HISTORY
OF THE
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX,
CANADA.
From the Earliest Time to the Present ; Containing an Authentic Account
of Many Important Matters Relating to the Settlement, Progress
and General History of the County ; and Including a
Department Devoted to the Preservation of
Personal and Private Records, etc.
I LLUSTR ATED.
Toronto ;tn W. A. & C. L. GOODSPEED, PUBLISHERS.
1889.
LONDON, ONT. : FREE PRESS PRINTING COMPANY.
CIECTRONIC VERSION- A AVAILABLE
. Oft - 2
PREFACE.
After over ten months of labor, this volume is respectfully tendered to our patrons. The design of the work was more to gather and pre- serve in attractive form, while fresh with the evidences of truth, the enormous fund of perishing occurrence, than to abstract from insuffi- cient data remote, doubtful or incorrect philosophical conclusions. The true perspective of the landscape of life can only be seen from the distance that lends enchantment to the view. So short has been the period since the settlement of the County of Middlesex, and so numer- ous and heterogeneous the number of important events crowded into the toiling years, that no general attempt was made to prepare a critical or philosophical history. It is asserted that no person is competent to write a philosophical history of his own time ; that, owing to imperfect and conflicting circumstantial evidence that yet conceals, instead of reveals, the truth, he cannot take that correct, unprejudiced, logical, luminous and comprehensive view of passing events that will enable him to draw accurate and enduring con- clusions. The duty, then, of an historian of his own time is to collect, classify and preserve the material for the Macaulay of the future. The present historian deals in fact; the future historian, in conclusion; the work of the former is statistical; of the latter, philosophical.
This volume has been prepared under depressing obstacles, among which a lack of paying patronage was chief. In spite of this, the Publishers have more than complied with their promises in the enor- mous amount of fact crowded into the solid pages, and in nearly two hundred pages more of matter than were promised. In addition to this, a competent resident of the county was specially employed to read the proofs of the book, that the number of mistakes might be limited to the fewest. Much of the volume, in all departments, was compiled by local writers, to whom credit is properly given.
THE PUBLISHEES.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Page.
TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY 11
Soil 11
River Thames, The 11
Other Streams 13
Geology 13
Building Stone 13
Sand and Gravel 14
Oil Wells 14
Salt Wells 14
Fire Clay 15
Trees and Shrubs — 15
CHAPTER II.
INDIAN RESIDENTS 16
Indians, The Earliest 16
Tribal History 17
Indians of 1812 21
Border Incidents 21
Missions and Churches 25
Marriages Among Indians 25
Indian Orange Lodges 27
Race Statistics 27
Trails 28
CHAPTER III.
OCCUPATION AND SETTLEMENT 29
First Settlers 29
Crown Land Entries 29
Other Settlers 30
Pioneer Mails . 33
London Vicinity in 1818 34
Wolf Story, A 35
Colored Inhabitants 36
"Old John Brown" 36
Marriage Laws 36
Pioneer Cabins.. . 39
CHAPTER IV.
ESTABLISHMENT OF CHURCHES.
Catholics, The
Enerlish Church, The
Presbyterians, The
Presbyterian Marriages
Baptist Church, The
Ministers and Marriages . .
Congregationalists, The
Marriages, etc
Methodist Church, The
Their Marriages
Bible Christians
Lutherans
Moravians
Other Religious Societies
CHAPTER V.
ORGANIZATION OF LONDON DISTRICT.
Counties, The First
Quarter Sessions Court, The
County Council, The
Early Items
County Buildings
90
Page.
House of Refuge 92
Insane Asylum , 94
Scott Act, The 95
CHAPTER VI.
POLITICS FROM 1788 TO 1888 98
Districts Formed 98
Legislative Council, The 98
Assembly, The 99
Lieutenant Govenors 100
Crown Land Grants or Concessions.. 100 Political Aspect, Rebellion of 1837. . . 102
Execution of Rebels 106
Contemporary Memoranda 107
Leaders in 1837 108
Political Status 113
Elections, etc 115
CHAPTER VII.
BENCH AND BAR, THE 118
Earliest Practitioners 118
Oldest Court Records 119
Execution of Burleigh . 120
Execution of Sovereen 121
Execution of Jones 122
Execution of Pickard 122
Execution of Simmons 123
Miscellaneous Cases 124
OtherTrials 127
Judges and Counsel 132
Present Bar 140
Early Probate Business 142
CHAPTER VIII.
MILITARY AFFAIRS 143
Simcoe's Designs 143
Surrender of Detroit 143
Battle of the Thames 144
Battle of Lake Erie 144
Skirmish at Byron 346
Affair at Battle Hill 146
Other Military Movements 148
Pensioners of the War 147
Rebellion of 1837-8, The 149
Preparations to Invade the States. . . 153
Military Organizations 153
Affairs in 1865 155
Fenian Invasion, The 155
Red River Troubles, 1869-70 158
Militia, The 160
North-west Troubles, 1885 161
Military School, The 163
CHAPTER IX.
THE NEWSPAPERS 165
Quebec Papers 165
Upper Canadian Papers 165
London District Papers 166
Modern Papers 168
Present Papers 171
Other Periodicals 174
Printers' Union, The 175
Country Publications 176
VI
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER X.
GROWTH OF SCHOOLS
English School, The First 179
Amendment of School Acts 179
Common School Svstem 180
Legal Teachers, 1842 180
Statistics 181
Superintendents 18*
Expenditures. 1?
Institutes, Origin of 186
CHAPTER XL
ROADS AND BRIDGES 187
Corduroy Roads 187
Roads Projected 188
Funds for Road Building 189
Toll Roads 180
Expenditure on County Roads 192
Early Bridges 1»4
Railroads 195
Railroad Accidents 197
CHAPTER XII.
201
SOCIETIES. POPULATION, ETC. ...
Fairs. The First zui
Fair of 1851, The 201
Fair Officers, etc 202
Provincial Exhibition, The 202
Old Grounds, The 203
Receipts 204
Western Fair Association 204
New Grounds, The 206
Farmers1 Institute 207
Stock Breeders1 Association ... 207
Fish and Game Society 207
Population 208
County Finances 211
Statistics 212
CHAPTER XIII.
LONDON Cm 213
The Forks 213
Earliest Inhabitants 214
Business, The First 216
During the " Forties " 221
Business Houses and Men. 232
Real Estate, 1852-7 224
Post-office 225
Custom House, The 226
Notable Buildings 227
Village of London Council 231
Town of London Council 233
Parks 235
Exhibition Grounds, The 237
Bridges 238
Sidewalks and Laws 239
Cemeteries, Streets, etc 240
Incorporation 242
City Officers and Laws 243
City Finances 244
Port Stanley Railroad 246
Important Transactions 247-258
Fire Department 258
Council and Fire Department 260
Conflagrations 262-268
Police Department 268
Water Supply 273
Analysis of Water 276
Victoria Disaster, The 277
Flood of 1883 "281
Street Lighting 281
Market, The Public . ' 282
Hospitals 284
Guthrie Home " 287
Schools of London 288
Page.
Collegiate Institutes 292
Hellmuth College 294
Medical College, The 29a
Law School, The 296
Art School 2j
Separate Schools 2£
English Church. The 297
Methodist Church, The 301
Methodist New Connexion Church. . . 305
Bible Christians. 309
Methodist Episcopal Church 309
Catholic Church, The 310
Presbyterian Church, The 314
Congregational Church 318
Baptist Church 319
Other Religious Bodies 321
Mechanics1 Institute 321^
Secret and Other Societies and
Clubs 322-359
Musical Organizations 360
Board of Trade 362
Chamber of Commerce 365
Travellers1 Association 367
Manufacturing Enterprises 368-380
Wholesale Houses 387
Taverns and Groceries 388
Banks and Bankers 394
Loan Companies 397
Insurance Companies 403
Miscellany 408
London East 409
Statistics 412
CHAPTER XIV.
STRATHROY 413
Residents, The First 413
Business, The First 414
Merchants and Customers 416
Charter and Officers 419
Schools 423
Fire Department 425
Fires 426
Accidents 430
Churches 430
Cemeteries 435
Societies, etc 435
Banks ..440
Railroads 440
Manufacturing Enterprises 441
CHAPTER XV.
ADELAIDE TOWNSHIP 443
Boundary 443
Population 443
Settlers, The First ... 443
Prominent Citizens 445
Official History 447
Fires and Accidents. . 448
Adelaide Village 448
Schools and Churches 449
Kerwood 453
Keyser 454
CHAPTER XVI.
BIDDULPH TOWNSHIP... .. 455
Boundary and Population 455
Pioneers, The 455
Colored Colony, The 456
Official Record 456
Granton 457
Clandeboye 458
Ireland 453
Mooresvillo 459
Adare 459
Churches 459
CONTENTS.
VII
CHAPTER XVII.
LUCAN TOWN
Old Name 461
Appearance, The First 461
Residents, The First 461
Lots,Saleof 462
Officers, etc 463
Finances 465
Schools 465
Fires 467
Accidents 467
Commerce 467
Post-office and Banks 468
Societies, Clubs, etc 468
CHAPTER XVIII.
CARADOC TOWNSHIP 471
Boundary, etc 471
Old Records 471
Land Patents, The First 471
Settlers, The First 472
Schools 473
Accidents ..473
Mt. Brydges 474
Churches 474
CHAPTER XIX.
DELAWARE TOWNSHIP 476
Situation, etc 476
Longwoods Road 476
Land Grants 476
Settlers 478
Aliens, The 477
Officers, etc 479
Incidents 480
CHAPTER XX.
DELAWARE VILLAGE, ETC
Early Appearance
482 482 483 483
Fires
Population
Kilworth 484
Woodhull Settlement, The 484
Village in 1851, The 484
Later Events 484
Churches 485
Lodges 485
CHAPTER XXI.
DORCHESTER TOWNSHIP 486
Location, etc 486
Official Record 486
Settlers, The First 487
Residents, Later 488
Putnamville 488
HarrietsviUe 489
Belmont 490
Dorchester Station 491
Nilestown 492
Avon 493
Crumlin 493
Gladstone 493
Mossley 493
CHAPTER XXII.
EKFRID TOWNSHIP 494
Survey of Crown Lands 494
Boundary, etc 494
Pioneers, The 495
Records, The Oldest 495
Officers 496
Agricultural Society 497
Page.
Accidents 497
Ekfrid Village 497
Appin 498
Melbourne 499
Middlemiss 499
Strathburn 500
Mayfair 500
Muncey 500
Christina 500
Knox Church 500
CHAPTER XXIII.
LOBO TOWNSHIP 502
Location 502
Population 502
Official History 502
Pioneers, The 504
Crown Land Entries 504
Komoka 506
Churches . . 507
Lobo Village 507
Poplar Hill 508
Coldstream . . 508
Fernhill 508
Duncrief 508
Ivan 508
Amiens 509
Siddallsville 509
CHAPTER XXIV.
LONDON TOWNSHIP 510
Situation, Streams, etc 510
Records, The Early 510
Pioneers 511
Citizens, Prominent, Early 512
Events of Note 514
Churches 515
Arva, or St. Johns 517
Hyde Park Corner 518
London West 518
Birr 520
Elginfleld 520
Denfield 521
Ilderton 521
Vanneck 521
Bryanston 521
Kingston 522
CHAPTER XXV.
McGiLLivRAY TOWNSHIP 523
Situation, Streams, etc 523
Official Matters 523
Settlers, etc 524
West McGillivray 525
Lieury 525
Corbett 525
Moray 525
Brinsley 525
McGillivray 526
Churches, etc 526
Agricultural Society 527
CHAPTER XXVI.
METCALPE TOWNSHIP 528
Location, Water Courses, etc 528
Crown Land Entries 528
Incidents 529
Settlers, The 530
Napier 530
Churches 530
Societies 531
Katesville 531
Wisbeach 532
Kilmartin 532
VIII
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXVII.
MOSA TOWNSHIP
Situation, Creeks, etc 5*5
Settlers, The First »**
Officers, etc ££
Agricultural Society 534
Churches *»
Fires Jtf
Longwood $35
Knapdale 086
Cashmere 536
CHAPTER XXVIII.
NEWBURY VILLAGE 537
Name, The First 537
Merchants, The First 537
Population 537
Incorporation, etc 6*5
Schools 538
Fires W9
Societies 539
Churches 540
Miscellany 541
CHAPTER XXIX.
WARDSVILLE 543
Earlv Appearance 543
Merchants, The First 542
Business Men, Later 543
Population, etc 543
Official Matters 543
Fires 544
Societies 545
Churches 545
Schools 546
CHAPTER XXX.
GLENCOE 548
Origin 548
Organization 548
Commerce 551
Buildings 551
Exports and Imports 553
Banks 553
Schools 553
Churches 554
Fire Department 556
Band 557
Rifle Association . . 557
Accidents 558
Societies, Clubs, etc 558
Cemetery 558
Salt Well 558
Mechanics' Institute 559
CHAPTER XXXI.
NISSOURI WEST TOWNSHIP 561
Streams, Boundary, etc 561
Survey, Land Entries, etc 561
Settlers, The 561
Records, The 563
Thorndale S63
Wyton Village .....'.... 564
Stives 564
Belton 565
Devizes. ' 555
Rebecca ;.'„" 555
CHAPTER XXXII.
WESTMINSTER TOWNSHIP . ..566
Drainage. Location, etc 566
Statistics 566
Page.
Survey, Land Sales, etc 587
Pioneers, The. • 567
Organization, Officers, etc 568
Pioneer Incidents 56*
Crown Lands Entered 570
Old Settlers Living 575
Westminster Insurance Company... 575
Churches 576
Byron 577
Lambeth 578
Hall Mills 579
Pond Mills 579
Glanworth 580
Derwent •»*
Maple Grove 581
Glendale 581
Maguire 581
Accidents 581
CHAPTER XXXIII.
LONDON SOUTH 582
Leading Residents, Some 583
Churches 582
Statistics 583
Schools 584
CHAPTER XXXIV.
EAST WILLIAMS TOWNSHIP 586
Streams, etc 586
Canada Company, The 586
Living Old Settlers 587
Organization, Officers, etc 587
Churches 588
Springbank and Vicinity 589
Falkirk 590
Nairn 590
CHAPTER XXXV.
AILSA CRAIG VILLAGE 591
Settler, The First 591
Village in 1868, The 591
Business, The Early 591
Business, Later 593
Population 592
Incorporation 593
Lodges 594
Accidents ..594
CHAPTER XXXVI.
WEST WILLIAMS TOWNSHIP 596
Water Courses, etc 596
Organization, etc 596
Settlement 598
Sylvan 598
Bornish 699
Agricultural Society 600
CHAPTER XXXVII.
PARKHILL .601
Origin, The , 601
Settlers, The First 601
Business 602
Manufactories 603
Banks 604
Organization 605
Schools 606
Fires 608
Accidents. 609
Churches 609
Societies, etc 612
CONTENTS.
IX
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Page.
GENERAL ITEMS - • 615
Herbs and Weeds 615
Zoology 616
Storms 617
Rain and Snow 618
Duration of Sunshine 619
Indian Summer 619
Archceology 620
Miscellany 630
Statistics, Early 620
Indebtedness, etc 623
Statistics, Late 628
Population 632
CHAPTER XXXIX.
GENERAL MISCELLANY 635
Public Schools 635
London South Schools 636
ArtSchool 636
Agricultural Association 637
Ailsa Craig Mechanics1 Institute 637
Spring Show 638
Scott Act Repealed 638
Sale of Fair Ground Lots 639
Assessment Roll, 1889 639
Liquor Licenses, 1889 640
Western Congregational Association 642
Railway Subsidies 642
Asylum Improvements 643
Masonic Officers 643
Amalgamation of London South 643
Law Candidates 645
Canal Comparisons 645
Imports 646
CHAPTER XL.
MISCELLANY— Continued .' 647
Board of Trade 647
Women's Christian Association 648
Knights of the Maccabees, etc 650
Piccadilly Lodge, Sons of England. . . 650
Court Defiance 650
London Lodge of Perfection 650
Local Poetry 651
Liberal Conservatives 652
London West Schools 653
Typographical Union 653
Glencoe Mechanics' Institute . 653
Strathroy Board of Trade 653
Bank Statement 653
Repeal of the Scott Act 654
Good Templars 654
CHAPTER XLI.
SUNDRY HISTORICAL NOTES 656
Early Items 656
Small Towns 656
County Postmasters 657
Westminster Township Presbyterian
Church 657
Strathroy Spring Fair, 1889 657
Glencoe Statistics, 1889 659
Glencoe Presbyterian Church 659
Caradoc Spring Show 660
Protestant Home Board 680
St. George's Church 661
Mechanics' Institute, London 661
Hospital Trust, The 662
MeviH Masonic Report 662
Strathroy Finance Report 662
k? VIS Ll< XXVl/ CL\J 0t**a>VUA*
Glencoe Spring Fair, Independent Order o
Criminal Statistics
Court Robin Hood 665
Railway Land Subsidies 666
Church Appointments 686
Glencoe Lacrosse Club 666
Entomology 666
Old Folks Concert 667
London Cricket Club. 667
Insurance Abstract 668
Lawyers Banquet 668
Scott Act at Strathroy 668
J1889 669 er of Foresters 669
Mortuary Statistics 670
Methodists, The 670
Dairying Interests 671
Oddfellows' Annual Statement. ... 671
Public Revenue 672
Strathroy Mechanics' Institute 672
A, O. U. W 674
Base Ball Association 674
Papal Aggression 674
Presbytery of London 676
Canadian Pacific Railway 678
District Methodist Meeting 678
Loyal Orange Association 680
Sundry Notes 680
Physicians 683
Strathroy Methodists 684
West Middlesex Reform Association 685
Victoria Circle 686
Australian Population 686
Collegiate Institute Examinations,
1889 686
Scraps of Early History 688
Early Fair Premiums 691
Canadian Order of Foresters 693
CHAPTER XLII.
EXPLORATION OP CANADA 695
Norse Discoverers, The 695
English Discoverers, The 695
French Settlements 696
Explorations by the French 697
Cham plain 698
Treaties of Peace. 700
Conquest by the English 702
Canadian Government, Early 703
Changes, etc 704
War of 1812, The 705
Confederation 706
Upper Canadian Rebellion 707
BIOGRAPHY 709-1076
VIEWS, ETC.
Tecumseh, the Shawanee Chief.
aT
26-27
Marquette's Map 43-44
Roman Catholic Cathedral. 92-93
View on Richmond Street, London. . 125-126
An Old Settler 190-191
London Water-works 271-272
Pheasant Hunting 352-353
London Medical School 401-402
Hellmuth Ladies' College 451-452
A Midsummer Scene 549-550
Masonic Temple, London 663-664
Site of an Early Log Cabin 761-762
A Midwinter Scene 827-828
George T. Hiscox 858-859
By the River 909-910
HISTORY
)F THE-
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX
CHAPTEE I.
TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY.
Location and Valuation. — Middlesex County may be said to be the central tract of the Erie and Huron Peninsula of Ontario, in lati- tude 42° 58' 20", and longitude 81° 14' 8". In 1827, and even later, the County extended from Lake Erie to Lake Huron, and from the line of Zone Township to the line of Burford, — a tract now embracing the counties of Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford, Huron, Perth, and Bruce. In 1887 the total number of acres assessed was 758,571, exclusive of the acreage within the boundaries of incorporated towns. Including the town property, the total assessed value of real estate amounted to $24,853,322 ; and the equalized value of all property — real and per- sonal— was placed at $34,223,607, being about two-thirds of the true value of the County, exclusive of London City.
Soil. — The valley of the Thames, together with the rich alluvial flats which extend from it northward to the north of the North Branch of Bear Creek, and southward nearly to the shore of Lake Erie, i§ remarkable for its great fertility and its luxuriant forest growth. The soil is generally clay, with a covering of rich vegetable mould, and is clothed in the natural state with oak, elm, black walnut, and white-wood trees of large size, together with fine groves of sugar maple. Toward the north of the Thames, and on the borders of Lake St. Clair, is an area of natural prairie of about 30,000 acres.
The River Thames. — Among the reminiscences of the French explorers of the 17th century, there is no distinction drawn between the estuary of this river and the mouths of the various streams which
12 HISTORY OF THE
flow into the waters connecting Lake Huron with Lake Erie; in fact, those children of faith in religion, in adventure, and in commerce, were not seeking anything diminutive in nature. The great lakes and rivers, the distant Mississippi, the far-away "Mountains of the Setting Sun," and the savage inhabitants of the unknown lands, formed the objects of their search, so that it is not to be wondered at that the pioneers of a new world left to men of later days the task of exploring the smaller rivers, lakes and mountains of the continent. In the archives of the Minister of Marine, at Paris, may be found the first chart of the country, now known as the Valley of the Thames. This chart and accompanying report was made to Louis XV's Secretary in 1744, and both were printed the same year by N. Bellin, the report going so far as to state that the river was without a rapid for eighty French leagues, and that for centuries it was known as Askunesippi, or Antlered Kiver. On this report being transmitted to Canada, the trapper, the voyageur, and the adventurer directed some of their attention to the beautiful valley, and in 1745-6 the river is heard of as La Tranchee. In the latter half of the 18th Century it is called La Tranche, and on July 16, 1792, the present name — The Thames — was conferred upon it by the official act of Governor Simcoe. Shortly after the United States cast off the bondage of trans-atlantic rule, Lord Edward Fitzgerald, one of the Irish Eevolutionists of 1798, traversed this valley, accompanied by the African who saved his life after the battle of Eutaw Springs, S. C., Sept. 8, 1781, and by a few Mohawks under Brant. He it was who first described the Thames, and along its banks dwelt on the cause of liberty, against which he so recently and so gallantly fought. During the winter of 1792-3 Governor Simcoe, Major Littlehales and Lieutenant Talbot, with four other army officers, came up from Navy Hall at Niagara, halting en, route at the Nelles' House, on the Grand Kiver, and at the Village of the Mohawks, where Brant and a crowd of his Indians joined them, and whence they set out to La Tranche, a name hidden or stolen the year before by the chief of that very party, who now came to admire the old river under its new name. In the early part of 1793 a surveyor named McNift" was ordered to sound the river to the proposed town of Georgina- upou-Thames. He reported that the erection of two locks would leave the river a navigable one to the Upper Forks, and this report was forwarded with all due solemnity to the parties in interest, its principal enthusiastic advocate recommending its acceptance, and suggesting the prompt improvement of the river. The subsequent troubles and removal of Simcoe put a stop to public improvements, and so crippled the Government, that the rulers were well pleased to be able to cut a military road or trail to Chatham and Sandwich along the river bank or plateau, leaving the question of navigation seriously alone. The Thames may be said to form the great drainage basin for Southern and Central Middlesex, as well as for London City. The water is impure from sources to estuary, owing to this being the case; while, as
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
13
a navigable stream, it is only used within the county by a few pleasure steamboats, which ply between London and the water-works at Springbank, from June to September. In the early years of the district, grist-mills were erected along its course, and to-day a few are operated by this water-power.
Other Streams. — The Aux Sauble, in the northern and north- western townships, has played an important part in the drama of progress. This river drains an immense area, its head- waters spreading out in every direction, affording water-power to many mills, and drainage advantages to many sections.
Bear Creek, the Wye, the two forks of the Thames, and a hundred minor creeks, give a stream to almost every farm, and, with the greater river, contribute to render bridge and culvert construction a permanent local industry of no small importance.
Geology. — Middlesex has never been made the field of extensive geological exploration, although scientists have established the fact that at about the same level are found nearly the same deposits as in the country adjacent on the east and south — indicating that this section of Canada has not undergone any modern geological disturbance. In 1861-5 the country suffered from an unhealthy oil fever; but soon after men learned that this was not the region to find a great coal bed, nor yet a great oil fountain. Director Selwyn, of the Canadian Geological Survey, writing under date of June 13, 1888, says : — "About London the country is covered to a depth of more than 100 feet by sand and clay, with pebbles and boulders. Beneath these surface deposits, the whole area of the county is supposed to be underlaid by the Devonian formations — known as the Hamilton shales and the Corniferous limestone. The greater part, if not all the oil and salt wells of Ontario, are bored in these formations. At greater depths, the formations which yield the large supplies of gas and oil in Ohio would be found to underlie the whole of the County of Middlesex, and might yield similar valuable deposits. The Trenton limestone, which crops out along the north shore of Lake Ontario, from Kingston to Port Newcastle and through to the Georgian Bay, yields the gas and oil in Ohio, being reached at a depth of 2,200 feet from the surface."
