How are you doing with everything shut down and being at home? We hope you are very well. Below is another History Hit for you to enjoy and share.
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| How to Make a Mop Cap |
Showing posts with label war of 1812. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war of 1812. Show all posts
Monday, March 23, 2020
Saturday, March 21, 2020
History Hits at Home: War of 1812 in the Talbot Settlement.
Share a bit about how the War of 1812 effected the early Talbot Settlement while you are stuck at home. Learn something new each day and stay healthy.
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You may not know that all our events, admission and programming income goes into maintaining our heritage buildings, daily operating expenses like utilities, and funding future events. If you are able to contribute financially by purchasing a Tyrconnell Heritage Society Membership or making a donation in any amount your support would be greatly appreciated. Memberships - Individual $30; Couple $35; Family $40; Organization $45; Business $75; Individual Lifetime $250 Here is the link to our page at CanadaHelps.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
History Hits at Home: War of 1812 British Soldier and Artillery
While you are at home and we are closed, please enjoy these History Hits and activities.
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| War of 1812 Field Artillery |
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| Blank War of 1812 British Soldier |
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| War of 1812 Soldier with Labels |
You may not know that all our events, admission and programming income goes into maintaining our heritage buildings, daily operating expenses like utilities, and funding future events. If you are able to contribute financially by purchasing a Tyrconnell Heritage Society Membership or making a donation in any amount your support would be greatly appreciated. Memberships - Individual $30; Couple $35; Family $40; Organization $45; Business $75; Individual Lifetime $250 Here is the link to our page at CanadaHelps.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Belbeck Bulbeck Descendants to Honour War of 1812 Veteran
Friend to the museum, Ed Maxwell is aiming to get as many Belbeck descendants to attend August 18th, as possible.
Cargill, August 18, 2019 – A short ceremony will officially mark eleven years of service to King George III (King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland), which included five years in the British Army in Nova Scotia and Lower Canada. The ceremony will take place at the Holy Trinity Anglican Cemetery in Cargill, Municipality of Brockton, Ontario. Henry Bulbeck (1788-1856), a private in the 2nd Battalion of the 8th Regiment of Foot, British Army will be presented with a footstone commemorating his service during the War of 1812, by the Graveside Project of the Government of Canada. The object of the project is to trace and mark the graves of as many of the veterans of that 1812-1814 nation-building conflict as possible. After spending five years with the Sussex Militia guarding the English coastline against a possible invasion by Napoleon’s French Army, Henry transferred to the British Army, coming to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1810. After guarding the ports of Halifax and St. John, New Brunswick for over three years, the 2nd Battalion snowshoed to the Montreal area and took part in the Battle of Lake Champlain in September 1814. Henry spent 2 months in a Montreal hospital before returning to England in late 1815. Three years later he was rewarded with 100 acres in Goulbourn Township near modern-day Ottawa, Ontario. By May of 1854, Henry Bulbeck was located in Cargill, Brant Township where he applied for a piece of farmland – Lot 24, Concession A, Brant. The short ceremony will be at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, 2019 and will be attended by the family and by War of 1812 re-enactors in the uniform of the day. Members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend to honour a local citizen who fought in the War of 1812. Seating is not provided. For more information, please contact Ed Maxwell, a great great great grandson of Henry Bulbeck at +1-519-317-0733 or at ed.maxwell@bmts.com
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Seeking Descendants of 1809 Dunwich Settlers
We will be celebrating the 210th anniversary of the 1809 Irish settlers arriving in Dunwich Township. The adults were given land grants along Lakeview Line, south of Wallacetown. If you are a descendant, we are hoping you will join us June 22-23 at Backus-Page House Museum for the event, plus we are looking for the loan of artefacts, photographs, genealogy research and help with the Irish settler table in the genealogy building at the event. Please contact Angela Bobier info@backuspagehouse.ca 519-762-3072
Original Irish Families of Dunwich Township arriving in
1809
13 settlers
1 Mary (Patterson) Storey 1758 – 1842 widow
2 Walter
Storey 1783 - 1831 married Mary Currie – no children
3
Anne Storey 1791 – 1857 married Stephen Backus
4 Sarah
Storey 1792 - 1838 married Captain Benjamin Willson
5 Leslie Patterson 1751 - 1852 married 6 Lydia Backus
1782 - 1870
7 Joseph
Patterson 1807 - 1882
8 Walter
Patterson 1808 - 1890
9 John Pearce 1777 - 1850 married 10 Frances Patterson
1774 - 1850
11 William
Pearce 1805 – 1890 married Anne Moorhouse
12 Leslie
Pearce 1807 – 1871 married Jane Donaldson Barber
13 Catherine
Pearce 1809 – 1850 married William Moorhouse
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Is This Old Lady Crane?
Can anyone help Sandra Sales identify the woman in these photographs?
"These are photos of a woman that our family
lore says is “Old Lady Crane” - or Mary (Willson) Crane. Mary Crane was the
daughter of Captain Gilman Willson of Port Talbot, who was a captain alongside
Leslie Patterson in the War of 1812. Mary Willson was married to Peter Crane,
the son of Thomas Talbot’s helper, George Crane, and his wife Isabella Finlay.
Mary (Willson) Crane lived from April 14, 1814 to March 23, 1892. She is buried
in the Tyrconnell United Church Cemetery.
The woman in this photo is dressed in the traditional
mourning garb of the late 1870s and 1880s and wears a wedding ring. Mary
Crane’s husband, Peter, died in 1882. Mary spent her final years in the house
she and her husband built in 1861 on Concession 9, Lot 6, south half. Her son
Benjamin Crane had taken over the farm by the time she died.
Because only family lore identifies this woman, I would like
to see if there is any other labelled copies of this photo around. Or I would like to get the photo out to people who might be
interested in this family.
Sandra Sales"
Comments and photos can be sent to info@backuspagehouse.ca and I will forward on to Sandra.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Memory Mondays: John Pearce
John Pearce
by Sandra Sales
Personal Information of
1812 Veteran
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Vet ID: 373
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Pearce, John
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Family Member?
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No
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Relation to other Vet ID:
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brother-in-law
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United Empire Loyalist?
