PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAX INSTITUTE. c - 



too long. In the prepamtiou of it one of my aims has been to direct the attention 

 of others who have more leisure than myself, and who possess historical tastes and 

 gifts, to a treasure house of material \\ Inch no one has yet ventured to explore or 

 work over, and of which the Burwell letters and journals are a very little part. 

 But whoever will undertake to exploit that treasure house with any deo-ree of 

 intelligence and thoroughness will soon become convinced that thei-e is ne'cessitv 

 for a new departure in the care of its contents, which ought to be treated as 

 possessing great historical as well as official value. If we cannot«have a Reference 

 Library for the Province, with a Librarian possessing industiy and genius in char^-e 

 of it. established upon the scheme conceived and matured by (he Canadian Institute 

 let us at least have a Provincial Archivist, whose office .should be the collection and 

 care of every paper, and letter, and record, and document that concerns the public 

 and official business of the Province. 



Biographical Note. The Burwells are an old family, whose homes in 

 England were in Bedford and Northampton. More than two and a half centuries 

 ago some of them came to America, settling in Virginia. They were loyal to 

 Charles I. throughout the Civil War, and some were loyal to George III. ni the 

 American War of Independence. In Sabine's Loyalists a sketch of one .lames 

 Burwell of New Jersey shows that he served the King seven years, having 

 enlisted in 1776, that he came to Upper Canada in 1796 where he received 200 

 acres for himself and each of his children, that he removed to the Talbot Settlement 

 in 1810 and died there in 1853, aged 99 years five months. He was probably 

 related to Adam Burwell, but that is uncertain. The latter was also a native of 

 New Jersey, and came to Canada with his wife and family after the wai-. The 

 records show that he settled in the township of Bertie, and that in 1797 he received a 

 grant of 850 acres of land for military service ; but the petition in which bis claims 

 were set out aj^pears to be lost. There is a tradition in the fomily that he had 

 large possessions in New Jersey, and that they were confiscated by the Govern- 

 ment of the United States. Adam Burwell spent the later years of his life with 

 his son, Col. Burwell. He died in 1828 at the age of 79, and was buried beside 

 the walls of the English church in St. Thomas. His eldest son was the Mahlon 

 Burwell of the foregoing paper, who was born in New Jersey February 18th, 1783, 

 studied land surveying, and through the influence of Col. Talbot got professional 

 employment from the Government. In 1811 Mahlon Burwell was appointed 

 Registrar of land titles for the District of Middlesex, and in 1812 he was elected to 

 represent the Districts of Middlesex and Oxford in the Legislative Assembly of 

 Upper Canada. He held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of militia at tbis time, 

 and during the war of 1812-14 was active against the enemy on all occasions, and 

 became odious to them, although there is no record of bis being in any battle of 

 the Avar. In 1814 a baud of Americans raided the Talbot Settlement, audaltbougb 

 Col. Burwell was in his bed, ill of fever and ague, he was carried otf a prisoner 

 and held for many weeks in Ohio or Kentucky. In a second raid his buildings 

 were destroyed by fire and his family was driven olT. In 1815 he was establisbed 

 in Southwold, where the Talbot Road crosses the townline between Dunwich and 

 Southwold, afterwards known as Burwell Park. A new Registry building was 

 erected there in which the ofiice was kept until by authority of an Act of the 

 Legislature it was removed to London in May, 1843. Col. Burwell was re-elected to 

 represent Middlesex and Oxford in 1816 and again in 1820. A redistribution took 

 place before the next general election in 1824, and John Matthews and Dr. John 

 Rolph Avere chosen to represent Middlesex. They were successful again in 1828, 

 and referring to this contest in a private letter to Hon. Thomas Ridout (Aug. 22nd. 

 1828) Col. Burwell wrote : "Our Election lasted 6 days— when the Poll closed the 

 votes stood — for Rolph 340— Matthews 317— Burwell 305 & Hamilton 275, 

 Matthews 12 over me, and many of my Friends not allowed time to vote. 

 although returned to the poll two or three times for tluit purpose." In 1830 

 Burwell was successful in Middlesex, but was defeated in 1834, and in 1836 he 

 became the first representative of London town. During the wbole of this period 

 he held the offices of Reii;i.strar and Postmaster, and was almost constantly 



