Port Burwell in Elgin County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Lieut.-Col. Mahlon Burwell

1783 - 1846

Photographed by Tim Boyd, July 27, 2024

1. Lieut.-Col. Mahlon Burwell Marker

Inscription. Born of Loyalist parents, Burwell became a deputy-surveyor in 1809 and was instructed to lay out the Talbot road for settlement. He was granted 600 acres of land in Southwold Township where he settled in 1815. A close associate of Col. Thomas Talbot, Burwell carried out extensive surveys in southwestern Upper Canada which prepared the way for settlement. He served in the War of 1812 as lieutenant-colonel of the Middlesex Militia, was a justice of the peace and for some 20 years represented this area in the legislative assembly. This community named in his honour was laid out by Burwell in 1830.

Erected by Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Board.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers • War of 1812. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Trust series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1809.

Location. 42° 38.751′ N, 80° 48.32′ W. Marker is in Port Burwell, Ontario, in Elgin County. It is on Erieus Street near Pitt Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near

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this postal address: 21 Pitt Street, Port Burwell ON N0J 1T0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Southwest Ontario Area

and in Southwestern Ontario.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 24 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Port Burwell Lighthouse 1840 (about 150 meters away, measured in a direct line); Trinity Anglican Church 1836 (about 150 meters away); The Edison Homestead (approx. 3.6 kilometers away); Port Bruce Site of the Royal Salute (approx. 16.7 kilometers away); Aylmer Cenotaph (approx. 20.3 kilometers away); The Founding of Aylmer (approx. 20.4 kilometers away); The Founding of Springfield (approx. 23 kilometers away); Springfield Cenotaph (approx. 23.1 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Burwell.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, July 27, 2024

2. Lieut.-Col. Mahlon Burwell Marker

Also see . . . Dictionary of Canadian Biography - Burwell, Mahlon.

According to a newspaper account in 1833, Mahlon had not much more than 12 months of schooling, and when he decided to take up surveying, had little formal training in it. He failed to meet the provincial requirements for licensing as a surveyor in 1805 and had to extend his apprenticeship. Yet he acquired the minimal mathematical background necessary to use the instruments of the time: a circumferentor and a measuring chain. Despite the trying circumstances under which he worked, his field-notes, maps, and diaries are detailed and contain a remarkable amount of scientific information.

(Submitted on July 29, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)

Portrait and autograph of Lieut.-Col. Mahlon Burwell, ca 1830 image. Click for full size.

circa 1830

3. Portrait and autograph of Lieut.-Col. Mahlon Burwell, ca 1830

Source: Library and Archives Canada (public domain)

1840

4. Sketch of Port Burwell harbour and village by Mahlon Burwell, 1840

Source: Wikipedia (public domain)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 29, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 188 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 29, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.