Chaffey's Mills

Prominent early millers in Eastern Ontario, Benjamin and Samuel Chaffey were born in Somerset, England and came to Upper Canada in 1816. After settling briefly in Perth they moved to Elizabethtown (Brockville) where they operated mercantile and milling ventures. Encouraged by local residents to establish mills along the Rideau River, they chose this location in 1820. Samuel settled here soon after, effecting many improvements to the site. By 1827 an extensive complex including a distillery and grist, saw, carding and fulling mills had been established. A small settlement known as Chaffey’s Mills gradually developed. The mills were flooded during the building of the Rideau Canal (1826-32), but shipping and, later, tourism stimulated the continued growth of the community of Chaffeys Lock.

Nés dans le Somerset en Angleterre, Benjamin et Samuel Chaffey sont arrivés dans le Haut-Canada en 1816. Après un court séjour à Perth, ils partent pour Elizabethtown (Brockville) diriger des enterprises commerciales et des minoteries. Encouragés par la population locale à établir des moulins le long de la rivière Rideau, ils choisissent cet emplacement en 1820. Samuel s’y établit peu après et améliore le site. Dès 1827, il avait bâti un vaste complexe comprenant une distillerie et divers moulins et la petite ville de Chaffey’s Mills s’est développée peu à peu. Les moulins ont été inondés lors de la construction du canal Rideau (1826-1832), mais la navigation et, plus tard, le tourisme ont amené un nouvel essor à la communauté de Chaffeys Lock.