Norwich, Ontario

The Township of Norwich is a municipality located in Oxford County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Preferred pronunciation of the town name is 'NOR-witch' (pronounced with 'w'), different from the city of Norwich, England, though its origin is more likely Norwich in Upper New York State, the area from which the pioneering families emigrated in the early 19th century, an abbreviation of the original Norwichville.

Formerly North and South Norwich Townships, Norwich includes the communities of Beaconsfield, Bond's Corners, Brown's Corners, Burgessville, Cornell, Creditville, Curries, Eastwood, Hawtrey, Hink's Corners, Holbrook, Lambeth, Milldale, Muir, Newark, New Durham, Norwich, Oriel, Otterville, Oxford Centre, Rock's Mills, Rosanna, Springford, Summerville and Vandecar.

Oxford County Road 59 (formerly Highway 59) is the major north-south highway through much of the township, including the community of Norwich proper.

The local economy is largely agricultural, based on dairy farming in the north part of the township and tobacco and ginseng farming to the south. Slowly, ginseng is replacing the former cash crop - tobacco, as demand shrinks.

Government

The township government, Norwich Township Council, consists of four councillors based on wards and a mayor. Donald Doan is the current mayor, re-elected for a four year term in November 2006, re-elected again for a four year team in October 2010.

• Ward 1 (South Norwich) - southern portion of township, including Otterville
• Ward 2 (Village of Norwich)
• Ward 3 (North Norwich) - middle portion of township except Norwich village, including Burgessville
• Ward 4 (East Oxford) - northern portion of township, including Oxford Centre

For provincial and federal elections, Woodstock is included in the riding of 'Oxford'. Currently, the Federal MP of Oxford is Dave MacKenzie (Conservative), and the Provincial MPP is Ernie Hardeman (Progressive Conservative).

History

In 1793, Abraham Canfield a United Empire Loyalist from Connecticut, settled in the "Township of Oxford on the Thames" (This township was later divided into North, West and East Oxford Townships: East Oxford later became part of the Township of Norwich in 1975.)

Norwich was founded by two men . Peter Lossing and Peter De Long . Both were from New York . Peter Lossings house was the first one in Norwich . It now stands by the old Quaker Meeting House . Both men where Quakers . The town of norwich used to be all quaker settlers.

In 1799, the Township of Norwich was laid out by surveyor William Hambly into lines and concessions and 200-acre (0.81 km²) lots.

The Norwich Quaker Settlement

In 1809 Peter Lossing, a member of the Society of Friends from Dutchess County, New York, visited Norwich Township, and in June, 1810, with his brother-in-law, Peter De Long, purchased 15,000 acres (61 km²) of land in this area. That autumn Lossing brought his family to Upper Canada and early in 1811 settled in Norwich Township. The De Long family and nine others, principally from Dutchess County, joined Lossing the same year and by 1820 an additional group of about fifty had settled within the tract. Many were Quakers and a frame meeting house, planned in 1812, was erected in 1817. These resourceful pioneers founded one of the most successful Quaker communities in Upper Canada.

The Otterville Mill

Built in 1845 by Edward Bullock, the mill is run by water power supplied by a dam on the river. The South Norwich Historical Society, on a lease basis, maintains this historic site and offers tours on request. A beautiful setting in the center of the village, the mill and its surrounding meadow is the site of an annual barbecue.

The Norwich Tornado of 1998

On the afternoon of June 2, 1998, a severe weather outbreak affected Southern Ontario. At around 3:50 PM, there was a report of a tornado touching down in Holbrook and heading straight for Norwich. The tornado hit Norwich around 4:05 PM, damaging trees, farm equipment, barns, houses, and the wooden Holy Trinity Anglican Church (1867). Three people were injured, and the next day, Environment Canada confirmed that an F1 or F2 tornado had hit the village. Following a decision by the parish, Holy Trinity Anglican Church was not rebuilt as the congregation opted to join with St. John's Anglican Church, Otterville. However, a stone monument commemorating the church continues to mark to site. ^[2]

Demographics