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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, March 24, 2016 | 12 As Halton turns 200 -- the man behind the Region by Melanie Hennessey Metroland West Media While most local residents are familiar with the word Halton, many may not know the region is named after a person who was here two centuries ago when the municipality first took shape. With no pictures in existence to put a face to the name, William Halton is a figure that has remained a mystery for decades. That is, until a local historian took an interest in uncovering the story behind the man. In fact, John McDonald even wrote a book on the subject titled Halton's Heritage ­ William Halton and Halton County, culminating four and a half years of work on the subject. As March 22 marked Halton Region's 200th anniversary, the Milton resident shared his knowledge of the municipality's unique history. "When I go around and tell the story of William Halton the man, I find it interesting that even though there are half a million people that live in Halton, very few people realize there was a man named Halton," he remarked. "Even the Halton family in England didn't know there was a place in Canada named after one of their ancestors." · · · The year was 1816 Settlements had already been established on lands in the southern reaches of the region in what's known as Oakville and Burlington today. While there had been previous requests for the Province to establish a district in the area, which would bring services such as land registration, courts, etc., the War of 1812 had thwarted any such action. "It took until 1816 for the Province to get around to creating a new level of government, and it was known as the district of Gore. It was named after Lieutenant Governor Francis Gore, and he's the one who brought Halton to this area," said McDonald. "Gore was the former governor of Bermuda, and Halton was his private secretary. They met during the Napoleonic Wars and both served in the British army." The Gore district was created on March 22, 1816 and consisted of two united counties -- one called Halton, and the other, Wentworth, named in honour of Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governor Sir John Wentworth. "Gore was married to Annabella Wentworth, and that's actually how Belleville gets its name," noted McDonald. At the time, Halton was geographically twice as large as it is today, encompassing lands that reached as far away as Paris, Ont. Each area had a district town, similar to the capital of a province, and at the time the Gore's district town became Hamilton. "That upset everybody in Dundas and Ancaster because Dundas was already an established community. Hamilton was nothing more than a plot of land that was surveyed," explained McDonald. "For many years -- about 35 -- the people in Dundas did everything they could to derail Milton author John McDonald wrote a book Halton's Heritage, tracing the origins of the Region of Halton and the man, William Halton, after which the region took its name 200 years ago this week. | photos courtesy Halton's Heritage Hamilton being the district town." By 1855, the United Counties of Halton and Wentworth separated and Halton became a county. Its council consisted of members representing the townships of Esquesing, Nassagaweya, Trafalgar and Nelson, along with Acton, Georgetown, Milton, Burlington and Oakville. Milton was then named as the county town, a decision that certainly created a lot of local controversy. "The people in Oakville were very upset because Oakville was an established place with a railway. Milton didn't even have a railway," said McDonald. "For 25 years, there was this great rivalry. Every time they (county council) tried to pass something to improve the Milton area, the Oakville councillors would balk at it." A man named Hugh Foster donated four acres of land to the county to construct its administration building in Milton, which is still in place on Mary Street today and now used as the Milton Town Hall. As Toronto and the surrounding areas grew, the Province realized it would have to alter its county system. By 1974, a decision was made to regionalize the area and rename it the Region of Halton. "Right from the beginning there was this feeling that the local communities were going to be lost under a regional government, but I don't think that's happened," noted McDonald. · · · So who was Halton, the man? William Halton was born in England in October 1769 to a privileged family. As a young man, he was educated well and went on to join the British army. "He served time in Ireland during the Napoleonic Wars, and that's where he met Francis Gore. That's where their friendship started," said McDonald. The two men carried on to Bermuda in 1805 and then arrived in York, Ont., the following year. Halton was granted 1,200 acres of land scattered across the province, with plots in York, Burlington beach and Welland. Three days after the Gore district and Halton County were created in March 1816, Halton was named as a provincial agent for Upper Canada. This led to his departure in May, when he returned to England and became the liaison at the colonial office. "He then went out of his way to support the veterans of the War of 1812. He had a great passion for these people and tried to get funding for them at a time when England was struggling," said McDonald. "He went to great lengths to raise funds, and money was sent here to Upper Canada all because of his efforts." But Halton fell ill and began writing letters to Upper Canada explaining why he was not on the job. McDonald was actually able to take these letters to show them to a doctor, who diagnosed Halton 200 years later. "He had a very severe asthmatic problem and gout," said McDonald, noting Halton's condition seemed to have been made worse by medication he was taking with harsh side effects. He died in 1821 -- alone in a hotel room in England. While he would've been the seventh baron in his family, he died two years before his father, so the baronetcy became extinct. Halton never married and had no children. He had one sister, who went on to have eight children, with one of her descendants actually making their way from Australia to Milton for the celebration of McDonald's book launch on Halton's history. In his will, Halton requested that he be buried next to his mother, which is where he lies today at St. John's Wood Cemetery in central London, England. While there was no state funeral or special recognition of Halton's passing, and no portraits of him as he died before photography was commonplace, the local namesake seemed to fade into the pages of history. That is, until McDonald delved into his story and brought it to the forefront in recent years. "He should be recognized for his efforts for the veterans of the War of 1812 and his service in the earliest days of Upper Canada," said McDonald. Halton's Heritage is available online at www. haltonsketchespublishing.com and in person via the Milton Historical Society and Home Hardware locations in Milton and Burlington.