Sketch LXXV

The Man Who Surveyed Walsingham—Hazen Family

The first historical event in county history is the survey of its public lands, and the names of the surveyors are always found recorded on the first page of such history. Municipal history cannot ante-date settlement, and the surveyor is the forerunner of settlement. He goes into the unbroken wilderness and, on nature’s great blackboard, delineates a group of townships, sub-dividing them into tiers, lots and road allowances, and in due time this group is organized into a county. Before the lands are surveyed they cannot be acquired or actual settlements made; and all would-be settlers who “go in and occupy” before the surveyor has performed his duty, are mere squatters—not settlers. Thus it is, that among the first names appearing in the history, proper, of our county, are those of Daniel Hazen, Thomas Welch, and others, who made the original survey of our lands. But this work is not a history of our county; it is simply a series of sketches of our old pioneers and their pioneer experiences; and if Daniel Hazen had not permanently settled on a portion of the land he surveyed, his family would not be entitled to a place in the series.

So far as information in possession of members of the family is concerned, nothing is known of Daniel Hazen’s ancestors.[1] He was a U.E. Loyalist, but nothing is known as to his career, or that of his father, during the war of the Revolution.[2] It is supposed, however, that the family fled to St. John, N.B., from New Jersey, at the close of the war. The family name has been a familiar one in the vicinity of St. John all through the century, and it is supposed the Norfolk Hazens are a branch of the same family. Daniel Hazen came to Niagara before Canada West was organized into a province.[3] He had received a fair education for the times, and was a surveyor by profession. In 1796 he and Mr. Hamlin were sent up to Long Point to survey Charlotteville. This was the next year after Governor Simcoe visited Turkey Point. They surveyed the east line, ran up the lake and established the width of the township, and surveyed the line between Charlotteville and Walsingham. Hamlin commenced the Charlotteville survey, but was taken sick and was unable to complete the task. The survey was subsequently made by Thomas Welch. Mr. Hazen began his survey of Walsingham in 1796, and completed it in the winter of 1797-98. While engaged in the work he discovered a spring in the interior of the township, near the Venison Creek, and far removed from any squatter’s cabin, which he greatly admired; and after he completed his work he chose this spot for a home. Others followed, and in a few years a little settlement was effected, which has ever since been known as the “Hazen settlement.”[4]

Mr. Hazen was a man of unassuming manners and of more than ordinary intelligence. He was held in high esteem by his fellow-pioneers, being generous, upright and honorable in business affairs, and most exemplary in Christian character. He and his wife were constituent members of the first Methodist society organized in the county. This pioneer organization came into being in the beginning of the century, and has been known ever since as the Woodhouse Methodist church. In the early pioneer days it is said that Daniel Hazen and his wife frequently walked from their home in Walsingham to this Woodhouse pioneer meeting-house. In fact, Mr. Hazen came quite regularly, and Mrs. Hazen accompanied him when the quarterly meetings were held, or about four times each year. It is seventeen miles “as the crow flies” from the Hazen home to the Woodhouse church; but if the footsteps of these old pioneers could be traced to-day, it would be found that, owing to the windings and deviations which the primitive condition of the roads and lack of bridges at that time made necessary, the distance traversed was much greater. They took a luncheon with them, and long before the sun took his first peep at the new-born day, these foundation builders were well on their way. Only four times a year was this pioneer mother permitted to “go to meetin’,” and yet for this small privilege she had to walk at least one hundred and fifty miles through stretches of unbroken forest, up and down steep hills, across numerous streams on the trunks of fallen trees and through miry swales! What an example of Christian fortitude and patient perseverance in the very teeth of adverse circumstances—circumstances, I fear, which would put church-going altogether beyond the reach of the people of our day.

