SKETCH XXI
A STRICT FAMILY DISCIPLINARIAN
Individualism is a prominent feature of pioneer life. A young man who leaves the parental roof and all the fond associations of youth, and goes out into the world to hew out a home for himself, depending on his own strong right arm for success, is a man of strong individuality. Such a man, of very necessity, is original in his methods. He relies upon self in his struggle with the world, and self-reliance develops originality in thought and action. Hence, we find in each of our old pioneers some striking characteristics which are peculiarly his own, and which distinguish him from his fellow pioneers.
Robert Shearer, the father of the Shearer family in Long Point country, was not an exception to the general rule. He was born in Sussex County, New Jersey, and was left an orphan at a tender age. His guardian bound him out to a “Jersey Dutchman,” a farmer, where for eight years the grass was not permitted to grow under his feet.[1] His experiences during his apprenticeship bred a determination to put as many miles as he possibly could between his Dutch master and himself as soon as his time was out. This service had one good effect, however: it developed an ambition to secure a home of his own and be his own master. Accordingly, when the time came, he packed up his worldly possessions and, stuffing them in the crown of his hat, started for Upper Canada. This was in 1797. He chose Lot 21 in the 6th concession of Charlotteville for a home, and put up his log cabin.[2] The next thing was a wife. Old father Abraham Smith had come into the settlement several years before, and he had a number of comely daughters, who had arrived at a marriageable age, and Robert went over and chose Rachel, and they were married.[3] Robert was now ready for the work of life and he commenced to slash down the forest and clear up his farm, and if Rachel did not help him she was not a Smith.
One attraction which had much to do in causing Robert to choose this location was the spring creek which ran through it, and which was abundantly supplied with speckled trout. To-day, one might as well fish for trout on the top of one of Charlotteville’s sand-hills, for there is no creek there now. Little did Robert think when he built his log cabin on the bank of this stream that his grandchildren would see dust blown from its bed by the winds.[4]
Robert Shearer was a family disciplinarian, and a strict one, too. He was a man of few words, and his rules would, no doubt, be considered arbitrary in our time. His commands were given by look and gesture, and were understood by his children. His mode of punishing his children for infractions of the family code was unique, and is worthy of special mention. Holes were bored in the logs of the house at various distances from the floor, corresponding to the height of the different members of the family, and of sufficient diameter to admit the thumbs of the offenders. When the youthful spirit bubbled over the prescribed limit, the paternal head of the home circle would bestow a withering glance upon the luckless offender and point to his or her aperture in the wall. This was all that was necessary. After time enough had elapsed for repentance, the young hopeful was permitted to remove his or her thumb. This custom was adopted, at first by one of Robert’s sons when he set up housekeeping for himself, although in his case a knot-hole in the door was made to answer in place of an artificial hole in the wall, and the nose of his incorrigible son had to do duty as a plug in place of a thumb.
When war was declared in 1812, Robert Shearer offered his services to his country. At this time he had a considerable sum of money in his possession, and before leaving his home for the scene of hostilities he buried it behind the barn for safekeeping. His son John, who was twelve years old at the time, was entrusted with the secret, so that, in case he never returned, the family might recover the money. Shortly after the close of the war he built the frame house now occupied by his grandson, which is one of the oldest and best preserved houses in the county. When he built his barn, the nails used in its construction cost a bushel of wheat for each pound.
Robert Shearer had six sons—John, Joseph, Robert, David, Gabriel and James; and six daughters—Hannah, Miriam, Elizabeth, Rachel, Esther and Jane.[5]
John Shearer, eldest son of Robert, married Margaret Leach, and settled in Charlotteville. He had four sons—Robert, John, Joseph and Duncan.[6] and three daughters—Sarah, Susan and Rachel. Robert married Elizabeth Duncan, and settled on part of the homestead.[7] John married Hannah Winter, and settled on the lake front; Joseph married Julia Fiddler, and settled in Charlotteville; Duncan died single; Sarah married Dugald Ferguson, and settled in Southwold, Elgin County; and Rachel married John D. Palmer, and settled in Norwich, Oxford County. Mr. Palmer, shortly after settling, rode on horseback to the mouth of the Chippawa River for a bushel of salt, which cost him twelve dollars.
Joseph Shearer, second son of Robert died single.
Robert Shearer, third son of Robert, married Susan Tibbitts, and settled in New York, where he died without issue.
David Shearer, fourth son of Robert, married Nancy Barber, and settled in Charlotteville. He had two sons—William and Herbert; and four daughters—Cynthia, Mary, Jennie and Aggie. William married Maggie Holmes, and settled in Townsend, near Rockford. He is at present a member of the County Council. Herbert married Pauline Fearman, and settled in Rochester, N.Y.; Cynthia married Dr. D. L. McLaughlin, and settled in Elgin County; Mary married Thomas A. Hall, a school teacher at present located in California; Jennie married Rev. Henry Cox, a Baptist minister, and Aggie became the third wife of Ansley Heath, of Townsend.
