Major William Wellington Connor
The Sash Our Forefathers Wore
William Wellington Connor was born in 1809 in Ireland and was baptised within the Church of England.
William married Jane Rutledge. The date and location is currently unknown.
At the age of 24, William left Ireland and arrived in St. John, New Brunswick in 1833. He would then make his way to Upper Canada. Connor was one of the first 15 settlers to make their way through the bush to what was then, Canada’s extreme western frontier. He wasn’t given much opportunity to settle, before he was called upon to join the local militia unit.
First, in 1837, during the winter, he was stationed at the four corners of what is now Clinton, to act as a deterrent against any possible rebel activity. There was a great deal of discontent against the Canada Company and the “Family Compact” in this area and there were fears that this anger would boil over into rebellion. Soon after the threat of a Canadian rebellion was over, Connor accompanied the area militia group to Sarnia, in anticipation of possible raids from American “Patriot’ groups. When he was finally allowed to settle in Bayfield, Connor was appointed the first political leader of his township and served as Justice of the Peace.
William and Jane's daughter, Catherine "Katie" Connor was born on January 11th, 1849 in Bayfield.
William established one of the earliest and largest Orange Lodges in Ontario in 1845 and his lectures on proper social behavior reverberate today. Many of the descendants of early Lodge members still live in the area and have heard the same messages passed down through the years.
In 1866, when Upper Canada was threatened by American Fenians and Bayfield was a potential target for a raid, Connor led the village Militia. Fittingly, in 1876, when Bayfield became a village, W.W. Connor was elected first Reeve. Connor built the most elegant summertime hotel in Bayfield, the Queen’s. Many guests enjoyed the village so much that they built summer residences and helped create a thriving summer economy.
William passed away from "General Exhaustion" on July 8th, 1889 in Bayfield and was laid to rest in the Bayfield Cemetery.
With information from the "Lake House of Bayfield" and "Ancestry.ca".
William married Jane Rutledge. The date and location is currently unknown.
At the age of 24, William left Ireland and arrived in St. John, New Brunswick in 1833. He would then make his way to Upper Canada. Connor was one of the first 15 settlers to make their way through the bush to what was then, Canada’s extreme western frontier. He wasn’t given much opportunity to settle, before he was called upon to join the local militia unit.
First, in 1837, during the winter, he was stationed at the four corners of what is now Clinton, to act as a deterrent against any possible rebel activity. There was a great deal of discontent against the Canada Company and the “Family Compact” in this area and there were fears that this anger would boil over into rebellion. Soon after the threat of a Canadian rebellion was over, Connor accompanied the area militia group to Sarnia, in anticipation of possible raids from American “Patriot’ groups. When he was finally allowed to settle in Bayfield, Connor was appointed the first political leader of his township and served as Justice of the Peace.
William and Jane's daughter, Catherine "Katie" Connor was born on January 11th, 1849 in Bayfield.
William established one of the earliest and largest Orange Lodges in Ontario in 1845 and his lectures on proper social behavior reverberate today. Many of the descendants of early Lodge members still live in the area and have heard the same messages passed down through the years.
In 1866, when Upper Canada was threatened by American Fenians and Bayfield was a potential target for a raid, Connor led the village Militia. Fittingly, in 1876, when Bayfield became a village, W.W. Connor was elected first Reeve. Connor built the most elegant summertime hotel in Bayfield, the Queen’s. Many guests enjoyed the village so much that they built summer residences and helped create a thriving summer economy.
William passed away from "General Exhaustion" on July 8th, 1889 in Bayfield and was laid to rest in the Bayfield Cemetery.
With information from the "Lake House of Bayfield" and "Ancestry.ca".
Orange Archives is looking for a photograph of William Connor. If you know of a photograph please let us know.