SKETCH CII
CAPTAIN JONATHAN WILLIAMS
Conspicuous among the foundation-builders of “Glorious Old Norfolk” at the dawn of the present century was Captain Jonathan Williams. We find his name recorded in the old court journal under date of March 9th, 1802, as surety for Colonel Joseph Ryerson, in the sum of £60, when that gentleman was appointed treasurer for London District; and, on March 14th, 1804, it is recorded that Jonathan Williams was appointed coroner for London District. Mr. Williams was also one of a handful of pioneers who laid the foundation for a Protestant Episcopal Church of England in the County of Norfolk. At the first meeting called for that purpose, at Job Loder’s tavern, the Town of Charlotteville (Turkey Point), January 3rd, 1803, Mr. Williams was elected a trustee; and when the first vestry was organized on Easter Monday, 1804, he was elected one of its seven members.
The American grandancestor of the old Williams family of Norfolk, emigrated from Wales in colonial times, and settled on Long Island. When the war of the Revolution broke out most of the families on Long Island remained loyal to the Crown, and prominent among these was the Williams family. Jonathan, who had married Miss Maria Titus, of Long Island, and who was about twenty-four years old when the war broke out, enlisted in a Loyalist contingent of the British army, and served as captain of a company all through the war, receiving a wound, the marks of which he carried to his grave.[1]
Near the close of the century Captain Williams came to Long Point, and finally settled on Lot 7, 1st concession of Woodhouse, which, he purchased of Albert Berdan. At this time he was about forty-nine years old, and had a family of seven children.[2] When the war of 1812 broke out the Williams family were in comfortable circumstances. Their home was one of the best in the settlement, but when McArthur raided the county it was reduced to ashes with all its contents by the invader’s torch. It was mid-day, and the family were seated at the dinner table when the American pillagers surrounded the home. Mrs. Williams was ordered to remove her valuables at once, but without waiting for the order to be complied with, the torch was applied, and a Loyalist home representing the fruits of fourteen years’ patient industry in the wilds of a new country, together with many choice old heirlooms brought from the old Long Island home, were consigned to the flames. A mirror which was highly prized by Mrs. Williams—having belonged to her mother in the old colonial days—was saved by her son Isaac at her urgent request. It has been preserved, and is a rare old family heirloom. One chest with its contents was also saved, but aside from this the entire contents of the two-story house—including a quantity of broadcloth stored for military uses—together with the outbuildings, were totally consumed.
Captain Williams drew a life pension for his services in the war of the Revolution, and after his death Mrs. Williams drew a pension as a soldier’s widow. He died on the old Woodhouse homestead in about the year 1832,[3] in his 81st year. His wife survived him several years, and died in her 85th year.[4] The Captain had eight sons—John, Titus, Elijah, Francis, Isaac, Charles, Henry B., and Horatio N.; and two daughters—Nancy and Mary.
Nancy Williams, elder daughter of the Captain, was born in Long Island, and was the first born child. She married Henry Bostwick, and settled at Port Dover. She had one son, Henry, and four daughters—Maria, Clara Ann, Cornelia and Cynthia.[5]
Mary Williams, second daughter of the Captain, was born in Long Island. She married lawyer TenBroek, and settled in Doan’s Hollow. Subsequently Mr. TenBroek settled in London, where he died. He was the first pioneer lawyer of note appearing in the early history of the settlement. In the TenBroek family were three sons—Henry, John and Charles; and three daughters—Mary Ann, Helen and Maria.[6]
John Williams, eldest son of the Captain, married Hetty, daughter of Colonel Ryerson, and was one of Norfolk’s pioneer school teachers. He was superannuated, and settled finally in Houghton, where he died, leaving one son, George.[7]
Titus Williams, second son of the Captain, was born in Long Island in 1790. He and John were the only lads in the family who were old enough to render material aid in erecting the pioneer cabin home. They were the boy pioneers of the Williams family, and their boyhood days were marked with strange and thrilling adventures of bush life. When Titus was only eighteen years old he received an Ensign’s commission in the 2nd Regiment of Norfolk militia. When the war of 1812 broke out he enlisted in one of the flank companies, and was appointed lieutenant. Subsequently he joined the regulars under Colonel Chambers. Lieutenant Williams was at Detroit with General Brock at the time of Hull’s surrender, and he was placed in charge of the force that conveyed the officers captured at Detroit to Fort George. Owing to a disaffection among those operating the ferry on the Grand River, he was given a detail of thirty men and placed in control of ferry transportation. While thus engaged a number of American sympathizers conspired to capture his force, but being warned he made good his escape. He was promoted to a captaincy, and was at the battle of Fort Erie; and while falling back to Chippewa with his company, succeeded in capturing Captain King and thirty Americans. Captain Williams was taken prisoner while attempting to procure a quantity of flour which had been buried at the Sugar Loaf mill, and sent to Philadelphia. While en route he and his fellow prisoners were detained at different points, Pittsfield, Mass., being one of them. While at this place he was confined with a number of officers taken prisoners at Philipsburg, and the treatment accorded them by the Americans was of such an exasperating nature that Captain Williams lost control of himself, and, seizing an axe, chopped down the Liberty pole. For this act he was placed in close confinement; and it was fortunate for him that he was, for the populace were very much excited and would, no doubt, have taken the matter into their own hands had he not been closely guarded.
