Elizabeth is said to have been 5’ 7” with auburn hair and blue eyes.
Events
Date of Birth: 11 August 1808
The date is given by Our Family History (p. 115) and the 1901 census of Canada.
Date of Baptism: 18 September 1808
Place of Baptism: Thornton Dale, Yorkshire
The date and place are given in the parish registers for Thornton Dale.
Date of Death: 14 April 1901
Place of Death: Ontario County
The date and place are given in her death registration.
Date of Burial: 16 April 1901
Place of Burial: Salem Cemetery, Pickering township, Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Relationships
Father: Wilfrid Sadler (1770 - 1858)
Mother: Mary Maw (1773 - 1829)
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: John Adamson (about 1804 - 31 July 1856) Married 1 June 1828 in Thornton Dale, Yorkshire.
The date and place are given in the parish register.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. Sources include Yorkshire parish registers, Canadian censuses, Ontario birth, death, and marriage registrations, gravestones, and Our Family History.)
Mary Adamson (25 October 1828 - 8 February 1830, baptized 26 October 1828 in Thornton Dale - buried 9 February 1830 in Thornton Dale)
Samuel Adamson (19 December 1830, baptized 22 December 1830 in Thornton Dale - died 3 September 1900 in Manitoba, Canada) married Mary Ann Wilson.
Mary Adamson (28 January 1833 - 28 August 1833)
John Maw Adamson (8 September 1835 - 4 December 1836)
Thomas Adamson (1 February 1837 - 3 September 1900) married Rachel Bowers.
Robert Adamson (8 April 1839 - 5 February 1918) married Margaret Maria Gibson on 16 May 1872 in Brooklin, Ontario.
Sarah Ann Adamson (5 September 1841 - 26 April 1923) married Robert Graham 14 May 1859 in Ontario County, Canada West.
William Wilfrid Adamson (10 February 1843 - 4 May 1912) married Margaret Moody.
John Maw Adamson (28 February 1847 - 8 February 1928) married Adelaide Victoria Harvey.
Henry Gamble Adamson (14 July 1849 - 26 April 1935) married Elizabeth Beatrice Cooke on 6 June 1876 in Toronto, Ontario.
Evidence
Thornton Dale parish register [baptisms]:
Sept.t 18 [1808] Elizabeth D.r. of Wilfrid & Mary Sadler
A Grant:
Plan 22 A Lot 2 Richmond St NS
No. of Instrument: 64092
Instrument: Will
Its Date: 30 Jan. 1856
Date of Registry: 3 Oct. 1856
Grantor: John Adamson
Grantee: Devise of real estate to wife during her life and subject to maintenance of infant children and after her death to children in manner therein set out
No. of Instrument: 64154
Instrument: Grant
Its Date: 23 July 1852
Date of Registry: 7 Oct. 1856
Grantor: John Adamson Elizabeth his wife
Grantee: William Harbron
Consideration: £600
Quantity of Land–Remarks: Lot 3 and E ½ lot 2
An indenture:
No. 66969
Entered and Registered this 1st day of May AD 1872 at at 39 min past 12 oclock P.M. Shaun Day
This Indenture made in Duplicate this Twelfth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy two In pursuance of the Act respecting short forms of Conveyances. Between Elizabeth Adamson of the Township of Pickering in the County of Ontario Widow of John Adamson late of the same place Stone mason since deceased of the first part Samuel Adamson Thomas Adamson. John Adamson Yeomen and Henry Adamson Painter (a Bachelor) all of the said Township of Pickering. William Adamson of Township of Tay in the County of Simcoe Yeoman and Sarah Ann Graham of the Township of Flos in the County of Simcoe now wife of Robert Graham of the same place Yeoman but formerly Sarah Ann Adamson daughter of the said John Adamson deceased. of the second part. The said Robert Graham of the third part. Mary Ann Adamson wife of the said Samuel Adamson Rachel Adamson wife of the said Thomas Adamson. Adelaide Adamson wife of the said John Adamson all of the said Township of Pickering Margaret Adamson of the said Township of Tay wife of the said William Adamson of the fourth part. William Bower of the said Township of Pickering Shoemaker and the said Samuel Adamson and Elizabeth Adamson Executors and Executrix of the Last Will and Testament of the said John Adamson deceased of the fifth part. And Robert Adamson of the Township of Tecumseth in the County of Simcoe. Shoe maker (Bachelor) of the Sixth part. Whereas the said John Adamson deceased departed this life having first duly made and published his Last Will and Testament in writing bearing date the Thirtieth day of January one thousand eight hundred and fifity six which will was duly proved and Probate thereof granted by the Surrogate Court of the County of Ontario to the parties hereto of the fifth part. And whereas by the said Will the said John Adamson deceased gave and bequeathed to his wife the said Elizabeth Adamson all his real and personal estate during her natural life for her use and support and for the maintaining