Sketch LXIII

The Boy Who Waited on the Governor—Pellum Mabee

When Governor Simcoe visited Turkey Point in 1795 he found Mrs. Frederick Mabee and her family living there as “squatters.”[1] They were living in a commodious log-house which stood at the foot of the hill, and they had cleared off the light growth of timber, and had cropped about thirty acres of land on Turkey Point, known as the “Indian Fields.” The Governor remained two or three days, being engaged in laying out a town site, and planning for his future seat of government. He was very favorably impressed with the natural beauty of the place, and the Mabees spared no pains in making it as pleasant and comfortable for the gubernatorial party as they possibly could. Pellum Mabee, the widow’s youngest son, was about twelve years old, and being a bright, active, pleasant little fellow, the Governor took an interest in him.[2] The boy supplied His Excellency with cool sparkling water from a spring, run on little errands—not to the corner grocery for chewing tobacco, but in various other ways—and showed such a disposition to please and serve, and manifested with all such a remarkable spirit of native good humor, that the Governor became interested in him, and determined to make him a present. Accordingly, when the Viceregal party were about to leave, the Governor said to Mrs. Mabee: “Madam, I wish to make that little fellow a grant in his own name. I shall give him a patent for his father’s improvement of thirty-three acres, and one acre at the foot of the hill including the home,” and he ordered the entry to be made forthwith.[3] No doubt the Governor considered this a grant of much consequence at the time—one that promised future wealth to the young grantee, as he had determined upon making Turkey Point a centre of great importance. But “the best laid schemes o’ mice and men gang aft a-gley,” and Pellum’s estate was never broken into by a demand for city lots. For two or three short years the youthful Pellum was a “lord of the manor” on Turkey Point, but when Parliament moved to Little York in 1797 there was a “sickening thud” heard on the end of the Point, the paralyzing effects of which are felt to this day. Pellum gave up all hopes of becoming rich out of the proceeds of Turkey Point real estate, and so he learned the bricklayer’s trade. Many years later he sold his land on the Point to Aquila Walsh, for a mere nominal sum.[4]

Pellum Mabee was a hunter, trapper and fisher. His only playmates in childhood were Indians. They taught him to shoot with the bow and arrow, and he became quite an expert in the use of that primitive weapon. All the old settlers remember the old Mohawk Indian chief, known in vulgar parlance as “Jo Injun,” and his brother “George Injun.” They lived and died on Turkey Point, each having reached an age exceeding a hundred years. They were great hunters, especially “Jo,” and were great friends and daily companions of young Pellum. They taught him many tricks in the art of hunting and trapping. While living on the Point, it is said that he found bushels of flint arrow heads where they had been buried in different places by the Indians.

Pellum Mabee married Mary Layman, and settled on his mother’s land grant.[5] He had five sons—Landrine, George, Frederick, Simon and Pellum; and six daughters—Lavinia, Mary Ann, Esther, Drusilla, Elizabeth Ann, and Margaret.

Landrine, eldest son of Pellum, married Almira Cartwright, settled on part of the homestead,[6] and had two daughters—Matilda and Hulda.

George, second son of Pellum, married Mrs. Parmelia Stewart, settled on part of the homestead, and had two sons—George E., a school teacher, and Horace C.; and one daughter, Edith.[7]

Frederick, third son of Pellum, married Margaret Matheson, settled on part of the homestead, and had four sons—Walter, Peter, Kinsley and Frederick; and two daughters—Isabel and Elsie.

Simon, fourth son of Pellum, married Miranda Arnold. He had one son, Oliver; and two daughters—Rachel Rebecca and Emeline Martha.

Pellum, youngest son of Pellum, married Sarah A. Elliott, and settled on part of the homestead. He had four sons—Oscar, Henry, Ernest W., and John R.; and four daughters—Josephine, Frances, Alice and Nellie.[8]

Lavinia, eldest daughter of Pellum, the old pioneer, married Jacob Simonds, and settled in the States.

