Blandford & Blenheim Townships - named by John Graves Simcoe prior to 1796. Simcoe probably intended a compliment to the Duke of Marlborough, Marquess of Blandford and owner of Blenheim Palace which is situated near Oxford. The Thames River was also named after the Thames River in England.

When Simcoe became Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada in 1792, he invited Thomas Watson and his nephew Thomas Horner to come to Canada. Watson and Horner later formed a settlement near what is now Princeton and west towards Eastwood. Horner was one of the first white men to set foot in this area. Horner built a grist mill and saw-mill to serve the settlement on the bank of the stream that was later named Horner’s Creek in his honour.

Origin of the Names of the Villages and/or Hamlets

Blink Bonnie - named by a Scottish settler, the designation appears to be the equivalent of the French for "Belle Vue".

Bright - for many years was known as Plattsville Station. Then in 1863 George Baird had the village laid out in lots. Being an ardent admirer of the English statesman, John Bright, the great British orator and statesman, he gave the name Bright to what he hoped would become a town of considerable importance.

Canning - formerly Mudge Hollow or Mudge’s Mills, and then changed to Canning, after a Prime Minister of England, the Honourable George Canning.

Chesterfield - given its name by George Baird.

Drumbo - formerly Muma Corners, acquired its name in 1852. It is said that the meaning of the word is "A hump backed cow". There are many places in Ireland beginning with the letters "Drum" and it is probably derived from that country.

Eastwood - Captain Drew named it Eastwood Park, from which is derived Eastwood Village.

Gobles - In 1855 Gobles Corners was named after the late William L. Goble, son of Rev. Jacob Goble, who came to Canada from New York State in 1823. When the railway was built the station bore the name "Gobles", but was later changed to "Arnold" by which name it was known for some time.

Perry’s Corners - The Perry family were prominent people in this area of the Township. George Perry was one of the teachers at Perry’s Corners. Thus, it is assumed that Perry’s Corners was named after the Perry family.

Plattsville - It was named Plattsville in 1855, after its founder Samuel Platt. He came to Canada in 1844 and after working as a millwright in New Dundee he settled in Blenheim and located a site for a mill on the east bank of the Nith. He was the first postmaster and also Justice of the Peace.

Princeton - Thomas Watson named the settlement after his native city in New Jersey.

Ratho - It is not certain and may never be known how the community came to be named Ratho. This could have taken place at one of the early religious meetings held by the newly arrived Scottish settlers in about 1850. There is a small town just west of Edinburgh, Scotland, named Ratho, and it can only be surmised that one of the Scottish settlers in Blandford, with some nostalgia, gave it’s title. Apparently Ratho, Scotland and Ratho, Ontario, share a common trait, fertile soil.

Richwood - Named in 1851 - supposedly derived from "Rich" and "Wood" an allusion to the spot selected for the site of the Village. It is thought more probable that the place was named for a Mr. Rockwood, the pioneer storekeeper.

Showers Corner - it is believed that a Mr. Showers gave the plot of land that the Church and School was situated on.

Upper 10th - again the Upper 10th School probably got its name from being located on the upper part of the 10th Concession.

Washington - long known as "The Corners" was named in 1852 after George Washington. The residents of Plattsville claim that Washington was so called because one of Plattsville’s estimable ladies sent her washing there.

Windfall - a tornado went through this area uprooting most of the trees. It was so strong that 2 sawmills were erected - one on the 7th Concession and one on the 8th Concession.

Wolverton - formerly Warsaw, was named in 1848 after one of its prominent pioneers, Enos Wolverton. Wolverton was originally named Warsaw, but when Enos Wolverton tried to register the post office name as Warsaw, he was informed that there already was another Warsaw in Ontario, thus the name changed to Wolverton.

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