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https://archives.deerfieldlibrary.org/files/original/1c0b98f877e9c7d53ca8fb7e0bdc4230.pdf
bc5a48fea582c83bebdbe503512bec3c
PDF Text
Text
Black Kcm's History'
http.7Avwvv.ciacccss.com/~jdncwby/black 1 .htm
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national historic site & museum
The Buxton (El8in) Settlement. A Cultural Landscape
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Black History of Southwestern Ontario
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Rev, Kino
Black Power Town
liannv Fai-ros
JloL’iiij OimUi
James Rapier
Maple Leaf Band
Threshing Time
Women of Buxton
Marv Anne Shadd
Buxton Bell
Abraham Shadd
Black Kent's History'
Better from Buxton
This information is taken from a Black History project completed by
students and Staff from Chatham Collegiate Institute in Chatham, Ontario.
Material was compiled from the collections of the Chatham - Kent sites of the African Canadian Heritage Tour.
Introduction To Elgin
The Elgin settlement, also known as Buxton, was Uie last of four organized black settlements to
come into existence in Canada. Hie black population of Canada West and Chatham was already
high because of the area’s proximity to the United States of America. The land was purchased by
the Elgin Association through the Presbyterian Synod for the purpose of creating a settlement.
The land lay 12 miles south of Chatham. When news of the Elgin settlement spread, white
settlers became worried, and attempted to block its development with a petition. Regardless of
sentiment, plans for the settlement went ahead and many of Buxton's settlers feared for the life of
William King due to the resistance of whites.
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Heritage Tchip !
Rules for the Elgin Settlemc
People of Elgin
The First Six Graduates of f
Resistance to the Elgin Seftl.
Chatham The 1850*3
Resettlement of Africa
The Chatham Convenl
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William King believed that blacks could function
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successfully in a working society if given the same
! The Death of John Br<i
..... educational opportunities as white children. "Blacks
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are intellectually capable of absorbing classical and
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............aiiers." Being a reverend and teacher, the building of a school and church in
jb:: /.%■■ rtr-'accessary by him. The settlement also was home to the logging industry'. George Brow
rFathers of Confederation was a supporter of William King and helped build the scttlen
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Rev. William King
Founder of the Elgin Settlement,
Rev. William King established a
community that still exists today.
This community is considered by
many as one of the only
settlements began as a haven for
Blacks escaping slavery to have
been a success. Much of the
credit for the success of the
settlement mast be given to Rev.
William King and his thoughtful
development of this community.
Vilisam King and his fifteen former slaves arrived at the land, which was bough
already waiting and others began to arrive soon afterwards. The first settler, Isaac Rile
seU*emcnl before King even arrived. Mostly all adults living in the settlement had beer
was ma<k °f 9 000 acres of land, 6 miles in lengtli, 3 in width situated between the Gr<
Erie. The land was divided into farms of 50 acres each. Certain standards had to be ma
>ro(>cny conditions. I -and had to be purchased by the settlers at the price of!
.......tn ten equal installments with 6% interest Ten years was allowed for the settlsettlers would have had a deed in possession by then. The settlers were given no monej
tools; the only thing given was protection and advice.
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Rules for the Elgin Settlement:
1. No liquor allowed on the settlement
2. Land could only be sold to blacks and had to remain in their
hands for ten years
3. I-ind had to be purchased not leased
4 Each house had to be built at least 24x18x12 feet with a
porch across the front
5. Each house had to be built 33 feet from the road, with a
picket fence and flower garden in front; prizes were given for
the most attractive home (made from Uie logs cut down from
the thick bush surrounding the area)
Gravesion*
Reasons for the strict rules:
William King wanted a stable settlement for the black settlers. By requiring the inhabitants to pay for their own
property and possessions he hoped to instill a sense of pride in the community. The settlers also had to live on the
land for ten years, which made many stay a reasonable length of time in Buxton. The rules paid off as Buxton has
been hailed the only successful black settlement in Canada.
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Settlement. Th
what was the E
located in what
Buxton sites ar
1850
Reverend William King and a young assistant, John Rennie, took young black children (and two white children who attended the:
school level and on to the secondary level. Those with the ability were encouraged to attend college or post secondary education. 1
many white settlers asked to close their school and attend the King school, this made one of the first integrated schools in North Ar
were studied there. Mary Ann Shadd's parents and a number of her brothers and sisters moved just outside of the Buxton limits.
1851
A new course, Greek, was added to school classes.
