Bancroft is a town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 located on the York River

York River (Ontario)

The York River is a river in Ontario, Canada, which originates at Yorkend Lake in the southern extension of Algonquin Park. The river flows through the town of Bancroft, Ontario, continues on through the Conroy Marsh, a provincially significant wetland and empties into the Madawaska River.The...

 in Hastings County

Hastings County, Ontario

Hastings County is located in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is The Cheese Capital of Canada. Geographically, it is located on the border of Eastern Ontario and Central Ontario. The population was 125,915 in 2001 and grew to 130,474 in the 2006 Canada Census...

 in the Canadian province of Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

.
In 1853 the first pioneer family settled in the area, and over the next 15 years the settlement grew quickly, as another 88 families followed. The first families were United Empire Loyalists, and followed later by Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 settlers, who were attracted to the area by the offer of free 100 acre (0.404686 km²) parcels.