SKETCH IV

WALSINGHAM’S SECOND SETTLER-LUCAS DEDRICK

One hundred and four years ago (1793)[1] the young Indians who gambolled about on the sunny flat which, at that time, lay in front of the high land now covered by the village of Port Rowan, and which extended as far as the end of the present pier, might have seen the smoke ascending from the bark roofs of the first two log-cabins erected in the township of Walsingham. The older one was the Troyer cabin, located on the flat about a mile and a half east of Port Rowan, and which, no doubt, was the first white man’s home established in Norfolk County.[2] The second cabin was located about the same distance west of Port Rowan, and stood near the south end of the elevation extending into the marsh now constituting the beautiful Bay View cemetery. This was the home of Lucas Dedrick, and there is every reason to believe that it was the first and only white man’s home between the Troyer flat and the western limits of the county, in the year of our Lord, 1793.[3]

The “Pioneer Wheatfield,” which forms the subject of one of these sketches, is now a part of the cemetery.[4] That acre of wheat was harvested more than a hundred years ago. Little did Lucas Dedrick think, when he planted his first little crop among the stumps, that a century hence his little clearing would be a public cemetery in which would lie the bones of his great-grandchildren, and that no one among his numerous descendants would be able to point out the spot where his log-cabin stood. Although the old homestead has never passed into a stranger’s hands, no living member of the family knows just where the first Dedrick home in Walsingham was located. When the cemetery was being improved, broken bits of crockery were turned up at a certain spot, and it is supposed that this is the place where stood the second home erected in the township. Well may we, the great-grandchildren of the old pioneers ponder the words of the old song:

“Where! where will be the birds that sing

A hundred years to come?

The flowers that now in beauty spring

A hundred years to come?

The rosy lips, the lofty brow,

The heart that beats so gaily now?

Oh, where will be love’s beaming eye,

Joy’s pleasant smile, and sorrow’s sigh

A hundred years to come?

“We all within our graves shall sleep

A hundred years to come;

No living soul for us will weep

A hundred years to come;

But other men our lands will till,

And others then our streets will fill,

While other birds will sing as gay,

And bright the sun shine as to-day,

A hundred years to come.”

When our great-grandfathers were building their log- cabins, “a hundred years to come” was a far-away condition of things too visionary to command a serious thought; yet, before some of their pioneer structures have tumbled down, a hundred years have come and gone. It will be the same with us, and behold the wonderful changes that have taken place, so will those do who follow us when our “hundred years to come” shall have added another century to the dead and buried past, and we, in turn, take our place among the unwept and forgotten.

When Lucas Dedrick settled on this little oasis in Big Creek marsh in 1793, the region was literally alive with wild game. Ducks, turkeys and geese were very numerous, and in the adjoining forest Mother Bruin reared her cubs in large numbers, while the fleet-footed deer leisurely grazed on the rich herbage of nature without fear of molestation. The Indians were peaceable and friendly, and, later on, when Mr. Dedrick constructed a bridge over the stream which bears his name, they were wont to assemble on the rude structure and hold high carnival. One night they took a wild colt from Mr. Dedrick’s stable, which had never been ridden, and an Indian mounted and rode it to Cooper’s tavern for whisky. When he came back he was very much excited with his experience. In describing it to Mr. Dedrick he said, “Waugh! but him fly. Blanket, him stick straight out behind!”

As a rule the Indians were honest and trustworthy. Mr. Dedrick freely loaned them whatever they asked for, and invariably they made returns at the time and in the manner agreed upon. Mr. Dedrick received his patent for the 200 acres he settled upon in 1797.

Lucas Dedrick came from Pennsylvania and was of German descent.[5] He had four sons—John, Cornelius, James and Lucas; and two daughters—Catharine and Hannah.

John Dedrick eldest son of Lucas, was four years old when the family settled here. He married Harriet Fick and settled on the homestead. He had four sons—John, William, Abraham and Charles; and five daughters—Jane, Catharine, Hannah, Harriet and Susan. They all settled in Walsingham. Charles succeeded to the front part of the old homestead. The father died in 1860 in his 72nd year.[6]

Cornelius Dedrick, second son of Lucas, married Nancy Spurgin, and settled on a part of the homestead. He had four sons—Luke, Samuel, William and Austin; and four daughters—Hannah, Sally, Lucretia and Jerusha Jane. All settled in Walsingham.[7]

James Dedrick, third son of Lucas, married Elizabeth Edwards and settled on part of the homestead. He had twin sons—Thomas and John; and three daughters—Jane, Salome and Elizabeth.[8]

Lucas Dedrick, youngest son of Lucas, married Catharine Rohrer, and settled in the home neighborhood. He had three sons—Cornelius, Luke and George W.; and five daughters—Catharine, Mary, Emma E., Nancy Amelia and Rebecca.[9] All settled in Walsingham. Lucas died in 1883 in his 80th year.