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PvCn‘s History
http://www.ciacccss.com/~jdnewby/black 1 .htm
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1852
The day school had 78 on the roll, 26 were children of white parents. King was chiefly paid by the Home Mission Committee of tl
Canada, which always bore testimony against the evils of slavery. By August 1st, 1852 there were 400 settlers. Twenty-five Tamil:
together, furthering the community atmosphere. Within the district there were about 100 families. Of the 350 acres of land cleared
under crop. The land had been adapted to grow com, tobacco and hemp. 'The rule of no alcohol was working well as there are no c
court of arbitration was set up to encourage peace among the settlers.
1853
130 families had settled on Elgin Association land. There were a total of 520. 500 acres had been cleared and were under fence; 1:
acres were planted with com, 60 acres with wheat, 29 with oats and 90 with various others. There were 112 students now enrolled
1854
More houses were built in the settlement, one person even constructed a brick home. There were approximately 150 families settle
acres were cleared and under fence, 174 were cut down and ready for clearing. 334 acres were planted with com, 95 with wheat, 4
assorted crops. The day school had 147 students registered.
1855
827 acres were under fence, 216 have been chopped down. There is a considerable amount of tobacco being farmed. The school n<
mill and market are completed on July 4th, 1855.
1856
By 1856 there were close to 800 people living in the Elgin Settlement. The settlement now had a school and mission's church. The
after the Earl of Buxton (British Parliament) who passed the Emancipation Act of 1833. During 1856 the Elgin settlement had a p
hotel, a blacksmith, a carpenter, shoe shops, factories and a savings bank. Six men had finished their education at King's school.
1857
Two schools had been doing well, one male and one female, bringing the total student population to
140.
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1860's
The population comes to a height with 2000 people.
m
....
People
i
Reverend William King
William King was bom on November 11th, 1812 in Ireland. He attended the Glascow University
where he was influenced by social reforms and the work of the famous British abolitionist, Sir Thomas
Foxwell Buxton, hi 1834 William King emigrated with his parents to North America. The family
settled on a land. Ohio farm and then moved to South Jackson Louisiana. Here he became Rector of
Matthew's Academy which was a private school for children of wealthy plantation owners. Eventually
William King married Mary Pharos and she brought four slaves. King was totally opposed to any such
idea and publicly protested slavery.
S.S.# 13 Raleigh Tc
Education was a focal point i
Buxton schools were sought
education that included the c
siu-'h a-s medicine and law. T
segregated and taught both b
This is the second school ant
stands today and is used as ai
From the very beginning King was against slavery. After his wife, son and museum's ambitions for the 1
daughter all died, King returned to Scotland where he continued his
school hoase to its original si
schooling to become a minister and missionary. The Presbyterian Church
of Scotland posted him to do missionary work in Canada. In 1846 King arrived in Canada when he le.
King immediately returned to Louisiana where he inherited his wife's property and retrieved his slaves
back in Canada in 1848 with 14 black slaves and 4 year old Solomon, the son of one of the slaves. Th
King's black community in November of 1849. King did marry again while he lived on the Elgin Setll
(who was white) was known to be a bit eccentric. She supposedly was unable to have children of her c
on the street away from their parents. However she was a musician and taught music at the settlement,
character based on Reverend William King is portrayed in Harriet Beacher Stowe's book - Dred, A Tt
Isaac Riley
Rev. William King
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Isaac Riley was raised in Perry County, Missour
escaped to Canada with his wife and their child.
Windsor he was able to earn small wages. He me
he found belter pay. Riley then moved back to St
he was paid 50 cents a day. Eventually he movee
his children to have a good education.
Henry Johnson
Henry Johnson was originally from Pennsylvanit
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http://www.ciaccess.com/~jdncwby/black 1 .htm
Bla<* Kent's History
4r
.
coming to Canada. Henry lived in various parts (
moving to the Buxton Settlement. "I came to Car
liberty. But most of all I came to Buxton so my c
education." One of his daughters had been doing
Ohio. She had been advancing quickly through tire levels and was receiving her education with ladies. Her mother went through a
was well dressed and groomed when she went to school also. The school trustees, however, passed a rule that did not allow black <
Her father became upset and visited the trustees but there was nothing he could do about the rule. The teacher contacted Henry Jol
his daughter and that the students had voted in class that she should stay but the vote had already been passed. Johnson was very ii
Settlement. He told historian Benjamin Drew in 1856 that the people were prosperous and admired tire fact that they didn't accept
E. A. Richardson BATE. Church
North Buxton
Clarissa Bristow Johnston
Clarissa Bristow Johnston worked for a master and mistress in Louisiana, At age 12 she escaped. She went to the Elgin Settlement
Abraham Johnston of the Christiana Riots fame. She and her husband had 11 children, 9 of which died. Her husband also died yoi
how she would go out to bury one child and by the time she returned, another would have passed away. Through all of this she wa
farm. Hie farm is still on the same property with the same family today in Buxton.
