Honouring My Military Ancestors

I have many military ancestors inlcluding my father, uncle, son, paternal grandmother's 5 brothers, maternal grandmother's 3 brothers, and more.

Here are some of those who gave their lives during war:

War of 1812

My 3rd great-grandfather Levi Peer's brother Stephen Peer fell at the Battle of Chippewa during the War of 1812, leaving behind a pregnant wife and young son.

World War 1
 

Philip Edgar Peer

All of my grandmother's brothers fought in WW1. Her youngest brother, Philip Edgar Peer (called Edgar by family), died in France in 1918 just days short of his 21st birthday.

Cecil Sandercock

My husband's great uncles Bill and Cecil Sandercock also fought in WW1 along with their father Samuel. Both Bill and Cecil were killed, one year apart. Bill was killed Aug. 23, 1917, his brother Cecil was at his side. One year later almost to the day, on Aug. 28, 1918, Cecil was killed.  

Bill Sandercock

World War 2

WW2 saw the death of my Uncle, James Nevin (aka Nev) Bonar. He died October 23, 1944 in Belgium at the age of 27.

Please take a few moments today to remember those brave men and women who fought and died, and those who are still fighting in Wars around the world.

Find a War of 1812 Ancestor

Are you looking for an ancestor who fought in the War of 1812?

The new website CanadianMilitaryProject.com has many records to help you in your search

Choose from War of 1812 Overview, Battles, Biographies, Muster Rolls, Medals & Awards, War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815, U.S., War of 1812 Service Records, 1812-1815 , Canada, Registers of Prisoners of War, 1803-1815

The Peer Family in North America: V. 5 Stephen Peer & His Wife Lydia Skinner and their Descendants to 3 Generations

The Peer family, loyal to the British Crown, suffered from persecution in New Jersey throughout the American Revolution. Stephen Peer was born circa 1780 in New Jersey to Jacob & Anna Peer. His father left New Jersey for Upper Canada (present day Ontario) in the summer of 1796.

Stephen married Lydia Skinner, the daughter of the Loyalist Haggai Skinner & his wife Elizabeth Westbrook. Stephen was killed at the Battle of Chippewa during the War of 1812.

This book discusses the life of Stephen, his wife, and their children and grandchildren in those early years. Descendants will enjoy seeing early documents such as land petitions, family photographs, newspaper clippings, and wills.

The Peer Family in North America: V. 5 Stephen Peer & His Wife Lydia Skinner and their Descendants to 3 Generations

Available on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca 

Note for the book on his parents you also need to purchase V. 1 Jacob & Anne Peer available at Amazon.com or Amazon.ca

A Book on the Michigan Peer family

The Peer family, loyal to the British Crown, suffered from persecution in New Jersey throughout the American Revolution. Jacob Peer Jr. and his wife Lucy Powers settled in the wilderness of Upper Canada (present day Ontario) after the American Revolution.

After suffering losses during the War of 1812, Jacob Jr and Lucy left Ontario for Michigan in 1821. This book discusses the lives of Jacob, his wife Lucy, and their children in those early years. Descendants will enjoy seeing early documents such as land petitions, family photographs, probate records and wills.

Available on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca

Note for the book on his parents you also need to purchase V. 1 Jacob & Anne Peer on  Amazon.com or Amazon.ca

• Series: The Peer Family in North America
• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Olive Tree Genealogy (April 5, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1987938054
• ISBN-13: 978-1987938050
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.4 x 11 inches

Names of Those Convicted of High Treason During War of 1812

During the War of 1812,  most of the inhabitants of Upper Canada (present day Ontario) fought on the British side in defence of the colony. Some did their best to stay neutral but some preferred the American side and openly joined the invaders in the fighting.

Civil Secretary's Correspondence, Upper Canada Sundries
May-August 1815, No. 5, A1, Vol. 23

In November and December of 1813 the Canadian militia surprised a group of invaders near Chatham, Ontario. Among the prisoners were 15 residents of Upper Canada. They were sent to York to be tried in the court. Court proceedings began in Ancaster on 23 May 1814. Nineteen men were officially charged with High Treason. In June, the following men were found guity of treason:

Jacob Overholtzer, Aaron Stevens, Garrett Neill, John Johnston, Samuel and Stephen Hartwell, Dayton Lindsey, George Peacock Jr., Isaiah Brink, Benjamin Simmons, Adam Crysler, Isaac Petit, Cornelius Howey, John Dunham, and Noah Payne Hopkinsy. Dayton Lindsey.

