SKETCH XCV

THE SQUIRE OF COLBORNE—BEEMER FAMILY

It only lacks three years of being a century since John Beemer,[1] of Colborne, was made a Squire. It was on All Fools’ Day, in the year 1800, that the packet containing the first General Commission of the Peace was placed in the hands of Thomas Welch by Colonel Samuel Ryerse. By virtue of this commission, seventeen residents of London District were made squires, and John Beemer was one of them. In the beginning of the century the Colborne settlement had a John Beemer, Esquire, and now, in its closing years, the old village still boasts of a John Beemer, Esquire. But these latter day squires are not the figure-heads their old ancestors were. In the early years of the settlement a squire was a personage of great consequence. He was assigned to keep the district, and to “hear and determine divers felonies, trespasses and other misdemeanors” committed in the district. He sat upon the judicial bench and charged the juries. In session he and his associate justices granted licenses to keep public-houses, and preachers of the Gospel could not marry among their own congregations without having first obtained a permit from the “Squires” in session. The squire in those days was judge and reeve combined; for being assigned to “keep the district,” he had a voice in the management of pretty much all matters connected with the judicial and civil affairs of the district. The pioneer squire was a man of dignity, and the unlucky wight who was so thoughtless as to indulge in a little profanity in his presence was generally brought before the bar of justice and taxed for his indulgence at the rate of one shilling for each oath.

Squire John Beemer was a son of Philip and Maria Beemer, of New Jersey. The old family Bible is in possession of Mrs. Charles Beemer, of Simcoe, and from its time-stained register is learned the fact that this Philip was born in New Jersey, in 1739, and his wife, Maria, in 1747; that they were married in 1761, and that they both died in 1811.

John Beemer, Esq., eldest son of Philip, of New Jersey, was born in 1762. He married Hannah Lewis, and came to Canada in 1787, settling at the Forty-mile Creek, in the Niagara District.[2] They lived there ten years, and just one hundred years ago they came up to Long Point settlement and settled on what is known as the Carpenter Farm, adjoining the village of Colborne, in Townsend. March 6th, 1804, he obtained a Government patent for Lot 1, 13th concession, upon which the Townsend portion of the village is located. When the Divisional Courts were instituted in 1800, as Courts of Requests, the townships of Rainham, Walpole, Woodhouse and Townsend were grouped under one Court of Requests, and Squire Beemer was appointed to act as one of the associate justices. In 1804, he officiated in a like position for Townsend, Windham and Burford, and in the following year he was acting Justice in the Court of Requests for Burford, Blenheim, Townsend and Windham. After war was declared in 1812, General Brock held a meeting at the house of William Culver, south of Simcoe, and it is said Squire Beemer attended this meeting and spoke rather disparagingly of a prospective war with the United States. The object of the meeting was to recruit volunteers for the Detroit expedition, and it is said the ultra-Loyalists were shocked by Mr. Beemer’s speech, and then and there made up their minds that the Squire of Colborne was hardly as patriotic as a Squire of King George III ought to be.

Squire Beemer was one of the first deacons of the first Presbyterian congregation organized in the county. He was a man of strong individuality, and his name will always be enrolled among Norfolk’s most prominent foundation builders. When the history of the public institutions of our county is written, the name of John Beemer will appear on its first page as one of the four Justices of the Peace who sat on the Judicial Bench of the first court held in Norfolk County.

John Beemer, Esq., had four sons—Levi, Philip, John and Frank; and five daughters—Anna, Maria, Mary, Hannah and Susanna. He died in 1828, in his 67th year.[3]

Levi Beemer, eldest son of John, married Elizabeth Culver in 1808, and died in 1812, leaving one son, George, and one or two daughters.[4]

Philip Beemer, second son of John, was born in 1789, at Grimsby. He was eight years old when his father came to Long Point settlement. In 1816 he married Mary Ann Bloomfield, of New York, and settled on Lot 1, 13th concession of Townsend. Philip Beemer was an officer in the militia during the war of 1812, as evidenced by the following copy of an old document:

“Isaac Brock, Esquire, President, administering the government of the Province of Upper Canada, and Major-General commanding His Majesty’s forces therein, etc., etc., etc., to Philip Beemer, Gentleman, Greeting: Reposing especial confidence in your loyalty, courage and good conduct, I do hereby appoint you to be ensign in the second Regiment of Norfolk militia, during pleasure, and of which Robert Nichol, Esq., is Lieutenant-Colonel. You are carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of ensign by exercising and well disciplining both the inferior officers and men of the said militia. And I do hereby command them to obey you as their ensign, and you are to observe and follow all such orders and directions as you shall from time to time receive from me or any other your superior officer, according to law.

