Sketch LI
A Woodhouse Pioneer Who Was A British Naval Officer
Isaac Gilbert was the son of an English emigrant who settled in the colony of New Jersey somewhere about the middle of the last century. He was born in 1743, presumably in England.[1] There are no records in the Gilbert family that throw any light on the history of the family previous to the settlement in Woodhouse; but, according to a family tradition, Isaac enlisted in the British navy during the war of the Revolution, and was promoted to some minor official position.[2] After the war closed he settled in St. John, New Brunswick, where he remained just a little too long to receive a U. E. Loyalist land grant in the new province of Upper Canada.[3] In 1800 or 1801, he came to Long Point settlement with his family, and settled on Lot 4, broken front, of Woodhouse.[4] They came up the lake shore in small boats and landed at Port Ryerse. The Ryerson and Ryerse families had settled previously, and for several years following the Gilbert settlement there was a trail leading through the woods from the home of Colonel Samuel Ryerse to the log cabin of Isaac Gilbert, which was oft traversed by the old pioneers and their families. Mr. Gilbert and his sons were as much entitled to a grant of land as any of the other U.E. Loyalists, but, unfortunately, they came too late to participate in the awards. They were not alone, however, in their misfortune, as Lawrence Johnson, the old Charlotteville pioneer, and several others, were equally unfortunate.[5]
Isaac Gilbert had three sons—Roland, Isaac and Ebenezer; and five daughters—Sarah, Ruth, Mary, Rebecca and Abigail, who came with him to Long Point. His two eldest sons were married when they came.[6] He was a quiet, unobtrusive man, and a staunch Loyalist. He died in 1822, in his 80th year, and his wife, Mary, died on the same day, and within an hour of his own death.[7]
Roland Gilbert, eldest son of Isaac, married Phoebe Thurston, in New Brunswick, and settled on Lot 2, 1st concession, of Woodhouse. He had four sons—John Thurston, Henry, Hiram and Charles William Milton; and three daughters—Hulda, Phoebe and Mary Ann. John Thurston settled near Fredericksburg, and raised a large family. Henry married a Disbrow, settled near Vittoria, and had two sons—William Romaine and Hiram; and two daughters, one of whom married a Clunis.[8] Hiram was a doctor, and died single at Vienna. Charles William Milton was a Wesleyan Methodist preacher, and lived in Delhi at the time of his death. Hulda married William Havens, and subsequently George Jones. Phoebe married Robert Havens, and settled in Charlotteville. Mary Ann married James Milner, a Methodist preacher.
The pioneer mother of this family died in 1852, in her 77th year.
Col. Isaac Gilbert, second son of Isaac, was born in New Brunswick in 1788. He married Margaret Wyckoff, whose family came to the settlement in advance of the Gilberts. Isaac settled near his father, and raised a family consisting of three sons—John, Edmond and Edwin; and two daughters—Sarah and Mary.
John, eldest son of Colonel Isaac, married Christine Smith. They raised a large family, two of whom only remain in Norfolk—Albert and Samantha, who married William Culver. Two or three of John’s sons settled in Bay City, Mich., one of whom, Peter, was elected to a seat in the State Senate.[9]
Edmond, second son of Colonel Isaac, and the oldest living member of the family, married Harriet Smith, settled on the homestead, and is the father of one son, William Henry; and three daughters—Mary, Sarah Jane and Margaret.
Edwin, youngest son of Colonel Isaac, married Minerva Siple, settled near the old home and left no children.
Sarah, eldest daughter of Colonel Isaac, married Daniel Hazen and settled in Woodhouse; and Mary, the youngest daughter, married William Ryerse and settled in Woodhouse.
Col. Isaac Gilbert was at the battle of Fort Erie, and also at Lundy’s Lane. He entered service in the war of 1812 as an ensign and came out a captain; and in after years was made a colonel in the old Norfolk militia. Colonel Gilbert was a charter-member, so to speak, of the first Woodhouse municipal government. Fifteen years before the municipal system came into operation, the township of Woodhouse was keeping house under the old “Town Commissioners’” system. A chairman, a clerk, an assessor, a collector and two church wardens were elected by the people to serve for one year, and the body thus formed was known as “The Town Commissioners.” One of the first “by-laws” enacted by the pioneer “Town Dads” of Woodhouse, reads as follows:
“All persons found drunk and staggering to-and-fro in the public highway is subject to dig up a stump twelve inches in diameter. In case of failure, then the offender to pay five shillings currency.”
The wisdom of this bit of pioneer municipal legislation will be readily seen when the danger of navigating a public highway dotted with stumps, for a man found in the “wobbly” condition described in the by-law, is taken into consideration. Col. Isaac Gilbert was elected a member of this primitive Council as Collector and Assistant Assessor, and the minutes show that his brother, Major Ebenezer Gilbert, was appointed Pathmaster. Col. Gilbert died in 1848, in his 61st year, and his wife died in 1871, in her 80th year.
Ebenezer T. Gilbert, youngest son of the original Isaac, was married three times. By his first wife, Catherine Clendinning, he had two daughters—Lorinda and Lucinda; by his second, Nancy Lemon, he had one daughter, Rosina; and by his third wife, Mary Ann Potter, he had one son, Ebenezer; and one daughter, Nancy. Lorinda, Lucinda and Rosina married, respectively, William Pilkey, Adam Shelar, and Henry Blake; all settled in Woodhouse. Ebenezer married Mary Jane Oaks, and settled on the homestead. Major Ebenezer died in 1871, in his 75th year, and his third wife died the same year, aged sixty-two years.[10]
Sarah Gilbert, eldest daughter of the old pioneer, married Platt Wood, and settled on Lot 19, 2nd concession of Charlotteville. Her grandson, Walter Wood, occupies the old homestead at present.
