Named for Perth County

Perth Street was named in 1855, by John J. E. Linton, one of Stratford's most important early citizens. He was a Scot, and he used his influence to name the street after something Scottish. A number of streets in that area follow the tradition of naming streets for Ontario counties.

John James Edmonstoune Linton (see Linton Avenue) was Stratford's leading public watchdog when the community was being settled. He had come to Stratford with his wife in 1833, and they established themselves as leading pioneer citizens. He was a lawyer and a teacher. In 1835 he opened the first school in Stratford, a private classroom in his home. That wasa year after his wife had started the first school in North Easthope Township.

John Linton

Linton was instrumental in bringing about the separation of Perth County from the District of Huron. He had the privilege of naming the new county and later the fore mentioned street in honour of his Perthshire friends. But he didn't get his way without a fight. Linton jockeyed for position in the community with his archrival, John Daly who, as a Canada Company agent, ruled affairs in the village. Daly was Irish. They had other differences, too, but they did unite in the campaign to separate Perth from Huron.

Daly wanted to call the new county "Monaghan," after his ancestral home county in Ireland, but Linton the Scot won out with "Perth."

The name originated with the town of Perth on the Tay River in Perthshire, Scotland. It is Gaelic in origin and believed to mean."height over the Tay" or "confluence of the Tay" with the Eam River. Source: Streets of Stratford, 2004.

Archidald Sidney Clegg

36 Perth St.

Archibald Sidney Clegg, veteran

Flight Sgt. Archibald Clegg was killed on Aug. 18, 1943, at age 31. As the air gunner, he was in the No. 464 Australia Squadron (Aequo Animo) Ventura aircraft when it crashed. He was and was buried in the Blacon Cemetery, Chester, Cheshire, England. He lived at 36 Perth St. His parents were James and Gertrude Clegg. Source: RAF Association Canadian Records

Crew:

  • Flight Sgt. Eloi Joseph Emile BEAUDRY (R/115650) navigator RCAF

  • Flight Sgt. Archibald Sidney CLEGG (R/169854) air gunner RCAF

  • Flying Officer Lawrence FULLERTON (J/21048) wireless op RCAF

  • Flight Sgt. James Alexander JOHNSTON (20044) RAAF

64 Squadron RAAF was formed as a bomber unit in the United Kingdom in 1942. Comprising personnel from Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the Netherlands, the squadron served a light bomber role from bases in England, and undertook operations over France and the Low Countries. It also flew night fighter missions. After the Allied invasion of France, the squadron moved to France, where it was used to prohibit German transports and infrastructure.

464 Squadron Venutra aircraft