A MAN WHO PRACTISES WHAT HE PREACHES
Early in the present century there were living in Green County,[1] New York, four Van Loon brothers, descendants of an old Holland family. Three of these brothers—Jacob, Abraham and Evart—came to Upper Canada; and the fourth brother, John, remained in Green County. Jacob came first and took up land at the mouth of what is known as the “Twenty-mile Creek.”[2] He was visiting in his native State when the war of 1812 broke out, and the American authorities detained him a year and a half before he was able to return to his family; and while remaining under this proscription he spent a part of the time teaching a district school. While there may have been ample opportunity for escaping out of the country, he no doubt considered “discretion the better part of valor,” and deemed a schoolroom a pretty safe place in war times. Mr. Van Loon married Sarah Smith in the State of New York, and was a pioneer teacher, surveyor and preacher in the Township of Walpole when that township was identified with the interests of Long Point settlement.[3] They had three sons—Jacob, Thomas and Abraham; and five daughters—Mary, Catherine, Susan, Caroline and Jane, who grew up into manhood and womanhood.
Jacob Van Loon, eldest son of Jacob, married Margaret Post, and settled on Lot 12, 6th concession of Townsend. He became a Baptist preacher, and for nearly sixty years has been familiarly known throughout the county as Elder Jacob Van Loon. During all these years he has never been without a pastorate for more than six months at a time. He had charge of the old Boston church for four years; but, as he has always been an industrious worker, and in receipt of an income derived from his manual labor, he has spent a large portion of his life in the spiritual care and building up of weak churches that could ill afford to pay handsome salaries, and although in his eighty-sixth year he is still engaged in the good work. During his ministerial life he has married about eight hundred people, and out of this large number of conjugal knots tied by him, only two or three became untied. Elder Van Loon commands the respect and admiration of all who know him—and that means pretty much every person in Norfolk—not because nature may have arbitrarily endowed him with some brilliant talent, but because of his goodness of heart, his unselfish regard for the welfare of his fellowmen, his amiable disposition, and his easy elegance of manners. Elder Van Loon is a man of the people. To the refined in taste he is ever a worthy companion, and to the humble cottager, who spends his days in life’s rough quarry, he is ever a most welcome visitor. For nearly sixty years he has prayed by the bedside of the sick and dying; spoken words of good cheer to the destitute and suffering, and administered consolation to sorrowing friends on hundreds of occasions, as they looked for the last time upon their beloved dead. When the final summons comes for this old pulpit veteran he will be mourned by all who know him.
Elder Van Loon had six sons and three daughters, one of whom, Alfred, occupies the fine old Townsend homestead, and is the sole survivor in his father’s family.
Thomas Van Loon, second son of the original Jacob, married Elizabeth, daughter of Solomon Wardell, and settled in Walpole. He had five sons—Wellington, Solomon, Jacob, Hiram and Thomas; and five daughters—Melissa, Mary Ann, Sarah, Jane and Carrie.
Abraham Van Loon, youngest son of the original Jacob, died single.
Catherine Van Loon, eldest daughter of the original Jacob, married Jacob Price, and settled in the township of Louth.
Susan Van Loon, the second daughter, married Isaac Overholt, and settled in Rainham. She had six children, William Overholt, of Bealton, and Mrs. John Moore, of Boston, are of this family.
Caroline Van Loon, the third daughter, married William Decew, and settled in Decewsville.
Mary Van Loon, the fifth daughter, married John Osborne, and settled in Louth. She had eight children, one of whom being Dr. J. W. Osborne, of Bealton.
Jane Van Loon, the youngest daughter, married William Blackman, and settled in Rainham.
[1] The county name should be Greene County.
[2] Jacob Van Loon came to Upper Canada circa 1801 and purchased from Robert Hamilton Lot 16, Concession 2, Louth Township, Lincoln County east of Twenty Mile Creek, the transaction recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register of Louth Township.
[3] This information of an American residency and marriage conflicts with son Jacob’s 1852 Census record of being born in Upper Canada c.1812 unless Jacob and Sarah came to Ontario right after their marriage.