In 1824 Daniel Hazen was nominated by his Walsingham friends for representative in the Provincial Parliament. His fellow-nominees at this time were Francis L. Walsh, Duncan McCall, George Ryerson, John Killmaster and Walter Nichol. In those days candidates for parliamentary honors had to pay all poll expenses. Returning officers and poll clerks received a guinea, and the constables a dollar each per day. Nominations were made on Monday, and if more than the required number were nominated, a poll was opened at once, and remained open from day to day at the expense of the candidates receiving the least number of votes; until they were assured in their own minds that no chances for victory remained. Sometimes these pioneer elections continued all through the week, and when such an event occurred it was a jubilee week for the freehold electorate. Every freeholder was supposed to stand by his own colors, and any voter who so far forgot himself as to drink whisky from the barrel set up by a candidate he did not vote for, lost caste among his fellows, and was looked upon as a man of uncertain principles. In our times such a fellow would be dubbed a “sucker.” The franchise was confined to freeholders, and a leasehold for 999 years would be insufficient to entitle a man to a vote.

In this election the contest was closed on the second day. Mr. Walsh and Mr. McCall being then declared elected. At that time Walsingham had about sixty-nine votes, which were cast mostly for Mr. Hazen. This was the only time Mr. Hazen ever entered a contest for either parliamentary or municipal honors.

Daniel Hazen’s family was pretty well grown-up when he settled in Walsingham. He had five sons—William, Daniel, John, Caleb and Elijah.[5]

William Hazen, eldest of Daniel, married Mary Ann, daughter of Caleb Hazen, of Woodhouse, and settled in Bayham. Elijah, a son of William, married Jane Matthews, and settled in Walsingham.[6]

Daniel Hazen, son of Daniel, married Ann Matthews, and settled in Oakland. He had three sons—James, William and Daniel; and four daughters—Lavinia, Amy, Alice and Margaret.[7]

John Hazen, third son of the original Daniel, married and settled in Bayham. He had no children.

Caleb Hazen,[8] and his brother Elijah, youngest sons of Daniel, settled in Walsingham. The latter married a daughter of Elder Neill, and settled on the old homestead. Elijah Hazen is remembered by the old people as a mail-carrier of “ye olden time.” He carried His Majesty’s mail on the back of a poor old horse from Port Rowan to Vittoria and return, once each week for several years. It was a big day’s work, being about seven miles from his home in Walsingham, to Port Rowan; and , during the first four years, His Majesty paid him the extravagant sum of seventy-five cents per week.[9]

Daniel Hazen[10] had a brother, Caleb, who came to Long Point after the war of 1812, and settled in Woodhouse, near Port Ryerse. He had four sons—Wesley, William, Daniel and Freeman; and three daughters—Mary Ann, Eliza and Jane.[11]

Wesley Hazen, son of Caleb, married Tamson McNally, but had no family.

William Hazen, the second son, married Cornelia Bostwick, and settled near Port Dover. He had one son, Freeman.[12]

Daniel Hazen, third son of Caleb, married Sarah Gilbert, and settled in Woodhouse. He had two sons—Wesley and Peter; and two daughters—Matilda and Margaret.[13]

Freeman Hazen, youngest son of Caleb, married Mary Ann Tinbrook, and lived at different places in the county.[14]

Mary Ann, Eliza and Jane, daughters of Caleb, married, respectively, William Hazen, John Matthews and George Matthews. The names of their children are given elsewhere.

[1] The background of Daniel Hazen was researched and written by Ross McCurdy in “Descendants of Daniel Hazen” p.p., p. 1. Daniel Hazen, born at Sussex County, New Jersey on August 10, 1755, was a son of Daniel and Rachel (Schritchfield) Hazen. The senior Daniel was a son of John and Mary (Bradstreet) Hazen and born at Norwich, Connecticut on January 1, 1724. He moved to Hardwick (present Independence) Township, Sussex County, New Jersey by 1755 when he paid a fee on 113 acres of land. Daniel, Sr. died at Hardwick on December 4, 1788 and his son Arthur took out Letters of Administration over his father’s estate dated December 25, 1788.

