Owen Chapter 24

SKETCH XXIV

JAKE SOVEREIGN, THE PIONEER TAVERN KEEPER

About a hundred years ago, Jacob Sovereign, one of eight German-American brothers who came to Long Point Settlement before the present dying century was born, built a log cabin on a ridge in the unbroken forest that crosses east and west the front part of Lot 14, in the 6th concession of Charlotteville.[1] Here, with his brave New Jersey wife—formerly Miss Elizabeth Pickle—and his three children, the eldest of whom, Frederick, was only twelve years old, was planted one of the main branches of the great Sovereign family—a family now widely scattered over the American continent by the many transplantings of a century.

If the story of Norfolk’s development during this first century of its history were written in detail from the time the sharp “click” of the settler’s axe first broke the long and awful stillness down to the present time, what a wonderful tale it would be! We can see in our imagination those primitive log cabins, one here on the shady bank of a babbling brook, and one there on the sunny side of a chestnut ridge, and all intervening space covered with a dark and forbidding forest; and around the cabin door and underneath the wide spreading branches, we see little bare-footed and bare-headed children skipping about. What of the life in these lonely cabins? The days were full of toil, and the nights, oh how long and dark, and full of strange, startling sounds for young mothers and timid children. If the veil were lifted, what fears, hopes—aye, and tears—would be revealed in the inner life of those rude dwellings in the struggle to meet the crying demands of the hour, and in planning for the unknown future! We shall never know the full meaning of such a life; we can only catch a faint glimpse of it through our imaginations. We never saw the brave old pioneer fathers and mothers who erected the first log cabins in Norfolk, but we distinctly remember the bent forms of our grandfathers, and the wrinkled, saintly faces of our grandmothers; and they were the little tots that gambolled around those first cabin doors, and sometimes cried for bread when there was no bread for them. But we have no more space in this sketch for our imaginations.After Jacob Sovereign had effected a clearing and made a start in the world, he turned his home into a tavern and kept it for several years. It was one of old Charlotteville’s first taverns, and the rough-and-ready settlers who used to gather at “Jake Savreen’s tavern” and spin yarns and crack jokes before the big open-mouthed fire-place have long since passed away. The old sand ridge remains, but the people who occupy it at present live in another world and know nothing of the old scenes enacted there so many years ago, or the conditions of life that prevailed at that time. Many a funny story was told at this old tavern, inspired by copious drafts of “Uncle Jake’s grog”; and sometimes our grandfathers exhausted their fund of good humor by indulging too freely in pioneer “bitters,” and then the curtain would drop on the funny part, and the spectators would witness something more tragical. A resort to the old game of fisticuffs was the usual way of settling all disputes in our grandfathers’ days; and the fellow who could wield his fists the most effectively was considered the most convincing disputant in all argumentative controversies—political, religious or otherwise.

Jake Sovereign lived to a good old age, and left two sons—Frederick and Henry; and one daughter, Elizabeth.

Frederick Sovereign, eldest son of Jacob, married Jane, daughter of Captain William Hutchinson, and settled on Lot 47, 1st concession, N.T.S. Middleton, about the time of the war of 1812, thus becoming one of the original pioneers of that township.[2] This lot cost about $40.00 in addition to the settling duties. It adjoins on the north, and partly includes the village of Delhi. Later on Mr. Sovereign purchased the north half of the lot lying directly opposite on the south side of Talbot Street. This 100 acres cost about $600.00, and put “Uncle Frederick” in possession of all the land on which the village is built, except that portion lying in Windham, which was owned and settled upon by Joseph Lawson a little time before Mr. Sovereign settled on his land. Uncle Frederick had made his purchase, however, and had performed settling duties before Mr. Lawson came; he is justly entitled, therefore, to being the first to locate a home in the village he laid out and founded, and which was named after him. Fredericksburg it was called for many years, and when the Post-office was changed to “Delhi,” the old people at that time never could be reconciled to the new name, and they clung to “The Burg” as long as they lived. “Uncle Frederick” kept a tavern in Fredericksburg for more than thirty years. He was a great deer hunter, and in the early settlement his table was always plentifully supplied with venison and other wild game. On one occasion he witnessed an interesting fight between a herd of swine and a large black bear. The hogs were his own and were running in the woods on the opposite side of the creek just north of the village. The squealing of the hogs attracted his attention, and taking his rifle he went down the bank to ascertain the cause. When he reached the creek he saw what was occurring on the opposite side, and he became an interested spectator. The hogs were nine in number, and every time the bear seized one in his powerful arms, the others would come to the rescue by hurling themselves violently against their adversary, tumbling him over and thus liberating the squealer. After enjoying the fun for some time, “Uncle Frederick” raised his trusty rifle and a bullet went flying across Big Creek that laid Bruin low in death.

The first, last and only plug tobacco manufactory ever operated in the village and, possibly, in the county, was operated by “Uncle Frederick.” He grew and cured his own leaf and pressed it into plugs. The manufactured plugs contained nothing but pure tobacco leaf, molasses and Jamaica rum, and such were its good qualities that the old settlers preferred it to what they called “boughten tobaccar.”

