Ilderton Fair Celebrates 175th Anniversary
Written By Beverly Hughes, Middlesex Centre Archives Beginning in 1851, the London Township Agricultural Society held fairs each Spring and Fall. The Spring Fair’s purpose was to encourage the importation…
When a Church Finds Its Way Home
Written By Denise Pelley The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Chapel at Fanshawe Pioneer Village is one of the most significant surviving landmarks of Black history in Southwestern Ontario. Originally built…
Family Reunions
Written By Krista Taylor, Archivist, Middlesex Centre Archives It is not uncommon in modern times to only have “family reunions” at funerals. Phrases such as “we have to stop meeting…
My Search for Circus Man(Part I)
Written By Donna Costa The death of Jumbo the elephant in an 1885 train accident shocked the world. The story of his tragic demise in St. Thomas, Ontario, is still…
Middlesex Centre Villages and Hamlets Part IV
Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives Boundary Communities of Lobo and Delaware Townships Kilworth, the oldest community in Middlesex County, straddled both Lobo and Delaware Townships on the Thames…
Middlesex Centre, Villages and Hamlets Past and Present Part 3
Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives Former Lobo TownshipCommunitiesForgotten Communities Amiens, has had three different locations before it disappeared around 1840, shortly after it was bypassed by a road…
Introducing the Presbyterian Church Heritage Centre in Carlisle of North Middlesex
Written By Ian Mason Nestled in the cemetery in the hamlet of Carlisle, 6 kms east of Ailsa Craig, is the Presbyterian Church Heritage Centre (PCHC). It contains the national…
London Township Existing Communities
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…
Vanished Villages in Western Middlesex
Written By Jenny Grainger Western Middlesex – in fact, all of Southwestern Ontario - was once covered with pioneer villages that faded in the twentieth century. Often, we see reminders…
Heritage Fair to Celebrate Local History in Delaware
Written By Krista Taylor, Middlesex Centre Archives The Middlesex Centre Archives (MCA) will be hosting its annual Heritage Fair on Saturday, April 11th, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.…
Burwell Memorial Church
Written By Bill Simpson On one of my earliest explorations when I moved down to this area last year, I took the Burwell Road from Longwoods (a couple of kilometers…
Villages and Hamlets of Middlesex Centre, Past and Present (Part I)
Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives The Municipality of Middlesex Centre comprises the former Middlesex County townships of London, Lobo Delaware and part of Westminster. Among those townships, no…
The Campbell Legacy
Written By Kathryn Shailer, Friends of Campbell Park The story of the Campbell family of Alvinston is the history of Scottish settlement in SW Ontario in the mid 19th century.…
Valentine’s Day Celebrations
Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives When one thinks of Valentine’s Day, romance, chocolates, cards and flowers come to mind. From stories of St. Valentines (there were several) to…
Tracing a Journey of Faith: Understanding the Old Colony Mennonite Experience
Author Maria Moore shares historical insights and herpersonal story at Glencoe Presbyterian Church. The Old Colony Mennonite story stretches across continents and centuries—a journey shaped by faith, identity, and the…
A Boy from Lobo
Written By Sid Prior, Middlesex Centre Archives William Henry Fonger was the son of Alfred (Alf) Fonger and Mary Jane Lipsett, but went by Harry most of his life. He…
10,000 Years of Food and Agriculture in Southwestern Ontario
Written By Kae Elgie For many of us, December brings thoughts of Christmas feasts from our past. We hunt up favourite recipes, place orders for fresh Christmas fowl, bake treats…
Christmas 1898 (According to Wilfrid Jury)
Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives Every family celebrates holidays based on tradition and what is currently in vogue. Often those traditions have roots in the “Old Country”, and…
From Yorkshire to Ekfrid—And Back Again
Written By Kellie Davenport As our Uber approached the stately manor house at Grimston Park, a historic North Yorkshire estate about 25 minutes west of York, the size of the…
The Poetry of War
Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives Often, in wartime, our thoughts turn to the horrors, suffering and grief. However, the arts had a role to play. Soldiers in the…
A Canoe for His Grandfather
Written By Mary Simpson & Ron McRae When Ron McRae first began researching how to build a cedar strip canoe, it was during the COVID outbreak and at the urging…
Remembering
Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives November 11th is fast approaching. With that our thoughts turn to the promise of hope for lasting world peace. Today, once again that…
St John’s Anglican Church in Glencoe
Written By Bill Simpson St John’s Anglican sits at the heart of Glencoe at the junction of Main St and Concession Drive, a corner it shares with the Presbyterian and…
Unlocking the Secrets of Cemeteries
Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives “Mommy, do we have anyone there?” asked a chorus of little voices from the back seat of the car as we passed by…
“Bonnets and Bayonets” Women in the Shadows of the War of 1812
Written By Emma Stack There is never a doubt that a soldier marching obediently into a volley of musket fire is a hero. An army surgeon, his white apron stained…
Churches of Middlesex Centre(Part III)
Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives Many of those churches that have remained open have a long history. Most went through transformations from log, to frame to brick, with…
Remembering our Ancestors at Simpson Cemetery
Written By Brian Huis Cemeteries can serve as public parks, providing green spaces and a sense of place as well as cultural and historical context for local communities. Many graveyards,…
Churches of Middlesex Centre (Part II)
Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives According to Delaware and Westminster Townships Honouring Our Roots Volume 1, many of their churches have closed their doors. In fact, the village…
The Alexanders: A Migrant Story
Written By Kellie Davenport Penned in 1853, this letter of reference launched the Alexander family legacy in Canada—and a long line of dedicated Ontario farmers. More than 170 years later,…
Churches of Middlesex Centre(Part I)
Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives When settlement first began, often the first building that was constructed, after the pioneers’ residences, was a structure that served initially as a…