Building Stone. — In November, 1843, Surveyor Cull deals very fully with the building of the jail, introducing Tristram Coates, a would-be contractor for lumber, and Garrison & Sifton, cut-stone contractors. It appears that Cull managed to cut off these men, and better still, to discover a quarry. Speaking of this quarry, Cull says : — " I stated to the Council that a valuable quarry had been discovered on the banks of the North Kiver, about four miles from London.* That quarry is believed to contain an almost inexhaustible supply. The proprietor at first demanded as high as twelve shillings and sixpence
* F. B. Talbot thinks it is the present Barnes' quarry, six miles distant, while William McClary thinks it was taken out of Gray's quarry, on the North Branch, two concessions north of the Asylum.— ED.
14 HISTORY OF THE
per cord. After some difficulty, an agreement was made witli him for seven shillings and sixpence per cord, and five shillings per cord for quarrying." This stone is very rough, but durable. A good limestone is found in Westminster.
Sand and Gravel— Throughout the county great sand and gravel beds exist. At the beginning of the pike roads in this section of Canada, County Engineer Talbot, unacquainted with these great deposits, suggested the building of charcoal roads ; but his report to the County Council brought out the fact that heavy gravel could be found in every township. Subsequently the toll-road system was introduced, and henceforth the gravel beds of the county offered a wide field for development — particularly at Komoka, in Lobo ; and at Putnamville, in Dorchester.
Oil Wells.— The Indians, it is said, used to collect crude petroleum along the Thames in early days and sell it to the pioneers, to be used for lighting purposes as well as axle grease ; but Indian enterprise did not seek below the surface for this very marketable commodity ; so, that for half a century the so-called oil fountains were left unexplored. During the year 1865, several oil prospectors were in the county, and every day brought an account of some new well in Delaware, Williams, Adelaide, and even London and eastern townships. In November, the Hicks' oil well was bored — 266 feet — 86 through sand and gravel, 80 through white lime rock, 50 through sand, and 50 through soft lime rock. At 15 feet in the white lime rock, a vein of black sulphur water was struck. On the evening of November 10th, a crevice in the soft lime rock was tapped when a flow of petroleum-impregnated water was struck, yielding 1,000 barrels per day, of which there were about three barrels of oil. In 1865, Professor Winchell denounced the statement that oil existed in any paying quantities within Middlesex County ; while T. M. Reynolds, then residing at London, stated that " excellent oil springs existed above and below the Thames Forks." Reynolds based his opinion on statements made by Professor Hall, at the great oil meeting held at the City Hall, October 6th, 1865, who said that in 1846 he saw two fossils taken from the Thames at London, peculiar to the Hamilton group. The Professor was so earnest in this opinion that he purchased an interest in the Hicks' well, then beinc* bored west of the city on the Thames. Previous to this, wild state- ments were made at the oil men's banquet at the Tecumseh House which the Michigan geologist thought well to deny. At Cashmere in Mosa ; Sylvan, in West Williams, and on Poore's Farm, in McGillivray small quantities of oil were produced.
Salt Wells.— The Onondaga rock enters Canada on the Niagara River above the falls. In Middlesex County, it is represented in the western townships-at Glencoe, Park Hill, and other places where the salt rock has been penetrated. The salt rock at Warwick was struck
af ^nPf f ™°° feft> and the Salt stratum was Pierced to a depth of 100 feet. The rock at Warwick is only 90 feet below the level of
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
15
that at Goderich, 80 miles north ; 300 feet below the rock at Kincardine, 30 miles north of Goderich, and 500 feet below the rock at Inverhuron. The strata from Inverhuron to Warwick is almost identical, being limestone, white flint rock, blue shale, salt rock, and, beneath, a spongy sulphurous rock containing sulphur beds.
Fire Clay. — In almost every section of the county excellent material for brick, tile and drain-pipe manufacture exists. From the period when the first brickyard was opened on Con. 1 , of Westminster, by the Griffiths, or that on Bathurst street, between Talbot and Ridout, to the present time, Middlesex cream bricks have attained celebrity ; and since the introduction of the Michigan brick machine, have almost approached in excellence the manufactures of the Milwaukee, (Wis.) yards. Potter's clay is also found in some quantity, and the owners of the London Pottery now propose to use it in some wares, in preference to imported earth. The Tiffany brick machine was invented by Geo. S. Tiffany, of Tecumseh, Mich., while the machine manufactured at Park Hill, is the invention of another citizen.
Trees and Shrubs. — In the days of the pioneers, the plateau of the Thames, the eastern and central part of Dorchester and parts of Dela- ware, formed the pine -district. The trees were known as white pine, although in one case — Miles V. Jolly — the latter tried to set aside a contract reserving the white pine on lands purchased from the former, basing his case on the fact that the trees were not really white pine, but of some other class of the pine family. In the northern part of the county hemlock predominated ; but throughout the maple, oak, elm, and all those hardwood giants of the Canadian forest attained a heavy growth. In March, 1879, a white- wood tree was cut on Donald McPherson's farm in East Williams, which yielded 6,000 feet of sawn lumber — the butt alone yielding 1,200 feet. The product brought $120.
HISTORY OF THE
' CHAPTER IT.
INDIAN RESIDENTS FROM 1580 TO 1888.
Earliest Indian Residents.— The Indian, being without a litera- ture, knows nothing of his origin. The Frenchman and Spaniard found him here, and learning from him all he did know, gave the story to civilization as an Indian legend, while treating the new-found race historically as they found it.
The Hurons, originally the Wyandots, were at Quebec in Io34, when Jagques Cartier arrived there. Later, they formed an alliance with the Adirondacks, but when the latter joined the Southern Iroquois Confederacy (about 1580), the prestige of the Wyandots began to fade, and the dispersion of the tribe overall Canada to Lake Huron followed. Early in the 16th century, they, with some Mississaugas and members of other tribes, formed a new confederacy with villages along the Thames and Lake and Eiver St. Glair. In 1649, this new branch of the tribe was dispersed by the Southern Confederacy. The name originates in the phrase Quelles Hures (What Heads), applied by the French of Marquette's time on first seeing them in their new western home. During the winter of 1615-16, Champlain visited among the tribes then inhabiting the Peninsula, formed by Lake Erie and St. Clair river. The country was then inhabited by a tribe, to whom Champlain gave the name Neutral Nation, or Nation de Truite ; while the whole country west was called Conchradum, and after the Iroquois war> Saguinan. The Hurons were, undoubtedly, a branch of the great Algonquin race/Avhich, under several names, owned Ontario from the Ottawa to Lake Huron. To this Ontario division the general title of Iroquois du Nord was given by the French for military and political purposes. After the great war of 1649, the Otchipwas and Mississ- augas moved from the South into Canada, and the victorious Iroquois of the South returned to their original homes.
The Mississaugas are first named by the French in 1620. Prior to the Revolution they moved from the Upper Lake region -and Minnesota to the country east of the Georgian Bay, and in the Albany (N. Y.) Council of 1746 they were taken into the Iroquois Confederacy as the seventh nation. Charlevoix speaks of them as having villages at Niagara, on the La Tranchee and on Lake St. Clair subsequent to 1649. They were also known as Souters or Jumpers, and at the close of the eighteenth century seemed to be the sole aboriginal occupiers of what now constitutes the Province of Ontario.
Back in the beginning of the 15th century the Mohawks, Oneidas, Cayugas, Onondagas, and Senecas, inhabiting what is now the States of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and roaming at will over
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
17
adjacent territory, entered into a treaty of friendship, under the title " Five Nations ;" and so, the Iroquois, with a few changes, such as ousting the Oneidas and taking the Aucguagas, continued to live under this treaty for nearly three hundred years, when, in 1712, the Tuscaroras came from North Carolina to join the confederacy, and were admitted as the sixth nation, since which time the name — Six Nations — has been applied, with the exception of the short period, the Mississaugas held a place in the Council. Their powerful opponents were the Dela wares, Cherokees, Mohicans, Adirondacks and Hurons. The latter's power was broken about 1647 by the terrible Iroquois, while in 1653 the Erie nation was almost wiped out of existence by the fierce warriors. The Iroquois on July 19, 1701, ceded to the British all the following described tract : —
" That vast tract of land or colony called Canagaviavchio, beginning on the north- west side of Cadavachqui (Ontario) Lake, and includes all the land lying between the great lake of Ottawa (Huron), and the lake called by the natives Sahiquage, and by the Christians the Lake of Sweege (Oswego for Lake Erie), and runs till it butts upon the Twichtwichs, and is bounded westward by the Twichtwichs, on the eastward by a place called Quadoge, containing in length about 800 miles, and breadth 400 miles, including the country where beavers and all sorts of wild game keep, and the place called Tjeughsaghrondie, alias Fort De Tret, or Wawyachttenock (Detroit), and so runs round the Lake of Sweege till you come to a place called Oniardarundaquat."
Tribal and Individual History. — The Mohawks, one of the tribes composing the Six Nations, were adherents of the British, and in the British service during the American Revolution. They were also known by the French as Agniers. After the war the Mohawks crossed from their temporary home on the American side of the Niagara, and ultimately settled on a tract of land on the Bav of Quinte, purchased from the Mississaugas by the British for them. The Senecas desired that the Mohawks should live nearer to them, and on the latter expressing a desire to accede to the wish of the Senecas, the Government granted them six square miles on Grand River. Their advent to Canada dates back to 1780-1, even before the down- fall of the British force under Cornwallis. Brant commanded the whole tribe, with his cousin, John Brant, an older man, second in command. In 1783-4 the tribe wintered at Cataraqui.
Thayendinagea was the original Indian name of the chief, Joseph Brant. He was born on the banks of the Ohio in 1742, where his father, Tchowaghwengaraghkwin, a full-blooded Mohawk of the Wolf Tribe, held sway; but Soieugarahta — old King Hendrick — was the great chief whom Joseph Brant succeeded. John Brant, chief of the Six Nations, died of cholera, at Brantford, Aug. 27, 1832. He was the son of the Indian Chief Brant, who died Nov. 24, 1807, while his squaw retired to Grand River, where she also died. His annual pay and perquisites, granted him by the British for his service against the Americans, amounted to £500 annually.
John Smoke Johnson, a Mohawk chief, who aided the British in 1812-14, died in 1886, aged 94 years.
18 HISTORY OF THE
After a part of the Oneidas ceded their lands near Oneida Lake, N. Y., in 1829 or 1830, they migrated westward in charge of two Church of England missionaries — Davis and Williams. They settled near Green Bay. In 1840, the remainder of their lands was sold, and coming to Canada they purchased 5,000 acres in Delaware township, where Moses Schuyler was a chief, and Taylor Dockstader, a large fanner, in 1850. In 1871 this band numbered 641; in 1881, 688, and in 1887, 775. Their reservation comprises 5,000 acres in Dela- ware; Township, purchased by them about 1838, and held in trust for them by the Government. Of their four schools, one is presided over by a white female teacher, and the others by natives. The Oneidas belong to the second division of the Western Superintendency, of which Thomas Gordon is agent.
The Munceys originally belonged to Pennsylvania, and were among the tribes with whom Penn's memorable, though unwritten, treaty was made. From this time until the year 1757 they lived quietly under British rule. In the series of conflicts which then took place between the English and French troops, the Munceys invariably fought under the English flag despite all overtures made to them by the French. By a treaty made between them and Sir William Johnston, commander of the British forces at Fort Johnson in 1757, these Indians were promised in return for their alliance, the protection of the " Great King George the Third" against all their enemies; that their material interests should be continuously looked after, and the pos- session of their lands guaranteed to them. The Indians, on their part, agreed to "rise up as one man, and assist His Majesty's arms in driving the French out of the country." It is upon this treaty, and the pro~- mises it contained, the Munceys now rely. The Munceys kept their promises, and when the Revolutionary War broke out some years later were moved by their allies to undisturbed British soil. Colonel Sir VVilliam Butler, then commanding the Royal troops, havincr said to them on that occasion, that King George III would replace their losses m Canada. Grants of land were made to all the friendly Indians except to the Munceys and the Shawanees. The former ultimately settled on the Grand River, till their services were called for on the outbreak of the War of 1812, when they fought under Tecumseh. When peace was proclaimed, the claims of the Munceys (now only a •emnant of a tribe) were again overlooked, but they were allowed to wander at will. Finally they settled where they now are, on land Kjlongmg to the Otchipwas, who allowed them to remain there tern- >ranly. Some years later the land was purchased of the Otchipwas he Canadian Government, but the Munceys have been in possession down to the present time. The reservation is about seven miles in *ngth, forming an irregular square, and is now intercepted by two r^ways-the mam line of the Canada Southern, and a loop line of the
Jd bv th O V1"2 the r Sti°n °f evictinS the wh'le tribe TO issed by the Otchipwas and carried to such extremes that Half
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX. 19
Moon, an educated youth, was deputed to visit Philadelphia in search of evidence to sustain their claims, and the second chief of the tribe, who was also their schoolmaster, to go to England and urge them before the Queen. Half Moon, however, died, but the Quakers of the city found the records, and the delegate, Wahbunahkee, who called him- self Scebie Logan, was sent to England. He is a broad shouldered fellow of five-and-twenty, a full-blooded Indian, having descended from Muncey and Mohican parents. In appearance he possesses all the most marked characteristics of the red race, including the heavy gait which appears so prominent if European costume is worn, but ceases to be apparent in Indian costume. He was educated at the Mohawk Institute at Brantford, Ontario, and was elected second chief of the Muncey s in April, 1881, his selection being on account of his educa- tion which was superior to that of most Indians, and of his being a total abstainer from the destructive fire-water. Besides being a school- master, he was a substantial farmer. The historic tomahawk, which was carried by their chief through many a battle, and hung in the wigwam's smoke for many a year, was to be presented to the Queen. In March, 1883, a deputation from the Munceys visited Ottawa, to ask the Government's assistance in settling their dispute with the Otchipwas. In 1886, Inspector Dingman suggested that the Munceys should be left in possession of their lands, except 498 acres. This area was to be detached in fifty acre tracts from the holdings of James Huff, Jacob Dolson, Jacob, Joseph and Scebie Logan, Nellis, Timothy, the heirs of widow Wilson, and W. Waddilove, thirty-eight acres from the lands of James Wolf, Sampson, John, and Eichard Wilson, and seventy acres from James Wolf. The Indians protested. In 1871 the Mun- ceys numbered 130; in 1881, 129, and in 1887, 125. Their single school is presided over by a white teacher.
Six families of Pottawattamies, and three families of half-breeds, who live on this reserve, are not enumerated in the census and tabular statement, as they do not belong to either of the bands owning it, although they are located on the land they occupy. These families, numbering twenty souls, make the number of Indians within the agency 1,378.
The Otchipwas, or Chippewas, are, according to Bishop Baraga, a branch of the Algonquin race. They were inhabitants of Nippissing and Lake Superior region before the historic period, and have, since that time, been associated with the Upper Lake country. The name was first given to a band of Nippercineans, and ultimately was applied to all speakers of the Nippercinean language, who, in 1649, fell back on Lake Superior before the advancing Iroquois, just as the Bone Cave Builders fell back before the Nippercineans. Their dialect was the most refined of all the Indian tongues, and won the praise of the great French students who visited their villages. Such historic names as Mudjekeewis, Wanbojug, Andaigweos, and Gitchee Waiskee were applied to the early chiefs, who kept the tribal fire burning perpetually. The first war within the
1>Q HISTORY OF THE
historic period was waged against the Upper Nipperciiieans by the M< nominees, who dammed the mouth of Menominee Kiver, and thus abolished the upper sturgeon fisheries. The war raged from 1627 to 1648 without intermission, and the feud was carried down even to- 1857. Their war against the Sauks began about 1519, and continued until nearly the whole of Michigan and Canada, from Erie to Nippissing, bore marks of the strife. Nawassiswanabi succeeded the first chief of the Otchipwas of the Thames. Tomaco, the next chief of importance, was an uncle of the present Nelson Beaver, on his father's side. In 1812, those Indians served with Tecumseh against the Americans. Old Simon, Yahobance, Miskokoman, Jim Muskalonge, Kanotaing, Jim Carey or Bakakadus, and other warriors, are well known names connected with the war and with this tribe, the present Nelson Beaver being born within a half mile of Lambeth, in 1819. At this time the tribe was uncivilized, but believed in one ruling spirit who would take them west to the happy hunting grounds, where huckleberries grew, the bad Indians falling off a log into a deep river.
In 1851, the Otchipwas possessed 9,000 acres in Caradoc. At Upper Muncey or Colborne, at Old Munceytown, and at Bear Creek, on the north line of the reservation, wer,e their settlements. The Munceys settled among the Otchipwas since the beginning of the present century, and shared in the presents annually made to the Otchipwas, but not in the annual payment of £600. At Upper Muncey, John Eiley was Chief and Peter Jones was Methodist Missionary. In 1840, Eev. E. Flood was appointed Missionary at Old Muncey, and later a church house was erected there. Logan was Chief at this time.
The Otchipwas of the Thames, in 1871, numbered 470 ; in 1881, 483, and in 1887, 458. With the Munceys they occupy the Caradoc Eeserve. The reserve is composed of the best land in the Township of Caradoc, and contains 12,095 acres. A very large proportion of tha waste land belonging to this band has been leased by the Department to white farmers for a short term of years, under conditions of paying a certain rental, and improving the land by clearing it, making good fences and ditching. The work already done by these lessees has made a marked improvement. Agent Gordon, in his report of 1887, states : " Ihere are three schools upon the reserve, all taught by Indian teachers. Ihe attendance at these schools is not so numerous as could be wished Indians are careless, and often indifferent in sending their children to The teachers state that they have done all in their power to e children to attend, but with indifferent success. The three
^n teachers are very exemplary men ; one of them is head chief of
the band, another is chief of the Indians of Ontario, chosen at the last
meeting of the Grand Council, and the third teacher was lately head
the Munceys of the Thames. The new Council house upon
Reserve is just finished, and appears to be a very fine building indeed. It is built of brick with stone foundation, and is 60 by 3?
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX. 21
feet. Much credit is due to the contractor for the manner in which the work was done. The Church of England and the Methodist Church of Canada have also each a mission on this reserve. Dr. Sinclair, of Melbourne, is their medical adviser, and appears to be very attentive to them. The Mount Elgin Industrial Institution, under the able management of the Eev. W. W. Shepherd, continues to do good work. The children in school and in the workshops are making very good progress."
Indians of 181%. — The Council of Petagwano, now Point Edward,, was held about 1775. The question which the British agents placed before this Council, " Which should they help, American or British ?" was discussed. They had been in council six days, but could not agree, so that they sent for the great prophet and chief of the Hurons — Weinekeuns. This chief was grimly grotesque. Large and power- full as he was, Providence endowed him with three noses or sets of nostrils — a small nose on each side of the centre one. On arriving he stepped into the centre of the Council, and, addressing the warriors, said : — " My brothers, the Great Spirit tells me that we poor Indians had best keep silence, for the Keshemokomon (Big Knife, or American), will drive us away beyond the Rocky Mountains. These beautiful forests will not be our home. It may be you and I will be gone to the happy hunting grounds of our fathers, but these things will surely come. The Americans fight for themselves and the British for their King. The Americans are few, but they can fight for them- selves, and have a great advantage ; they will drive the English back over the great waters, and will fight to the last. So there is no hope for us. Remain in peace. The Great Spirit has spoken." This chief was known to the early settlers along the river. He reached the age of 125 years and his wife 101 years, they being the parents of fifteen children.
Border Incidents. — In 1813, the Indians of the Western and London Districts held a great council on the St. Clair River, at which it was decided to capture and kill all American sympathizers on each side of the river. A friendly squaw gave the alarm, and the greater number fled to Detroit; but King, an Englishman, who settled in Canada, did not think they would harm him ; but next day, he and a man named Rodd, husband of old mother Rodd, were shot and killed — the Indians not approaching near enough to recognize them as Englishmen. Among the savages engaged in this affair were Old Salt, Black Foot, Wapoose (the medicine man), and Wawanosh, who died at Sarnia about 1878. For those miscreants the British erected houses in 1828 near Sarnia, building material and shingles being purchased from Burtch, of Port Huron. At Marine City, and, indeed, along the American bank of the St. Clair River, the settlers suffered much during the War of 1812-14. Families were marked out for Indian vengeance by the British on account of the older boys being in the American
'
HISTORY OF THE
army, and it was common for a mother and her children to hide in the willow groves for weeks. The tragedy at Bunce's Creek, a few miles south of Port Huron, points out the manner in which this war was conducted in Western Canada. A party of five soldiers started from Fort Gratio.t to row to Detroit. A company of Indians under Tawas, a quarter-breed, was at this point awaiting them, and, when the soldiers appeared, hoisted a white flag to decoy them. The troops, unfortu- nately, rowed toward the creek ; but when close to the river bank, the Indians opened fire, killing four of the men, leaving the fifth to sink or swim in the river. He saved himself, however, and, after many hard- ships, returned to Fort Gratiot. The Indians made life along the border so unendurable that all the families, except Mrs. Harrow's, moved to Canada, and swore allegiance to the British ; but many returned afte"r the defeat of Proctor on the- Thames.
The half-breed Magee commanded the Indians during Major Mulir's occupation of Detroit, or from the surrender of Hull to the arrival of Harrison. At times the Indian captain would be so drunk regular troops would have to remove him. Whether drunk or sober his power over his dusky command was remarkable, and it is said that Magee's terrific yell (he had a voice like a lion,) would gather round him all the savages, as a bugle call would gather the regular troops to Mulir's quarters. During the year ending in October, 1813, a number of Americans were killed along the border, and it required the greatest care and vigilance on the part of the British commanders to check the Indians, as_wejl_as their own. .trporjs, ^in their murderous designs on border wcTnieii and children, who had moved into Canada, and taken the required oath of allegiance. The original instruction to the savages to annihilate the Americans was, however, carried out by them, as far as it was possible. < In 1812, and for years before, the Shanaway Indians resided on Big Bear Creek, making camps up that creek and the Thames, from March to October, and spending the winters near Lake •St. Clair. There were five sons, who were all British warriors. One of them named Megish was killed at Lundy's Lane by Capt. Chesby O'Blake, who was mate of a brig lying at Newburyport, who, being blocaded by the British, tied up his ship, and, with his men, joined Scott's brigade.
Nimecance, or Lightning, a son of Kioscance, served under Patrick Sinclair, commander of the British garrison at Pine River, now St. Clair City, Mich. In 1817 this Indian was 105 years old, and still attended to his corn fields, four miles south of the Port Huron Custom House. He died about 1824, aged 112 years.
His father, Kioscance, was chief of the Otchipwas, in their wars against the Wyandots and Six Nations. His fleet was so extensive that it covered the old broad St. Clair from Point Edward to Walpole Nicholos Plane, chief of the Sarnia Indians, is a great grandson of old Kioscance. His tribe was known as the Rapid Tribe, whose village was about a mile north-east of the present town of Point
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
23
Edward, prior to their removal to Fort Gratiot, after their incursion into the Erie country.
Okemos, the nephew of Pontiac, and head chief of the Otchipwas, was born in Michigan in 1763. In later years he performed feats of valor for the British at Sandusky, which won for him the name of being the greatest warrior and chief of his tribe. He, with Manito Corbay and sixteen other warriors, was afterwards sent out by the British Commandant at Detroit to reconnoitre as far as the British rendezvous at Sandusky. They ambushed a party of mounted American rifle- men, but suffered so terribly from the charge which followed, that they would not join Tecumseh in 1812. Okemos died in 1858, with a name known from Sandusky to Niagara and Detroit.
The half-breed, John Riley, who in early years resided at Port Huron, but made his home along the Thames, Bear Creek, and Aux Sauble. was a great hunter. One Sunday, while walking in the woods with a boy, he discovered a large log in which some animal was living. He said to the boy " Abscoin, hashapun " (John, a raccoon). The boy entered, but came out with great speed, crying 4< Moguash, Moguash " (a bear, a bear). Eiley drew his tomahawk, and when the bear's head appeared buried the weapon in his brains, thus obtaining 400 pounds of bear without intentionally breaking the Sabbath, of which he pre- tended to be a strict observer.
Kumekumenon, or Macompte, although residing for years on the western border of Lake St. Glair, exercised much influence over the Indians of Western Canada until 1816, when death relieved him of power. His sons — one bearing the same name, and one Francis — moved to Lakeville, Mich, in 1830. The latter, with Truckatoe and Kanobe, was subsequently an important man until the westward movement of the tribes. Kanobe moved to Canada in 1 827.
