TAKEN IN BY A LAND SHARK—JOHN KERN
Among the many German families living in German Valley, Morris County, New Jersey, in the latter part of the eighteenth century, was the family of Christopher Kern. In the family were three sons—David, Christopher and John; and one daughter, Anna.[1] All were married and had families, and the old people were well advanced in years. Such was the family situation in 1799, when David, the eldest son, was seized with that impulse to emigrate which actuated so many New Jersey people at this time, and he came with his family to Upper Canada, and settled near Hamilton.[2] The following year Christopher and John, with their families and the old people, left German Valley in the month of June and started for the new Canadian El Dorado. They brought horses, cows, sheep, pigs and poultry, and all their household effects with them, and it took six weeks to complete the journey. The old people were very feeble and the long journey was too much for them. They gave out on the way, and never reached the new country. This throws a tinge of sadness over the event, yet it was better so, as the aged couple were ill-prepared to endure the rough life that awaited them in the wilds of an unbroken forest.
John Kern brought $500 in cash with him. It was all he had, and he intended to purchase a home with it, but when he arrived at Niagara a land shark—or, in other words, an infernal scoundrel—met him and induced him to buy five hundred acres of land at a dollar per acre, which was represented as being of good quality and very desirable in every respect. Mr. Kern exchanged his capital for a deed of the land, and when he arrived in Long Point settlement he made the sickening discovery that his land was absolutely worthless. This meant privation and a pinching destitution for a few years, that would have been a cruel experience for the old people.[3]
John Kern settled near Forestville, in what has ever since been known as the “Kern Settlement.” He was a blacksmith, and being a hard worker and prudent manager, succeeded in hewing out a home for himself, which was amply supplied with the comforts of life as enjoyed in his day. He built and operated a still-house in connection with his other business, and was always busily employed at something. He was upright and honorable in every business transaction; was a Presbyterian in his church relations, and was highly respected by all who knew him. June 10th, 1806, he was appointed Town Clerk for the Township of Charlotteville by the Court of Sessions. This was an unusual proceeding on the part of the court, but the township had failed to hold a town meeting the preceding spring, and the court was compelled to appoint the town officials.
Christopher Kern, brother of David and John, settled near Woodstock, in Oxford County. He was one of the earliest pioneers of that county, and had to carry grist on the back of a horse to Ancaster, a distance of fifty miles. The old Christopher Kern homestead is said to be one of the oldest homes standing in the County of Oxford. His son Jacob took an active part in the war of 1812. For some unknown reason the Oxford branch of the family changed the “e” in the name to “a,” making it Karn instead of Kern.
John Kern, the old Long Point pioneer, had six children when he came to Canada—two sons and four daughters. He served with his team during the war of 1812, and was at the battle of Lundy’s Lane. His eldest son, Christopher, was also in his adopted country’s service during this war. The children of John Kern were brought up to work. All were compelled to contribute in some way towards lightening the family burdens. The girls worked both outside and inside, at whatever their hands could find to do. They grew flax, sheared sheep, worked in the fields, drove oxen, raked and bound grain, pitched hay and sheaves, spun, wove, made coverlets for sale, and made themselves useful in every possible way to get along. John Kern had three sons—Christopher, John and Samuel; and nine daughters—Mary, Catherine, Elizabeth, Sofia, Charity, Anna, Sarah, Susan and Martha.
Christopher Kern, eldest son of John, was born in New Jersey. He married Elizabeth Pease, and settled near Forestville. He had two sons—Levi and Herbert; and four daughters—Eliza, Charity, Sarah and Alvira.[4]
John Kern, second son of John, was born in New Jersey, and died single in Charlotteville.
Samuel Kern, youngest son and last-born child of John Kern, married Maria Mabee, and settled on the homestead. He had two sons—William and John; and two daughters—Melissa and Calista.
Mary Kern, eldest daughter of John, was born in New Jersey. She married Timothy Culver, and settled in Townsend.
Catherine Kern, second daughter of John, was born in New Jersey. She married James Stokes, and settled at New Sarum, Elgin County. She had five sons—John, James, George, Samuel and David; and four daughters—Charity, Mary, Sarah and Sally Ann.
Elizabeth Kern, third daughter of John, was twice married. By her first husband, Ebenezer Culver, she had two daughters—Martha and Adeline; and by her second husband, Isaac Stockwell, she had two sons—John and George; and four or five daughters. Mr. Culver caught a cold while performing military duty, and died from its effects. Mr. Stockwell’s life was spent in Windham and Townsend.
Sofia Kern, fourth daughter of John, was born in New Jersey. She married Nathan Smith, and settled in Norfolk. She had two sons—Levi and Nathan.
Charity Kern, fifth daughter of John, married Joseph Wicks, and settled in Dereham. She had five sons—John, Amos, Walter, Joseph and Isaac; and one daughter, Rhoda.
Anna Kern, sixth daughter of John, married John Bryning, and settled in Forestville. She had four sons—Edgar, John, James and Alonzo; and two daughters—Esther and Sarah Ann.[5]
Sarah Kern, seventh daughter of John, married John Mark Culver. Her children are enumerated in the Culver genealogy.
Susan Kern, eighth daughter of John, married William Fray, and settled in Charlotteville. She raised a family, two of whom were Philip and John.[6]
Martha Kern, ninth and youngest daughter of John, married William Cunningham, of Townsend. By this union she had two sons—William and Samuel; and one daughter, Sarah. Subsequently, she married William McMichael, and settled in Waterford. By this marriage she had four sons—Oscar, Walter, Romaine A. and Albert E.; and two daughters—Mary Jane and Ruth Valdora.
