has five children by his first wife and one by his present wife. The family are adherents of the Methodist Church, and he is a Reformer in politics. (vol. II, p. 354)

John Maxwell, lot 6, concession 2, was born in Yorkshire, England, in the year 1816. His father was the late Thomas Maxwell, who emigrated to Canada in the year 1818 in company with his parents and other members of his family. Thomas Maxwell was married in England to Martha Robson, by whom he had six children; he was a miller by trade and followed that occupation after his arrival here; subsequently, entering into partnership with Mr. Thomas Fair, they operated a mill on their own account. Some time afterwards he removed to West York and conducted a saw-mill for about three years. He then came to Vaughan and rented part of the farm belonging to his father for a term of six years; but unfortunately died before the expiration of his lease. John remained at home with his parents for some years. On leaving there he went to Weston, where he resided between two and three years, afterwards returning to Vaughan. About the year 1838 he moved on to the farm he at present occupies. (vol. II, p. 354)

Robert Metcalf, retired, was born in Yorkshire, England, in the year 1809. In 1831, accompanied by his brother Thomas, he emigrated to Canada and came to little York, now Toronto. He shortly afterwards removed into Markham and worked for various farmers in the section. He subsequently purchased land in Vaughan, on lot 23, concession 2, where he resided thirty-six years and brought up his family. He was married in the year 1841 to Mary Ann Hoshel, a Canadian by birth of German extraction. His family consists of two boys and one girl. Mr. Metcalf is a member of the Methodist Church, and was a deed trustee of the old Methodist Church at Richmond Hill; he was an assistant class-leader to Amos Wright, and conducted the class-meetings in the absence of Mr. Wright while attending to his parliamentary duties. Mr. Metcalf mounted guard at Thornhill during the Mackenzie Rebellion. He is a Reformer in politics. His son Thomas was sergeant of a troop of cavalry for about ten years, and was looked upon as being a very efficient officer. (vol. II, p. 355)

Edward Miller, lot 27, concession 6, is a native of County Tyrone, Ireland, where he was born in the year 1800. He was a weaver by trade, which occupation he followed previous to his emigration to Canada in 1827. He came direct to York County and located in Vaughan Township, and about six years after his arrival purchased the farm on which he now resides. Mr. Miller married in Ireland, Rebecca Noble, by whom he had a family of ten children, six sons and four daughters; four being dead. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church, and is a Conservative in politics. From his long residence in the township, Mr. Miller can bear testimony to the vast improvements made in the section since first he entered it, and the fact that he can remember the time when neither roads, churches or schools existed, speaks eloquently on behalf of the settlers whose enterprise and energy have contributed to the present satisfactory state of things. (vol. II, p. 355)

John Moody, lot 21, concession 9, was born in Vaughan Township, being the youngest son of the late Mr. James Moody, a native of Yorkshire, England. Mr. Moody, sen’r, on his arrival in Canada came direct to York, and purchased fifty acres of land in Etobicoke Township, on which he remained about fifteen years. He soon after purchased the farm in Vaughan, where his son John now resides; where he lived until the time of his death in 1883, at the age of eighty years. His wife, our subject’s mother, still lives in Gray County. John Moody was married in the year 1880 to Matilda, daughter of the late Mr. John Prescott, of Toronto, by whom he has three children. He belongs to the Methodist Church, and is a Conservative in politics. (vol. II, p. 356)

Archibald Morrow, lot 26, concession 7, was born on the farm he now occupies, being the son of the late James Morrow. His father emigrated from County Cavan, Ireland, in the year 1819, and on his arrival settled first at Chippewa, where he was married. He appears to have followed different occupations in various places before locating in Vaughan. At one time he chopped cordwood on Cruikshank’s Lane (now Bathust Street), Toronto, for the sum of twenty-five cents per cord, and he was subsequently engaged as one of the party who surveyed the section where the town of Barrie now stands. In the year 1830 he settled in this township on the farm where his son, Archibald, now resides. He was a man who, in all probability, would have made a useful member of the municipal body elect, from his great experience and well-known capacity for observation, but such office he never sought, although it is recorded that he always worked hard for his friends and party. He died in the year 1869, at the advanced age of eighty-one years, having lived a useful and industrious life, and gained a host of friends. Archibald Morrow was first married in 1862, the maiden name of his wife being Martha McCutcheon, by whom he had a family of three children. He married his present wife in the year 1871, her name being Margaret Slater; they have three children. Mr. Morrow belongs to the Methodist Church, and is a Conservative in politics. (vol. II, p. 356)

Malcolm Mulloy, lot 35, concession 5, was born in Argyleshire, Scotland, in the year 1810, and is the youngest son now living of the late Neil Mulloy. The latter emigrated to Canada in the year 1825 with his family, and came to little York, and after staying there a short time, he removed to Vaughan and settled on lot 55, concession 4. He lived with his two sons, James and Neil, who had emigrated about two years previously, and who farmed the land, he himself being a weaver, at which trade he worked up to the period of his death, which took place in 1845. Malcolm married in 1837 Agnes Cameron, who is still living; they have had a family of ten children, but three died when young. Mr. Mulloy is an elder of the Presbyterian Church, and has taken an active part in its affairs. He is a Conservative in politics. (vol. II, p. 356)

Isaac Murray, lot 26, concession 5, was born in Pennsylvania, in the year 1816, and came with his parents to Canada when he was only two years of age. The account of their journey has more the appearance of an extract from some work of fiction than an incidental circumstance of real life. The distance of four hundred and fifty miles was covered by the parents on foot, while the children, of whom Isaac was one, rode in wallets over the back of a horse. It is not recorded in what length of time the journey was made, but no doubt it would afford a striking and instructive contrast as against the time occupied in traversing the distance in the present day. His father first settled in York Township, on lot 19, concession 5, where he remained about ten years. In 1833 he removed to Vaughan Township, and purchased the lot where the subject of this sketch now resides. His father died at the advanced age of eighty years; his mother was within a few days of reaching her eighty-ninth year when her death occurred. The old people during their lifetime, through industry and perseverance, accumulated a nice property, the mother having been in the habit of weaving for the neighbours, by which she earned a good deal of money. His father had to carry all his flour on his back from Farr’s Mill near Weston. Isaac was the youngest son of his father’s family, and to him fell the possession of the old homestead. He is greatly interested in bees, having a very large apiary in connection with the farm, from which he takes a great quantity of honey; he has one hundred and twenty-four hives, and took out last season over two thousand four hundred pounds in weight. Mr. Murray married Mary Cober, a daughter of the late Peter Cober; they had only one son who has since died. The only office held by our subject has been that of Road Commissioner, which he held for about five years. He is a member of the Lutheran Church, and has taken an active part in church matters. He is a Conservative in politics. (vol. II, p. 357)