SKETCH VI
BOXED UP BY HIS WIFE - ABRAHAM SMITH
Our pioneer Loyalist forefathers were subjected to a wide range of experiences. They left the new Republic at the close of the war in various ways, and according to family tradition one man was carried out of New Jersey in a box as freight by his wife. This man’s name was Abraham Smith. It is not claimed that old father Abraham was the father of all the Smiths. This would appear too much like trying to “get a corner” on the human family. It is claimed however, that he was the father of the first family of Smiths that settled in Long Point country. Why was he boxed up? Well, Abraham Smith, who had emigrated from England to the British Colony of New Jersey,[1] and had established a home there, fought for the maintenance of British supremacy when the colonies threw off their allegiance in 1776. For this offence, he was given a certain number of days to either take the oath of allegiance to the new Republic or leave the State. Failing to get away within the prescribed time, his wife, who was a large, muscular Dutch woman, concealed him in a box, and in this way got him out of the country. The journey from New Jersey to New Brunswick[2] for a woman in those times, burdened with a family of children, and a heavy box of freight, was no small task. After remaining a short time in New Brunswick they resolved to migrate to Upper Canada. They reached Fort Erie about the year 1785; and it was while making this tedious journey that their youngest son, Abraham second, was born being eight weeks old when they pitched their tent in the wilderness near the fort.[3] The infantile Abraham was a great curiosity to the “noble red men,” and when the first opportunity presented itself they captured him and carried him away into the forest. A search was instituted which resulted in finding him safe and sound, and none the worse for his three day’s captivity. Owing to the difficulty he experienced in after years, in his communications with the Indians, he often expressed a feeling of regret that his parents had rescued him, and then he would have grown up among them and would have been able to speak their language.
Father Abraham’s family consisted of six sons—William, Jesse, Solomon, Isaac, Samuel and Abraham; and five daughters—Abigail, Charity, Hannah, Rachel and Mary.[4] William, the eldest son, left the parental roof of bark at Fort Erie, and came up through the wilderness to Long Point country, where he lived with the Indians. In sketch “Charlotteville’s First White Man” an account of him is given.[5]
That portion of Young’s Creek Valley included in lot 15, 5th Concession of Charlotteville, was an Indian village. Here William Smith made it his home with the Indians until the family came up, in 1793, and settled on the lot. For awhile the family lived as the Indians lived, but as soon as circumstances permitted a substantial log-house was erected on the bank of the creek. Every settler within twenty miles was invited to this “house raisen;” and Mr. Smith, who took one of the “corners,” was the last survivor of the “corner men” at the “raisen.” Abraham Smith built the first frame barn in the township, which is still standing. He was a wheelwright by trade, and some years later he constructed a horse-power mill for crushing grain. One of the stones used in this mill was placed in a hearth in the old house built by his son Abraham. It was afterwards removed and placed in the bottom of a well. Hiram, son of Abraham second, and late owner of the homestead, attempted to bring the old stone once again to the surface, but the well caved in and the stone remains there still. Hiram is in possession of the old arm chair made by father Abraham when he sojourned in the land of the “Jerseyites.” It is very spacious, but it is said that “granny” Smith completely filled it.
The family suffered great privation at first. It was hard work and very little to eat and wear. Land had to be cleared before the seed could be sown, and then the seed had to sprout, and the plant develop and ripen before returns were had. Heads of unripe grain were pulled off, crushed with the hands and eaten. Mrs. Smith baked bread for the sailors who passed up and down the lake. The flour was carried through the woods from the lake shore to the Smith home, and the bread returned in the same manner. The exchange was made pound for pound; and inasmuch as a pound of flour with the added water, etc., made more than a pound of bread, a certain amount of “leavings” accrued to the benefit of the baker. The family brought two cows with them, and so precious was the milk that the children would eagerly lick up every drop when accidentally spilled upon the floor. There was plenty of game, it is true, but in 1793 firearms and ammunition were mighty scarce in Charlotteville. On one occasion the cows strayed away in the woods, and Isaac went in search of them. He took his bow and arrows with him and brought home a fine lot of game. This was the kind of guns and ammunition they had to kill their game with.