Catharine Dedrick, eldest daughter of the original Lucas, married Austin Stearns as his second wife. By his former marriage Mr. Stearns had one son, John. For many years the old Stearns hotel at Port Rowan was one of the best known public-houses in the county, and the name will always remain a familiar one in the history of that old and pleasantly situated village. Mr. Stearns had no family by his second marriage, and after his death his widow married Abraham Countryman, an early carding-mill operator in Walsingham. By this union there were two daughters—Valetta (Mrs. Edward Backhouse) and Adella (Mrs. John Alexander Coates). After the death of Mrs. Countryman, nee Mrs. Stearns, nee Catharine Dedrick, Mr. Countryman married Clarissa Woodruff, by whom he had one daughter, Helen, who married Robert Biddle. Mr. Countryman married Lucy Smith as his third wife, by whom he had two daughters—Lavina (Mrs. Dibble) and Nettie, who became the wife of Louis Fick. Being left a widower a third time, Mr. Countryman married Marguerite Johnson, daughter of William Backhouse, as his fourth wife. There were no children by this union.

Hannah Dedrick, second daughter of the original Lucas, married John Backhouse. Her children are enumerated in the Backhouse genealogy.

[1] During his 1793 survey of the Lake Erie shoreline, Deputy Surveyor William Chewett noted the progress of the Dedrick party along the lake from Fort Erie in his diary. Under the date of June 22, 1793, “From 11 A.M. The wind blew a heavy gale from the S. W. and I am afraid the two Batteaux with a number of people who went off to Long Point will be in a disagreeable situation. The principal person is one Lucas Dedrick, who says he has permission from His Excellency to settle there.” Besides his wife and children, Dedrick was accompanied by his father-in-law John Parsin.

[2] See footnote #1 in Sketch III “Doctor Troyer and His Big Witch Trap”, for a discussion of John Troyer being preceded by others.

[3] This is not the case. Timothy Murphy settled on Lot 14, Concession A, Walsingham Twp. in the spring of 1790. After establishing his settlement, he was called away to Fort Detroit to continue his employment in the Indian Department in 1794. He leased the land to Isaac Smith, but in 1795 Edward McMichael took it over. Source: Murphy’s Upper Canada Land Petitions, “M” Bundle 2, Doc. No. 138, “M” 4 Doc. No. 31, “M” 4 Doc. No. 189. Lucas Dedrick settled on Lot 15, Concession A in June 1793, three years after Murphy.

[4] This is Bayview Cemetery located on the western fringe of the village of Port Rowan.

[5] This statement as to Dedrick coming from Pennsylvania is misleading. Lucas was baptized at Katsbaan Reformed Church, Saugerties, Ulster County, New York on February 12, 1760. His second son Cornelius was noted in the 1861 Census of Walsingham Twp. to have been born in Maryland.

[6] According to the probate papers attached to the will of John Dedrick, he died on 7 Aug 1833. No surviving gravestone has been found for him. (London District Surrogate Registry, Doc. No. 223). Records have been found for all of his children but one. Corrections to the birth order of the children of John Dedrick have been learned from cemetery and census information. According to the 1852 Census of Walsingham Twp., Catherine Dedrick was born c. 1823. In the same census, her brothers John and Charles were born c. 1825 and c. 1826 respectively. The next child Jane (Dedrick) Countryman was born on October 1, 1827 according to her gravestone in Bayview Cemetery, Port Rowan. Hannah Dedrick was born c. 1829 according to her 1852 Walsingham Twp. Census record. The gravestone of William Wallace S. Dedrick placed his birth year at about 1831. In 1852 Walsingham Twp., Harriet was born c. 1833 and Abraham was born c. 1834. Susan Dedrick mentioned by Owen has not been found in other records to date. Benjamin and Catherine (Dedrick) Walsh were recorded in the 1852 Census of Walsingham Twp. John Jr. married at St. Clair Co. Michigan Anna W. Crellan and they settled on the west half of the homestead recorded in the 1852 Census. Charles and his sister Hannah lived on the homestead and did not marry according to the censuses. Jane married Abraham J. Countryman and was recorded with him in the 1852 Census of Walsingham Twp. William married Calista Stone and they lived on the homestead recorded in the censuses. Abraham also lived in Walsingham and was recorded in the censuses. Sister Harriet was found with the family in the 1852 Census.

