Wellesley Township Heritage & Historical Society
  • Home
    • About Us
  • Built Heritage
    • Heritage Designations
    • Historic Neighbourhood Study
  • Cemeteries
    • Rushes Cemetery - Cryptogram Tombstone >
      • Bean Cryptic Tombstone
  • Church History
  • Digital Collection
  • Exhibits
  • Family History
    • Wellesley Roots
    • Family Histories in Our Collection
    • Marriage and Wedding Notices
    • Obituaries and Death Notices
  • Historical Room & Collections
    • Research Guide
    • Photograph Collections >
      • Wellesley Then and Now
      • Charles Ottmann jr Photograph Collection
      • Deborah Glaister Hannay Collection
      • Jessie Harkness Collection
      • Views of Wellesley Village
    • Historical Records in the Township Office
  • History of Wellesley Township
    • Settlement Patterns of Wellesley Townshiip
    • Queen's Bush Settlement
    • Huber Cider Mill Explosion 1908
    • Linwood Clippings 1868 - 1952
    • Linwood Scrapbook
    • Wellesley History In The News
  • Land Ownership
    • Tax Assessment Rolls
    • Maps
    • Township Papers
  • School History
  • Walking & Driving Tours
  • "Wellesley Maple Leaf" Newspaper
  • Wellesley Township Council
    • Wellesley Township Council Minutes
    • Wellesley Township Councillors
    • Waterloo County Councillors from Wellesley
  • Women's Institute
    • Wellesley Women's Institute Minutes
    • Wellesley Women's Institute Poster
    • Wellesley Women's Institute Slideshow
    • Tweedsmuir Histories
  • Gift Shop
  • Events
  • Contact Us
  • Membership Form

William Hastings, Sr. 

Family: son of James
Born: 1820
Died:1876, June 10
buried in Rushes Cemetery
Municipality: Wellesley
Years on local council D Reeve 1860-1864
Years on County Council  1860 1861 1862 1863 1864
Address: Belmont House
Occupation: Farmer
Origin: Scotland
Spouse: Deborah Glaister
Children: Isabel, "Bella"; Joseph; William; John; James; Albert; Robert; Alexander
Landholdings: 1861-concession 4, lot 12 E, as well as land in Crosshill
Religion: C Presbyterian
Notes: c1842 - "Credit is given in the records to William and David Hastings and Hugh Hutchison as being the first settlers in Crosshill," and the naming of Crosshill is credited variously to three people: Hugh Hutchison, John Campbell and William Hastings. The latter three men came from Scotland to Canada and were directed to Crosshill by Absalom Shade (Maple Leaf Journal pp 63, 125)
Notes:
  • 1856-signed a petition in support of the Waterloo Saugeen Railway (WHS1961 49:57)
  • 1861-built the most imposing stone house in the township which has a sculptured likeness of William decorating the front portico
  • Justice of the Peace and known as the "Squire of the Township."
  • named the road which divides the eastern section from the western in honor of his friend.
  • Hastings family "raised the finest stock-Hampshire hogs, Shorthorn cattle, Clydesdale horses, and introduced Leicester sheep to the area, exhibiting at the world fairs in Chicago and St Louis, and the Canadian National Exhibition, always coming away with top awards" (MLJpl27)
  • "In Wellesley, William Hastings Esq. died at 54 years of age after a short illness" (obituary Berliner Journal)
Sources: Maple Leaf Journal; obituary Berliner Journal 22/6/1876 Photo: Maple Leaf Journal p126

This information is excerpted from: "Waterloo County Councillors: A Collective Biography," researched and complied by Elizabeth Bloomfield and Linda Foster. (c) 1995 Caribou Imprints. It is reproduced by permission of Dr. Bloomfield.    ​The full text of the book can be seen here. ​