During this early experience only one instance of Indian treachery occurred. One night an Indian sought and obtained permission to lie on the hearth before the big fire-place. In the night he arose from his stone couch and, revealing an ugly-looking knife which had been secreted about his person, stealthily approached Mr. Smith’s bed, with evil intentions, no doubt; but Smith had his eyes open, and was on the alert, and at the opportune moment he sprang out of bed and seized him, wrestling the knife from his hand and expelling him from the cabin. When the Indians heard of it the next day their indignation knew no bounds, and if the scoundrel had not suddenly taken his departure he would have received rough treatment at their hands. Abraham, the younger, was about eight years old during the first cruel pinch of privation, and he used to tell his children of an Indian dumpling which he found. It was hard and mouldy, but he said it was the sweetest morsel he ever tasted.
The family came up through the forest from Fort Erie, and the only sign of human habitation seen between the Niagara river and their place of destination, was a partially-roofed log hut which stood somewhere within the present limits of Simcoe. Father Abraham was a pioneer and the father of pioneers. He died in 1809 in his 73rd year. Rachel died in 1831 in her 72nd year.[6] If Abraham second, who was the last baby in this family, were living he would be one hundred and twelve years old.[7]
Each son and daughter of this old U. E. Loyalist received a grant of government land.[8] Isaac settled on the Otter Creek, near the present village of Vienna, where he raised a family. Jesse sold his U. E. Loyalist grant to Oliver Mabee in an early day,[9] and settled on the Grand River, in Kent County, Mich., not far from the city of Grand Rapids. He raised a family at this place. Solomon settled on Talbot Street, in Malahide, where he was killed by a tree falling on him. He left a family of small children, who finally settled in the States.[10]
Samuel Smith settled and remained in Charlotteville. The genealogy of his family is given in sketch “A Pioneer Mother who weighed Four Hundred Pounds.”
Abigail Smith, eldest daughter of Father Abraham, married John Gustin. Her children are enumerated in the Gustin family genealogy.
Charity Smith, second daughter of Father Abraham, married a Havens, and settled in Charlotteville.[11] By this union she had three sons—Abraham, William and Robert.[12] The latter succeeded to the Havens homestead. After the death of Mr. Havens, Charity married Levi Churchell,[13] of Charlotteville, and had one son, Levi.
Hannah Smith, third daughter of Father Abraham, married Victor Brown. A sketch of his life is given in the Brown family genealogy.
Rachel Smith, fourth daughter of Father Abraham, married Robert Shearer. Her children are enumerated in the Shearer family genealogy.
Mary Smith, youngest daughter of Father Abraham, married Oliver Mabee. Her children are enumerated in the Mabee family genealogy.
Abraham Smith, youngest son of Father Abraham, succeeded to the old homestead. He was twice married. By his first wife, Sarah Baker, he had two sons—Abraham and David; and four daughters—Rachel, Hannah, Sarah Ann and Rebecca. By his second wife, Anna Baker, he had two sons—Isaac and Hiram; and three daughters—Eva, Rhoda and Harriet.
Rev. Abraham Smith, eldest son of Abraham, was a Baptist preacher. He was married three times, but he raised his large family with his first wife, Jane Baker, on his old homestead near New Sarum, in the township of Yarmouth. He died in Aylmer at a good old age, leaving four sons—Hosea, Johnson, Judson and Arthur; and seven daughters— Sarah, Ann, Julia, Salema, Hannah, Naoma and Minnie. All but one or two of this family are in the States.
David Smith, second son of Abraham, was born in 1824. He married Hannah E. Slingerland, and settled at Houghton Centre. He finally moved to North Dakota and settled in the Turtle Mountain district, where his family are now living. He died during the present year in his seventy-third year, leaving four sons—Hiram, Abraham, George and Charles; and four daughters—Mary A., Rhoda A., Emily A. and Grace D.
