Stranica 342 [342]
OCR
188 borough, and the residue in Sophiasburgh. Among the latter were the widow and her four sons. John, one of the sons, after arriving in Quebec, married Eve Bowman, also a member of an United Empire Loyalist family. Their first son, Joseph W.., was born October 2nd, 1879, in Prince Edward County. At the age of 16 years, he was enrolled in the Canadian Militia, and sent to the fortifications at Kingston, serving until the close of the War of 1812. In 1824, he married Charlotte Benedict, the descendant of a Stewart family, a lady who was strongly imbued with the guiding principles of the Puritans. She was widely known for her consistent christian character, showing by the choice of the eighth verse of the fifteenth chapter of St. John, as the text for her funeral sermon, what her hope had been during life. Mr. Morden was an honored member of the Episcopal Methodist Church in Canada, liberal in his politics and his charities, and one of the first champions of the temperance cause in Upper Canada. In 1834, he erected “ Victory Barn,” in the Township of Cramahe. The barn was a very large one, and while the timbers were being framed, he announced that no whiskey would be provided for the raising. Such a thing as a raising without whiskey had never been known in that portion of the county. On the appointed day, the settlers from fifteen miles around assembled, and formed themselves into two parties. The larger one stood aloof, and refused to begin unless whiskey was provided, and loudly called upon all new arrivals to join them, The smaller party set to work amidst the jeers of the majority. By great exertions, the first bent was put up, when those who had stood aloof came forward and assisted in completing the raising. For fifty years the building was known as “Victory Barn.” Mr. Morden died at Napanee, December zoth, 1877. John H. Morden, M. D., was born in 1834, in the County of Northumberland. In 1859 he graduated, and immediately settled in Brockville, where he married Victoria Elizabeth, daughter of the late Senator Crawford. Dr. Morden has always shown the warmest interest in elevating the tone of his profession. He has taken an active part in agricultural improvements in Leeds and Grenville, and invariably assisted in furthering the prosperity of Brockville. BROCKVILLE. EARLY HISTORY. By an Act passed in 1798, in the Second. Parliament, which assembled at Niagara, the boundaries of the Counties of Leeds and Grenville were specified. In 1784, landings were frequently made at Buell’s Bay by the westward-bound emigrants, but owing | to the rocky nature of the land where Brockville now stands, no location of a permanent character appears to have been made until the arrival of William Buell, Sr., who erected the first house within Adiel Sherwood built the first tavern. Daniel Jones built the first mill. It was situated at the falls on the creek, near the site of the present Shepherd mill. Mr. Buell got out the timber for the mill, the understanding being that he was to have a half interest for his share. Charles Jones put up the first frame dwelling, and opened one of the first stores. The first brick house was erected by Dr. Hubbell, the building being now used as a dwelling and printing office by A. H. Merrill. The second brick building is yet standing, being occupied by Wood Brothers as a Cigar store. The first stone house was built by Nehemiah Simmons. In consequence of the quarrelsome nature of some of the settlers, the little place received the name of “Snarlingtown,” by which it was well known for many years. Gradually increasing in importance, it assumed the name, Village of Elizabethtown; but in 1811, an attempt appears to have been made to change it to Williamstown. Report says that the Buell and Jones families were both anxious to give it their own patronymic, and, to settle the dispute, the question was referred to Sir Isaac Brock, who conferred upon it the honor of becoming Brockville. On the r2th of September, r8rr, William Buell, Sr., issued a map, which was prepared by Jeremiah McCarthy, Senior Deputy Surveyor for Upper and Lower Canada. At the top of the map appears the following superscription :— ‘Plan and Survey of Williamstown, in the Township of Eliza‘“‘bethtown, founded by William Buell, Esquire, proprietor of the ‘right of sod of said town plot.” At the foot of the map, the following superscription appears :— ‘" PLAN of the Village of Elizabethtown, being part of the pro"" perty of William Buell, Esquire, situated in front of his lands, and "" laid out in lots, according to this plan, into town lots, of which "" the following have been disposed of, prior to the delineation of ‘this plan, and are marked with the initials of the purchasers’ The whole accurately laid down and projected by a scale ‘‘of one hundred feet to an inch. (Signed, ) “JEREMIAH McCARTHY, Senor Deputy Surveyor for Upper and Lower Canada. ‘* Elizabethtown, September 12th, 1811.” ft names. LIST OF PARTIES WHO HAD TAKEN UP LOTS ON THE ABOVE PROPERTY, AT THE ABOVE DATE, Adiel Sherwood, Charles Jones, Abraham Dayton, Sabina Flynn, Andrew Smith, Anna Provost; Charles Dunham, Allan Curtis, Levius P. Sherwood, Reuben Sherwood, Einathan Hubbell, | Henry Deming, Sabina Buell, James Hall, Archibald Kincaid, Willard & Lewis, | Henry Shepherd. (Subsequently, the following names appear to have been added.) Samuel McNish, David Harmen, Stephen Richards,
