John Deyell
Encyclopedia
John Deyell was assistant to the original surveyor of Cavan Township in Durham County, Ontario
, and founder of the town of Millbrook, Ontario..
He was born in Drum, County Monaghan
, Ireland
, about 1775, and died on November 21, 1878 in Centreville, Cavan Township. A farmer who settled on 3rd Concession, Cavan, he established the first gristmill and sawmill on the stream at what is now called Millbrook. He also built the nucleus of a village called Centreville, since his farm was located on the mid-point of the Port Hope
to Peterborough
highway. In 1833 he endowed land for its first church, the Centreville Presbyterian Church
, still flourishing today. Anticipating commercial traffic, he built a hotel/tavern on his farm, and his well-remembered sign, which hung out for several decades, bore the motto – "Live and Let Die." The area's first schoolhouse was also built on Deyell's farm - to which he gave a grant of an acre of land. While Millbrook survived and prospered, Centreville never grew beyond a cluster of houses around the church, now graced however with a beautiful stained glass window installed in 1931 in memory of John Deyell and his wife Margaret and Cavan's other early pioneers. Deyell's headstone is still visible in the church's small cemetery.
Durham County, Ontario
Durham County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was named from the English County and city.Durham County was created in 1792. It was composed of the townships of Cartwright, Manvers, Cavan, Darlington, Clarke and Hope, and portions of what is now Peterborough County,...
, and founder of the town of Millbrook, Ontario..
He was born in Drum, County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, about 1775, and died on November 21, 1878 in Centreville, Cavan Township. A farmer who settled on 3rd Concession, Cavan, he established the first gristmill and sawmill on the stream at what is now called Millbrook. He also built the nucleus of a village called Centreville, since his farm was located on the mid-point of the Port Hope
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County...
to Peterborough
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
highway. In 1833 he endowed land for its first church, the Centreville Presbyterian Church
Centreville Presbyterian Church
Centreville Presbyterian Church was established in 1833. The first minister, the Rev. James Douglas , was inducted in 1834, a native of Monaghan, in Ireland, who came from a congregation in Lisbon, Pennsylvania. A frame church was built in 1852, and a new brick church building was constructed in...
, still flourishing today. Anticipating commercial traffic, he built a hotel/tavern on his farm, and his well-remembered sign, which hung out for several decades, bore the motto – "Live and Let Die." The area's first schoolhouse was also built on Deyell's farm - to which he gave a grant of an acre of land. While Millbrook survived and prospered, Centreville never grew beyond a cluster of houses around the church, now graced however with a beautiful stained glass window installed in 1931 in memory of John Deyell and his wife Margaret and Cavan's other early pioneers. Deyell's headstone is still visible in the church's small cemetery.