1833 Bonnycastle: No. 1 Plan of the Town and Harbour of York

This is one of a connected series of three plans made at York, UC, in October 1833 by Capt. Richard Bonnycastle, Senior Royal Engineer in the Western District of Upper Canada, working under close direction from Lieutenant-Governor Sir John Colborne. The other maps in the series are [here] and [here]. A short while before, Colborne had been authorized to sell part of the Military Reserve to allow for the town’s expansion, with the proceeds going to the construction of a new fort.

Map No. 1 shows the town of York, its harbour and its surrounds south of Queen Street, from The Portlands in the east (although they weren’t called that then) to Humber Bay in the west. It puts in context the whole of the original Military Reserve and the peninsula that protected the harbour.

The process of alienating lands from the Military Reserve began in 1808/10 when 22 acres at the east end beyond the 1000-yard firing radius of the cannon at Fort York were granted to William Halton and John McDonell. On this plan a 240-acre parcel on the lake several yards west of the fort is labelled ‘Commonly called Brock's Land—now clearing.’ Before the War of 1812 it too had formed part of the Reserve, but in March 1812 was conveyed by Order in Council to Capt. James Brock, a cousin and the private secretary of Maj.-General Isaac Brock.  See here for more on James Brock.

Click the map to view a full-size version.


No. 1 Plan of the Town and Harbour of York Upper Canada and also of the Military Reserve Showing the site of the new Barracks and Work around them, as proposed to be erected near the Western Battery. Royal Engineer Office York U. Canada 31st Octr 1833 (Signed) RH Bonnycastle Captn Royl Engrs Senr Off. Western District U.C. E.J. Ford Lt Royal Engineers Decr 5th 1833 Gusts Nicolls Colonel Comg R Engineer Canada

Image courtesy Library and Archives Canada: NMC16818
Winearls, MUC No. 2063 (2)

See also this article (p2) on Streetnames West of Dufferin for more on what became of this parcel of land — now known as Parkdale.


Next map: 1834 Chewett: Plan of the City of Toronto and Liberties 
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