When Governor Simcoe made his overland journey from Newwark to Detroit in the month of February, 1793, the party, which consisted of the Governor, Captain Fitzgerald, Lieutenant Smith, Colonel Talbot, Lieutenant Gray, Lieutenant Givens, and Major Littlehales, crossed the Grand River where Major Nelles lived. The place was known as “Nelles’ house,” and was one of the principal points on the main forest trail between the Niagara and Detroit Rivers.In 1796 our heroine married George Cunningham, a Scotch-American, and settled on the Grand River, on the spot where Little York is now situated. Early in the century they came into Norfolk, and settled in Boston, being among the first settlers in that old settlement. They moved up in the latter part of summer, with all their personal belongings loaded on a sled, which was drawn by a yoke of oxen. She had four children at this time, the youngest of whom, George Cunningham, she carried on her back as she trudged on foot behind the sled-load of household effects. The lot known as the Johnson homestead, at Boston, was purchased by Mr. Cunningham, and here they settled. While engaged at a raising at the home of one of the Corlisses, Mr. Cunningham met with an accident which terminated his life. Subsequently Mrs. Cunningham married John Johnson, an Englishman, who came to the settlement a short time previous to Mr. Cunningham’s death.[1]

Mr. Johnson was a man of admirable character. He was kind, affectionate, noble and generous; and no one among the old pioneers applied the golden rule in the daily affairs of life more closely than he did. He was a father and true counsellor to his wife’s fatherless children, purchasing lands for them when they grew up, and manifesting at all times, as much interest in their well-being as he would if they had been his own children. In consideration of his kindness and help, they signed over to him their rights in the old homestead as the heirs of George Cunningham.

Mr. Johnson, who was fourteen years his wife’s senior in age, died in 1832, in his 75th year. Our heroine died in 1859, having reached her 88th year.

Mrs. Nelles—Cunningham—Johnson nee Mary Sitts, was born May 18th, 1772, in the Mohawk Valley home. Her father’s name was Baldwin Sitts, and her mother’s maiden name was Nancy House. She was the mother of seven children—Abraham and Nancy Nelles; William, George, Henry and Andrew Cunningham, and Joseph Johnson.

Captain Abraham Nelles, only son of Major Nelles,[2] married Mrs. Uriah Adams nee Rolly[3] Fairchild, and settled in Townsend. He had three sons—Simon Peter, Joseph and Warner; and one daughter, Nancy Candes.

Simon P. Nelles, eldest son of Abraham, married _____ Anderson, settled in Townsend, and had two sons—Alexander and Arthur, and one daughter, Eliza Jane.[4]

Joseph Nelles, second son of Abraham, married the eldest daughter of Dr. David Duncombe, and had one son, David Abraham; and one daughter, Rhoda Mary.[5]

Warner Nelles, third son of Abraham, married a daughter of Richard McMichael, of Townsend, settled in Townsend, and had one son, Richard; and two daughters—Helena and Mary. Captain Abraham Nelles died in 1879, aged eighty-four years.

Nancy Candes Nelles, only daughter of Abraham, married Dr. David Duncombe and settled in Townsend. She had four sons—Abraham N., Orlando H., Truman W., and Charles E.; and one or two daughters.Nancy Nelles, only daughter of Major Nelles, married Moses Barber, and settled near Boston. The genealogy of her children and grandchildren is given elsewhere in connection with the Barber family.

William Cunningham, eldest son of the original George, married Sarah Slaght, settled in Boston, and had two daughters—Rachel and Elizabeth; and one son, George. He subsequently married Martha Kern, by whom he had two sons—William and Samuel; and one daughter, Sarah, the wife of B. L. Chipman. He died in 1840 in his 44th year.

George Cunningham, second son of George, married Mary Slaght, settled in Oakland, and had five sons—William, George, Andrew, Jacob and Joseph; and a number of daughters.

Henry Cunningham, third son of George, married Mary Slaght, settled in Boston, and had three sons—Peter, Abram and Moses; and three daughters—Nancy, Elizabeth and Eliza.

Andrew Cunningham, youngest son of the original George, died before reaching manhood.

Joseph Johnson, only son of John Johnson, married Hannah, daughter of Abraham Smith, of Charlotteville, and succeeded to the old homestead. Mr. Johnson died since this sketch was first written, having reached his 88th year; and the young bride, who came to his Boston home nearly seventy years before, followed him a few months later, having reached her 88th year. “Uncle Joseph” and “Aunt Hannah” Johnson will ever be remembered for their generous hospitality and sterling uprightness of character, and their names will always occupy a prominent place among the old settlers of Townsend. They had four sons—Abram, John, Henry and Joseph; and three daughters—Mary Jane, Sarah Ann and Abigail. Abram married Mary Woodley; John married Mary McGregor; Henry married Hannah Phelps; and Joseph married Lizzie B. Mabee. All settled in Townsend—Joseph succeeding to the old homestead. Mary Jane married Israel Woodley and settled in Townsend; Sarah Ann married William Black, and settled at Boston; and Abigail married Elias Barber, and settled at Boston also. Henry and Joseph are the sole survivors.

