On the shelves of the Ontario Historical Association, Normal School building, Toronto, there is a most interesting old book, entitled Warton’s Directory for the year 1836. The author, a member of this Association, has compiled from this directory the following list of names, giving the number of the lot and the concession upon which these people lived in the township of Whitby previous to the year mentioned, East and West Whitby being then but one township. The old township of Whitby was divided in 1857. By way of explanation, we might say that Whitby Township formerly consisted of nine concessions, reaching -from the Base Line on the south to Reach Township on the north. All south of the Base Line was known as the Broken Front. Each concession consisted of 35 lots, commencing at Darlington and extending to the township of Pickering. When the township was divided, lot 17 was taken as the dividing line, therefore all lots from 1 to 17 are in East Whitby and 17 to 35 in West Whitby.
The great historic value which attaches to this remarkable list of names rests in the fact that these were the first and original owners of the soil in this district. It is doubtful whether any country in the world, could produce such a document. The names that will be found herein, will recall a far reaching history of the early life of this County, and will be doubly interesting to those families who still bear the original names. By this document we are able to trace the original location of thousands of people we meet in our daily life. It is also equally interesting to read the names of other families who have practically become extinct. These and many other reasons might be advanced for advising the people to keep this little book in a safe and secure place among the archives of every family in the district.