The Thurlow Purchase

The Thurlow Purchase. . , By the early 1700s, the Mississaugas (Anishinaabeg) had established settlements along the north shore of Lake Ontario. This territory had been occupied by the Mohawk (Iroquois) prior to the Mississauga moving into the region after the mid-17th century territorial struggles between the two. Following the conclusion of the American Revolution (1783), the British Imperial Crown settled an influx of Loyalists and Mohawks in the territory. In 1811, because of settler pressure, a 428 acre parcel set aside for the Mississauga Burial Ground at the mouth of and along the Moira River was negotiated for purchase from the Mississaugas. This became known as the Thurlow Purchase, and included the core of modern-day Belleville. With the intervention of the War of 18 12, the transaction was not formalized until 1816. The Thurlow Purchase became the subject of a claim filed with the Government of Canada under the Specific Claims Policy. The claim concerned certain unfulfilled Crown obligations under the 1816 Agreement. A negotiated resolution was reached on March 4, 2010, almost 200 years after the original signing. This plaque reflects the final settlement of the purchase of these historic lands along the Moira River with the Alderville First Nation, descendants of the Mississaugas of this area. , Unveiled on August 6th, 2010 in conjunction with the City of Belleville, the Mississaugas of Alderville First Nation, and the Government of Canada.