John Scarlett - a founding figure for Runnymede

A lot about the Runnymede neighbourhood, including its name, is due to John Scarlett. Scarlett

John Scarlett

arrived in York in 1809 from Antigua, at 32 years old, supposedly with a lot of money and one slave. When he died in 1865 at 88, he had acquired over 1000 acres of land along the Humber River. He created several businesses including a lumber mill, a grist mill, a distillery, an inn, a general store, the toll road now known as Scarlett Road and a grain exchange. He also was one of the founders of the Upper Canada Bank.

Scarlett was married three times. His first wife Mary Townsend died in 1927 after they had six children. His Second wife, Elizabeth Dennison died in 1847 and Scarlett married his third wife, Sophie Porteous in 1849.

Scarlett first lived in a log home near the Humber River. He then built Simcoe Grange at Dundas & Keele. His last home, named Runnymede, was built in 1838 just north of

Painting of Scarlett’s mill and bridge over the Humber River on Scarlett Road in 1871, by William Arthur Johnson (Source: Toronto Public Library)

Dundas Street and what is now known as Runnymede. Runnymede was first called Elizabeth Street, after Scarlett’s second wife, and was his private driveway from Bloor Street to his home.

Runnymede House

Scarlett also created the Simcoe Chase horse racing course, which operated from 1837 to 1840. It was located east of St Clair and Scarlett Road.

Runnymede Park was created in 1883 by Hannah M. Clarke and was a private park until the City of Toronto took it over in 1923. There is no apparent connection between John Scarlett and Runnymede Park.

(First posted on West Toronto Junction Historical Society on March 10, 2025)

Simcoe Grange in 1952

Sources:

• Etobicoke Historical Society

• West Toronto Junction Revisited, Fifth Edition (2019), West Toronto Junction Historical Society, edited by Joan Miles and Diana Fancher (excerpts from the writings of A.B. Rice)

• Robertson, J. Ross (1896). Robertson's Landmarks of Toronto vol 2. Toronto: J. Ross Robertson. ISBN 9780665130830. Retrieved 12 January 2012.

• "Way We Were". Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. 2008.

• Lizars, Kathleen MacFarlane (1913). Valley of The Humber. Toronto: William Briggs.

• Lundell, Liz (1997). The estates of Old Toronto. Erin, Ont.: Boston Mills Press. pp. 118–119. ISBN 978-1-55046-219-7.

Images

• Portrait of John Scarlett, Toronto Public Library

• Painting of Scarlett’s mill and bridge over the Humber River on Scarlett Road in 1871, by William Arthur Johnson (Source: Toronto Public Library)

• Runnymede House, J. Ross Robertson, Robertson’s Landmarks of Toronto, 1896

• Simcoe Grange, Keele Street, 1952