Durham County, Ontario

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Durham County (area 376,397 acres (1,523 km²)) is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was named from the English County and city.

Durham County was created in 1792. It was composed of the townships of Cartwright, Manvers, Cavan, Darlington, Clarke and Hope, and portions of what is now Peterborough County, created in 1838. It was united administratively with Northumberland County as the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham from 1800 until Durham County was dissolved on January 1, 1974.

Effective January 1, 1974, about half of Durham County was merged with Ontario County to create the Regional Municipality of Durham. The township of Manvers was transferred to Victoria County, which is now the city of Kawartha Lakes, Cavan was transferred to Peterborough County, where it is now part of Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan, and Hope was transferred to Northumberland County, where it is now part of the town of Port Hope.

The townships of Darlington and Clarke were amalgamated into the Town of Newcastle, renamed Clarington in 1993, and the township of Cartwright was combined with the Ontario County townships of Scugog and Reach to create a new Township of Scugog.

[edit] Historic townships

Cartwright - Area 37,600 acres (152 km²). Located in the northwest portion of Durham County, touching Lake Scugog. The Township was opened in 1816. The name is in honour of Richard Cartwright. Mostly settled between 1850 to 1858 by Irish immigrants. Community centres: Purple Hill, Caesarea, Scugog. This Township is now in Scugog Township
Cavan - Area 62,296 acers. Settled in 1816. Community centres : Millbrook, Cavan and Carmel. This Township is now in Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan Township in Peterborough County
Clarke - Area, 68,500 acres (277 km²). Was opened in 1792 and named in honour of General Alured Clarke. Community centres: Newcastle, Newtonville, Crooked Creek, Morgan's Corners, Orono, Kendall, Leskard. This Township is now in Clarington Municipality
Darlington - Area, 68,907 acres (279 km²). Opened in 1792 and named after the ancient English town. Community centres, Bowmanville, Enniskillen, Tyrone, Courtice. (the settlement was mostly Irish). This Township is now in Clarington Municipality
Hope -Area, 62,959 acres (255 km²). First settlement was in the town of Port Hope. The Township as opened in 1792 and named in honour Colonel Henry Hope, a member of the Legislative Council of Canada. The Township is now the Town of Port Hope in Northumberland County
Manvers - Area 69,923 acres (283 km²). Opened in 1816. Named in honour of Charles Pierrepont, 1st Earl Manvers. Community centres: Pontypool, Manvers Station, Janetville, Yelverton, Bethany, Franklin, Brunswick, Burton, Ballyduff, Lotus, Fleetwood, Lifford. Now in the City of Kawartha Lakes

Source: Province of Ontario -- A History 1615 to 1927 by Jesse Edgar Middletwon & Fred Landon, copyright 1927, Dominion Publishing Company, Toronto. Source: The Trail Through The Bush - A brief history of Manvers Township. By Sherrell Branton Leetooze. copyright 1998 L.M-J Associates.