Noah Payne Hopkins, John Dunham, Aaron Stevens, Benjamin Simmons, George Peacock Jr., Isaiah Brink and Adam Crysler were executed by hanging on 20 July 1814 at Burlington Heights.

Letter 28 July 1815 Informing Officials of the Deaths

Garrett Neill, Isaac Pettit and Jacob Overholtzer were sent to Kingston Gaol where they remained under sentence of death or transportation for the crime of High Treason. 

Their deaths in prison were reported in 1815 as Garrett Neil on March 6, 1815, Jacob Overholtzer on March 14, 1815 and Isaac Pettit on April 16, 1815 

We learn more details of these men in Vol. XII - Ontario Historical Society, (1923) THE ANCASTER "BLOODY ASSIZE" OF 1814. BY THE HONOURABLE WILLIAM RENWICK RIDDELL, LL.D., F.R.S.C., ETC. Justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario, 1923

Friday, June 17, Issac Petit (Pettit) was placed in the dock before the
Chief Justice. It was made to appear from the evidence that Petit had taken some part with the marauders, but he had refused to accompany them and had been branded as a coward; the case, however, was clear, and he was justly found guilty.

Petitions had already begun to pour in. Jacob Overholzer was described as "an unfortunate but honest old man" by many loyal inhabitants of the Township of Bertie as early as June 11. The Executive Council conferred with the Judges and the Attorney General, and after anxious consideration and careful weighing of all the facts, it was determined that seven might be saved from death; these seven, the Hartwells, Cornelius Howey, Issac Pitt[sic - Petit], Jacob Overholzer, Garret Neill and John Johnson were
respited till July 28, to enable proper enquiry to be made and proper terms fixed for commutation. 

The Chief Justice refusd to advise whom to execute but he recommeded that as the convicted men were all from the Niagara and London Districts, one at least from each District should be executed; at the same time he pointed out that the President had no power to pardon for Treason

In the latter part of the winter there broke out in Kingston Gaol, the dreaded Jail-fever which, under that name, or that of ship-fever, spotted-fever, etc., was the scourge of crowded gaols, ships and other confined places. It was a virulent type of typhus fever, then and for long  after believed to be "generated out of filth and overcrowding, bad diet and close, foul air", but now known to be due to the activity of the busy "cootie", as malaria to the mosquito, and the plague to the rat-flea.

Some of the unhappy prisoners were seized with the disease, and three died of it, Garrett Neill, March 6, Jacob Overholzer, March 14, and Isaac Petit, March 16, 1815.

War of 1812 Incorporated Militia in Upper Canada Census

The War of 1812 took place from June 18, 1812 to February 16, 1815 between Great Britain and America.

Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1937-31-1

The Canadian Incorporated Militia was led by many commanders including  Captain James Kerby (Coy No 1) and Captain Daniel Washburn (Coy No 4). Below is a census substitute for these two companies and their families in 1812 and 1814

March 15, 1814.  List of Men’s Families in Capt. Kirby’s (Kerby) Company of Incorporated Militia

NAMES Azarial Lundy John Reilly Joseph Millard John Brown Richard Hinton

WIVES 1 1 1 1 1

CHILDREN 6 5 1 1 1

15 March 1814. Nominal Return of Women and Children belonging to Capt. Washburn’s Company

WIVES' NAMES Margaret B--- Elizabeth Solomon Susannah Lashue? Patty Burke? Hannah – Nancy Sweet? Mary Fin-- Mary Hoffman Mary Good— Charlotte Napew/Nappan? Nancy Bou— Nancy Reese

CHILDREN'S NAMES James, Stephen? James?, Susannah, Hannah, Thomas, Elizabeth, Charles? James, ?, Mary, ?, ? Katy, John, Mary, ? Henry? Elizabeth None None Susannah James, ?, William, ?, Henry? 4 names, can’t read them ?, ?, Mary John, Peter, William, Jane?, ?

1812 List of Men in Cpt Washburn’s Co.
George Huffman
Freeman Napew/Nappan

Search the War of 1812 database at Library and Archives Canada but note that there are no service files for the Canadian militia. Library and Archives Canada (LAC) holds a vast collection of records about the Canadian men and women who were involved in the War of 1812. Their names can be found on muster rolls, pay lists, claims, certificates of service, land grants, and medal registers. Many of these documents are only available in the original format and have not been microfilmed or digitized.