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No
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Place of Birth
Rhode
Island, United States
Place of Death
Tyrconnell Ontario,
British N. America
Location of Grave
St.
Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery
Lakeview Line
Wallacetown Ontario, Canada
Lakeview Line
Wallacetown Ontario, Canada
Reason for Death:
Approx.
age of 73
Date of Death:
23
July 1850
Veteran History
Last
Rank Attained: sergeant
Last
Regiment, Unit or Faction: 1st Regiment of Middlesex Militia
Report
to Officer, Name and Rank: Capt. Leslie Patterson 1812, 1813, 1814, 1815;
Capt. David Secord 1812; Capt Gilman Willson 1814
Veteran Biography:
Sergeant
John Pearce
John Pearce was born in 1777 in Rhode Island. He moved to Erie Pennsylvania sometime before 1800 and married Frances Patterson. In 1808, he and his brother-in-law Leslie Patterson made a trip to Upper Canada when they learned that tracts of land were opening for settlement. They found the Talbot Settlement on the shore of Lake Erie to be to their liking and Thomas Talbot gave them lots. They brought their families the next year. A worker for Colonel Talbot had already begun to grow crops on Pearce's land prior to their arrival.
In 1822, the Pearce home was used as one of the first schools in the vicinity. The teacher was Thomas Gardiner. Supposedly, Fanny Pearce vacated her large kitchen for the classes. (from "Vanished Villages of Elgin County" by Jennifer Grainger)
It is documented that John Pearce saw action as a member of the militia when it was called out to repel a raid on 20th May, 1814. Because the Talbot Settlement was raided 6 times between November 1813 and November 1814, Pearce was probably called out numerous times.
It is also documented that the Pearce family suffered losses during raids on Port Talbot: a horse, saddle, bridle, harness, sheets and table linen, bedding, beds, coats, wearing apparel, household items, razors, and cash.
John Pearce died 23 July 1850 and is buried in St. Peter's Cemetery, Dunwich Township
More information about the family and the settlement in Dunwich Township can be read in the bio on Colonel Leslie Patterson Veteran number 369 and Thomas Talbot Veteran number 345
John Pearce was born in 1777 in Rhode Island. He moved to Erie Pennsylvania sometime before 1800 and married Frances Patterson. In 1808, he and his brother-in-law Leslie Patterson made a trip to Upper Canada when they learned that tracts of land were opening for settlement. They found the Talbot Settlement on the shore of Lake Erie to be to their liking and Thomas Talbot gave them lots. They brought their families the next year. A worker for Colonel Talbot had already begun to grow crops on Pearce's land prior to their arrival.
In 1822, the Pearce home was used as one of the first schools in the vicinity. The teacher was Thomas Gardiner. Supposedly, Fanny Pearce vacated her large kitchen for the classes. (from "Vanished Villages of Elgin County" by Jennifer Grainger)
It is documented that John Pearce saw action as a member of the militia when it was called out to repel a raid on 20th May, 1814. Because the Talbot Settlement was raided 6 times between November 1813 and November 1814, Pearce was probably called out numerous times.
It is also documented that the Pearce family suffered losses during raids on Port Talbot: a horse, saddle, bridle, harness, sheets and table linen, bedding, beds, coats, wearing apparel, household items, razors, and cash.
John Pearce died 23 July 1850 and is buried in St. Peter's Cemetery, Dunwich Township
More information about the family and the settlement in Dunwich Township can be read in the bio on Colonel Leslie Patterson Veteran number 369 and Thomas Talbot Veteran number 345
Thank you to Sandra Sales for her research and work in honouring our War of 1812 veterans.
Through the War of 1812 Graveside Project, John Pearce and others will be remembered with a ceremony in St. Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery on Sunday, July 12 at 1pm during Backus-Page House Museum's Living History Weekend July 11-12, 2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Memory Mondays: Captain Leslie Patterson
By Sandra Sales
Lieutenant-Colonel Leslie Patterson
In 1800, three siblings, Leslie Patterson, Mary Storey and
Fanny Patterson moved from County Fermanagh, Ireland, to Harbour Creek,
Pennsylvania, on Lake Erie. While there, Leslie Patterson married Lydia Backus from
Vermont, and his sister Fanny married John Pearce from Rhode Island. The third
sibling, Mary Storey, was a widow who arrived in the United States with four
children, Robert, Walter, Anne and Sarah. Her oldest son, Robert stayed in the
US while the rest of the family came to Upper Canada. About this time, word was
spreading that tracts of land in Upper Canada were opening for settlement. Patterson
and his brother-in-law, John Pearce, scouted out this opportunity in 1808. They
were drawn to a fledgling settlement on the north shore of Lake Erie that was
under the control of Thomas Talbot. Talbot was offering settlers fifty free
acres of good land and the possibility to buy more at $3 per acre. In addition,
Talbot had provided his settlement with a grist mill, sawmill, cooper shop and blacksmith
shop. The Patterson family group were the type of settlers that Thomas Talbot
was looking for. They were industrious, loyal, well-equipped and of Irish
origin, like himself. Lots were chosen and on July 14, 1809, Patterson and
Pearce brought their families and belongings, legend has it, in an open
flat-bottom boat along the shore of Lake Erie, 9 adults and 5 children in all.
A hired hand and cattle travelled by land. A year later they were followed by
Lydia’s brother, Stephen Backus. The Pattersons were flax growers in Ireland
and they arrived with their flax wheels and looms. They settled in a cluster on
lots 10, 11, 12 and 13 in Concession 10 of Dunwich Township. Together they
developed a tight-knit and prosperous family community along the cliffs
overlooking Lake Erie.
In 1810 Leslie Patterson wrote to his father-in-law, Joseph
Backus, back in Pennsylvania, telling of their first year in the Talbot
Settlement.
Our crops all look remarkably well. We had a good crop of flax, between
three and four acres of excellent corn and I expect to have fifteen or twenty
bushels of peas. Our wheat came off lighter this season than it commonly does
in this county on account of drought in the beginning of the season, but it is
very good and we have got it very well saved, besides a large crop of beans and
potatoes and as much as four hundred heads of excellent cabbages.
