A Hub of Trade and Industry (Part 1)

Survey Map: Second Welland Canal at Port Robinson
(Brock University Archives)

Port Robinson, a small community west of Niagara Falls, owes its existence to the Welland Canal. When the First Welland Canal opened in 1829, boats were able to bypass Niagara Falls by sailing from Port Dalhousie on Lake Ontario to the Welland River, then down the Welland River to where it meets the Niagara River at Chippewa. Port Robinson, named after John Beverley Robinson, chief justice of Upper Canada, grew where the canal met the Welland River. In the years following the canal was extended to Lake Erie, but for many years Port Robinson was a hub of trade and industry.

John H. Thompson’s Jubilee History of Thorold Township and Town, published in 1898, describes Port Robinson during the 1840s:

A great deal of business was done there, for a large number of people were constantly coming and going, as this was the central point for travellers. A steamboat made daily trips between Buffalo and Port Robinson, carrying hundreds of passengers during the navigation season; a line of passenger packets plied daily during the open season between Port Robinson and Dunnville; a daily stage coach was laden with passengers on each trip to and from St. Catharines; and mail coaches cane to the village from Wellandport and way stations, and from St. Johns West and North Pelham. A four-horse stage coach also carried passengers and the mail between Port Robinson and Hamilton.

At its heyday in the mid 19th century, Port Robinson had a sawmill, carding mill, two grist mills, a shipyard and dry dock, four hotels, six saloons, several blacksmiths, numerous other shops and four churches. Two of the churches are still standing, however, all that remains of the Port Robinson Presbyterian Church are the concrete steps that once were the entrance to the church.

According the brass plaque mounted on the steps, the congregation was formed about 1825 and closed in 1947. The surrounding cemetery is thought to contain about 130 burials and is now in the care of the City of Thorold. For CanGenWeb's Cemetery Project I was able to find and photograph 75 gravestones, many of which lie flat on the ground and have become encroached with grass. The Ontario Genealogical Society transcription lists several additional gravestones that I was unable to locate.

The most frequent name found on the gravestones is Elliot. Andrew Elliot (1775-1857), his wives Jane Scott (1786-1819) and Ann Hume (1812-1892), and eight of his fifteen children are buried at Port Robinson, as well as several grandchildren.

Ten years before the opening of the canal, Andrew Elliot brought his family from Albany, New York to the Niagara Peninsula. Andrew was born in Hawick, Roxburgshire, Scotland about 1775 but had emigrated to the United States before 1790. His wife, Jane Scott, was also born in Hawick and had emigrated with her parents probably at the same time as Andrew. Andrew and Jane were married in 1803. Andrew was a sawyer who operated a sawmill in Albany. Why he decided to come to Upper Canada is not known.

Robert Elliot House

Andrew and Jane had eight children. Only the youngest, Robert, was born in Upper Canada. Robert became a merchant and owned a general store in Port Robinson. In 1845 he married Maria Darling. Maria died in 1849, shortly after the death of her two month old son Andrew. In 1851 Robert married Susan Caniff. The year after his second marriage he built a 2 1/2 story brick house which still stands and is a designated property. Robert was elected Reeve of Thorold Township in 1857 and was also a charter member of the Port Robinson Division of the Sons of Temperance.

His brother, James Elliot (1811-1879) was a sawmill foreman at Port Robinson, and later a farmer in Crowland Township. The Gazetteer and Business Directory of Lincoln and Welland Counties for 1879 records him at Lot 10 Concession 1 in Crowland, as does the 1862 Tremaine's Map of the Counties of Lincoln and Welland, Canada West. Another brother, Andrew Elliot (1817-1878), was a butcher in Port Robinson. In April of 1849 he and his wife Elizabeth Darby (1821-1889) lost three children, presumably to disease.

Their mother, Jane died in 1819 at the age of 33, shortly after her arrival in Upper Canada and the birth of Robert. Her gravestone is the oldest at Port Robinson Presbyterian. Many years later her husband Andrew remarried. Ann Hume was 28 years younger than Andrew. In fact she was younger than Andrew’s two oldest children.

Andrew Elliot 1775-1859

Andrew and Ann had seven children. Their names and dates of birth are recorded in a farm account book housed at the Brock University Library in St Catharines, part of the Andrew Elliot family Fonds. The youngest child, Jane, was born in 1851 when Andrew was 76 years old. The deaths of two of Andrew and Ann’s children are also recorded in the account book and their gravestones can be found at Port Robinson Presbyterian.

Andrew's death on 26 Jan 1857 was recorded in the account book and on his gravestone. Ann's funeral was recorded in the diary of Melvin Byron Misener on Monday, May 16, 1892: "We were at old Mrs. Elliot's funeral in forenoon." The diary also records the funerals of Robert in 1874, Andrew in 1878, and James in 1879.

