Owen Chapter 28
SKETCH XXVIII.
THE SONS OF OLD HENDRICK SLACHT
Hendrick Slacht was a German plantation owner in the colony of New Jersey.[1] His plantation embraced 625 acres, and was located in the township of New Town, Sussex County. The old title deed for this tract of land is dated June 21st, 1750, and the grantees name is written in the form given in the caption of this sketch. Hendrick Slacht raised a large family on his New Jersey plantation, and his descendants, today, have become a mighty host, scattered all over the American continent. Three of his descendants—Job, John, and Richard—pioneered their way into the new Province of Upper Canada during the first ten years of its existence; and from the very beginning of Norfolk's history the Slaght family has been an important factor in the growth and development of the country. Two of these brothers, Job and John, were Townsend pioneers, and the third, Richard, settled in the adjoining township of Oakland, Brant County.[2]
An old title deed, bearing date Oct. 6th, 1775, shows that Hendrick Slacht conveyed to Joab Slacht 170 acres of the Slacht plantation in consideration of £60 Proclamation money of New Jersey. There is every reason to believe that this Joab Slacht was a son of Hendrick Slacht, and the original Job Slaght, of Norfolk. In 1796, Job Slaght came to Niagara with his family, and in the following year the settlement in Townsend was effected. A sketch of this branch of the family is given elsewhere under the head, “The Old Pulpit Veteran of Waterford.”
From another old title deed we learn that one, William Stirling, of Breckenbridge, conveyed to Richard Slacht a tract of land lying at Hardytown, adjoining the Slacht plantation. This old deed bears date Sept. 17th, 1774, and it appears quite self-evident that this Richard Slacht was also a son of old Hendrick, and the Richard Slaght who settled in Oakland. The daughters who married into the Cunningham family were of the Richard Slaght branch of the family.[3]
John Slaght, the old Townsend pioneer, married Elizabeth Clouse in New Jersey. An old title deed, bearing date Sept. 4th, 1800, shows that he obtained from Government his title to Lot 10, 5th concession of Townsend, upon which he settled with his family the following spring. The old deed still bears the massive pendant seal which forms such an object of curiosity to the young people of to-day.[4] This old pioneer,[5] who settled in the woods of old Townsend before this old, dying century had seen its first harvest time, is the grand ancestor of a numerous posterity, no inconsiderable portion of which is incorporated in Norfolk's present population. It is said that John Slaght was a machinist, and spent a good share of his time in the study of perpetual motion. He built the first saw-mill at “Boston Corners,” and some of the best white pine logs in the virgin forest of Norfolk were sawn into lumber at this pioneer mill. The old Court journal shows that on June 11th, 1806, John Slaght was appointed constable of Townsend.
In the old New Jersey title deeds and family business papers we find the names of Peter, Philip and James, who are mentioned as sons of Henry Slaght, and there is no evidence showing that this Henry, who died in about 1783, was not the original Hendrick Slacht who made the purchase of 625 acres in 1750. The old papers also reveal the names of two sons-in-law, namely, Timothy Skinner and Jesse Sutton. Two of the daughters of this original Slaght family married into the Robinson and Chambers families,[6] and settled in Norfolk at an early date. The family of Hendrick Slacht, no doubt, was a large one.
John Slaght[7] had seven sons—William, Henry, Philip, George, Joseph, Job and John; and four daughters—Mary, Elizabeth, Anna and Sarah.
William Slaght, eldest son of John, married Elizabeth Parney, and settled on the homestead.[8] He had five sons—Oliver, Ezra, Abraham, Freeman and David; and one daughter—Amanda.
Henry Slaght, second son of John, married Harriet Hazleton; settled first in Nissouri, afterwards in Norfolk, and finally, in 1839, moved to Michigan. He had six sons—Alpheus, Thadeus, Henry, Levi, Chauncey and Eber; and nine daughters—Mary, Harriet, Sarah, Miriam, Charlotte, Louisa, Anne, Zilpah and Cora.
Philip Slaght, third son of John, was born in the pioneer Townsend home in 1804, and when twenty years old married Eliza Murray and settled, finally, near Bealton. He was industrious and economical, and succeeded in acquiring several tracts of land, upon which he comfortably settled his sons. He had eight sons, five of whom grew up—Ira, Aaron, Hiram, Eli and Elias. There were two daughters—Julia Ann and Mary Jane. Elias occupies the old homestead. Philip Slaght died in 1878, having reached his 74th year.[9]
George Slaght, fourth son of John, died single.