I have got promising young stock. We have another very good cow and for
the colt I sold when Stephen was with me I got a very likely pair of
two-year-old steers and a pair of year-old bulls. We have got a good stock of
hogs. I expect to be able to fat eight hundredweight of pork this fall and we
have scarce ever been out of venison as good as ever was cut since we have been
here.
But, war was looming. Thomas Talbot was commissioned Colonel
of the 1st Regiment Middlesex Militia in 1812. Leslie Patterson was
commissioned one of the 5 captains for the militia. His two brothers-in-law,
John Pearce and Stephen Backus, and two nephews, Benjamin Willson and Walter
Story, were also in the militia. There are few records available about Captain
Patterson’s role, but it would appear he was often in charge at Port Talbot,
which was Colonel Talbot’s home and centre of control, when Talbot was
elsewhere. By 1814 the British had a very limited presence in the Western
District. They had been forced back from Lake Erie and the Thames River valley.
The local militia units were stretched to the limit defending the area and
caring for their farms. Marauders roamed freely, hoping to capture local
officers to disorganize the resistance of the militia. Colonel Talbot was a
particular target. Consequently, in that year Port Talbot experienced at least
6 attacks: Nov 11, 1813 Captain Westbrook; May 20, 1814 Captain Westbrook; Aug 16
Captain Walker; Sept 8 Captain McCormick; Oct 15 Lieutenant Serviss; and Nov 17
General McArthur. Attacks became more severe as the summer progressed.
Captain Leslie Patterson is mentioned in the following two
incidents:
On May 20 Port Talbot was attacked by thirty
riflemen under the command of Andrew Westbrook. Fortunately, Colonel Talbot was
at Long Point at the time. The settlement got a half hour warning and the
settlers fled for a neighbouring township. Two groups of militia were called
out but before they could be coordinated the enemy had entered the settlement
and taken prisoner those who were left on guard. Patterson was captured at the
blacksmith shop. He was paroled. The use of parole was common, particularly for
militiamen who were captured whereby they would sign a document which pledged
they would not take further part in the war.
August
16 – On this date, American militia and natives…arrive at Port Talbot with the
intent of taking Colonel Talbot to Detroit… They also plan to ravage the
settlement. This time Talbot is in residence and narrowly escapes. Talbot
notices a large group of natives approaching and assumes that they are British
supporters. Fortunately he sees that they are accompanied by Americans. Captain
Leslie Patterson…encourages him to escape out the back door. Talbot has a
reputation for dressing like his settlers. Attired in his farm clothes, he…walks
slowly towards the ravine at the side of his house, descending the hill and
crossing the creek. One of the Indians sees him and takes aim. Patterson seizes
the rifle barrel and ingeniously tells him that his target is the Colonel’s old
shepherd and that calling him is futile as he is deaf. The Indian believes him
and Talbot remains a free man.
The
War of 1812 in St. Thomas and Elgin County
Donna Hanson, St. Thomas Public Library
In 1826 the Patterson family replaced their initial log
house with a large frame house “Sunnyside”. The Pattersons were Church of
England adherents and welcomed travelling missionaries. Services as well as baptisms
and the first confirmation in Elgin County were celebrated in this house. Over
the ensuing years Leslie held a number of positions in the community. He was
postmaster, magistrate, commissioner of roads, deputy to the land registrar,
Mahlon Burwell, at times, and chairman of a gathering of landowners in 1817 to
answer an agricultural survey. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel of the 1st
Regiment Middlesex Militia in 1837.
Shortly after being commissioned as a magistrate in 1821, Patterson
became embroiled in a court case over statutory labour for road maintenance. A
disgruntled settler, Singleton Gardiner had refused to do his statutory labour
and was refusing to pay the fine incurred. When two magistrates, Patterson
being one, compounded Gardiner’s horse and wagon, Gardiner took them to court
for trespassing. They were acquitted, but the case went on for a number of
years and the community was divided in its loyalties between the “establishment”,
represented here by Patterson, and those who were agitating for reform,
represented by Gardiner.
Patterson also was in a land dispute in Kent County. He was
granted a lot which was discovered to have been settled for some time. When the
original settler couldn’t produce documentation he was ousted from the land and
it was awarded to Patterson. This was perceived by some as an injustice in
favour of a member of the establishment.
Leslie and Lydia Patterson had 9 children. Joseph 1807-1884;
Walter 1808-1890; Mary 1810-1890; Hannah 1813-1913; Catherine Anne 1815-1896;
Olivia 1818-1864; Leslie 1820-1825; Frances 1822-1881; Lydia 1825-1914
Colonel Leslie Patterson died on Apr. 26, 1852 at 78 years
and Lydia (Backus) Patterson died on Aug. 16, 1870 at 86 years. They and many
of the extended family are buried in St. Peter’s Anglican Church on adjoining
land that was set aside for that purpose by Mary Storey, Patterson’s sister.*
Dates of birth and death for the extended Patterson family:
Leslie Patterson d. Apr. 26, 1852 at 78 years
Lydia (Backus) Patterson d. Aug 16, 1870 at 86 years
Fanny (Patterson) Pearce 1774 – Nov. 4, 1850
John Pearce 1777 - July 23, 1850
Mary (Patterson) Storey 1758 - July 22, 1842,
Robert Storey b. 1778
Walter Story/Storey b. 1783
Anne (Storey) Backus b. 1791
Stephen Backus b. Dec 25, 1786, d. Nov 4, 1865
Sarah (Storey) Willson b. 20th Oct 1792
*For information on the building of the church see Veteran
number 372, Walter Storey.
Thank you to Sandra Sales for her research and work in honouring our War of 1812 veterans.
Through the War of 1812 Graveside Project, Captain Leslie Patterson and others will be remembered with a ceremony in St. Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery on Sunday, July 12 at 1pm during Backus-Page House Museum's Living History Weekend July 11-12, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
Memory Mondays: Private Walter Storey
Private Walter Storey
By Sandra Sales
Very little is available about Walter Storey. He was 29 at
beginning of war of 1812. He was born in Ireland about 1783, moved to
Pennsylvania in 1800 and then to Upper Canada in 1809 with his extended family,
settling in the Talbot Settlement on Lake Erie. He farmed and remained single.