Preserve the Pensions Project Fully Funded!

Thanks to Judy Russell for posting about this news on Facebook.

The Preserve the Pensions project has been fully funded! An anonymous donor of $500,000, the match by Ancestry, and the donations of FGS2016 attendees have managed to fully fund the project. The War of 1812 pension files will be digitized and put online for all genealogists and researchers to use at no cost.

Preserve the Pensions Project was begun to preserve and digitize 7.2 million pages of War of 1812 Pension Records with the help of the genealogy community.

I think we all need to give a huge thank you to Ancestry.com as well as those individuals who generously gave donations. Ancestry gets bashed a lot in public forums but look at what they have done!  

In support of this monumental task of digitizing 7.2 million pages, Ancestry.com has provided a dollar for dollar matching grant, so every dollar contributed will make four more pages accessible and free for everyone.

This is great news for genealogists who need access to those War of 1812 Pension Records! 

Online family collection chronicles life in Upper Canada and War of 1812

My friend and fellow blogger Gail Dever passed on some very interesting information today about new records online.

 

Online family collection chronicles life in Upper Canada and War of 1812

Mystery: War Of 1812 Veteran’s Gravestone Found In Bridgewater Basement

This is a fascinating story of a War Of 1812 Veteran’s Gravestone Found In Bridgewater Basement

The gravestone belonged to Jabez Harden, born 1796, died 1879, veteran of the War of 1812, but he is not buried there. His original grave is in Pratt Town Cemetery in Bridgewater. 

The mystery is how did Jabez's tombstone end up in a basement? 

Above you can view Jabez's widow's Pension application dated 1879.

It's Here! The Peer Family in N. America V. 5 Stephen Peer & Lydia Skinner

Announcing the following book:
The Peer Family in North America:V. 5 Stephen Peer & His Wife Lydia Skinner and their Descendants to 3 Generations

List Price: $29.99

8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm) 
Full Color on White paper
80 pages

Olive Tree Genealogy

Available on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca or Createspace

See all Lorine's genealogy books available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

The Peer family, loyal to the British Crown, suffered from persecution in New Jersey throughout the American Revolution. Stephen Peer was born circa 1780 in New Jersey to Jacob & Anna Peer. 

His father left New Jersey for Upper Canada (present day Ontario) in the summer of 1796. Stephen married Lydia Skinner, the daughter of the Loyalist Haggai Skinner & his wife Elizabeth Westbrook. Stephen was killed at the Battle of Chippewa during the War of 1812. 

This book discusses the life of Stephen, his wife, and their children and grandchildren in those early years. Descendants will enjoy seeing early documents such as land petitions, family photographs, newspaper clippings, and wills.

Available on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca or Createspace

 

Note that Volumes 1 - 6 are published and can be purchased on these sites:

Lorine's Books on Amazon.com | Lorine's Books on Amazon.ca | CreateSpace Store

Peer Family in N America V 6 Jacob Peer & Lucy Powers

The Peer Family in North America: V. 6 Jacob Peer Jr. & His Wife Lucy Powers and their Descendants to 2 Generations
 
Authored by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

List Price: $45.99
8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
Full Color on White paper
152 pages
Olive Tree Genealogy

Available on Amazon.com or CreateSpace or Amazon.ca

The Peer family, loyal to the British Crown, suffered from persecution in New Jersey throughout the American Revolution. Jacob Peer Jr. and his wife Lucy Powers settled in the wilderness of Upper Canada (present day Ontario) after the American Revolution.

After suffering losses during the War of 1812, they left Ontario for Michigan in 1821. This book discusses the lives of Jacob, his wife, and their children in those early years. Descendants will enjoy seeing early documents such as land petitions, family photographs, probate records and wills.

Note that Volumes 1 - 6 are published and can be purchased on these sites:

Lorine's Books on Amazon.com | Lorine's Books on Amazon.ca | CreateSpace Store

It's Ready! V. 4 Peer Family in N America - Philip Peer & His Wives

The Peer Family in North America:V.4 Philip Peer & his two Wives Ester Dunn and Susan Griniaus and their Descendants to 3 Generations

Authored by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

List Price: $39.99

8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm) 

Full Color on White paper
102 pages

Olive Tree Genealogy

See all Lorine's genealogy books available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca  

The Peer family, loyal to the British Crown, suffered from persecution in New Jersey throughout the American Revolution. 

