Welland Canal Survey of Lands John Watson, 1831

Survey map and description of John Watson's land created by The Welland Canal Company. Included is a written description of the land along with a drawing of the land. The land totals 2 acres, 1 road, and 21 perches. The land was surveyed on September 5th, 1831.

Rick Bell Family fonds, 1874-1875, 1879, 1884, 1886, 1888-1889, 1896, 1898, 1909-1910, 1939, 1945, n.d.

Lewis Tyrell married Jane Gains on August 31, 1849 in Culpeper Court House, Virginia. Jane Gains was a spinster. Lewis Tyrell died September 25, 1908 at his late residence, Vine St. and Welland Ave., St. Catharines, Ont. at the age of 81 years, 5 months. Jane Tyrell died March 1, 1886, age 64 years. Their son? William C. Tyrell died January 15, 1898, by accident in Albany, NY, age 33 years, 3 months. John William Taylor married Susan Jones were married in St. Catharines, Ont. on August 10, 1851 by William Wilkinson, a Baptist minister. On August 9, 1894 Charles Henry Bell (1871-1916), son of Stephen (1835?-1876) and Susan Bell, married Mary E. Tyrell (b. 1869?) daughter of Lewis and Alice Tyrell, in St. Catharines Ontario. By 1895 the Bell’s were living in Erie, Pennsylvania where children Delbert Otto (b. 1895) and Edna Beatrice (b. 1897) were born. By 1897 the family was back in St. Catharines where children Lewis Tyrell (b. 1899), Gertrude Cora (b. 1901), Bessie Jane (b. 1902), Charles Henry (b. 1906), Richard Nelson (b. 1911) and William Willoughby (b. 1912) were born. Charles Henry Bell operated a coal and ice business on Geneva Street. In the 1901 Census for St. Catharines, the Bell family includes the lodger Charles Henry Hall. Charles Henry Hall was born ca. 1824 in Maryland, he died in St. Catharines on November 11, 1916 at the age of 92. On October 24, 1889 Charles Hall married Susan Bell (1829-1898). The 1911 Census of Canada records Charles Henry Hall residing in the same household as Charles Henry and Mary Bell. The relationship to the householder is step-father. It is likely that after Stephen Bell’s death in 1876, his widow, Susan Bell married Hall. In 1939, Richard Nelson Bell, son of Charles Henry and Mary Tyrell Bell, married Iris Sloman. Iris (b. 22 May 1912 in Biddulph Township, Middlesex, Ontario) was the daughter of Albert (son of Joseph b. 1870 and Elizabeth Sloman, b. 1872) and Josie (Josephine Ellen) Butler Sloman of London, Ont. Josie (b. 1891) was the daughter of Everett Richard and Elizabeth McCarthy (or McCarty) Butler, of Lucan Village, Middlesex North. According to the 1911 Census of Canada, Albert, a Methodist, was a porter on the railroad. His wife, Josephine, was a Roman Catholic. Residing with Albert and Josie were Sanford and Sadie Butler and Sidney Sloman, likely siblings of Albert and Josephine. The Butler family is descended from Peter Butler, a former slave, who had settled in the Wilberforce Colony in the 1830s. Rick Bell b. 1949 in Niagara Falls, Ont. is the son of Richard Nelson Bell. In 1979, after working seven years as an orderly at the St. Catharines General Hospital while also attending night school at Niagara College, Rick Bell was hired by the Thorold Fire Dept. He became the first Black professional firefighter in Niagara. He is a founding member of the St. Catharines Junior Symphony; attended the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1966 and also performed with the Lincoln & Welland Regimental Band and several other popular local groups. Upon the discovery of this rich archive in his mothers’ attic he became passionate about sharing his Black ancestry and the contributions of fugitive slaves to the heritage Niagara with local school children. He currently resides in London, Ont.

Cabinet Card by John B. Cook, Photographer, Toronto [n.d.]

Two young African Canadian girls are the subject of this undated cabinet card photograph by John B. Cook, of Toronto. The address listed on the company stamp, which appears in gold lettering at the bottom of the card, is 191 and 193 Yonge [St.] Toronto. The original photo was over-exposed and faded, so image adjustments have been made for clarification purposes. This photograph was in the possession of Iris Sloman Bell, of St. Catharines, Ontario. It is possible these two girls are relatives of the Sloman and Bell families. Relatives of the Sloman - Bell families include former American slaves who settled in Canada.John B. Cook is listed as being a photographer -- and a hotelier -- in Toronto from 1879-1898. Source: Phillips, Glen C. The Ontario photographers list (1851-1900). Sarnia: Iron Gate Publishing Co., 1990.

Irish John Willson United Empire Loyalist Family Fonds

John Willson first came to Upper Canada along with his friend Nathaniel Pettit in the late 1700s. They both moved with their families from New Jersey where they had both been imprisioned for not siding with the rebels and maintaining Loyalist allegiences. Pettit arrived with his four daughters, leaving his son behind. Willson came with his wife and nine children. Willson received 1200 acres of land as well as 200 per child. He settled at the corner of Dorchester road and Thorold Stone Road, where he and his family did very well for themselves. Willson as well as his son Thomas ran ox-teams on the portage. His son John became the proprietor of the Exchange hotel at Niagara, and Charles operated at the Pavilion hotel at Falls View. Shortly after his arrival in Upper Canada John Willson changed his name to “Irish” John Willson, as there were 5 other “John Willsons” which appeared on the Loyalists lists. Irish John drowned in the Niagara River in 1798, and his family continued to thrive in Niagara after his death. His second son Thomas Willson, married Abigail Pettit, daughter of his Father’s friend Nathaniel. Thomas was awarded 250 acres of land as a Loyalist and 200 for Abigail, as she was the daughter of a loyalist. He became a blacksmith and also operated ox-teams along the portage. He was Assessor for Stamford Township for 1800, 1807, 1820 and 1829. During the years 1808, 1822, 1825, 1826 and 1831 he was a tax collector and overseer of Statute of Labour. Thomas and Abigail Willson had nine children together. Francis Bond Head Willson of Beaverdams (mentioned throughout the collection) was a great grandson of Thomas and Abigail. Thomas and his wife are both buried beside the Lundy’s Lane United Church. *for more information on the remaining Willson family please refer to box #1, folders 1-3. * Genealogical information from a paper prepared by Pearl Wilson and given before the Lundy’s Lane Historical Society, May 1945, by Hazel Culp Ferris. Box 1 Folder 1.