During the war there had been more or less desertions from the British army, and some of these deserters had been taken in arms and executed. By way of retaliation, twenty-three British prisoners, including Captain Williams, were imprisoned in Philadelphia and condemned to die, in case the British Government failed to apologize for its manner of treating deserters. The feeling subsided, however, and the Captain was liberated May 18th, and July 5th he arrived home. He was immediately appointed adjutant of the 4th Regiment of militia, remaining with that regiment until after the battle of Lundy’s Lane. He was next promoted to a commanding position in a force of regulars stationed in Norfolk, and when the regiment was ordered home to recruit, the Colonel offered him a captaincy in it, but he declined the commission. During the remaining months of the war he served at Fort Norfolk as quartermaster and paymaster. After the war he held a position in the Norfolk militia as major, and afterwards as colonel, until incapacitated by the infirmities of old age. A detailed account of Colonel William’s military career during the war of 1812, dictated and partially written by himself in his old age, is published in the County Atlas.
Col. Titus Williams was twice married. By his first wife, Elizabeth McCallum, he had four sons—Jonathan, John, William and Henry; and three daughters—Mary Ann, Abigail and Maria. By his second wife, Susan Rohrer, he had five sons—Isaac, Nelson, Colborne, Charles and Titus; and three daughters—Elizabeth, Harriet and Emily.
In 1827 he settled on Lot 18, on the Walsingham lake shore.[8] This lot had been taken up in an early day by a man named White, who lived on the place with an only daughter. According to an old tradition, a bloody tragedy was enacted on this spot more than a hundred years ago. As the story goes, White and his daughter came to the Walsingham shore in advance of the early settlement, and were possessed of considerable means. They erected a cabin on the spot since occupied by the Williams home, and here they lived on amicable terms with the Indians until the latter learned that the “pale-face squaw” and her white companion were abundantly supplied the “wampum” of civilization. This knowledge bred an evil desire in the hearts of a few bad Indians, to attack the white man’s cabin and seize the wonderful treasure.[9]
Now, both White and his daughter were expert shots and were well armed and amply supplied with munitions of war; and when the attack was made, full seven very bad Indians were suddenly and unceremoniously transformed into seven very good Indians; and people living in the neighborhood to-day point out the exact spot where these seven Indians were buried. Such is the story, and it is given here for just what it is worth, and no more. No living person knows whence came this White, or whither he went after he sold his land. It was known by the first settlers, however, that he had a considerable sum of money by him. Col. Titus Williams attained the ripe old age and died respected by all who knew him.
Elijah Williams, third son of Captain Jonathan, married Abigail Parkes and settled near Port Dover. Subsequently the family settled in London. He had three sons—Jonathan, William and Joseph; and two daughters—Annie Maria and Fanny.[10]
Francis Williams fourth son of the old Captain, married Amy Cassidy, and settled in the States.
