Sketch XVII
A Young Pioneer Who Brought The Old Family
Bible - Price Family
The head of one of our most numerous and highly-respected families came to Long Point before the province was four years old, and before the lands in old Charlotteville were surveyed, a young man, unaccompanied by relatives and possessing no wealth; yet although poor in this world’s goods, he was abundantly rich in better things.[1] He possessed a brave, honest heart, and when he landed at the mouth of Big Creek, on the 5th day of June, 1796, he stepped ashore with his Bible under his arm. The principles of Christianity had been instilled into his mind when but a child by a Christian mother, and faith in God was a cardinal principle firmly imbedded in the concrete of his being. The old Bible was dear to him because it was the word of the living God— the great chart of human life that taught him how to live, thereby learning how to die. It taught him how to be brave, patient and virtuous, and it taught him how to erect a Christian alter in his new home in the forest so that his children and his neighbor’s children might at all times see and feel the bright and shining light that radiated from it. Is it any wonder that Thomas Price had the courage to turn his back on his New Jersey home and start off on a five hundred mile journey through an unknown region, and brave the hardships and privations encountered in the work of hewing out a home for himself in a dense, unbroken wilderness? The same God who had comforted and solaced his mother, and watched over his cradle in New Jersey, would be just as near to him in his new home, and would remain the same source of comfort in the hour of need.
Thomas Price came to Long Point with the party of U. E. Loyalists that landed at Port Royal in 1796, a description of which is given in sketch, “A Pioneer Wheatfield.”
Thomas Price married Frances Montross, and settled on Lot 24, 3rd concession of Walsingham. Here, after the pioneer wedding, he took his young bride and planted a Christian home; and here he raised his family, and by patient industry, prudent management and untiring perseverance, made one of the most comfortable and most valuable homes in Walsingham in his day. This home was noted for its Christian influences and its generous hospitality. It was a home where the press of business cares and responsibilities were never permitted to interrupt or crowd out the daily religious exercises; and, what is not at all common, it is a home where the younger members of the family were taught to take part in the religious exercises. Mr. Price believed in the Christian principle of returning good for evil, and his faith was exemplified in his good works. To show the character of the man it is only necessary to mention one of many similar incidents which might be cited. One winter in the early part of his life he discovered that his corn was disappearing faster than it should, and he concluded to set a trap in the crib. A morning or two after, he found a man in the crib with both hands fast in the trap. He knew the man and thus accosted him:
“Why, good morning, Mr. Morrison, are you in trouble? Why didn’t you call for help?”[2]
He then liberated the unfortunate purloiner of corn, took him into the house, washed the blood off his wounded hands, bandaged them, and then made him sit down to the reading of a portion of Scripture and the morning prayer. The poor fellow was then made to join the family at breakfast, but his appetite was not very good that morning, and the little he ate came near choking him. Mr. Price talked of different things but never once alluded to the unpleasant circumstance that was the cause of his neighbor’s visit. After breakfast, Mr. Price invited him to come again, and bade him good morning. The effect produced by these “hot coals” on Morrison’s head was something terrible, and he sincerely repented of his misdeads all the days of his life.
During Duncan McCall’s parliamentary term the lighthouse on Long Point was built. Mr. McCall was one of the Lighthouse Commissioners, and when it was completed, in 1832, he appointed Thomas Price to the position of lighthouse-keeper. One wild stormy night a vessel went ashore about seven miles down the Point. It was a fearful night, but Mr. Price and his family turned out of their comfortable quarters and hastened to the wreck where they rendered heroic aid in rescuing the unfortunate crew.
Thomas Price had seven sons—Stephen, Peter, David, Thomas, Aaron, James and George; and five daughters—Hannah, Leah, Phoebe, Rebecca and Eva. He died in 1836, in his 60th year.
Stephen Price, eldest son of Thomas, was married three times. By his first wife Mary Ellis, he had two sons—Thomas and Dr. Edwin, who settled in Aylmer; and three daughters—Rosamond, Eva and Mary. There was no issue in the second marriage. By his third wife, Esther Ann Franklin, he had three sons—W. P. Price (the Simcoe Merchant), Stephen and Horatio, who died young.
Peter Price, second son of Thomas, married Mary Jane Gillespie and settled on the Charlotteville side opposite the old homestead. He had three sons—William G., John M. G. and George; and four daughters—Emaline, Ruth, Sarah Jane and Almira. Peter died since this sketch was first written, in his 88th year. His youngest son, George, occupies the homestead.
David Price, third son of Thomas never married. He also settled on the Charlotteville side. He is living and has reached his 88th year.[3]
Thomas Price, fifth son of Thomas, married Jane Woodruff and settled in the home neighbourhood. He had nine children—Martha Ann, Melissa, Harriet, Maria, Hannah, Edgar Culver, Daton, Addie and Bertie.[4] All settled in the Price neighborhood. Thomas died in 1871, in his 61st year.
