From Lucan, County Dublin to Lucan, Ontario

When our ancestors, John Culbert and Mary Ward arrived in Biddulph Township from Ireland, they settled at Lot 19, Concession 2, on a road which came to be known as the Coursey Line.

The village of Lucan, Ontario is about three miles southeast of the Culbert homestead.

Lucan's Main Street, 1800s. Credit: UWO Archives.

 

When John and Mary arrived in 1840, the village had not yet acquired the name Lucan. It was originally named Wilberforce around 1829 when a group of black settlers arrived. (More about the Wilberforce Settlement in a future post.) When the Irish settlers started arriving in the 1830s, they changed the name to Marystown. To avoid confusion with another post office named Marystown, it was necessary to change the name again. And so in 1860, the name Lucan was chosen.

So how did the village come to be known as Lucan?

Enter Thomas Hodgins also known as “Dublin Tom” Hodgins. He was twice elected Reeve of Biddulph in the 1850s (a position our own Myron Manford Culbert would hold a century later.)

Thomas Hodgins aka Dublin Tom

Dublin Tom Hodgins was born in Lucan, County Dublin, Ireland. It’s said that he'd been a coachman on Lord Lucan’s estate.[1]

 

Lucan, County Dublin, Ireland. Photo by Jeff Culbert.

Here in Canada, Dublin Tom homesteaded in Biddulph Township at Lot 13, Concession 2 (the Coursey Line) just up the road from the Culbert homestead.

At the first ever meeting of the Lucan Business Men’s Association, the issue of renaming Marystown was raised. Dublin Tom stood up and suggested the name “Lucan.”

“Sure, this place reminds me of me home in Ireland, with the beautiful trees and the river running close by. Call the town “Lucan” and ye’ll never be sorry.”[2]

The Little Ausable River in Biddulph Township runs through Lucan. The trees and the river reminded Dublin Tom of his home in Ireland. Photo courtesy of Wendy Boole from the collection of Hulda May (Culbert) Carscallen.

And so from that time on, this small village north of London, Ontario has been known as Lucan. There’s another theory as to the naming of the village but as there’s no Culbert connection to that story, let’s move along!

Of course you knew I couldn’t let this story go without a Culbert connection. So here’s a photo of Terry Culbert (right) visiting Lucan, County Dublin, Ireland in May 1993 with his friend, the late Bob McAdorey (left)…

But the Culbert connection doesn’t stop there. (Of course it doesn’t.)

Let’s return to Dublin Tom Hodgins, the man who is said to have named the village of Lucan.

Dublin Tom Hodgins was married to a woman named Ann Colbert Shoebottom. (Does anyone see where this is going? Clue: look at Ann’s middle name.)

Dublin Tom Hodgins and his wife, Ann Colbert Shoebottom

Ann Colbert Shoebottom (1819-1881) was the daughter of John “Stoney” Shoebottom (c1787-1867) and Rebecca Colbert (c1794-1868) of London Township (originally from Tipperary, Ireland.) That’s right - the Colberts of London Township. You know from a previous post that we’re related to the Colberts of London Township although we haven't yet established how we're related. 

Dublin Tom Hodgins and his wife, Ann Colbert Shoebottom had 13 children, all of whom are somehow related to us along with their many descendants.

DNA proves that the Culberts and the Colberts are all from the same pot of Irish stew.

Footnotes: [1] Pioneers to the Present: Biddulph Township Sesquicentennial History Book 1850-2000, Lucan, Ont. : Corp. of the Township of Biddulph, 1998, p.476.

[2] Jennie Raycraft Lewis, The Luck of Lucan, Lucan Heritage Committee, 1967, reprinted 1995, p.17.