Shignebeck, a son of Kioscance, was 109 years of age at his death in the thirties. Ogotig, a daughter, lived to see 107 years; old mother Rodd, who died in 1870, on the Sarnia reservation, was 104 years old, while Onsha, a third son of the chief, reached a very old age.
Old Wittaniss was a sub-chief among the remnant of the Hurons in 1776. About that time he assisted the British, and during the war of 1812 was one of their Indian allies.
Tipsikaw, who left the St. Glair region for the west in 1837, was a brave of great speed and a celebrated wrestler.
Negig, an Indian Chief, who died in 1807, was one of the best known Indians in the St. Glair District.
Kishkawko, a desperate Otchipwa, served in the War of 1812.
Among the Indians who traversed this western section of Canada,, and, indeed, claimed parts of Michigan, were Black Snake and his son- in-law Black Duck. Like the half-breed, John Eiley, they con- sidered themselves Americans, but were friendly to the British Indians. On one occasion, the Canadian Indians visited what is now Port Huron, to hold a feast or picnic. Whisky was plentiful, and with it
24
HISTOKY OF THE
they were eloquent speakers. Among the Britishers was a brave from the Aux Saubles, who boasted of his war career in 1812-13, and told the number of American scalps he had taken during the war. Black Duck listened, and when the speaker had finished, addressed him thus : " You are a great brave; you have killed many Americans ; you have taken their scalps. The Americans you killed were my friends, and you will kill no more." Black Duck buried his tomahawk in the boaster's brain, and the feast ended. At this time and for years after, the Indian wigwams were chinked with moss — some capable of shelter- ing twenty persons. Deer was plenty : the present Nelson Beaver killed over 2,000 in his younger days, and often furnished London with venison to supply all demands.
In March, 1828, a youth named Petit set out from Port Huron to search for an Indian hunting party, under Tawas, who were in Canada all winter. Others had set out before this, but failed to meet Tawas. In this search he was accompanied by one armed Indian, who had, some years before, murdered his squaw, where Sarnia now stands, and hid the body in Black River at Port Huron. The two proceeded to Sebewaing, and, following the lake's Canadian shore, they reached White Rock. Next day they discovered Tawas and his band in a sugar camp, which they had selected on account of the stream close by affording plenty of fish. The Indians had a number of brass kettles of various sizes, which had been presented to them by the British Government. He purchased from them 500 marten skins, at one dollar each, but did not buy the large quantity of coarse furs which the band had collected.
A young Indian named John Seneca, of the Muncey tribe, was induced to go to the United States during the war. There he was compelled to enter the army, and was subsequently killed. His father, Peter Seneca, believed a resident of Mt. Brydges guilty of leading his son away, and treasuring up revenge, attacked the voung man in September, 1870.
In April, 1887, the Hallelujah Band, of Moraviantown, visited Munceytown, and on the 23rd, a similar band was organized there with Chief W. J. Waddilove, captain of the men, and Phoebe Waddilove, captain of the women, with Peter Jones, lieutenant of the hrst, and Frances Wilson, of the second band.
Nelson Beaver, chief of the Caradoc Reserve, was sixty years connected with his tribe up to 1881. Among the agents of whom he speaks highly were Froome Talford,who succeeded Col. Clinch; Agent T f«e«T^ l°Wf CHuch' and in 1878 ASent Gordon took charge. tt^ZSFSS&lX* r°Undlv deno™ced, and ultimately abolished.— ( Vide Sketch of Nelson Beaver )
T>J^lS^ House, at
London, about 1849, an Indian approached from York street, while the chief Nelson Beaver, came down from Dundas street. The two Indians met at the corner, but Nelson's salutation was not understood as
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX. 25
Indian No. 1 proved to be an Oneida. Beaver said to him : — " What are you saying ? You're a blacker Indian than 1 am, and yet you can't speak Indian. You're a fool. Can you talk anything ? " The query led to a quarrel ; both Indians took off their blanket rolls or budgets, but the moment the argumentum ad hominem was to be made, Beaver picked up his roll, and, running over to the crowd on the hotel piazza, cried out, " Didn't I fool that Indian, eh ? "
Indian Churches and Missions. — The Missions of the Canada Wesleyan Conference among the Indians were instituted in 1822, two years before the Missionary Society was formed at Grand River, Brant County, Ont., with Rev. Alvin Tory, preacher. In 1828, a mission among the Otchipwes, Oneidas and Munceys of Caradoc and Delaware was commenced, the membership being 15, increased in 1873 to 123. Thomas Hurlburt was preacher from 1828 to 1833 inclusive ; Ezra Adams, 1833-4; Solomon Waldron, 1835-40; Peter Jones, 1840-3; with D. Hardie in 1843 ; C. Flumerfelt in 1844; Sol. Waldron, 1845 ; Peter Jones, 1846-48; Abrarn Sickles being assistant from 1843 to 1870, with the exception of a few years; Samuel D. Rice, 1849; Samuel Rose, 1850-5, with John Sunday and A. Sickles, assistants ; James Musgrove, 1856-62, with Chase, Sickles and Matt. Whiting, assistants ; Francis Berry and Sickles served from 1864 to 1866. In 1860, the Mount Elgin school was placed in charge of Reuben E. Tupper, and the mission in charge of Peter German, both of whom served until 1870. A year later, the school and mission work were reunited, with James Gray in cha.rge. He was succeeded in 1872 by Ephraim Evans and Allan Salt, who were the preachers in 1873, the membership being then 141. The Muncey Indian Mission of the Methodist Church of Canada was presided over from 1874 to 1880 by Thomas Cosford. Allan Salt assisted in 1874; Samuel Tucker, in 1875-7; Abel Edwards, in 1878-80; W. W. Shepherd and A. Edwards, in 1881-3, while Abel Edwards and W. W. Shepherd served in 1884, at the time of the second Methodist union.
In early years the old Indians arranged many, if not all of the mar- riages ; later the young warriors arranged matters with the girl, and later still, even in this day, a system of promiscuous living together was introduced, not over one half of the number at present availing themselves of the marriage ceremony. In fact, in Nelson Beaver's early years, girls did ncrt run at large ; but the matter of inter-sexual honor has now almost disappeared, and white children are also very common.
Rev. Ezra Adams, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, joined the following natives in marriage during the years 1834-5 :
Sept. 1, 1834-~James Thomas, to Peggy ; Seneca Jack, to Polly Beaver ; Henry Maskarioorgaand, to Eliza. Nov. 12 — Talbut Chief, to Margaret Wabesenasequa. Dec> 2 — James Tunkey, to Margaret. Feb. IP, 1835 — George Peter, to Ohpetapowqua. Feb. 1 — James Egg, to Matilda Quawi. Feb. 1 — James Kewaquam, to Polly Ohnahpe- wanoqua. Sept. 1, 1834— John Maskanonge, to Jane Stagway.
HISTORY OF THE
The following record by Solomon Waldron, minister of the Wes- leyan Methodist Church at Munceytown, was made in 1836; David Sawyer, being a witness in each case :
Jan. 3— John Tomico, to Elizabeth Half Moon ; Isaac Dolson, to Electa Tipic Kises • Polly Quaitloop, to John Dolson. Feb. 10— Joseph Deertail, to Nancy Loon. May 3— Waginge Bond, to Nancy Caleb ; John Beaver, to Hannah Elmore ; John Beaver, 2nd, to Eliza Rishekains. July 17— John Quaitloop, to Polly Bean.
Abram Sickles, an Indian minister, made the following returns in October, 1850 :
May 14, 1848— David Lunduff, to Margaret Shallo, of Delaware. Dec. 21 — Daniel Ninham, to Margaret Doxdater, of Delaware. Jan. 21, 1849— Nicholas Nich- olas, to Mary Ann Williams, of Delaware. June 17 — Bapdist Sunmer, to Nelly Schegler, of Delaware. June 17 — Abram Schegler, to Susannah Williams, of Dela- ware. June 19— John Bread, to Mary Island, of Delaware. July 10— Charles Bate- man, to Mary A. Ewerren, of Caradoc. April 14, 1850 — Peter Alvarn, to Margaret Andone, of Delaware. Oct. 13— John Nicholas, to Margaret Elem, of Delaware.
His certificate reads as follows : — " I certify that the above mar- riages were performed by me within the period included between the first and last on the list ; and that my not having made the returns within a year after the first was solemnized, arose from my ignorance of the law — being an Indian and not long resident."
The principal Munceys, who were members of the English Church in 1847, were Henry C. Hogg, catechist; Mrs. Hogg, J. Wampum (Kachnakaish), interpreter ; Mrs. Wampum, Ann Johnston (Ainhah- wooky), Capt. Wolfe (Weirchawk), Phoebe Hank (Aishkunkg), Mary Hank (Tahtapenawh), David Hank, Abram Hoff, Wm. Waddilove (Shapaish), John Smith, Mary Delaware (Waimlaish), Moses Shuyler. Mary Wilcox (Papatahpahnelaiky), David Bear (Maquah), Thomas and Nancy Wahcosh.
]n 1851, Rev. R. Flood was appointed to the Muncey Mission. In 1859-60, Rev. A. Potts presided over the English Church at Munceytown. H. C. Hogg's name appears as an incorporated member in 1857. In 1861-2, Rev. R. Flood took charge of this and the Delaware Church. In 1865, Rev. H. P. Chase was appointed over L Paul's, at Muncey, and St. John's, at Chippewa. In 1869, Zion Church, of the Oneidas, was established. In 1885, Rev. A. G Smith took charge of the three Indian Churches.
The Oneida Methodist Mission was part of Muncey until 1871 when William Cross was appointed preacher. The Oneida Indian Mission of the Methodist Church of Canada succeeded the Weslevan Mission in 1874, with William Cross preacher. In 1877 Elisha Tennant took charge; in 1879, Benj. Sherlock; in 1880-3, Erastus [urlburt with A Sickles; in 1884, E. Hurlburt at Muncey, with John Kirkland and Sam. G. Livingstone at the College
Elgin Industrial Institution may be said to date back to ±5, when Peter Jones collected moneys in England and Scotland
TECUMSEH, THE SHAWAHEE CHIEF.
COUNTY "OF MIDDLESEX.
27
and had his Indians contribute also. In 1847-8, the buildings were erected, and in 1849 the Institution was opened, with Eev. Dr. Eice, Superintendent. Since that time the names of Methodist ministers, connected with the Institution and Mission, are named in the history of the Mission. In June, 1887, W. W. Shepherd, present Principal, reported favorably of this school.
Loyal Orange Lodges. — In connection with the churches and schools, there are a few Loyal Orange Lodges, the members of which parade on every 12th of July with band and regalia. As a rule, fire- water is freely used on the occasion ; but the Lodges, after all, compare very favorably with those of their white brethren. The tribes have also an agricultural organization and an annual fair.
Indian Statistics. — On June 10, 1857, an act was assented to providing for the gradual civilization of the Indians, and the removal of all legal distinctions between them and other subjects. The expenditures on account of Indians in 1886-7 amounted to $53,604.90 for Ontario and Quebec; $6,038.01 for Nova Scotia; $6,049.08 for New Brunswick ; $2,135.26 for Prince Edward Island ; $61,076.40 for British Columbia; $1,072,397.67 for Manitoba and the North-west. The tribes represented now in Quebec and Ontario, with the receipts credited up to June 30, 1886, are given as follows : Otchipwas of Sarnia, $200,755.87 ; Otchipwas of Thames, $77,332.61 ; Munceys of Thames, $2,805.09; Oneidas of Thames, $662.89; Moravians of Thames, $167,018.70 ; Pottawattamies of Walpole Island, $6,806.90; Otchipwas of Walpole Island, $74,648.60 ; Batchewana Indians, $4,468.40 ; Otchipwas of Beausoleil, $59,748.80 ; Otchipwas of Nawash, $367,753.08 ; Otchipwas of Kand, $54,895.44 ; Otchipwas of Saugeen, $289,852.91 ; Otchipwas of Snake Island, $25,972.61 ; Fort William band, $14,148.28 ; French River baud, $928.67 ; Garden Eiver Indians, $36,761.85; Henvey's Inlet Indians, $7,561.05; Lake Nippissing Indians, $29,829.50; Manitoulin Indians (unceded), $2,530.36; Maganetewans, $582.57; Mississaugas of Alnwick, $80,033.84; Mississaugas of Credit, $120,423.49; Mississaugas of Eice Lake, $22,831.04 ; Mississaugas of Mud Lake, $38,231.38 ; Mississaugas of Scugog, $11,895.69; Mississaugas of Bay of Quinte, $134,924.98; Ojibbewas and Ottawas of Manitoulin, $117,794.94; Ojibbewas of Lake Huron, $61,357.59 ; Ojibbewas of Lake Superior, $50,917.64; Ojibbewas of the Mississauga Eiver, $4,695.49 ; Parry Island Indians, $45,365.26 ; Serpent Eiver Indians, $3,004 ; Six Nations, $915,988.30 ; Shawanaga band, $8,691 ; Spanish Eiver Indians, $3,058; Thessalon Eiver Indians, $13,278.91 ; Tootoomenai and band, $963.30 ; White- fish Eiver Indians, $3,939.46; Wyandots of Anderdon, $24,969.17; Abenakis of St. Francis, $4,158.36; Abenakis of Becancour, $1,279; Amalecites of Isle Vest and Viger, $5,799 ; Golden Lake Indians, $21 ; Hurons of Lorette, $26 ; Iroquois of Caughnawaga, $8,271 ; Iroquois of St. Eegis, $31,271 ; Lake St. John Indians, $1,397 ; Lake of Two
28 HISTORY OF THE
Mountains Indians, $1,260 ; Mississaugas of Upper Ottawa, $3,041, and River Desert Indians, $40,379.
The territory over which the supervision of Indian affairs extended in 1862 consisted of what is now embraced in the Provinces of Ontario, and Quebec, which then composed the old Province of Canada. The Department now exercises control of Indian matters from the Pro- vinces of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, on the Atlantic, to British Columbia, on the Pacific Ocean.
The number of Indians who, according to the Report for the year 1863, were then under the care of the Department, was 19,181. The census returns published with this report show that the Indians of the Dominion of Canada number approximately 128,000 souls. The- number of reserves occupied by the various bands of Indians of the old Province of Canada in 1862 was fifty-six. In the seven pro- vinces, and in the North-west Territories, and in the district of Kee- watin,' there are at the present time 1,147 Indian reserves ; while in British Columbia additional reserves are being assigned to the Indians of that province, as the work of the Commissioner appointed to allot the same proceeds.
According to the report for the year 1863, there were thirty schools in operation for the instruction of the Indian children. In 1887 there were 198 schools in operation.
Indian Trails. — In the days when Ontario was solely in pos- session of the native tribes, well defined routes of travel existed between their several noted summer camps, as well as between their winter towns. There were several practicable routes for the traders to reach the upper lake region. The original and best known one was by the Ottawa River, Nippissing and Georgian Bay, which, though long and hazardous, was the principal channel of intercourse between Western Canada and the Lower St. Lawrence ; the second was by the Trent River to Lake Simcoe ; the third was from the present site of Toronto to Lake Simcoe ; the fourth was from the head of Lake Ontario, the Grand River to Lake Erie and (La Tranchee) Thames River to Lake St. Clair, and the fifth by Niagara. The latter route was seldom chosen, owing to the savage character of the New York Indians, as well as the rough character of the route. So soon as Upper Canada was organized for the purposes of Government, two great highways were established— Yonge and Dundas streets; and from this beginning the modern system of roads spread out.
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
CHAPTER III.
OCCUPATION AND SETTLEMENT.
Retrospection. — When the pioneers came for the first time to the Indian camp grounds along the Thames, they beheld spread out before them, as far as their vision could reach, one of nature's most beautiful panoramas — a land which gave promise, through the perfection of its natural resources, of a future that some day would become excellent in every detail of civilization, if not celebrated in the annals of history. That condition, then so dimly foreshadowed, has at last been realized. Scarcely eighty years have passed by, and the scenes that then held the forms of the wilderness, now move onward to the notes of the plowman's whistle, the faithful call of domestic animalsr the constant whirling sound of busy machinery, the shrill notes of the locomotive, the laborer's song, and school children's happy shouts. Less than eighty years ago wild flowers bloomed in countless profusion and variety on these lands, and the sons of civilized life had scarcely invaded the precincts of the great wilderness; now all is changed. The whole country teems with the fruits of industry and peace, and thousands of happy families dwell in happy homes. What a marvellous transformation! The country is aged already, so precocious has been its development.
First Settlements in the County. — Who were those white travellers who first entered the forests to carve out a home ? They were Americans, driven from their country by the sentimental grievance which the new Eepublic created. In the deep Canadian woods they had time for reflection, and, within a decade after settlement, their studies took shape, and again they are found among the soldiers of the Union they once deserted.
Delaware is credited with the first settlements made, in what now constitutes Middlesex County. Ethan Allan (son of Ebenezer), and Jasper Crow (his brother-in-law), two Americans, who fled from their country rather than serve it, located their gardens along the Thames, and for some years resided there. During those years the glory of the young Eepublic floated as a vision before them, so that when the Union required new troops for a new war, Allan and Crow were among the very first to answer the call. In 1812, Allan bid farewell to his Canadian home forever, and was followed by Crow, who left his wife and family the farm which he had improved. *
Ebenezer Allan, to whom Governor Simcoe granted 2,200 acres, in Delaware, in 1793, for his services in leading the Indians against
* The story of the two men, and of the father's motley family, belongs to the history of Delaware Township, where it is given.
30 HISTORY OF THE
the Americans, in 1775-81, sold, within seven years his grant for £3000 and Delaware entered on its career of prosperity. In 17W, the' Springers came, followed by the Woodhulls in 1798, and then a steady tide of immigration filled the county.
The first settlement of the eastern townships was made in 1794, the following letter giving the story of the pioneers :—
INGERSOLL, Nov. 5, 1888.
Mr William McClary :— Your card received, and in reply, as William is a noted name, I'will give you some facts. My grandfather's name was William Reynolds. He and Major Ingersoll, who was a resident of New York, came to Canada m 1773 (1793) and applied to Governor Simcoe, who resided at Niagara, for a grant of land m the Township of Dorchester, to my grandfather, and in Oxford to Mr. Ingersoll, pro- viding each would cause fifty settlers to come into the township ; and the following year moved into Dorchester, which would be 1774 (1794). He was not able to get the required number of settlers. The Governor withdrew his offer and gave my grand- father 1,000 acres, and each of his children 200 acres He then had five boys and two daughters. The same year my father was married to Sarah Stevens, of Burford, and settled in the township next his father, and helped to build a saw-mill near where a flouring-mill (Cartwright's) now stands. At that time there was not a white man, save his employes, in the township. My brother David, who now lives in Petrolea, was the first white child born in Dorchester. Mr. Seth Putnam moved into the town- ship six years later. It would take me several days to give a full history of the hard- ships, they being surrounded by Indians camps ; would further say I now hold the old crown deed to my grandfather, and I know these dates are true.
Yours, very truly,
J. S. REYNOLDS.
Other Prominent Settlers. — There is another pioneer of this district whose name finds mention in almost every chapter of the general history of Middlesex. His advent to, and life in, the Erie country — mysterious and eccentric — seems like a provision of Providence ; for it required just such a character to win from the impoverished hearths of Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland, the bone and sinew able to cope with the wild country, which he determined to open up. Thomas Talbot, born at Malahide, Dublin Co., Ireland, in 1771, was Colonel in the 24th British Kegiment at Quebec, in 1790, and in 1791 was appointed aide-de-camp to Governor Simcoe. In the latter's letter of Feb. 11, 1803, he states that young Talbot accompanied him into Upper Canada as his confidential secretary. Four years after this (1795) he was ordered home to join the 5th Eegiment in Flanders. Simcoe recommended him to Lord Hobart, Secretary of the Colonies, and begged for him 5,000 acres of land, as a resident field officer, to be located in Yarmouth Township, and the remainder of that township to be reserved for him, and granted to him at the rate of 200 acres for each family he may locate thereon — 50 acres to be given to such family, and 150 acres held by himself. The Governor stated that young Talbot's plan was to introduce himself to the body of Welch and Scotch, who arrived in New York in 1801, and win them over to colonize Yarmouth, as well as to help him in the cultivation of hemp, for which the township was so well adapted. The recommendations of
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
31
Simcoe were carried out, and further grants of 618,000 acres made, but South Yarmouth, having hitherto been purchased by Col. James Baby, and the north part by the Canada Company, Talbot failed to obtain his first selection. He came, nevertheless, and located at Port Talbot, Dunwich Township, May 21, 1803, where he felled the first tree that day. Long Point, 60 miles eastward, was the nearest settle- ment. He was accompanied by George Crane ; six years later came John Pearce, Backus or Backhouse, Mrs. Story, and Col. L. Patterson (from Pennsylvania), who, in 1810, were joined by Wm. Davis, Daniel Eapelge, Moses Eice, Benj. Wilson, John Mandeville, and in 1809 by the Burwells. Col. Talbot observed the terms of his grant closely ; but out of the 150 acres of every 200 granted as bonus for placing a family on the quarter of 50 acres, he was willing to sell 100 acres for £6 9s. 3d. The point chosen by him for a house is less than eight miles westward of the heights at Port Stanley. As is related in the history of London, he, next to Lord Edward Fitzgerald, was among the first English-speaking explorers of the district, of which London is the commercial centre.
In speaking of this location, and its most distinguished owner, Mr. Grant says : — " From the lookout at Port Stanley we can discern, seven or eight miles westward, Talbot Creek, and the spot where this military hermit renounced the world of rank and fashion, and entered the wilderness, there to abide with brief intermission for nearly 50 years ; the spot also where, after a stormy life, he now peacefully lies, listening to the lapping of the lake waves upon the shore. Talbot was two years younger than Arthur Wellesly, the future Duke of Wellington, and while still in their teens, the young officers were thrown much together as aides to Talbot's next relative, the Marquis of Buckingham, then Viceroy of Ireland. The warm friendship thus formed was kept up to the end of their lives by correspondence and by Col. Talbot's secular visits to Apsley House, where he always found Wellington ready to back him against the intrigues of the Canadian Executive. Through Simcoe's influence Talbot obtained, in 1803, a township on the shore of Lake Erie ; the original demesne grew in half a century to a principality of about 700,000 acres, with a population of 75,000 souls. There was an arcadian simplicity about the life of these pioneers. The title-deeds of the farms were mere pencil entries by the Colonel in his township maps ; transfers were accomplished by a rubber and more pencil entries. His word of honor was sufficient, and their con- fidence was certainly never abused. The anniversary of his landing at Port Talbot, the 21st of May, was erected by Dr. Eolph into a great festival, which was long kept up in St. Thomas with all honor. Immediately after this brief respite the hermit would return to his desolation, in which there was an odd mixture of aristocratic hauteur and savage wildness. The acquaintances of earlier life fell away one by one, and there were none others to fill the vacancies. While cre- ating thousands of happy firesides around him his own hearth remained
HISTORY OF THE
desolate. Compassion was often felt for his loneliness ; his nephews, one of them afterwards General Lord Airey, of Crimean fame, attempted to share his solitude, but in vain. Then his one faithful servant, Jeffrey, died. The recluse had succeeded in creating around him an absolute void, for no account is taken of the birds of prey that hovered about. Wellington, his first companion and last of his friends, was borne to his tomb in the crypt of St. Paul's, amid all the magnificent woe of a State funeral. Three months later poor Talbot also died. It was the depth of winter and bitterly cold. In the progress of the remains from London, where he died, to the quiet nook by the lake- shore, the deceased lay all night, neglected and forsaken, in the barn of a roadside inn. * * * What was the mystery in this lonely man's life ? * * * Charlevoix's description of this Erie shore had cast a spell upon him."
During the Talbot era the ways of the country were primitive indeed. He maintained a peculiar rule. No one was considered by him his equal, and the settlers who had gathered round his woodland castle were as unfamiliar with him after forty years' acquaintanceship as at its beginning. New men, however, came on the scene, and innovations on feudal customs were spoken of. Men came to work amid the forests — not to bow to another man. A new system was gradually built up, and within a few years a body of independent yeomen had their own society and constitutions without consulting the hermit Colonel. Thomas Meek, the night turnkey of the county jail, who came to reside in Port Stanley in 1818, relates "that during mid- winter and Christmas time, he had often yoked in the oxen, and on a rough ' bush-whacker ' sleigh, had taken half-a-dozen farmers' daugh- ters and their sturdy sweethearts for a ride over the rough forest road. These were occasions for the outburst of unusual hilarity, and the girls laughed as loudly as their lungs permitted, without the slightest fear of disturbing the nearest settler, several miles away. And if Jack Chopper did squeeze Mary Baker, and perhaps get a ghilopejia on the girl next to him, nobody talked about it, or thought any the less of either John or Mary. In another cabin, that looked out upon nothing but leafless trees, the old settler took down the thumb-marked family Bible, and read the story of our Saviour's birth in the little Nazarene village, but beyond this, necessity limited their festivities to the minimum."
