Settler of township lots:  Lots 8 & 9, Conc. 9, Stanhope

Link to the Welch family on the Settlers of Algonquin Highlands family tree website

Location: Map point is the approximate location within Lot 9, Conc. 9 west of Hwy 35 at Halls Lake.

Land acquisition: 

• 1873 These 100 + 100 acre lots were registered as a Free Grant through the Free Grant and Homestead Act of 1868 under the locatee name James Welsh.
• 1873 Lands Liable to Taxation: Township of Stanhope Patent Register - 100 + 100 acres.
• 1873 Patent from The Crown. Ontario Land Parcel Register - Stanhope (Images 34 & 36).

Other properties:

• Lots 12 & 13, Conc. 9. Stanhope - North shore of Halls Lake east of Cadge Road:
  - Lot 12, Conc. 9 on the 1901 Census - there is no page on Ontario Land Parcel Register .
  - Lot 13, Conc. 9 on the 1911 census - Ontario Land Parcel Register (Image 148) says Closed.
• Lot 14, Conc. 9, Stanhope: 1913 from George Herbert Clark
• Lots 12 & 13, Conc. 10, Stanhope - North from Little Hawk Lake Road east of Cadge Road:
  - 1901 from William Welch in 1901. Ontario Land Parcel Register - Stanhope (Images 90 & 111).

Dates of residency: 1871 - 1901

• 1883 Stanhope Voters List: James Welch, owner, Lots 8 & 9, Conc. 9
• 1901 Stanhope Voters List: at pt. of both Lots 12, & 13, Conc. 9
• 1901 Census of Canada, Stanhope: James & Sarah Welsh with 6 children at Lot 13, Conc. 9
• 1903 Business Directory, Stanhope: James Welch, Petersons Cor, Lot 13, Conc. 9
• 1903 Stanhope Voters List: James Welch, farmer, Lots 12 & 13, Conc. 9
• 1911 Census of Canada, Stanhope: James & Sarah G Welch at Lot 12, Conc. 9, Stanhope
• 1911 Stanhope Voters Lists: at both Lots 8 & 9, Conc. 9
• 1911 Stanhope Post Office List: Halls Lake Lot 14, Conc. 9
  - also son Robert
• 1918 Stanhope Post Office: Jas & Robt (son) Welch
• 1928 Stanhope Voters List: James & Sarah Welch at Lots 12 & 14, Conc. 10, Stanhope
• 1928 Death: Stanhope Twp

Other residents: Malachi Campbell b. 1868 1921 Census of Canada, Ontario / Victoria / Stanhope / Page 2, Family 14. Widowed lodger in the home of James & Sarah Welch.

Interesting facts: From Town and Country Welches in Haliburton by Merrium Clancy. Pro Familia Publishing. 2000

One of the best known families at Hall’s Lake was founded by James Welch, the oldest son of Samuel and Betsy, who was just eighteen years of age when he joined his uncle (William Welch, b. 1827) in 1871 on “the island” at Boshkung. He met Miss Sarah Jones, one of Tom Jones’ nine daughters; perhaps at the home of her sister, Fannie, who married James’ brother William Welch (b. 1865), at Maple Lake in 1885.

The home of James and Sarah Welch overlooked Halls Lake and was renowned for the warm hospitality it dispensed for Aunt Sarah (the lookout park at Hall’s Lake is named in her honour), was a famous cook who gloried in her trade. A favourite phrase was “Now make out your meal”. 

For some years the Welches kept the Halls Lake Post Office and James drove the mail. Mr. Welch had a wide variety of steeds for he dearly loved a horse trade. He later worked for the Trent valley canal system. A memorial tablet at St. Stephen's Boshkung bears mute testimony as to what the years between 1914 and 1918 cost Mr. and Mrs. James Welch for 2 of their sons, Charles and Harry, were killed in action. Source: In Quest of Yesterday by Nila Reynolds. Published by The Provisional County of Haliburton, Minden, Ontario 1973 p. 313.

Halls Lake Post Office - 1900 to 1964: Lot 12, Conc. 10, Stanhope. This office was situated at the homes of the Postmasters. .James Welch was the postmaster from Mar 1, 1900 until his death on May 29, 1935. The office was situated  at what is now 1171 Halls Lake Road. The house was replaced by a later landowner.

The Haliburton Business Directory for 1918:
Hall's Lake, Carnarvon Tp - Welch, James, postmaster

James Welch Obituary 1935:
Another of Haliburton County’s pioneers past to the Great Beyond when the death of James Welch occurred at his home at Hall’s Lake on May 20th while in his 82nd year, after a lengthy illness. Arthur William Welch, James's son, was acting Postmaster for about four months after his father's death.

The late Mr. Welch was born in Dorsetshire, England, and came to Canada as a young man in 1871. A few years after his arrival here he located for land in Stanhope Township on the west side of Hall’s Lake, where he prepared a house and married Sarah Jones of Guilford Township. Here they passed through all the trials of pioneering, and a few years later moved to the farm now owned by Mr. Sam Kernohan on the Bobcaygeon Road north of Minden. But the back woods called again and they once more took up residence at Hall’s Lake, this time on the north shore, where their home became noted for the hospitality they extended first to the lumbermen and hunters and later to those who came to view the beauties of the country or fish for the famous Hall’s Lake trout. For many years he was post master at Hall’s Lake. In religion he was an Anglican, and in politics an ardent Liberal.

The largely attended funeral held on the following Wednesday afternoon was under Masonic auspices. Service was held at St. Stephen’s church, Boskung. Interment taking place in Boskung Cemetery, Rev. R. R. Bonis officiating.

Preceding landowner: The Crown

Succeeding landowner: Lot 8 & 9, Conc. 9: 1905 George Fader