Descendants of Andrew Elliot continued to live in the Port Robinson area into the 20th century, but with the completion of the Third Welland Canal in 1881, the importance of Port Robinson as a commercial centre quickly declined.

Orphaned Gravestones

Hazen Cemetery, Walsingham, Norfolk, Ontario

According to its official website, Norfolk County in Southwestern Ontario has 111 documented cemeteries and burial sites. Settlement of this area on the north shore of Lake Erie began more than two centuries ago, so it is common to find gravestones dating from the early to mid 19th Century. One name that appears on a number of these gravestones is Secord.

In genealogical circles there is considerable interest in the Secord name, primarily due to the connection with War of 1812 heroine Laura Secord. Laura’s husband, James Secord (1773-1841), was the son of James Secord (1732-1784), a Loyalist refugee during the American Revolution and brother of my ggggg-grandmother Mary Beebe née Secord (1736- ?). While none of James Secord’s children or grandchildren settled in Norfolk County, many of his cousins were pioneers in what was known as the Long Point Settlement.

The largest collection of Secord gravestones is found at Hillcrest Cemetery in Charlotteville Township. Other graveyards in Norfolk, however, contain only single Secord burials. This post looks at four of these “orphaned” graves.

Mary Elizabeth Secord (1884-1897)

Mary Elizabeth Secord
(1884-1897)

Mary, the oldest daughter of William Gourley Secord (1864-1946) and Ada Maria Lemon (1861-1920) was born in Simcoe, Ontario on 15 Sep 1884. While her parents are both buried at the Oakwood Cemetery in Simcoe. Mary was buried at Walsh Baptist in Walsingham Township after her death at the age of 12. The official cause of her death was “congestion of brain” which could describe a number of conditions. Several years ago a descendant of William Gourley Secord posted online that Mary died “of blood poisoning from a cut by a rusty fence.”

William Gourley Secord was the son of Abraham Wartman Secord (1832-1904). William’s grandfather was also named Abraham Wartman Secord (1795-1852). The Wartman name comes from Susannah Wartman (1758-1842), the wife of William’s great-grandfather John Secord (1757-1830).

John Secord was born in Westchester County, New York. A few years before the start of the American Revolution, John’s father had settled his family on the Susquehanna River near what is now Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania. During the Revolutionary War, John’s father choose to abandon his farm since he and his son remained loyal to the British. They first moved up the Susquehanna to Tioga Point and later to Fort Niagara.

John served under John Butler in the Indian Department and later in Butler’s Rangers. He was likely present at the Battle of Oriskany during the Saratoga Campaign in 1777, and at the Battle of Wyoming in 1778. A certificate attached to John Secord’s 1798 Upper Canada Land Petition gives some more details about his activities during the war:

These may certify that Mr John Secord Junr when in the late Corps of Rangers commanded by Lt Colo John Butler, in many instances behaved himself as a brave man, having after the Battle of Wyoming, when the Loyalists were retreating towards Niagara (and found it necessary to have a better supply of Provisions) returned by desire of the commanding officer to Wyoming, with only eight men and brought from the Enemy, One Hundred and forty head of Cattle – upwards of ninety Head were drove to Aughquaga, and there issued to the troops, and the others used for an immediate Supply – and in all other instances he behave with a manly spirit in opposing the Enemy &c – Given under our Hands – [Signed] Peter Hare, Andrew Bradt, Benj: Pawling, John Turney, Bernard Frey, Jesse Pawling, P Ball, D. Servos, R. Clench Lt B Rangers, Saml Thompson

John was often known as "Deaf John" because of the hearing loss he suffered during the war.

Drusilla Aramenta Secord (1860-1864) 

Drusilla Aramenta Secord
(1860-1864)

Determining Drusilla Aramenta’s parentage was a bit of a challenge since her father’s initials were obscured on her gravestone in Bell Mill Cemetery in Middleton, Township. Eventually, research led to Sarah Rebecca Secord née Buck (1832-1921) and her husband, John Lampman Secord (1824-1912). Drusilla Aramenta was the fifth of Sarah and John’s seven children.

Like several of his brothers, John later emigrated with his wife and family to the United States. In the 1885 Iowa State Census, John is shown as a farmer in Highland Township in Green County. Sometime after 1900, John and Sarah moved to Crookston, Polk, Minnesota and later retired to Twin Falls, Idaho where both are buried.

John Lampman Secord was the brother of Abraham Wartman Secord and thus the great-uncle of Mary Elizabeth Secord. The Lampman name comes from his mother, Elizabeth Ann Lampman (1794-1832).

