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 The portrait of Col. Thomas Talbot is in the McIntosh Art Gallery University of Western Ontario, London, Ont. |
The Talbot Settlement Churches were built in southwestern Ontario in the 1820s through the 1840s. The four Anglican churches described here are examples of Early English Gothic Revival architecture. Thomas Talbot (b at Malahide, Ireland 19 July 1771; d at London, Canada West 5 Feb 1853) was a member of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy and had commission in the British army. He explored many parts of the Great Lakes area as private secretary to Gov John Graves Simcoe 1791-94. Talbot sold his military commission in return for being given 5,000 acres along the north shore of Lake Erie. On this land Talbot developed within 10 years 3 principal routes, the Talbot streets, as well as a dozen separate townships. By 1836 he had settled portions of 27 townships with a population of over 30,000. His aggressive settlement plan, insisted that the people to whom he donated land clear the property and build dwellings. They did not receive the final deed to the land until this was done. In some cases, land for churches was given directly by Talbot, in others the land was donated by his associates. |
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Elgin County Court House, Wellington St., St. Thomas. It reads:
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