William Bagshaw

William Bagshaw was a British Army veteran who fought at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. As compensation for his military service, he was granted land in Brock Township.

In 1818, leaving his wife and nine children in England, Bagshaw travelled to Canada where he had been given an initial land grant of 200 acres in Brock Township. As one of the area’s first settlers, he laboured single-handedly on lot 5 on the 9th concession to clear a portion of land and build a cabin. When finished, he sent for his wife who arrived December 1819 with the children. Subsequently, Bagshaw’s holdings grew to 700 acres and the log cabin was replaced by larger homes to house the couple’s large family which grew to 17 children.

William became Brock Township’s first postmaster and was also appointed a Justice of the Peace empowering him to officiate marriages, conduct funerals, and settle legal disputes.

A keen British loyalist, during the Rebellion of 1837, Bagshaw organized a committee to support the government and maintain peace. In this capacity, he was placed in charge of a jail holding rebels awaiting trial back in Toronto.

Land from William’s original farm was allocated for the Bagshaw Cemetery.

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/135993734/william-bagshaw: accessed June 27, 2026), memorial page for William Bagshaw (23 Dec 1808–29 Jul 1877), Find a Grave Memorial ID 135993734, citing Bagshaw Cemetery, Sunderland, Durham Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada; Maintained by HeatherMcKibbon (contributor 48167567).