Joseph Slaght, fifth son of John, married Palmyra Murray, and settled in Townsend. He had three sons, Louis Gilbert and Albert; and one daughter, Mary Ann.
Job Slaght, sixth son of John married Lavinia Shaw and settled near Simcoe. He had two sons.
John Slaght, seventh son of John, settled in Norfolk, and had one son, Robert.
Mary Slaght, eldest daughter of John, married Philip Austin of Woodhouse. Her children are enumerated in the Austin genealogy.
Elizabeth Slaght, second daughter of John, married Aaron Barber, of Townsend. Her family is included in the Barber genealogy.
Sarah Slaght, daughter of John, married Solomon Austin. This pioneer mother has handed down the story of her first experiences as a pioneer housekeeper. Her experiences were shared, no doubt, by all her fellow pioneers to a greater or less extent. The trouble is, the particular facts in each case as related in the oft-repeated tales of our grandmothers, were not noted down while they were with us, and, unfortunately, we have forgotten them. After Sarah Slaght became a wife she worked out and earned a sufficient quantity of feathers to make two pillows. She grew a piece of flax the first season, and broke, hetcheled, spun and wove it into cloth for pillow cases and two bed-sheets. She started housekeeping with the indispensable cow, of course, and she had six bowls in which to raise the cream. Her cram crock was an old tea-kettle, and when she made butter she borrowed the churn of an accommodating neighbor. Girls, this is not an isolated case of shiftlessness, it was the way our pioneer grandmothers began the work of home-building in pioneer times. It was the “rough hewing” in the work of preparing the timbers that formed the frame-work of what, in due time, became a prosperous, comfortable and contented Norfolk home. Mrs. Austin’s children, and those of her sister Mary, who married Philip Austin, are enumerated in the Austin genealogy.
Anna Slaght, daughter of John, married George Woodley, and settled in Townsend. She had six sons—John, Aaron, Martin, George, Philip and Abram; and six daughters—Mary Ann, Hannah, Elizabeth, Sarah, Amanda and Nancy.
The Woodley family has been identified with the old families of Long Point country almost from the beginning of the settlement, and the remainder of this sketch will be devoted to a brief genealogical review of the family. It is said that three Woodley brothers—George, Tice and Levi—emigrated from Germany to the New World about the middle of last century, and that George and Tice settled in the colony of New Jersey, and Levi wandered away and was never heard of. When the war of the Revolution broke out, George espoused the British cause and Tice the American. Each fought all through the war, and when it terminated, George married the daughter of Col. John Wagers, an Irish officer, and went to St. John, N.B., where he lived four years. He came to Upper Canada at an early date, and was one of the pioneers of the Stony Creek settlement. Before the close of the century he came up to the new township of Oakland, and settled on what has long since been known as "The McKey Farm." He was twice married. By his first wife he had three sons—Matthias, John and George; and two daughters—Mary and Hannah. By his second wife, Elizabeth Bowman, he had one son, David, and four daughters—Elizabeth, Eliza, Margaret and Abigail. The old pioneer died in 1827, having reached a ripe old age.
Matthias Woodley, eldest son of George, married into the Malcolm family, and settled in Oakland, where he raised a family of seven children.
John and George were twins. They were born, in 1795, at Stony Creek. The former served as a volunteer in the war of 1812, and subsequently married Mercy Johnston, and settled, finally, at Boston, where he raised a family of seven children. George, as stated before, married Anna, daughter of John Slaght, and settled east of Waterford, where he raised a family of eleven children.David Woodley, youngest son of the old pioneer, married Frances Ann Jackson, of Toronto, and settled at Boston. He had a family of eight children, seven of whom grew up. Only one of this family resides in Norfolk, and that is Mrs. Jacob B. Johnson, of Boston. One son, Jonathan H., is a noted Baptist preacher, stationed at present near Tacoma, in the State of Washington.
The old pioneer’s daughters married into leading families, and his descendants, to-day, are not only numerous and widely scattered, but they have preserved in a marked degree the many excellent social qualities transmitted to them by their worthy old ancestors.
[1]The Slaght family had an ancient history in Holland. The first to come to America about 1654 was Cornelius Barentse Sleght, son of Barent Corneliszoon and Jacquemune Sleght. Cornelius was born in the old family locale of Woerden, Holland c. 1616 and died at Kingston, Ulster Co., New York on 16 Sep 1690. Source: Rev. Lawrence Slaght, “Cornelius Barentse Slecht and Some of His Descendants”.
