Thomas Millard Senior land grant, 1797

Thomas Millard Senior was born in Middlesex, Connecticut, in 1728. He served as a Private with Butler’s Rangers. In July 1784, Thomas and his wife Mary, along with their 4 children, were on a list “to settle and cultivate the lands opposite Niagara”. He took the oath of allegiance at Niagara around 1784-85.

Photograph of Rev. and Mrs. Wright and Family signed to Mrs. Mary Bell [n.d.]

An undated black and white studio portrait of Rev. and Mrs. Wright and family presented to Mrs. Mary Bell. The photograph is mounted in a decorative board frame and bears the handwritten inscription "Mrs. Mary Bell from Mrs. and Rev. Wright" on the reverse. This photograph was included in memorabilia owned by the Richard Bell family of St. Catharines, Ontario.

Photograph of Mary Bell by F. Pfaff, Photographer, Erie, Pa. [n.d.]

A cabinet card believed to be of Mary Bell, photographed by F. Pfaff, Artistic Photographer, of Erie, Pennsylvania. A handwritten entry on the reverse of the photo lists the address "231 Duke St.", however, the company's logo identifies its address as 1011 State St., Ground Floor Gallery. This photograph was in the possession of Iris Sloman Bell, of St. Catharines, Ontario. The Sloman - Bell family includes relatives who are former Black slaves from the United States."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/

Mary Bell with Rick Bell, early 1950s

A black and white photograph of a very young Rick Bell with his grandmother, Mary Bell. The location is not recorded on the photo, however, it is likely to be Niagara Falls or St. Catharines, Ontario. This photograph was in the possession of Rick Bell, who retrieved family memorabilia from the attic of his mother, Iris, in the 1980s. The Bell family ancestry includes former African American slaves who settled in Canada.

Mary Tyrell Bell [n.d.]

A cabinet card portrait of a young Mary Tyrell (later Bell). The photograph is undated, however, it is believed to be from the 1880s or 1890s. Mary Tyrell married Charles Bell in 1894 in St. Catharines, Ontario. They initially settled in Erie, Pennsylvania but relocated to St. Catharines less than three years later. This photograph was in the possession of Mary Tyrell Bell's grandson, Rick Bell. The Bell family is descended from Black slaves from the United States.

Letter to Mr. Walsh, Registrar Office, 1836

The man to whom the letter is addressed is Francis Leigh Walsh who was a land surveyor and registrar. Mr. Walsh was born on March 12, 1789 in Harford County, Maryland to Thomas Welsh, a United Empire Loyalist. In 1793, his family moved to Norfolk County and in 1810, Francis succeeded his father as registrar for Norfolk County. During the War of 1812 he served in the local militia and became a captain in 1824. He was the representative for Norfolk in the legislative assembly of Upper Canada from 1820 to 1828 and 1834 to 1836. He became justice of the peace in the London district in 1821 and 1838 in the Talbot district. He died in Simcoe on Oct. 14th, 1884. His son, Aquila Walsh served in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada and in the Canadian House of Commons. Benjamin Hardison was born in Berwick in the Thirteen Colonies (British colonies on the Atlantic Coast of North America) on April 2, 1757 to Thomas Hardison and Mary Chadbourne. He was a farmer, miller and political figure. He was the representative for 4th Lincoln and Norfolk in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada from 1797-1800. On January 21, 1800 he married Jane Warren. He served with the American forces during the American Revolution at which time he was taken prisoner and sent to Canada. Later, he settled in Fort Erie where he was a captain in the militia and a justice of the peace for the Niagara district. He operated mills and a distillery in Fort Erie and died there on July 26, 1823. Source: http://en.vionto.com/show/me/Francis+Leigh+Walsh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Hardison

Oliver Rising Sr. Diary, 1797-1851

Oliver Rising (1775-1855) lived in Herkimer County, New York. He is buried in Cedar Lake Cemetery, Cedar Lake (part of the town of Litchfield) in Herkimer County, with his wife Hannah (1780-1855) and his son Oliver Rising Jr. (1817-1861).

Photograph - Mary E. Field

A photograph of Mary E. Field. The rear of the photo reads "Dear Cousin Ester, I send you this photo which is somewhat soiled but is the only one I have at present. Some other time I will send you a better. Yours with Love Mary E. Field".

Genealogical notes of Cyrus and Mary Sumner

Genealogical notes of Cyrus and Mary Sumner, n.d.; includes birth and some death dates of children. Listed are eleven names of children with birth dates and one child's death dated at two months of age.

Mary Bell Sumner Silhouette

A photographic copy of Mary Bell Sumner silhouette n.d.

Entrance Examination Certificate Collegiate Institutes and High Schools of Ontario - Mary Willson

A certificate from the Collegiate Institutes and High Schools of Ontario of the Education Department of Ontario stating: "It is hereby certified that Mary Willson has passed the entrance examination required by the Education Department for admission to a Collegiate Institute or High School. Dated at Welland August 1st, 1908. Signed John W. Marshall, B.A. Inspector of Public Schools.

Photograph - Mary Jane (Dolly) Cowan

A photograph of Mary Jane (Dolly) Cowan, date unknown. She is the correspondent for many letters in the collection. James Ware writes several letters and postcards to "Dolly" during his time in the military (World War I).

Diary of Oliver Rising Senior,1797-1851

A diary and account book of Oliver Rising Senior, of Herkimer County, New York. The diary includes a black and white photograph of Esther Rising Myers and one of Rev. John Myers pasted onto the pages. Oliver recounts his travels into Canada through Chippawa, Niagara Falls, and the garrison at Little York in 1797 (p. 61-62). He also describes the British invasion of Sacket’s Harbour in 1812 (p. 100).

Power of Attorney of Colonel John Butler for Robert Hamilton and Robert Addison, January 4,1797

John Butler (1728-1796) was originally from Connecticut but settled with his family in the Mohawk valley of New York around 1742. His father was a Captain in the British army and well acquainted with William Johnson (superintendent of Northern Indians). Butler impressed Johnson with his aptitude for Indian languages and diplomacy. He began to work with Johnson in 1755, and received several promotions in the department, until his apparent retirement in the early 1770s. At the onset of the Revolutionary War in 1775, Butler relocated to Canada to join the British forces, settling in Niagara. During the War, Butler was instrumental in maintaining the alliance with the Indians. After the War, Butler became prominent in local affairs in Niagara, but failed to secure any important offices when the province of Upper Canada was formed in 1792. In an effort to recoup some of the financial losses his family suffered during the War, Butler illegally attempted to supply trade goods to the Indian department with his son Andrew, his nephew Walter Butler Sheehan, and Samuel Street, a Niagara merchant.

Indenture between Patrick and Mary Burns and Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff

Indenture of mortgage in fee with dower between Patrick and Mary Burns of the Township of Grantham and Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff of St. Catharines regarding parts of Lots no. 19 and 23 in the 5th Concession in the Town of Grantham - instrument no. 14820. Listed in Book E, folio 339, October 3, 1864.