Sticking with “The Township of Sandwich” and with Chippawa Street in the west end, I noticed this old photo. It’s captioned:
- The Col. John A. Wilkinson Homestead
Chippewa Street, Sandwich.
Interesting to note, at some time in the last century the spelling of the street changed from Chippewa to Chippawa….
The book also has the following info:
The “Hon. John A. Wilkinson Homestead” on Chippewa Street, built around the year 1818 or shortly after the war of 1812. The material for this house was brough from Montreal by Mr. Wilkinson. It was at this house that Dr. John James Hume called professionally and afterwards spend the night socially with Mr. Wilkinson and family the evening before he was murdered by rebels in Windsor, December 4, 1838.
I wonder if Col. Wilkinson was the father (or some other relation) of George Wilkinson of Wilkinson’s Shoes, longtime downtown retail fixture.
Dr. John James Hume has a fascinating story attributed to his person.
His grave still stands in decent shape at St. John’s cemetery in Sandwich Town.
Apparently they shot him dead and mutilated his body. Col. Prince labelled all American invaders Pirates and ordered a bunch shot without trial.
Dr. Hume’s grave still reads that he was killed by “Pirates”
would this house have been located close to the river or east of sandwich street?
Seems like it would have been somewhere at the junction of Wilkinson Lane and Chippawa Street.
(Looking at Google Maps)
ShawnM….where can I read about Dr. John James Hume?
Dr Humes Tombstone
http://geneofun.on.ca/names/photo/479367
I remember Wilkinsons shoe store from back in the 50’s I mom bought me shoes there a couple times,never knew about the family history
One website mentioned that Wilkinson’s granddaughter , Fanes Nelson still owned the “quaint” house in 1917.
Its hard to tell for sure from the photo but it looks like this was on the southwest corner of Chippawa and Wilkinson Lane which is an empty lot, it might be good place for an archeological dig if nothing else was on the site.
Good possible connection Andrew. It seems a lot of older names in this region stuck around since the beginning of settlement.
Would Col. Prince then also be murderer for executing people without trial??
The rebellions of 1838 were very important to Canada and changed our political landscape for the better.
Col. Prince took the law into his own hands that day as a deterrent to more marauding “Pirates”
He was scorned for his actions, but later praised.
Many others were sent to penal colonies in Tasmania or hanged by the neck.
Does anyone know if this is the same John Wilkinson who was originally from Co. Tyrone, Ireland and settled first in Virginia before moving to Essex County? I’ve never seen a reference to him being a Colonel, but the timing and the area is right.
this looks like the home I grew up in on Chippewa St. it looks like an addition was added to the house..its the only one shaped like that on the street others were smaller…my grandfather lived on one side and my Dad his son rented the other side from him..the one we lived in was located down the end of the street away from the River closer to
Harris and Bloomfield Rd.
the home was over 100 years old…bathrooms had to be added they were added to back of both sides…
My Grandfather(Rabideau) bought a home in 1919 from my Grandmothers father who was a Laforet…
if this is the home and it sure looks like it the porch was closed in to make it a closed in porch…
I would like to delve into this to see who bought it in early 1900’s
unfortunately the home was bulldozed a few years ago for two town homes to replace it. Mary Ann (nee Rabideau)
the home we lived in was 556 Chippewa St.
Mary Ann, you have the exact same name as my Mother.
We were from the west end too.