[7] Cornelius Dedrick lived out his life in Walsingham Twp. He married Nancy Spurgin and both were buried in Bayview Cemetery at Port Rowan. The son named Luke was better known in Walsingham records as James Luke or J. L. Dedrick, a prominent merchant at Port Rowan. He and his wife Agnes Jemima Backhouse were buried in Bayview Cemetery. Samuel Spurgeon Dedrick married Lucy Watts according to the Talbot District Marriage Register and they lived out their lives on the homestead farm and added to the holding then were buried in Bayview Cemetery. Hannah Dedrick married Ethiel Davis and they lived on the town line of Walsingham and Houghton Townships. Sarah married John Henry Backhouse and they lived out their lives in Walsingham Twp. then were buried in Bayview Cemetery. William D. Dedrick married Helen Marr Hutchison according to the Talbot District Marriage Register and the couple were recorded in the 1861 Census, William being the Census taker. Helen died on 6 Apr 1873 and William remarried at Houghton Centre on 23 Mar 1880 Annie S. Millard. William and Annie were buried in Langton Baptist Church Cemetery, North Walsingham Twp. Nancy Lucretia married Joseph Cattle and they lived in North Walsingham Twp., recorded in the censuses. Both were buried in Wycombe Cemetery. Austin Cornelius Dedrick and his wife Melissa Dench farmed on a part of the homestead and were recorded in the censuses. Both were buried in Bayview Cemetery.. The youngest child Jerusha Jane married Thomas Smith and they too lived out their lives in Norfolk then were buried in Bayview Cemetery.

[8] James Dedrick whose birthdate can only be estimated about 1799, married on 8 Jul 1821, Elizabeth (Betsy Edwards, a daughter of Charlotteville pioneer Richard Edward and his wife Elizabeth Watts. James died sometime before 1850. His widow remarried to Stephen B. Miller and died several decades later on 20 Nov 1886 and was buried in Bayview Cemetery, Port Rowan. Their oldest daughter Catherine Jane Dedrick, born on 19 Dec 1822 married Coville Lanning and alternated between Charlotteville Norfolk Co. and Yarmouth Twp., Elgin Co. until the 1850’s when they finally settled at Yarmouth. Both were buried in Union Methodist Cemetery there. According to the Talbot District Marriage Register, daughter Elizabeth married Edward Eagar on 20 Aug 1845, but died before the 1852 Census when her husband was remarried and the children were living with Elizabeth’s mother. The next daughter Salome A.’s marriage to William J. Ward was also in the Talbot District Register as 19 Apr 1854. She and her husband were buried in Delhi Cemetery, Delhi, Ont. Next, son Thomas H. Dedrick married Rachel A. Pearson. They lived out their lives in South Walsingham Twp. and Thomas was buried in Bayview Cemetery. John W. Dedrick married his step-sister Susan Elizabeth Miller and they lived out their lives in Walsingham Twp. Both were buried in Bayview Cemetery.

[9] Lucas Dedrick Jr.’s gravestone in Bayview Cemetery, Port Rowan states that he died on 24 Dec 1883 aged 79 years 6 months. His wife Catharine Rohrer died on 8 Feb 1875 aged 67 years 4 months. Both lived out their lives in Walsingham Twp. and were buried in Bayview Cemetery. The order of the birth of daughters of Lucas Dedrick Jr. should be corrected. According to the gravestone of Catharine Dedrick in Bayview Cemetery she was born c. 1834. Next, Emma in the same cemetery was born on February 14, 1839. The third daughter Nancy Amelia was born on March 20, 1841 and buried in the same cemetery. The youngest daughter Mary Rebecca also in Bayview Cemetery was born on June 18, 1843. Son Cornelius married Caroline (Brown) Bouck on 8 May 1852 according to the Talbot District marriage register. Cornelius lived during his short twenty-seven year life on his father’s farm and was buried in Bayview Cemetery. Owen included George W. Dedrick as a son of Lucas. However, he was a son of Cornelius. Following his father’s untimely death, George, aged only about one year old was raised in his grandfather’s home and succeeded to the farm and died single in 1928. The daughter Mary mentioned by Owen likely was Mary Rebecca Dedrick. She was recorded as Mary R. in the 1852 and 1861 Censuses and on her gravestone in Bayview Cemetery. The next son Luke Dedrick lived on the homestead and never married. His sister Catharine died unmarried on 9 Sep 1857 and was buried in the same cemetery. The next three sisters died on the homestead, Emma S. on 12 Oct 1908, Nancy Amelia on 16 Feb 1921 and Mary Rebecca on 27 Mar 1930, all buried in Bayview Cemetery. The only one in this family to marry was Cornelius.