Denison family
The Denison family was an influential, land-holding family in the development of the town of York, Ontario, present-day Toronto. During the 19th century, many figures in the Denison family held a moderate degree of political authority and contributed significantly to the heritage and politics of Toronto. History Captain John Denison immigrated to York with his wife Sophia, and sons George, Thomas and Charles, after a personal invitation from John Graves Simcoe to come to the newly formed York. He lived in Castle Frank for a short period, but as English-speaking Anglican Protestants, the Denison Family received land grants: park lots in the family's name, developed into manor homes, farms and residences over the decades that followed. In 1815, Colonel George Taylor Denison, son of Captain John Denison, bought park lots 17 and 18 and built the Bellevue Homestead. The original road up to the homestead is now known as Denison Avenue in Toronto. The Denison family had land holdings in west Toronto, with the family manor, Bellevue House, located in what is now Kensington Market. Numerous landmarks and streets in this neighbourhood and around west Toronto are named after the Denison family, including Denison Square, Avenue and Creek, Bellevue Avenue,