Kent County, Ontario
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Kent County, area 2,458 km2 (949 sq mi) is a historic county in the
Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British Nort ...
of
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
. The county was created in 1792 and named by
John Graves Simcoe John Graves Simcoe (25 February 1752 – 26 October 1806) was a British Army general and the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada from 1791 until 1796 in southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior. He founded Yor ...
in honour of the English
County A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
. The county is in an
alluvial plain An alluvial plain is a largely flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms. A floodplain is part of the process, being the s ...
between
Lake St. Clair Lake St. Clair (french: Lac Sainte-Claire) is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named in 1679 by French Catholic explorers after Saint Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day ...
, and
Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...
, watered by two
navigable A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and calm enough for a water vessel (e.g. boats) to pass safely. Such a navigable water is called a ''waterway'', and is preferably with few obstructions against dir ...
streams, the
Thames River The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...
and the
Sydenham River The Sydenham River is a river in Chatham-Kent, Lambton County and Middlesex County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, flowing southwest from its source west of London, Ontario and emptying into Lake Saint Clair. The length of the river is and it ...
. On January 1, 1998, the county, its townships, towns, and Chatham were amalgamated into the single-tier city of
Chatham-Kent Chatham-Kent ( 2021 population: 104,316)


Camden

Area: . Camden Township was conceded by treaty in 1790, and the Gore was surrendered by treaty in 1819. Surveyed in 1794 and named from the
Earl of Camden. Also referred to earlier as Camden Township and Gore, and in the 1861 census as Camden & Gore Township. Containing some of the best farmland in Ontario, the township was originally parcelled as a grid with Concessions 1 to 7 running north-westward, Lots 1 to 18 running north-eastward and Concession A along the road to Thamesville.Southwestern Ontario Digital Archive: Map Of Camden Township 1882
Accessed 25 Dec 2021.
The Gore of Camden is a rectangular section of land in the north and northwest area of the township. The Camden Gore contains Concessions 1 to 14 running eastward and Lots 1 to 10 running northward. The Gore was variously administered by Lambton and Kent counties as the population changed and road improvements were made.Ontario Heritage: Kent County Townships
Accessed 25 Dec 2021.
Community centres:
Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
, Thamesville


Chatham

Area: Chatham Township was conceded by treaty in 1790, and the Gore was conceded by treaty in 1796. Surveyed in 1794. Also referred to earlier as Chatham Township and Gore. The township was originally parcelled as a grid with Concessions 1 to 19 running north-westward and Lots 1 to 25 running north-eastward.McGill University Library: Map of Chatham Township, Kent County
Accessed 25 Dec 2021.
The Gore of Chatham is a rectangular piece of land in the north-northwest of the township. The Chatham Gore contains four Concessions running northward and 25 Lots running eastward. The Gore was variously administered by Lambton and Kent counties as the population changed and road improvements were made. Community centres: City of Chatham, Wallaceburg


Dover

Area: . Dover Township was named after
Dover, England Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
. It was surveyed in 1794 and incorporated in 1850. Within the boundaries of Dover along the Chenail Ecarté of the river St. Clair is the site of Lord Selkirk's Baldoon Settlement, established in 1803. Community centres: Mitchell's Bay, Grande Pointe, Dover Centre and
Pain Court Pain Court (often incorrectly spelled Paincourt) is a primarily French-speaking agricultural village in southwestern Ontario, Canada, in the municipality of Chatham-Kent. It was established in 1854, as one of the earliest French-speaking settleme ...


Harwich

Area: . Surveyed in 1794 and named from the English port at the mouth of the Thames. A resident of Harwich, Valintine Zimmer, co-founded with friends of the same nationality the German Concession of Harwich. Community centres: Blenheim, Erieau, Erie Beach,
Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'S ...


Howard

Area: . Surveyed in 1794 and named after Thomas Howard, Earl of Effingham, father-in-law of Sir Guy Carleton. Community centres: Morpeth, Ridgetown


Orford

Area: . Surveyed in 1794 and named from the English port of Orford, Suffolk. Community centres:
Highgate Highgate ( ) is a suburban area of north London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath, north-northwest of Charing Cross. Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has two active conservation organis ...


Raleigh

Area: . Surveyed in 1794. Likely named for
Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellio ...
. Community centres:
Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; ...


Romney

Area: , Surveyed in 1794. Named for the Kentish port in England. Community centres: Wheatley


Tilbury East

Area: . Surveyed in 1794, named for the English Tilbury fort in Essex. Community centres:
Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
,
Tilbury Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a 16th century fort and an anc ...


Zone

Area: . Separated from Orford in 1821 to provide a special organizational district, "the zone", for the Indians of the Moravian Mission on the Thames. Community centres:
Bothwell Bothwell is a conservation village in the South Lanarkshire council area of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the River Clyde, adjacent to Uddingston and Hamilton, east-south-east of Glasgow city centre. Description and history An anc ...


Municipalities (as of 1997)

* Town of Chatham: County Seat, largest population centre in the county. * Town of Blenheim: Incorporated in 1885. * Town of
Bothwell Bothwell is a conservation village in the South Lanarkshire council area of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the River Clyde, adjacent to Uddingston and Hamilton, east-south-east of Glasgow city centre. Description and history An anc ...
: Incorporated in 1867. * Town of
Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
: Incorporated in 1882. * Town of Ridgetown: Incorporated in 1875. * Town of
Tilbury Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a 16th century fort and an anc ...
: Incorporated as Village of Tilbury Centre in 1887 and Town of Tilbury in 1910. * Town of Wallaceburg: Incorporated as a village in 1875 and a town in 1896. * Village of Erie Beach * Village of Erieau * Village of
Highgate Highgate ( ) is a suburban area of north London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath, north-northwest of Charing Cross. Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has two active conservation organis ...
* Village of Thamesville * Village of Wheatley * Township of Camden * Township of Chatham * Township of Dover * Township of Harwich * Township of Howard * Township of Orford * Township of Raleigh * Township of Romney * Township of Tilbury East * Township of Zone


Notable residents

* W. B. George (1899–1972), president of the
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; french: Association canadienne de hockey amateur) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction included ...
and agriculturalist at Kemptville Agricultural School, was born in Highgate in Orford Township.


See also

* List of Ontario census divisions *
List of townships in Ontario This is a list of townships in the Canadian province of Ontario. Townships are listed by census division. Northern Ontario Northeastern Ontario Algoma District Historical/Geographic Townships *Abbott *Aberdeen Additional *Abigo *Abotoss ...
* Chatham-Kent, Ontario


References

{{reflist


External links


1951 map of Kent County
Chatham-Kent Former counties in Ontario Southwestern Ontario States and territories established in 1792 1792 establishments in the British Empire Populated places disestablished in 1998