[2] During the American Revolution, Daniel Hazen, the Norfolk County Surveyor, served six years as a Sergeant in the First Battalion of the New Jersey Volunteers. He was present at the Battle of Eutaw Springs on September 8, 1781 and the Battle of Yorktown on October 19, 1781. Source: Upper Canada Land Petition “H” Bundle 2, Doc. No. 11 and McCurdy “Descendants of Daniel Hazen”, p. 1-14.

[3] Hazen stated in his Upper Canada Land Petition “H” Bundle 4, Doc. No. 22, that he came to Upper Canada in 1786 with his wife and five children and worked in the Surveying Department under Philip Frey in 1788 and 1789. He settled on a 460 acre land grant in Lots 4, 5, 6 and 7, Crowland Township, Welland County and was named there on the early Surveyor General’s Map of the township.

[4] Hazen had a grant of Lot 10, Concession 5, and Lot 11, Concession 6, Walsingham Township dated December 31, 1798, recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register. He made his home on the first located on the west side of present Highway 59 northwest of Port Rowan, and “The Hazen Settlement” grew up there.

[5] Daniel Hazen had a considerably larger family than that reported by Owen. Daniel’s grandson H. Wilkinson Hazen recorded the following in The Hazen Family in America: Lydia born March 8, 1783; Daniel born September 10, 1784; William born January 28, 1786; John born January 15, 1789; Rachel born March 26, 1791; Charlotte born and died November 12, 1793; Caleb born December 27, 1795; Elijah born July 12, 1797; and Jacob born July 16, 1798. The oldest daughter Lydia had a liaison with Benjamin Franklin by whom she had a daughter Priscilla who married Oliver Smith. Priscilla was named in her mother’s will dated June 25, 1854, filed in the Elgin County Surrogate Registry. Following her daughter’s birth, Lydia Hazen married John Joseph Lodor, an innkeeper in Bayham Township, Elgin County. Lydia’s sister Rachel Hazen married Benjamin Franklin’s brother George Franklin on June 15, 1817, recorded in the London District Marriage Register.

[6] William Hazen, actually the second son of Daniel, settled on Lots 119 and 120 South Talbot Road, Bayham Township, Elgin County. He had the following family recorded by McCurdy: Benjamin Hunt born November 8, 1818, married Eliza E. (Turner) Hunt; Daniel Ward born November 5, 1821; Elijah William born September 26, 1823 married Jane Matthews; Mariah born November 28, 1826, married Isaeh J. Leafy; John Wesley born August, 4, 1829, married Almira Hodgkins; Oliver born c. 1831; Alvin Torrey born March 5, 1832, died February 1856; Sylvester Caleb born April 16, 1834; Frances Angeline born September 27, 1836, married John Thompson; Ushal Freeman born October 30, 1840.

[7] Daniel Hazen, the oldest son of Daniel, had the following family: Lovina born May 8, 1807; John born February 8, 1809, died January 11, 1813; Sarah born January 26, 1811, died November 29, 1842; Miriam born November 6, 1813, died September 22, 1814; Alice born April 20, 1816, married William House; Daniel William Bowen born June 14, 1818, married Agnes Louks; Amy born October 11, 1820; Jacob born April 26, 1822, died January 26, 1823; Nancy born January 5, 1824; Margaret born April 20, 1826; James C. born April 27, 1828, married Martha Ann Miller; William born January 2, 1830.

[8] Caleb Hazen, the fourth son of Daniel settled near Houghton Centre in Houghton Township, Norfolk County. He married Rachel Wedge and had the following family: Alexander born c. 1824; Roxy Ann born c. 1825, married John Crawford; Philander born February 14, 1826, married Ann Silverthorn; Louisa Tinch died young; Homer; Josephus Barbour born February 5, 1833, married Louisa Sutton; Elenore died young; Edward Bradgrave born January 3, 183(4?), married Eveline Sacket; Amanda born c. 1839, married Henry Thayer; D’Arcy Bolton born c. 1840; John Colburn born January 3, 1842, married Ellen McCann; Matilda born April 25, 1847, married Charles Carlos Whittemore.

