Nelles Manor Museum Grimsby, ON

On June 4th, 1818, a Victory Ball was held at Nelles Manor as a celebration of the end of the War of 1812. The Ball has been chronicled in the Annals of the Forty and is an important part of Grimsby’s history, as the townspeople gathered on the front lawn to dance and celebrate their freedom in Upper Canada.

This year, we hope to commemorate this historic event in our own small way. We are hosting a ticketed event at Nelles Manor on June 10th, 2018. The event will run from 1:30-4:00pm and include the following:

Period-correct Refreshments including appetizers and punch, as well as alcoholic cider from Puddicombe Farms.

Fiddle and Mandolin entertainment from local musicians Andrew Robichaud and Connor Schmidt.

A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 2:00pm, at which point the Lincoln and Welland Regiment will be presenting their colours, followed by a short speech from Barry and Linda Coutts, the previous owners of Nelles Manor who donated the home in 2015. At the Ball in 1818, two of the Nelles women presented the colours of the 4th Lincoln Militia, of whom Robert Nelles was Lieutenant Colonel. You can read more about this in the excerpts provided below.

Guests can also take a tour around Nelles Manor and speak with knowledgeable tour guides who explain what life would have been like in 1818. There will be uniformed militia soldiers patrolling the grounds, happy to answer any questions you may have about the War of 1812 and its Grimsby connections.

There will be 1812 artifacts on display from private collector Brent Saigeon. Brent has spent years collecting artifacts connected to the history of Grimsby, including military pieces from the War of 1812 as well as items from local Indigenous groups. You won’t want to miss these!

Each guest will have a chance to win an exciting Door Prize, donated from our local community supporters. There are also going to be fun activities inside such as the “Guess that Object” game where visitors can have a chance to test their knowledge of antique household items that would have been used by colonial families.

All funds raised will go towards putting Nelles Manor on a sustainable financial path as a privately owned, volunteer-run museum.

Tickets are $25/person and will be available by emailing info@nellesmanor.ca or leaving a message at 289-235-7755. Tickets are also available next door at the Grimsby Museum.
If you have already contributed financially to our Fundraising Campaign this year, you are eligible for a special entrance admission rate of only $10/person.

The Annals of the Forty

Excerpts from the Annals, describing the 1818 Victory Ball at Nelles Manor