“Uncle Frederick” donated the land occupied by the Baptist church in Delhi, becoming an early member of the church himself, and serving as deacon for many, many years. Indeed, when the familiar form and voice of Uncle Frederick Sovereign was seen and heard in the old church for the last time, one of the main pillars fell to the earth, and it lies there still. A long time ago he retired to his farm east of the village, where he established a home noted for its Christian influences and its generous hospitality. He died in 1875, having reached his 89th year, and having survived his aged companion several years. He had three sons—William L., Jacob and Alexander; and one daughter, Mary Catherine, who married a man named Smith, by whom she had a daughter, Mary Catherine, who became the wife of John Carlyle. William L. married Mary Ann Kitchen; Jacob died young and Alexander married Eliza Putman. Alexander is the sole survivor, and has passed his 80th year.

Henry Sovereign, second son of the original Jacob, married Margaret, daughter of Samuel Brown, and settled in Middleton also on a lot adjoining his brother Frederick.[3] He had two sons—Jacob and G. Nelson; and two daughters—Elizabeth and Emoline. The elder daughter married Henry, eldest son of that staunch old Charlotteville pioneer, Benjamin Palmerston,[4] who came from near Albany, N.Y. in 1811, and settled on Lot 8, 2nd concession of Charlotteville, where he raised a family of three sons—Henry, Joshua and Benjamin; and three daughters—Anna, Jane and Sarah. Of this family: Henry married Elizabeth Sovereign as above stated, settled in the 5th concession, and had two sons—Henry B. and Nelson Sylvester; and one daughter, Mary M. Joshua married Jane Fisher, and settled in Brant County. Benjamin married Elizabeth Monroe, settled on the homestead, and had three sons—Daniel, William and James; and two daughters—Mary Ann and Sarah Jane. Anna, Jane and Sarah married, respectively, Nathaniel Fairchild, Lewis Buckley and Noah Fairchild. After the latter’s death, Sarah married Jacob McCall.

Emoline Sovereign, younger daughter of Henry, married William Earle, by whom she had one son, William. Mr. Earle died comparatively young, and the young widow married John Ostrander of Middleton. Mr. Ostrander was widely known as a leading citizen of that township. By this union she had one son, John; and two daughters—Sarah and Elizabeth.

G. Nelson Sovereign, youngest son of Henry, died in 1846 in his 28th year. He left a son, Nelson.

Henry Sovereign was one of Middleton’s pioneer saw-mill men, having built one at an early day and operated it for several years. “Uncle Henry was a familiar figure on the streets of Fredericksburg for many years previous to his death. He had been a hard worker when in the prime of life, and had contracted rheumatism, which nearly doubled him in his old age and compelled him to use crutches. Notwithstanding this fact, he was ever busy with his favorite old horse and wagon right up to the time of his last illness. It is said that in the younger days of this old pioneer he used two teams, alternating night and day, hauling bog ore to the old furnace at Normandale. He died in 1878 at the age of ninety.

Jacob Sovereign, eldest son of Henry, built the first mills in the village, and has always been identified with the leading business interests of the village, although in his 81st year he is at present actively engaged in the manufacturing industries of Delhi. Since 1850 he has served twenty-five years in the Middleton Township Council, during which he sat in the County Council thirteen years, and in the Warden’s chair three years. In addition to this he has served as deacon in the Baptist church for over a quarter of a century.

Elizabeth Sovereign, only daughter of the original Jacob, married Jonathan Wade, and finally settled at the “Five Stakes” in Elgin County. When she was married her father told her he would give her a span of horses and a wagon if she had a family of twenty children. She came within two of it.

[1] Jacob and his sons invariably signed their surname “Sovereen” not “Sovereign”. On January 29, 1800 and November 23, 1800, Jacob Sovereen petitioned the Executive Council of Upper Canada for a Crown Lease on Lot 15, Concession 6, Charlotteville Township (Upper Canada Land Petition S Leases 1797-1809, Doc. No. 19). He made this, not Lot 14 his early home. Many years later, Jacob’s widow Elizabeth was listed on that homestead in Lot 15 in the 1841 Assessment of Charlotteville Township. Jacob Sovereen’s name was added as a postscript to the June 4, 1799 Muster Rolls of the Charlotteville Company, Norfolk County Militia with the notation that he arrived “since 4 Jun 1799”. In the Muster Roll of December 31, 1799, Jacob was stated to be in the County for 5 months. In his petition of September 26, 1799, Sovereen stated that he had a wife and five children (Upper Canada Land Petition “S” Bundle Leases 1797-1809, Doc. No. 8). The names of only three children are known. The oldest, Elizabeth was born on December 15, 1783. Son Frederick, born on February 14, 1786 would have been aged thirteen years old at the time of the migration. Henry Boltis Sovereen, the youngest known child was born on July 30, 1787.

[2] Frederick Sovereen lived in Charlotteville Township as late as 1815 when he was assessed there. On March 3, 1821, he was granted 200 acres in the southeast part of Lot 189 (renumbered 48), North of Talbot Road, Middleton Township, but likely settled much earlier to perform the settlement duties required for the grant (Abstracts of Deeds Register of Middleton Township).

[3] Henry Boltis Sovereen lived in Charlotteville Township as late as 1815 when he was assessed there. On September 18, 1820, he was granted all 200 acres in Lot 188 (renumbered 47), North of Talbot Road, Middleton Twp., located next to his brother Frederick (Abstracts of Deeds Register of Middleton Township). Henry sold this farm to Frederick soon after, the latter being in possession in the 1825 Assessment of Middleton Township. Henry was listed on Lot 13, Concession 6, Charlotteville Twp. in the 1841 Assessment. By the time of the 1852 Census, Henry lived on Lot 185, Middleton Township.

[4] Benjamin and his sons spelled their surname “Palmerton” but some of the third generation adopted “Palmerston.”