More than 200 years ago, a family settled on hundreds of acres of land in what is now part of Mississauga and soon found itself caught up in a war that would send four sons into battle, leave two of them prisoners of war and claim the life of another.
This weekend, that story will come back to life at the very heart of the community where the family once lived.
Engagement at Bradley, the annual War of 1812 living-history event at Mississauga’s Bradley Museum, returns Saturday and Sunday, bringing soldiers, military camps and battlefield demonstrations to the historic site.
The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and Britain, but much of the conflict unfolded on what is now Canadian soil. Sparked by trade disputes, British interference with American shipping and U.S. expansionist ambitions, the war brought fighting to communities across Upper Canada and drew local settlers into military service. For many families in what is now Mississauga, it meant leaving farms and homes behind to help defend the colony.
For the organizers, the event is about more than recreating a battle. It is a way of telling the stories of the people who actually lived through the conflict in what was then known as Toronto Township.
Among them was the Thompson family.
Cornelius and Rebecca Thompson arrived from New Brunswick after Cornelius received a 480-acre land grant in Toronto Township in 1808. The family settled on the property the following year, building a log cabin before constructing a larger home they called Harwood.
Their land was in the area that would eventually become Clarkson, just west of the property belonging to the Bradley family, whose historic home is now part of Bradley Museum.
When the War of 1812 began, four of the Thompson sons — William, Augustus, Frederick and Cornelius Oliver — joined the 2nd Regiment of York Militia.
Last 30 Days: 52,022 Votes
All Time: 1,524,578 Votes
2596 VOTES
If a federal election were held today, what party would you vote for?
Their experiences illustrate just how deeply the war affected families in the young communities around present-day Mississauga.
William Thompson, the eldest, served as a captain and fought at Queenston Heights and other engagements. He and his brother Augustus were captured by American forces in 1814 and spent the remainder of the war as prisoners in the United States.
Frederick was wounded at the Battle of Chippawa.
Their youngest brother, Cornelius Oliver, died of illness in 1813 at just 16-years-old.
William would eventually return to the Clarkson area and continue to play a prominent role in the community. His name lives on today through Thompson Street in Erindale and, more directly, through Thompson’s Company, the modern reenactment group that takes part in Engagement at Bradley.
The Thompson story was not unusual.
Toronto Township residents served in numerous battles and military actions during the War of 1812, including Queenston Heights, Fort York, Fort George, Chippawa, Lundy’s Lane and Stoney Creek. More than 40 War of 1812 veterans are buried in historic cemeteries across present-day Mississauga.
The conflict also left families to manage farms, businesses and households while their men were away.
That local experience is what Engagement at Bradley aims to recreate.
The event, organized by Heritage Mississauga and the 2nd Regiment of York Militia, will transform the Bradley Museum grounds into a War of 1812 encampment on September 19 and 20. Visitors can walk through military camps, meet historical interpreters and watch reenactors demonstrate period weapons, drills and daily life.
Tactical battle reenactments are scheduled for noon and 4 p.m. Saturday, and noon and 3:30 p.m. Sunday. There will also be musket and sword demonstrations, surgeon demonstrations, period music, a children’s Mini-Militia, crafts, games, a scavenger hunt and a market featuring period goods.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at Bradley Museum, 1620 Orr Rd. Admission is $5 for adults, while children under 12 are free.
For today’s Mississauga residents, the weekend offers a chance to see the War of 1812 not simply as a distant chapter in Canadian history, but as something that reached directly into the farms and families of the community.
And few local families demonstrate that connection more clearly than the Thompsons, whose former Clarkson lands sat just west of the Bradley property and whose sons left those lands to fight in the war.
More than two centuries later, their name will once again be on the battlefield at Bradley.
INsauga’s Editorial Standards and Policies
Stay in the know.
Subscribe now to receive our daily email of today’s top stories in your city!