Ruth Gilbert, the second daughter, married Robert McAllister, and settled in Mount Pleasant.
Mary Gilbert, the third daughter, married John McNelley, and settled in Windham.[11]
Rebecca and Abigail, youngest daughters of the original Isaac, married, respectively, Alexander Lemon, and Peter Wyckoff, both of whom settled in Woodhouse.
[1] Owen’s statement that Isaac Gilbert’s background was in New Jersey is incorrect, and he was actually the fourth generation of Gilberts in colonial America. His great-grandfather Matthew Gilbert emigrated from England on the Hector arriving at Boston on June 26, 1637. He then became a founding settler at New Haven, Connecticut. Matthew’s youngest child Samuel, born at New Haven on October 4, 1657 married Hannah Little and had a youngest child name Ebenezer, born at New Haven on July 1, 1712. Ebenezer married Rebecca Dayton and the subject of this sketch, Isaac Gilbert, was their fourth child and third son. Isaac was born at Ridgefield, Connecticut on October 25, 1742. Isaac lived continuously in Ridgefield, Connecticut during colonial times. Source: Harriet Walker, Isaac Gilbert, United Empire Loyalist, p.p. (Simcoe, ON:1981), p. 23-25. It is noted that the title of Harriet Walker’s book is misleading. Isaac Gilbert served as a Loyalist on the British side in the American Revolution, he afterwards settled in New Brunswick then moved to Upper Canada in 1799, too late to meet the strict criteria of the province’s Executive Council for their formal United Empire Loyalist status. Source: Upper Canada Land Petition “G” Bundle 4, Doc. No. 21.
[2] In his Land Petition of June 27, 1799, Isaac Gilbert stated that he was a “Serjeant in the Queen’s Rangers during the last American war.” The Queen’s Rangers were a New England regiment raised by Colonel John Graves Simcoe, later the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. Source: Upper Canada Land Petition “G” Bundle 4, Doc. No. 21.
[3]The petition of June 27, 1799 mentioned in the preceding footnote, noted that Isaac “has been residing in Nova Scotia ever since… has moved now with his family, a wife and 7 children into this province.” It is noted that many referred to New Brunswick as being Nova Scotia even long after the former was separated out of the latter in 1784. In New Brunswick, Isaac lived in the area of Gagetown. A certificate of Samuel Ryerse attached to the petition stated that Gilbert was 57 years old, born in Connecticut, farmer. The Executive Council recommended Isaac Gilbert for 400 acres of land, a Sergeant’s allotment, then an added 1816 notation increased the grant to 550 acres.
[4] Lot 4, Front Concession of Woodhouse Township east of present Port Ryerse was a lot reserved by the Crown for lease. Gilbert applied for and received the lease then made this his homestead. In 1816, he petitioned for removal of the lease status from this lot to one of his other grants and received the approval of the Executive Council. Source: Upper Canada Land Petition “G” Bundle 10, Doc. No. 70.
[5] While these New Brunswick Loyalists arrived after the Executive Council’s requirement for United Empire Loyalist status, they were still given land grants as settlers according to their military rank in the American Revolution.
[6] The oldest son Rowland Gilbert, given his mother’s maiden name, married in New Brunswick before coming to Norfolk. His brother Isaac Junior was born on March 2, 1787 according to his gravestone in Old Woodhouse Methodist Cemetery, and did not marry until 1812. Rowland and Isaac’s sister Sarah was married to Platt Wood at the time of the move. Isaac had additional children not named by Owen who died either in infancy in Connecticut or young in New Brunswick. All of his surviving children came to Norfolk.
[7] Harriet Walker wrote of Isaac and Mary remarkably dying within an hour of each other on page 12 of her book: “…both died on Sept. 5, 1822, she of a lingering illness, and after her passing, he [Isaac Gilbert], aggrieved and weary with long watching, rested in his chair. Within the hour, the gathered family were shocked to discover he too had passed away…” The fateful date was September 5, 1822.
[8] Walker states that Henry Gilbert married Susannah Bridgeman, not “a Disbrow” on February 3, 1830. Their daughter Mary Jane, born on January 17, 1831, married Thomas J. Clunas on November 6, 1851, recorded in the G. J. Ryerse Marriage Register. The second daughter Phebe Ann, born on November 22, 1832, married William Edmunds on April 8, 1858, recorded in the Norfolk County Marriage Register. Henry’s sons William and Romaine were reported as one by Owen. William Rowland Gilbert was born on July 3, 1838 and Romain Ralph Gilbert was born on April 15, 1842. Hamilton Bridgeman Gilbert was born on January 13, 1849.
[9] John Gilbert’s family recorded in Walker’s book were: Samantha born on November 24, 1840, married William Valentine Collver; William born on April 26, 1842, died on October 6, 1843; Peter born on April 1, 1844, married Henrietta Freeman; Harvey born on June 28, 1846, married Ann Eliza Jane (Ida) Beemer; Cynthia born on March 14, 1848, died on September 16, 1849; Albert born April 1, 1852, married Georgina (Milsop) Ivey; Frank O. born on September 4, 1856, married Carrie VanCampen; Emily, an infant who died on February 27, 1859.
[10] Walker gives an additional son of Ebenezer named William Lisander Gilbert, born on December 8, 1840. William was recorded with his parents in the 1852 Census and married later to Elizabeth Kitchen.
[11] John signed his surname “McNelly” Some in later generations adopted “McInally.”