Aaron Price, sixth son of Thomas, married Esther Hammond, and settled in Aylmer. He had one son, David.
James Price, seventh son of Thomas, married Emmer Oaks, and succeeded his father on the old homestead. He had three sons—Aaron Wesley, DeWitt, and George Wallace; and two daughters—Fanny and Flora. All settled near the old home. James died in 1882, in his 65th year
George Price, youngest son of Thomas, died quite young.
As to the daughters of Thomas Price, the old pioneer, Hannah, the eldest and first born child, married Ephraim Tisdale, of Charlotteville. Her children are enumerated in the Tisdale genealogy. She was about eighty-four when she died. Leah died single, and Phoebe married Butler Hutchinson, and settled in Port Rowan. Rebecca was twice married- William Oaks being her first, and Richard Oaks her second husband, She died in 1878 in her 59th year, leaving no children. Eva, the youngest daughter died single.[5]
Thomas Price, the old pioneer, was the son of Stephen Price, of New Jersey. In his father’s family were six sons—Thomas, David, Stephen, Moses Comet, James and Benjamin; and six daughters—Jemima, Hannah, Saria, Phoebe, Rebecca and Esther.[6]
The New Jersey home was at Elizabeth, in Union County. The New Jersey maternal ancestor’s maiden name was Hannah Chandler. The father was born in 1853, and was forty-three years old when Thomas, his eldest son, a mere lad of nineteen, bade his parents and little brothers and sisters farewell, and started for the wilds of Upper Canada- falling in, by the way, with the McCall party of U. E. Loyalists. In after years, when his New Jersey brothers had grown into manhood, two of them- Stephen and James- came to the Long Point Settlement. The former was born in 1788, and the latter was born in 1796, the year Thomas left home.
Stephen Price, third son of New Jersey Stephen, settled near his brother, Thomas. He was twice married. By his first wife he had three sons—Peter, Robert and John; and by his second wife, Jane Power, he had two sons—John Tower and Thomas; and two daughters—Jane Elizabeth and Mary Ann. Peter kept a hotel at St. Williams several years. He was a great hunter, and was known as “Price Procunier.”
James Price, fifth son of New Jersey Stephen, married Mary Rohrer and settled in the Price neighborhood. He had two sons—Stephen and John, and three daughters—Mary, Hannah and Susannah.
The descendants of Stephen Price, of New Jersey have become very numerous and widely scattered. They are of Welsh origin, but it is not known when the grand-American ancestor emigrated from Wales.
[1] Thomas Price (son of Stephen and Hannah (Chandler) Price), was born at Elizabeth, New Jersey on February 1, 1777, according to his parents’ family Bible. A copy of the register pages from that volume is at the Norfolk Historical Society Archives in Simcoe. Thomas came as a young man in the McCall settlement party to Walsingham Township on June 5, 1796, recorded in the “Settlement Files” of the Surveyor General’s office. Also in the party was Thomas’ uncle Elihu Price. Thomas’ brothers Stephen and James subsequently joined him at Walsingham Twp. A source for the New Jersey Price family background is William Ogden Wheeler, The Ogden Family (1907).
[2] Jacob Morrison and his son Cornelius lived across the road from Thomas Price in Lot 1, Concession A, Charlotteville Township, recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register.
[3] David Price had a liaison with his housekeeper, Sarah (Sally) Brandow and they had a child David Price, born on June 17, 1842 who married Lydia King. David Sr. willed his home farm to his son David Jr. (Norfolk County Surrogate Registry). Information also from Montross: A Family History, by John and Eva Taylor, p. 151, 252.
[4] Owen shows a son named Edgar Culver Price. They were actually two sons recorded in the family in the 1852 and 1861 Censuses—James Edgar Price, born on 22 Apr 1847 and Joseph Culver Price born on 19 Apr 1854. There were two more children mentioned in family information who died in infancy—Thomas Clarkson Price (born and died on 5 Jun 1858) and an unnamed daughter who died in 1860 aged one month.
[5] The order of the husbands of Rebecca Price should be reversed. Her first marriage to Richard Oakes on 18 Nov 1841 was recorded in the Talbot District Marriage Register. He died on 12 Apr 1848 according to his gravestone in Old Woodhouse Methodist Church Cemetery. Rebecca then married William S. Oakes, widower of Sarah Powell.
[6] The father of Stephen Price in old New Jersey was Thomas Price (son of Thomas and Mary (Rolfe) Price), born on October 4, 1723, died on January 21, 1802 according to the Price Family Bible. Thomas Price married Abigail Ogden (daughter of Thomas Ogden), born in April 1825, died on 30 Jan 1802. They lived at Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey. This Thomas Price’s grandfather was John Price and Thomas’ great-grandfather was Benjamin Price, an original Associate of Elizabeth, New Jersey. According to the Bible, Stephen had another daughter Lydia who was born on 3 Oct 1784.