DUNCOMBE’S UPRISING 1837

Plaque on the southwest corner of Talbot and Simcoe Streets (County Road 16), one block south of County Road 4, Scotland

Dr. Charles Duncombe (1791-1867) was a Reform member of the Legislative Assembly for Oxford in 1837 and a strong supporter of William Lyon Mackenzie. He rallied 300 rebels from Burford, Norwich, Brantford, South Dumfries, Waterford and Oakland to assemble at Scotland. He had planned to link forces with William Matthews of Brantford and march on Hamilton to support Mackenzie. The plan became impossible when news came of Mackenzie’s defeat. Allan McNab’s militia of 1900 men arrived dispersing the reform group. Duncombe was forced to flee to the U.S. Oldtimers in the Burford area recall that McNab’s militia terrorized the district, hunting down Reformers and destroying their supplies and barns.