FROM the time the first settler, in 1840, built his shanty on the banks of the River Thames, every day brought some new adventurer to the municipality. In 184G Blanshard must have contained several hundred souls. As the township did not contain a single acre of waste land, the progress of settlement was exceedingly rapid. It was necessary that some sort of local authority should be set in operation for the regulation of the affairs in the new township. We accordingly find that a meeting of the townships of Downie, Fullarton, and Blanshard was held at the school-house in Stratford on January 3rd, 1842. At this meeting certain officers were appointed for the district composed of the townships mentioned. It appears from the minutes, however, as if Blanshard was unrepresented. The first trace of municipal government in the township was a meeting of ratepayers called for the appointment of pathmasters and other officers. This meeting was held in 1846, at “the village,” as St. Marys was then, and for long after, called. The municipal procedure then was very different from what it is now.

Up to the year 1834, the justices in session managed all local matters as they pleased. In that year an Act was passed providing that householders at their annual meeting should appoint certain persons to act as fence-viewers. This meeting was also to determine what should be considered a lawful fence. The Act made provision also for opening ditches and water courses, as the fence-viewers might decide.

In 1835 an important change was made, and the Act of that year may be said to form the core of the present Municipal Act. It was enacted that the township clerk should assemble the ratepayers of the township at a time and place agreed upon at the previous yearly meeting. This meeting was empowered to choose the following township officers: The clerk, three commissioners, one assessor, one collector, and any number of persons they thought proper to serve as overseers of highways, roads and bridges, and as poundkeepers. The collector gave bonds to the district treasurer, to whom he paid the proceeds of the rates levied, and the township clerk gave bonds to the commissioners.

The most important change made by this Act was the appointment of the commissioners, to whom was transferred many of the powers respecting the repairing of bridges and roads previously held and exercised by the justices in session.

The board of commissioners was required to meet three times, at the place in which the last township meeting was held, and was authorized to hold as many other meetings as it thought best at any place it might choose. The members were to receive for their services the sum of five shillings per day. The quarter sessions still held the authority as to locating and altering highways, as well as other matters general to the district. The Act of 1839 changed the name “commissioners,” as set forth in the Act of 1835, to “township wardens.” This system was continued up to the year 1841. Previous to this the province was divided into districts, and the Governor-in-Council determined the number of councillors and appointed the warden.

It was the desire of Upper Canadians, however, who disliked paternal government, to elect their wardens and other officers. This furnished the basis of the Act of 1841, which provided for district councils to be composed of one or two members to be elected by each township, and to hold office for three years, retiring in rotation. From these changes in the functions o the local governing bodies, it appears evident that public opinion was approaching the present excellent system. It was not till the year 1850, however, that the Municipal Act was given to the municipalities. With this short sketch of the Municipal Act we will resume the history of Blanshard.

On the third day of January, 1848, the people of Blanshard met at Joseph Case’s tavern, in the village of St. Marys, to appoint officers and pass such legislation as might be found necessary for the proper government of the municipality for the current year. At that meeting the following officers were elected, after Mr. George Birtch had been placed in the chair: Millner Harrison, township clerk; Thomas Shoebottom, councillor ; Body Hanley, assessor; Edward Styles, collector; poundkeepers for St. Marys, Samuel Fraligh, Thomas Skinner; in the township, John Switzer, Daniel Powell. The township wardens appear to be left to the last, no doubt to afford an opportunity for the several candidates to make explanations, and appeal to their constituents for a renewal of that confidence with which they had been honored on former occasions. Rody Hanley, Christopher Sparling, and James Pangburn were declared elected as wardens for that year. Every pathmaster was appointed a fence-viewer in his road division. Height of fences, 4½ feet, to be staked and ridered or locked. It was further enacted “that no seed animals or stags to run; no breachy cattle to run; no horses to run; no hogs under 30 pounds to run, all above 40 pounds free-commoners.” We subjoin a list of the pathmasters elected in 1847: Arcihbald McCal-lum, Joseph Oddy, Nathan Stephens, Henry Morrill, Robert Mackay, William Raynard, C. G. Sparling James Pangburn, Richard Harding, Dinnis Murray, George Bradley, Richard Tasker, John Legg, James Hooper, James Pickard, Thomas Shipley, William Slack, William T. Smith, Henry Willis, William Berry, William Richardson, Edward Docherty, Henry Berry, Francis Robertson, Joseph Willis, Shedrick Clark, Robert Birtch, Joseph Carpenter, John Bettridge, Thomas Foster, Michael Clary, Robert Cruse, John Steel, Alexander Sellars, William Kirk, Francis Anderson, Alexander Cameron, Samuel Fraligh, for the village of St. Marys, all of which was signed by Robert Birtch, Chairman. Some irregularity in connection with this meeting, however, led to the issue of a warrant by William Chalk, Warden of the County of Huron, to Mr. James Clendinning, of St. Marys for a new election, which was held at Ashel Morris German’s Tavern, village of St. Marys, when Thomas Christie and Thomas Shoebottom were the candidates. At the close of this contest Mr. Christie was declared elected by a majority of sixteen votes. It will be noticed from the report of these meetings, that Mr. Hanley held the dual offices of assessor and township warden for the year. On the first day of January, 1849, the ratepayers met at Ashel Morris German’s Tavern, St. Marys, and elected the following officers for that year: William Patterson Smith, chairman; Thomas Shoebottom, councillor; Millner Harrison, clerk; Rody Hanley, assessor; Edward Styles, collector; Samuel Fraligh, poundkeeper for St. Marys; C. G. Sparling, Rody Hanley, Henry Willis, township wardens.

