John Kennedy, the grandfather of the founder of Georgetown, emigrated to North America about 1750 and settled in New Jersey. His son, also John, was born in New Jersey in 1761. His religious principles and age did not allow him to take part in the Revolutionary War and the American attitude of "if you weren't with us, you were against us" made it very difficult for the younger John after the war. So he and his wife Charity and their five children headed north in 1795, settling in Gainsborough Township near present St Anns. Their children were John, Elizabeth, Anny, Charles, Morris, Samuel, and George. At least four sons fought in the War of 1812; John at Queenston Heights, Charles at Lundy's Lane.

The surveying of the northern part of Esquesing Township was under the control of Captain Abraham Nelles. He subcontracted it to Charles Kennedy, who received property on Silver Creek as payment. Charles' brothers John, Morris, Samuel, and George all bought land close to Charles in the Silver Creek Valley.

Charles owned land on Lot 21 Concession 9. He also came to own Lot 19 Concession 8. Charles built a mill at what is now Main and Wildwood on the northern perimeter of modern Georgetown. He married Elizabeth Williams of the family that founded Glen Williams. In 1845, he transferred Lot 19 to his son John, who built a home on the family farm. This home, known as Cleave House for later owners, is still there on Cleaveholm Drive.

Cleave House

John later subdivided his land but kept a lot on James Street. On this land in 1871, he built the small cottage that still stands at 16 James Street.

John Kennedy House

In 1823, George bought Lot 18 Concession 9 from John Moore and built a sawmill in Hungry Hollow. The mills were on what was once Silver Creek and is now parkland between Main Street and Guelph Street (Highway 7). Seventeen years later, in 1837, there were still only three families in the area. With a name like Hungry Hollow, it's hardly surprising that there was no rush to grab the land. Perhaps that is why the place was renamed Georgetown shortly afterwards, in honour of George Kennedy, who had stuck it out for seventeen years.

George Kennedy

The opening of the York-to-Guelph Road by the Canada Company spurred the growth of the hamlet at George Kennedy's mill because the road connected the McNab mills in Norval with the Stewart mills at Esquesing (Stewarrttown). Kennedy was able to add grist and woollen mills to his complex. In 1837, he sold land south of his mills to the Barber brothers. In the 1850s, he had the rest of his land surveyed and laid out, naming many of the streets after his children. He died in 1870.