It is said that on account of the absence of the annual almanac, some of the old settlers actually forgot the days of the month, and either let Christmas slip by without knowing it, or celebrated the event in the middle of December or away along in January. But who could blame them if they did ? " Why, we didn't care a fig about the day of the week or month," said this silver-locked old pioneer, " and the wolves howled around the house as loudly on Christmas Eve as any other night in the year. What we wanted was to get these big trees out of the road, and then go in for fun and keeping track of dates
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
33
•afterwards. When London, or ' The Forks/ as it was then called, had assumed all the importance of a village, parents, bent on the pur- chase of some toy to fill the home-made stocking of the little girls and boys, thronged the corner store and the Court House square with the same enthusiasm that they crowd Dundas and Richmond streets to-day. It was, in fact, a great night among the villagers, and, in Westminster and London townships, was looked upon as the best time in the year for a rollicking party. And those were parties of the real old brand, too."
Squire Matthews, in his reference to London, states that Dennis O'Brien kept a little low building where O'Mara Bros, had their pork packery on West Dundas street, in 1881; while McGregor kept an equally small tavern close by. Geo. Goodhue, about this time, had a small store on the 1st Concession of Westminster ; and there was also an ashery and dry goods store. Before those houses were established, the settlers had to go to Five Stakes, near St. Thomas, to Hamilton's store, on Kettle Creek, where he made them pay 75 cents per yard for factory cloth. Wheat was only worth 37 J cents per bushel, and for it they would receive goods or black salt, but no cash; there was no cash. This black salt was made out of lye and ashes. Mr. Mat- thews made tons of it, burning up log piles on purpose to obtain ashes. This was hard work, but necessary to obtain cash, as cash was necessary to buy leather and salt. When they had a barrel ready they would start for Kettle Creek with wagon and oxen ; a trip that occupied thirty hours then, if they did not camp out at night. Crossing the Thames was a dangerous proceeding even then, and the Squire has seen oxen, wagon, barrels and driver swimming that river.
Pioneer Mails. — Daniel Springer settled in Delaware in 1797, and soon after was appointed postmaster, this being the only office between Sandwich and Burford, or in a distance of 160 miles. In 1816, an office was established at McGregor's Creek, Chatham, with Wm. McCrea, master. Two Frenchmen, the Souggnay brothers, strong and very energetic men, carried the mail from Sandwich to Toronto once a month, while Wm. McGuffin, a short Irishman, -carried the mail from Delaware to Burford. Mail for Westminster or London had to be called for at Delaware; but about 1825 mail (newspaper) was left at Nathan Griffith's Hotel, in Westminster. Prior to the establishment of the London office, Capt. Thomas Lawrason kept the office in his small store, 120 rods east of the bridge, on the London and Byron road ; then came Ira Scofield, who was the first postmaster at London. John Harris filled the office later during Goodhue's suspension. In these old times a payment of six shillings was often demanded for the delivery of some loving message from beyond the ocean, while smaller sums were charged for letters from America, as the settlers then styled the United States.
The postmasters in 1831 were Charles Berczy, at Amherstburg ; Joseph Defried, of Bayham; Geo. Goodhue, of London; John
34 HISTORY OF THE
Bostwick, of Port Stanley ; F. L Walsh, of Vittoria, and K. McKenny,. of Yarmouth. The rates of postage were four and a-half pence, not exceeding 60 miles; sevenpence, not exceeding 100; ninepence, not exceeding 200, and twopence for every additional 100 miles.
In 1839, J. P. Bellairs was postmaster at Amiens, where one mail was received every week ; J. K. McKnight, at Bayham ; W. Merigold, at Beach ville ; W. Whitehead, at Burford ; Wilson Mills, at Delaware ; Wm. Sparling, at Ekfrid: J. Matheson, at Embro; K. Brown, at Kateville ; G. J. Goodhue, at London ; I. Adamson, at McGillivray ; A. Meyer, at McKillop; N. Eagles, at Middletown; G. Gibbs, at Mosa ; Thomas Wallace, at Norwich ; J. H. Cornell, at Otterville ; C. Ingersoll, at Oxford ; John Burwell, at Port Burwell ; A. Jenkins, at Port Dover; J. Bostwick, at Port Stanley; M. Burwell, at Port Talbot; J. Cowan, at Princeton; E. Ermatinger, at St. Thomas; D. Campbell, at Simcoe ; J. N. Daly, at Stratford ; Joseph Patterson, at Tyrconnell ; Thomas Jenkins, at Vienna ; S. McCall, at Vittoria ; A. McClellan, at Walsingham ; C. E. Nixon, at Warwick ; T. S. Short, at Woodstock.
London Neighborhood in 1818. — Thomas Webster, writing from Newbury, Dec. 5, 1878, speaks of London as he saw it sixty years before, thus : — " In the summer and fall of 1818 the people commenced crossing the river a half-mile below the Forks, by means of a canoe kept by one Montague, or by fording when the water was low. The travellers would halt at Montague's Flats, afterwards called Kent's Flats (west of the North Branch), to refresh themselves and their cattle. The forest along the banks had a grand and imposing appear- ance, and especially so on a fine evening when the setting sun cast its mellow rays on the deep green foliage of the trees on the elevated landscape, or on the tinted leaves of every hue, in the fall of the year. At such times the scene was grand beyond the powers of des- cription. The writer sat down at his first London camp fire in com- pany with his father's family and Thomas Belton, March 18, 1819, on the lownlme between the Gore of London and Dorchester, nor far north of where the Grand Trunk E. E. crosses the bridge at the Town- line road I visited the Town plot in quest of game, and the Forks i quest of fish. The ground on which the city is now built, was then covered with a dense, dark forest ; north of Dundas street, and in some ces south of it, was a thick pinery. Behind where the old barracks were built, and on the rising land north of the old fair grounds, and off the little stream, then called English's Creek, which runs into Lake T'HWasfa he^v growth of oak, maple, and beech; while down the direction of the railroad station was hard wood mixed with pine ; more especially so to the east. In the vicinity of Strong's hotel was a
ri If?' SWai?P' rUnnlDf tOWard the old tanneries west of the « H IY°m? Places the sma11 brush w°°d stood very
nnovina Z^S^S CreePers and vi^> often presenting a very Qoymg obstruction to the eager hunter. Along the banks of both
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
35
rivers the wild plum, hawthorn, crab-apple, and grape, grew in abund- ance. The waters were literally swarming with fish, and the eddies were often covered with wild ducks. In the brush might be heard the drumming of the partridge, the calls of the magnificent wild turkey, or low breathing of the timid deer or less welcome growling of the black bear, the screeching of the wild cat, the hooting of owls, and the terrific howling of packs of ravenous wolves, whose unharmonious chorus frequently made night hideous. The Indians in large numbers used to encamp at the forks of the river. They navigated the rivers with their bark canoes, and roamed through the forest. London and its surroundings was then and had been for generations, the Indian's favorite hunting ground ; but a change was at hand. The poor red- man and his family had now about nine years grace. The white man was to come with his axe, and the forest about the Forks, as well as at other places, was to melt away like snow ; the game to depart, and the whole scene to change. Long lines of buildings now raise their stately fronts where then stood the wigwam, and where the primeval forest then towered; busy men and women with pale faces now traverse the streets. There the Indian then tracked his game through the deep woods amid silence and solitude ; but now he, too, like the deer, has nearly vanished from the land."
The Court House and Gaol, at Vittoria, near Long Point, having been destroyed by fire, it was thought desirable that the new buildings should be erected in a more central position. The district was very large. London being nearly the central point between its eastern and western boundaries, a struggle for the location of the new buildings here commenced. Mayor Schofied, Edward Allan, Talbot and others pushed the claims of London, and won. A considerable portion of the town plot, at the forks, was immediately surveyed into half acre lots, to be granted free to all mechanics who would clear off the lot, and erect thereon a frame house 18x24 feet, one and a-half story high. Mr. McGregor put up the first housB; others followed, and within a few weeks a small frame house was built, for court-room and prison, and the first court held therein in January, 1827.
A Wolf Story. — In other pages reference is made to the hunting exploits of Abraham Patrick, and other pioneers, as well as to the Indian hunters. Here, however, is given a quaint story of an adventure with a wolf; by men who were not hunters, and knew comparatively little of the wild animals which then inhabited the forests. Hiram Dell tells the following story : — " I caught another very large wolf about half a mile back in the woods, and he brought the trap clear up to the barn, but being unable to climb the fence, he sought shelter under a log-heap, where I found him. I called to a neighbor to bring his trap and dogs, as I had a wolf in a log-heap. He and other neighbors, with their wives, were soon on the ground to see the fun. One neighbor set his trap, and, crawling into the log heap, placed it on one of the wolfs feet ; then the animal was drawn out.
'
36 HISTORY OF THE
The dogs attacked him, and it would have done you good to see the fur fly. When the wolf had one dog down the other two were on his back. He would then let the under dog go, and take another one down ; still, the dogs had the advantage, as there were three of them, and the wolf had two traps attached to him. After awhile the wolf laid down, and when the dogs would come near he would snap at them. My neighbor said, ' I will soon fix him so he cannot bite the dogs !' and, getting a stick, placed it on the wolfs neck, so as to give the dogs a chance to take him by the throat. In doing this the stick broke, and the neighbor fell with his head on the wolfs head. Both were terrified. The neighbor's wife's scream scared the wolf, and, perhaps, the husband, for he made the fastest move in getting away he was ever known to make in his life. I ultimately shot the animal, which stood three feet high, and weighed over one hundred pounds."
Colored Settlers and Visitors. — The Wilberforce Colored Colony was located. near Lucan, in the thirties, by friendly Quakers of Ohio, and thenceforward Canada became the Mecca of the slaves. The settle- ment of refugee slaves along the Thames, from London to Lake St. Glair, dates back to 1849, when the underground railroad was first conceived in the United States. Between the years 1856 and 1859, this remarkable railroad, without rails, conducted large numbers of negroes into this western district. It is related that in January, 1859, the famous John Brown set out for Canada with twelve refugee slaves, and on March 12, that year, arrived here with them, three or four of whom reside still along the Thames. During the trip from Missouri, the famous abolitionist had many adventures, one of which, known as "The Battle of the Spurs," gave Brown a decisive victory.
A Refugee Chapel and Alms House were established at London by the Colonial Society, of which the Rev. I. Hellmuth had charge, and by other methods the plan of driving the States to civil war was for- warded here ; while the refugees were fairly treated.
John Brown at London. — In May, 1858, John Brown, with his abolition lieutenants, T. H. Kagi and A. D. Stevens, resided in €anada, passing their leisure hours at London or Hamilton, and their working hours at Chatham,— drafting the constitution of their pro- posed provisional government for the United States. Toward the close of the month, an abolitionist, then in Congress, advised Brown that his plans were all exposed, and he at once returned to Kansas. About this time, Pat Devlin, of Missouri, applied the term Jayhawks to Brown and his ^ followers, and the name soon came into general use.
Early Marriage Laws.— Among the aborigines, prior to the coming of the French, and among the tribes which did not at once become associated with the religion of the great missionary fathers, marriage was a simple affair— the dusky maiden flying to the wigwam oi her lover from her parent's lodge. Wherever the Recollet or the Jesuit had established a Mission, the case was changed, for both the
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
37
red and white people within range felt the necessity of religious ceremony. In July, 1620, the first marriage ceremony, that of Guillaume Couillard, to Guillmet Hebert, was recorded in the first register of the first French Parish. On Oct. 7, 1 637, Jean Nicolet married Marguerite Couillard, at Qiiebec, a daughter of said Guillaume and Guillmet Couillard.
In later years, when the British obtained power here, the regimental chaplain was looked upon by the troops and Protestant settlers as the proper person to administer the ceremony; but the chaplain was not often present, and so the duty devolved on one of the officers of the garrison. This was the rule at the Niagara Post, and, indeed, wherever the British troops formed a garrison. Simcoe's Parliament, held at Newark (Niagara), in 1793, took cognizance of this state of affairs, and passed a law to validate all such marriages. At this time there was not one Protestant clergyman (in what is now Ontario), so that this act confirmed all marriages performed by magistrates, colonels, adjutants, or regimental surgeons. At this time, also, persons living farther away than eighteen miles from a Church of England minister, were permitted to apply to a neighboring Justice of the Peace, who would, for a one shilling fee, give public notice of the intended marriage, and then unite the couple according to Church of England form. In 1798, ministers of the Church of Scotland, Lutheran or Calvinist Church, were allowed to celebrate. Such ministers were bound to appear before six magistrates to prove their ordination, and take the oath of allegiance, before they could solemnize marriage, and were further required to have one of the parties to the marriage prove that he or she was a member of his particular church for six months prior to date set for the marriage ceremony. This act, as well as that of 1793, provided for the record of all marriages with the Clerk of the Peace ; but evidently made the Church of England its own recorder. In 1821, marrying without the publication of banns, was made a criminal offence.
In 1831 another act was approved, providing for the confirmation of marriages performed up to that time by magistrates, military officers or clergymen, who acted under authority of the former acts. The early system is fairly exemplified by 'the following formal document, bearing date April 8, 1823, which tells the interesting little legend : — " Whereas Alphonso McKnight, of the Township of Woodham, and Margaret Staiidon, of the Township of Middleton, are desirous of intermarrying with each other, and there being no parson or minister of the church within eighteen miles, &c., &c., I declare them legally joined, &c."
An account of the marriage of Thomas Carling, affords another good example of the legal requirements of pioneer time. In October, 1820, this settler introduced to his new home, Margaret, daughter of Thomas Eoutledge, of the same township as his wife. Previous to the consummation of this interesting ceremony, notice of a novel character had been given. There were no marriage licenses readily
I
38 HISTORY OF THE
obtainable in these days, and the bond was written on paper and tacked to a tree by the roadside. This was rendered necessary in consequence of the absence of ministers of the Gospel, and the rite was performed by Col. Burwell, J. P., and Squire Springer, of Delaware. The marriage thus recorded is said to have been the first of any two white persons in the Township of London, north of the Thames. The identical beech tree on which the notice of the bond of union between Thomas Carling and Margaret Eoutledge was tacked, still stands on Lot 20, or what is generally known as Quaker Wright's Hill, in London Township.
Prior to 1831, the Church of England and Church of Scotland ministers, with Lutheran and Calvinist ministers (the latter only foi a few years), were the only clergymen who could legally celebrate marriage in Upper Canada. In that year the privilege was extended to Presbyterians, Baptists, Congregationalists, Methodists, Menonites, Tunkers, Moravians, and Independents, so that the great reservation of the Church of England was, so to speak, parcelled out among dis- senting bodies. It must be remembered, however, that under treaty rights, the Catholic missionaries and secular priests could administer the sacrament of matrimony in their districts. During the days of religious intolerance, Elder Eyan, Eev. S. B. Smith, and Elder Sawyer, all Methodists, were accused of marrying persons without legislative authority, and so fled the country or were tried for the misdemeanor. In July, 1818, a Methodist Irishman named Henry Eyan, was indicted for marrying Benj. Davis and Hannah McPherson, without first having obtained permission from the English Church authorities. This crime was such a serious matter seventy years ago, that the "gentlemen magistrates " sent the unfortunate preacher to jail to await the judg- ment of the Assize Court.
On May 31, 1814, five persons were appointed to issue marriage licenses for Upper Canada. The agents for issuing marriage licenses in 1839 in the Western Peninsula were John Harris, of London; Wm. Cosgrove, of Chatham; John Burwell, of Port Burwell; Murdock McKenzie, of St. Thomas, and Alex. Wilkinson, of Sandwich.
The Moravians of early days never selected a wife— no chance was given them. God was their great designer, and to him they left the The manner in which their God made the selection was crude indeed. One of the missionaries brought forth a cylindrical tin case ; this he placed bark or paper slips, with the names of all the male jandidates for matrimony. Another missionary brought forth a similar tin case in which were tickets, each bearing the name of a marriage- able girl. Number one case would be thoroughly shaken up, when the missionary would extract a ticket and read the name aloud. Number two case was similarly treated and the girl's name called out; both ckets would then be examined and witnessed, the nuptials proclaimed and the wedding banquet spread.
The Eoger Bates' memoir, in the Dominion Library, brings up
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX. 39
memories of old-time marriages. "The mode of courting in those days," says he, " was a good deal of the Indian fashion. The buxom daughter would run through the trees and bushes, and pretend to get away from the lover ; but somehow or other he managed to catch her, gave her a kiss; and they soon got married, I rather think, by a magistrate. Time was too valuable to make a fuss about such matters. In preparing for the journey to the magistrate's house or cabin, they generally furnished themselves with tomahawks and implements to defend themselves, and to camp out, if required. The ladies had no white dresses to spoil, or fancy bonnets. With deer skin petticoats, homespun gowns, and, perhaps, squirrel skin bonnets, they looked charming in the eyes of their lovers, who were rigged out in similar materials. I have heard my mother say, that a magistrate, rather than disappoint a happy couple who had walked twenty miles, made search throughout the house, and luckily found a pair of old English skates, to which was attached a ring. With this he proceeded, and fixing the ring on the young woman's finger, reminded her, that, though a homely substitute, she must continue to wear it, otherwise the ceremony would be dissolved."
Pioneer Cabins. — The log cabins of the pioneers were designed by circumstances. The first builders of such cabins in Ontario were exiles from the New Eepublic, who knew all about such structures ; for then, in the North Atlantic States, cabins were the rule rather than the exception. They were raised by members of the family, and usually all the adult males of a settlement would be present to assist in adding another home to the few in the wilderness.
How natural to turn our thoughts back to the log-cabin days of this section, and contrast with the present. Let us enter this cabin dwelling. With reverence we bow the head in presence of this relic of ancestral beginnings and pioneer battles with the wilderness. There is the wide hearth, with back-log remains, in whose deep recess a school might play hide-and-go-seek and count the stars through a chimney, as through a great telescope. Ah, long ago, how many sat 'round the cheerful fire listening in awe to the communal story-teller as he spoke of ghosts and giants, and wise-men and witches, and to the visiting hunter, whose tales of wolf, and bear, and Indian, would make the listening family hold their breath and their hair stand out like porcu- pine quills. There, hanging on the old crane, is the tea kettle, and the pot of all work. The shovel and tongs stand in their accustomed places, and the andirons are still there ; above hangs the rifle ; here is the spinning wheel ; there is the loom, a pine table white as snow, a dresser with rows of pewter plates, some wooden cups and relics of a long list of china ware, strings of dried apples and poles of drying pumpkins, with a few puncheon seats complete the main hall. In a curtained corner is mother's bed ; while a rude ladder leads up to an
NOTE.— The early marriage record, instructive on account of the number of names and dates given, has been separated from this chapter, and appears elsewhere in this volume.
40
HISTORY OF THE
attic where the children sleep. Hail ! old cabin ; never again shall such happiness exist as blessed your builders and sustained them in the wilderness. Many of those spirits, who led the way to teeming wealth and sunny prosperity, though dead, live again. Many of the dramatis personce of the prelude have disappeared ; but the drama is still on the stage, and will appear thereon until humanity ceases to exist ; when the heavens refuse light. The actors, singers, columbines, and spirits of the past are playing on far away boards ; but their songs and acts are repeated by others, and out of the darkness new foot-lights are advanced, new shades, new scenery, new dress — all things new. But the hard hands that prepared the way for fruitful fields, for cities and towns, and churches and schools, and all other evidences of pro- nounced progress, are folded away in mother earth, leaving us in pos- session of material wealth, and teaching us the lesson when, where and how civilization was introduced into this wilderness.
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
CHAPTER IV.
ESTABLISHMENT OF CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
In this chapter the story of the beginning of the various churches,, now represented in the county, is told, and their establishment sketched, leaving the history of their progress to be given in that of the townships, cities or incorporated towns, where such organizations exist to-day. In a civilized country the Church is generally contemporary with settlements, and for this reason the chapter holds the next place to that dealing with the first occupation of this district by white people.
The Catlwlic Church — The Catholic Church in Upper Canada dates back to 1615, when four missionaries came with Champlain. One, at least, was a Recollet priest, Rev. Joseph Le Caron, and he it was, who, in 1615-16, accompanied the Governor in his tour round Canada, via the Ottawa, Nippissing, Georgian Bay, and the chain of lakes and rivers, from Lake Huron to the St. Lawrence, via Lake Simcoe. He is said to have established a Mission near the foot of Lake Huron. Eight years after, Father Nicholas Veil and Brother Gabriel Sagard traversed the same district, and in 1634 the Jesuit fathers, Breboeuf and Daniel, established a Mission on Lake Huron shore among the Hurons, with whom they travelled from Quebec, where the Hures were visiting. The Abbe D'Urfe and venerable Dolliere de Kleus, of the Seminary of St. Sulpice, established their Mission at the Bay of Quinte about this time, and still later, the Chapel on Lake Huron,, where la Riviere Aux Saubles was founded, and, it is said, another at the Straits, just north of Sarnia, about the time Fort St. Joseph was established, where the village of Fort Gratiot now stands. In June, 1G71, De Courcelles sent messages to the Indian Missions in Ontario advising them of his approach, and in 1673, Frontenac was received by the Abbe D'Urfe, and the chiefs of the Five Nations, at the Bay of Quinte.
In the second decade of this country, Edourd Petit, of Black River, discovered the ruins of an ancient building on the Riviere Aux Saubles, about forty miles from Sarnia. Pacing the size, he found it to have been 40x24 feet on the ground. On the middle of the south or gable end, was a chimney eighteen feet high, in excellent preservation, built of stone, with an open fire-place. The fire-place had sunk below the surface. This ruin had a garden surrounding it, ten or twelve rods, wide by twenty rods in length, marked by ditches and alleys Inside the walls of the house a splendid oak had grown to be three feet in diameter, with a stem sixty feet high to the first branch. It seemed to be of second growth, and must have been 150 years reaching its.
I 42 HISTORY OF THE
proportions, as seen in 1828-9. Onicknick, an aged Saguenay chief (84 years old), told Petit that a white man built the house at the time his great-great-great-great grandfather lived, and that white people lived then in all the country around, who sold every article for a peminick or dollar. Onicknick also stated that the men were not French ; but beyond this, he could not give any testimony more than the ruin conveyed.*
On the Wye Kiver, north of Penetanguishene, at old Michili- mackinack and other places, permanent or temporary missions had been established prior to the beginning of the eighteenth century ; while the great mission at Ogdensburg or Soegasti was established in 1748 by Abbe Picquet, "The Apostle of the Iroquois."
Early in the eighteenth century can be found traces of regularly appointed Catholic missioners among the Otchipwas and white settlers along both banks of the St. Glair River, over a century after the Reverends Dollier and Galivree visited the locality — 1670-1, who are said to have made a stay at the Champlain Mission opposite Fort Gratiot, or in that vicinity. In 1786, Nelson Roberts, who visited the Red River country that year, reported having seen a priest among the Indians of the Black River and St. Glair, and recorded this report on liis return to Montreal. Assistant Surgeon Taylor, U. S. A., writing in 1871, from Fort Gratiot, says:— "The location of the Recollet mission in this vicinity is uncertain. According to Bell's History of Canada^ it was an important one, and known as Ste. Marie. As the Jesuits had one also of the same name located among the Hurons at the head of Georgian Bay, it would seem that some confusion has arisen in relation to these missions, both as to their importance and position. Judge Campbell is of the opinion that the Recollet mission was located on the present site of Sarnia."
In 1728, the Mission at Pointe de Montreal was founded by Pere de la Richardie. Prior to this date, for twenty-six years, the Mission of St. Anne, at Detroit, existed. In 1733, a church building was •erected at Sandwich, but within the succeeding decade another °house was erected on Bois Blanc, sixteen miles down the river, with Pere Potier in charge; but in 1747, the founder of the Mission, at Pointe de Montreal, returned, and rebuilt the Church of 1733. In 1757 he accompanied a band of Hurons to their selected huntin^ grounds in the neighborhood of where Tiffin, 0, now stands; but the following year settled among the Illinois, in which nation he died in 1758 The present church of Sandwich dates back to 1760, when the Mission was established. Father Potier, who resumed charge in 1757 of the •on Church continued pastor there until his death in 1781. Father Hubert succeeded, who served this Parish and that of St. Anne's until i/»», witn father Frechette assisting. About 1789 Rev F X
b^^vtfSS^'S^^^^*? with due allowance forerror. The •sionaries or adventurers. Onickr :k w** mM^f.^% ^i161^6?' except French mis-
MARQUETTE'S MAP.
