[Bourixor] DUNDURN AND BURLINGTON HEIGHTS 19 
of Burlington at the north end of the Beach was called Wellington Square, 
until about the year 1874 or 1875. 
‘ The Gore in Hamilton was named on account of its shape; at least, 
the oldest inhabitants think so. The Gore District was named after Francis 
Gore in 1816; Wentworth County after his wife (Annabella Wentworth, 
daughter of Thomas Wentworth, who was a brother of Sir John Wentworth, 
Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia); Halton County after William Halton, 
Governor Gore’s Secretary. Gore Bank and Gore Street, in Hamilton, were 
called after the district. The park was not at first intended to be gore- 
shaped, but rectangular. King Street was a road following the old Indian 
trail from Niagara to Ancaster. George Hamilton gave, but did not deed, a 
portion of land south of King Street toward a public square; Nathaniel 
Hughson agreed to give an equal portion from his farm north of King Street, 
the two grants to extend four blocks from James to Mary Street. Hughson 
did not keep his promise (hence the shape), and Hamilton’s son tried to get 
back the land his father had given. 
“Long before anything was done to make a park of it, the ‘wilderness’ 
was called the Gore. Mr. Beasley and Major O’Reilly say it was so described 
sixty years ago. In the Statutes of Canada, 16 Vict., chap. 33 (10 November, 
1852) you will find: ‘ Whereas in the original survey of the City of Hamilton, 
a vacant space of triangular form, and known as ‘the Gore’ of King Street, 
was left for the purpose of a public square,’ etc. It seems to have been simply 
‘the Gore,’ like the Gore of Townsend, Gore of Camden, Gore of Ancaster, etc. 
“Sir Allan McNab was buried in that walled enclosure in Dundurn 
grounds. Mr. Beasley, city clerk, and others were at the funeral, and remem- 
ber it, and some younger men have looked at the grave. There was danger 
of a row at the funeral, the late Dean Geddes (Church of England) and the 
late Bishop Farrell (Roman Catholic) both claiming the right to officiate ; 
but the Hon. John Hillyard Cameron induced the Orangemen and other 
Protestants to go away peaceably.” 
I refer elsewhere (infra, p. 25) to the mysterious circumstances of Sir 
Allan’s last hours on earth, which caused much excitement in Canada, as 
intimated by Mr. Gardiner. 
I cite the following description of the Heights from Kingsford’s “History 
of Canada,’ vol. VIII., p. 268 : 
“Vincent’s force, increased by the detachments from Fort Erie and 
Chippewa, by two companies of the 8th and by a small body of seamen of the 
Royal Navy, under Capt. Barclay, on the following morning marched to Bur- 
lington Heights. The ground that he occupied embraced much of the 
western part of the present Cemetery and included Harvey Park, also a 
portion of Dundurn Park, the residence of Senator McInnes. The main road, 
generally speaking, followed what is now King Street, easterly, and westerly 
to Lock Street. At that time it branched off to the north-west and was the 
road followed to York (Toronto). It passed through the ground on which 
Dundurn House is built, till it reached the height overlooking the bay, whence 
it continued on the high ground for some distance along the side of the lake. 
This road, which formed the eastern boundary of the camp, was within a 
short distance south of the present entrance to Dundurn. The western line 
was traced on the summit of the height in the cemetery, and was continued 
_ to the crown of the descent to the bay. Some earthworks interlaced with 
fallen trees are still traceable. The position was admirably chosen. It was 