He died 12 February 1831, and was buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery, Dunwich
Township.
During the War of 1812 he served under: Captain Leslie Patterson (Walter’s uncle)
1812, 1813, 1814; Captain David Secord 1812; and Captain Gilman Willson 1814.
He was entitled to Land Claim Certificate Unit – Flank Company 1st Regiment
Middlesex Militia, Vol 24, File 81, pages 381-382.
It is documented that Walter saw action as a member of the militia when it
was called out to repel a raid on 20th May, 1814. Because the Talbot Settlement was raided 6
times between November 1813 and November 1814, Walter was probably called out
numerous times.It is also documented that he and his mother, Mary (Patterson) Storey, were victims of the Indians and American Raid on Port Talbot on August 16, 1814. He was recorded as living at the northwest end and southwest half of lot 11, concession 10 Dunwich Township. His mother was a “widow” and “elderly”, living on part of lot 11, concession 10 Dunwich. After this August raid, led by Captain Walker, Walter and his mother claimed the loss of an ox, bed clothing, men’s clothing, shirts, new linen, women’s clothing, and household furniture.
The lot on which Walter and his mother lived was granted to Mary Storey in 1808. Sometime after the War of 1812 she donated 10 acres of her land for a church and burial ground. In the autumn of 1827 the Port Talbot community came together to frame, shingle, and furnish St. Peter’s Anglican Church. Col. Patterson, her brother, went by boat to Buffalo to purchase the glass for the windows as well as the lead and oil for the paint and the putty. The extended Patterson family (the Pearces, Storeys and Backuses) each pledged 70 pounds to the project. The church contains a window representing Christ knocking at the door, with the inscription: “In Memory of Mary Storey, grandparent, donor of St Peter’s glebe lands, and Stephen and Ann Backus, father and mother, who with two or three other families erected St Peter’s Church in 1827.” Many members of the extended family are buried there.
Thank you to Sandra Sales for her research and work in honouring our War of 1812 veterans.
Through the War of 1812 Graveside Project, Private Walter Storey and others will be remembered with a ceremony in St. Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery on Sunday, July 12 at 1pm during Backus-Page House Museum's Living History Weekend July 11-12, 2015
Monday, June 15, 2015
Memory Mondays: Private Stephen Backus
Private Stephen Backus
Stephen Backus was born in New York State on Dec. 25, 1786.
He probably moved to Pennsylvania with his family about
1800, and then moved to the Talbot Settlement on the north shore of Lake Erie
in 1810 to join his sister Lydia (Backus) Patterson. There he married Anne Storey
who had come to the Talbot Settlement the previous year. He died November 4,
1865 at 78 years of age.
During the War of 1812 he served under Captain Leslie
Patterson, his brother-in-law, in 1812, 1813, and 1814. He received Land Claim
Certificate, Unit – Flank Company 1st Regiment Middlesex Militia, Vol 18 File
6, pages 455-456
As well, it is documented that Stephen, his wife and two children were
victims of the Indians and American Raid, led by Captain Walker, on Port Talbot
on August 16th, 1814. They were living on lot 13, concession 10
Dunwich Township. They put in a claim for their losses: bed clothing, sheets,
shirts, aprons, gowns, women’s clothing, men’s clothing, window glass, and a
silver watch.
In 1817, the Backus family was able to purchase their farm
for 75 pounds. Their log cabin was enlarged in 1825 and in 1848 Stephen employed Robert Morris to build an addition. This home
still stands and is part of the Backus-Page Museum. The frame contains chestnut
boards two and one-half feet wide. The basement, which was dug out later, has
logs which run the entire length of the house. Stephen and Anne raised a family
of eleven children here. (Information from the Backus-Page House files)
Little else is known about
Stephen Backus, but information about the family and the settlement in Dunwich
Township can be read in the bios on Colonel Leslie Patterson, Veteran number
369, and Thomas Talbot, Veteran number 345.
Private Stephen Backus
Stephen Backus was born in New York State on Dec. 25, 1786.
He probably moved to Pennsylvania with his family about
1800, and then moved to the Talbot Settlement on the north shore of Lake Erie
in 1810 to join his sister Lydia (Backus) Patterson. There he married Anne Storey
who had come to the Talbot Settlement the previous year. He died November 4,
1865 at 78 years of age.
During the War of 1812 he served under Captain Leslie
Patterson, his brother-in-law, in 1812, 1813, and 1814. He received Land Claim
Certificate, Unit – Flank Company 1st Regiment Middlesex Militia, Vol 18 File
6, pages 455-456
It is documented that Stephen saw action as a member of the militia when it
was called out to repel a raid on the 20th of May, 1814. Because the Talbot Settlement was raided 6
times between November 1813 and November 1814, Stephen was probably called out
often. As well, it is documented that Stephen, his wife and two children were victims of the Indians and American Raid, led by Captain Walker, on Port Talbot on August 16th, 1814. They were living on lot 13, concession 10 Dunwich Township. They put in a claim for their losses: bed clothing, sheets, shirts, aprons, gowns, women’s clothing, men’s clothing, window glass, and a silver watch.
In 1817, the Backus family was able to purchase their farm
for 75 pounds. Their log cabin was enlarged in 1825 and in 1848 Stephen employed Robert Morris to build an addition. This home
still stands and is part of the Backus-Page Museum. The frame contains chestnut
boards two and one-half feet wide. The basement, which was dug out later, has
logs which run the entire length of the house. Stephen and Anne raised a family
of eleven children here. (Information from the Backus-Page House files)
Little else is known about
Stephen Backus, but information about the family and the settlement in Dunwich
Township can be read in the bios on Colonel Leslie Patterson, Veteran number
369, and Thomas Talbot, Veteran number 345.
Thank you to Sandra Sales for her research and work in honouring our War of 1812 veterans.
