Potash in Early Leeds and Grenville Counties

April 14,  2008

On April 17th, Stephen Heaton presented a wonderful, informative and entertaining program on the very early times in Leeds & Grenville Counties when these two counties enjoyed the reputation of being a major world supplier of potash and pearl ash. How can this be so from such a fledgling country as Canada in pre 1850?

Stephen came to Canada in 1968 from England , left after 3 years and spent 2 years in New Zealand, then returned to this area in 1973. In Stephen’s words: For you genealogists my claim to fame is that my family is related to the Heaton Mint, which in the 19th Century was the largest private mint in the world. The Heaton Mint in Birmingham , England, made coins for Canada and for such jurisdictions as Nova Scotia , P.E.I. and Newfoundland before they joined the federation. Many of the Heaton coins have an H mintmark on them and Stephen has brought some coins to show you. Alas the Mint liquidated about 10 years ago after  a history of almost 175 years. Alas none of the gold coins they made were passed down to Stephen!

Stephen is a retired medical and psychiatric social worker, and spent his career working in pediatrics. In Stephen’s words, I now have a small private practice in Kingston . I am a guest editorial writer for the Gananoque Reporter. I am recently retired Vice President of the Gananoque Historical Society and recently retired Co-Chair of The Municipal Heritage Committee for the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands . I am a world authority on this most obscure of topics, that is potash manufacture in the Upper St. Lawrence River Region 1780-1880. My interest all began with the discovery of two dead bodies in my back yard in Gananoque many years ago.  

Photos Courtesy of Fraser Carr

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