Georgina, on the southern shore of Lake Simcoe, was named in 1818 by the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, Sir Peregrine Maitland, in honour of King George III.

But were it not for the War of 1812 and the imperial ambitions of Napoleon Bonaparte, Georgina’s history may have been quite different.  England’s war with the Americans and her attempts to curtail Napoleon’s European adventures sparked an arms race that ended with Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo and eventual truce with the United States. With the passing of this twin threat, England released many of its officers, naval and otherwise. To guard against a resumption of hostilities with the US, British authorities reserved the land south of Lake South for “Privileged Persons”, meaning men of a certain social and military background. One of these men was Captain William Bourchier, a retired naval officer. Captain Bourchier was granted 1200 acres in 1818, but the allure of adventure in East India proved too great, and unable to settle down, he sold his land to his younger brother James in 1821.

James Bourchier was far-thinking, resourceful, and determined. On June 24 of 1821 he married Miss Jean Lyall and began building what was to become the village of Bourchier Mills, later to become Sutton. In short order, James had dammed the Black River, providing power for a saw mill and grist mill, launched a general store, begun a cheese factory become Pathmaster, Justice of the Peace and the area’s first Postmaster. History has justly bestowed James Bourchier the title of First Citizen.

Early European settled life was difficult, yet by 1840 Georgina’s first school was built in Sutton. Population growth must have seemed incremental; in 1842 the township numbered 586 souls, and by 1891, the census counted almost 2,500 people living in the Georgina area. There could be no doubt that settlement had come to stay – by 1846 Sutton offered the services of a tannery, blacksmith shop and a tavern.

In 1839 William Bourchier had returned from India to build a home which he named “the Briars” after the residence of friends in St. Helena. After his death in 1844, his wife maintained the Briars from Toronto, renting it to newcomers, but eventually sold the manor to Dr. Frank Sibbald. It remains in the Sibbald family to this day, and is now known far and wide as The Briars Resort and Spa.

European settlement in Georgina was solidly established when James Bourchier died in 1872. He left behind a country changed, but true to its core. At times since, place names have changed, municipal authority has been altered according to the political powers of the day, but what drew the first settlers is what draws us today – the vision of a land of unlimited beauty, graceful in its wildness, unceasingly varying in its seasons, the very image of God’s own land.
 
For the true history buff, I highly recommend you visit the Corporation of the Town of Georgina website and read "Our History", which was first compiled and published as a special supplement to the Georgina Advocate in December 1992. More than simply a compilation of names and dates, "Our History" tells the fascinating story of the resourcefulness of our indigenous peoples and the spirited settlers who joined them on our shores.