Through the War of 1812 Graveside Project, Private Stephen Backus and others will be remembered with a ceremony in St. Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery on Sunday, July 12 at 1pm during Backus-Page House Museum's Living History Weekend July 11-12, 2015
Monday, June 8, 2015
Memory Mondays: Captain Gilman Willson
Captain Gilman Willson (1771-1836)
Veteran of the War of 1812-14
By Sandra Sales
At 39 years of age, Gilman Willson was described by Samuel
Street, J.P. of Niagara as “an honest, industrious man and…a respected
inhabitant," of Bertie Township. More than 20 years earlier, in 1787, as a
young man of 15 he had come from New Jersey with his Loyalist family and settled
along the Niagara River, seven miles north of Fort Erie. Now, in 1811, Gilman was
preparing for another move, this time to a wilderness settlement at Port Talbot
on the north shore of Lake Erie, 150 miles further west.
About
1810, Thomas Talbot, the founder of the settlement at Port Talbot, had been in
Niagara recruiting people to work
for him. Gilman Willson’s family connections and experience may have caught
Talbot’s attention. Gilman was
an uncle by marriage of Talbot’s surveyor, Mahlon Burwell. He was also the
younger brother of Crowell Willson, MP. He was a captain in the Lincoln
Militia, an assessor for Bertie Township and as early as the age of 15 he had
taken part in a New Jersey land survey as a chain bearer, skills that would be
useful in a budding settlement.
Whatever
the incentive for moving, in 1811 Gilman and his wife Hannah Sypes and their seven
youngest children sold their property and left Bertie Township. They settled on
the Talbot Road, Port Talbot, as one of about 20 families. An agricultural
survey of 1817 suggests they owned land, but it is questionable whether their
primary intention was to farm. Rather, on at least one occasion Gilman took
part in the surveying of the Talbot Road being laid out between Delhi to the
east and Detroit to the west; he occasionally signed documents on Talbot’s
behalf; and, in 1814, he was
appointed pathmaster for the Township of Dunwich, overseeing the opening and
maintenance of roads in the township.
Times were unsettled. Within months of the Willsons’ arrival in the Talbot
Settlement, war was declared. On February 12, 1812, Gilman was commissioned
captain in the 1st Regiment Middlesex Militia, a commission he held
into the 1830s. Thomas Talbot was commissioned colonel and placed in charge of
the Middlesex Militia and supervisor for the District of London. Despite
difficulties in recruitment due to a
sparse population, farming schedules, and minimal training, the 1st
Regiment was on service during July, August and September of 1812.
In 1813, British fortunes changed. They lost control of Lake
Erie. The fighting moved up the Thames River valley. The 1st
Regiment saw action along the Thames, but, with losses there, the area between
the Thames and the shore of Lake Erie was essentially undefended. The result
was that the settlement of Port Talbot was raided several times in 1813, often
when the militia was away.
The raids in 1814 were unrelenting as American soldiers and
sympathizers marauded along Lake Erie between Detroit and Brantford, raiding
homes, burning mills and crops, and stealing horses. In July of that year,
Captain Gilman Willson’s unit fought at Lundy’s Lane. Then on September 9, 1814, General McArthur, accompanied by Andrew
Westbrook, invaded Port Talbot with an army of more than 700. Once again Talbot
and the militia were fighting elsewhere. The settlement was completely plundered:
mills, houses and barns were burned; crops and livestock were destroyed; and
the stored flour was ruined. The community never fully recovered from the
destruction. Life was much harder as they travelled long distances to get flour
and life-sustaining essentials. In addition, 1816 brought frost every month of
the year to that part of Upper Canada.
After the War of
1812, Gilman put in a claim for losses resulting from the August 16, 1814 raid
by Captain Walker–3 horses, 1 woman’s saddle, harness cut to pieces,
portmanteau, household furniture and wearing apparel. About the same time,
Gilman received bad news about the sale of his property in Bertie Township. The
purchaser, Jacob Overholser, was arrested for treason and the property seized
by the government. Gilman appealed for compensation saying he would be
“completely ruined” without the money for the sale, but because the purchase
bonds had been destroyed in the raids, his appeal was unsuccessful.
Despite all the
hardships, on March 8, 1817 there was a large meeting in commemoration of the
founding of the Talbot Settlement. Gilman Willson was unanimously chosen chairman
of that meeting and spoke in admiration of Thomas Talbot. Records also show
that later that year, on December 11, 1817, he chaired a meeting concerning a
provincial agricultural survey in Dunwich Township. As time went on, Gilman was
granted a license to operate an inn on Lot 17 Concession 10 Dunwich, near Port
Talbot. Then in June of 1824, Gilman, Hannah, and their son, Crowell, were
called to testify in a trial at the Vittoria Quarter Sessions against the owner of that property whose
resistance to statutory road labour had resulted in assault. Though the Willson
family was promised compensation for their participation in support of the
Crown the money was never forthcoming.
Gilman and Hannah
Willson had three more children born in Dunwich Township in 1812, 1814 and 1816,
making 12 children in all: Sarah (c1792), Hannah (1794), Benjamin G. (1796),
Crowell (1800), Andrew (c1800), John (1802), Jephthah (1804), Edward (c1807),
Elizabeth (1809), Christopher (1812), Mary (1814) and Peter (1816). Gilman
witnessed some of his children’s marriages in the 1830s and he, himself, was
baptised and confirmed in the Anglican Church with others of the community in
1827.
Not much else is
known about Captain Gilman Willson, but three items provide insight into Gilman
as a father, friend and neighbour. The first involves his oldest son Benjamin
Gilman. On May 20, 1814, Port Talbot got half an hour notice of the approach of
a raiding party. Two groups of local militia started to convene from different
points along the Talbot road. Benjamin Gilman was with one group of seven men,
but his father took him away. Therefore, that group decided to wait for reinforcements.
The other group did not manage to meet them until it was too late. When
the raiders arrived, the settlement was deserted, except for those on guard. Captain
Gilman Willson and Walter Galbraith were made prisoners at the mill of Col.
Talbot. They managed to escape when Galbraith threw the captors’ guns into a
stream where they had stopped for a drink. Gilman would later learn that the
militia commander, Mahlon Burwell, felt they could have challenged the raiders
if Benjamin Gilman had been allowed to fight.
