Lloydtown

For additional information: 

Album of Oldies / Gillham,  Elizabeth McClure

Early Settlement of King / Gillham, Elizabeth McClure

The Bridging of Three Centuries:  The life & times of Phoebe Crossley Lloyd

The Story of Kettleby

Timeless King

Tweedsmuir History: Kettleby  

Lloydtown is located in the north western part of King Township, about a mile west of Schomberg. This hamlet was named after Jesse Lloyd (born in Pennsylvania in 1786) who settled in King Township in 1812. At first it was called Lloyd's town, then later changed to its present name.

In 1826, Lloyd bought 60 acres on Lot 31 for a grist mill, The first in the area. The hamlet of Lloydtown grew around the mill. The mill was sold in 1832 and stopped production in 1902. The first post office in King Township was opened in Lloydtown in 1831. By the mid-1800s, the hamlet also had a sawmill, a tannery, a foundry, a distillery, several stores, 3 hotels, 3 blacksmith shops, a woollen mill, and 2 churches. At this time, Lloydtown was more prosperous than neighbouring Brownsville (now called Schomberg). Through the generosity of Captain Armstrong, who donated lumber from his trees on his farm, lot 32, concession 10, a sidewalk was constructed in the mid 19th century.  The sidewalk continued past the farms north of the village as far as the Perry farm, lot 34, concession 10. 

Lloydtown was famous for being a centre of conflict just before the Rebellion of Upper Canada in 1837. Jesse Lloyd assisted William Lyon Mackenzie in organizing an uprising of rebels to dislodge the Upper Canada government from power. In December 1837, the rebels were defeated and Jesse Lloyd was forced to flee to the United States with a price of £500 on his head. Lloyd died of poor health a few years later never having returned.

Main Street Lloydtown, 1908.
Photo from Early Settlements of King Township / Elizabeth McClure Gillham