Isaac Williams, fifth son of the Captain, was born in Long Island, and was the baby when the family came to Long Point. He married Sarah Dowlan, by whom he had two sons—Francis and Titus; and five daughters—Sarah, Maria, Mary Jane, Catherine and Ann Caroline.[11]
Charles Williams, sixth son of the Captain, was the first-born child in the Woodhouse home, and probably the first Williams born in the county. He married Ann Higgins, and settled near Port Dover. He had two daughters—Sarah and Margaret.[12]
Henry B. Williams, seventh son of the Captain, married Susan Walker and settled in Houghton. He had two sons—Jonathan and William Henry; and one daughter, Helen.[13]
Horatio N. Williams, eighth and youngest son of the old pioneer, married Damaris Burlingham, and settled in Houghton. He had four sons who grew up—Elisha, Henry, Harmon and Charles; and two daughters—Elizabeth and Damaris Cornelia. Mr. Williams died in 1850, in his 42nd year, and subsequently Mrs. Williams married Henry U. Clark. She was left a widow a second time, and died quite recently at Port Dover.
One of the most prominent names appearing in the early history of the settlement, and one repeated many times in these sketches, is that of Wynant Williams, Esq., of Woodhouse. This distinguished old pioneer came to America from London, England, in 1792, and in 1795 he received an appointment as cornet in a troop of cavalry connected with the militia of Sudbury County, New Brunswick, commanded by Ichabod Smith. Before the close of the century he came to Upper Canada and secured four hundred acres of Government land in the township of Gwillimbury, Home District; and when London District was organized, in 1800, he was a resident of Long Point settlement, and was commissioned one of the first Justices of the Peace.[14] From this time on, Wynant Williams, Esq., played a conspicuous part in the work of foundation-building. In 1805 he received a grant of Lot 20, Woodhouse Gore, which passed to his son Samuel, in 1812. He also owned Lot 7, in the 2nd concession, opposite the Jonathan Williams homestead. In 1815 he willed the upper half of this lot to his sons Benjamin and Wynant, and the lower half to his sons Henry and Philip.[15] What is known as the old Wynant Williams homestead is now the fine rural home of John Alexander, and the old Williams home, which was also destroyed at the time of McArthur‘s raid, stood near the spot where the modern brick residence of Mr. Alexander now stands. Mr. Williams‘ work in the public affairs of the settlement is recorded elsewhere in these sketches and need not be repeated here.
Wynant Williams, Esq., had five sons—Samuel, Henry, Wynant, Benjamin and Philip; and two daughters—Elizabeth and Hannah. Samuel met with accidental death by drowning; Henry settled in St. Thomas; Wynant died single in Toronto; Benjamin married Dorothy McCoy, settled in Woodhouse, and had three sons—William, Henry and Benjamin; and one daughter, Jane. Philip died at the age of eighteen; Elizabeth settled in St. Thomas; and Hannah died young.[16]
So far as known, these two old Williams families were not related to each other.
[1] The gravestone of Jonathan Williams in St. John’s Anglican Church Cemetery, Woodhouse Township states that he was born in “West-Chester, N.Y. on 1 Aug 1753.” This would be Westchester County north of New York City. During the American Revolution, he went to Long Island and served in the Guides and Pioneers, a Loyalist Regiment. Following the war, Jonathan went in the 1783 exodus of New York to New Brunswick and remained there for a time (Source: D. G. Bell, Early Loyalist St. John, p. 253). He returned to New York, settling at Bushwick, King’s County, Long Island where he was recorded in the 1790 Census.
[2] Jonathan Williams was still living at Bushwick as late as January 3, 1801 when he had his seventh child Isaac baptized in the First Reformed Church. Jonathan came to Norfolk soon after. His purchase of Lot 7, Concession 1, Woodhouse Township occurred on March 1, 1801, recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register.
[3] Jonathan Williams’ gravestone in St. John’s Anglican Church Cemetery, Woodhouse Township states that he died on October 28, 1832.
[4] The gravestone of Mary (Titus) Williams in St. John’s Anglican Church Cemetery states that she was born at Bushwick, Long Island on September 1, 1765, that she married Jonathan Williams on September 28, 1782 and died on May 13, 1850.