A second, seemingly
insignificant, fact suggests a respect or appreciation for Gilman Willson. In
1818, a child was born to Hooper King who was a tailor, recent immigrant, and contemporary
of Gilman. King was a supporter of the Reform Party, with liberal principles:
Gilman could be said to be a supporter of the Establishment. Yet, King named
his son Gilman Willson King in respect for a fellow militiaman.
The third item suggests that life may have been hard for Gilman
and Hannah in the last few years of their lives. It also demonstrates how
neighbour helped neighbour. In 1834, the Willson family’s neighbour, Thomas Mathews, drew up a will, knowing he
was dying. Perhaps Thomas was concerned for the Willson family, because in the
will, he named Gilman and Hannah’s youngest son, Peter Mathews Willson, as the
recipient of his farm, in return for which he asked that Peter keep Thomas’s
elderly wife, Barbara, in comfort. He also made monetary provision for Hannah as
long as Barbara should live. Gilman died in 1836, shortly after Thomas, which
suggests Gilman was ill at the time the will was drawn up. He was 64 years of
age. Hannah died in 1856 at the age of 81. Gilman and Hannah Willson were
buried in St. Peter’s Anglican Church Cemetery, Tyrconnell, Upper Canada,
overlooking Lake Erie.
Sources:
1) The Talbot Papers, ed. James Coyne
2)
Welland County Hist. Soc., PAPERS AND RECORDS, v. 5
3)
Donna Hanson, St. Thomas Public Library
4)
War of 1812 Veterans, compiled by Pat Temple, Talbot
Times Newsletter, 2012
Through the War of 1812 Graveside Project, Captain Gilman Willson and others will be remembered with a ceremony in St. Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery on Sunday, July 12 at 1pm during Backus-Page House Museum's Living History Weekend July 11-12, 2015
Monday, June 1, 2015
Memory Mondays: William George Crane
William George Crane (1771-1834)
Veteran of the War of 1812-14
By Sandra SalesGeorge Crane was born in Scotland in 1771. In 1803, at 32 years of age, he was in Upper Canada after retiring from the British Army. By May 6th of that year, he was in York (now Toronto) when his path crossed with another ex-military man, Thomas Talbot. This Thomas Talbot had left England early in February in possession of instructions from the Colonial Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor granting him 5,000 acres of land and permission to establish an agricultural settlement in the wilds of Upper Canada.
Talbot was heading for a stretch of land on the north shore of Lake Erie. Some of this area had been surveyed by 1803, but skilled people would be needed to build an infrastructure for the settlement. He offered George nine dollars per month to work for him and George accepted. (Source: The Talbot Papers.) As they made their trip from York to Niagara and further up the lake they were joined by three other employees—William Powers, Samuel Rogers (hired May 11th in Niagara for $9 per month) and Patrick Whealand (hired in New York on the 6th of April for $11 per month)—as well as Deputy Surveyor William Hambly. On May 21, 1803, they landed at a spot which Talbot named Port Talbot. This was the heart of the countryside that became home to George Crane for the rest of his life.
George Crane worked at Port Talbot for three years as Talbot prepared for his first settlers. George was part of a crew that cleared the land and, despite the stumps, planted crops such as corn and potatoes. He may have done any number of tasks. There is even an entry in the Talbot Papers giving George money for the soleing of Thomas Talbot’s shoes. He may have helped with the construction of buildings, such as cabins, barns, a blacksmith shop, a cooper shop and a sawmill, when a carpenter and his apprentice were brought from Niagara in 1804. The staff continued to grow as Talbot hired domestics. One of these was Isabella Findlay from Glasgow, Scotland, who helped the housekeeper, Mrs. Powers. Isabella and George married, and in 1806 the couple became the Talbot Settlement’s first settlers. He was 35 years of age and she was about 19.
George and Isabella were allotted Lot 15 on Concession 11, about four miles up the lake at a point of land called Plum Point, visible from Port Talbot. Their settlement duties would have been to build a log house, clear the land and the road allowance in front of the lot, and plant crops within two years. The deed to the property could then be obtained with the payment of a fee. Talbot likely provided them with seed for wheat, barley, peas and oats. They may also have planted Indian corn. George and Isabella started their family with William, born on the 20th of December, 1807 (baptismal record), and Charles in 1809, by which time neighbours had started to arrive a little farther west. George and Isabella added to their family with Peter in 1810, and by 1812 they were expecting Anthony. Then the War of 1812-14 broke out.
There were many names of note in the War of 1812. While George Crane wasn’t necessarily one of them, he is representative of the men who needed to fight to preserve their farms, families and community. In an agricultural community such as Port Talbot, citizen soldiers for the most part lacked any formal military training. General Isaac Brock, chief in command of the British military in Upper Canada and acting Lieutenant-Governor of the province, was anxious to correct this deficiency. Brock “called for the formation of unpaid volunteer companies called flank companies that were to be armed, accoutered, and partially trained,” who could “provide a body of loyal young men that could be called on in an emergency.” Men were put into flank companies only after they had mastered the basic duties of a soldier, generally after at least one year of service with their regiment. The requirement for both fitness and experience meant that they consisted mostly of men in their late twenties to early forties. (Source: http://stevendbennett.wordpress.com/essays/the-militia-myth-in-the-war-of-1812/)
Even then, Colonel Talbot, commissioned on February 27, 1812, had trouble recruiting volunteers. Farmers felt they couldn’t leave their harvests and families. Most of the settlers in the Talbot Settlement were the same age as George Crane. They had young families and were just starting to clear the land. Nonetheless, George Crane volunteered in 1812. He had previous military experience with the British Army and became part of the Flank Company 1st Regiment Middlesex Militia.
Besides these engagements, there were worries at home. At first, the small community was not greatly affected, but that changed over time. The sparsely populated settlement was attacked several times in 1813, and the raids in the summer of 1814 were unrelenting as American soldiers and sympathizers marauded along Lake Erie between Detroit and Brantford, raiding homes, burning mills and crops, and stealing horses. On September 9, 1814, General McArthur, accompanied by Andrew Westbrook, invaded Port Talbot with 600 undisciplined mounted Kentucky soldiers, 50 U.S. rangers and 70 Indian allies. In the absence of Talbot and the militia, the settlement was completely plundered: The grist and saw mills and many houses and barns were burned, crops and livestock destroyed, and all the flour in the settlement ruined. The settlers were left with little but the clothes on their backs. The community never fully recovered from the destruction.