“Given under my hand and seal at arms, at York, the Twelfth day of February, 1812, and in the Fifty-second year of His Majesty’s reign.

“Isaac Brock”

During the war Mr. Beemer “kept bach.” on his farm at Colborne, when not on duty. At the time of General McArthur’s raid he owned a span of valuable carriage horses and an old mare. Fearing that the “Yankees” might “take a shine” to his roadsters, he took them back into the woods and secreted them, leaving the old mare out in plain sight as a blind. When the Americans came up they caught the mare, and the hidden horses being separated from her, kept up such an incessant whinnying that the attention of the raiders was attracted to them and they captured all three, and took their owner prisoner, besides.

Philip Beemer, son of John, had five sons—William, Levi, James G., Hiram C. and John; and one daughter, Harriet. He died in 1846, in his 58th year. Of this family, William married Catherine Jane Westbrook, and settled in Colborne. The late Charles Beemer, of Simcoe, was a son of William. Levi married Eliza Gage, and settled in Hamilton. James G. studied medicine and died single, in his 24th year. Hiram C. settled in Lansing, Michigan. John married Mary A. Barber, and succeeded to the old Colborne homestead.[5] Subsequently he married Sarah Wood. He is the present Police Magistrate of Simcoe. Harriet was born in 1819, and married Jonathan Austin. Both are living , having reached a ripe old age.

John Beemer, third son of the old Squire, was born in 1800. He married Mary Ann Freeman, and settled on the homestead. He died young, leaving one son, Daniel, and one daughter, Phoebe.

Frank Beemer, youngest son of the original John, died in childhood in his 13th year.

Anna Beemer, eldest daughter of the original John, died single in her 22nd year.

Maria Beemer, the second daughter, was born in Niagara District in 1793, married Eliakim Crosby, and settled on what was subsequently known as the Kent Farm. During the war in 1812 Mr. Crosby was unable to stand the pressure, and he abandoned his farm and returned to the land of his birth, settling in the State of Ohio.[6]

Mary Beemer, third daughter of John, was the baby when the family came to the settlement.[7] She married Nathan Lyon in 1818, and settled on the lake front in the township of Malahide. She had two sons—Nathan and Calvin; and one daughter, Hannah. Calvin succeeded to the homestead. Mr. Lyon had a family by a former marriage, and Mahlon E. Lyon, ex-Warden of Elgin County, is a grandson of the first wife.

Hannah Beemer, fourth daughter of John, married Axford Bowlby. Her children are enumerated in the Bowlby genealogy.

Susanna Beemer, fifth and youngest daughter of John, the old pioneer, was born in 1805, married Peter O’Carr, and settled in the home neighborhood. She had four sons—John, George, Lewis and James; and three daughters—Calista, Eliza and Melinda. Mr. O’Carr died in 1856, in his 63rd year.[8]

Henry Beemer, the old pioneer who settled near Waterford at the beginning of the century, was a cousin of the old Squire of Colborne.[9] He was born in New Jersey in 1780, and was eighteen years younger than John. He came single, and married Catherine Sovereign. He had four sons—Philip, Peter, Abraham and Henry.

Philip Beemer, eldest son of Henry, married Abigail Parney, and settled in Waterford. The “Beemer House,” of Waterford, was one of the best known and best kept homes for the accommodation of travellers, in the county. For over a quarter of a century Philip Beemer kept this old land-mark. He had two sons—Lewis and Elias; and two daughters—Sylvia A. and Roxey.

Peter Beemer, second son of Henry, married Elizabeth Culver, and settled near Waterford. He had two sons—William and Hiram; and two daughters—Mary and Martha.

Abraham Beemer, third son of Henry, married Eunice Culver, and settled near Waterford. He had four sons—John, Levi, Wesley and Charles; and four daughters—Sarah Ann, Lizanna, Mary and Charity.[10]

Henry Beemer, youngest son of Henry, married Esther, daughter of Robert Shearer, of Charlotteville, and settled in Townsend. He had four sons—Daniel, Leamon, Oliver and Nelson; and one daughter, Mary, who married Alexander Turnbull, of the American Baptist Pub. Society. Daniel married Mary, daughter of Simpson McCall, of Vittoria; Leamon married Jennie, daughter of Rev. Shook McConnell, of Malahide; Oliver married Mary McMichael, and Nelson settled in Wyoming.