Philip Peer and his family left Sussex County New Jersey for Upper Canada in the summer of 1796. After his first wife Ester Dunn died Philip married Susan Griniaus. 

This book discusses the lives of Philip, his two wives, and their children and grandchildren in those early years. Descendants will enjoy seeing early documents such as land petitions, family photographs, newspaper clippings, and wills.

Available on Amazon.com or CreateSpace or Amazon.ca

Note that Volumes 1 - 6 are published and can be purchased on these sites:

Lorine's Books on Amazon.com | Lorine's Books on Amazon.ca | CreateSpace Store

New War of 1812 Database Online

Boarding and taking the American Ship Chesapeake
by the Officers and Crew of H.M. Ship Shannon
commanded by Capt. Broke, June 1813

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has just put up another terrific database for the War of 1812

The War of 1812 took place from June 18, 1812 to February 16, 1815. During this conflict between the United States and Great Britain, many military events occurred on Canadian soil.

There are no service files for the Canadian militia; however, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) holds a unique and vast collection of records about the Canadian men and women who were involved in the War of 1812. Their names can be found on muster rolls, pay lists, claims, certificates of service, land grants, and medal registers. Many of these documents are only available in the original format and have not been microfilmed or digitized.

This database does not include the name of every person who served during the war, only those whose names appear in the records that have been indexed for this project from specific fonds. The list indicates the archival reference, volume number(s) and the microfilm reel number, if applicable.

Search the new database for your ancestors.

Image Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1937-31-1

It's Not Just Loyalists! (A Misleading Title on Ancestry)

Recently I poked around a database record set on Ancestry.com. The title is UK, American Loyalist Claims 1776-1835. In the description given by Ancestry we read that "Records in this database relate to Loyalist claims and cases heard by the American Loyalist Claims Commission."

There is more detail given in the description but every sentence stresses that this database provides names and details of Loyalists, those who fled the Colonies during and after the Revolutionary War 1775-1783. However this is incorrect! Badly incorrect.

The records are divided into Series I (AO12) and Series II (AO13). 

Yes there are some Loyalist claims and documents in this set of records. But a very quick look in Series II (AO 13) reveals that in the section titled "American-Loyalist Claims Series II (140) Miscellaneous 1801-1835", we find Claims for Losses in Upper Canada after the War of 1812. 

These claims for losses were not filed by Loyalists but by ordinary citizens who suffered at the hands of the Americans or the Indians during that War. This specific (and valuable!) list of those filing claims is dated May 1824 and begins on image 15 of 228. It ends on image 49 at claimant number 2054.

It's an invaluable database but sadly not many researchers will find it since it is not listed correctly on Ancestry.com. And for those who do stumble on it by searching and finding an ancestor's name, they are almost certain to think that finding that name in this database means that their ancestor was a Loyalist. 

Please don't be fooled. When searching a large database, be sure to scroll back to the start of the specific section your ancestor's name is on. Look for the title of that specific set of records so that you know what you have found and can provide an accurate and correct source for the information.

200 Years of Peace - Something Worth Celebrating

Did you know that as of December 24, 2014 there have been 200 years of peace between Canada and the United States? The War of 1812 had officially ended and a treaty was signed.

The Signing of the Treaty of Ghent

The Treaty of Ghent was signed December 24 1814 between 4 pm and 6 pm by British and American Diplomats ending the War of 1812 and defining the borders of Canada.

An undefended border and 200 peaceful years between two neighbouring countries. That's what I call doing it right! 

Got Canadian Ancestors? Check out Canadian Military Records Online

Got Canadian Military Ancestors?

For those seeking military ancestors in Canada, Ancestry.com has some really great (and obscure!) records that I bet not many genealogists are aware of. I recently found some great information on a few of my ancestors in thees databases. The one that thrilled me the most was a record for my 3rd great grandfather John Greenlees. I found him recorded as 

Name: John Greenless Age: 23
Birth Date: abt 1782 Birth Place: Fermanagh [Ireland]
Military Date: 7 May 1805 Unit: 54th Foot Soldiers
The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Class Number: WO 25; Class Title: 54 Foot; Piece Number: 420; Piece Title: 54 Foot.
Source Information: Ancestry.com. Canada, British Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. 

