Ontario was English-speaking part of the British dominion (unlike neighbouring Quebec), easily accesible over land from New York, so became a favourable destination for British migrants in the 1800's. Improved transatlantic passenger services, the repeal of the Anti-Emigration Law in 1825 in Britain, and high unemployment brought about first by the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, and then the Industrial and Agricultural Revolutions, inspired generations to migrate - The Great Migration of Canada (1815-1850) involved over 800,000 migrants, mainly of British and Irish origin. Migrants were also encouraged to settle in Canada after the War of 1812, including British army regulars who had served in that war.

Many of the Ontario’s early English settlers originated from the north of England, especially Yorkshire and Cumberland. Devon and Cornwall were also especially well-represented in the outflow of people to Ontario. By the 1830s Yorkshire people were much in evidence along the northwest side of Lake Ontario, as were the Cornish who joined them in substantial numbers after 1840.

A growing economic crisis in agriculture in the 1870s caused many English farm labourers to move to Ontario under schemes organized by agricultural trade unions. A particular trouble spot was Buckinghamshire & Bedfordshire which lost a steady stream of poor farm workers to Ontario during the second half of the 19th century. By 1870 the Ontario government was running promotional campaigns to attract colonizers to the vast wildernesses of northern Ontario. For instance, many English took up the free land grants being offered in Algoma District.

Canada is mainly a story of Mabley migration, from Cornwall & Devon. 250,000 Cornish people emigrated to Canada 1815 - 1914, driven by factors such as the Potato famine in 1840’s in the south west and the high price of corn. Cornish/Devon copper and tin mines became depleted by 1860, and the discovery of new reserves around the world of copper, gold, tin, lead, diamond, leading to ‘rushes' and the need for skilled labour. The rise of the Methodist church in south west England urging ‘self improvement’, also encouraged emigration.

As Canada developed economically and mining resources were discovered, the migration west began...
==> Manitoba

Go to Ontario Censuses 1851-1921 ==>

1st. Ontario Generation

John Mabley (1825 - 1890's) m. Farmer, Rebecca (1833 - 1890's) in x
They both came from England in the 1840's. Their canadian-born Children :-

• Lucy Mabley (1848 - )
• Sarah Mabley (1849 - )
• John W Mabley (1854 - )
• Emma Mabley (1856 - )
• Elisa Mabley (1861 - )