As a result of a raid by Captain Walker on August 16, 1814,
George Crane put in a claim for a horse, cow, cash, gown, muslin, great coat,
cloak, gloves and a gun.
|
George Crane served as a Private
under both Captain Gilman Willson and Captain David Secord in 1812. He served as a Sergeant under Captain
Leslie Patterson (1813-1814), Captain Gilman Willson (1814), and Captain
Leslie Patterson (1814, 1815). He received a Land Claim Certificate which
meant he was entitled to make a land claim for his service.
Source: http://www.elginogs.ca/Home/ancestor-indexes/military/war-of-1812-veterans |
George Crane died intestate in August of 1834 at the age of
64 and Isabella died on October 24, 1854 at the age of 67. George was buried on
the farm overlooking the lake. Isabella was buried in St. Peter’s Anglican
Church Cemetery, Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, Dunwich Township where there is a
memorial to them both. Their oldest son William inherited the farm.
Colonel Thomas
Talbot speaking to the Loyal and Patriotic Society of Upper Canada
“Colonel Talbot has the honor of stating to the Loyal and Patriotic
Society that on the 16th of last month the enemy, amounting to upwards of one
hundred men, composed of Indians and Americans painted and disguised as the
former, surprised the settlement of Port Talbot, where they committed the most
wanton and atrocious acts of violence by robbing the undermentioned fifty heads
of families of all their horses and every particle of wearing apparel and household
furniture, leaving the sufferers naked and in the most wretched state” - dated
at York, September 2, 1814
There is a sluggish,
little stream in Dunwich, which at certain
periods may be said,
without too great a stretch of the imagination, to flow into Lake Erie. At
other times it is quite stagnant, being dammed back by a sandbar across its
mouth. The isthmus thus formed is dry and solid, a thoroughfare for men and
teams, until a stiff south-easter comes along and unceremoniously tears open
the channel again.
On either side are lofty
cliffs of sand, extending for many miles along the shore. Here and there they
overhang the lake, which is constantly gnawing at their feet. Huge fragments
fall from the top directly into the water. The process has been going on for
ages, and thus the lake grows ever wider and shallower. At times a tall tree
will remain for years, clinging to the very edge with its roots almost bare of
soil. But at last it yields, and topples over. If it strikes the cliff-side, it
remains reversed, its top buried in sand, its roots tending skyward. But the
lake gnaws steadily below. Sooner or later the inexorable current seizes its
reluctant prey.
The creek is bordered by
rich, though narrow, flats and verdant hillsides. Enough of the forest still
remains to diversify the landscape, which forms one of the most picturesque
bits of scenery along the lakes.
It was at the mouth of
this little stream that Colonel Thomas Talbot landed with four followers on the
21st day of May, 1803. He seized an axe, and with his own hands chopped down
the first tree, thus formally inaugurating the new settlement. Since that day
the spot has been called Port Talbot, the stream Talbot Creek, and the region
the Talbot Settlement. From it extends the Talbot Road, eastward to Fort Erie,
and westward to the Detroit River.
Source: James H. Coyne
The Talbot Papers p.33
Sec. II., 1907. 3.
2020 Update : To learn more about what the Toronto Public Library does and the newest information about the Toronto Public Library Guide visit https://citylib.ca/
Through the War of 1812 Graveside Project, Private William George Craneand others will be remembered with a ceremony in St. Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery on Sunday, July 12 at 1pm during Backus-Page House Museum's Living History Weekend July 11-12, 2015
Monday, May 25, 2015
Memory Mondays: Lieutenant Colonel Mahlon Burwell
Lieutenant
Colonel Mahlon Burwell 1783 – 1846
By Sandra Sales
“Monday, 21st May 1827. Surveyed the line towards Lake
Huron, Six Miles and thirty chains – were as industrious as possible, but were
not able to make our way through a cedar, Black Ash, Pine and Hemlock Swamp, in
the centre of which we encamped without shelter, and it rained in the night.
One of the men caught a fever to day.”Burwell and his young family returned to Port Talbot after the war. Living with them were Burwell’s parents and younger brother. They built a new house nearby in 1815, which is still standing. Here, Burwell and his wife, Sarah Haun, raised their 7 boys and 2 girls - Hercules, Isaac Brock, Alexander, Leonidas, Louise, Mary, John Walpole, Hannibal and Edward. The first two children were born during the war. Isaac Brock was named after General Isaac Brock who died just before his namesake was born. He was a toddler when the Burwell home was destroyed. Alexander died tragically at two and a half years of age when he fell into scalding water. His father tried to rescue him and was badly burnt. (note to the Surveyor General Ridout (Dec. 20th, 1817) written to explain delay in reporting a survey in Westminster.)
Though
he received extensive land grants in payment for the surveying, Burwell was not content to make it his
sole life’s work. In an age of patronage, he found support in Colonel Thomas
Talbot, who had tremendous influence as founder of the huge tract called the Talbot
Settlement. Burwell’s early commissions as Deputy Surveyor and Lieutenant
Colonel were due to the favour of Talbot. Burwell was elected several times to
the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada. In 1814, he was appointed to
arrest those suspected of high treason during the war. By 1828, just a few of his appointments included: justice of the peace, by which he had control of
all civil and military appointments in Middlesex; registrar of lands for
Middlesex; coroner for the London District; post master and customs collector
at Port Talbot. For all these positions he was remunerated. His particular
interests were education, and the integrity of the magistracy. Though he was
criticized for being a supporter of the establishment, he was able to act
independently and made appointments of reform minded men when they seemed the
best people for the job. After the Rebellion of 1837 Burwell’s influence waned
and he retired in 1842.
