Welcome to Beckwith Township, Lanark County 
St. James Anglican Church, Franktown, Ontario St. James Anglican Church in Franktown was built in 1822. It is one of the earliest stone churches built in the Ottawa area and is still in good condition. Franktown is on the road connecting Perth and Richmond. It is the "Lilac Capital of Canada". Franktown was a supply depot for early settlers in Perth, Lanark and Richmond. Some of the surnames in the Pioneer Cemetery at Franktown are Salter, Kidd, Lewis, Ford.The Rectory at Franktown
Some Roman Catholic Families in Beckwith Township, 1852 Many of the following families who came to Beckwith Township were related to or descended from either the 1823 Peter Robinson settlers from south-west Ireland or the Scottish Emigration Society Settlers in Lanark Township who came in 1820 from the Scottish Lowlands. The Peter Robinson Settlers were almost all Catholic -- the Scottish settlers were almost all Presbyterian. Many of the Irish Protestant families who settled in the Franktown area came from County Wexford, Ireland (see Bruce Elliott's article). The year is the approximate year of birth. Most of these families are found in the records of St. Michael's, Corkery, at one time or another.James BOYLE 1827 John BRENNAN 1809 Mary BURGESS 1788 James BURROWS 1812 Had tavern at Franktown Daniel CLEARY 1802 Nicholas DIXON 1820 (see posting dated Nov. 10, 2004) David DOWLIN 1777 Patrick GALVIN 1821 Tailor Martin JORDAN 1814 John KELLY 1822 James KINSELLA 1812 Hanna LEAHEY 1792 Timothy MANN 1790 Patrick McALINDEN 1792 Michael McCANN 1816 Mary McDERMOTT 1802 Angus McDONALD 1817 Innkeeper Donald McDONALD 1838 Son? John McDONALD 1817 Ronald McDONALD John McEWEN 1817 Scotland Mrs. McGOVERN 1802 Ellen McKENNA 1802 Angus McLELLAN 1804 Scotland John McLELLAN 1806 Scotland Michael MURRAY 1816 Shoemaker Patrick NAGLE 1822 Michael O'NEIL 1810 Maurice O'HARA 1817 Catherine ROCHE / ROACH 1810 Moses SHIELDS 1814
Source: Glen Lockwood's book on the history of Beckwith Township. See bibliography
November 10, 2004: Thanks to Taylor Kennedy for the following: Hi Al Your list of inhabitants for Beckwith, Nicholas Dixon was the gentleman who married Mary Goodall, daughter of Arthur Goodall and Martha O'Grady. They moved to the Windsor area, Maidstone to be exact. ... Taylor
December 30, 2005: Thanks to Robert Sample for sending along the grave marker inscriptions and photographs for some Beckwith Township Cemeteries . (Kennedy, Dewar, Prospect United/Methodist, Maplewood, Pine Grove, St. Fillan's, St. Augustine's) These cemetery listings are on Scott Naylor's web site.
January 15, 2006: Here's the best history of Beckwith Township: BECKWITH: Irish and Scottish Identities in a Canadian Community, 1816-1991 by Glenn J. Lockwood, ISBN 0-9695758-0-7, Corporation of the Township of Beckwith Now you can read it online. My friend Chris won a copy of this book a few of years ago. He made the best Chili in Franktown and the book was given as first prize.
March 30, 2006: Duncan McCuan (not McEwen), from Scotland, was an early settler in Beckwith Township.
November 18, 2007: Hi, Al: My new book, Founding Families of Beckwith Township 1816-1846 was launched on October 27 at the Carleton Place Public Library. I won't be making a profit on it, although I hope to cover the costs of printing. I'd be grateful if I could get a mention on Bytown or Bust, please. Cost of the book is $30.00 plus $9.00 shipping. My new web address is http:/www.nrtco.net/~juniper2/ My postal address is: Carol McCuaig 127 McCuaig Road, R R 2 Renfrew, ON, K7V 3Z5 Thanks! Carol Bennett McCuaig
February 8, 2008: Rory Griffith has sent along some history of several families who came to Beckwith Township from Counties Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford in Ireland, 1819-1822.
March 29, 2008:Beckwith Township in 1879 Source This map from 1879 shows Mississippi Lake, Carleton Place, Franktown, Ashton, Black's Corners and the village of Prospect.
May 8, 2008: Robert Lewis (from County Wicklow) and Mariah Lucas (from County Carlow) settled in the Franktown area and are buried in the pioneer cemetery there.
E-mail Taylor Kennedy, Robert Sample and Al Lewis
Back to Bytown or Bust - History and Genealogy in the Ottawa area