[9] Elijah Hazen, the fifth son of Daniel, had the following children: John Wesley born June 18, 1819, married Mercy Culver; William born December 6, 1820, married Amanda Louks; Ahima W. born January 23, 1823, married Amia Catherine Brown; Emelina born September 19, 1825, married James Terrett; George Neal born February 27, 1827; Elijah born March 6, 1830, married Ann Eliza Clark; Henry Wilkinson born August 23, 1834, married Emily Cox; James born September 5, 1836, married Mary E. Hutchison; Warren Smith born June 6, 1838, married Elizabeth Helms; Charles Harvey born May 21, 1842, married Jane Pickersgill; Edway born June 4, 1846, married Phoebe Swears.

[10] Daniel Hazen’s youngest son Jacob was omitted by Owen. He married Margaret Standin (Stanton) and settled on Lot 10, Concession 5, Walsingham Township, recorded in the 1852 Census. They had the following children: Alice born March 5, 1831, married Lyman Lawyer Griffith; Daniel born August 15, 1832, died June 7, 1855; Jacob Ward born February 7, 1834, married Elenor A. Layman; Anna born March 4, 1836, died 1865; Robert Stanton born June 5, 1838, married Mary Ann Higgins; Aaron born July 30, 1840, married Mary Ellen Hazen; James S. born November 25, 1842; Matthias H. born October 24, 1843; John born July 30, 1845, died February 5, 1852.

[11] Caleb Hazen, brother of surveyor Daniel settled on the south part of Lots 2 and 3, Woodhouse Township where he was recorded in the Assessments. He had the following children: Rachel born July 29, 1796; Mary Ann born December 25, 1798; Jane born February 25, 1800, married; Eliza born c. 1802; John Wesley born c. 1804; Benjamin Hunt died young; William Hunt born c. 1808; Daniel Hunt born June 17, 1811; Caleb Freeman born December 3, 1821; and three daughters who died in infancy. The oldest daughter Rachel married Andrew Smith and settled in Woodhouse Township.

[12] William Hazen, third son of Caleb married second to Eliza Trowbridge and settled on Lot 9, Concession 1, Charlotteville Twp. They had the following children recorded with them in the 1852 Census: George Washington, born c. 1841; Emily Virginia Louisa born c. 1844; Frances Mary born c. 1846. McCurdy also mentions a son Abner Trowbridge Hazen.

[13] Daniel and Sarah (Gilbert) Hazen had a much larger family recorded in Isaac Gilbert, United Empire Loyalist, by Harriet Walker: Matilda born October 10, 1836; Abigail born June 1, 1838; John Wesley born February 4, 1840; Walter born April 3, 1842; Margaret born January 28, 1844; Arthur born November 21, 1845; Adelaide born December 19, 1846; Rachael born August 27, 1848; Edwin born 1850; and Peter W. born April 26, 1852. Sarah (Gilbert) Hazen died on February 23, 1854 and Daniel remarried on November 22, 1859, Calista Irena Lawrence, recorded in the Oxford County Marriage Register. By her, Daniel had Wallace Cicero, born March 12, 1861 and James William.

[14] Freeman and Mary Ann (Tenbroeck) Hazen lived on Lot 11, Concession 9, Walsingham Twp. at the time of the 1852 Census. They had the following children: William O. born 21 Oct 1843, died Oct 1843; Mary Jane, born 18 Nov 1846; William O. born 21 May 1848; Charles Mortimer born 28 Dec 1851; Emma Theresa born 24 Jan 1853; Gertrude born 12 Jul 1856; Edwin born 16 Apr 1858; and Iola Madora born 25 Dec 1861.