James Ruddy came to Brock Township about 1822 from County Tyrone in Ireland.
Ruddy, blessed with exceptional mechanical aptitude, built the first saw mill in Brock township on lot 6 concession 7 in Vroomanton. Such water powered mills produced sawn lumber allowing pioneers a means to convert log houses into more livable frame structures.
Ruddy eventually settled on lot 2, concession 2 of Brock, just west of what is today Lakeridge Road. This location, where Ruddy operated a lumber mill and post office was known as Ruddytown. Ruddy donated the lumber needed for a frame rural school house on the third concession of Brock east of Lakeridge Road. The school, SS #1, was called the Ruddy School.
The Ruddy family was very supportive of the Anglican church and in 1843, contributed to the construction of a frame church at the Thompson Cemetery located west of Sunderland on the fth of Brock. When this church burned, Ruddy supported the 1864 construction of a replacement. a brick church two concessions to the south, the St. James, West Brock Church.
Community Champions
Click on any name to see the page about them. Names are arranges alphabetically by last name.
Elizabeth Allin | James Anderson | William Bagshaw | George Bott | Lorne Brethour | Frank Doble | James Doble | John Doble | Bill Doyle | Ted English | James Glendinning | Jennie Glendinning | Debbie Hadden-Bath | Donald Hadden | Betty Ann Harder | Kenneth Harrison | Graydon Hogg | George Johnson | Enid Martin | Bill McDougall | Stanley Miller | Ferguson Munro | Bessie Oliver | Joseph Oliver | George Parry | Lorne Pinkham | Newton Reed | J Clare Rennie | James Ruddy | Keith Rynard | Mike Sheridan | Philip St. John | James Vrooman | George Welsh