Mary Ann, the second daughter, married Jeremy Becker. She died young. Becker then married Abigail Jackson, the celebrated heroine of Long Point. Becker was frozen to death.[9]

Esther, third daughter of Pellum, married Curtis Griffin, and settled in Wyandotte, Michigan. Drusilla died single; and Elizabeth Ann and Margaret, two youngest daughters of the original Pellum Mabee, married, respectively, James Crockett and Warren Cartwright, and settled in Port Rowan.

[1] The term “squatters” is somewhat misleading. While deeds to land in the Long Point Settlement had not yet been issued, all residing there had done so with the permission of either an Upper Canada fort commander or Lieutenant Governor Simcoe himself. Levinah Mabee, Pellum’s mother, stated in her petition dated October 18, 1797 that “the Lieutenant Governor was pleased to authorize your petitioner to settle at Long Point.” Source: Upper Canada Land Petition “M” Bundle 4, Doc. No. 259.

[2] Although named for his mother’s Pelham family, the boy invariably signed his name “Pellum” Mabee. His son reverted to the “Pelham“ spelling of his name.

[3] There is some veracity for this story. In the Surveyor General’s report written following Simcoe’s 1795 visit to Long Point. It recorded that Pelham Mabee was “to have the improvement made by that Family at the end of Turkey Point.” However, Pelham Mabee did not ultimately receive title to his father’s cleared land at Turkey Point. That was given to his widowed mother Levinah Mabee in a deed dated October 3, 1796 described as “Letter A on the plan of Deputy Surveyor Welch at the foot of the hill descending to the beach on Turkey Point opposite the Town of Charlotteville where Maybee’s house was built on the NW side of the road between said Lot A and the lake.” Source: Charlotteville Township Papers, Doc. No. 197.

[4] Levinah Mabee transferred her interest in the Turkey Point property to Thomas Welch. Thomas’s son Francis wrote to the Surveyor General, “three parcels of land lying on Turkey Point, 33 acres, were granted to Levinah Hilton, formerly Maybee, by license of occupation and transferred to Thomas Welch. It was improved and built upon by the late F. Maybee.” Charlotteville Township Papers, Doc. No. 6.

[5] Following her residency on Turkey Point, Levinah Mabee moved to a grant in Lot 10, Concession A, Charlotteville Twp. on the cliffs overlooking Turkey Point. She devised this in her will to her son Pellum Mabee. Source: Will of Levinah Mabee, London District Surrogate Registry, Doc. No. 103.

[6] Landrine married first to Mary Ann ________, his wife in the 1852 Census. He married second on January 17, 1854, Almira Cartwright, the marriage recorded in the Talbot District Marriage Register. Landrine settled on a four acre part of the homestead, recorded in the 1852 Agricultural Census of Charlotteville Township.

[7] George settled on 50 acres of land in Lot 9, Concession A, a part of his grandmother’s grant. George married first on March 10, 1847, Della Gilbertson, recorded in the Talbot District Marriage Register. He married second at Decatur, Michigan on May 1, 1867, Parmelia (Elliott) Stewart, recorded in the Norfolk County Marriage Register. George had a child Mary living with him, aged six in the 1852 Census. By his second wife, George had George Elliott born c. 1868, Moses E. born c. 1870 (died young), Horace Charles born February 20, 1871 and Florence Edith born March 12, 1875, listed by family historian Horace C. Mabee in his genealogy at the Eva Brook Donly Museum.

[8] Family historian Royal Mabee stated that Pellum Mabee’s son Pelham had an additional son Byron, born on September 1, 1853, died on 4 Nov 1860. In the 1871 Census, Pelham had a daughter Lucy aged 2. The Charlotteville Township Clerk’s Records show him as father of Ella Mabee, born on June 9, 1882.

[9] Little is known of Mary Ann Mabee, first wife of Jeremiah Becker. She was the mother of six children—John Pelham born c. 1831, Edward, born c. 1833, William born c. 1836, Oliver born c. 1839, Margaret born April 10, 1843, and Isaac, born c. 1846, who were all recorded with their father in the 1852 Census of Walsingham Township. Mary Ann died before 1850 when Jeremiah had remarried and fathered Dwight Becker. Jeremiah’s second wife Abigail (Jackson) Becker was the famed heroine who rescued the sailors from a shipwreck off of Long Point. There is a plaque erected in honour of Abigail Becker’s deed on Front Street in Port Rowan.