Mrs. McMichael is the sole survivor of her generation. If she lives to see the snows of four more winters she will be ninety years old, and yet she has the mental and physical vigor of a woman of seventy. She is one of the very few persons living whose parents settled in Norfolk County before the dawn of the nineteenth century.
Mrs. McMichael’s girlhood days were not spent in idleness. Fashionable young society ladies who visit Grandmother McMichael in her elegant Waterford home, are entertained with tales of a life unknown to them. She talks of a time when bears were frequently seen walking erect with stolen hogs in their arms, and of a time when the best girls in the neighborhood drove oxen for the boys who held the plough-handles. She speaks of a time when she, herself, wove nineteen yards of cloth in a day, and raked and bound after a cradler all day long in harvest time. Sometimes two yokes of oxen were hitched to the plough, and then it required an expert ox-driver to manage both yokes. Mrs. McMichael has driven a double team of this kind many a time. She says her father once hired a raw Englishman, and she and the new hand were set to driving a double ox team hitched to a plough. The Englishman took command of the leaders, but he knew nothing about driving oxen, and she made him drive the rear team until he had learned how to drive.
In modern times her younger sons once happened to have occasion to hitch a yoke of oxen to a wagon, but they failed to accomplish the task, and she had to go out and do it herself. In relating the circumstance, she said: “At first they tried to ‘co-bossy’ them into obedience, an’ when that failed they jist yelled ‘whoa-haw-gee’ at ‘em till the poor brutes was almost scart out o’ their hides.”
Mrs. McMichael relates a funny incident that happened when she was only three years old. It happened in 1814 while her father was in the distillery business, but we will let her tell the story herself:
“There was a barrel o’ peach brandy upstairs, an’ I’d often seen the boys lie down and take a drink by puttin’ their mouths under the spigot and turnin’ the tap, an’ so one day I thought I’d try it myself. Well, after awhile the folks down stairs saw something leakin’ down through the floor, an’ when they came up to see what was the matter, they found me layin’ in a puddle o’ peach brandy stone drunk.”
Grandmother McMichael is a worker still, being able to put out her washing by nine o’clock on Monday mornings. May her days be many yet.
[1] Chambers’ history, The Early Germans of New Jersey, records the following family for Christopher and Anna (Swackhammer) Kern. Mary Kern, born on December 20, 1752, married Leonard Trimmer; Leonard Kern, born on March 15, 1755, married Catharine ________; Catherine Kern, born on November 15, 1756, unmarried; Christopher Kern, born on July 19, 1758 married first to Sarah Clemens, married second to Sarah Dawes; Anna Kern, born in Dec 1760, married first to ___________ Naughtright and second to David Henry; John Kern, born May 29, 1763, married Charity Bunn; Elisabeth Kern, born September 14, 1766, married David Anthony; Jacob Kern, born January 12, 1768, married first to Anna Dufford/Tufford; Frederick Kern, born December 16, 1773, unmarried; Samuel Kern, born November 16, 1777, unmarried.
[2] David Kern settled first in Charlotteville Township, Norfolk County. His land petition filed on June 11, 1799 stated that he came “this summer” into the province with his wife and one child. He noted that “the whole family in the Jerseys were Loyalists” and this was attested to by Nathaniel Pettit, J. P. Source: Upper Canada Land Petition “K” Bundle 4, Doc. No. 6. David had a grant of Lot 22, Concession 7, Charlotteville Township dated on June 11, 1799 and registered in the Abstracts of Deeds Register on May 11,1802. David Kern left Norfolk County soon after and settled in Barton Township, Wentworth County south of Hamilton. Grimsby Historical Society, Annals of the Forty, Vol. 5, p. 70.
[3] On August 12, 1800, John Kern purchased from Richard Cockrell, a land speculator, Lots 1 and 2, Concession 4, and the north half of Lot 3, Concession 3, Walsingham Township, the transaction recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register. John Kern apparently found this location unsuitable. On September 13, 1802, he petitioned for and received a Crown Lease on the north part of Lot 9, Concession 1, of Charlotteville Township in the present village of Forestville (Upper Canada Land Petition “K” Bundle Leases 1801-1817, Doc. No. 1). On March 14, 1804, he purchased from Peter Teeple 106 acres of land in the adjoining Lot 9, Concession A, Charlotteville Township, recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register.
[4] No record of a “Herbert” Kern has been found. John Kern apparently had a son Edward Kern, born c. 1830 who married to Florella _________ and was recorded in the 1852 Census of Charlotteville Township. John also had a daughter Amoret, born c. 1821. She married first on December 10, 1837, John Heath, the marriage recorded in the London District Marriage Register. Amoret then married to Nathan Pegg on March 8, 1857, recorded in the Talbot District Marriage Register.
[5] John and Anna (Kern) Bryning’s family were recorded in a list written by descendant researcher Debra Trent: Thomas Stephenson, born on May 11, 1824; Esther, born on May 18, 1825; Alonzo, born on May 31, 1827; Lorenzo, born on May 27, 1829 Edgar, born on July 14, 1831; John, born on July 5, 1833; James Joshua, born on Dec 25, 1835; William, born on April 8, 1838; Eliza, born on August 15, 1840; Samuel, born on September 13, 1842; Sarah, born on September 18, 1845.
[6] Susannah Kern and her husband William Frayer had the following additional family recorded with them in the 1852 Census of Charlotteville Township: Martha, born c. 1833; Jeremiah, born c. 1836; Margaret Maria, born c. 1838; Emily Ann, born c. 1845; Adelia Sarah, born c. 1846; Robert W., born in 1852. Another daughter, Amorite Eunice, was born on April 23, 1842 and died on August 20, 1842. She was buried in Fairview Cemetery, Forestville.