Address:
280 Lawson Street - The home of Samuel Lawson and Winifred Brown
Summary:
This property traces back to Samuel Lawson's pioneering spirit in 1839, obtaining Park Lot K from William Chisholm.
Property Details:
When the original plan, still known as Plan 1, was created for Oakville, most of the building lots were in blocks. Several larger Park Lots were created, mostly just south of Division Street, now Macdonald Road. Note the lower-case D in Macdonald. Division Street was the dividing line between the north and south halves of Concession 3, South of Dundas Street and was therefore halfway between Lower Middle Road (now the QEW) and Colborne St (now Lakeshore Road). The name was changed following the amalgamation of Trafalgar Township and the Town of Oakville in 1962. This property stands in the middle of what was Park Lot K which ran along the south side of Lawson Street from Trafalgar Road through to Reynolds Street. There are now five houses on the property.
It's likely that Samuel Lawson and his family were the first to settle so far north of the village proper, as no other houses existed between theirs and the Simpson House at Sheddon Street (now Freestone Lane) at the time. Samuel and his wife Winifred were both born in Ireland; he in 1800 and she in 1820. They had at least four children: Samuel Junior born about 1842, Abraham born about 1846 plus two daughters.
Wanting to build a house for his family but unable to finance the purchase of both land and a house, he obtained from William Chisholm title to park lot K in 1839, for which he was to pay when he could. Two years before obtaining title, he built a one-and-a-half storey house of hand-made brick (the first in Oakville) on the property, facing Trafalgar Road and surrounded by an apple orchard. Over time the street bordering the property on the north became known as Lawson Street. Lawson never did pay for the land and his last descendant willed the property to William Alexander Chisholm, great grandson of William Chisholm.
Samuel Lawson appears in the 1840 census as one male over 16, one female over 16 (himself and Winifred), one male and two females under 16. For some reason they don't appear in the 1851 census. Samuel died in 1873 of Marasmus, a type of malnutrition. They don't appear in Findagrave, probably because there was no headstone.
Registry documents show that Samuel Lawson acquired the property by Bill of Sale in December 1839 from William Chisholm. In April 1865 he and his wife sold it to Samuel Junior and Abraham. On the same date, there was an agreement passing title back to Samuel Sr and his wife. In July 1909, by probate of will, Eliza Shaw, Spinster, passed it to William Alexander Chisholm. In 1945, by Tax Deed, John M Campbell and Clarence Harold Byers, Mayor and Treasurer of the Town of Oakville, passed title to Jessie Lefroy for $1265.93. After that Lot K was split up.
It's likely that Samuel Lawson and his family were the first to settle so far north of the village proper, as no other houses existed between theirs and the Simpson House at Sheddon Street (now Freestone Lane) at the time. Samuel and his wife Winifred were both born in Ireland; he in 1800 and she in 1820. They had at least four children: Samuel Junior born about 1842, Abraham born about 1846 plus two daughters.
Wanting to build a house for his family but unable to finance the purchase of both land and a house, he obtained from William Chisholm title to park lot K in 1839, for which he was to pay when he could. Two years before obtaining title, he built a one-and-a-half storey house of hand-made brick (the first in Oakville) on the property, facing Trafalgar Road and surrounded by an apple orchard. Over time the street bordering the property on the north became known as Lawson Street. Lawson never did pay for the land and his last descendant willed the property to William Alexander Chisholm, great grandson of William Chisholm.
Samuel Lawson appears in the 1840 census as one male over 16, one female over 16 (himself and Winifred), one male and two females under 16. For some reason they don't appear in the 1851 census. Samuel died in 1873 of Marasmus, a type of malnutrition. They don't appear in Findagrave, probably because there was no headstone.
Registry documents show that Samuel Lawson acquired the property by Bill of Sale in December 1839 from William Chisholm. In April 1865 he and his wife sold it to Samuel Junior and Abraham. On the same date, there was an agreement passing title back to Samuel Sr and his wife. In July 1909, by probate of will, Eliza Shaw, Spinster, passed it to William Alexander Chisholm. In 1945, by Tax Deed, John M Campbell and Clarence Harold Byers, Mayor and Treasurer of the Town of Oakville, passed title to Jessie Lefroy for $1265.93. After that Lot K was split up.
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Lawson 280 B Old
Lawson 280p
Lawson 280 B Old
Lawson 280p