John James Wallis arrived in Upper Canada in 1793 from

Norfolk England

He had with him his two sons, John age 18  & William age 15 and his wife Sarah Hyde. This family became the first settlers to make up a newly designed Township and hamlet called Stoneham. Rev. Philip Toosey, who designed the Township, had written to Lower Quebec in 1792 “The persons I shall bring with me will do me credit and by there shall in husbandry will throw quite a new light upon the country in all agriculture matters, I have also some capitals millwrights, wheelwrights capable of constructing....” John Wallis was on the list as one of those people.