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
45
Dufaux was appointed pastor, and served until his death, Sept. 12, 1796. Other priests succeeded. In 1803, the Parish of St. Peter, on the Thames, and one at Maiden, were established, with which the names of Rev. T. B. Marchant and his assistant priests, with those of Pere Badin and Father Angus MacDonnell, were connected for many years. In 1820, Father Besrinquet arrived from Quebec, and erected a small church building on Walpole Island. On his leaving for the Lake Superior county, Father Sagelle was appointed, and in 1833, the celebrated Austrian, Father Vizoiski, took his place.
The founder of the English-speaking congregations in Ontario was a man of rare power, physically and mentally. His life is a part of the history of the Dominion, and for that reason a synopsis of it is given here. Bishop Alexander McDonnell was born in Glengary, Scotland, in 1760. In his youth it was a penal offence to attend a Catholic school, even as it was to preside over or support one, so that his classical education had to be obtained at Valladolid, Spain. In 1790, he returned to his native country with the order of priesthood, and went to work to re-establish the proscribed religion among his people in the northern Parish of Badenoch, and in the city of Glasgow. That the law and narrow bigotry of those days countenanced this action, is the greatest testimonial to his zeal and accomplishments. This Scottish priest joined Lord McDonnell's regiment of Glengary Fencibles, and served against the patriots, winning victories by 'Christian methods, and saving the desperate people from cruelties, such as other regiments inflicted. Through his influence this Catholic regiment was recruited in Scotland, and the second Glengary Fencible Regiment was raised in Canada to repel the American invasion in 1812. Bishop McDonnell came to Canada as a priest in 1804, was consecrated Bishop of Kingston in 1822, and died in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, in 1840. His body laid in St. Mary's Church, Edinburgh, until 1862. when it was brought to Kingston, where it rests in the Cathedral. In 1804, there were only two Catholic priests in Ontario, one of whom deserted his mission that year, and the other would not leave his district of Sandwich, so that, in fact, the great Bishop at one time travelled throughout Ontario visiting his co-religionists, among whom were many U. E. Loyalists.
The Catholic Church clergy of 1831, were Rev. Joseph Fluett, of Amherstburg, and Rev. Joseph Crevier, of Sandwich and Rochester. The venerable Bishop McDonnell, of Glengary, is said to have visited the London district once or twice during this year. The Catholic clergy in London and Western district in 1839, were Rev. M. R. Mills, of London; Edmund Yvelin, of Sandwich, and Augustin Vervais, of Amherstburg. In 1843-56 the Jesuit fathers, Point, Choue, Duvan- quet, Chazelle, Jaffre, Menet, Tevard, Grunot, Mainguy, and Conil- leau, attended this large mission field, and after them came the bishops and priests who have built up a great diocese of over one hundred •churches.
46 HISTORY OF THE
The history of the Church within the County of Middlesex dates back to 1833-4, when the old log house of worship was erected on the corner of Richmond and Maple streets, and dedicated by Father Downie, of St. Thomas, in 1834. For a decade the Catholic people of London were visited by priests from Toronto, St. Peter or Sandwich, such as Father Schneider, the Apostle of the Huron nation.
Rev. M. E. Mills was appointed pastor of St. Thomas, June 6, 1843, his district embracing the townships of Yarmouth, Southwold, Mala- hide, and territory adjacent on the east as well as other parts of the Diocese of Toronto, to which pastors were not appointed. In September Bishop Power visited St. Thomas and London, and on the 20th extended the former mission so as to include concessions 7, 8, and 9, of West- minster. In December, 1844 Father Mills was appointed to attend the townships of Westminster and London, this appointment being made about one year after the Bishop's visit. In 1847 is found the name of Rev. P. O'Dwyer; in 1849 that of Rev. John Carroll, and on April 19, 1849, of Rev. Thadeus Kirwan. On June 29, 1851, Bishop De Charbonnel, of Toronto, confirmed 130 persons at London, and 85 at the church of St. Lawrence. In 1854, Rev. P. Crinnon presided over the parish. Rev. Mr. Carroll, named above, was, in 1885, the oldest priest in the United States. He was bom in Maryborough, Ireland, June 30, 1798 ; came to America in 1817 ; was ordained at Quebec by Bishop Edmund Burke, June 29, 1820, and served the Church in Canada until 1869, when he was removed to Chicago, 111.
The Diocese of London was erected February 21, 1856, and on the 29th day of that month the Papal Bulls were addressed to the Rev. Peter Adolphus Pinsonneault, Priest of the Society of St. Sulpice, Montreal, naming him first Bishop of the new See. Bishop Pinsonneault was born in the year 1815, and made his studies in the College of Montreal. There also he took the ecclesiastical habit, but proceeded to Paris to complete his theological studies. It was in that city that he was raised to the priesthood in 1840. Returning to America soon after his ordination, he served the Church for many years in Montreal, and was consecrated there May 18th, Trim'ty Sunday, 1856, and was installed Bishop of London June 29th following, the record being signed by Armandus, F. M., Bishop of Toronto ; John, Bishop of Hamilton ; T. T. Kirwan ; Edward Bayard ; Louis Musard.
The new bishop found little in the London Town of 1856 with which to be satisfied, and so urged the Church authorities to transfer the Episcopal See to Sandwich, and a brief agreeable to his views was issued February 2, 1859. For some months prior to this date Bishop Pinsonneault was visiting in Europe—Bishop FarreU, of Hamilton, being Administrator from September 19, 1858, to the spring of 1859. In May, 1857, the title of Vicar-General was conferred on Rev. P. Point, Superior of the Jesuits of Sandwich, and on Revs. J. M. Soulerm and J. M. Bruyere, of Toronto. When Bishop Pinsonneault retired in 1867, the latter was appointed Administrator ~of the Diocese,
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
47
which position he filled until the installation of Bishop Walsh at Sandwich, November 14, that year. The official record of that cere- mony of installation bears the signatures of the Bishops of Hamilton and Kingston, and of Geo. Baby, Mayor of Sandwich, besides those of the following clergy: — J. M. Bruyere, V. G, Sandwich; J. F. Jamot, V. G., Toronto ; Conilleau, S. J. ; "Michel, S. J. ; Dean Crinnon, P. D. Laurent, Amherstburg ; B. G. Soffers, St. Anne's, Detroit ; G. Limpens, Detroit; E. Ouellette, Director College of St. Hyacinths; E. B. Kilroy, Sarnia ; James Farrelly, Belleville ; F. P. Eooney, Toronto, and Jos, Bayard, of Sandwich.
In January, 1868, the new bishop removed the Episcopal resi- dence from Sandwich to London, and on the 15th of November,. 1869, procured from the Propaganda a decree making London once more the Episcopal See of the Diocese. Bishop Walsh was on his- accession to the See of Sandwich confronted with many grave diffi- culties. The Diocese was involved in debt to the extent of $40,000,. for which enormous liability little or nothing could be shown. What resulted ? From 1867 to 1885 no less a sum than $952,798 was- raised for Diocesan purposes ; since increased to over $1,500,000, Throughout the Diocese church buildings, worthy of Him to Whom they are dedicated, are to be seen on every side ; while in the centre- rises a temple that would do credit to a city of one million of people. Eeferring to Father Coffey's sketch of the Catholic Church of London, published in 1885, Eev. E. E. Stimson, of the English Church of Toronto, in his " History of the Separation of Church and State in Canada," says : — " From it can be obtained a very fair apprehension of the progress made by Catholics in this part of Canada, unaided by any- thing but fidelity to their cause, and willing, faithful hearts. Contrast the past with the present — voluntaryism, with the endowed pulpit from which have proceeded warnings since it first received preachers !" The history of the churches, orphanages, hospitals, convent schools and colleges of this Diocese would make a large volume, reading like romance, while real beyond measure.
English Church in Canada. — The first clergyman of the English Church was Eev. John Ogilvie, D. D., a British army chaplain, who accompanied his regiment to Fort Niagara in 1759, when the French lost that position. He died in 1774 while pastor of Trinity Church, N. Y., and was followed in Canada by Eev. John Doughty, in 1777, immediately after the English Churches in the American colonies were closed by the American authorities. He was missionary at Sorel in 1784, having previously served in Canada as Chaplain of the King's Eoyal Eegiment of New York.
The first Protestant clergyman, who can lay claim to the title of being a resident pastor, was the Eev. John Stuart, a son of one of the early Irish settlers, of Harrisburg, Pa. Although his two brothers joined the American army, Mr. Stuart sympathized with the British, and so thought it prudent to leave the States. In September, 1781,
48 HISTORY OF THE
he was in New Brunswick, and in 1783, at Montreal, and in 1785, at Cataraqui. In 1789 he was appointed Bishop's Commissionary, for what is now Ontario. His death took place in 1811, at Kingston, Canada.
Rev. Robert Addison came in 1790, as a missionary from the Society for Propagating the Gospel. He was army chaplain for a short time at Niagara, and a visitor among the Grand River Indians. Added to this, he speculated in lands, and for thirty years, prior to 1823, was Chaplain of Parliament. Rev. Mr. Pollard came in 1791, and later, Rev. J. Langhorn, who returned to England at the beginning of the troubles of 1812, so as to escape the Americans, of whose "blood-thirsty disposition" he entertained strange ideas. The first English Protestant Church was erected at Kingston in 1793. In 1792, however, the Protestants and Catholics worshipped in turn in Navy Hall, or the Council Chamber there. The second English Church building in Ontario was that at Belleville, 1819-20, presided over by Mr. Campbell, which was used up to 1858. Rev. John Cochrane and Rev. John Grier may be named among the old pastors of that old church. In 1793, Rev. Dr. Jehosaphat Mountain was sent out from England as first Protestant Bishop of all Canada, with his See at Quebec. At that time his church claimed but five clergymen in the whole of British North America.
The ministers of the Church of England, in London district, in 1831, were Rev. M. Burnham, St. Thomas; Rev. F. Evans, Wood- house, and Rev. E. J. Boswell, London. In the Western District were Rev. R. Rolph, of Amherstburg ; Wm. Johnson, of Sandwich, and T. Morley of Chatham. In 1832, Rev. Benj. Crony n was appointed Rector of St. Paul's, London, while Rev. D. E. Blake was placed in charge of the Adelaide Church, the congregation there being formed that year. On July 12, 1836, a letter from the Governor's Secretary informed the magistrates that five ministers of the Church were then established in the district.
Rev. Mr. Macintosh, the first English Church minister in this vicinity, presided at Kettle Creek or St. Thomas, and, in early years, held services in Wm. Geary's barn on Lot 14, Con. 5, London, whose wife, Miss Jones, herself the daughter of an Irish Protestant minister, was always ready to welcome such gospel messengers. In 1829, Rev! £. N. Boswell came to take charge of London, and established St Paul's parish.
Under date January 16, 1830, Mahlon Burwell writes to Rev Edward J. Boswell, minister of London :— " The receipt of your favor respecting the want of a house in which to perform Divine service and requesting permission to use the Court-room, is acknowledged' The magistrates instruct me to inform you that, as the Court-house is the property of the district, erected for the only purpose of accommo- dating His Majesty's Courts of Law in the administration of justice they do not conceive that they possess the right of granting vou your* request.
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
49
In April, 1831, the Court granted permission to Eev. Mr. Boswell to hold Divine service in the house intended for a public school house at London; later the order was rescinded. In 1832, Eev. Benj. Cronyn was appointed Eector, and in 1835 a small frame church was built near the present custom-house. This was burned in 1844, and a new building soon took its place.
The ministers of the Church of England in London District, in 1839, were Win. Betteridge, of Woodstock ; D. Blake, of Adelaide ; M. Burnham, of St. Thomas ; Benj. Cronyn, of London ; Eichard Hood, of Caradoc ; T. Petrie, travelling missionary ; John Eadcliffe, of Warwick ; J. Eothwell, of Ingersoll. In the Western District were J. 0'Meara; of Sault Ste. Marie; Hugh H. O'Neil, travelling missionary ; T. B. Fuller, Chatham ; Fred. Mack, Amherstburgh.
The Anglican Churches of 1842-3 were St. Anne's Kateville, and tenth concession buildings in Adelaide, the Caradoc Church, the Delaware Church, St. Paul's at London, St. John's in London Town- ship at Arva, and the church at Strathroy.
In the report of the Church Society of the Diocese of Toronto, made in 1842-3, it is written that the donations of land in the London District to the Church amounted to 1,877 acres, of which J. B. Askin gave 46; H. L. Askin, 35; Col. M. Burwell, 1,096; Eev. Benja- min Cronyn, James Givens, G. J. Goodhue, L. Lawrason and John Williams, 100 acres each, and T. Phillips, 200 acres. Penny's grant of 100 acres to the Church at Wardsville and smaller grants in West- minster and London Townships are unnoticed.
Eev. Benjamin Cronyn, speaking July 17, 1851, on the prosperity of holding land for church purposes, said : — "It did not send him into a man's vineyard to steal his grapes, or a man's farmyard to milk his cows." Eev. J. Winterbotham, in reply, pointed out that church lands were not always used for the purposes granted, and said : — " I refer now to my brother from London, who managed to get an act passed through the Provincial Parliament for the sale of his glebe there. I asked him whether $2,500 was not realized by the sale of that glebe. When a transaction of this nature is seen to take place openly, * * * is thus made a matter of speculative sale to feed the grasping avarice of those who claim credit for great disinterestedness, then it is time for Parliament to interpose." In 1853 the British Parliament authorized the Canadian Parliament to vary, or repeal the provisions of the Eeserve Fund, and apply the proceeds to any purpose, but not to reduce the annual salaries, then paid to ministers of the English and Scotch churches, during their lives. This permission drew from " The Lord Bishop, Clergy and Lay Delegates of the United Church of England and Ireland, in the Province of Canada West, in Synod assembled at Toronto, Oct. 26, 1854," a strong protest, but the Canadians over- looked this and an act was passed in accordance with the British act, and, in 1855, the Lord Bishop Strachan asked his ministers to com- mit their claims to the Clergy Eeserve Funds. John Hillyard Cameron
^ 50 HISTORY OF THE
was "iven power of attorney, by several of such clergymen, to commit their°claims, and in March, 1855, his list of clergy and amount to be paid each was approved by Bishop Strachan. In this list the names of Revs. D. E. Blake, Michael Boomer, C. C. Brough, A. St. G. Caul- field, H. G. Cooper, Ben. Cronyn, R. Flood, John Kennedy, W. Logan, J. W. Marsh, T. W. Marsh, A. Mortimer, A. Lampman, all connected with Middlesex, occur. The commutation moneys paid to the clergy of the Diocese of Huron in 1855, exclusive of Messrs. Blake and others who were not here then, amounted to $219,685.52, and this payment did not incapacitate any of them from earning the same, or large annual salary, from their congregations.
The first report of the Incorporated Church Society of the Diocese of Huron, was presented June 22, 1859. In 1857 the western division of the Diocese of- Toronto was so far endowed and preparations for the organization of a new diocese so far proceeded with, that the Governor- General approved the election of a Bishop ; and in July of that year, Rev. Benj. Cronyn was chosen and consecrated October 28, 1857. In 1858, Hon. M. Foley, M. P., was entrusted with the Bill of Incor- poration, to carry it through the House of the Assembly ; while G. J. Goodhue introduced it in the Legislative Council. Success waited on their efforts, and on July 24, 1858, the Diocese was incorporated. Bishop Benj. Cronyn, son of John Cronyn, of Kilkenny City, Ireland, was born there in 1802 ; he won the degree of B. A. at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1821, and of M. A. in 1824, together with the Regius Pro- fessors' prize of that year. In 1825 he was created Deacon, and in 1826 was ordained at Quam, Ireland. After a six years' curacy in Longford County, where he married Miss Bickerstaff, of Lislea, he came to Canada in 1832, and was appointed Rector of St. Paul's, London. In 1857, Huron Diocese was established with Rev. Mr. Cronyn, first Bishop. His death took place here September 22, 1871.
Among the clergy of 1878, who were in the Diocese at that time, were the following named, the date of their connection with church work in the old Diocese of Toronto, and their stations being given : —
Wm. Bettridge, B.D. (Canon), 1834, Strathroy; M. Boomer, LL.D. (Dean), 1840, London; St. G. Caulfield, LL.D. (Canon), 1848, Windsor; F. Gore Elliott, 1837, Sandwich; E. L. Elwood, A.M. (Archdeacon), 1849, Goderich; E. Grasett, M.A. (Canon), 1848, Simcoe; Andrew Jamieson, 1842, Walpole Island; John Kennedy, M.A, 1848, Adelaide; F. Mack, 1839, St. Catharines; J. W. Marsh, M.A. (Archdeacon), 1849, London; A. H. R. Mulholland (R. D.), 1849, Owen Sound; A Nelles (Canon, R. D.), 1829, Brantford; J. Padfield (superannuated), 1833, Burford; E. Patterson, M.A. (R. D.), 1849, Stratford; F. W. Sandys, D.D. (Archdeacon), 1845, Chatham; G J. R. Salter, M.A. (Canon), 1847, Brantford; J. Smythe, M.A., 1854, Shelburne; A. Townley, D.D. (Canon), 1840, Hamilton.
Among the members at this time were H. C. R. Becher, G. J. Goodhue, L. Lawrason, C. Monserrat, John Wilson, Dr. H. Going,
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
51
Eev. E. Gordon, Dr. A. Harpur, Eev. T. Hughes, Dr. Phillips, James Stephenson, Eev. J. McLean (curate), W. Watson, S. Peters and J. Hamilton. Eev. E. Gordon, named above, presided over the Fugitive Mission, in London City, on the Colored People's Mission in 1858 ; but he was not here twenty years later when the above list of clergy was compiled.
Bishop Hellmuth was ordained a minister in 1846, created Arch- deacon of Huron in 1861, Dean in 1867, Coadjutor-Bishop of Norfolk in 1871, and Bishop of Huron the same year, to succeed Bishop Cronyn.
On November 30, 1883, Very Eev. Maurice S. Baldwin, Dean of Montreal, was consecrated Bishop of Huron.
The Diocese comprises 235 congregations, attended by 123 min- isters. Of the numbers given 42 and 25 are respectively credited to Middlesex County.
Presbyterian Church. — Eev. John Bethune, a native of Scotland, and a minister of the Church of Scotland, who settled at Cornwall, Can., about 1780-1, was the second legal clergyman of any Protestant denomination who settled in Canada. He died at Williamstown, September 23, 1815. Eev. Mr. McDowell succeeded him in the active work of the mission in 1799 or 1800, or about the time his co-religionist, Dr. Strachan, came hither. Eev. Mr. Smart came in 1811 ; but by this time Dr. Strachan had joined the English Church, so that the field of Presbyterianism was cultivated by Messrs. Bethune and McDowell, the latter of whom asked Mr. Smart to assist in the work. On May 24, 1888, the celebration of the one-hundredth anni- versary of the adoption by New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia or Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the Carolina Synods of the Presbyterian Congregation of the resolutions for the formation of the first Presby- terian General Assembly in America, was held at Philadelphia. As early as 1695 the Presbyterians and Baptists began to flourish in Philadelphia. Their interests were then so far united that they met for worship in the same small building, known as the " Barbadoes Lot Store." This fellowship lasted till 1698-99, when the Presbyterians imported a permanent minister, the Eev. Jedediah Andrews, from New England, and he actually took possession of the pulpit in the store to the exclusion of any Baptist minister who might happen to <jome along. By this act it was evident to the Baptists that the Presbyterians wanted the store for themselves, because of their unwillingness to give up the pulpit to Baptist preachers. Or, in modern slang, the Presbyterians " froze out " the Baptists— a process more recently known nearer home.
Among the early ministers of the Church of Scotland in Middlesex were Alex. Eoss, who took the oath of allegiance in January, 1830, and Donald Mackenzie, who also took the oath. In 1833 other branches of the Church were formed, and from the latter years dates the progressive Presbyterianism of the present time. Among the
52 HISTOKY OF THE
names of early Presbyterian preachers are : — Alex. Mackenzie, of Goderich, 1837 ; Wm. R Sutherland, now residing in Ekfrid, 1848 ; Lachlin McPherson, of Ekfrid and Williams, 1846 ; John Scott, Wm. Proudfoot, James Skinner ; and of the Scotch congregation, W. McKellican, 1833 ; Daniel Allen, 1838 ; Duncan McMillan, of Williams, and Dugald McKellar, of Lobo, 1839.
Presbyterian Marriages. — The following marriage contracts were recorded by William Proudfoot, a Presbyterian minister of the Associate Secession Church : —
Aug. 6, 1833— Neil Ross to Margaret Ross, of London.
Oct. 1, " William Bell to Matilda Smith, of Stanley.
Nov. 12, Charles Grant to Eliza McDonald, of London.
Nov. 14, " Hugh Fraser to Margaret McGregor, of London.
Nov. 27, Charles W. White to Sarah A. Munro, of London.
Dec. 11, " Alex. Moince (or Mounts) to Christian Clubb, of Westminster.
Feb. 15, 1834— Edward Dunn to Elizabeth Grieve, of Lobo.
Jan. 29, E. A. Thompson to Salina Chisholm, of London.
Mar. 17, John Sinclair to Eliza Donaldson, of London.
May 13, Archibald Graham to Flora Graham, of Lobo.
May 27, Andrew Beattie te Isabella Boston, of Lobo.
July 7, Andrew Kernahan to Eleanor Wilson, of London.
July 11, George Laidlaw to Christian Grieve, of Westminster.
Aug. 1, James Jackson to Isabella Nichol, of Westminster.
Sept 30, Donald Fraser to Isabella Ross, of Williams.
Oct. 29, William Quinn to Jane Weir, of Dorchester.
Nov. 20, James McDonald to Janet Anderson, of Williams.
Nov. 27, Edward McDonald to Betsy McDonald, of London.
Mar. 17, 1835— John Quite to Anne Needham, of Nissouri.
Mar. 27, John Hope to Nancy Lynn, of Southwold.
April 2, Hugh Barclay to Janet McDonald, of London.
April 3, Jennetis Nichol to Nancy Laidlaw, of Westminster
April 23, John McDonald to Hannah McMillan, of London
April 29, John Wilson to Eliza A. Clark, of London.
He made record, also, of the following marriages solemnized by him in 18o5— 7 i —
May 7, 1835— David Jackson to Ann Grieve, of Westminster
Aug. 10, Robert Smith to Margaret Lomie, of London
bept. 1, John Norval to Eliza A. Proudfoot, of London
8£ ?Q A8?"1 Mralt°n t0 Elizabeth Thompson, of London.
Oct. 19, Adam Murray to Jane Beattie, of London
Nov. 20, Robert Smith to Ann Graham, of Tilburv East
SeT 15' " *°be* Snmith to E1f"* Graham, of Sry East
Tan 7'l«q« Donald Cameron to Janet Ramsay, of London. Jan. 7, 1836-David Hughes to Charlotte Mathews, of London
Hugh Mclntyre to Sarah McNeill, of Williams
Jan' $ Alexander Campbell to Janet Moore, of Williams.
Feb Q ' STg- WV0 Chri8tina Brown> °f London.
April 12' '• S I*! McK^ *° Mar«ar<* Cameron, of Williams.
Mav £ « pamU! J^ to Nancv Clark> of London.
Ju/e 14 wm- wT8? p ^ A" McKe»zie, of Zorra.
ulv 1 '< TWl1!1™ Niagle to *ebe<*a Hart, of Delaware.
AuJ 9' « ^^^ to Jane Bailey, of Stephens.
lSf ' 10 - H rf M£DonaJd J° C.hris^ Bain, of London.
Sent 8 " W-?ry J™ t0 AT6 J' McSpadden, London.
' 8 " William Grieve to Margaret Beattie, of Westminster
=
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
53
In 1837 he recorded the following contracts : —
Feb. 17, 1837— Charles Lackey to Elizabeth Middleton, of Westminster.
Mar. 21, " John Stillson to Elizabeth Scott, of London.
April 18, " John Diamond to Janet Bremner, of London.
May 25, " Abner Wilson to Margaret Drummond, of Westminster.
June 17, " Robert Craig to Melissa Hall, of Nissouri.
June 29, " Joseph Goodhand to Sarah Craig, of London.
Aug. 9, " Andrew Allen to Isabella Fraser, of London.
Nov. 16, " John Barclay to Mary McBain, of London.
Dec. 8, " John Oliver to Isabella Beattie, of Westminster.
