Tinsmith, miller, politician, and Loyalist, John Burch was born in England in 1741 and immigrated to New York City in 1772. He started in business making and selling tinware and very soon became so successful that he was able to buy an estate at Papakunk, New York, on the Delaware River. At the start of the Revolutionary War, he was forced to move to Albany in 1775 and then to Fort Niagara in 1778. Because he was not fit for war service, he became keeper of the Indian stores and sutler to Butler's Rangers. In 1783, he and his family moved across the Niagara River and settled on the north bank of the Chippawa Creek (Welland River). On the opposite bank of the creek settled Thomas Cummings, who had been Burch's farm manager in Papakunk.

A little later, Burch wanted to build a sawmill and a gristmill but the military, who controlled this area, refused to allow him to build the mills on his land. Instead they directed him to a less-suitable site further north near the rapids, where the Toronto Power House is located. Burch's customers would have to take a roundabout route from the creek along the ridge near to where the Rankine Generating Station is located before they could reach a road that would take them down the ridge to Burch's Mills. Still, because there was no competition, Burch prospered. After his death, the mills were sold to Thomas Clark and Samuel Street Jr.

Marker on the site of Burch's mill, Niagara Parkway

Burch also became a partner of Robert Hamilton in the Portage Syndicate, which received the control of the portage on the west bank of the Niagara River.

Then, in 1794, Simcoe's aide, John McGill, and his partner, Benjamin Canby, succeeded in getting permission to build mills between Burch's Mills and the Welland River, at the place where Burch had originally wanted to build his mill. The mills were named the Bridgewater Mills, and were located where Burning Springs Hill meets the Niagara Parkway. The new mills ate into Burch's business but not mortally. He was again dealt a blow when the military took most of his property at the mouth of the Welland River to build Fort Chippawa.

Burch was an important man in the region, becoming justice of the peace in 1786 and member of the Lincoln County Land Board in 1792. By the time he died in 1797, he had become very respectable. He and his wife were the first people buried in the Drummond Hill cemetery.

Marker in Drummondville cemetery