Folklore, true crime, heroes and Elvis

Oxford County Archives is set to release a book next week to celebrate the county’s 175th anniversary. A book launch was held on July 30 in Woodstock and the public is now able to purchase a copy. (Contributed Image)

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Was he there, or wasn’t he?

As Oxford County Archives prepares for a book launch next week, one of the most interesting stories told in ‘Growing Stronger Together: A Celebration of Oxford County’s Past’ is whether Elvis Presley signed his name on a wall.

“In the tower of the courthouse are hundreds of names written on the walls, including Elvis’ with the date 1957,” explained county archivist Liz Dommasch. “Urban legend claims he stopped in Woodstock (and he did perform in Toronto that year) and visited the courthouse. I’ve heard even farther claims he was in his pink Cadillac and had even been arrested for speeding, but is it true?”

That’s one of more than 100 stories being told in a book that was released on Wednesday at Woodstock’s Oxford County Archives. Oxford County is celebrating the 175th anniversary of its incorporation as a county this year and the 50th anniversary of the restructuring of the county into its eight area municipalities

A collection of stories about local people, events and communities, the book has its origins in an Archives blog started during the COVID-19 pandemic to share interesting stories about the County’s past. It features articles and historical research from multiple contributors and was curated by Oxford County Archivist Liz Dommasch.

Dommasch said the organization began writing historical blog posts during the pandemic which is when they noticed they had the makings of a book, but at the same time, knew they needed help.

“We also realized that although we know a lot about the county, we’re not exactly experts about every community. We did reach out to a number of other museums, heritage groups and individuals who were willing to contribute.”

Staff involved did the best they could to cover the entire geography of the county and Dommasch explained the book contains a mix of stories, some people may know, along with many they won’t.

“A lot of people may know some of the larger stories, like the murder trial of Reginald Birchall, or some history on our county council, but we delve into so many stories from everything about community events to folklore.”

Birchall, a British con artist traveling under the alias Lord Somerset, lured Frederick Cornwallis Benwell, the son of a wealthy English gentleman, to Ontario on the pretext of joining him in a bogus Canadian farm investment scheme. Near Woodstock, Birchall led Benwell into the Blenheim Swamp, shot him twice in the back of the head, and attempted to conceal his identity by tampering with the body’s clothing.

Detective John Wilson Murray utilized photography of the victim’s body and widely circulated it in newspapers to aid identification. Witnesses then came forward, and Birchall himself eventually identified the body, though he claimed he had left Benwell in the swamp with another male known only as the Colonel. Birchall was hanged on November 14, 1890, at the Woodstock jail and buried within the jail yard, following contemporary English tradition.

Dommasch explained much of the content surrounding Woodstock involves crime, court cases and the general history of the county.

“There are a number of articles about some of the buildings on the County Courthouse Square, not just the courthouse standing now, but the one we had previously not many people may be aware of. There are stories about history of our jail and three registry offices that were on the Courthouse Square as well as some information on the cannons.”

The County of Oxford, formerly called the District of Brock, was incorporated in 1850 under the Municipal Corporations Act, more commonly known as the Baldwin Act. It included adjustments to boundaries with Middlesex County and Brant County

Oxford County had its own Act, the County of Oxford Act, 1974, which restructured regional government and consolidated services while merging the historic townships into new area municipalities. The Special Inaugural Meeting of the Municipal Council of the County of Oxford was held on January 21, 1975, and was a historic moment as Oxford became the first restructured County in the Province of Ontario.

“Oxford’s 175th Anniversary reminds us that we have a story that is worth sharing, in fact, multiple stories worth sharing, more than 150 in this publication alone,” said Warden Marcus Ryan. “The story of how Oxford grew to become Oxford shows a vibrant past and a love of community that continues today. Thank you to the many contributors who devoted their time and passion to keeping these stories alive.”

Other celebrations of the county’s 175th anniversary include an exhibit at the Woodstock Art Gallery, a display at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, a video series this fall sharing the genealogical stories of some of Oxford’s current county councillors and displays at the Oxford County Administration Building (OCAB).

Copies of the book will be on sale at the event for $45.00 each, and it will also be available for purchase online at www.oxfordcounty.ca/archives, at the Ingersoll and Tillsonburg branches of Oxford County Library, Oxford County Archives, and at the Customer Service desk at OCAB.