and the education of his children under the age of Twenty one years and that in case the said Elizabeth Adamson should die before the said children were of age that his said Executors should apply the profits or interest that might arise from the said Real Estate for the maintaining and educating of the said children under the age of Twenty one years and did also by his last Will request that his said seven children should have an equal share of all his real estate which said equal share should not be received until the death of the said Elizabeth Adamson but that in case said Elizabeth Adamson should die before Henry Adamson the youngest son of said John Adamson should come of age then that the said equal share should not be received by any of said Children until said Henry Adamson should come to the age of Twenty one years and that then the division of his said Real Estate should be subject to the arrangement therein set forth. And further by his said Will required that as soon as the death of his said Wife should take place his real and personal property should be valued by three honest and disinterested men to be then named and appointed by his said Executors to ascertain the value of said real and personal Estate and that the same should be divided so that each of said seven children should have an equal share And further by said Will requested that as soon as the value of each of the said seven childrens shares was ascertained it the bequest to each of said children as mentioned by name in said Will should amount to more than each of his said seven childrens share should come to then his said children whose bequest shouild amount in value to more than the share coming to each of his said seven children should pay the balance to each of his said children whose bequest came short of each of his said seven childrens equal share that the share of each of his said seven children should be made equal in value six months after the valuation of the said real and personal estate. And whereas the said John Adamson since deceased was at the time of his death seised of the freehold lands comprised in the several Schedules hereunder written for an estate of inheritance in fee simple in possession. And whereas the said parties of the second and sixth parts being the said seven children of the said John Adamson are now alive and of the full age of Twenty one years and the said Elizabeth Adamson is still alive. And whereas Sarah Ann Adamson one of the said seven children has intermarried with and is now the wife of the said Robert Graham who has thereby acquired some interest in the said Estate. And whereas it was lately agreed between all the parties hereto that the said Robert Adamson should forthwith receive a sufficient conveyance of the lands comprised in the First Schedule hereunder written free and clear of and from all claims and demands at law or in equity of any of the other parties hereto or any other person or persons whomsoever and of all claims for contribution to any other parties hereto as and for the full share and interest of the said Robert Adamson of in and to the said real and personal estate and in consideration therefor should release to the parties of the second part all claims on the said Estate other than the lands comprised in said first Schedule. Now this Indenture Witnesseth that in consideration of the premises and in pursuance of the said agreement the parties hereto of the first and second and third parts by and with the consent of the parties of the fourth part testified by the parties of the fourth part being parties to and executing these presents. Do grant unto the party of the sixth part his heirs and assigns for ever. All and singular the lands and premises comprised in the first Schedule hereunder written To have and to hold unto the said party of the sixth part his heirs and assigns to and for his and their sole and only use for ever subject nevertheless to the reservations. limitations. provisoes, and conditions expressed in the original grant thereof from the Crown. And the parties of the first second and third parts covenant with the said party of the sixth part that they have a right to convey the said lands in the said first Schedule comprised to the said party of the sixth part notwithstanding any act of the said parties of the first second and third parts and that the said party of the sixth part shall have quiet possession of the said last mentioned lands free from all incumbrances, And the said parties of the first second and third parts Covenant with the said party of the sixth part that they will execute such further assurances of the said lastly sanctioned lands lastly above referred to and The said parties of the first second and third parts release to the said party of the sixth