John Daly is widely considered to the the 'founder of Stratford'

Daly Avenue was called Daly Terrace when it first appeared on the 1872 Brosius “Bird’s-eye-view” of Stratford. It was named for John Corry Wilson Daly, widely called “the founder of Stratford.”

John Daly was born into “the better class of Irish society” and received a sound education in Ireland before serving in the Royal Navy as a surgeon’s assistant. He then emigrated to Cooperstown, N.Y. and, in 1826, went to Hamilton in Upper Canada. There, he began a 30-year association with the Canada Company. In 1831, he was its land agent in what later became the Huron District.

In 1833, John Daly moved to Stratford, where the Canada Company had already built some shanties. He built the first frame house in Stratford on land that today features the Perth County Courthouse. He became Stratford’s first postmaster and opened its first store. By 1841, he had purchased for himself the Canada Company’s mill dam and sawmills in the area. He also became the Bank of Upper Canada’s agent in Stratford.

In 1859, when Stratford became a town officially, J.C.W. Daly was the Town of Stratford’s first mayor. As well, he was, at times, the coroner, the magistrate for the London region, and a lieutenant-colonel in the militia. In 1850, he, along with John Linton, had been instrumental in the establishment of Perth County.

John Daly’s son, Thomas Mayne Daly, is often referred to as Thomas Mayne Daly Sr. since he also had a son, Thomas Mayne Daly Jr., who shared the same name.

Thomas Mayne Daly Sr., the son of John Daly, was also a businessman and political figure who became mayor of Stratford twice, in 1869-1870 and again in 1876-1878. He also chaired the public school board and represented the riding of Perth North in the House of Commons of Canada and Perth North in the Ontario provincial parliament.

In July 1881, T. M. Daly’s son, Thomas Mayne Daly Jr., who had been born in Stratford and had grown up and practised law there from 1876 to 1881, left for western Canada and was among the first to settle in Brandon, Man. He was elected Brandon’s first mayor in 1882 and served again in 1884.

In 1887, running as a Conservative, he was elected to the House of Commons for Selkirk, a seat he held until the general election of 1896.

For more of the story, click www.streetsofstratford.ca and select Daly Avenue.

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Streets of Stratford: Daly Avenue

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18.01.2024

John Daly is widely considered to the the 'founder of Stratford'

Daly Avenue was called Daly Terrace when it first appeared on the 1872 Brosius “Bird’s-eye-view” of Stratford. It was named for John Corry Wilson Daly, widely called “the founder of Stratford.”

John Daly was born into “the better class of Irish society” and received a sound education in Ireland before serving in the Royal Navy as a surgeon’s assistant. He then emigrated to Cooperstown, N.Y. and, in 1826, went to Hamilton in Upper Canada. There, he began a 30-year association with the Canada Company. In 1831, he was its land agent in what later became the Huron District.

In 1833, John Daly moved to Stratford, where the Canada Company had already built some shanties. He built the first frame house in Stratford on land that today features the Perth County Courthouse. He became........

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