Almira Secord née Fuller (1834-1854) 

Almira Secord née Fuller
(1834-1854)

Almira Secord née Fuller was the first wife of Robert Addison Secord (1826-1909), brother of Abraham Wartman Secord and John Lampman Secord. Almira was the daughter of Stephen Fuller (1802-1881) and Elizabeth (1801-1888), and married Robert in 1852. She is buried at Clear Creek Cemetery in Houghton Township where her parents are also buried. Almira likely died from complications of childbirth. Her daughter, Marilla Amelia Secord (1854-1928) was raised by Stephen and Elizabeth.

After Almira’s death, Robert emigrated to the United States and settled in Cordova, Rock Island, Illinois He married Lucy Ann Ormstead in 1858. A daughter, Emma, was born the following year. Eight other children followed.

Robert served in the 126th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War from 1862 until 1865. His unit participated in the Siege of Vicksburg in 1863. For most of the war, however, his unit was part of the Union’s occupation force in Arkansas.

A few years after the Civil War, Robert moved with his wife and four children to Tama County, Iowa. A decade late they moved to Otoe County, Nebraska. Robert and Lucy are buried in Wyuka Cemetery in Nebraska City.

Robert was named after Church of England clergyman Robert Addison (1754–1829) who baptised him in 1827.

Janette Secord (1858-1860)

Janette Secord (1858-1860)

Janette, the oldest daughter of Asa Secord (1833-1898), a lumberman, and Mary Ann Laforge (1840-1915) was buried at Hazen Cemetery.

Commercial lumbering was a major industry in Norfolk Country during the mid 19th Century. Like many of his generation, Asa worked as a lumberman for several years then emigrated to Michigan.

Asa was the son of Asa Secord (1795-1877) and Jeanette Brown of Oakland Township in Brant County. Asa was the fourth oldest of 18 children and was only a few years younger than his father’s second wife, Sarah Elizabeth Darling. Asa’s grandfather was John Secord (1762-1817), a cousin of James Secord.

Mary Ann Laforge was the daughter of Peter Laforge (1805-1872) and Mary Gumberson. Her father was French Canadian and her mother was English.

Peter Laforge was born in Detroit shortly before a fire destroyed most of that settlement. As a child he may have experienced the Siege of Detroit during the War of 1812. His father, Louis Basile Laforge (1768-1839) had been born in Berthier, Quebec while his mother, Jeanne Archange (1768-1806), had been born in Detroit. Detroit has been part of New France until its capture by the British in 1760 during the French and Indian War. Detroit remained a French community and society for many years thereafter. During the American Revolution, Detroit served as the base for a detachment of Butler’s Rangers. In 1795, the Jay Treaty transferred ownership of Detroit to the United States but it was not until the following year that the Americans took possession.

Mary Gumberson is something of a mystery. Her last name only appears on the marriage registrations of two of her children. She is shown with her husband and six children including 12-year-old Mary Ann in the 1852 living in Walsingham, Norfolk. The census lists her place of birth as England and her age as 26, however, it is unlikely that Mary gave birth to her oldest daughter Caroline when she was 11.

Other “Orphans”

There are several other orphaned Secord gravestones in Norfolk County. For example, Abraham Wartman Secord (1795-1852) is buried at Sipprell Cemetery in Walsingham Township, however, the cemetery is located on private property. At Port Royal Cemetery in Walshingham is the grave of John Secord (1787-1869), a cousin of Asa Secord (1795-1877). Regretably, with the exception of the graves of Laura Secord nee Ingersoll and her husband James Secord at Drummond Hill Cemetery in Niagara Falls, and of James's brother Solomon Secord (1755-1799) at Homer Cemetery near St. Catharines, the burial spots of the older generation of Secords remain unknown.

Margaret Priscilla Ritchie (1890-1893)

Margaret Ritchie's Gravestone

While photographing McKee Pioneer Cemetery for the CanadaGenWeb Cemetery Project last summer, I came across this difficult to read gravestone. According to the OGS Wellington Branch transcription, this was the gravestone of Elizabeth E. Ritchie, the daughter of George and Fanny A. Ritchie who had died at three years of age.

A few months later on a return visit to the cemetery, the sun's position was such that most of the inscription could be read. The inscription, however, read Margaret P. Ritchie. Curious I did some online research using FamilySearch, Ancestry, and Findagrave and discovered the following:

Margaret Priscilla Ritchie was born on 22 Jan 1890 in East Garafraxa Township west of Orangeville, Ontario. Her parents were George Ritchie and Fanny Ann Cope. Margaret was the third child of George and Fanny. According to her death registration, Margaret died of "inflammatory croup" on 15 May 1893.

George and Fanny had eight more children after Margaret, all of whom survived until adulthood. At some point prior to the 1901 Census, George purchased a farm in West Luther Township northeast of Arthur, Ontario. According to his death registration, George was a leap year baby, having been born on 29 Feb 1864. George died in 1933 of "myocardial failure" and is buried at Greenfield Cemetery in Arthur. Fanny died in 1947 and is buried with her husband.