part all their claims on the lands lastly above mentioned The parties of the fourth part hereby bar their dower in the lands in the first Schedule comprised. And this Indenture further witnesseth that in pursuance of the said agreement and in consideration of the premises and all and singular the other premises the said party of the sixth part doth grant unto the said parties of the second part their heirs and assigns for ever. All and singular the lands and premises comprised in the second Schedule To have and to hold unto the said party of the second part their heirs and assigns to and for their sole and only use for ever subject nevertheless to the reservations limitations provisoes and conditions expressed in the orginal grant thereof from the Crown. And this Indenture further witnesseth that in consideration of the premises and in pursuance of the said agreement the said parties of the second third and fifth parts do and each of them doth hereby release and discharge the said party of the sixth part his heirs executors and administrators of and from all actions and suits at law or in equity for enforcing any contribution from the said party of the sixth part to the parties of the second part or for any readjustments of the said real and personal estate so far as concerns the share of the said party of the sixth part therein and in consideration of the premises and the pursuance of the said agreement the party of the sixth part doth hereby accept the lands in the said first Schedule as and for his full share and interest in the said real and personal estate.
In Witness whereof the parties hereto have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year above written.
Elizabeth Adamson
Samuel Adamson
Thomas Adamson
John Adamson
Henry Adamson
Sarah Ann Graham
William Adamson
Robert Graham
Mary Ann Adamson
Rachel Adamson
Adelaide Adamson
Margaret Adamson
Samuel Adamson
Elizabeth Adamson
Robert Adamson
Signed Sealed and Delivered (as to execution hereof by: Elizabeth Adamson. Thomas Adamson. John Adamson. Henry Adamson Mary Ann Adamson Rachel Adamson Adelaide Adamson and Robert Adamson) in the presence of
Lovel Harrison
As to execution by William Adamson and Margaret Adamson in the Presence: William Drinkle: as to the Execution by Sarah Ann Graham and Robert Graham in the presence of H.G.S. Lennox
The first Schedule in the within Deed referred to … All and singular that certain parcel or tract of land and premises situate lying and being in the Township of Tecumseth in the County of Simcoe containing by admeasurement one hundred acres more or less being composed of the East half of lot number three in the thirteenth Concession of the said Township of Tecumseth.
The Second Schedule in the within deed referred to… All and singular those certain parcels or tracts of land and premises situate in the Township of Pickering in the County of Ontario containing one hundred and fifty acres more or less being composed of all those parts of lots number seven and eight in the fifth Concession of the said Township of Pickering owned by John Adamson the Testator in the within Indenture named at the time of his death. Also the north Half of Lot number eighty in the first concession East of the Penitanguishene Road in the Township of Tay in the County of Simcoe. Also that parcel or tract of land situate in the City of Toronto containing by admeasurement Thirty four thousand six hundred and fifty eight square feet more or less composed of Park Lot Park lot number one formerly in the Township of York on the North Side of Hospital Street and being known as lot number three and the East half of lot number two on the plan or survey of said Park lot number one made by John Lynn a Deputy Provincial Surveyor for the Honorable Peter McGill which piece or parcel of land is butted and bounded or may be otherwise known as follows that is to say commencing on the North side of Richmond Street at the distance of eighty seven feet from the west side of Church Street being thirty seven feet three inches from the South East corner of the said lot number three thence northerly parallel with Church Street ninety three feet to a lane then Westerly along the South side of said lane parallel with Richmond Street thirty seven feet three and a half inches then Southerly parallel with Church Street ninety three feet to Richmond Street then Easterly along Richmond Street thirty seven feet three and a half inches to the place of beginning
An abstract of Elizabeth Adamson’s death registration:
Name of Deceased: Adamson, Elizabeth
Sex: F
Date of Death: Apr 14 1901
Age: 92 y 8 m
Residence: lot 7, concession 5
Occupation: Farmer’s widow
Where Born: England
Cause of Death/Length of Illness: Senile Debility, 1 day
Name of Physician in Attendance: Bateson, Dr U.E.