Rachel Smith, eldest daughter of Abraham, married Orin Rogers and settled at Boston. She died young, leaving no children.[14]
Hannah Smith, second daughter of Abraham, married Joseph Johnson and settled at Boston. Mr. Johnson was the son of Mary Sitts, whose sad history is given elsewhere in this series.
Sarah Ann Smith, third daughter of Abraham, married Anthony Upper, and settled finally at Ottisville, Mich. In this family were five sons—Abraham, Charles, Peter, Joseph and Zephaniah; and four daughters—Anna, Nancy, Amelia and Rhoda.[15]
Rebecca Smith, fourth daughter of Abraham, married John, eldest son of Deacon Joseph Kitchen, of Charlotteville, and settled in Windham, near Delhi. They are both living. She is the mother of two daughters—Rozena, the wife of R. M. Wilson; and Cynthia Alice, the wife of L. C. McConnell, of Malahide.
Isaac Smith, eldest son of Abraham (by his second wife), was twice married. By his first wife (Abigail, daughter of Peter Mabee) he had two daughters—Agnes and Minnie; and by his second wife (Sarah Johnson) he had two sons—Herbert and I. D.; and two daughters—Abigail and Eliza. The family settled at Galesburg, Ill. Both father and mother are dead.
Hiram Smith, youngest son of Abraham, by his second wife, succeeded to the old homestead. He was also twice married. By his first wife, Mary Johnson, he raised a large family, all girls but one, Arthur. By his second wife he has several children.
Eva Smith, eldest daughter of Abraham (by his second wife), married William Monroe, and settled in Charlotteville. She had one son, Arthur, who is a grocer in St. Thomas. Subsequently, she married Israel Woodley and settled near Benton Harbor, Mich., where she died.
Rhoda Smith, second daughter of Abraham (by his second wife), married Peter Mabee, son of Peter, and settled in Charlotteville. She had one son, William, who was recently elected Judge of probate in a county in Montana.
Harriet Smith, the youngest daughter of Abraham, married Charles O. Learn, of Yarmouth. She had two sons—Charles and Cecil; and one daughter, Stella. The family is living in Aylmer.
The pioneer father of this numerous branch of the Smith family died in 1863, aged seventy-six. His wife, Sarah, died in 1837, aged forty-eight; and his second wife, Anna, died in 1860, aged fifty-five.
[1] Abraham Smith, in his Land Petition of February 6, 1797, stated that he was a “Native of the Province of New York” where he had a substantial estate “Containing Eleven hundred & thirteen acres with a Saw Mill and other valuable improvements thereon.” His Loyalist activities during the American Revolution resulted in imprisonment and the confiscation of his estate after which Abraham Smith moved to New Jersey (Upper Canada Land Petition “S” Bundle Misc 1797-1804/9). On October 10, 1788, Abraham Smith of Ft. Erie, Upper Canada gave a power of attorney to Joshua Howell of Goshen to collect Abraham’s share in the estate of his uncle Solomon Smith who died at Goshen about 1788. Source: (Power of Attorney to Joshua Howell of Goshen, Orange County, N. Y., dated 1788 and recorded in that county 1790 (L.D.S. film no. 0828547), p. 187). Research continues as to which of Solomon’s brothers was Abraham’s father. Abraham’s first wife Hannah Finn died soon after the birth of her only child Abigail in 1767. Source: Charles C. Coleman, Early Records of the Presbyterian Church at Goshen, N. Y. 1767-1885, (Heritage Books, Inc., 1989), Deaths, p. 461. Abraham then remarried to Rachel Decker (daughter of Johannes Hendrick and Margaret (Gumaer) Decker), born at Deer Park, Minisink, Orange Co., NY c. 1750, baptized at Montgomery, Orange Co., NY on 27 Feb 1759 who mothered the rest of his children.
