from the 1865 directory of Grey County

NORMANBY TOWNSHIP.

The Township of Normanby, named after the British nobleman of
that name, lies at the S. W. corner of the County of Grey,
having the Township of Bentinck on the North, Egremont on the
East, the Township of Minto, in Wellington, on the South, the
Township of Howic, in Huron, at the S. W. corner, and Carrick,
in Bruce, on the West. It is one of the best townships in the County,
one of the newest, and by the census of 1861 the most populous.

As elsewhere mentioned, the Garafraxa Road (forming its Eastern
boundary) was run out by John McDonald, P.L.S., of Goderich, in
1841. At that time only one parallel Concession on each side
was laid out, but in 1845, a second and third tier of lots were
laid off on each side. These constitute what may be called the
"Old Survey," in Normanby and other townships. The front lots
were given in 50-acre "grants" to actual settlers, and the road
soon began to be lined with a thin fringe of settlements. In
1851 the survey of the rest of the township was taken hold of by
the late David Gibson., P.L.S., and finished either that or the
following year. The "New Survey" was first held for sale by
the Government in 1856. For a year or two before that date,
however, there had been a great influx of German immigrants,
filling up Carrick, and parts of Normanby, Brant and Bentinck.
These squatters purchased the lots on which they had settled;
and the face of the country soon began to show the hand of
improvement. It is remarked through Canada that not only do
Germans make enterprising and reliable settlers, but that they
seldom locate on poor land. Normanby is no exception. The
Western and South-western half of the township is excellent land,
not troubled with excess of stones, and lying handsomely. The
Saugeen River, in its passage from Mount Forest to Hanover,
divides the township diagonally into rather unequal parts,
the N. E. being the larger. The part S.W. of the river is the
finest part of the town-ship, and is chiefly in the hands of
the Dutch. While there are some beautiful lands at different
points on the Garafraxa Road, the Eastern part of the township
has a considerable amount of swampy and gravelly land. The
prevailing soil in Normanby is clay.

Normanby has two villages entirely within its limits- Ayton
and Neustadt, and Mount Forest and Orchardville partly within
it. It has several Grist and Sawmills, Stores and country
Taverns. A curious system has been in vogue respecting
Assessors and Collectors. An Assessor and a Collector is
appointed annually for each Ward in the Township. The latter
may work satisfactorily; but, with five Assessors, the Court of
Revision must have an unusual amount of business.

Census Reports.-Population in 1861, 3,963; Natives of
England, 151; Natives of Scotland, 365; Natives of Ireland, 708;
Natives of Canada, 1,999 (besides 51 of Fr. Canadian origin);
Natives of the U.S., 45.; Natives of Prussia, Germany and Holland, 628;
Natives of France, 12; Coloured persons, 29.

Total occupiers of lands, 597; holding from 20 to 50 acres
each, 18; holding from 50 to 100 acres each, 212; holding
over 100 acres each, 353.

Fall wheat raised; 1,902 bushels; Spring Wheat, 78,378 bushels;
Barley, 3,448 bushels; Pease, 8,261 bushels; Oats, 39,160 bushels;
Potatoes, 37,905 bushels; Turnips, 171,360 bushels;
Hay, 1,862 tons; Maple Sugar; 14,694 lbs; Wool, 3,921 lbs.;
Butter, 62,062 lbs.; Cheese, 865 lbs.; Pork, 830 brls.

During the four years that have intervened, the annual products
must have risen to nearly double the above figures; but it is
impossible to obtain later statistics.