Sutherland's Gazetteer lists the first farm in East Zorra was sold to a Mr. Strong on Conc. IX, Lot 2. But in the Patents shown to me by cooperating farmers, we find that the Crown sold Lot 30, Conc. XV, 200 acres, to Henry Weishuhn on Oct. 26, 1824.

Another interesting fact is contrary to what we were taught at school, i.e. that the Town Line was the southern boundary of the Canada Company Land Grant. On tracing back the ownerships of Lot. 28, Conc. XI, East Zorra, we found that in Sept., 1838 the Crown sold 200 acres to the Canada Company, who ten years later sold the East Half of the 100 acres to James Caister, and in 1860 the West Half to Donald Sutherland.

In order to show the various ways in which lands were acquired and passed on, we included the detailed patent of a few typical ones, on different concessions.

EAST ZORRA
Concession / Lot / Dates / Ownership / Size / Price
Concession XI Lot 28 The Crown 200 acres
     1838 The Canada Company 200 acres
     1848 James Caister 100 acres E 1/2
     1850 John Caister 50 acres NE 1/4
     1851 James Hatch 50 acres NE 1/4
     1851 John Caister 50 acres NE 1/4 £141/10
     1851 Richard Varey 50 acres NE 1/4
     1852 Daniel Cook 50 acres SE 1/4
     1852 George Bell 50 acres SE 1/4
     1856 James Hatch 50 acres NE 1/4
     1860 Donald Sutherland 100 acres W 1/2
     1860 William Hamburger 50 acresSW 1/4
     June 8, 1860 Alexander Mckay 50 acres NW 1/4
          John McKay
In 1967 Franklin McKay 50 acres NW 1/4

Concession XI Lot 26 George McLeod
     March 9, 1854 Dingwall McKay
          Robert Adam McKay
     In 1967 Ernest Dingwall McKay

Concession XII Lot 34 Henry Olivine
     April 5, 859 Werner Stein
          John Stein
          Werner Stein
In 1967 Mrs. Olive Stein and son Warren

Concession XII Lot 32 Richard Ward 100 acres less 14 sold for taxes in arrears
     August 14, 1861 Andrew Wilker 86 acres W 1/2 $1900
     August 21, 1861 Andrew Wilker 100 acres E 1/2
     Jan. 15, 1876 Henry W. Wilker 200 acres less 14 #3400
     Feb. 1, 1908 George H. Wilker 150 acres $6000
     In 1967 Elton G. Wilker (right of way for the Pt. Dover and L.H. Rwy. Reverted to owner.)

Mr. Wilker purchased this 100 acres from Noah Cook, who had bought it from Thaddeus Davis on October 15, 1823; he had gotten it from the Crown on June 11, 1822 with deeds fully recorded. They were from Stamford County in the Niagara District. When Mr. Wilker went to record his deed, he found that William Charles McLeod of Woodstock had supposedly bought, March 25, 1854, the same 100 acres from Noah Cook. Through his lawyer D.G. Miller of Woodstock, Mr. Wilker obtained an injunction in Chancery Court to stop McLeod from taking any action to encumber the same. At a cost of £12/3/1, $48.12 Mr. Wilker finally obtained a clear deed, with McLeod relinquishing any claim to the land for the sum of five shillings (and other good causes and considerations). The deed surrendered by the real Noah Cook to Mr. Wilker makes intersting copy.