William Weller 1799-1863
Weller contributed to some of Cobourg’s growth by offering a stagecoach operation between Hamilton and Montreal. In 1840, he made record time (37 hours and 40 minutes) conveying the Governor General from Toronto to Montreal.
Location:
At the north end of Victoria Park, King Street, Cobourg
Themes:
People, Transportation systems and communications
Plaque text:
This resident of Cobourg was the province's leading stage coach proprietor from about 1830 to 1856. His Royal Mail Line ran from Hamilton to Montreal, with links to other centers. In February 1840, Weller drove the Governor-General, Charles Poulett Thomson, from Toronto to Montreal in the record time of 37 hours and 40 minutes. Three times mayor of Cobourg, he was also chairman of its Harbour Commission, president of the Cobourg-Rice Lake Plank Road Company and organizer of the International Telegraph Company.
