In 1700, Oliver Silverthorn left Yorkshire, England for New Jersey, then went to Niagara before settling in Etobicoke. He bought 200 ha on both sides of the Etobicoke River and ran a mill. His son Aaron, bought the property between St. Clair and Eglinton between the Rowntree Estate and Grand Trunk Railway.
William Perkins Bull described Aaron's son, Francis, as a "quaint amateur physician whose hobby was hygiene, who called the teapot a 'she-devil' and who would not eat cake or bread containing salt."
Francis was the Silverthorn for whom the district was named after. He planked the roads, raised cattle and an apiary, producing "Silverthorn's Honey and Hardtack" which was widely regarded for its healing properties.