Welland Canal Survey of Lands John Martindale

Survey map and description of John Martindale's land created by The Welland Canal Company. Included is a written description of the land along with a drawing of the land. Noteable features include; property line between Martindale and Tenbroeck properties, original bed of 12 mile creek, tpw path diagram for the Welland canal on the wrong side of the diagram should be on the east side. The land was originally in the posession of William Ball when the original land survey was completed by G. Keefer in 1831. The land was also surveyed by Wm. Rykert. The description and sketch was not used in making the deed for the land. Surveyor notes are seen in pencil on the map.

Welland Canal Survey of Lands John Hainer 1826

Survey map and description of John Hanier's land created by The Welland Canal Company. Included is a written description of the land. The drawing for the land can be found in William Hamilton Merritt's record and their land bordered one another. Noteable features include; line between Gould's and Hanier's land, line between Hanier's and Merritt's land, road, Hayward Distillery, draw bridge. Surveyor notes are seen in pencil on the map. The survey was signed and submitted on August 23rd, 1826. The survey was updated August 26th, 1831. The land is 18 acres, 2 roads and 27 perches.

British Methodist Episcopal Church Tithing Ticket, 1879

A first quarterly tithing ticket from the British Methodist Episcopal Church, signed by W. Grayson, Minister, and dated August 1, 1879. This ticket was in the possession of the Rick Bell Family of St. Catharines, Ontario. Relatives of the Bell family include former Black slaves from the United States who settled in Canada.

Bell Family Bible, Deaths, 1862-1916

A single page from the Deaths section of the Bell Family Bible listing the names and dates of death for various members of the family.The handwritten entries appear to read as follows: "John William Taylor, died April 30th Anne Domini 1862; aged 52 years. Jess J Bell died April 11th 1872 O Mary Franices Bell died August 20th 1872. Mrs. Susan Hall. Died May, 24th, 1898 Born January 1st 1829 age. 69 William B Bell died March 19th 1897 Richard Jones died June 6th 1912 Mastam Jone died Charles H. Hall died November 11th 1916."

Two Black Gentlemen Photographed by John Cooper, London/St. Thomas, Ont. [n.d.]

An undated cabinet card of two Black men photographed by John Cooper, who operated as a photographer in London, Ont. and St. Thomas, Ont. from 1857 - 1890. The reverse of the photograph features the photographer's stamp in coloured ink. This photograph was in the possession of Iris Sloman Bell, of St. Catharines. The Sloman - Bell family have relatives who include former Black slaves from the United States. John Cooper is listed as a photographer and daguerrean artist in 1857 - 1890 in London, Ont. and in 1874 in St. Thomas, Ont. Source: Phillips, Glen C. The Ontario photographers list (1851-1900). Sarnia: Iron Gate Publishing Co., 1990. "Cabinet card photographs were first introduced in 1866. They were initially employed for landscapes rather than portraitures. Cabinet cards replaced Carte de visite photographs as the popular mode of photography. Cabinet cards became the standard for photographic portraits in 1870. Cabinet cards experienced their peak in popularity in the 1880's. Cabinet cards were still being produced in the United States until the early 1900's and continued to be produced in Europe even longer. The best way to describe a cabinet card is that it is a thin photograph that is mounted on a card that measures 4 1/4″ by 6 1/2″. Cabinet cards frequently have artistic logos and information on the bottom or the reverse of the card which advertised the photographer or the photography studio's services." Source: http://cabinetcardgallery.wordpress.com/category/cabinet-card-history/

Small Cabinet Card of African American Man by John S. Thom, of Lucan, Ontario [n.d.]

A very small cabinet card type photograph of an unidentified man, possibly a relative of the Bell - Sloman family. A handwritten entry on the reverse of the photograph indicates it was taken by John S. Thom, of Lucan. No date is provided, however, John S. Thom is known to have been a photographer in Lucan from 1877-1882. This cabinet card was in the possession of Iris Sloman Bell, of St. Catharines. Relatives of the Sloman - Bell family include former African American slaves who settled in Canada.John S. Thom is listed as a photographer in Lucan, Ontario from 1877-1882. Aside from photography, he also operated a general store and sold notions. It appears he then moved to Sarnia, Ont. and is listed as a photographer there from 1882-1900. He is also recorded as being a Sarnia bicycle dealer. Source: Phillips, Glen C. The Ontario photographers list (1851-1900). Sarnia: Iron Gate Publishing Co., 1990.

Letter (printed) with the salutation “Dear Sir”. The writer is John I. Mackenzie.

Letter (printed) with the salutation “Dear Sir”. The writer is John I. Mackenzie who outlines resolutions which were passed at the annual meeting of the Long Point Co., June 21, 1879.