Elizabeth Ritchie's Gravestone

George's father David Ritchie and his mother Elizabeth Stewart are both buried at McKee Cemetery. David was born in County Armagh, Ireland about 1820 and came to Canada in 1850. David purchased a farm in West Garafraxa Township. Sometime between 1850 and the birth of his first child in 1855, he married Elizabeth Stewart who had also been born in Ireland. David and Elizabeth had six children, three of whom died within one week in the winter of 1862. Elizabeth died in 1868 when George was four years old. David remarried in 1870 and again in 1874. David died in 1905.

The Effigy of Thomas Chafe of Dodscott

The Effigy of Thomas Chafe of Dodscott
St Giles in the Wood, Devon, England

One of the more striking features of of the parish church of St Giles in the Wood in North Devon is this 17th century wooden effigy.

The inscription reads:

In
Piam
THOMAE CHAFE
Generosi memoriam
Ex per antiqua CHAFORUM de CHAFE-COMBE familia in Comitatu
SOMERSET oriundi; ex collegio EXON in Academia OXON Artium
Magistri; viri probitate, virtute, ac ingenio insigis; qui in Apostolica
fide constante versatus, in beatae justorum, resurrectionis spe Animam
expiravit XXVto die Novemb Anno salutis, 1648
aetatisq suae Climacterico Magno
eXVVIas sVas eXVIt MeDICVs
Uxorem reliquit MARGERIAM, filiam PHILIPPI BURGOYNE clarrissima
BURGOYNORUM prosapia orti; Matronam religiosissimam bonorumq
operum plenissimam quae et obdormiuit in Domino die
Anno a Chro nato 16 aetatis
vero suae

ABSTULIT A NOBIS MISERE QUEM FLEM' ADEMPTUM
AESTULIT E VIVIS MORTIS INIQUA MANUS
NEC CECIDIT SOLUS; NAMQ ET PRUDENTIA VIRTUS,
CANDOR, AMOR, PIETAS, INTERIERE SIMUL,
TESTE VEL INVIDIA, VITA EST, LETHOQ BEATUS
VIVUS ERAT DOMINI, MORTUUS IN DOMINO

Which translates as:

In pious memory of the noble Thomas Chafe arisen from the very ancient family of the Chafes from Chaffcombe in the county of Somerset, Master of Arts from Exeter College in the University of Oxford; a man remarkable in probity, virtue and character who having been devoted in constant apostolic faith breathed out his spirit on the 25th day of November in the year of grace 1648 and in his grand climacteric year, in hope of the blessed resurrection of the Just. The doctor rejoiced exceedingly at his loud howlings. He left a wife Margery, daughter of Philip Burgoyn sprung from the most famous stock of the Burgoyns, a most religious matron and most full of good works who too went to sleep in Christ on the [blank]day of [blank] in the year since the birth of Christ 16[blank] of her age [blank]
He took away from us misery
He took away from the living the unjust hand of death
Neither did he fall alone, for prudence, virtue
Honesty, love and piety perished at the same time
With envy as witness [unknown]
Of the Lord he was alive, he died in the Lord

Thomas Chaffe (abt 1585 -1648) of Dodscott was the third son of Thomas Chaffe of Exeter (? -1604) and Dorothy Shorte (? -1612). His sister, Pascoe Chafe, was the wife of Tristram Risdon of Winscott (abt 1580-1640), author of The Chorographical Description or Survey of the County of Devon. Thomas married Margaret Burgoyne (? -1655). In his will dated September 24, 1648 he appoints his "hopeful godson and young nephew" Thomas Chafe (1611-1662) executor and directs him to inter his body "as neere as he can by my sister Risedon, and I doe ordain appointe and require £30 rather more than lesse to be bestowed in a monument of my Effigies by my Esecutor, of whose ove herin I am no diffident, who have reaped so many gratuities formely from mee, and now in present burthening his conscience for effecting it as he shall answer coram Deo. I desire him to inscript in my monument some memory of his good Aunt Risedon, and of the family deceased there interred, also of my wife and her two children, noe great onus to an ingenious, generous, and gratefull minde." Thomas Chafe was buried at St Giles in the Wood on 29 Nov 1648.

The dates of Margaret Burgoyne's death and burial were never inscribed on the monument. Her burial on 30 Mar 1655 is recorded in the St Giles in the Wood parish register.

The effigy is described in detail in Charles Worthy's Devonshire Wills, published in 1896:

In accordance with his uncle's injunctions, Thomas Chafe erected in the chancel of St. Giles, and within the altar-rails, a high tomb to the memory of deceased, with his effigy thereon. The figure, with moustache and peaked beard, is lying upon the right side, the face supported by the hand, the elbow resting upon a cushion. The costume consists of a coif or skull-cap which entirely conceals the hair, a short cloak with tight sleeves, and which being open in front shows that the body is protected by a cuirass, frequently worn in those troublous times, fastened down the front with studs; breeches and long stockings gartered below the knee with roses or knots, and on the feet are low shoes similarly decorated. There were also two female figures, who probably represented the two children referred to in the will. Over the figure are three coats of arms. In the centre the ancient, but questionable, arms of Chafe, already blazoned, with mantling and crest: A demi lion ramp. or, holding between its paws a fusil, az.