Top
The First Six GTiIrS ataTregrt a i+Ava reimicBCra min —hhbh
Dr. Anderson Abbott
Dr. Abbott was educated in the Elgin settlement as one of William King's first 6 graduates. He studied medicine at the University <
of the Medical Board of Upper Canada in 1861. In 1863 he served as a surgeon in the United States Army under Dr. Augusta. Lai
at the Washington Hospital until he resigned in April 1866.
He returned to Canada and married Mary Ann Casey. They set up residence on Park St. in Chatham. Dr. Abbott began
to practice medicine from the Hunton Block on William Street In Chatham, Dr. Abbott was president of Wilberlorce
Educational Institute from 1873-1880. He was the associate editor of the Missionary' Messenger, published by the
British Methodist Episcopal Church and president of the Chatham Literary and Debating Society. During the year of
1878 he was President of Chatham's Medical Society. He was also one of the first Coroners for Kent County. Doctor
Abbott died in December, 1913.
James Rapier
James Rapier was one of William King’s first 6 graduates. He attended Knox College in Toronto and later came back
to Buxton to teach at the SS #13. After the American Civil War he returned to Alabama where he became a slate
representative.
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Alfred Laffcrty
Alfred Lafferty was one of the first 6 graduates from the Elgin School, SS #13. Alfred Laffcrty graduated from the
University of Toronto's mathematics program. In Chatham Laffcrty held the post of principal of the Wilberforcc
Educational Institute from 1875-1882. He was an active member of tlie Literary Society and a lodge. In 1886 he
became a lawyer in Chatham.
Thomas Stringer
Thomas was one of the first six graduates of Rev. King's school in Buxton. He graduated as an adult student. Some of
his accomplishments included founding the BME (British Methodist Episcopal) Churches in Chatham and Buxton. He
returned to Mississippi and became an orator there after the Civil War in the USA. The Most Worshipful Stringer
Grand Lodge in Mississippi was named after him.
Richard Johnson
Richard Jolinson was one of Rev. King’s first six graduates who became a medical doctor and a missionary in Africa.
Dr. And<
One of thi
Buxton M
prominent
informalic
link that a
blip wiv
Jerome Riley
Jerome Riley was another of Rev. King's first six grads who became a medical doctor and worked in Washington.
Top
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Dublin Core
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Title
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Lyman Wilmot House
Description
An account of the resource
This collection consists of records related to the Deerfield Public Library's research into whether or not the Wilmot house could be proved to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Creator
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Deerfield Public Library
Source
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Deerfield Public Library
Publisher
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Deerfield Public Library
Date
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2002
Language
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English
Identifier
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DPL.0013
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Buxton National Historic Site and Museum: Introduction to Elgin
Description
An account of the resource
Printout from webpage of an introdcution to Elgin (also known as Buxtin), which was the last of four organized black settlements to come into existence in Canada. Some highlighting.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Buxton National Historic Site
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Accessed 02/06/2002
Language
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English
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DPL.0013.038
Abraham Johnston
Africa
Alabama
Alfred Lafferty
American Civil War
Anderson Abbott
Benjamin Drew
Blacksmith
British Methodist Episcopal Church
British Parliament
Buxton National Historic Site and Museum
Buxton Settlement Canada
Canada
Canada Home Mission Committee
Canada West
Canadian Organized Black Settlements
Carpenter
Chatham Literary and Debating Society
Chatham Medical Society
Chatham Ontario Canada
Christiana Riots
Clarissa Bristow Johnston
Dr. Augusta
Earl of Buxton
Elgin Association
Elgin School
Elgin Settlement Canada
Emancipation Act of 1833
Factories
Fathers of Confederation
George Brow
Glasgow University
Greek
Harriet Beecher Stoew
Henry Johnson
Hotel
Ireland
Isaac Riley
James Rapier
Jerome Riley
John Rennie
Kent County Coroner
King's School
Knox College
Lake Erie
Louisiana
Mary Ann Casey
Mary Ann Shadd
Mary Phares
Matthew's Academy
Missionary Messenger
Mississippi
Mississippi Most Worshipful Stringer Grand Lodge
North America
North Buxton Ontario Canada
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Perry Counti Missouri
Presbyterian Church of Scotland
Presbyterian Church Synod
Printout
Raleigh E.A. Richardson BME Church
Richard Johnson
Savings Bank
Shoe Shops
Slavery
South Jackson Louisiana
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario Black History
Thomas Foxwell Buxton
Thomas Stringer
Toronto Ontario Canada
United States Army
United States of America
University of Toronto
Upper Canada Medical Board
Washington
Washington Hospital
Webpage
Wilberforce Educational Institute
William King