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August 31, 2013

List of Prisoners in York (Toronto) Jail 1814

List of Prisoners in York (Toronto) Jail 1814
As I've been researching in the Upper Canada Sundries, I've come across many different lists of names. It seems to me that these lists work in several ways - as substitute census records for early Ontario (Upper Canada), as military lists and as in the case below, as lists of prisoners in various jails.

The images are not always easy to read, the filming is often out of focus but I've done my best to transcribe these lists. If you recognize an ancestor and I've erred in transcribing the name, please leave a comment on this blog entry.

I will eventually be publishing all the transcribed lists on my website Olive Tree Genealogy under the Ontario section. Here is the first of my transcriptions:

List of Civilian Prisoners Sent to York (present day Toronto) from Burlington Heights 7 June 1814

List dated June 19, 1814

Daniel Whitman for murder
Lewis Lyons for robbery [See my Footnote 1]
Joshua Thomson for robbery
Benjamin? Mason?
Joshua? Maybe
Edward Landon
Nathaniel Glack
John Glack
Elisha Smith
Peter Loring
T--- Vail [BDM notes perhaps Jacob Vail]
Warren Fenton [see Footnote 2]
Richard Vanaten
Benjamin --- [BDM notes this is Benjamin Soveran (Sovereign?)]
Peter Vanaten (Van Atten?)
Daniel Vesley?
William Sickle?
Griffith Colver
Joseph Wolley
Jonas Sprigg
Barney? Huntley?
William Cronk
 Nathan Man

signed Alex Cuppage? (can't read rest)

Note at bottom left of list: N. Warren Fenton, William Sickle and Griffith Colver were before confined, sent up to Ancaster for [next 6 words difficult to read] (signed) T. T.

Source: Microfilm C 4544 Upper Canada Sundries. Civil Secretary's Correspondence. Volume 20 May-August 1814 p. 8510

Footnote 1: I also found this reference at http://archive.org/stream/jstor-1134290/1134290_djvu.txt to Lewis Lyons and what interests me is the connection to my Ontario Peer family. Lewis' mother was Marcia Peer sister of my ancestor Levi Peer: 


Lewis Lyons was convicted at York (now Toronto) in November, 1814, 
before Chief Justice Thomas Scott, of stealing a sum of money in the 
dwelling house of Harklan [Lorine's note: this should be Harkar]
 Lyons, but pardoned on the recommendation of the trial judge. Can. 
Arch., Sundries, U. C, Sept.-Dec, 1814. 
 
Lewis' petition to Sir Drummond is found in Vol. 6, p. 36 of RG 5B3 
but this is an old reference. I am looking for updated descriptions and references 
 
 
 
Footnote 2: Warren Fenton has a petition to Sir Drummond on file Vol. 6, p 30-32 
of RG 5B3
 
 



2 comments:

  1. Hi Lorine, I think no. 11 is Jacob Vail; no. 14 is Benjamin Soveran; agree with the rest of your question marks (too bad the focus is not great, eh?). This is good of you to post lists from the Sundries!

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  2. Brenda - thanks for the update/corrections!

    The Upper Canada Sundries are so frustrating. I have found many lists of names and especially some for women and children of families pre 1814 - but - the focus is so blurry that most are impossible to read!

    I'm still going to put them online with my best interpretation. Perhaps someone will recognize a name.

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