On the dexter side; Chafe impaling Burgoyne: Az. a talbot pass. arg. in chief a mullet.

And on the sinister side; Risdon: Arg. 3 bird bolts sa., impaling Chafe.

Thomas Chafe's epitaph

The inscription is interesting in that it describes Chafe as having died in the year of his grand climacteric (63). The inscription also contains a chronogram. The Roman numerals in the line "eXVVIas sVas eXVIt MeDICVs" add up to 1648, the year of Chafe's death.

When the church was rebuilt in 1862 the effigy was removed from its original position in the chancel within the alter rails and placed against the south wall of the tower. Worthy writes, "The two female figures then disappeared; and I understand that 'they fell to pieces, and could not be put together again.'"

In 1987 the effigy was carefully restored, and placed in the newly created Mary Withecombe Chapel.

Sources:

Worthy, Charles. Devonshire Wills. Bemrose & Sons, 1896.

Worthy, Charles. “Thomas Chafe, of Doddescote, Gentleman.” Report & Transactions of the Devonshire Association, vol. 19, 1887, pp. 531–537.

William Cooke: From Devon to Gaspe

William Cooke (1791-1867)

In 1817, my ggg-grandfather William Cooke left High Bickington, Devon, England to assume management of a fishing station located at Great Paradise on Placentia Bay on the south coast of Newfoundland. The fishing station had previously been owned by William's great-uncle George Cooke and had been inherited by William's father in 1790. William was the youngest son of George Cooke of Langley Barton, High Bickington and was the grandson of Michael Cooke of East Dodscott, St Giles in the Wood.

The first record of the Cooke family in St Giles in the Wood is the baptism of George, son of Michael and Margaret Cooke in 1742. A daughter, Mary, was baptised in 1744 and a son, Michael, in 1748. Michael and Margaret had at least two other children: Michael who was buried at St Giles in the Wood in 1747 at the age of seven, and Rebecca., who married in 1761. As Michael and Rebecca's baptisms are not recorded at St Giles in the Wood, it can be assumed that Michael and Margaret Cooke came to St Giles about 1741.

Michael Cooke, the son of Michael Cooke and Mary Carter, was baptised in Otterton, in the south of Devon, in 1707. Michael's brother George was buried at Otterton in 1790, and although his baptism is not recorded there, George's will clearly supports the Otterton connection. In his will dated 27 July 1788 he writes, "In the Name of God Amen I George Cooke formerly of Otterton, but now of Saint Giles in the County of Devon Mariner..." George owned property in the Parishes of Langtree and Topshaw as well as at Paradise in Newfoundland. George requested that "I desire to be buried in Otterton Church Yard as near to my late wife as ___ may be." George also had a watch which he bequeathed to his grandnephew, also named George.

Michael Cooke most likely moved to St Giles in the Wood at the request of Henry Rolle, later Baron Rolle of Stevenstone, and took up occupancy of East Dodscott as a yeoman farmer. His daughter Rebecca married William Snell of South Dodscott in 1761 and they had numerous children. Michael's daughter Mary married Thomas Loveband of Yarnscombe in 1767 but they did not have any children.

Dodscott is listed as Dodecota in the Domesday Book. It was acquired by George Rolle of Stevenstone in the 16th century and was formerly the home of Thomas Chafe whose effigy can be found inside the church at St Giles in the Wood. The East Dodscott farmhouse is a listed building described as a 16th century farmhouse with major 17th century improvements. 

Three gravestones at St Giles in the Wood

Michael Cooke was buried at St Giles in the Wood in 1777. His slate headstone is a listed monument. Nearby are a group of three headstones that are also listed. The first records the deaths of Michael and Margaret's sons, Michael in 1747 at the age of seven and his brother Michael in 1771 at the age of 23. Beside this is a gravestone with no name or date but bearing a poetic epitaph in praise of "a tender mother, a virtuous wife." This gravestone covers the front of a third gravestone which records the death of Rebecca Snell, however, the date is obscured. The St Giles in the Wood parish register records a 1779 burial for Rebecca, wife of William Snell.

After Michael Cooke's death, occupancy of East Dodscott transferred to his son George. George married Elizabeth "Betty" Walkey, daughter of John Walkey, in December 1777 at Great Torrington. In 1783, George purchased Langley Barton in High Bickington for £1935 but did not take up residency until 1788. George and Betsy both died in 1821 and were buried inside the church of St Giles in the Wood. Unfortunately, their ledger stone is now badly worn and very little of the inscription can be read.

