Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives
Communities that still exist within the former London Township have retained some of their former prominence and are hubs of activities. Others have become bedroom communities for those who work in London.
Arva, originally called St. John’s or Sifton’s, had its name changed in the 1880s by the post office. Joseph Sifton, in the 1850s, owned most of the buildings and was wagon maker, storekeeper, tavern owner and eventually postmaster. Today, Arva Flour Mill and St. John’s Anglican Church are the earliest established parts of the community. Stores and businesses line Richmond Street North with Medway High School Weldon Park being other landmarks. Arva is home to many commuters to London for work.
Ballymote, located on the corner of Medway Road and Highbury Avenue North, was originally located on Fanshawe Park Road and Highbury Avenue. In 1878, the post office was located in the present hamlet. The name comes from Ballymote, County Sligo, Ireland. In the past, the hamlet had a post office, general store, blacksmiths, hotel, carriage making and cheese factory. Today, an electronics business, a gas station and auto centre, along with residences, are part of the hamlet.
Birr, once known as Bobtown, is located at the intersection of Richmond Street North and Thirteen Mile Road. John Griffiths, who owned a weaver shop, where the United Church Cemetery is now located, named the community Birr for his home in County Offaly, Ireland. At one time, Birr had two churches, a school, a hotel, a blacksmith, a shoe repair shop, a carriage factory and a mercantile with a post office. A store, once located on the northwest corner, had a concert hall next door. In 1961, the villagers blocked an attempt by the Department of Highways to build a bypass around Birr when expanding Highway 4. Today, Birr has a wood business, book store, a commercial orchard/store to the north and a new residential subdivision.
Bryanston, located at the corner of Twelve Mile Road and Highbury Avenue North, was first named Goodwood, after the first settlers, the Bayliffe’s, home in England. The post office renamed it Bryanston in 1872 as another community called Goodwood was discovered. Bryanston hosted two churches, a hall, two sawmills, flour mill, chopping mill, two general stores, hotels, cheese factory, brick factory, a liquor store, a blacksmith, shoemaker, carpenter, doctor and a carriage and wagon shop. Music was a part of this community with three bands and a singing group. Today, Bryanston has a variety store and gas bar, a fire hall, a community centre, Middlesex County equipment storage centre and other businesses.
Denfield, located on Denfield Road near Sixteen Mile Road, was first called Brecon, after John Matthews’, the first settler’s, home in Glamorganshire, Wales. He brought 175 Welsh settlers to the community between 1821 and 1851. With the opening of the post office in 1865, Brecon became Denfield, named after the English form of Penfilid, Wales, the home of the first postmaster, Benjamin. The passing of the London, Huron and Bruce Railroad triggered a boom period in Denfield, Over the years, there have been a church, a rail station, two hotels, a horse shed, a community hall, two stores, and several mills including saw, carding, grist, stave and flax, blacksmiths, shoemaker, farm implement business, construction business, fish business and barbershop . The Denfield General Store, built in 1877, which once stood on the east side of Main Street, was moved to Fanshawe Pioneer Village in the late 1990s, where it has been restored Today, Denfield is home to residences, a milling company, a sales barn and a community park.
Edgewood, located at the corner of Highway 7 and Highbury Avenue North, had its first building, a blacksmith shop, open in the 1850s, followed by an Orange Hall, gas station. ice cream shop, grocery store and dance hall. Today, the corner has a gas station and a variety store.
Elginfield, located at the corner of Highways 4 and 7, was named for Lord Elgin, Governor General of Canada. The post office opened in 1849, followed in 1855 by the Ryan Hotel, one of the largest hotels in rural Ontario—it could serve over 100 meals at a time. Because it was situated at a busy intersection, it became a stagecoach stop and a place for marketers from the north to stop for accommodation on the way home from London Market. At one time in the 1890s, eighteen businesses, including stores and tile and brickyards together with 150 residents, were located here. With the advent of the automobile, people were able to travel farther and the hamlet declined. In the 1950s, the Department of Highways made significant changes to the corner with only a few buildings remaining. Today, Elginfield has a restaurant, a RV business and a tile yard.
Ilderton, located on Ilderton Road at Hyde Park Road, was named for mail carrier Henry Severn’s home in Northumberland, England. In the 1850s, George Ord built the first store on the northeast corner. This was followed by a blacksmith, wagon shop, shoemaker, post office, churches, halls, bank, saw and grist mills, a grain elevator and a fairgrounds. Ilderton, like Denfield, benefitted from the London, Huron and Bruce Railway building a station in 1875, when the population grew from 32 in 1868 to over 200 in 1888.
With the railway, Ilderton became a hub for shipping goods to the city and to the Canadian West, including livestock and equipment. Hotels, stores and banks were needed. The growing community saw that a growing social life necessitated halls, skating rinks (outdoors first but in an arena later), a library, and organisations such as the Masonic, Oddfellow Lodge and Literary Societies. With the closing of the railroad lines by the 1990s, Ilderton’s farm businesses such as the Co-op and farm implement businesses became less important as an agricultural business centre. It is now home to several subdivisions, an arena, community centre, several variety stores, hair salons, florist, medical centres, pharmacies, garage, post office and restaurants. Ilderton celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.
Boundary Communities
Two of the former London Township communities, Melrose and Vanneck, shared a boundary with its neighbour Lobo Township.
Melrose, situated at the corner of Fanshawe and Vanneck Roads, was named for Melrose, Scotland, the home of the Boston family. The post office used the name Ferguson, after the first settlers, as another Melrose also existed in Ontario. Melrose had a variety of businesses and industry including a foundry, cheese factory, general stores, weaver’s shop, two hotels, and a casket-making business. A school and church were also part of the hamlet. Streets were built in anticipation of further growth. However, in 1854, when the Great Western Railroad was built to the south, the commercial centre declined. Today, Melrose is a bedroom community with a garage on one corner and the Melrose Cemetery on another.
Vanneck is situated at the corner of the Ilderton and Vanneck Roads. This hamlet grew when Vanneck Church opened in 1860. A post office operated until 1913. Dr. Robson practised from his Vanneck residence. A tile and brick manufacturing business and woodworking shop operated nearby. As Ilderton grew and businesses closed, Vanneck Church became the focal point until its closure in 2021.