[2] Abraham Smith apparently moved directly from New Jersey to Fort Erie, Bertie Township, Welland Co., Upper Canada given a 1786 date cited in the above petition. He had a grant in Lot 6, Concessions 1, 2, and 3, located several miles west of Old Fort Erie, shown on the first surveyor’s map drawn c. 1793. The reference to New Brunswick may be confusion involving a possible interim residency at Brunswick, New Jersey.
[3] Abraham Smith gave an arrival year in Upper Canada of 1786 in his Upper Canada Land Petition cited above. The later records concerning his son Abraham Jr.’s birth place and year muddies those waters. In the Census of Charlotteville Township, Norfolk County taken in March and April 1852, his age next birthday was given as 65 and his birthplace the United States. His gravestone in Vittoria Baptist Cemetery, Charlotteville Twp. shows a birth date of April 16, 1787. It seems probable that Abraham Jr. was born a year earlier.
[4]The proper order of birth for the older sons of Abraham Smith by their ages was recorded in the 1799 Muster Roll of the Charlotteville Company, Norfolk County Militia: Isaac aged 28, Samuel aged 22, William aged 21, and Jesse aged 18. Abraham Smith Jr.’s gravestone in Vittoria Baptist Church Cemetery gives an age at death that calculates to a birth date of April 14, 1787. However, all his census records show him born in the United States so he was likely born a year earlier before the family arrived in Upper Canada. Abraham Jr. was included in a list of children brought to Canada by Abraham Sr. attached to his 1797 land petition (“S” Bundle Misc 1797-1804, Doc. No. 9. Solomon Smith was not included in the list of children born by 1786 in the 1797 land petition, so was likely younger. The daughters’ order of birth from their gravestones was: Abigail (Gustin) on March 27, 1766, Charity (Havens Churchill) on March 17, 1772, Mary (Mabee) on July 28, 1775, Rachel (Shearer) on April 7, 1778, and Hannah (Brown) c. 1790. All of the daughters were buried in Vittoria Baptist Cemetery, Charlotteville Twp.
[5] According to the ages given in the 1799 Muster Roll of the Charlotteville Company, Norfolk County Militia, William was the third son, born c. 1779. It is unlikely that a child so young went on his own to Norfolk as early as claimed by Owen. See also footnote 1 in Sketch II, “Norfolk’s First White Man—Billy Smith”.
[6] Abraham Smith Sr.’s gravestone in Vittoria Baptist Church Cemetery states that he died in 1809 aged 81 years. Rachel’s gravestone states that she died on June 13 1863 aged 76 years, 1 month and 29 days.
[7] Abraham Smith, Jr.’s sister Hannah died on October 1, 1842 aged 52 years according to her gravestone in Vittoria Baptist Cemetery. This calculates to a birth year of late 1789 or 1790 making her, not Abraham Jr. the youngest child in the family.
[8] While Abraham Smith supported the British Cause during the American Revolution, his name was not added to the Government rolls of United Empire Loyalists although it could have been. Each of his sons received grants of land not as a son of a United Empire Loyalist, but as settlers in their own right. None of the daughters of Abraham Smith applied for land grants as daughters of a United Empire Loyalist, although some of their husbands were mentioned in surveyor reports as sons-in-law of Abraham Smith and given grants as such.