Langley Barton, High Bickington, Devon

Langley Barton is a Grade II listed manor house believed to date from the early 17th century. The house was previously the home of the Pollard family and it is believed the Pollards lived there from 1303 to 1732. The Pollard coat of arms are carved about the entrance and a fireplace stone (now concealed) bears the initials RP and the date 1624 (most likely Richard Pollard). The house has a five bay south-facing front and retains numerous 17th century features including a staircase, panelled door and fireplace.

George and Betty had twelve children. One daughter, Maria, died before her first birthday in 1793. A second daughter, Sarah, died in 1798 at three years of age. Elizabeth died in 1804, two months before her 17th birthday. Two other daughters, Mary and Rebecca, never married and lived in Barnstaple.

The eldest son, Michael, married Mary Wood of Westleigh in 1809. For the next twelve years Michael Cooke occupied East Dodscott in St Giles in the Wood. Michael inherited Langley Barton in 1821 and lived there until his death in 1866. Michael's son George then inherited Langley Barton, however, sold the property in 1878. Two of Michael Cooke's children emigrated to the United States, Dr. William Henry Cooke who settled near Peoria, Illinois and Charlotte Caroline Cooke who married William Newell Vicary of Great Torrington and settled in Stafford, Genesee, New York. Another son, Michael Cooke, was a surgeon in Barnstaple.

Prayer Book of Ann Cooke (1782-1827)

George and Betty's daughter Ann married Anthony Loveband, son of Anthony Loveband of Yarnscombe. It is interesting to note that Ann's aunt, Mary Cooke, had married Anthony's uncle, Thomas Loveband. George Cooke and Anthony Loveband were partners in a private bank established in Great Torrington in 1802. In 1821 the partnership was dissolved but the bank continued as Loveband & Co until its 1843 amalgamation with the National Provincial Bank of England. A collection of family and estate papers was recently deposited at the North Devon Record Office in Barnstaple. Included in the collection is Ann Cooke's Book of Common Prayer and an account book that records the birth of Ann's two children and her death in 1827. Ann and Anthony were buried at St Andrew's in Yarnscombe.

George Cooke's son George, who presumably inherited his great-uncle's watch, married Mary Best of Bishops Tawton and became a coal merchant in Bideford. His brother John married Mary Lake of Witheridge, Devon and was a tanner in Fareham, Hampshire. Their sister, Charlotte, married James Wood of Westleigh, brother of Mary Wood. Charlotte, her daughter Mary Rebecca Wood and her husband James are buried at St Peter's in Westleigh.

Cooke ledger stone, St Giles in the Wood

Samuel Cooke married Elizabeth Edwards, daughter of William Edwards and Elizabeth Chichester. Elizabeth Chichester was the daughter of the Revd William Chichester and the granddaughter of Sir John Chichester, 4th Baronet of Youlston. Samuel was involved in a number of activities including timber merchant, wine and spirit merchant, and gentleman farmer. There are also indications that Samuel acted as the English agent for his brother William. Samuel occupied East Dodscott in St Giles in the Wood after his brother Michael inherited Langley Barton. All four of his children were baptised at St Giles in the Wood. Samuel, his son Wakeman Edwards and his mother-in-law were buried inside the church of St Giles in the Wood. There is also a window and brass plaque in memory of Samuel Cooke and his wife Elizabeth Edwards.

My ggg-grandfather William Cooke married Lucinda Power of Liverpool, Nova Scotia. Nine children were born in Newfoundland, although only the birth dates of five of them have been discovered. It is known that in 1821 William inherited his father's share in the ship Friends, a brig of 69 tons built at Cleavehouses, Barnstaple in 1812.

An account of William Cooke, written in 1835, appears in the journal of the Revd Edward Wix, a Church of England missionary:

Saturday, March 14. - In the morning started in the sleet and rain, and in a very wet condition from my last night's lair, to find the south east bight, and was more successful in my search, than the preceding evening. I was most humanely entertained by a Roman Catholic planter, Handlin and his wife, at whose house I dried and warmed myself, and after breakfast, was put over the bight in a punt, whilst it was blowing very heavily, and afterwards proceeded on foot to the winter-house of Mr. William Cooke, (of Bideford, England) at Red Cove. As Mrs. Cooke, much to my regret, had, on the first intimation of my arrival, walked nearly three miles to their summer residence at Adam's Island, in Paradise Harbour, to receive me there, I accompanied her husband to this place, where he has been settled eighteen years, and has a fine establishment. Finding that Mrs. C., who is the mother of a very interesting family, (if not a native,) was formerly a resident of Liverpool, in Nova Scotia, to the inhabitants of which place I am warmly attached, it was delightful to me to have an opportunity of speaking of scenes and persons which will ever be dear to my memory.