Religious Denomination: Methodist
Name of Person Making the Return: Bateson, Dr U.E.
Date of Registration: Apr 14 1901
from Our Family History (p. 83):
A recipe more than one hundred years old, for a wedding cake taken from Elizabeth Sadler Adamson’s book.
Take 18 lbs. of flour, 10 lbs. of fine sugar, 9 lbs. butter, 11 nutmegs, 18 eggs, 5 qts. of milk, 1 qt. yeast, 10 lbs. fruit, 1 oz. mace, 1 qt. of wine, 1 pt. brandy. The butter and the sugar are to be rolled together, the other materials are then to be mixed with the butter and sugar, putting the fruit in last when nearly ready for the oven.
How to make icing or frosting for cake: Beat it and sift it through a fine sieve, put into it a spoonful of starch, a penny’s worth of gum arabie, beat them together. Take the whites of 4 or 5 eggs and beat them all and put in a spoonful of rose water, a spoonful of lemon juice, beat them with the eggs, then mix and beat the whole together till the cake comes from the oven, when the frosting is to be applied.
[One can well believe the assertion on page 139 that “Grandma Adamson used to buy currents by the barrel.”]
Commentary
Elizabeth’s parentage:
Elizabeth’s parent’s are given as Wilfrid Sadler and Mary Maw in Our Family History (p. 115), written by Elizabeth’s granddaughter Elizabeth Beatrice Hawn [Adamson]. Elizabeth Beatrice knew Elizabeth Sadler, had an interest in family history, and was 22 years old when Elizabeth Sadler died.
Several sources give Elizabeth’s date and place of birth.
Elizabeth’s death registration gives her age at death (14 April 1901) as “92 y 8 m”.
All Canadian censuses give Elizabeth’s birthplace as “England”. Her ages are recorded as follows:
1851 (taken 12 January 1852): 44
1861 (taken 14 January): 52
1871 (taken 2 April): 60
1881 (taken 4 April): 73
1891 (taken 6 April): 82
The 1901 census (taken 31 March) gives her age as 92 and her date of birth as 11 August 1809.
Family sources say that Elizabeth came from Thornton Dale in Yorkshire. That is what Elizabeth’s granddaughter Ella Adamson told me. The Thornton Dale parish register records Elizabeth Sadler’s marriage to John Adamson in 1828, and her baptism 18 September 1808. The baptism entry records her parents as Wilfrid and Mary Sadler.
A 1793 entry in the Thornton Dale register recording the marriage of Wilfrid Sadler and Mary Maw corroborates that Mary’s maiden name was Maw.
There is supporting DNA evidence that Elizabeth was the daughter of Wilfrid Sadler and Mary Maw. I am a paper-trail descendant of Elizabeth, and I share DNA with 19 paper-trail descendants of Elizabeth’s brother (and Wilfrid and Mary’s son) John (with nine matches being longer than 20 cMs), and four paper-trail descendants of Elizabeth’s brother Thomas (with one match of 29 cM).
Taken together, the evidence for Elizabeth’s parentage is sufficient.
References
“AncestryDNA ThruLines for Wilfrid Sadler database report”, AncestryDNA. Accessed 26 February 2025.
Elizabeth Sadler baptism, Thornton Dale, Yorkshire (Bishop’s Transcripts); FHL microfilm 990864, item 2 (Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah). [Unfortunately, I have lost my notes and cannot currently give a more specific citation for the citations from the bishop’s transcripts.]
