An 'illustrious family' from Stratford's early years

McCarthy Road is named in honour of John Augustus McCarthy Sr., an illustrious pioneer.

John McCarthy Sr. was one of the earliest settlers in Stratford, and the first to build anything of substance north of the Avon River. His brick farmhouse still stands at 170 Mornington St. He laid out three streets on his farm in 1855 and named them Duke, Earl and Princess. Eventually, he became the first chief of police in Stratford, serving from 1872 to 1876.

John McCarthy Sr. was known to his friends as Mac. He lived in Stratford for 66 years before he died at age 87. He was described by the Beacon-Herald as “the oldest link that bound Stratford to its pioneer past and to the days when the British Empire was being formed.”

John and Pauline (Izard) McCarthy had 10........

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