[9] Jesse Smith had a grant of Lot 17, Concession 5, Charlotteville Twp. as a son of Abraham Smith mentioned in the 1796 Surveyor’s Report of Norfolk County, he moved to Lot 14, Concession 3, Bayhan Twp., Elgin Co. soon after 1814 (Upper Canada Land Petition “S” Bundle Leases 1806-19, Doc. No. 172). On 3 Oct 1829, Jesse and his second wife Elizabeth (Fairchild) Smith sold their Bayham Twp. farm. In 1836, they settled in Walker Twp. on the Grand River in Kent Co., Michigan near Grand Rapids where they had a grant of land recorded in the County Abstract Records. He had twelve children some of whom lived in Norfolk County, Ontario and others of whom moved with their father to Kent County, Michigan. The assistance of Stephen Chinn and Dr. Alan Smith is acknowledged for the following information. The oldest of Jesse’s family was Benjamin Smith, born on November 17, 1803 who married first Nancy Forbes and second Mariah Frazer Griffin. He moved with his father to Walker Twp., Michigan then returned to Houghton Twp., Norfolk Co., Ont. The next was Asa Smith (1807-1884) who lived at Walker Twp. The third child Altha Smith married Robert Aber Lutes and lived at Vienna, Bayham Twp., Ont. The next child David W. Smith, born on 26 May 1810 married Rachel Smith and lived at Walker Twp. Rebecca B. Smith, born in May or June 1811 married Robert Mercer and lived at Houghton Twp. Isaac Smith born on 20 Oct 1814 married Catherine Buchner and lived at Walker Twp. Lemuel born on 11 Jan 1817 married Philmena Morton and lived at Walker Twp. His twin sister Lovisa married Rensalaar Mesnard and lived at Kent Co., Mich. Miriam Smith born in 1820 married Simon Peter Smith and lived at Ashland, Newaygo, Co., Michigan. Simon Peter Smith, born on 20 Jan 1821 lived at Ashaland. Mary Smith, born in 1823 married Suel Fuller and lived in Michigan. Jane Elizabeth Smith, born in 1824 married Joseph Anderson and lived at Muskegon, Michigan. James M. Smith born in 1826 married Derinda Fuller and farmed in Ashland Twp. Thomas H. Smith born in 1826 married Ruama Smith and farmed in Walker Twp. Emily Smith born on 6 Jul 1830 married George M. Fuller and lived in Michigan. Sarah Smith married Alexander Fuller.
[10] My knowledge of Solomon Smith’s family is incomplete at this time. He had at least one daughter Asenath Smith, born on December 14, 1823 who married Amos Misener and settled and died in Ancaster Township, Wentworth Co., Ontario.
[11] Charity Smith married John Havens who was mentioned as a son-in-law of Abraham Smith Sr. in the 1795 report of Acting Surveyor General David W. Smith. On April 6, 1797, John Havens was given a Crown Grant of Lot 23, Concession 4, Charlotteville Township east of Vittoria, recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register of the township. His gravestone in Vittoria Baptist Cemetery reads “Departed This Life May 9th A. D. 1806 Aged 36 years.”
[12] In addition to the sons, Charity (Smith) Havens had two daughters. Hannah Havens born at Bertie Twp. in 1796, died on 17 Feb 1847 who married her first cousin Richard Havens. Lydia Havens, born on 7 Jun 1806, died on 18 Nov 1875. She married John Nelson Westover and lived at Westover, Beverly Twp., Wentworth Co.
[13] Sic: Levi Churchill
[14] Rachel Smith, born c. 1808, died on 20 Mar 1845 aged 37 years according to her gravestone in Boston Baptist Church Cemetery, Boston, Townsend Twp. She married first Daniel Corlis (son of Uriah and Mehitabel (Lynch) Corlis), born at Townsend Twp. on 20 Jun 1805, died at Westminster Twp., Middlesex Co. on 25 Apr 1826. They had a daughter Susannah Corlis who married on 11 Feb 1846, Isaac Butler according to the Talbot District Marriage Register. Rachel married second on 9 Oct 1831, Orrin Rogers, born in the United States c. 1803, died at Townsend Twp. on 18 Nov 1891. The marriage was recorded in the Talbot District Marriage Register. By this marriage, Rachel had three daughters, Hannah, born on 21 Mar 1834, died on 31 Jul 1835, Sarah, born c. 1836 and Emeline P., born on 1 Aug 1838, died on 14 Mar 1839. Hannah and Emeline were buried in Boston Baptist Cemetery. Sarah married on 8 Oct 1856, Wilmot Mc. Downs according to the Talbot District Marriage Register