[5] According to the 1812 Census of Woodhouse Township, Jonathan’s oldest daughter Nancy was born c. 1786 during the family’s period in New Brunswick.
[6] Mary Williams‘ husband was John Tenbroeck, a pioneer lawyer at Port Dover. According to her gravestone in St. John’s Anglican Church Cemetery, Mary was born c. 1788, which was during the family’s New Brunswick period.
[7] John Williams lived for a time at Woodhouse Township, recorded in the 1812 Census. He then moved to Port Stanley, Elgin County where his wife died. Next he moved to Houghton Township, Norfolk County, recorded in the 1852 and 1861 Censuses. He also had a daughter Mary Louisa, born in 1811, recorded with him in the 1812 Census of Woodhouse Township. She married Edmond Edward Warren on February 13, 1834 according to the London District Marriage Register and settled at Port Stanley, Elgin County.
[8] Prior to this time, in 1817, Titus Williams settled on Lot 29, Concession 1, Malahide Twp. and patented it in 1832, recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register of the township.
[9] During the American Revolution, Detrick White associated with the Loyalists in Maryland. Some years before 1795, he settled on Lot 18, Concession 1, Walsingham Township. These items were mentioned in his Land Petition dated on August 13, 1795 (Upper Canada Land Petition “W” Bundle 2, Doc. No. 6). White’s settlement was mentioned as early as the 1796 Surveyor’s Report of Long Point. The Executive Council gave him the grant which was patented on August 25, 1806 and recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register. He sold off most of it to Elizabeth McMichael and Ann Post in 1810 and 1811. Detrick’s will dated at Walsingham Twp. on June 3, 1815 named his children John, George, Jacob, Katherine and Elizabeth. The probate papers state that Detrick died on September 26, 1821 (London District Surrogate Registry, Doc. No. 91). Titus Williams purchased the east half of the White lot from Ann Post.
[10] Elijah Williams settled first on Lot 32, Concession 1, Malahide Township which he sold to Anthony Sealey on September 2, 1825, the transaction recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register. Elijah then returned to Woodhouse Township, settling on Lot 8, Concession 3, where he was recorded in the 1829, 1834 and 1836 Assessments.
[11] Owen erroneously stated that there were five daughters in this family. One was baptized under the double name of Sarah Maria Williams on December 26, 1830 in St. John’s Church, Woodhouse Township.
[12] Charles Williams inherited the homestead in Lot 7, Concession 1, Woodhouse Township near Port Dover and was recorded there in the subsequent assessments and censuses.
[13] The name of Henry B. Williams‘ son “William Henry” was actually Charles Henry under which he was baptized in the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Houghton Township on May 17, 1853.
[14] On October 25, 1798, Wynant Williams filed a land petition to the Executive Council of Upper Canada which is quite descriptive. He was born in New York and during the American Revolution joined the King’s Standard, serving as a Sergeant then promoted. Wynant went in the 1783 Exodus from New York to New Brunswick. In 1790, he visited England where he obtained the approval of Secretary of State Portland for a grant of 500 acres in Canada. Returning in 1792, he was unable to locate suitable land in New Brunswick. At the time of his 1798 petition, he was at the house of Captain Ryerse in Woodhouse Township, Norfolk County, Upper Canada. He requested from the Executive Council a five hundred acre grant of land and this was approved (Upper Canada Land Petition “W” Bundle 4, Doc. No. 75). Wynant located a part of his grant in Lot 20, Gore of Woodhouse Township, south of present Simcoe, the patent of April 9, 1805 was recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register.
[15] This purchase was actually Lot 9, Concession 2, Woodhouse Township obtained from Samuel Ryerse on June 1, 1805 and willed in 1817 to his children Benjamin, Wynant, Henry and Philip (Abstracts of Deeds Register of Woodhouse Township).
[16] Wynant Williams’ daughter Hannah married twice. Her first husband was Joseph Dennis and the second Nathaniel White. Hannah took out Letters of Administration for the estate of her first husband on November 25, 1807 (London District Surrogate Registry Doc. No. 16). She remarried to Nathaniel White by the time of the 1812 Census of Woodhouse Township and her Dennis children were living with them.