[2]There is a lot of confusion as to fathers and their sons in this sketch. Several family researchers have attempted to sort this out as has R. Robert Mutrie. More research is needed. The following is how it appears to date. Richard Slaght, born in 1728 was the oldest son of Hendrick Slaght and came to Upper Canada in advanced years. He lived with his son Philip on Lot 12, Concession 1, Oakland Twp., Brant Co. His much younger brother John Slaght, born in 1741 remained in New Jersey and did not come to Canada as stated by Owen. The John Slaght to whom Owen refers might have been a son or nephew of John (1741). The third brother Job Slaght, born in 1745 married Elizabeth Johnson and settled on Lot 10, Concession 5, Townsend Township.
There were additional brothers and sisters in the old Hendrick Slaght family, recorded in several unpublished manuscripts. A son, James Slaght and his wife Hope Howey came to Upper Canada and settled at Stamford Twp., Welland Co., as did his sister Patience who married Timothy Skinner. Another brother, Henry was said to have settled in New Brunswick. Those siblings who remained in New Jersey besides John Slaght mentioned above, were Cornelis, Peter, Philip, and an unnamed sister of theirs who married Jesse Sutton.
[3]These daughters were children of Phillip Slaght, son of Richard.
[4] Owen seems to have misread the name on the title deed. This should be John’s father Job who was given a survey document and fiat for Lot 10, Concession 5, Townsend Township on August 13, 1800, copies of which are in the Townsend Township Papers, Archives of Ontario, Doc. No. 599, 601. Job registered his deed on 4 Sep 1800, recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register of Townsend Township. On February 3, 1807, he sold this lot to his son John Slaght. That John, born in New Jersey on January 15, 1783 married Elizabeth Clouse and is erroneously listed on page 422 of Owen’s book as having married into the Malcolm family and settled near Scotland. John son of Job lived out his life in Townsend Twp.
[5] From this point forward reference is made to a “cousin” John Slaght, born in 1763 and who married Mary (surname unknown). Owen erroneously confuses him with Hendrick Slaght’s son John who was born in 1741 and then further confuses him with Job Slaght’s son John who was born in 1783 and married Elizabeth Clouse. “Cousin John,” the old pioneer’s relationship to Job Slaght has not been established. He might have been a son of Richard Slaght or one of the brothers who remained in New Jersey. According to the Abstracts of Deeds Register, on January 9, 1815, “cousin” John Slaght purchased from John Roof one acre of land in Lot 12, Concession 3, Townsend Township and then on January 16, 1816, he purchased 1.2 acres from Champion Scovell. Both of these lots are on the northwest corner of the village of Boston. The constabulary position mentioned later in this paragraph might be referring to either John Slaght.
[6] Owen has confused granddaughters of Hendrick Slaght as being his daughters. Sarah Slaght, a daughter of Hendrick’s son Richard married William Robinson. Hendrick’s son James Slaght of Stamford Township, Wellland County, Upper Canada had three daughters who married three Chambers brothers. Mary Slaght married William Chambers, Ann Slaght married Joseph Chambers, and Sarah Slaght married Isaac Chambers
[7] This refers to “cousin” John Slaght. A copy of the register from his family bible is at the Norfolk Historical Society Archives in Simcoe and shows the following for this family: John Slaght born 21 February 21, 1763; Mary wife of John Slaght born October 1, 1768; married January 18, 1787; Elizabeth Slaght daughter of John Slaght born August 27, 1782; Job Slaght son of John Slaght, born July 23, 1787; Sarah Slaght born July 9, 1790; John Slaght son of John Slaght born September 15, 1791; Mary Slaght daughter of J. Slaght born November 8, 1795; William Slaght son of John Slaght born November 6, 1797; Henry Slaght son of John Slaght born July 9, 1799; George Slaght son of John Slaght born January 6, 1803; Philip & Anne Slaght son and daughter of John Slaght born March 29, 1804; Joseph Slaght son of John Slaght born July 17, 1806; Miriam Slaght daughter of John Slaght born on March 17, 1810. It will be noted that Owen has this family out of order.
[8] Before John Slaght purchased the town lots at Boston village, he purchased on December 10, 1806, 120 acres in the south part of Lot 7, Concession 4 and 60 acres in the south half of Lot 8, Concession 4, Townsend Township, recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register. He later sold this land to his son William and that is the homestead to which Owen refers. William was recorded there in the 1852 Agricultural Census.
[9] Philip Slaght (son of John) farmed three-quarters of Lot 20, Concession 3, Townsend Township near the village of Bealton, recorded in the 1852 Agricultural Census. The personal census shows an additional son Sylvester.
