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.

Bell Family Bible, Miscellaneous, 1895 - 1918

A page from the Bell Family Bible entitled "Miscellaneous" recording the dates and places of birth of the children of Charles and Mary Bell. The birth dates for the eight children listed range from 1895 to 1918. There is also a single entry under the heading "Age of Children of Delbert Bell". This Bible was in the possession of the Rick Bell of St. Catharines. The Bell family is descended from former Black slaves from the United States who settled in Canada.The handwritten entries appear to be as follows: "Ages of the children of Charles and Mary Bell are Wilbert Otto Bell born November 7th 1895 Erie Pa. Edna Beatrice Bell born May 25th 1897 Erie Pa. Lewis Terrell Bell born April 8th 1899 St. Catharines Ont. Gertrude Bell born November 26th 1902 St. Catharines Ont. Charles Henry Bell born June 6th 1906 St. Catharines Ont. Richard Wilson Bell born March 19th 1911 William Willoughby Bell born May 2nd 1912 both in St. Catharines Ontario Age of Children of Delbert Bell March 12th 1918 Delbert Charlie Bell"

Schram Family of Wainfleet Township documents, 1839-1901 (not inclusive)

George William Schram (1809-1885), son of Garrett Schram and Leah Van Etten, married Orpha Pearson on Nov.13, 1835. His son Marsena John Schram (farmer) was born in May of 1840, in Canada. He died on Nov. 17, 1926 in Wexford County, Michigan. He was married in 1867 to Sarah (1825-1887).Marsena married again on April 18, 1910 to Ann Clarinda Warner (1861-1924). He was working as a carpenter at this time. They had another son, William who was born about 1838 and he married Sabina Chambers on Jan. 21, 1862. The 1861 census for Wainfleet lists siblings of Marsena John Schram as Sarah J. (age 14), Georgiana (age 5), and William (age 21). The Schrams lived on Concession 5 and owned approximately 144 acres of land. David Thompson was born Feb. 4, 1873 and died Feb. 19, 1951. He married Sally Ann Wilson on Sept. 7, 1825 in Pelham. She died about 1840 in Indiana Ontario (near Cayuga). Lemuel Victor Hogue was born Dec.1, 1854 and died Jan. 12, 1929. He was married to Elizabeth Wills who was born Aug. 2, 1861 and died Mar. 8, 1926. Sources: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=99294842 http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=seadragon5&id=I91708