Bewdley, Ontario

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Bewdley, Ontario is a community on the western end of Rice Lake. It was named after Bewdley, England, the ancestral home of William Bancks who founded the town.

The area was used for habitation before this by native settlers. The first land grant was to Nellie Grant in 1794, the daughter of a colonial administrator. The early local name for Bewdley was Black’s Landing, taken from a tavern in the area. Early on, there were sawmills which drove settlement in the area.

William Bancks came to the area in 1833 and tried to organize the creation of a gentlemen's colony and a sawmill. The town is known for its monument to Joseph Scriven, who preached upon the village streets around the 1860’s. The tourist and fishing industries have helped the Bewdley of today to be known as an enjoyable vacation spot on Rice Lake.