CharlesMcCueand DerehamByronJenveyDereham Township and Charles McCue
By Byron Jenvey
Dereham Township elected its first council in 1832, having at this time 30 freeholders which qualified the township to become self-governing according to an Act passed in the reign of
George 111. Since the council was formed but five years before the arrival of the McCues and because so few buildings were taxable, very little money was raised to improve roads and
bridges for which the taxes were designated. According to records of the 1830’s all road allowances had been surveyed and marked much earlier by Mr. Wilmott. These road allowances
were marked by double blazed trees but the trees were still standing in the roads. Earlier settlers had made a wagon track between the trees delivering wheat to a grist mill in Ingersoll
that operated a double set of millstones, powered by water from the village pond. There were still a few families of Indians in Dereham. Some were members of the Mississauga’s, whose
women grew maize, beans, and pumpkins in clearings, and some families of the Tionontatis who grew tobacco and were known as the Tobacco Indians. These Indians moved further away as
the white settlers came. A lady who came as a bride and settled a few miles from the McCue settlement reported that there were large herds of deer, flocks of wild turkeys, many bears,
and wolf4es howled every night. As time progressed and the settlers secured livestock, such stock must be given much protection. Owners were obliged to protect their pigs from bears
who liked pork, their sheep from wolves, and their poultry from foxes and raccoons. The streams were full of big fish and there were many turtles. Turtle soup was a delicacy. Wild
berries were large and plentiful in season. The main road through Dereham was the Indian trail from Pt Burwell to Ingersoll (now #19 highway). This road was taken over in 1849 by
the Ingersoll, Pt Burwell Plank and Gravel Road Co. Most of the road was graded and graveled and the swampy portions were planked. Toll gates were erected and charges made. The McCue
settlement then was only two miles from an improved road. It is doubtful if Charles McCue ever had a deed for property in Concession Three. Nearby all the good land in Dereham was
bought from the government as soon as surveys were made. However the members of parliament or their friends who bought such lands did not buy in Concessions 2 and 3 as there were swampy
and not good for speculation. In 1824 the Canada Land Company was organized in England with one million pounds capital and Sir John Galt came to Ontario and purchased 4,484,413 acres.
The Co. purchased Con 2 & 3, sold the timber, then the farms. Since this company had no organization in the early days to make deeds, it seems that when deeds were issued they were
in the names of the sons of owners.
Charles McCue died May 5, 1870 at age 112 yrs., 10 MThs and 25 days and was buried in the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery. Mrs. McCue died 3 years before her husband at age 99 yrs. There
are many descendants.