This record gave his height, hair and eye colour and more! Here is the complete list of Canadian (and British) military records on Ancestry.com for those who may want to give them a quick look.

	Canada, Soldiers of the First World War, 1914-1918	Military	598,682
	Canada, British Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900	Military	467,838
	UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Registers of Soldiers Who Served in Canada, 1743-1882	Military	375,748
	Canada, Military Honours and Awards Citation Cards, 1900-1961	Military	68,047
	Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922	Military	1,609,017
	Canada, War Graves Registers (Circumstances of Casualty), 1914-1948	Military	71,052
	Canada, CEF Commonwealth War Graves Registers, 1914-1919	Military	56,567
	Canada, British Army and Canadian Militia Muster Rolls and Pay Lists, 1795-1850	Military	752,886
	Canada, Loyalist Claims, 1776-1835	Military	24,789
	Canada, Militia and Defence Forces Lists, 1832, 1863-1939	Military	79,630
	Canada, Ledgers of CEF Officers Transferring to Royal Flying Corps, 1915-1919	Military	1,210
	The Loyalists in Ontario	Stories, Memories & Histories	418
	Canada, South African War Land Grants, 1908-1910	Military	7,143
	Canada, British Navy Ship Muster Rolls and Pay Lists, 1757-1836	Military	176,551
	United Empire Loyalists, Parts I-II	Stories, Memories & Histories	22,456
	Canada, British Army Regimental Rolls of Non-commissioned Officers and Soldiers, 1806-1892	Military	30,396
	Canada, Registers of Prisoners of War, 1803-1815	Military	56,505
	Old United Empire Loyalists List	Immigration & Travel	6,353
	Canada, Selected Service Records of Soldiers, 1914-1918	Military	102
	Canada, Selected Service Records of War Dead, 1939-1945	Military	100
	Canada, Pension Applications For Widows and Family of British Military Officers, 1776-1881	Military	843

Convicted of High Treason During War of 1812

During the War of 1812,  most of the inhabitants of Upper Canada (present day Ontario) fought on the British side in defence of the colony. Some did their best to stay neutral but some preferred the American side and openly joined the invaders in the fighting.

Civil Secretary's Correspondence, Upper Canada Sundries
May-August 1815, No. 5, A1, Vol. 23

In November and December of 1813 the Canadian militia surprised a group of invaders near Chatham, Ontario. Among the prisoners were 15 residents of Upper Canada. They were sent to York to be tried in the court. Court proceedings began in Ancaster on 23 May 1814. Nineteen men were officially charged with High Treason. In June, the following men were found guity of treason:

Jacob Overholtzer, Aaron Stevens, Garrett Neill, John Johnston, Samuel and Stephen Hartwell, Dayton Lindsey, George Peacock Jr., Isaiah Brink, Benjamin Simmons, Adam Crysler, Isaac Petit, Cornelius Howey, John Dunham, and Noah Payne Hopkinsy. Dayton Lindsey.

Noah Payne Hopkins, John Dunham, Aaron Stevens, Benjamin Simmons, George Peacock Jr., Isaiah Brink and Adam Crysler were executed by hanging on 20 July 1814 at Burlington Heights.

Letter 28 July 1815 Informing Officials of the Deaths

Garrett Neill, Isaac Pettit and Jacob Overholtzer were sent to Kingston Gaol where they remained under sentence of death or transportation for the crime of High Treason. 

Their deaths in prison were reported in 1815 as Garrett Neil on March 6, 1815, Jacob Overholtzer on March 14, 1815 and Isaac Pettit on April 16, 1815 

We learn more details of these men in Vol. XII - Ontario Historical Society, (1923) THE ANCASTER "BLOODY ASSIZE" OF 1814. BY THE HONOURABLE WILLIAM RENWICK RIDDELL, LL.D., F.R.S.C., ETC. Justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario, 1923

Friday, June 17, Issac Petit (Pettit) was placed in the dock before the
Chief Justice. It was made to appear from the evidence that Petit had taken some part with the marauders, but he had refused to accompany them and had been branded as a coward; the case, however, was clear, and he was justly found guilty.