John Adamson - Elizabeth Sadler marriage, Thornton Dale, Yorkshire (Bishop’s Transcripts); FHL microfilm 990864, item 2 (Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah).
Elizabeth Adamson, Ontario death registration 020813 (14 April 1901); digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://ancestry.ca : accessed 22 March 2014), citing MS 935, reel 103, Archives of Ontario, Toronto. A digital image can be viewed at FamilySearch:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6Q7-M68
John Adamson household, 1851 census of Canada West, Ontario (district 26),Pickering Township (subdistrict 245), ED 12, stamped page 139, line 15; digital image, Library and Archives Canada, Censuses (https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/Pages/census.aspx : accessed 9 March 2014),citing LAC microfilm C-11742
A digital image can be viewed here: http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e095/e002363000.jpg
Elizabeth Adamson household, 1861 census of Canada West, Ontario, Pickering Township, stamped page 43, line 39; digital image, Library and Archives Canada, Censuses (https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/Pages/census.aspx : accessed 9 March 2014), citing LAC microfilm C-1057
A digital image can be viewed here: http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1861/jpg/4391564_00244.jpg
Elizabeth Adamson household, 1871 census of Canada, Ontario, Ontario South (district 48), Pickering Township (subdistrict A), page 1, family 2; digital image, Library and Archives Canada, Censuses (https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/Pages/census.aspx : accessed 9 March 2014), citing LAC microfilm C-9973
A digital image can be viewed here:http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/1871/jpg/4396343_00529.jpg
Elizabeth Adamson household, 1881 census of Canada, Ontario, Ontario South (district 132), Pickering (subdistrict A), division 2, page 19, family 95; digital image, Library and Archives Canada, Censuses (https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/Pages/census.aspx : accessed 22 March 2014), citing LAC microfilm C-13244
A digital image can be viewed here: http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e328/e008180287.jpg
Elizabeth Adamson household, 1891 census of Canada, Ontario, Ontario West (district 102), Pickering Township (subdistrict B), division 3, page 6, family 34; digital image, Library and Archives Canada, Censuses (https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/Pages/census.aspx : accessed 22 March 2014), citing LAC microfilm T-6358
A digital image can be viewed here: http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1891/jpg/30953_148160-00630.jpg
Henry Adamson household, 1901 census of Canada, Ontario, Ontario (west) (district 99), Pickering Township (subdistrict B), division 6, page 4, family 23 (family begins on page 3); digital image, Library and Archives Canada, Censuses (https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/Pages/census.aspx : accessed 9 March 2014), citing LAC microfilm T-6487
A digital image can be viewed here:
http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/1901/z/z002/jpg/z000089839.jpg
Mortgage: Elizabeth Adamson to Robert Adamson, in Pickering-Ajax Digital Archive; digital image: http://www.pada.ca/books/details/?id=2472
Mortgage: Elizabeth Adamson and Samuel Adamson to William Mulock, in Pickering-Ajax Digital Archive; digital image: http://www.pada.ca/books/details/?id=2129
Hawn, Elizabeth Beatrice Adamson. Our Family History. (Gravenhurst, Ontario: Baxter Press Ltd., October 1969).
[Elizabeth Beatrice Adamson Hawn, the compiler, was a granddaughter of Elizabeth Sadler.]
Parish Registers, Thornton Dale. Digital images on Findmypast.co.uk accessed 24 February 2018.
Tecumseth Township. Land Records 1869-1872. [FHL citation: "Tecumseth Township, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H6-G97K-X?view=explore : Nov 25, 2025), image 483 of 498; . Image Group Number: 008636987]
Toronto. Land Records 1800-1958. [FHL citation: "Toronto, Ontario, Canada records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H6-BH8S?view=explore : Nov 25, 2025), image 645 of 664; . Image Group Number: 008637191]