In the records of the township previous to the year 1850, I find no statement as to the salaries paid to the several officers. The first statement of accounts is dated July 21, 1847, when the total receipts are .£90 8s. 3d., and the expenditure corresponding to this sum exactly. In an item dated September 15th, Mr. Harrison was paid about two per cent, on this amount for clerk’s fees, or £1 8s. 3d. This account is certified as being correct by Rody Hanley, C. G. Sparling, and James Pangburn, wardens. In 1848, the receipts in another account amount to £10 10s. 7½d, and the expenditures, to £10 10s. 9d. This statement is certified by George Fraser and T. B. Woodliff, district auditors, leaving a balance due the clerk of .three halfpence.

On March the 7th, 1847, occurs an entry which will be somewhat amusing to the people of Blanshard of to-day. The first entry is made on March the 8th, 1847, as follows : “Millner Harrison’s mark is a split in the right ear; James Smith’s mark is a piece cut out of the end of the right ear; Will. Carrol’s mark is a small round hole in each ear; Thomas Ingersoll’s mark is a piece of the left ear is split in and cut out under to make a square notch; Jeremiah Caysler’s mark is a split in the left ear Peter Smith’s mark is a three cornered burn on the hip; George Tracey’s mark is a split in both ears, forming a swallow tail; Joshua Brinks’ mark is a piece cut out of each ear on the upper side in the shape of a half moon ; Christopher G. Sparling’s mark is a round hole in the right ear the size of a musket ball; Pardon Fuller’s mark is a round hole in the right ear, and a half round in the left ear; Robert Birtch’s mark is a round hole and split in the left ear; Caleb Bichardson’s mark is a piece cut square off the left ear; the mark of Noah D. Carroll is a piece cut of from the right ear.” This concludes the list of gentlemen who appear to have placed themselves on record. The quotation I have given exactly as it is in the minute book. It would appear, however, that very few of the people of Blanshard availed themselves of this mode of registration in comparison to the population the township must have contained at that period. To five of the parties no date is given to the registrations, but we find Mr. Tracy next to Mr. Harrison, registered on October 14, 1848, Mr. Brink on November 18, 1848, Mr. Sparling on February 15, 1849, Mr. Fuller, on March 10, 1849, Mr. Birtch May 23, 1849, Mr. Richardson January 18, 1850, Mr. Noah Carroll December 6, 1850.

There is no explanation why such a record is necessary, or whether it is intended to distinguish the parties themselves, or any animal of which they may be possessed. This mark is not by any means peculiar to the officers, although a number of those gentlemen appear to have received it. The modern officials of Blanshard, we apprehend, are known by their individuality, and we believe that if they had to have their ears split, indicating they were not of the common herd of mankind, judging from our own personal feelings the nomination papers would show a lamentable paucity of names as candidates for municipal honor.

The first by-law of which any record can be found is a by-law relating to poundkeepers and their duties. This piece of legislation in many of its clauses is about the same as the by-law in force at the present day, which governs those officers in Blanshard. In the last clause, relating to the penalties imposed for neglect of its provisions, it is enacted “that all the above mentioned animals shall receive a sufficient quantity of water every day, or in default thereof, the pound-keeper shall receive no pay for feeding.” This is an important provision, surely, and would certainly have the effect of compelling that important officer to do his duty. The by-law is dated February 13,1817, and signed by Rody Hanley, C. G. Sparling, and James Pangburn, wardens.