Another account is the diary of William Harding. Harding was employed by William Cooke as a fisher and blacksmith from April 1818 to October 1820 and married Cooke's housekeeper in July 1820, "according to the Rights of the Church of England by Wm. Cooke Esq. and merchant of the Harbour."

William Cooke left Newfoundland about 1840 and settled on a farm at New Carlisle on the south coast of the Gaspe Peninsula. The farm remained in the family until the death of his great-grandson, Alfred Harris Cooke in 1977. New Carlisle records often refer to William Cooke as a schoolmaster, suggesting he left the operation of the farm to his oldest son, William.

The first record of William Cooke in New Carlisle is the marriage of his daughter, Julia Ann, to Jessie Caldwell in 1841. His oldest daughter, Anna Eliza, married Matthew Caldwell in 1842, and his daughter Mary married Amasa Beebe in 1844. The record of this marriage in the St Andrew's parish register is interesting as it indicates that William and Lucinda were elsewhere at the time of Mary's wedding.

On this twenty first day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred & forty four Amasa Beebe of New Carlisle Farmer, Son of Joshua Beebe of said place Farmer & the deceased Margaret McKinnon his former wife & Mary Cooke Daughter of William Cooke formerly of New Carlisle Schoolmaster & of Lucinda Power his wife, were married after due publication of banns in presence of James Craig & Hugh Caldwell & others, the said parties having been illegally married on the twenty first day of July, one thousand eight hundred & forty one by a Justice of the Peace.

One possibility is that William had returned to England for an extended visit. It is known that William was in Devon in 1836 where an assignment of lease refers to him as "William Cooke of Newfoundland, North America, but now of Bideford, merchant." 

New Carlisle 1865 by Thomas Pye

New Carlisle was settled in 1784 by Loyalist claimants and discharged soldiers of the British Army. Five of William Cooke's children married descendants of the original settlers. Amasa Beebe was the son of Joshua Beebe and the grandson of Joshua Beebe and Mary Secord. Before the American Revolution, Joshua Beebe and Mary Secord had been living in Pennsylvania on the Upper Branch of the East Susquehanna River. Joshua Beebe was a Loyalist, and in 1777 he and his oldest son, Adin Beebe, enlisted in Butler's Rangers.

In the summer of 1778, just prior to the Battle of Wyoming, Mary Secord and her children were evacuated first to Tioga Point near Athens, Pennsylvania, where Amasa Beebe's father was born in August, and then to Fort Niagara. Mary Secord's husband died of smallpox in October 1778, after being captured by the Americans. Mary Secord and her children were eventually sent to the refugee camp at Machiche near Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Mary Secord married Christopher Pearson at Machiche and they were among the first settlers at New Carlisle in 1784. Mary Secord lived to well over one hundred. Her brother, James Secord, a Loyalist who was granted land west of the Niagara River, was the father-in-law of the Canadian heroine Laura Secord.

William Cooke's daughter, Louisa, married Hugh Chisholm in 1846. The youngest daughter, Charlotte Rosa married James Milne in 1854. Two sons, Alfred Wood Cooke and George Cooke did not marry.

William Cooke's oldest son, William, married Judith Chatterton, the granddaughter of Samuel Chatterton and Charlotte Beebe. Samuel Chatterton was a member of the 31st Regiment of Foot and received a land grant in New Carlisle upon his discharge from the British Army after the American Revolution. Charlotte Beebe was the older sister of Joshua Beebe. Her baptism at the age of 14 was recorded at Trois-Rivières but her place of birth is uncertain.

William Cooke died in 1867 and was buried at St Andrew's in New Carlisle.

A Family Secret?

An enigmatically carved marker

On the south bank of the Welland River west of Niagara Falls, Ontario, can be found the Young Cemetery. Also know as the Young-Misener Cemetery, this family burial ground was in poor condition until fairly recently. A few years ago the City of Niagara Falls restored the cemetery, setting the many stones that has fallen flat over the years into concrete bases. In the process a number of previously unknown gravestones were uncovered. One such gravestone was a small enigmatically carved marker.

Under good lighting conditions the following letters can be seen with the year 1905 inscribed vertically on the left.

A L E
B N 9
D N 14
A 4 D

The inscription suggested the death of an infant on 14 Nov 1905. A check of the Ontario Death Records (available through Ancestry) revealed the death of an Alice Louisa Everingham on the previous day. The cause of death, however, was somewhat unsettling: “Smothered in sleep.” Had I uncovered a dark family secret?

Alice Louise Everingham had been born four days previously on 9 Nov 1905. Her parents were George Everingham and Dollie May Hutchinson.

