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Chapter 36
Munro

Hazen >

Lieutenant Munro was one of the chief members of the McCall party which came to Long Point in 1796. He settled in the township of Charlotteville, three miles west of the village of Vittoria.

Being a man of considerable means, he built the best house which had been erected up to that time. It stands to-day, a disused relic, about half a mile back from the road running straight west from Vittoria. It is a two-storey frame house of considerable size. The frame of hewn timber was made so strong that it seems even yet able to defy the storms for another century. The bents are four feet apart, strengthened by tie girths, morticed and tendoned — a marvel of axeman’s skill.

The planks for the floors and sheeting were cut out by the "whip" saw; and there must have been many a bee to accomplish the tremendous task of providing sawn lumber for so large a dwelling. The floors of this old building are almost worn through with the wear of many feet for nearly a century.

The writer was assured that it is the original roof which is on the building at the present time. The shingles are of cedar, rudely whittled by the draw-knife, and show in places an original thickness of over an inch.

In the main room is the immense fire-place, built of rude stone, occupying in itself almost space enough for a modern sleeping chamber, in which many a back log of oak or walnut five feet long and two feet through, roared and hissed and sputtered in the early years of the century.

This building is notable for another reason, namely, because it was used as the court-house of the district for two years, 1800-1802, for it was not until the latter date that the court was removed to Turkey Point. This was the only building in all London District that was capable of accommodating the court.

The first court was organized in April, 1800, the first commission of magistrates being as follows: Peter Teeple, John Beemer, William Squrgin, Wynant Williams, and Captain Samuel Ryerse; to which two others were afterwards added, Captain William Hutchison and Major John Backhouse. Colonel Joseph Ryerson was the first sheriff and Thomas Welch the first clerk of the court. The old journal of the court, containing the minutes of the meetings between the years 1800-1812, was found some time ago in a heap of rubbish. It is preserved to-day in the Norfolk archives in Simcoe.

A temporary jail was erected near the house, a log building, 14 x 25 feet, divided into two rooms, one for the debtors and the other for those charged with criminal offences. Lieutenant Munroe was to act as jailer, his stipend being $100 per annum.  It was agreed that as soon as a permanent court-house and jail were erected elsewhere, that Mr. Munroe should buy back this building at a fair and just price. This building was erected during the winter of 1800, by day labor, and was used for nearly a year, until the courts were removed to Turkey Point.

Lieutenant Munro was a son-in-law of Donald McCall, having married Catherine, the eldest daughter, before coming to Long Point. His family consisted of two sons, Robert and Daniel, and one daughter, Mary.

The U. E. Loyalist records show the following grants of land to his daughters:
"Amelia Sophia Munro, spinster, 200 acres in Walsingham, 23rd Dec. 1815
"Charlotte Dustin, wife of Paul Dustin, 200 acres in Walsingham, 23rd Dec. 1815
"Harriet Ann Gillaspy, wife of William Gillaspy, 200 acres in Walsingham, 23rd Dec. 1815
"Mary Green, wife of Jeremiah Green, 200 acres in Townsend, 23rd Dec. 1815."

Among the descendants of Lieutenant Munro was J. H. Munro, Esq., member of Parliament at Confederation, who remained in the House of Commons till 1872. His brother, Malcolm Munro, was a member of the Local Legislature for about the same time.

The Munro family are connected with the Wood, Smith, Jewell, Smalley, Wilson and Tisdale families of Norfolk County.