Prince Township History
Colonel John Prince
John Prince was born on March 12, 1796 in Hereford, England. His father was named Richard Prince and he was a wealthy, but also very scrupulous, grain dealer and miller at Lugg Bridge Mills. At nineteen years of age, John Prince came into an inheritance from his grandfather. Young John took this money and went to law school. Six years later, in 1821, John had an established legal practice at Westerham, England in the county of Kent.
On June 17th, 1823, John Prince married Miss Mary-Ann Millington and moved his practice to Cheltenham, England in the same year. The reason he moved to Cheltenham was that a natural mineral spring was discovered there and many wealthy clients went to bathe in them for their health. Thus, John was going where the money was.
It was here in Cheltenham that John and Mary-Ann Prince began their family. On April 8th, 1824, they had their first son, named William Stratton Prince. The Prince’s second child, Albert, who was born on November 17th 1825, followed him. The third child born to the Princes was Charles Prince who was born on July 10th, 1827. Their fourth child proved to be their only daughter, Arabella Delancy Prince, born on April 9th, 1829.
But John Prince was not to live in Cheltenham all of his life. Events were forming that would cause him to move his family to North America. First, John’s father Richard was tarnishing his reputation. Richard was the type of person who would do anything to make money even if the activity was illegal. Thus, many were the times that Richard would appear before a magistrate charged with a crime and many were the times that John would have to pay his father’s fine to save him from a jail term. So Canada looked like a good place to escape from his father.
Secondly, the love that John Prince had of hunting may also have played a part in his decision to leave for North America. His friend Dr. William “Tiger” Dunlop told Prince of the abundance of wild game in the forests of North America. Which ever reason was stronger, or if there was another reason for his leaving, John Prince moved his family to North America during the year of 1834.
With John Prince came his wife Mary-Ann, his four children, five servants and a box of gold guineas so heavy that it took two men to carry it. They settled in Essex County on a large farm-like estate called “Park Farm”. Interestingly enough, Prince first gave this farm to two servants until they left the farm to open up their own Inn. So Prince moved in with his family and spent a great deal of money beautifying his estate.
While living here, Prince became a member of the Imperial Assembly representing Essex County. He served his constituency well and became a pillar of the community. However, his downfall came with the “Fenian Raids”, which consisted of nothing more than ruffians intent on becoming wealthy by toppling the Imperial Government in upper Canada. They were led by a man named Bierce who transported his troops to Essex County on a ship called the “Champlain”. John Prince, who was a Colonel in the local militia, took his soldiers and defeated Bierce on the site of the present day Windsor City Hall.
During this battle over twenty-one Fenian soldiers were killed while others fled or were captured. For his bravery, Colonel Prince was highly decorated and came to be known as the “most popular man in the Western District”. However, Prince soon made a grave mistake for he ordered four Fenian prisoners executed by firing squad without any form of legal trial. His orders were carried out, but it cost Prince the respect of his fellow soldiers and politicians.
Prince’s action caused a great debate to begin in the Imperial Parliament. In Detroit, where the Fenian attacks originated from, Prince’s enemies placed a $1000 bounty on his head. Interestingly enough, Prince took out ads in Detroit newspapers telling of hidden “man-traps” and “spring-guns” on his vast estate. The ads worked, for no attempts were ever made on Prince’s life. But the government still felt something had to be done about Prince. Then remembering that Prince was always asking for a judgeship, Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, appointed Prince to the judgeship of Algoma. This caused the furor over Prince’s executions to quiet down.
Thus it came to be that on November 30th, 1860, Colonel John Prince became the first “Judge of the Provisional District of Algoma”. With him came his son Septimus Redyard Prince, who was born in Essex County on May 20th, 1838. Septimus came to begin a new surveyor’s job that was given to him on March 2, 1860 by a man named “Vankoughnet” of the Department of Crown Lands. This new job is very significant today because it was this job that called for the formation of the townships in the Algoma Districts. One of those townships was Prince Township where this museum, “Prince Township Museum”, is located today. Once Septimus completed the staking out of this township, he named it after his own family; hence the name “Prince Township”.
When John Prince arrived he was 64 years old. His courthouse was actually the home of a private fur trader named Charles Ermatinger whose home still stands today in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, as a museum. It is known as the “Old Stone House”. Colonel Prince’s first task was to see that a new home was erected for him and Septimus.
Back in 1860, the Princes built their new home on a beautiful park-like estate near the shore of the St. Mary’s River. They named their home “Bellevue Lodge”. Today, this area is known as “Bellevue Park”. Prince lived in Bellevue Lodge for ten years, holding court regularly and living the life of a country gentleman.
On November 30, 1870, Colonel John Prince died at his home at the age of 75. In his will he ordered that his body be buried on “Strawberry Island” which is a small islet not more than twenty feet from Bellevue Lodge. Today, a tombstone marks the grave where Prince’s remains are buried on Strawberry Island, which today is part of Bellevue Park.