Eev. James Skinner, of the United Secession Church of Scotland, recorded the following marriages in 1835 : —
Jan. 22, 1835— John Meek to Catherine Campbell, of South wold.
Feb. 4, " Lot Wyllie to Catherine McPherson, of Westminster.
Mar. 26, " Henry Berry to Susan Burwell, of South wold.
April 9, " Robert G. Eunson to Hannah Cress, of St. Thomas.
May 7, " Wm. Buchanan to Mary Sinclair, of Westminster.
May 18, " Kenneth Juner to Ann Frazer, of St. Thomas.
Dec. 24, " James Ferguson to Janet Jardine, of St. Thomas.
With the ahove he solemnized four other marriages at South- wold : —
Feb. 2, 1836— John Campbell to Catherine Stewart, of Ekfrid.
Aug. 18, " Robert McClatchey, of Caradoc, to Mary Storie.
Aug. 18, " John Law, of Adelaide, to Bridget Holleseme.
Feb. 15, 1837— John B. Olds, of Brock, to Elizabeth Preston, of Adelaide.
In 1835, Eev. Wm. Eraser, of the United Associate Secession* Presbyterian Church, certified the following contracts : —
June 22 — Julia N. Raman to Sarah Manning, of Dorchester. July 9— Rupert McDonald to Isabella McDonald, of Stanley.
Eev. D. McKenzie, of the Scotch Presbyterian Church, united the following in marriage : —
Sept. 3, 1834— Joseph Pool to Bethia Witt, of Westminster.
Feb. " Donald Fraser to Janet Ross, of Williams.
Feb. 4, " John Mclntosh to Isabella Munro, both of Williams.
Dec. 28, 1837— Robert McDonald, of Oxford, to Kate McKay, of Nissouri.
He also joined six couples in matrimony in 1835.
Baptist Church. — Eevs. Joseph Wiem, Turner, Wyner and Elder Holts introduced Baptist services into Canada about 1794.
In April, 1821, a number of families emigrated from South Wales, to what was then known as Upper Canada. They crossed the channel from Swansea to Bristol, where they waited for the sailing of the vessel which was to carry them across the Atlantic to such a home as they might be able to make for themselves in the New World. A six weeks' voyage landed them in Quebec about the middle of June ; but the most difficult, tedious and toilsome part of their journey was yet
54 HISTORY OF THE
before them. The appliances of the times for navigating the inland waters of Canada were meagre. Steamboats there were, but they were few and slow, and the accommodation they furnished was of a rude description. They made tedious voyages on the river from Quebec to Montreal, and on Lake Ontario as far as Little York and Hamilton. Engineers had not taught navigators how the difficulties of the St. Lawrence rapids could be surmounted by canals and locks. Hence these Welsh families came from Quebec to Montreal by steam- boat, from Montreal to Prescott by Durham boat, and from Prescott to Little York by steamer ; and reached St. Thomas about the end of the first week in July. After a brief rest in St. Thomas, a few of the men travelled through the woods to the rear of the Township of London, where they secured land, and began to prepare such accom- modation for their families as circumstances permitted, and to which they brought them shortly afterward. The heads of some of these families were godly people, Calvanistic Methodists, or followers of Whitfield, as distinguished from followers of Wesley. As soon as their families reached their new home,, on the very first Sabbath, a prayer meeting and Sabbath School were arranged, which, without any pro- longed interruption, have, through all the changes of sixty-seven years, continued to the present. But there were none to preach to them the Word of Life, or take pastoral observation of these few sheep in the wilderness. Still, they had their Welsh Bibles, of which they were diligent students, and the Chief Shepherd himself watched over and fed them in the green pastures of His grace. Those who had spiritual life encouraged and helped each other, and used all the means at their disposal to extend it to those who had none. After a time they were visited by some Wesleyan ministers, but their teaching was not that to which they had been accustomed in Wales ; nor did it agree with their conceptions of Bible truth, hence their visits, though welcome, made little impression.
In the spring of 1829 the Rev. Wm. McDermond, a Baptist minister, preached. The people received him gladly. His teaching called the attention of both the older Christians and young converts to the much- controverted subject of baptism. A diligent search of the New Testament, to ascertain what Christ commanded, and what His Apostles taught and practiced, resulted in a radical change of their views on the subject, act and designs of that ordinance. Philip Kosser, an earnest, devoted Christian, and, from the early days of the settlement, one of the leaders of the devotions of the people, was the first person baptized, and his baptism was soon followed by that of others. In the same year, 1829, a Baptist Church was formed m the Township of Lobo, now known as the First Lobo Church, of which the Baptists in the Welsh settlement became a branch, a connection which continued nearly five years.
During this time, and for several years afterward, a number of Baptist ministers visited the settlement, and preached the Word as
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX. 55
opportunity offered. Among these were McDermond, Vining, Slaught,* Finch, Gaul, Mabee and Elliott. The occasional visits of these servants of the Lord were much appreciated, and, through the Divine blessing, resulted in a considerable increase in the number of believers. But the inconvenience of being a part of a church so far distant as Lobo began to be felt. The want of passable roads, joined to incon- venient facilities for travel, made it difficult for them to attend with sufficient frequency ; and the propriety of getting a dismissal from Lobo and forming a church in the settlement was seriously discussed, and the church at Denfield resulted. From the beginning the Baptist Church spread out through the country. The act of 1831 bestowed certain liberty on dissenters, and Baptists were not slow to avail themselves of the privileges offered.
Early Ministers. — On Jan. 12, 1830, John Harris' application for license " to celebrate matrimony " was received. Geo. J. Ryerson's application was made two days later. In April the petitions of Geo. J. Eyerson and others was considered. The magistrates refused to grant license to celebrate marriage to ministers of the Calvinistic Baptist Society, believing that such societies did not come within the statutes. On Jan 12, 1831, Geo. J. Ryerson presented another petition asking leave to celebrate marriage, and setting forth the names of the Calvinist Baptist Community to which he belonged, as follows : Joseph Kitchen, Benj. Palmerston, Nelson Vail, Gabriel Mabee, Nelson Montross, Robert Young, and David Shearer.
The regular Baptist Ministers were : — Francis Pickle, 1837, Blenheim ; Joseph Merrill, 1838, Bayham ; Salmon Vining, 1838, Nissouri; Gilbert Harris, 1838, Oxford; W. H. Landon, 1838, Blenheim ; Samuel Baker, 1838, Malahide ; Dugald Campbell, 1838, Aldborough; Abraham Sloot, 1838, Westminster; Isaac Elliott, 1839, Oxford; Salmon Vining, 1839, Lobo; Shook McConnell, 1839, Townsend ; Richard Andrews, 1840, Yarmouth ; Dugald Sinclair, 1839, Lobo; Thomas Mills, 1843, Yarmouth; Reuben Crandell, 1843, Malahide ; Wm. Wilkinson, 1845, Malahide ; George Wilson, 1846, Malahide ; N. Eastwood, 1846, London ; D. W.Rowland, 1848, South- wold ; Jonathan Williams, 1 848, Dorchester ; John Bray, 1847, South- wold ; Mark W. Hopkins, 1849, Goshen; Israel Marsh, 1849, Dor- chester; Robert Boyd, 1850, London; Simeon Rouse, 1850, Bayham, and Alfred Chute, 1851, Lobo.
Early Baptist Marriages. — The marriages celebrated by Rev. Abraham Sloot, in 1832-8, are recorded as follows, the parties being of the Calvinist Baptist Church : —
WITNESSED BY
Sept. 12, 1832— Joseph Elliott to Sarah Glynn, T. Glynn and P. Campbell.
Sept. 16, " Victor Button to Mary Norton, G. Norton and G. Sloot.
Sept 24, " Justus M. Videto to Amanda Hart, John Hart and B. Curtis.
Oct. 10, " Daniel Corson to Zelinda Wells, J. Wells and T. Olds.
Oct. 16, " Wm. Whitehead to Emiline Curtis, J. M. Videto and S. L. Sumner.
* This may be intended for Abraham Sloot, as the name is spelled differently by writers.
56
HISTORY OF THE
Oct. 22, 1832— Wm. Leeper, to Cynthia Osborne,
Oct. 25, " John Grieve to Jane Murray,
Oct. 29, " Edmund Burtch to Sarah Smith,
Nov. 27, " Andrew Elson to Charlotte Dyer,
Dec. 9, " Isaac Vansickle to Mary A. McClain,
Jan. 24, 1833— Philo Jackson to Sarah Hill,
Feb. 15, " Wm. Wells to Elizabeth Johnson,
Feb. 28, " Cornelius Willson to Suffrona Cutler,
Mar. 9, " Oliver Strowback to Mary Jackson,
Mar. 23, " Peter Sinclair to Nancy Sinclair,
April 2, " Philip Brooks to Prudence Warner,
April 29, " Joseph Lown to Sarah Griffith,
April 30, " John Wells to Mary Brown,
WITNESSED BY
D. Stockton and T. Huff.
E. Grieve and N. Elliott.
H. T. Shaver and John Cort. W. Blinn and Joseph Elson. A. Montross and J. McClain. Tilly Hubbard and N. Griffith. Geo. Sloot and Wm. Libby. H. Jones and D. Browne. Eli Griffith and Philo Jackson. W. Elliott and L Gambo. Zachariah and L. Warner.
F. and Sam. Lown. Alexander, Mary and A. Weir.
The above named were residents, in the order of entry of the fol- lowing townships : — Caradoc, Westminster, London, Malahide, London, Yarmouth, Westminster, Lobo, London, Yarmouth, Westminster, Lon- don, London, Westminster, Caradoc, Dunwich, Westminster, and Lon- don.
July 28, Aug. 19, Aug. 19, Aug. 24, Aug. 2fi, Aug. 31, Sept. 3, Sept. 19, Oct. 15, Oct. 15, Oct. 17, Oct. 27, Oct. 28, Oct. 28, Oct. 29, Dec. 24, Jan. 13, Feb. 10, Feb. 14, Feb. 23, June 9, June 19, Augk 7, Sept. 30, Nov. 9, Nov. 12, Jan. 8, Jan. 15, Feb. 18, Feb. 23, Mar. 2, Mar. 17, Mar. 25, April 11, July 8, Aug. 9, Nov. 10, Dec. 9, Dec. 13, Dec. 25, Dec. 30.
1833— Ensign Hill to Diana Carney, of Westminster.
John Kitchen to Nancy King, of South wold.
James King to Marietta Bartlett, of Caradoc.
James Siddal to Violet Young, of Dunwich.
John Whiting to Wealthy Degraw, of Caradoc.
Timothy Simonds to Ruth Webster, of Westminster.
James Montague to Lora Hunger ford, of Westminster.
Joseph Siddal to Eliza Brooks, of Dunwich.
Swain Corliss to Eliza Williams, of Lobo.
Joseph Lyon to Juliana Moore, of Southwold.
Wm. Routledge to Jennet Bailee, of Westminster.
Zeras Myric to Juliana Odle, of London.
Zerah Gilbert to Mary A. Baker, of Southwold.
Jonah Clarke to Mary Lumley, of Dunwich.
Hiram Perkins to Harriet McNaraes, of Westminster. Duncan McDugald to Mary McKiller, of Lobo. 1 *34— Jacob Cooley to Dorka Reynolds, of Dorchester. Malcolm Smith to Mary McFarlin, of Lobo. Angus Graham to Cristy Smith, of Lobo. Henry Stringer to Derinaan Elliott, of Westminster. Richard Patrick to Hannah Simmons, of Westminster. Andrew Carl to Lucretia Clarke, of Westminster. John Patrick to Roxena Thorp, of Westminster. Patrick Walker to Mary Beach, of London. John H. Campbell to Annie Quick, of Caradoc. John McKey to Isabella McCormick, of Williams. 5— Andrew McClure to Samantha A. Crandle, of Southwold James Mclntire to Jane Mclntosh, of Ekfrid. Armon Barrett to Susan Little, of Southwold. Charles Moice to Elissa Burger, of Southwold. John Kizier to Elmira Dell, of Westminster. Henry Cook to Nancy Harrison, of London Jacob Dale to Eliza Hansel, of Westminster. George Shaver to Rebecca Hart, of Westminster. Hiram B. Mann to Margaret Stringer, of Westminster, panels Jarvis to Ounda Perkins, of Westminster. Daniel Squers to Lois Burnam, of Westminster. Daniel Whitehead to Lovina Wilkins, of Westminster. George Hollis to Harriett Leahy, of Southwold. Kenedy Creighton to Laura S. Hart, of London. Wm. Foster to Sarah Woodhull, of Lobo.
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX. 57
Oct. 31, 1836 — Robert Kilbourne to Susannah Roberts, of Westminster.
Nov. 24, " Robert Patton to Emelia Davis, of Westminster.
May 14, 1837— Armon Barrett to Nancy McFall, of Ekfrid.
June 24, " Alexander Thomas to Juliana Clark, of London.
July 1, " Henry Wilson to Eliza A. O'Neil, of Dorchester.
Aug. 5, " John Ellis to Rosilla Fletcher, of London.
Sept. 12, " Henry Weller to Esther A. Jackson, of South wold.
Sept. 20, " Benj. Doyle to Derindia C. Adair, of Westminster.
Oct. 19, " Jacob H. Kyser to Margaret McStay, of Delaware.
Nov. 4, Henry Plank to Mary A. Salinton, of Westminster.
Nov. 9, " Mahon Boding to Roxeana Wade, of South wold.
Dec. 14, " John Elson to Mary Bioito, of London.
Dec. 18, " Samuel L. Sumner to Caziah Sohns, of London.
Dec. 18, " Benj. Sumner to Mary Piatt, of London.
Jan. 18, 1838— Wm. McKay to Sally A. Cutler, of Westminster.
May 15, " Peter Beach to Nancy Seaton, of Delaware.
June 5, '•' Benjamin Schram to Jane Tigner, of Delaware.
July 3, " John E. Sloot to Esther Hart, of London.
The marriages by Kev. Dugald Campbell, of the Baptist Church, of Aldborough, in 1833-7, are as follows : —
Nov. 26, 1833— John McCallum to Mary McKellar, of Ekfrid. Dec. 24, " Angus McLean to Sarah McPhail, of Dunwich. Jan. 21, 1834— Lachlin McLachlin to Mary McCallum, of Ekfrid. Jan. 21, " Hugh Leitch to Catherine McLachlin, of Ektrid. Feb. 11, " John McTavish to Flory Stewart, of Oxford. Feb. 13, " John Munro to Mary Murray, of Ekfrid. April 1, " John McCallum to Nancy McKellar, of Mosa. July 22, " Arch. Campbell to Margaret Johnston, of Lobo. Feb. 3, 1835— Arch. McLachlin to Catharine McLellan, of Ekfrid. Feb. 3, " Arch. McLellan to Elizabeth Walker, of Mosa. Feb. 19, '* Duncan Campbell to Mary McAlpin, of Aldborough. Mar. 5, " Lachlin Haggard to Catherine Gidham, of Mosa. Mar. 17, " Duncan Black to Sarah McCallum, of Dunwich. Feb. 9, 1837— Alexander McAlpine to Christy Brown, of Aldborough. Mar. 14, " Edward McCallum to Nancy Mitchell, of Ekfrid. Mar. 30, " Wm. Room to Catherine McLean, of Dunwich. June 1, " Henry Eirot to Letitia Elliott, of Ekfrid. June 29, " Malcolm McAlpine to Nancy McAlpine, of Ekfrid.
Solomon Vining, of the Regular Baptist Church, of Nissouri, solemnized the following marriages : —
Oct. 20, 1833 — Francis German to Eliza Gleason, of Nissouri.
Nov. 14, " Charles Harris to Abagail Mabee, of Oxford.
May 19, 1835 — John McDiarmid to Mary Burgess, of Nissouri.
July 6, " Thomas Morgan to Rachel Rosser, of London.
Oct. 29, " Varnum German to Betsey Murray, of Nissouri.
Dec. 24, " William Pickart to Mary A. Pickel, of Nissouri.
Jan. 14, 1837 — Thomas Rosser to Ann Bell, of London.
Jan. 21, " Josiah D. Burgess to Jemima Near, of Nissouri.
July 1, " Henry Edwards to Eleanor Simons, of Lobo.
May 1, " John C. Holding to Esther Markham, of Nissouri.
Aug. 30, " John Rohner to Mary A. Edwards, of Dorchester.
Dec. 2, " Jeremiah Dorman to Catherine Matthews, of London.
Dec. 6, ' ' James G. Barnes to Sarah J. Withers, of Nissouri.
Dec. 28, " Thomas Badygood to Marilla Finch.
Jan. 18, 1838 — Casper Near to Sarah Garner, of Nissouri.
Mar. 18, " Sylvester Dupee to Susannah Stanton, of Nissouri.
At this time, Rev. Davis Cross, of the Free Communion Baptist Church at Zorra, solemnized eight marriages, among them being Joseph Alwood and Christen McKay, of Nissouri.
5g HISTORY OF THE
Dugald Sinclair, a Baptist minister, recorded the following certifi- cates: —
Mch 2 1835— John McKellar to Sarah Livingstone, of Mosa.
Apr 28 « « Colquhoun Campbell to Catharine Sinclair, of Adelaide.
July 9 " Alex. Campbell to Jannet McArthur, of Caradoc.
Aug 25 " John McGugan to Sarah McTaggart, of Williams.
8£ 3,' " Donald McDonald to Mary McTaggart of Lobo.
Feb. 9, 1836-Adonvja Degraw to Isabella McNeil, of Caradoc.
Kev. Dugald Sinclair, of the Baptist Society, also registered the fol- lowing marriages : —
Jan 1 1, 1836— Donald Campbell to Margaret Brown, of Williams.
Nov 24 " Alex. Graham to Ann Stuart, of Lobo.
Dec. 11, " Duncan McLean to Catherine McKinley, of Lobo.
Eev. Samuel Baker, of the Eegular Baptist Church, of Malahide, registered the following : —
Feb. 5, 1836— John McLachlin to Catherine McKenzie, of Williamstown. Mar. 26, " George Sloot to Sarah Best, of Westminster. July 10, 1837— William F. Curry to Susannah Moses, of Mosa.
Rev. David Wright, of the W. M. Church, united in matrimony,
Jan. 17, 1838— John Frank and Hester Walters, of Westminster.
Rev. Wm. McDermond, a Calvinist Baptist, united,
May 6, 1S35— Phillip Rosserand Maria Edwards, of London.
Rev. Joseph Merrill, of the Bayham Baptist Church, united.
Sept. 26, 1835 — James B. Stephenson to Eliza Dunmead, of Dorchester.
Rev. Nichols French, of West Oxford Regular Baptist Church, united : —
Sept. 30, 1834 — Hiram German to Sarah Brigham, of Nissouri. Oct. 11, 1835— Samuel Herrin to Mary Whiting, of Dorchester. June 17, 1837 — Thomas Squires, of Dorchester, to Catherine Bentley.
Rev. J. R. Lavelle, a Universalist minister, made the first marriage record of his church at London, as follows : —
April 25, 1850— Bartholomew Swartz to Sylvanie Shotwell, of Westminster.
The marriages solemnized by Rev. Thomas Huckins, of the Free Will Baptist Church, of London, are as follows : —
Feb. 4, 1833— Joseph Miller to Susannah Hampton, of London.
April 15, July 16, Aug. 28, Oct. 10, Dec. 31,
Hugh Stevenson to Catherine Donaldson, of London. Peter Sarvis to Sarah A. Phroman, of London. Charles Mann to Sarah Jaynes, of London. David Duke to Maria Whitehead, of Biddulph. Wm. Patterson to Jane Marckel, of London.
Jan. 13, 1834— John W. White to Elizabeth Buchner, of London. Jan. 21, ' Edward P. Godfrey to Mary Moore, of Southwold. Mar. 16, John Frasier to Almeda Gilbert, of Southwold.
April 8, Jacob Eberly to Sarah Mills, of Oxford.
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
59
May 4, 1834— Daniel Koot to Rhoda Fuller, of Warwick.
May 13, " Stephen Griffin to Elizabeth McPherson, of South wold.
June 26, ' George W. Ross to Diadema Paul, of Biddulph.
Aug. 10, ' John Fralick to Annis Pierce, of London.
Nov. 11, ' Albert Ellice to Jane A. Reynolds, of London.
Nov. 16, Ralph Little to Maranda Purchase, of London.
Dec. 24, ' Levi Vaughan to Mary Scott, of London.
Dec. 30, ' Robert Holmes to Margaret Reckord, of Dunwich.
Jan. 13, 1835 — Azarah W. Clark to Ann Sarvis, of London.
Jan. 16, " Archibald Price to Ann Monaghan, of London.
Sept. 15, " Corneilus Williams to Elizabeth Defields, of Mosa.
Jan. 26, 1836— Samuel Munro to Eleanor Banghart, of Westminster.
- Mar. 29, " Robert Brown to Sarah Attwood, of Dunwich.
May 23, " Alexander Wear to Jane Hodgins, of London.
May 24, " James P. Harris to Martha Jackson, of Dereham.
June 19, " William Snelgrove to Eleanor Adkins, of Caradoc.
Aug. 8, " Caleb Willcox to Jane Bartlett, of Mosa.
Aug. 9, ' c Horace Cooley to Zelpha Moses, of Mosa.
Aug. 31, " Cornelius Jones to Harriet Abry, of London.
Sept. 18, " Alonzo Smith to Lucy Hubbard, of Mosa.
Nov. 12, " F. Finley, of Plympton, to Ann Sharp, of London.
In 1847, Rev. D. Stephenson Star was preacher in this district.
Congregational Church. — The Congregational Church was repre- sented in the London District in 1835, for on Oct. 15 that year Rev. Wm. Lyall took the oath and was authorized to celebrate marriage. To Rev. William Clarke, however, the credit is given of establishing this form of worship in 1838. The ministers who succeeded him or filled the pulpit within the old county during the following years are named as follows :— W. P. Wastell, Southwold, 1843 ; Joseph Silcox, Southwold, 1845-50; Edward Ebbs, London, 1846; John Durrant, London, 1847 ; W. H. Alworth, Port Stanley, 1848 ; W. F. Clarke, London, 1849.
Early Congregational Marriages. — The first record made by a Congregational minister was that made by Rev. William Clarke, as follows : —
Jan. 15, 1838 — John Dent to Ellen Delaney, of Zorra.
May 25, " Edward Watson to Elizabeth Woods, of London.
June 1, " John Clegg to Letitia Feret, of London.
June 7, " Samuel Stansfield to Mary A. James, of London.
June 9, " Robert Thompson to Martha McCadden, of Adelaide.
June 11, Thomas Warner to Jemima Smith, of Amherstburg.
July 23, " John Marshall to Catherine Atkinson, of London.
Sept. 3, " Merrill S. Ayres to Martha E. Burch, of London.
Dec. 18, " John F. O'Neill to Phebe Sweet, of London.
Jan. 10, 1839— Wm. Jackson to Rhoda Siddal, of Mosa.
Jan. 30, " John Henderson to Rachel A. O' Dell, of Westminster.
Feb. 13, ' John L. Swart to Martha Manning, of Westminster.
Mar. 6, ' Robert Kearns to Ann Candless, of London.
Mar. 6, ' Elijah Payne to Margaret Wheaton, of London.
Mar. 13, ' Peter Ross to Louisa Elliott, of Ekfrid.
Mar. 27, John Beattie to Elizabeth Elliott, of Westminster.
Apr. 28, ' Thomas Boston to Mary A. Jones, of Lobo.
May 3, Samuel Bond to Mary A. Campbell, of London.
May 8, ' William Young to Mary Parker, of London.
May 11, ' John Gubbins to Sophia Reynolds, of London.
May 13, ' Porter Stevens to Hannah Eldridge, of Westminster.
(5() HISTORY OF THE
Mav 23 1839— Caleb Griffith to Caroline Morris, of London.
_ ** ~r t ITT /? _ _. „ j.* A,,« T\r **••»* s\f T.rk«rlrm
June 12, June 13, Sept. 19, Oct. 18, Oct. 30, Oct. 31, Nov. 1, Nov. 4, Nov. 28, Dec. 7, Dec. 25,
John Woofington to Ann Weir, of London. Eleazer McCarthy to Mary A. Bevena, of Dorchester. Thomas Dark to Grace Rottenbury, of London. Nathaniel Lawson to Ann Thomas, of London. Ralph Smith to Mary Davison, of London. Wm. Dickson to Margaret Auld, of Warwick. John Clarke to Prudence Bailey, of Nissouri. Neil Munroe to Flora Hare, of Westminster. Joseph Mowrey to Mary A Guffin, of London. Lorenzo D. Cook to Mary Steinhoff, of London James S. Steinhoff to Mary Cook, of London.
