McGillivray Township was named after Simon McGillivray, a founding director of the Canada Company. He was born in 1783 in Stratherwick, Inverness-shire, Scotland. The first recorded meeting in McGillivray Township was were only 6 such residents in the township in 1843. In 1850 when the township was organized under the new municipal act, five free-holders were to form a Council. There --John Corbett, Wm. Carter, James Marr, Wm Amos, Andrew Robinson and Andrew Erskine.
In 1852, John Corbett was elected Reeve and again in 1860-61-62. He
presided at a meeting held at Flannigan's Corner (now Clandeboye) to consider withdrawing McGillivray Township from Huron Country and annexing it to Middlesex, and this was done January 1st, 1863.
In 1874, a Township Hall was built at Mack's Corners now know as West McGillivray. The first postmaster here was Patrick Maguire. W.m. Fraser built the present store, Wm. Mellin the first blacksmith and woodworking shop.. Later, John Smith bought the north-west corner and established a brick and tile yard. John Wood operated a hotel on the south-east corner and George Arcoatt and Hubert McRann made and repaired shoes.
Lieury, too, was an active hamlet. Alexander Smith, Sr., postmaster and storekeeper for years, named Lieury after his home in Scotland. Some of the early settlers were Henry Levett, blacksmith; John Hymers, carriagemaker; and James Ross was a shoemaker; Wm. McCoutney, a tailor. Carpenters we John Buchanan, Wm. (Cap.) Patterson and Geo. Robottam, and Andrew Robinson and sons operated a cheese factory.
Moray at one time had a population of 125. the first store was built in the north-east corner by Henry Hagerman and later was owned by David Poulter, who had a blacksmith shop and was also postmaster. Another store, located on the Durr Farm, was owned by Alex Todd. Three hotels were operated by Wm. Shouldice, Thos. Smith and the Macy family, and a second blacksmith shop by Andrew Paxton. There were two sawmills in the vicinity -- one built by Andrew Thompson and the other by the Dowker brothers and later sold to Thos. Jennings. At first the mill workers lived in shanties but later in a large boarding house run by Mrs. Mack. Mr. Jennings was well known as a local preacher and his wife conducted Sunday School in her home, and later in the Orange Hall at Moray until the church was built at Greenway.
Thos. Brophy owned and operated a blacksmith shop at Greenway but sold it to Robert English in 1887. The general store was operated by Rufus McPherson, who sold many things besides groceries.
Another little hamlet was Corbett, named by John Corbett, who owned a grist-mill, saw-mill and general store.
In 1888 a number of farmers incorporated the Corbett Cheese Factory and Dairy Co. and built a cheese factory with W. T. Ulens as manager and director. In 1906 they started to make butter with Geo. Thompson the first buttermaker. In 1938 this factory was burned, ending a half century of cheese and butter making in Corbett.

Parkhill and District Centennial Book