George Albert Everingham, the son of Abner M. Everingham (1834-1914) and Eliza Ann Wills (1842-1883), was born on 28 Apr 1877 in Ontario. His wife, Dollie, was born across the Niagara River in Buffalo in June of 1888, the daughter of Michael Hutchinson and Mary Ferman. It is not known when and where George and Dollie married, however, Dollie was only 16 when she became pregnant with Alice.

George and Dollie has three more children: Raymond Victor, born in 1907, Lester, born in 1909, and Arthur born in 1913. Lester and Arthur were both born in New York State. The family emigrated to the United States before Fester’s birth but returned to Canada before Dollie’s death in 1914. 

Young Cemetery, Crowland, Welland, Ontario

According to her death registration, Dollie was killed in a railway accident. She was buried at the Drummond Hill Cemetery in Niagara Falls.

In 1915, George married Florence Beatrice Wright (1896-1972). They had one child, Myrtle, born in 1916. George and Florence are buried at Lundy’s Lane Cemetery in Niagara Falls.

The Young Cemetery is located on land granted to George Young in 1798. The first burial was that of eleven-year-old Samuel Young, a grandson of George, in 1822.

Years of Neglect: Carl Misener Bald Cemetery

Remaining gravestones at Carl Misener Bald Cemetery

Like many pioneer cemeteries in Ontario, the Carl Misener Bald Cemetery has suffered from years of neglect. The cemetery sits on the west bank of the Welland Canal south of Port Robinson and is accessible via the Welland Canals Parkway Trail.

In 1798, John Carl (1755-1836) set aside one acre of Lot 213 in Thorold Township for a cemetery. John was a Loyalist who served with Butler’s Rangers during the American Revolution. His wife was Elizabeth Misener (1770-1826), daughter of Leonard Misener (1744-1806) and Barbara Bender (1742-1821. It is interesting to note that while Elizabeth’s parents were buried here, John Carl and Elizabeth Misener were buried in the graveyard beside the Pelham Evangelical Friends Church in neighbouring Pelham Township.

Cemetery sign erected in 1997

The first burial on the site was for George Misener (1801-1802), a grandson of Leonard Misener. His remains were later moved to the Fonthill Cemetery (formerly Brown’s Burying Ground) in Pelham Township.

It is estimated that there are about 75 unmarked graves at Carl Misener Bald. Some of the burials here may have been for canal workers who died during the cholera epidemic of 1832-34. The last burial occurred in 1862. Soon afterwards the cemetery fell into neglect. When the Fourth Welland Canal was built between 1913 and 1932, about 50 graves were moved to the Fonthill Cemetery.

When amateur historian W. G. Reive visited the site in 1930, he noted:

A stone to Leonard Misener... still stands on the bank of the Welland Canal near Port Robinson, one of the few stones still standing following the destruction of a large cemetery during the building of the canal.... [The Cemetery] lies on government land on a knoll — and as all but one of the stones lie flat on the ground, it is practically never seen by passers by. The depressed surfaces of the ground would indicate many unmarked graves.

Reive recorded five gravestones of which only three remain. The Ontario Genealogical Society transcription of 1990 only records the gravestone of Barbara Misener. When the cemetery was restored in 1997 by descendants of John Carl, two more fragmentary gravestones were discovered.

Barbara Misener 1742-1821

While Leonard Misener’s gravestone has been lost, his wife’s gravestone provides a wealth of information:

THIS STONE
is sacred to the memory of
BARBARA MISENER
the Widow and Relict of Leonard Misener
who after having with material lender
raised nine children to the years of marriage
having to see them comfortable settled around
the land having without reproach lived
til 23 April 1821 Aged 79 Years 6 months and 21 days

According to the information on her gravestone, Barbara Bender, the daughter of Philip Bender, was born on 14 Oct 1742. She married Leonard Misener (1744-1806) about 1767. All nine of their children were born in New Jersey. According to his Upper Canada Land Petition, Leonard brought his family to the Niagara region in 1786. During the American Revolution he support the British, however, was prevented from enrolling in a Loyalist unit due to “he having a family consisting of six or Seven young Children.”

Leonard and Barbara’s youngest son, Mathias (1781-1862), married twice. The gravestone of his second wife, Hannah Hilton, lies in several pieces, however, the essential information can still be read. Hannah was born on 7 May 1784 and died on 4 Nov 1834.

The final gravestone at Carl Misener Bald commemorates Thomas, the eleven year old son of Thomas Bald and his wife, Catharine. Thomas father settled in the area in about 1794.

The cemetery was designated a cultural heritage landscape feature under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2007.

Sources:

“Important Piece of Port Robinson’s Past Protected,” Niagara This Week, June 15 2007

Paterson, Catherine, The Heritage of Life and Death in Historical Family Cemeteries of Niagara, Ontario, 2013

Reive, W. G., Cemeteries and Graves in the Niagara District, Ontario, 1991

Stapley, Noreen, “Descendants Restore Historic Cemetery,” The Loyalist Gazette, September 2007