Jan. 11, 1840— Henry Palmer to Mahala Carter, of London. Jan. 13, " John Lodge to Eleanor Foote, of Southwold.
Methodist Church— Wesley an. Methodism in Canada dates back to •Oct. 7, 1786, when George Neal, an Irishman, who settled on the Canadian side of the Niagara, preached the doctrine of John Wesley. During the Revolution he was a major in the British cavalry. Prior to this, however, Capt. Webb and Commissary Tuffey, of the 44th Infantry, preached the same doctrine to the garrisons. In 1788, Exhorter Lyons preached at Adolphustown, and James McCarthy, an Irishman, at Earnesttown. In 1790, Wm. Lessee, the first regular Methodist preacher, came. He was a U. E. Loyalist, who managed to stay in the States until that year. In 1791, however, he appeared in the role of a Methodist Episcopalian. 'In 1805, the first carnp meeting was held on the south shore of Hay Bay. Among the preachers were Revs. Henry Ryan, an Irishman ; Wm. Case, Madden, Bangs, Keeler and Pickett. Ryan was known from Montreal to Sandwich, having travelled the entire district on regular circuit work. The first Methodist church was built at Adolphustown, in 1792, in which year a second house was erected at Earnesttown. In 1816, Westminster was set off as a Methodist circuit, as related in the history of that township, and from this beginning spread out the many Methodist circuits and appoint- ments of Middlesex, the history of which is told in the sketches of the municipalities.
In 1826, Henry Ryan raised the cry, "Loyal Methodism vs. Republican Methodism." This cry was countenanced and paid for by Dr. Strachan, of the English Church, on behalf of his government, and carried out so practically by Ryan, that the Canadian Wesleyan Methodist Church became a name in the history of the Dominion in 1827. He was quick at repartee. On one occasion a village wag, one of a crowd, asked him if he had heard the news ? " What news T "Why," said the wag, "that the devil is dead." "Ah, well," re- sponded Ryan, looking around the crowd, " he has, indeed, left a great many fatherless children."
In 1874, the Methodist New Connexion Church, and some other forms of Christianity, entered the Canadian Wesleyan body, and all assumed the name, Methodist Church of Canada. In 1884, the Episcopal Methodists and Bible Christians entered the Union, so it may be said that to-day Henry Ryan's idea of 1826 is an accomplished fact.
COUNTY OF MIDDLESF.X.
61
Early Methodist Marriages. — Eev. John Beatty, a Wesley an Methodist minister, recorded the following certificates of marriage : —
Nov. 20, 1833 — John Nixon to Jane Jackson, of London.
Dec. 1, " William Wheeler to Melinda Flanigan, of London.
Dec. 18, " Ira Allen to Jane Gethy, of Lobo.
Jan. 13, 1834 — Yunel May to Mary Browne, of Nissouri.
Jan. 21, " Andrew Yerex to Mary Summer, of Westminster.
Eev. James Jackson, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, of the London District, solemnized these marriages : —
Nov. 18, 1834 — John Lambert to Mary Ann Smith, of Lobo.
Feb. 12, 1835 — James C. Smith, of London, to Lucy McDougal, of South wold.
Eev. Isaac Newton Dugan West, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, performed the marriage ceremony in the following instances : —
Oct. 14, 1834 — John Stanley to Eliza Atkinson, of London. Dec. 3, " Warren Young to Susan Besstidds, of London. Dec. 31, " Hiram Dell to Anne Frank, of Westminster. Jan. 1, 1835— William Wilson to Elizabeth Bevans, of Nissouri. Jan. 1, " Joel Moriarity to Lucy A. Bevans, of Nissouri. Jan. 28, " Roswell Forbes to Eliza Lamoure, of London. Jan. 29, William Stinoff to Eliza Holt, of Yarmouth.
April 3, Henry McKay to Rebecca Patrick, of London.
April 19, Alexander Bane to Mary Lewis, of Zorra.
April 28, " Augustus Hicks to Alvira Barnes, of London.
Eev. William Griffis, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, joined the following named persoDs in matrimony : —
Sept. 4, 1834 — Daniel Freeman to Isabella Bailey, of Nissouri. Oct. 29, " Joseph Barnes to Eleanor Williams, of London. Jan. 13, 1835 — James N. Holmes to Margaret Sutton, of Westminster. Mar. 18, " William Patterson to Eliza Brethwait, of London. April 7, " William Ross to Amanda Bentley, of London. April 11, " Jacob Wilsie to Eleanor Manning, of Westminster. May 19, " Wm. McFadden to Lucinda Walcot, of London. May 20, " James Thompson to Catherine Murphy, of London. May 21, " Wm. Jackson to Margaret Webster, of London. May 26, " Charles G. Bostwick to Evis Manning, of Westminster. Nov. 4, 1835— John Jones to Ann Jane Curry, of Mosa. Nov. 4, " George Curry to Elizabeth Jones, of Mosa. Feb. 24, 1836— James Gardiner to Rebecca Flemon, of Mosa.
Eev. John S. Atwood, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, married this couple : —
Oct. 4, 1835— Silas R, Ball to Jane S. Hyde, both of Dorchester.
Eev. Dugald Campbell, of the Baptist Church, of Aldborough, recorded the following certificates : —
Feb.
Feb.
Mar.
Mar.
Mar
April
June
2, 1836— Robert McAlpine to Betty McLachlin, of Mosa.
25,
I,
29,
31,
4,
14,
Duncan McPhail to Mary McCallum, of Zone. Archibald Murray to Flora McAlpine, of Ekfrid. Donald Smith to Isabella Mitchell, of Ekfrid. Duncan McCall to Sarah Haggart, of Lobo. John McCall to Catherine McCall, of Lobo. D. McCallum to Mary Black, of Dunwich.
62 HISTORY OF THE
Kev. C. Vanderson, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, united the following couples : —
Dec. 12, 1836— Nathan Choat to Caroline Gibbs, of St. Thomas. Feb., " Thomas Allen to Melissa Gregory, of St. Thomas.
Eev. David Wright, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, recorded the following marriages: —
Dec. 10, 1835— Simeon Morrell to Eleanor Beach, of Oxford.
Dec. 31, " Robert Barrie to Maria Vandeburgh, of London.
Feb. 18, 1836— John Taylor to Martha Willis, of London.
Feb. 18, " George Menelly to Eliza A. Manning, of Westminster.
Feb. 29, " George Sweeten to Mary Gardner, of Adelaide.
April 11, " Alexander Cameron to Mary Westby, of Tuckersmith.
April 24, " William Jackson to Elizabeth Chalmon, of London.
June 29, " John Armstrong to Sarah Young, of Tuckersmith.
Sep. 8, Oct. 9, Nov. 27, Dec. 15,
Henry H. Cornstock to Lucretia Strowbridge, of Westminster.
Edward Button to Ann Reynolds, of London.
James Stewins to Ann Swart, of London.
Welsie Manning to Amanda Simson, of Westminster.
Jan. 25, 1 37— Benjamin Woodhull to Lucinda Miner, of Delaware.
Mar. 10, Thomas Guest to Mary McRobert, of London.
Feb. 24, John Kearns to Purlina Schram, of London.
April 5, James Mcllmurray to Ann Johnston, of Adelaide.
May 3, James Bryant to Elizabeth Ayers, of Westminster.
May 24, Andrew Yaks to Wealthy Grouse, of Westminster.
Aug. 16, Rev. J. K. Williston to Eleanor Morden, of Westminster.
Oct. 6, George McConnell to Eliza Willis, of London.
Nov. 9, George W. Albee to Hannah Vail, of London.
Eev. J. Flanagan, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, solemnized marriages as follows : —
1837— Ira M. Sumner and Elizabeth Merrill, of London. " Charles Hoag and Hannah J. Day, of Hipun.
Kev. Edmund Stoney, a Wesleyan minister, made the following record : —
Sept. 17, 1837— William H. V. Hill to Mary Stevens, of London. Oct. 3, Leonard O'Dell to Rachel Norton, of Dorchester.
Mar. 27, 1838 — Simeon Sanborn to Mahala Hartshorn, of London. April 23, " John Willis to Susan Shaw, of London. May 30, ' Geo. Alway to Jane Armstrong, of Lobo. Aug. 29, Daniel Morden to Eliza J. Robison, of London.
Sept. 11, Gabriel Willcia to Catherine O'Dell, of Westminster.
Sept. 19, Geo. Oliver to Mary A. Percival, of London.
Sept. 20, Arthur McGerry to Charlotte Towe, of London.
Thomas Fawcett, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, recorded the following marriage certificate : —
Feb. 28, 1838— Ezekial Caldwell to Sarah Sutton, both of Westminster.
Kev. Caleb Burdick, of the B. N. A. Methodist Church, united these couples : —
Aug. 15, 1833— Adoram Frank to Eliza Hodgson, of Westminster.
Jan. 19, 1835— Wm. Conly to Mary Walker, of Dorchester.
Jan. 21, Truman Burgess to Caroline Furry.
Aug. 17, Amos Ferrin to Anna Cornwall, of Dorchester.
Mar. 22, 1836— John McLarity, of Yarmouth, to Anna Me Arthur, of Dorchester.
June 29, 1837— Jacob Stover, of Dorchester, to Ann Froman, of Maladide
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
63
Eev. Eobert Earl, a Wesleyan, joined in matrimony : —
Oct. 2, 1837 — John Morgan, of Warwick, to Elizabeth Hughes, of London, Nov. 8, " Reuben Adams, of Malahide, to Mary Jane Little, of Westminster.
Eev. John Shilton, of the Canadian Wesleyan Methodist Church, made the following record : —
Jan. 6, 1837 — Benjamin Shilton to Hannah Chapman, of Raleigh. Mar. 9, " John Clandening to Sarah Clement, of Mosa. Mar. 13, " Howard Allen to Catherine Drake of Mosa. Mar. 13, " Thomas Drake to Mary J. Eveland, of Mosa. April 18, " William Wilson to Elizabeth Huff, of Zone.
Eev. James Bell, a Canadian Wesleyan Methodist preacher, made the following record : —
n. 2, 1838— John Little to Mary A. Patterson, of Westminster. ril 10, Thomas Orr to Abigail Tyrrell, of Westminster.
Jan.
Apr
May 17, " James Owry to Eliza Orr, of Westminster.
Sept. 26, Abram Lewis to Charlotte Patterson, of Westminster.
Oct. 17, *' Benjamin Bentley to Christian Stringer, of Bayham.
Nov. 27, " Jared El wood to Rosanna Talmon, of Westminster.
Methodist Church continued. — The Methodist Episcopal Church was contemporary with, if not part of, the Wesleyan Society. In 1827-8 the Henry Eyan religious rebellion closed off the American form, and from that period to 1884 Episcopal Methodism was known here. In the early marriage record — relating to dissenters from the English Church — many of the early ministers are named ; while, in the history of the circuits of Middlesex from 1816 to 1828, the pioneer preachers all find mention. In April, 1831, Eev. Samuel Bolton, of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Yarmouth, applied for permit to perform the marriage ceremony, and took the oath of allegiance. Thomas Harmon, of Westminster, and Caleb Burdick, of Malahide, also took the oath, with Abner Matthews, Matthew Whiting, Thomas Whitehead and Asahel Hulbert. Eev. John Bailey, of Nissouri, took the oath of allegiance in October, 1835, and was authorized to perform the marriage ceremony.
Prior to and immediately after the troubles of 1837-8, Methodist Episcopal preachers were looked upon with some political suspicion ; but they rushed forward in numbers to take the oath of allegiance. Among the leading ministers from 1839 to 1851 were : — John H. Houston, 1839, Norwich ; James Mitchell, 1840, London ; George Turner, 1839, London ; Charles Pettys, 1840, London ; David Griffin, 1840, Bayham; Thomas Webster, 1840, London; Bernard Markle, 1844, Mosa; Benson Smith, 1843, London; W. D. Hughes, 1843, Westminster; James Nixon, 1843, Malahide; Nathan Parke, 1845, Mosa ; Samuel Dunnett, 1846, Delaware ; Eansom Dexter, 1845, Malahide; Henry Gilmore, 1846, Malahide; John Gibson, 1846, London; Abram E. Eoy, 1847, Malahide; Nathan Parke, 1847,' Chatham ; Hiram A. Eraser, 1848, Caradoc ; Matthew McGill, 1849 Caradoc; Schuyler Stewart, 1848, Malahide; Wm. Cope, 1849'
£4 HISTORY OF THE
Caradoc; George P. Harris, 1849, Dorchester; J W. Jacobs, 1851, Yarmouth; Sylvester L. Kerr, 1851, London; Thomas Davis, 1851,
of the above-named, such as Dr. Webster, have served the district up to the union with the Canadian Methodists in 1884. London District, in 1880, claimed the following ministers :— Rev E. Lounsburv, Presiding Elder; London City, M. Dimmick, 0. G. Colla- more- London Circuit, John Lay cock; St. Mary's, Nissoun, J. B. Cutler J Bloodsworth ; Thamesford, C. M. Thompson ; St. Thomas, R C ' Parsons; Southwold, S. Knott, C. W. Bristol; Dorchester, N. Dickie- Springfield, A. Kennedy; Parkhill. M. Griffin; Thedford, E. G Pelley; Goderich, G. A. Francis; Seaforth, C. W. Vollick ; Brussels D. Ecker ; Ingersoll, W. H. Shaw ; Embro, M. H. Bartram ; Stanley, R A. Howey ; Maitland, W- N. Vallick ; Westminster, J. T. Davis, T. B. Brown ; Aylmer, J. Ferguson ; Malahide, W. Fansher, W. M. Teeple; Tilsonburg, J. Rose; Norwich, W. Benson, W. E. Gifford ; Mt. Elgin, J. Gardiner, D. C. L. ; Vienna, W. A. Shaw ; Walsingham, Thos. Graham ; Sweaborg, A. Scratch.
In 1881 the following named presided over the several circuits : — London, M. Dimmick; London Circuit, B.C. Moore; Ingersoll, W. H. Shaw, B. Laurence (superannuated) ; St. Mary's and Nissouri, C. M. Thompson, J. Mitchell; Thamesford, M. H. Bartram, R. Service (superannuated) ; Embro, R. J. Warner, B. A. ; Sweaborg, John Wood ; Dorchester, M. Griffin; Westminster, J. T. Davis, J. Bloodworth; St. Thomas, W. G.' Brown, B. B Rogers, A. A. C. ; Southwold, W. Fan- sher, T. J. Brown; Parkhill, J. Lay cock; Goderich, G. A. Francis; Bosanquet, S. Knott; Seaforth, C. W. Vollick; Maitland, W. 1ST. Vol- lick ; Stanley, N. Dickie, F. Ling ; Norwich, 0. G. Collamore, C. A. Moore; Aylmer, J. Ferguson; Springfield, A. Kennedy; Malahide, J. Rose,T. J. Smith; Tilsonburg, G. A. Filcher; Mt. Elgin, J. Gardiner; Vienna, A. Scratch, D. Griffin ; Walsingham, W. Scurr.
In 1882, Rev. J. Gardiner presided over the district with M. H. Bartram and B. C. Moore, of London ; J. Ferguson and C. A. Moore, of Mt. Elgin; W. N. Vollick, of Nissouri; A. Scratch, of Embro; John Wood, of Sweaborg; M. Griffin, of Dorchester ; W.H.Shaw and T. J. Smith, of Westminster, and J. Lay cock, Parkhill. Strathroy and other circuits, such as Newbury, belonged to other districts; Dr. Webster, of the latter place, being a resident worker of the church in this county for almost half a century. In 1884 the union of this church with the Methodist Church of Canada was effected.
Early Methodist Episcopal Marriages. — The earliest record of marriages dates back to 1831, when Ephraim Smith, a minister of the Gospel, sent to the Clerk the following certificates : —
April 24, 1831— Lorenzo D. Bates to Mary Earl. May 4, " John Sharp to Martha Smith. Oct. 30, " Samuel Healy to Christiana Howell. Jan. 26, 1832— Eli Cross to Anna Smith.
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
65
Feb. 16, 1832— John Maher to Lodice Smith. Mar. 16, " David T. Duncan to Mary Gillett. Mar. 24, " Chris. L. Barnes to Amy Otis.
The greater number of above resided in Norwich Township.
The following recorded marriages were solemnized by Eev. Thos. Whitehead, of the Methodist Episcopal Church : —
Oct. 14, 1832— Jasper H. Gooding to Mary Good, of Goderich. Nov. 5, " Thomas B. Hale to Jane Willson, of Goderich. Nov. 14, " William Holland to Eliza Hicks, of Goderich. April 17, 1833— Thomas Webster to Mary Bailey, of Nissouri. July 10, " Arthur Squires to Lydia Carter, of Stanley.
The marriages solemnized by Eev. Ezra Adams, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of the London District, are recorded as follows : —
July 5, Oct. 2, Oct. 25, Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Jan. 31, Feb. 20, Feb. 20, Dec. 3, Feb. 4,
1832— Thomas Hurlburt to Betsy A. Adams, of Caradoc.
Jackson Stafford to Isabella Nickald, of Southwold.
" Carroll to Lydia Kelly, of Mosa.
" John Philips to Harriet Caswell, of Westminster.
" James Nash to Keziah Lockwood, of Caradoc. 1833— Seneca Edwards to Mary Curry, of Mosa. Wm. Provost to Sally Siddal, of Dunwich.
' ' Horace Kelly to Nancy Provost, of Mosa. 1834— Col vin Davison to Jane Nichols, of Ekfrid. 1835— John Coyne to Elizabeth Neal.
Rev. Jesse Owen, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, performed the ceremony of marriage in the following cases : —
Jan. 1, 1833 — William Hodgman to Ann McGogan, of Caradoc.
Jan. 7, " James Clarke to Harriet Ramsay, of Caradoc.
Jan. 28, " Allen Fox to Jane Hunt, of London.
Feb. 10, " ' Belah King to Maria Dickison, of London.
Apr. 15, " Charles Dickison to Elizabeth Neadham, of London.
May 6, " Cyrus Hawley to Eliza Smith, of London.
May 8, " John Geary to Eliza Hasket, of London.
May 8, " Moses Willson to Eliza Bailey, of Nissouri.
July 29, " John Jackson to Nancy Sawtle, of London.
Aug. 28, " John Wheaton to Jane Clark, of London.
Rev. John Bailey, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, united : —
July 4, 1837— Charles Pettys to Mary Nixon, of Nissouri.
Rev. Charles Pettys, of the same denomination, married the following : —
Sept. 20, 1837— Cyrus P. Meriam to Margaret McBean, of Ekfrid. Oct. 19, 1838 — Alonzo Charles to Lucy Blackmore, of Mosa.
Daniel Picket, a Methodist Episcopal preacher, united : Oct. 8, 1834 — James Nixon to Annie Nichols, of London Township.*
Bible Christians. — The Bible Christian Church may be said to have been established at London in 1869. In that circuit in 1871 there were two itinerant and nine local preachers, four places of wor-
* These marriage notices are copied from old and imperfect records, and, doubtless, contain errors, for which, owing to the care employed in these pages, the publishers are not accountable.
66 HISTORY OF THE
ship, and 179 members. Rev. W. Jollifle and J. Collins were pastors. In 1873 W. Keener was at London. J. J. Eice came in 1875, and in 1876 he, with F. M. Whitlock were ministers. In 1877 S. J. Allin assisted Mr. Rice, and the latter in 1878 took charge of the two cir- cuits, London East and South ; but in 1 879 the circuit was divided, as shown in the local history of this society. The 12th annual meeting was held in May, 1880, within their church at London South, when the following named ministers and laymen were present : — Revs. W. Hooper (Superintendent), T. R. Hull, W. Ayers, W. Quance, J. Archer, G. H. Copeland, R. Mallett, B. A , T. Mason, W. Rollins and S. J. Cunnings ; Messrs. J. Isaac, J. Cole, W. Gerry, W. Field, J. Small, W. Jennings, E. Johnson and R. Kennedy. The officers appointed were Rev. W. Rollins, Secretary ; Rev. R. Mallett, Journal Secretary ; Rev. G. H. Copeland, Reporter for the Observer ; and the ministers : — London Centre, Rev. \V. Quance ; London East, Rev. G. H. Copeland ; London South, Rev. W. Rollins ; Lambeth, Rev. T. Mason ; Dereham, Rev. T. R. Hull; Ingersoll, Rev. J. Archer; St. Thomas, Rev. W. Hooper. Appointments continued to be made annually until the union of 1884, when the Bible Christians lost their distinctive title and became a part of the Methodist Church of Canada. In the chapters devoted to local history the several churches of this society are noticed.
Lutherans. — The Lutheran Church in Canada dates back to 1790, when a building, known as Zion Church, was erected east of Kingston, and Rev. Schwerfeyer, of Albany, K Y., called as pastor. About this time a Mr. Myers, of Philadelphia, resided in Marysburgh Township, where a large number of Palatinates and other German loyalists had sought refuge. His mission was not successful, so that in 1807 he returned to Pennsylvania. Rev. Mr. Weant, who preached at Ernest- town, and in 1808, at Matilda, found but poor support, and in 1811 joined the English Church clandestinely at Quebec. Returning, he continued to preach to his people, who found him using the Book of Common Prayer, and wearing a surplice — cause sufficient for his dismissal. In 1814, Mr. Myers was recalled, but finding that Weant had possession of the building, had to resort to diplomacy to obtain its use for worship. In 1817, Myers also joined the English Church. Both were addicted to brandy-drinking and consequent drunkenness, Myers dying from the effects of a fall.
Miscellaneous Societies.— The Quakers or Society of Friends, introduced their faith in 1790, when David Sand and Elijah Hick held services at James Noxen's house, Adolphustown. They had a house of worship erected there, the first in Canada; the second being at Sophiasburg. Joseph Leavens, who died in 1844, in his 92nd year was one of the leading preachers of the society.
The Mennonites claim to be direct descendants of the Vandois or Waldenses, who, during the latter part of the twelfth century were driven by oppression into HoUand, and who lived there a scattered
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX. 67
sect until the sixteenth century, when Menno Simon, a reformed priest, gathered them together and organized them into a compact religious body, to which he gave his name. Because of the principles they held they still suffered persecution, even to the extent of martyr- dom, and finally a large body of Mennonites emigrated from Holland to the United States and settled in and around Pennsylvania, about the close of the seventeenth century. Here they found the freedom of worship from which they had been so long debarred, and flourished, a prosperous community. But after a century of peace the war of the American Independence overshadowed the land, and, among many others, a few of these people, preferring to remain under British rule, left their pleasant homesteads to travel northward. Over the extensive uncultivated spaces between Pennsylvania and the border line they journeyed, nor paused until they settled once again with others of our old Loyalist forefathers upon Canadian shores, where they began to form new homes among the pathless woods of Niagara peninsula, bringing with them a loyalty that has clung to creed as firmly as to crown in each succeeding generation.
The New Jerusalem Church dates back to 1861 for its organization in Canada. In June of every year conference is held, and executive and ecclesiastical committees appointed, One of the great meetings of this association was held at Strathroy in 1876, when four ministers and an average number of delegates and visitors were present from the following places: — Berlin, Toronto, Wellesley, Stratford, Caledonia, Chatham, Conestoga, Watford, Waterloo, and Yorkville. Letters were received from members in London, St. Catharines, Hamilton, New Brunswick, Ottawa, Lisbon, Mt. Brydges, Parkhill, Ingersoll, and other places.
Moravians. — The history of the Moravians begins in 1457, nearly a century before England accepted the teachings of Luther. Toward the close of the fifteenth century there were 200 societies in Moravia and Bohemia, and at this time their bible was issued. During the succeeding 300 years the new church died out in its cradle ; but, in 1749, the British Parliament acknowledged them a part of the Protes- tant Episcopal Church, and encouraged their settlement in North America. In 1741, a few Moravians met for worship in New York. During 1749, a number of Moravians established a mission in Tuscar- awas County, Ohio, and here, in 1781, 100 of their number were killed under the auspices of the very people who patronized them and sent them to the colonies. The survivors of the massacre moved to Detroit that year, and settled at New Gnadenhutten, near Mount Clemens, on the Clinton Eiver of Lake St. Clair. During their term there fourteen members died. They were hated by the Otchipwas on account of their newly formed friendships for the Americans, and as that part of Michigan was infested by Indians, the mission dissolved itself, the greater number seeking a home on the Thames (La Tranche), near the scene of Proctor's defeat, from which David Zeisherger wrote July 20,
68 HISTORY OF THE
1794 : " Captain Pike was instructed by De Peyster, the British Com- mandant at Detroit, in 1781, to make a bouilli of the Moravians, but they outlived persecution."