Thus, we have the story of Mary Sitts. As before stated, no one knows why the savages spared the life of this little Dutch girl after cruelly slaughtering her brothers and sisters. But when we consider the number and individual character of her descendants, and the part they have played in the development of Norfolk, may we not wisely conclude that He who rules over our destinies stayed the uplifted savage arm when little Mary was taken from that shock of wheat, for wise purposes known only to Himself?During her captivity an attempt was made to scalp her, but a timely intercession on the part of a dusky friend, prevented the final consummation of the act. She received a scalp wound, however, which necessitated the wearing of a small silver plate adjusted to the scalp, as a protection to her brain. She had an elder brother, Jacob Sitts, who was not at home at the time of the massacre. This brother grew up, married, and settled in the valley, where his descendants became quite numerous.

The Nelles family is of German extraction. In the early part of last century Heinrich Nelles settled in New York.[6] About the time Mary Sitts was born Henry William Nelles, son of Heinrich migrated with his family into the wilds of Western Canada, to avoid the trouble that was brewing between the colonies and the Mother Country. In the party were the six sons of Mr. Nelles—Robert, William, John, Warner, Abraham and Peter—and five slaves. They came up the Mohawk River in canoes, thence over a portage into Wood Creek, and again into the Onieda. Finally they crossed the Niagara River and took up their abode in the wilderness, where the old village of Grimsby was afterwards founded.

It is said that after the war of the Revolution the American Government offered to restore their lands if they would return to New York, and that Peter was the only one who returned. It is also said that the old Palatine church, which is still standing in the Mohawk River Valley, was built on land donated by Heinrich Nelles.[7] Major Nelles, of “Nelles House” on the Grand river, was the second son of Henry William Nelles.

It is claimed that the Duncombe family of Norfolk are the descendants of Sir Charles Duncombe, who came from England to America in 1730, and settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony. Sir Charles had a son, Charles, who was born in 1741, and this Charles had a son, Thomas, who was born in 1769, and who is the Canadian grandancestor of the family.

Thomas Duncombe had two sons—Dr. Charles and Dr. David, who came to Canada a year or two in advance of their father, and settled in Westminster, near the spot where the city of London now stands. In 1823 the father died, and in the following year Dr. David, who had studied medicine with his brother, attended lectures at Fairfield college, N.Y., there being no medical schools in Canada at that time. In 1826 he settled in Townsend where he lived until death released him from his labors. He was born in 1802, and died in his 87th year. He was twice married. By his first wife, Mary Chapin, he had seven children, making thirteen in the family. Dr. Duncombe practised medicine for more than half a century, and during this time he was one of Norfolk’s best known citizens. He was a sagacious politician, a skilful physician, and a shrewd, successful man of business. The name of Dr. David Duncombe will always occupy a prominent place in the history of Norfolk County.

[1] The obituary of Mary (Sitts) Cunningham Johnson in The Christian Messenger newspaper confirms the story of her early life. Following her sojourn with the Indians, she was taken into the household of Hendrick William Nelles near Little York, Haldimand Co. on the Grand River. She had two natural children by Hendrick’s son William (later Major) Nelles then she married George Cunningham. They settled on 94 acres in the south part of Lot 13, Concession 3, Townsend Twp. George settled his affairs on November 3, 1804 by formalizing his land purchase from Gideon Omstead and making out his will. He died the next day and was buried in Boston Baptist Church Cemetery. The purchase was recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register of Townsend Twp. and the will was filed as London District Surrogate Registry Document No. 5, both dated on the same day.

[2] Major William Nelles had three more sons by his wife Margaret Sophia Ball.

[3] This should read “Polly”.

[4] Simon Peter married on 25 Mar 1845 to Nancy Anderson, the marriage recorded in the Talbot District Marriage Register. Eldest son Simon Peter Nelles married Nancy Anne Anderson and had Alexander Orlando, Charles Abram, Arthur Anderson and Eliza Jane.

[5] Joseph Nelles married on 10 Feb 1846, Fidelia Duncombe, the marriage recorded in the Talbot District Marriage Register.

[6] The story of the Nellis/Nelles family in New York and Upper Canada is included in Andrew Nelles: A New Canadian, 1798, by R. Robert Mutrie, Log Cabin Publishing (Ridgeway, ON: 1993). The Nellis family left the Palatine region of Germany in the 1710 migration to the “Tar Camps” on the Hudson River in New York. Ancestor Willem Nellis settled later on the Schoharie River and finally at Stone Arabia in the Mohawk Valley, New York. His youngest son was Hendrick Wilhelm Nelles whom Owen calls “Heinrich”, born at Stone Arabia on May 31, 1735. Hendrick served as a Loyalist soldier in the Indian Department on the Niagara frontier during the American Revolution and was gradually joined by his family at Fort Niagara. His children were Robert, Peter Henry, John, Henry, William, Warner, Ann and Abraham. Of these William was the “Major” Nelles of the Owen account. He was born on August 17, 1769 about three years before Mary Sitts. In 1783, Hendrick Wilhelm leased a tract of land on the Grand River from the Six Nations Indians and made that his home. His sons Robert, William and Abraham made their home at Grimsby.

[7] In 1769, Hendrick Wukhelm Nellis gave a parcel of land for the erection of a church and contributed 25 pounds towards its construction. The church was built in 1770 and still stands today, now known as “The Old Palatine Church”. For additional detail about Mary Sitts’ background, see Charles Courtnage, The Mary Sitts Story (St. Mary's, ON: 1977); and Diane P. Baltaz, Mary Sitts, Sand Plains Publishers, (Ayr, 1995).