A Singular Coincidence
The Misners of Norfolk are of Jersey Dutch descent. It is not known how many generations of Misners lived and died in New Jersey; indeed, nothing is known of the family history back of John Misner, the old Woodhouse pioneer, head of the family in Norfolk. John and one brother came from Morris County, near Hackettstown, in 1790, and settled on Lyons’ Creek, near the Falls of Niagara. In 1800, John Misner and his family came to Long Point settlement. They brought their household goods up in row-boats and drove their stock along the lake shore. John Misner settled on Lot 1, 4th concession of Woodhouse.[1]
Mr. Misner lived only twelve years in his new home. In 1812 typhus fever was epidemic in the settlement, and many deaths were caused by it, including Mr. Misner.[2]
One of the most singular coincidences on record in Norfolk county occurred at this time in connection with Mr. Misner’s death. As before stated, he had a brother who came from New Jersey to Canada with him. This brother remained at Niagara, and when Mr. Misner died a messenger was dispatched on horseback to carry the sad tidings to the brother at Niagara. Now, when this messenger reached a point about midway between Woodhouse and the place of his destination, he met a stranger on horseback who was, apparently, in as great a hurry as himself. In those days, when the country was sparsely settled and long stretches of unbroken forest lay in the way of the lonely traveller, it was quite customary when strangers met to halt and make enquiries about the way, and not infrequently exchange complimentary bits of information pertaining to the nature of each other’s business. Imagine the surprise of these two strange horsemen when they learned the nature of each other’s business. The two Misner brothers had died at the same time, and the two messengers had been simultaneously dispatched with a similar message of death, and had met each other in the woods at a point abut midway between the two bereaved homes. After a short interview each returned to his home without delivering the message entrusted to him, but bearing a new message which added to the grief of the two bereaved homes. We meet with many strange coincidences in life, but this one deserves special mention for its marked singularity. In 1801 Mr. Misner was appointed constable for Woodhouse, Walpole and Rainham.
John Misner, married Mary Shular in New Jersey, and had four sons—Jacob, John, Henry and Adam. All were born in New Jersey.
Jacob Misner, eldest son of John, was about thirteen years old when the family moved from New Jersey and about twenty-three when they came to Long Point. He went away from home when a young man, and it is not known what became of him.
John Misner, second son of John, married Elizabeth Lemon, and settled on the lot upon which old St. John’s Church stands. He had seven sons—Jacob, Adam, Joseph, Henry, John, William and James; and six daughters. The eldest daughter married into the Sharp family, and names of the other five were—Esther, Sarah, Catherine, Rebecca and Ann.[3]
Henry Misner, third son of John, married Sarah Forsythe, and settled in Townsend. He had no children.
Adam Misner, youngest son of John, was twice married. By his first wife, Temperance Williams, he had one son, Jacob; and by his second wife, Elizabeth Smith, he had seven sons—Harmon, Adam, Joseph, Robert, David, James and Zebulun Landon; and three daughters—Susan, Charity and Rachel. Adam Misner, the father of this branch, was born in 1783 and was seven years old when the family came to Canada. While journeying from New Jersey to the new country he rode on the back of a horse behind his mother. One day while the mother was leading a horse belonging to a party who was moving in company with them, the horse jerked back suddenly and threw Mrs. Misner head formost to the ground, leaving the frightened young Adam sitting alone on the horse. Adam was seventeen when the family moved up from Niagara. Elizabeth Potts, who afterwards married Jacob Lemon, was about his own age, and when the party came to the mouth of Nanticoke Creek, she was afraid to ford it. Adam gallantly came to the rescue, and, taking her in his arms, carried her around in the lake on a sand bar.[4]
It is claimed that Adam Misner took to the mill the first grist ground in Woodhouse. The mill was located at Port Ryerse, and the settlers had been notified that on a certain day the mill would be in readiness to grind, and when the day arrived Adam was sent to “The Port” with a bag of wheat. He carried the grist on the back of a horse, and was the first to arrive; and while the grist was being ground, he had to turn the bolter by hand. Mr. Misner died in 1872, having reached his 90th year.
Charles Misner, the Simcoe baker, is a son of Harmon, son of Adam. David, son of Adam, occupies the old homestead at present. The descendants of John Misner contribute in no small way to the individual worth that makes Norfolk’s yeomanry second to none in our glorious province.
[1] John Misner Sr. may have arrived later than 1790. His son John Jr. filed an Upper Canada land Petition dated May 12, 1796 stating that he had been in the province for three years (“M” Bundle 2, Doc. No. 61). On May 11, 1797, John Sr. was recommended by the Executive Council for 200 acres in “Township Number 2 above Chippawa” in Crowland Township, Welland Co. On page 356 of his book, Owen stated that the party of Jacob Potts, John Misner and a part of the Slaght family moved to Norfolk County in 1800, but it appears the move was in 1797. Misner was settled in Woodhouse Township, Norfolk County on January 11, 1798 when he hosted Thomas Welch during his survey of the township, mentioned in Welch’s field book. Later that year on October 4, 1798, Job Slaght was given a survey document for his Lot 10, Concession 5, Townsend Township, filed in the Township Papers, Doc. No. 601. On December 31, 1798, Misner was given a patent for Lot 1, Concession 2 and the south half of Lot 1, Concession 3, Woodhouse Township, recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register. On June 16, 1800, he purchased from William Francis 200 acres in Lot 1, Concession 4, which he made his subsequent homestead.
[2] John Misner Sr. died on February 8, 1813. On March 8, 1813, his widow Mary applied for Letters of Administration for his estate noting the date of death. The document is filed in the Records of the Probate Court of Upper Canada.
[3] John Misner Jr. was recorded in the 1812 Census of Woodhouse Twp. with the following family: John “Misener”, Jr. 34, Elizabeth 30, Margaret 14, Jacob 12, Adam 11, Mary 10, Joseph 9, Esther 6, Catharine 3.
[4] This is a confusing reference. The Misner family was in Woodhouse Township, Norfolk County by January 1798 as previously noted. The first record of Jacob Potts was his purchase on August 3, 1799 of Lot 4, Concession 8, Walsingham Township, recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register. It is possible that he brought his family earlier, but the move was apparently not in 1800.