Monnonism, which carried off many from Larnbton, Middlesex and adjoining counties into the polygamous arms of Utah in the sixties, is still represented in the county and city. The Mormon temple on Maitland street is the monument which this Church has raised to the zeal of its members. In 1875 Mormonism was flourishing at London, under the administration of Elders Leverton and Davis In Novem- ber, 1875, a cheeky Gentile stood up in the Maitland Street Church and asked Elder Davis, " Did he really believe in the Mormon Bible ?"" Of course, the answer was general, and a challenge to discuss the matter came from a dozen of throats.
The Salvation Army — sometimes called General Booth's Church — is one of the latest additions to religious forms. Only a few years ago the members were buffetted about or imprisoned, but their perseverance won for them tolerance, and to-day the Army preach and sing in the market place as well as in their barracks — the members pleased with their worship and the people amused with it.
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
CHAPTER V.
ORGANIZATION OF LONDON DISTRICT.
July 16, 1792, Governor Simcoe declared the Province to be divided into nineteen counties, the last being the County of Kent,, comprising all the country outside the boundaries of the first named eighteen counties, as well as of the Indian lands, extending northward to the boundary line of Hudson Bay, including all the territory west and south of such line known as Canada. Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex were the neighboring counties bordering on the river La Tranche, or Thames. The act of 1799, to which royal assent was given Jan. 1, 1800, provided for the establishment of eighteen counties, a number of townships and a few districts. Among the counties then set off was Middlesex, comprising the Townships of London, Westminster, Dorchester, Yarmouth, South wold, Dunwich, Aldborough and Delaware.
London District, as then constituted, comprised the counties of Nor- folk, Oxford and Middlesex, with the country westward of the Home and Niagara districts, southward of Lake Huron, and between them and a line drawn due north from a fixed boundary (where the easter- most limit of Orford Township intersects the river Thames), until it arrives at Lake Huron.
The act of April 14, 1821, provided that the Townships of Lobo, Mosa, Ekfrid and Caradoc should be attached to Middlesex ; that a gore of land on the east side of Norwich and a gore on the east side of Dorchester be attached to the respective townships, and that the Townships of Zorra and Nissouri be added to Oxford County. At this time the new Townships of Zone, Dawn, Sombra and St. Clair were attached to Kent County.
In 1835 James Ingersoll qualified at London as Kegistrar of the County of Oxford.
The act of 1837, setting off Oxford County as the District of Brock, required the Quarter Sessions of London to declare the pro- portion of district expenses to be apportioned to Oxford, pending the issue of proclamation.
Brock District was set off from London March 4, 1837. The proportion of moneys due the new district by the old for wild land tax, received by the Treasurer of London up to December, 1839, when the new district was proclaimed, amounted to £41 16s. 8d. ; but at the settlement of July, 1841, £37 12s. Id. were deducted as the proportion of general expenses incurred by London District.
In 1837 the magistrates of the new District of Talbot were author- ized to sell the brick and stone in the old jail and court house at Vittoria, the proceeds to be used in building their new court house and jail.
70 HISTORY OF THE
In April, 1839, the question of apportioning the expenses of the County of Huron was before the court.
In 1854 the town of London was incorporated as a city and •detached from the county.
The townships of Bayham, Malahide, South Dorchester, South wold, Aldborough and Yarmouth were detached in 1852 from Middlesex and formed into the County of Elgin. In 1865 McGillivray and Biddulph were detached from Huron and attached to Middlesex,
As related in the history of Biddulph and McGillivray, both town- ships petitioned for annexation to Middlesex, and were detached from Huron. With the exception of exemption from paying any part of the debenture debt of the county, the townships became at once part and parcel of Middlesex, and were first represented in the Council of 1863.
What changes future years may bring round in the present boundaries of the county cannot be stated. A contributor to the Age, Grand-Pa, writing in September, 1871, proposed that West Middlesex be set off as a new county. He dealt with general expenditures back to 1854, and showed very plainly that the western township paid much more than a just share of expenses. He also referred to the movement of 1861-2 for the establishment of a registry office at Glencoe, and the revival of the question in 1870-1.
Quarter Sessions' Court, 18%7-lfi.— The first Quarter Sessions ever held at London was that of Tuesday, January 9, in the seventh year of the reign of George IV. Joseph Eyerson was chairman.
In 1828, L. P. Sherwood was Circuit Judge. In July of this year a resident of London was fined £5 " for deceitfully obtaining from Eobert Summers one silver watch." In August, 1829, J. B. Ma- caulay was Justice of the King's Bench. In January, 1839, Mahlon Burwell was temporary chairman, with Peter Teeple, John Scatcherd, Charles Ingersoll, Ira Scofield, Leslie Patterson, Edward Allen Talbot, John Bostwick, and other justices present. Michael McLaughlin, of Westminster, was fined 25 shillings for beating Catherine Southerland. John Matthews, Jr., of Lobo, was fined £2 for beating Lawrence Lawrason, of London, and James V. Eyan, of London, was fined 10 shillings for obtaining deceitfully from Eobert Caldwell a silver watch.
In April, 1829, George Coleman, of Oxford East, was fined £1 for beating constable John Phelan. Samuel Weir, of Burford, was fined £10 for beating Eapelje Weir, then under ten years. Joseph Lyons, John Davis, Elijah Davis, Christopher Williams, Thomas Fortner, aU fanners, and Cadnueil Moore, blacksmith, all of London, were fined £9 for assaulting James Williams in July 1829. In October, Isaac Waters, of Westminster, paid £1 4s., for beating John Hunt.
In January, 1830, Henry Eeynolds, of Dorchester, paid £2 for
ting Jesse Beverly. About this time the names of Benj. Willsoii
and John G Lessee, appear among the magistrates. In April, 1830,
William B. Lee, of London, an innkeeper, and William Haskett, a
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX. 71
painter, were bondsmen for Isaac Waters. John Ward, of Mosa, was indicted for assaulting Michael Hurder. Joseph Ward, a pensioner, of Mosa, and Geo. Lee, of Ekfrid, were his bondsmen.
The Grand Jury in April, 1830, comprised Walter Chase, Benj. Chadwick, Samuel Mason, Hugh O'Brien, Jacob Zavitz, John T. Doan, Samuel Minard, Asa Fordice, Thomas Sprague, Thomas Hardi- son, John Brazey, Durcomb Simons, Ira Whitcomb and Lawrence Doyle. During the trial of James Meek vs. Duncan Campell, Duncan McKenzie was sworn as interpreter for Malcolm Mclntyre, one of the witnesses. At this time the serious charge against Ira Scofield, Duncan McKenzie and James Parkinson for conspiracy, to charge George J. Goodhue with forging a note against William Fuller, was made, and they were held in £200 bail. John O'Neil was appointed High Constable.
In July, 1830, Henry • Cook, innkeeper, of Westminster, paid twenty-five shillings for assaulting Thomas Burns. In the case against Michael Beach, of Oakland, Justus Willcox, of Mosa, and Wm. Paul, of Yarmouth, were his bondsmen.
The charge of assault, with evil intentions, against Esban Gregory by Mrs. Mary Graham, and a similar charge against Shadrack Jones, were entertained. Phoebe and Abigail McNeal were witnesses against Jones, who was found guilty, and sentenced to prison for three months, and to pay costs.
In 1831, Levins P. Sherwood presided over the circuit, while the magistrates hitherto named, with J. Parkinson, James Racey, Andrew Dobie and Duncan McKenzie, were active in Quarter Sessions work. In the fall of 1830, Whiting Barnes, of London, was fined five shillings for beating Edward Green. In January, 1831, Wm. Eldridge, of Mosa, was fined only one shilling for beating two of the Aldgeo women of that township. Henry Cook was fined for assaulting Thos. Orr, of Westminster. Gregory Allen, of Delaware, who assaulted Ben Myers, was bailed out by Peter Schram, a farmer, and Charles Eeeves, an innkeeper, both of Westminster. In 1830, A. A. Eapelje, was still Sheriff.
In October, 1830, Henry White appears as a magistrate. At that time the sum of £20 per annum was granted to High Constable O'Neil, and William Putman was given £25 on account of labor on the North Branch of the Thames.
In January, 1831, John Bostwick was chosen Chairman of Quarter Sessions. The other magistrates present being Duncan McKenzie, Henry Warren, Solomon Lossing, Edward A. Talbot, James Mitchell, James Parkinson and Ira Scofield. One of the questions before the Court was the expulsion of John Armitage from a lot of land in London. At this time Stephen and James Howell, Jacob Best, Henry Belts, Adam Miller, Reuben Clark and Wm. Smith were tried for assault on Isaac Hartwick, but acquitted. Gideon G. Bostwick, Crier of the Court in 1831, was granted an annual salary of £20.
72 HISTORY OF THE
In April, 1831, one Charles Mclntosh, a servant, sued his master, Duncan McKenzie. This servant, or apprentice, brought no witnesses, while his master brought forward Betsy Me Adam, Amy and Levi Blackman, Allen and Thomas Eoutledge, Daniel Barclay, Sarah McLoughlin, and Freeman Hull as witnesses. The Court gave judg- ment against Mclntosh for £7 15s. and costs.
In January, 1832, Hiram D. Lee, of London; Nathan Griffith, of Westminster ; Ira Whitcomb, of Port Stanley ; Geo. W. Whitehead, of Burford ; James Young and Philip Henry, of Dunwich ; Jacob McQueen, of South wold; Wm. Putnam, of Dorchester, and Samuel Smith, of Orford, paid each £3 and were granted tavern licenses.
In January, 1832, Samuel Park, of London, was appointed Inspector of Weights and Measures for the district, vice John Harris resigned. At this time the name of Isaac Draper appears, and that of John Scatcherd reappears among the magistrates, very few changes being made within the preceding decade.
During the year 1832, a large number of males and a few female residents took the oath of allegiance.
In October, 1833, Eliakim Malcolm's name appears as a magistrate.
In January, 1834, John Lamb, Alex. Murray and F. Shaunesson were sentenced to terms of solitary confinement, with bread and water, for larceny.
On May 18, 1831, the commission of Coroner was issued to Jonathan Austin, Elam Stinson and David Bowman. The great seal is four inches in diameter and bears the British arms of George IV. In 1834 this commission was reissued.
In July, 1832, only eleven grand jurors remained for duty, the others having fled from London owing to the prevalence of cholera. In this year Dr. Donnelly, a pioneer physician, was stricken by the disease.
In January, 1833, the first seals were ordered, one for the Court of Quarter Sessions and one for the District Court.
In April, 1834, Mahlon Burwell was elected Chairman of Quarter Sessions by the following named magistrates elect :— Joseph B. Clench, a ^ i 7™ng' James InSersoll> Peter Carroll, John Scatcherd, Ira bconeld Thomas Homer, William Eobertson, Christopher Beer, John Bostwick, Colin McMilledge, Eliakim Malcolm, John G. Lossee Edward Ermatinger, Thomas Eadcliff, John Philpot Curran, Duncan McKenzie, Philip Graham, Andrew Dobie and John Burwell. John B. Askm was still Clerk of the Peace, while A. A. Eapalje was sheriff and V A. Eapalje Deputy. B. B. Brigham was appointed road surveyor for Middlesex County, vice Eoswell Mount deceased. George Moore was then coroner.
In October, 1834, Wm. Young was temporary Chairman of Quar- ter Sessions. The names of Thomas Eadcliffe and John Boys appear as new magistrates. In January, 1835, Wm. Young was elected Unairman, James Ingersoll still being a member of the Court like
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX. 73
John Bostwick, and the name of James C. Crysler appears. Among the magistrates in April, 1835, the new names of James Barwick, Colonel Light, Wm. Gordon, Capt. Kobert Johnson, and Edward Buller appear. At this time it was resolved to elect a Chairman who would be conversant with law, and pay him £10 for each session. This , order was repealed in 1837. In April, 1835, Dr. James Corbin was fined £10 for practicing medicine illegally. In October, 1835, the names of Henry Warren, Doyle McKenney, Benj. Willson, Geo. W. Whitehead, Phillip Hodgkinson, Wilson Mills and Lawrence Lawrason appear among the magistrates. In January, 1836, Hamilton H. Killally, John Weir and Peter Carroll appear on the Bench.
The Grand Jury of January, 1836, comprised twenty well-known names: — John O'Neil, Foreman; Thomas Gibbons, Joshua Putnam, Wm. Niles, Levi Myrick, Simeon Morrill, John Jennings, Eichard Smith, Silas E. Curtiss, F. G. Warren, Dennis O'Brien, Edward Mat- thews, Joseph L. O'Dell, Albert S. O'Dell, Kobert Fennell, Joseph B. Flannagan, Elisha S. Lyman, Robert Souter, H. Van Buskirk and Wm. O'Dell.
Edward Grattan, a printer, of London, in 1836, was held on bonds to give evidence against Thomas Cronyn, indicted for assault.
The celebrated motion presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions, July 12, 1836, by Edward Allen Talbot, one of the magistrates, was as follows : — " I protest against the payment of any sum or sums of money being paid to any magistrate acting as Chairman for the District of London, who accepts of any sum or sums of money in lieu of such services, and on the following grounds : — First, I consider it contrary to law; and secondly, I regard it as derogatory to the' character of the magistracy of the district, even if they had a law for so doing, to pay their Chairman the paltry sum of £40 per annum ; and thereby I regard it as an infringement of the rights of the people for the magistrates to appropriate any part of the district funds for any purpose whatever, unless authorized by law so to do."
In April, 1836, the action which gave rise to this motion was the re-election of Wm. Young as Chairman on the following vote : — John Burwell, Harvey Cook, Capt. Dunlop, G. W. Whitehead, Duncan McKenzie, Robert Riddle, John Philpot Curran, Alex. W. Light, Wm. Hentiliny, Henry Hyndman, Wm. Dunlap, Wm. B. Rich, Philip Graham and R. R. Hunt for Young, and E. A. Talbot voted contrary. Mahlon Burwell, then Chairman, while he moved the re-election of Young, was not called upon to vote.
In April, 1837, Mahlon Burwell was elected Chairman of Ses- sions. Among the magistrates present were Peter Carroll, John Carroll, John Kitson Woodward, John Weir, A. Dobie, J. Bostwick, J. Burwell, J. C. Crysler, Doyle McKenny, Geo. W. Whitehead, John S. Buchanan, Duncan McKenzie, Thomas Wade, Andrew Drew, John Arnold, Edmund Deeds, Samuel Eccles, Thomas H. Ball, L. Lawrason, Edward Ermatinger, J. G. Lossee, B. George Ronviere, John Brown, James Graham.
74 HISTORY OF THE
On July 12, 1837, James Hamilton, of Sterling, qualified as Sheriff of the District of London, Dr. Joseph Hamilton and Hon. John Hamilton being his bondsmen. At this time the first notice of the existence of an insane and destitute person in the District is given. The sum of £25 was advanced to John Barclay for the maintenance of Janet McBean.
The magistrates presiding in October, 1837, were John Burwell, James Mitchell, Doyle McKenny, Wilson Mills, Ephraim Tisdale, Purley, Cyrenius Hall, John Shore, L. Lawrason, J. S. Buchanan and J. R Brown. In January, 1838, the names of Thomas H. Ball, Harry Cook, Eobert Johnston and Wm Kobertson appear.
In January, 1838, the following licenses were issued to keep houses of entertainment, the fee in towns being £7 10s. Od., and in small settlements £3 :— John O'Neil, Geo. T. Glaus, John Talbot, Bemis Pixley, James Jackson (in township), Amy Wood, and Henry Humphreys, of London ; Geo. Miller, Atkins & Taylor, Thomas Pettifer, of St. Thomas ; Henry Purdy, of Vienna ; George Dingman, William Sage, of Westminster; John Bolton and J. Whitcornb, of Port Stanley ; Mrs. Westlake, Patrick Mee, George Ivor and Eichard Brenuan, of Adelaide ; Alexander Ward and John Ward, of Mosa ; Abraham Van Norman, of Delaware ; Amos Wheeler, of Dorchester ; Archibald Miller and Jonathan Miller, of Ekfrid. On April 11, 1838, a tavern license was granted to William Balkwill on payment of £7 10s. Od. At this time John McDonald, a grocer, of London, was before the Court. Patrick Deveney was licensed to keep an inn at London in 1839.
In January, 1839, the following named newly-elected magistrates were present : — John Douglas, John G. Bridges, John Jackson, John Burne, Kichard Webb, John Arnold, W. F. Gooding, Peter Carroll, Alex. Sinclair, Henry Carroll, Philip Hodgkinson. In April, 1839, the following tavern licenses were issued : — Gideon Bostwick, of Westminster ; Wm. Marvin, of Dorchester ; Geo. J. Smith, of Ekfrid ; Sam. Sewell, of Adelaide ; James Fisher, of Caradoc ; Anson Strong, of London Town. In April, 1839, the petition of John Burwell was reported unfavorably by H. Hyndman, Chairman of Committee.
In October, 1840, Charles Prior appears among the magistrates; J. B. Clench being Chairman. In 1841, Thomas Cronyn was a magis- trate, and Adam Hope in 1842. In 1843, Henry Allen was Chairman (commonly known as Judge), while Alexander Strathy, Geo. J. Good- hue, Simeon Morrill and Hugh Carmichael, are among the magistrates. In 1845 the name of Alexander Anderson appears.
County Council, 18J$-S8.— -The Councillors of London District in 1842 are named as follows : — Lawrence Lawrason and John Geary, of London ; Andrew Moore and John Burwell, of Bayham ; Daniel Abel and James Brown, of Malahide ; Thomas Hutchison and John Oil, of Yarmouth ; George Elliot and Levi Fowler, of Southwold ; Thomas Coyne, ofDunwich; Thomas Duncan, of Aldborough; William Niles,
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
75
of Dorchester ; John D. Anderson, of Mosa ; John Parker, of Caradoc ; Francis King Carey, of Delaware ; Archibald Miller, of Ekfrid ; Isaac Campbell and Hiram Crawford, of Westminster; John Edwards, of Lobo ; and John S. Buchanan, of Adelaide.
A statement presented to this Council for January 1, 1842, shows the liabilities of the district to be £1,405 3s. 6d., and the assets to be £322 12s. 6d. W. W. Street and Daniel Harvey being auditors. Daniel Abel, Chairman of a committee on law books and jail and court house property, reported twenty volumes in the library, with the jail, debtors' room and county offices plainly but fully furnished. The return of lands, under patent, in the District show 638,914J acres valued at £2,662 2s. lOid.
On Feb. 11, 1842, John Wilson, then Warden, signed a petition, "To the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty," congratulating her "on the birth of a prince and heir apparent to the throne of that mighty empire."
On August 9, 1842, Wm. Niles, Chairman of a Committee to enquire into receipts and expenditures of the office of Clerk of the Peace for the years 1838 to 1841, reported a draft of a communication from the Council to the magistrates in session for their consideration. This com- munication was brought before the magistrates, who declined to con- sider it, and this refusal was followed by other petitions for redress to the Governor- General. The petition to Governor- General Bagot, of August 10, 1842, set forth that, the right of the Council to audit and pay accounts was denied by the Justices of Quarter Sessions, and this denial was sustained by the Court of Queen's Bench in the order of that Court to the Justices to audit and pay. The petition asked that the salaries of all officers should be regulated by the Legislature, and a table of fees established for unknown or uncertain services. The petition further asked that powers be conferred on the Council to compel the attendance of witnesses in road cases. The act of October 12, 1842, provided for the transfer of the Registry office from Dun- wich township to the town of London, such transfer to be made May 1, 1843.
In 1843, Thomas Graham replaced Moore as Councillor, of Bayham ; James Murray replaced Buchanan, of Adelaide, and Samuel Kirkpatrick replaced Thomas Duncan, of Aldborough, and Daniel Abel took the place of James Brown. These were the only changes from the Board of 1842.
In May, 1843, there were £800 in the District treasury above all expenditures. At this time John Burwell presided over the committee which reported in favor of distributing this surplus among the town- ships. The District Councillors for 1844 were Alex. Love and Benj. Willson, of Yarmouth; Samuel Eccles took the place of Levi Fowler, in Southwold; Samuel Kirkpatrick took the place of Duncan, of Aldborough. Otherwise the Council of 1843 was unchanged.
I
76 HISTOKY OF THE
The Council of 1845 comprised the following new members :— Richard Webb, of Delaware, vice Carey; Andrew McGregor, of Dorchester, being the first Second Councillor from the township ; Robert A damson, of Lobo, vice John Edwards ; Thomas Baty, of Westminster, vice H. Crawford ; Wilson Mills, of Caradoc, vice John Parker, with R. W. Brennon, of the new Township of Metcalfe, and Donald Mclntosh, of the new Township of Williams.
In December, 1845, tavern licenses were issued to William Smith. John Nellis, William McBean, William Franks and William Gain, of London Township ; Schubal Nicol, Isaac Mott, Peter McGregor, Henry Palmer and William Hood, of Westminster; W. F. Bullen, of Delaware; Thomas and George Putnam, and Jonathan Hale, of Dorchester South; Duncan Brown, of Lobo; Samuel Fleming and Peter Fields, of Mosa ; James Adair, of Caradoc
The only changes in the Council of 184G, from that of 1845, were : Benjamin Cutler, the first Second Councillor, from Lobo ; Andrew McCausland replaced Brown, of Malahide ; Leonidas Burwell replaced Graham, of Bayham ; Thomas Duncan, of Aldborough, took Kirk- patrick's place, and Joseph Sifton, of London, occupied the chair so long held by L. Lawrason.
In December, 1846, licenses were issued as follows, exclusive of the renewals of those issued in 1845 : — John Stone, Lobo ; W. A. Warren, Delaware ; Wm. Robinson, John H. Young, Roland Robinson, John Scott, Jonas W. Garrison, John McDowall, Finlay McFee, Wm. Harris, Thomas Hiscox, John Smith, Alex. Forbes, Martin Rickard, John Matthews, Peter Burke, Charles Lindsay, Robert Carfrae, Richard Grover, John Walsh, Sol Schenick, Wm. Burne, Paul & Bennett, John O'Neil, Thomas Beckett, Peter McCann, of London ; James Fisher, of <Daradoc ; Henry Rawlins, of Delaware ; Charles Patton, of Adelaide ; Leonard Bisbee, at plank road junction, toward St. Thomas; John O'Dell, Westminster; Arch. Miller, Ekfrid.
The changes in the Council of 1847 from 1846 were Jacob Cline, vice McGregor, of Dorchester ; Win. Neal, vice Anderson, of Mosa ; L. Lawrason, vice Geary, of London; Randolph Johnstone, vice Wilson, of Yarmouth; Levi Fowler, vice Eccles, of Southwold, and James McKirdy, first second councillor from Caradoc.
The Council of 1848 was made up of the following members, the Reeves being named in the first column : —
Aldborough D. McDiarmid ........... London .... Joseph Sifton. . L. Lawrason
Adelaide. Jas. Murray ........... Malahide.. A. McCausland Daniel Abel
Loon. Burwell. Jno. Burwell Metcalfe... R. W. Brennan
Jas. McKirdy . John Parker Mosa ...... Wm. Neal .... A. D. Ward
Richard Webb ............ Southwold. Colin Munroe.. Levi Fowler
Wm. Niles... Jacob Cline Westmins'r Isaac Campbell Cal'n Burch
w T °^^-Ci0yne ........... Williams.. Don. Mclntosh ...........
Ekfrid... Arch Miller.. ........ Yarmouth.. Alex. Love... R.Johnstone
Lobo ...... Robt.Adamson Ben. Cutler
Bayham. Caradoc ... Delaware Dorchester
COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
77
The changes in 1849 were, Patrick Mee and J. A. Scoone elected for Adelaide; Dr. E. Dancey vice McCausland, for Malahide ; John McBride, for Aldborough ; St. John Skinner vice L. Bur well, for Bay- ham, and Malcolm McAlpin vice Miller, for Ekfrid.
In December, 1847, tavern licenses were granted to Tunis S warts, John Matthews, Jerry H. Joyce, Edward Stanley, M. S. Smith, James Dagg, Wm. Black well, Hopkins & Abell, Ben. Higgins, Charles B. Rudd, Thomas O'Mara, James Mason, Alex. Forbes, Maurice Keley, Robert Wyatt or WyalL
On February 9, 1849, Chairman Munro, of the Committee on Schools, presented a lengthy report suggesting changes in old districts, and recommending the establishment of new ones throughout the District.
Wm. W. Street and John McKay, auditors of the