Gabriel Shearer, fifth son of Robert, married Hannah Slaght, and succeeded to the old homestead. He had one son, Charles E., who married Ada D. Foster, and succeeded his father on his grandfather’s old homestead. Gabriel Shearer had two daughters—Lavinia and Maria. The former married Edward Hackett, of Vittoria, and the latter married Henry W. Mabee, of the same place.
Hannah Shearer, eldest daughter married Major Daniel McCall. Her children are enumerated in the McCall genealogy.
Miriam Shearer, the second daughter, married Levart Beal, and had one son, John, who went to California.
Elizabeth Shearer, the third daughter, died young.
Rachel Shearer, the fourth daughter, married Aaron S. Barber. She had one child, but both mother and child were killed by a road accident.
Esther Shearer, the fifth daughter, married Henry Beemer, and settled in Townsend. Her children are enumerated in the Beemer genealogy.
Jane Shearer, youngest daughter of the old pioneer, married William Rosebrook, and settled in North Carolina. She had one daughter, Mary, who married G. M. Lawrason.
The original Robert Shearer had one sister, Rachel, who married John Dolan, in New Jersey. After Mr. Dolan’s death she came to Long Point with her family, consisting of four daughters—Maria, Delia, Martha and Cecilia; and one son, Michael S. Of these children, Maria and Delia became the first and second wives of Burdsey, son of William Smith. Martha married Henry Wade, who finally settled in Oregon; Cecilia married Samuel L. Jones, and settled in Geneva, N.Y.; and Michael S. married Elizabeth Oakes, and settled in Vittoria. He had four sons—John, James A., Burdsey and Alfred B.; and three daughters—Cecilia, Rachel and Esther. James A., second son of James, occupies the village homestead at present.
[1]Robert Shearer, born at Sussex County, New Jersey died on May 18, 1832 aged 60 years, 4 months and 9 days according to his gravestone in Vittoria Baptist Church Cemetery, Charlotteville Township. This calculates to a birth date of January 9, 1772. Robert was quite young when his father John Shearer lost his life during the American Revolution. A later certificate of John Moore who apparently knew the Shearer family in New Jersey stated, “in the late war, Shearer was an infant & his father, John Shearer, was a loyalist & on account of which was persecuted & confined in prison & there was confined until his death & his family so distressed by that means that his widow was obliged to bind out her children of which the bearer is one... the whole family were all ruined.” Source: Upper Canada Land Petition “S” Bundle 2, Doc. No. 155
[2]Robert Shearer stated that he arrived in Upper Canada nine months prior to March 18, 1797 in his petition of that date. An earlier petition was dated on July 9, 1796, in which he was “late from the Jersies”. In both petitions, he requested a grant of land in the Long Point Settlement and received the approval of the Executive Council for a grant of 200 acres there. In a third petition filed on August 16, 1798, he stated that he resided on Lot 21, Concession 6, Charlotteville Township, Norfolk County. Robert did not receive his patent for this lot until April 1, 1805. Sources: Upper Canada Land Petitions “S” Bundle 2, Doc. No. 49, “S” Bundle 2, Doc. No. 155, “S” Bundle Leases 1797-1808, Doc. No. 32; Charlotteville Township Papers, Doc. No. 922
[3]Rachel L. Smith, buried beside her husband, died on March 31, 1851 aged 72 years, 11 months, and 24 days which calculates to a birth date of April 7, 1778. She was the only unmarried daughter of Abraham Smith of marriageable age at this time. She had only one much younger sister still single.
[4]Lot 21, Concession 6, Charlotteville Twp. is located about three miles north of the village of Vittoria. At the time of the 1877 Historical Atlas map of the township, when Robert’s son Gabriel owned the farm, the creek was drawn still running strongly through the property. It flowed southeast to Long Point Bay between Port Ryerse and Port Dover. Source: Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Norfolk (H.R. Page & Co., Toronto, 1877), p. 30, 31
[5]Robert Shearer had another youngest daughter, Abigail who died on January 29, 1822 aged five months and was buried in Vittoria Baptist Cemetery.
6 John Shearer had another son, Gabriel Daniel Shearer, born November 12, 1826 who married Mary Jane Dease and settled in Oxford County.
[7] The homestead to which Owen referred is the John Shearer homestead in the east half of Lot 16 and the west half of Lot 17, Concession 6, Charlotteville Twp. John’s son Robert was recorded on Lot 16 in the 1867 Gazetteer.