HUGH PEACOCK, Toronto 1853

Since the 1851 census for the city of Toronto has not survived,
the Toronto Tax Assessment Rolls for 1853 have been transcribed
and can be searched on-line. There is only one Peacock listed. He is
Hugh Peacock on Front Street in St. Lawrence Ward which was the
Protestant Irish area south of King Street and east of Yonge Street.

Web Site: OntarioRoots.com (http://www.OntarioRoots.com), Transcription of
City of Toronto Tax Assessment Rolls, St. Lawrence's Ward, 1853,
Pg: 18, Sequence Number: 421, Viewed on 7/20/2008 5:29:42 PM

The only information other than his name is that he is not shown
as owning or renting land, but in a column headed 'Statute Labour
-Persons Between 21 and 60' there is a number 10 beside Hugh's
name. There are about a dozen men's names listed this way and
they follow the entry for George Horwood, hotel keeper (property
owned by Scott Shields). Some research about Mr. Horwood
reveals that this might be a hotel called the North American.
(In Robertson’s Landmarks of Toronto-Chapter 236-
Front Street of Old, mention is made that close to Maitland’s
Wharf is “the North American Hotel. The proprietor of this house
for many years was Mr. G. C. Horwood, a quiet but popular
man with all who knew him.”
http://www.halinet.on.ca/Greatlakes/Documents/Robert2/default.asp?ID=ca004#pa026)

Statute (required) labour was done by landowners to create
and maintain roads. The entry for the group of men mentioned
above needs some clarification. Were they allowed to 'squat' on
the land and given statute labour for this permission?
Comments welcome!

I don't know for certain that this is the Hugh Peacock who later
lived in King Township north of Toronto, but it is likely.
See the later post about Hugh's marriage.