By Sandra Sales
Through the War of 1812 Graveside Project, Mahlon Burwell and others will be remembered with a ceremony in St. Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery on Sunday, July 12 at 1pm during Backus-Page House Museum's Living History Weekend July 11-12, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
Memory Mondays: Colonel the Honourable Thomas Talbot
Colonel the Honourable Thomas Talbot 1771-1853
By Sandra Sales
By Sandra Sales
On July 19, 1771, Thomas Talbot was born into an Anglo-Irish
aristocratic family, on ancestral lands in Malahide, Republic of Ireland, which
the Talbots had owned since the 12th century. He was the fourth of
twelve children. At the age of 11, he was commissioned ensign in the 66th
Regiment of Foot, British Army. By February, 1792, at 20 years of age, he was
in Montreal with the 24th Foot when he was named private secretary
to John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant governor of the new province of Upper
Canada. With Simcoe, and later on Simcoe’s behalf, Talbot traveled extensively
between York and Detroit, an area bounded by the Thames River and the Lake Erie
shoreline.
Talbot’s duties with Simcoe throughout Upper Canada seemed
to influence the rest of his life. On Christmas Day in 1800, now-Major Talbot
sold his commission with the British Army and determined to become a settler in
Upper Canada. He had been given a field officer’s grant of 5,000 acres in which
to establish a settlement, and on May 21, 1803, he chose a spot at the mouth of
what is now known as Talbot Creek in Dunwich Township on the north shore of
Lake Erie. He later referred to this as “impenetrable wilderness”, but there,
over time, he built up his estate and took on the role of selecting settlers,
extending roads, and allocating land. His initial intent was twofold: to bring
in settlers from Britain and Europe that would be loyal to Britain, "and to
make hemp a major crop supplying Britain with rope for ships’ rigging. In order
to encourage settlement, he built a sawmill, gristmill, blacksmith shop, cooper
shop, distillery and barns. Later his priorities changed, but writing to Major
Halton in the lieutenant-governor’s office, June 1, 1811, he said, “I have infinite pleasure in stating for his Excellency's information
that I have been very successful in procuring settlers and am filling this
part of the Province with a most industrious description of inhabitants."
In Talbot’s early years there, he enjoyed considerable
political power in public office and a position of influence. Despite raising
the ire of the provincial government at York for his autocratic methods and his
tendency to go over their heads to Lord Bathurst, the colonial secretary in
London, Talbot eventually extended his settlement from the Detroit River to
Delhi. He placed 3,000 settlers in 29 townships in southwestern Upper Canada.
Talbot’s settlement was barely six years old at the beginning
of the War of 1812. Talbot was
commissioned colonel by Major-General Sir Isaac Brock in 1812 and made
commander of the London District which was made up of the militias of
Middlesex, Norfolk and Oxford. In 1812, Colonel Talbot
began to recruit volunteers for the Middlesex Militia from the Norfolk Militia
and Oxford Militia. At first, recruits were hard to find and only 60 men were
willing to leave their young families and new farms during harvest. Nevertheless,
by August 10, 1812, Talbot mustered upwards of 350 men who boarded a small
fleet of boats at Port Dover that transported the volunteers to Detroit. On
August 16, Major General Isaac
Brock with British forces and Talbot’s recruits captured Fort Detroit. Later the
Middlesex Militia participated at the Battle of the Thames and at Lundy’s Lane.
At first, the
community of Port Talbot was not greatly affected by the conflict. However,
after an initial success, the British position weakened. Following the Battle
of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813, the Americans had control of Lake Erie. After
the Battle of Longwoods in March of 1814, the area of western Upper Canada was
basically undefended. American forces were sent in to destroy the settlements in
an attempt to reduce the ability of the region to support the British Army.
Between March and September of 1814, raids were
unrelenting as American soldiers and sympathizers marauded along Lake Erie. Some of these marauders were residents of the
Talbot Settlement who defected to the American side and were employed as scouts
and guides for the American raiding expeditions. Two, Andrew Westbrook and
Simon Zelotes Watson, were known to have vendettas against Talbot. Watson had
hoped to partner with Talbot in settling the area. Talbot had refused. On
September 9, 1814, General McArthur accompanied by Andrew Westbrook, invaded
Port Talbot. In the absence of Talbot and the militia, the settlement was
completely plundered.
In Colonel Thomas Talbot’s own words:
On the 16th of last month
(August, 1814) the enemy, amounting to upwards of 100 men, composed of Indians
and Americans painted and disguised as the former, surprised the settlement of
Port Talbot, where they committed the most wanton and atrocious acts of
violence by robbing the undermentioned fifty heads of families of all their
horses and every particle of wearing apparel and household furniture leaving
the sufferers naked and in the most wretched state.
Petition
of Colonel Talbot to the Loyal and Patriotic Society, 2 September, 1814
The vagabond enemy, not being
satisfied with the plunder they carried off from Port Talbot on the 16th
August, returned in greater force about the middle of September, when they
burnt my mills and other buildings, destroyed all my flour and killed my sheep.
Poor Burwell’s house and barn were likewise sacrificed; thence the enemy
extended their violence down my road fifteen miles. . . . My mills having been
burnt the farmers will be obliged to take their grain at least 120 miles to
have it ground, the expenses attending the transport in these hard times will
be heavy indeed.
Thomas
Talbot, Letter to Chief Justice Scott, 24 October, 1814
Though the raiders on Port Talbot hoped to
take Talbot prisoner, he was never captured. He was either away at Turkey
Point, or evaded capture. At home, Talbot dressed the same has his neighbours. Legend
has it that one time he was able simply to walk away because the enemy was told
he was the man who looked after the sheep.
Thomas Talbot remained at Port
Talbot for 50 years, occasionally visited by members of the British gentry, but
seemingly content in his isolation. He had no offspring and left half of his 50,000 acre estate to his nephew Colonel
Richard Airey and the other half to his trusted companion/estate manager George
Macbeth. Talbot died in London with George Macbeth’s family on Feb 5, 1853 at
the age of 82. Part of his legacy is the Talbot Road (Highway 3) that opened up
southwestern Upper Canada to travel and settlement.
References:
The
Talbot Papers, ed. James Coyne, 1908
Talbot,
Thomas. Dictionary of Canadian Biography http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/talbot_thomas_8E.html
Through the War of 1812 Graveside Project, Colonel The Honourable Thomas Talbot and others will be remembered with a ceremony in St. Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery on Sunday, July 12 at 1pm during Backus-Page House Museum's Living History Weekend July 11-12, 2015.
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