Petitions had already begun to pour in. Jacob Overholzer was described as "an unfortunate but honest old man" by many loyal inhabitants of the Township of Bertie as early as June 11. The Executive Council conferred with the Judges and the Attorney General, and after anxious consideration and careful weighing of all the facts, it was determined that seven might be saved from death; these seven, the Hartwells, Cornelius Howey, Issac Pitt[sic - Petit], Jacob Overholzer, Garret Neill and John Johnson were
respited till July 28, to enable proper enquiry to be made and proper terms fixed for commutation. 

The Chief Justice refusd to advise whom to execute but he recommeded that as the convicted men were all from the Niagara and London Districts, one at least from each District should be executed; at the same time he pointed out that the President had no power to pardon for Treason

In the latter part of the winter there broke out in Kingston Gaol, the dreaded Jail-fever which, under that name, or that of ship-fever, spotted-fever, etc., was the scourge of crowded gaols, ships and other confined places. It was a virulent type of typhus fever, then and for long  after believed to be "generated out of filth and overcrowding, bad diet and close, foul air", but now known to be due to the activity of the busy "cootie", as malaria to the mosquito, and the plague to the rat-flea.

Some of the unhappy prisoners were seized with the disease, and three died of it, Garrett Neill, March 6, Jacob Overholzer, March 14, and Isaac Petit, March 16, 1815.

52 Ancestors: William Solomon and His Ojibwa Wife

Voyageurs: Lewis Solomon on left

I'm writing about my daughter-in-law's 6th great grandfather William Solomon as part of Amy Crow's Challenge: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks .

William Solomon was the fourth child of Ezekiel Solomon, a German Jewish merchant who had come to New France from Berlin during the Seven Years' War and acted as a supplier to the British army. Following the conquest, Ezekiel Solomon, one of the first non-French fur traders to penetrate as far as the upper Great Lakes, spent part of each year in the interior and the remainder at Montreal, where William apparently received some education. 

By the mid 1790's William was working in the interior as an employee of the North West Company, and he evidently lived for some time with his parents on Mackinac Island (Michigan). There he and an Ojibwa woman, Agibicocoua, had an illegitimate daughter, who was baptized on July 28, 1796. In 1797, 1799, and 1800 he fathered three other illegitimate children. Shortly thereafter he appears to have married Marguerite Johnston, who had been born on Mackinac Isand. The were to have ten children.

William is the 7th great grandfather of four of my grandchildren and his life story is fascinating. His son Lewis Solomon wrote the following narrative:

My name is Lewis Solomon-spelled L-e-w-i-s-though they call me Louie. I was born on Drummond Island in 1821, moved to St. Joseph Island in 1825, back to Drummond Island again, and then to Penetanguishene in 1829. 

My father's name was William Solomon, Government interpreter. His father, Ezekiel Solomon, was born in the city of Berlin, Germany, came to Montreal and went up to the "Sault." [Sault Ste Marie] My father was appointed Indian interpreter by the British Government and was at Mackinaw during the War of 1812, then moved to Drummond Island with the British forces, and afterwards to Penetanguishene. 

My mother's maiden name was Johnston, born in Mackinaw, where she and my father were married. She died in Penetanguishene. My father received his discharge under Sir John Colborne, retiring on a pension of seventy-five cents a day after a continued service of fifty-six years with the Government, and he died at Penetanguishene also.

When the military forces removed from Drummond Island to Penetanguishene, the Government authorities chartered the brig Wellington to carry the soldiers, military and naval supplies, and government stores; but the vessel was too small, and they were obliged to charter another vessel, and my father was instructed by the Government to charter the schooner Hackett (Alice) commanded by the owner, Capt. Hackett.

My father came to Penetanguishene in another vessel with the officers and soldiers. The rest of the family left Drummond Island the next spring (1829). We started on the 25th of June and arrived at Penetanguishene on the 13th of July, coming in a bateau around by the north shore, and camping every night on the way.

My mother, brother Henry and his wife and eight children, myself, Joseph Gurneau and his wife, and two men hired to assist (Francis Gerair, a French-Canadian, and Gow-bow, an Indian), all came in one bateau. We camped one night at the Hudson's Bay Company's fort at Killarney. We landed at the Barrack's Point, near the site of the garrison, and where the officers' quarters were erected, now occupied as a residence by Mr. Band, the Bursar of the Reformatory. We camped there in huts made of poles covered with cedar bark. 

There were only three houses there: a block-house, the quarters of Capt. Woodin, the post-commander; a log-house covered with cedar bark for the sailors near the shore; and a log-house on the hill, called the "Masonic Arms," a place of entertamment kept by Mrs. Johnson.