The grand ancestor of the Waterford Beemer family died in 1848, in his 68th year, and his wife Catherine died in 1851, in her 75th year.

Henry Beemer had two brothers—Philip and Peter—who came to Canada in an early day; and it is said Philip settled in Norfolk and Peter in Oakland. It is also said that Peter kept a pioneer tavern in that township. No data was received pertaining to the history of either of their families.

[1] John signed his surname “Bemer” during the early period. He then adopted “Beemer.”

[2] This settlement on Forty Mile Creek was Lot 18 in the first and second concessions of Grimsby Township, Lincoln County recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register of the township. John Beemer may have maintained dual residencies for a while. He developed some land in Lot 19, Concession 1, Flamborough Township, Wentworth County which he mentioned in his petition dated July 1, 1794 (Upper Canada Land Petition “B” Bundle 1, Doc. No. 5). In his petition of May 17, 1796, he included a certificate of purchase from Gideon Cooley dated November 13, 1795 for Lots 1 and 2, Concession 14, Townsend Township, Norfolk County (Upper Canada Land petition “B” Bundle 2, Doc. No. 103). John Beemer sold his Grimsby Township farm in 1797 and was a resident of Townsend Township at the time of filing his petition dated April 8, 1797 (Upper Canada Land Petition “B” Bundle Leases 1802-18, doc. No. 23). To his Townsend holdings, he added a government grant of the adjoining Lot 1, Concession 13, the patent dated March 6, 1804 and recorded in the Abstracts of Deeds Register of the Township. He made that lot his subsequent residence.

[3] According to their respective gravestones, the older daughters of John Beemer were born in a different order. Elizabeth was born on May 13, 1784 and buried in Old Windham Cemetery, Windham Twp. Mary was born about 1786 and buried in Grovesend Methodist Churchyard then removed to Aylmer Cemetery, Elgin County. Anna was born on May 5, 1891 and buried in Old Windham Cemetery. Marcia, mentioned by Owen as “Maria” was born c. 1793, calculated from the 1812 Census of Woodhouse Twp.

[4] Levi Beemer married Martha Culver, a daughter of Aaron Culver. Levi’s will dated on October 24, 1812, mentioned his wife Martha (Norfolk County Deeds, Doc. No. 2313). Following Levi’s death, Martha remarried to Joseph Woolley, noted on her gravestone in Old Windham Cemetery, Windham Twp. On January 3, 1835, Levi’s property in Lots 1 and 2, Concession 14 was divided by a deed of partition among his children Elizabeth wife of Isaac Pettit, Emily wife of Daniel McIntosh and George L. Beemer.

[5] John Beemer, son of Philip, married Nancy Amelia Barber on November 2, 1850, recorded in the Talbot district Marriage Register. Nancy died soon after and John married second at Detroit, Michigan on February 10, 1856 to Sarah Wood, this reported in the Canadian Baptist newspaper. John then married third to Melinda _____ who was listed with him in later censuses.

[6] Eliakim Crosby purchased Lot 16, Concession 6, Woodhouse Township. This transaction was not recorded in the township Abstracts of Deeds Register, but his sale of the lot on April 3, 1813 was noted on the page for the lot.

[7] Mary Beemer, born c. 1786 was a baby when the family originally came to Upper Canada, but about ten years older when they settled in Townsend Township.

[8] Peter and Susanna (Beemer) O’Carr had two additional children recorded with them in the 1852 Census of Townsend Township. They were Peter, born c. 1830 and Mary Eliza, born c. 1842. In addition they had a son William, daughters Everilda and Hannah, and four unnamed sons who all died in infancy and were buried in Old Windham Cemetery.

[9] Henry Beemer was apparently a son of Philip Beemer from whom he purchased Lot 6, Concession 6, Townsend Twp. and brother of Abraham Beemer for whose estate Henry Beemer served as Executor. This would also make him a brother of John Beemer, the Squire of Colborne.

[10] According to a copy of the register page from the Timothy Collver Family Bible at the Norfolk Historical Society Archives, this Abraham Beemer, born on August 2, 1808 married on May 25, 1829, Catharine Jane Collver not Eunice Collver. His uncle Abraham Beemer who died on December 10, 1813, married Eunice Collver who was born on February 2, 1784, according to her gravestone in Old Windham Cemetery. The children mentioned were born to Abraham and Catharine Jane Beemer and listed with them in the 1852 Census of Townsend Twp. with the addition of a daughter Esther.