With the close of the year 1849 ends all record of the transactions of the local government of the township of Blanshard under the old system. The legislation known as the Municipal Act of Upper Canada was passed in the year 1850; in 1851 a new order of business was introduced in the management of municipal affairs. The old town meeting day became a thing of the past. A district councillor was no longer elected. The office of township wardens was abolished. By the authority of the new act the Council as at present constituted commenced its long career of usefulness, bringing many salutary and beneficent changes to the people. The great principle involved in this piece of legislation remains the same to-day as it was fifty years ago. Any changes or amendments it may from time to time have received have been only in detail, as the circumstances arising from an advancing civilization required. That grand principle of placing the voting power in the hands of the tax-paying power has never been interfered with. The close proximity of the governing force to those who are governed has not been materially changed. The interests of the representative men who sit at the Board are identical with the interest of those who placed them in that honorable position. As a natural consequence, therefore, all their transactions are framed on strict lines of economy, and with a view to the best interests of their constituents. The tendency of the near relationship of the Council to the people is to give dignity to the aspirant after municipal honors, by so influencing his conduct as to give him some standing in the eyes of the electors. He has a secret feeling in his heart of hearts that some day he will be asked to come up higher and occupy a seat at the table on the platform at the upper end of the township hall. To hundreds of men in Ontario a seat at the township Board marks an epoch in their lives. In many of the homes in this country can be found an old gentleman laden with years, whose eyes fill with a new light when he recounts his almost superhuman effort at the township Board in behalf of economy, and, as he would say, “the present and prospective prosperity of the people of this municipality.” Many of these old representative men do not measure their lives as most men do, from the period of their birth, their school-boy days, or maybe from the day they stood at the altar, but will date all their after life from that year when first they were elected to the Council.

In compliance, therefore, with the new Municipal Act, the first meeting of the first Council of the township of Blanshard met for the transaction of business at William Guest's, Blanshard Hotel, on January 20th, 1851, at the hour of ten o’clock a.m., we may say nearly fifty years ago. The gentlemen who composed the Board on that important occasion would appear to have been fully aware of the dignity and of the respect which was due in the presence of such an august body as the Council of Blanshard. From the present Council back during the last half century, the representatives of the township have been quite exacting of that observance which is due, and which should always be accorded, to those who have been invested with authority and power. In the statement subjoined will be found the names of the various officers of the township, from the period of the introduction of the Act of 1850 to the present time. Previous to the year 1867 the reeves were elected by the Board; subsequent to 1867 they were elected by the people.

The Council of 1851 was an important one. The new Act had come into operation, and the whole machinery of the proper administration of the law had to be put in motion. A set of officers had to be appointed, who of necessity must have had no experience in the work they had to perform. In the records of their meetings in 1851 many things occur that would lead to grave consequences with any representative pursuing the same policy now, but which were thought to be quite legitimate at that time. It does not appear, however, that any of them were over-paid for their services. The clerk received £12 10s., collector £12, assessor £16 10s., councillors each 6s. 3d. per day, auditors £1 each, returning officers 12s. 6d. The treasurer was to receive 2½ per cent for all moneys passing through his hands. In July of 1851 it was ordered that of a penny in the pound be levied on all the property in the township, to build a bridge over the Thames, near the village. This was the old frame structure that stood on the site of the present stone bridge on Queen street, St. Marys. The contract was let by tender to William Noble for £150, not including the approaches. The filling was a separate contract, and on the east end extended as far (or nearly so) as where Water street crosses Queen. In this year was also organized the London and Proof Line Gravel Road Co., which built the first gravel road west of St. Marys. The Council, recognizing the utility of such an undertaking, borrowed the sum of £2,000 to assist in its construction. In February, 1853, the Council met at James McKay’s hotel, and fixed the rate for tavern licenses at £5 10s. for the town, and £3 10s. for the township. The tavern inspectors, of which there were five, received each £1 10s. for their work. The inspectors appointed were J. K. Clendening, Reuben Switzer, Rody Hanley, William McCauly, and Thomas Anderson. In the year 1856 the salary of the several officers had been advanced, and an allowance was made to the clerk of £20, assessor £13, collector £15, auditors each £1 10s., councillors each per day 10s., inspectors of licenses each £1 10s., returning officers 15s. From this date the Board held its meetings at Skinner’s Corners, which, since 1856, has been the seat of Government for Blanshard. The allowance of 2J per cent, to the treasurer was still recognized as the proper mode of paying that officer, and continued to be so till the year 1870, when the Council withdrew the percentage and allowed a salary per annum instead.

In 1888 was organized the first Board of Health under the provisions of the Health Act of Ontario, and was composed of William F. Sanderson, David Brethour, and Thomas Epplett, with the reeve and clerk ex-officio. With the Board was associated William Irving, M.D., of Kirkton, as Medical Health Officer. The members of the present Board are David Brethour, Robert Bilyea, William F. Sanderson, with the reeve and clerk, and Dr. Ferguson, of Kirkton, as Medical Health Officer. In 1897 was introduced the Act relating to county councils. This act was intended to reduce the number of county councillors. In many of the counties of Ontario the councils had become cumbersome and unwieldy. It had the important effect of destroying to some extent the voting power of the smaller villages, who contributed but little to the county funds, and thus gave greater influence to the representatives from the township. The county was divided into districts, each district electing two representatives. Blanshard and Downie form one district, and have elected, since the inauguration of the new system, William F. Sanderson and Nelson Monteith, M.P.P., as their Commissioners to the County Board.