William brought the Drummond Island settlers to Penetanguishene. They left Michilmackinac on November 16, 1828. A severe snowstorm slowed their progress and the Brig Wellington with its 91 passengers arrived in Penetanguishene November 28, 1828. He died at Penetanguishene on Jan. 26, 1867 and is buried at the old St. Anne's cemetery beside his wife Marguerite.

There is quite a bit of biographical information on William Solomon, such as the following: 

Solomon supported his growing family by working at Michilmackinac, on Mackinac Island, as a clerk for the merchant Joseph Guy and occasionally by doing some interpreting, since he had learned several Indian languages. In 1809 his father died, leaving him land on Mackinac Island and on the mainland at Saint Ignace (Michigan). Though Mackinac had been turned over by the British to the United States in 1796, in accordance with Jay's Treaty, Solomon felt no strong loyalty to the Stars and Stripes. After war broke out between the United States and Great Britain in 1812, a force assembled by Captain Charles Roberts swiftly descended upon Mackinac Island and captured the fort and town for the British on July 17, the first military action of the war and a source of some satisfaction to Solomon. By February 1814 he had secured a position with the Indian Department as an interpreter at 4s 6d per day.

Since the number of British soldiers at Mackinac Island was small, their Indian allies were vital for their survival. When the Americans attempted to recapture the island in 1814, it was the Indians who swung the battle in favour of the British. The Americans never took Mackinac, but under the Treaty of Ghent it was returned to the United States. In July 1815 the British under Lieutenant-Colonel Robert McDouall, withdrew their forces. The following month they settled on nearby Drummond Island and Solomon and his family accompanied them. Solomon was provided with a government lot on which he built a home for his family and established a small farm. His duties were to make out requisitions for provisions and to order the repair of the Indians's guns.

Along with Jean-Baptiste Assiginack and a few others, Solomon was one of the interpreters kept on at Drummond Island as part of the peace-time garrison, which included the Indian Department establishment under the superintendence of William McKay. Though characterized somewhat harshly by John Askin, of official of the department in 1816 as a "sober man" who could not interpret at Indian councils but who "may answer about a post to see an equal distribution of Provisions," Solomon did in fact interpret at various councils. As well, when the Indians of the Upper Lakes flocked to Drummond Island to receive the presents which the British doled out to ensure their loyalty, Solomon probably participated in distributing the goods. In 1816, when the Indian Department was reduced, he lost his job. He was reinstated, however, on May 29, 1821.

The British were not to remain long on Drummond Island, for when the border between Upper Canada and the Unites States was surveyed, it was found to be American territory. Once again the garrison, including Solomon, David Mitchell, and other Indian Department officials, was forced to move, this time to Penetanguishene on Georgian Bay, where a British naval establishment had already been located. In late 1828 a brig was chartered to move the forces, but when it proved too small Solomon was instructed to charter a schooner as well. He did not accompany it, however, since he had been ordered to spend the winter at St. Joseph Island, where he had lived briefly in 1825, in order to inform the Indians about the British move. In all, the families of between 75 and 100 soldiers, voyageurs, and small traders came from Drummond Island to Penetanguishene, which Lewis Solomon, a son described as "then mostly a cedar swamp, with a few Indian wigwams and fishing shanties."

In 1829 William Solomon and his family finally moved to Penetanguishene, although his livestock and implements were lost in a shipwreck on July 12 of that year. He built a home nearby, on lot 105, and continued to work as an interpreter. In 1837 he attended, along with Thomas Gummersall Anderson, Samuel Peters, JARVIS, Jean-Baptiste Assiginack and others, a major Indian conference on Manitoulin Island, which was graphically described by Anna Brownell Jameson ( MURPHY) in her account of travels in Upper Canada. On a longer trip, made in the early 1840's for the distribution of presents, he served as interpreter for a party that included Lord Morpeth, Lord Lennox Jarvis, and 56 voyageurs from Penetanguishene; they visited Manitoulin, Sault Ste. Marie, and Detroit.

Solomon received his discharge on June 30, 1845 and retired on a pension of 75 cents a day, according to his son Lewis. William afterwards moved into town, where he died and was buried in the cemetery of Ste. Anne's Church. Surviving him were a large family and his second wife Josephine Legris, whom he had married late in life.

[Source: Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Volume viii page 830-31 c. University of Toronto Press]

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