John Prince was born on March 12, 1796 in Hereford, England. His father was named Richard Prince and he was a wealthy, but also very scrupulous, grain dealer and miller at Lugg Bridge Mills. At nineteen years of age, John Prince came into an inheritance from his grandfather. Young John took this money and went to law school. Six years later, in 1821, John had an established legal practice at Westerham, England in the county of Kent.
On June 17th, 1823, John Prince married Miss Mary-Ann Millington and moved his practice to Cheltenham, England in the same year. The reason he moved to Cheltenham was that a natural mineral spring was discovered there and many wealthy clients went to bathe in them for their health. Thus, John was going where the money was.
It was here in Cheltenham that John and Mary-Ann Prince began their family. On April 8th, 1824, they had their first son, named William Stratton Prince. The Prince’s second child, Albert, who was born on November 17th 1825, followed him. The third child born to the Princes was Charles Prince who was born on July 10th, 1827. Their fourth child proved to be their only daughter, Arabella Delancy Prince, born on April 9th, 1829.
But John Prince was not to live in Cheltenham all of his life. Events were forming that would cause him to move his family to North America. First, John’s father Richard was tarnishing his reputation. Richard was the type of person who would do anything to make money even if the activity was illegal. Thus, many were the times that Richard would appear before a magistrate charged with a crime and many were the times that John would have to pay his father’s fine to save him from a jail term. So Canada looked like a good place to escape from his father.
Secondly, the love that John Prince had of hunting may also have played a part in his decision to leave for North America. His friend Dr. William “Tiger” Dunlop told Prince of the abundance of wild game in the forests of North America. Which ever reason was stronger, or if there was another reason for his leaving, John Prince moved his family to North America during the year of 1834.
With John Prince came his wife Mary-Ann, his four children, five servants and a box of gold guineas so heavy that it took two men to carry it. They settled in Essex County on a large farm-like estate called “Park Farm”. Interestingly enough, Prince first gave this farm to two servants until they left the farm to open up their own Inn. So Prince moved in with his family and spent a great deal of money beautifying his estate.
While living here, Prince became a member of the Imperial Assembly representing Essex County. He served his constituency well and became a pillar of the community. However, his downfall came with the “Fenian Raids”, which consisted of nothing more than ruffians intent on becoming wealthy by toppling the Imperial Government in upper Canada. They were led by a man named Bierce who transported his troops to Essex County on a ship called the “Champlain”. John Prince, who was a Colonel in the local militia, took his soldiers and defeated Bierce on the site of the present day Windsor City Hall.
During this battle over twenty-one Fenian soldiers were killed while others fled or were captured. For his bravery, Colonel Prince was highly decorated and came to be known as the “most popular man in the Western District”. However, Prince soon made a grave mistake for he ordered four Fenian prisoners executed by firing squad without any form of legal trial. His orders were carried out, but it cost Prince the respect of his fellow soldiers and politicians.
Prince’s action caused a great debate to begin in the Imperial Parliament. In Detroit, where the Fenian attacks originated from, Prince’s enemies placed a $1000 bounty on his head. Interestingly enough, Prince took out ads in Detroit newspapers telling of hidden “man-traps” and “spring-guns” on his vast estate. The ads worked, for no attempts were ever made on Prince’s life. But the government still felt something had to be done about Prince. Then remembering that Prince was always asking for a judgeship, Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, appointed Prince to the judgeship of Algoma. This caused the furor over Prince’s executions to quiet down.
Thus it came to be that on November 30th, 1860, Colonel John Prince became the first “Judge of the Provisional District of Algoma”. With him came his son Septimus Redyard Prince, who was born in Essex County on May 20th, 1838. Septimus came to begin a new surveyor’s job that was given to him on March 2, 1860 by a man named “Vankoughnet” of the Department of Crown Lands. This new job is very significant today because it was this job that called for the formation of the townships in the Algoma Districts. One of those townships was Prince Township where this museum, “Prince Township Museum”, is located today. Once Septimus completed the staking out of this township, he named it after his own family; hence the name “Prince Township”.
When John Prince arrived he was 64 years old. His courthouse was actually the home of a private fur trader named Charles Ermatinger whose home still stands today in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, as a museum. It is known as the “Old Stone House”. Colonel Prince’s first task was to see that a new home was erected for him and Septimus.
Back in 1860, the Princes built their new home on a beautiful park-like estate near the shore of the St. Mary’s River. They named their home “Bellevue Lodge”. Today, this area is known as “Bellevue Park”. Prince lived in Bellevue Lodge for ten years, holding court regularly and living the life of a country gentleman.
On November 30, 1870, Colonel John Prince died at his home at the age of 75. In his will he ordered that his body be buried on “Strawberry Island” which is a small islet not more than twenty feet from Bellevue Lodge. Today, a tombstone marks the grave where Prince’s remains are buried on Strawberry Island, which today is part of Bellevue Park.
