History of the settlement of Upper Canada (Ontario,): with special reference to the Bay QuintéCanniff, William
History
History of the settlement of Upper Canada (Ontario,): with special reference to the Bay Quinté
Canniff, William
Ontario -- History; Quinte, Bay of (Ont.)
In the obituary notice of Rev. Mr. Pringle, a Methodist preacher, it is
stated that he was born in Prince Edward, in 1780, but this must be a
mistake. There is sufficient proof that the first settlement at Smith’s
Bay commenced in 1784, when the first part of Prince Edward became
settled. Perhaps, indeed, very likely, the first children born of
European parents, was the late Colonel John Clark, of Dalahousie, and an
elder brother and sister. His father, an Englishman, came to Quebec,
attached to the 8th regiment in 1768. From a sergeant-major, he was
appointed in 1776, clerk and naval store keeper at Carleton Island.
Here, Sarah and William Clark were born during the progress of the war.
Col. Clark says, “I was born at Frontenac, now Kingston, in 1783, and
was baptized by the Rev. Mr. Stuart.”
The Rev. Mr. Pringle, before alluded to, was the first, or among the
first-born in Prince Edward.
A son of Thomas Dorland, claimed to be the first white child born in the
fourth township; but the honor was disputed by Daniel Peterson. Mrs. Wm.
Ketcheson, now living in Sidney, daughter of Elizabeth Roblin, of
Adolphustown, was born there in 1784. She must have been one of the very
first, as the first settlers came that same year. On the 16th January
1785, Henry VanDusen was born in Adolphustown, being one of the first
natives.
Upon the 26th April, 1868, was buried Mrs. Bush, she was the first
female born in Ameliasburgh. Mr. Bleeker, yet living at Trenton, was the
first male child born in Ameliasburgh. Mrs. Covert, was also one of the
first persons born in Ameliasburgh.
The first person said to have been born in Toronto, was Mr. J. Cameron,
of Yonge Street, in 1798.
The first child born of white parents north of the Rideau, was Colonel
E. Burritt, Burritt’s Rapids, a relative of Elihu Burritt.
MARRYING IN EARLY TIMES.
The native Indians of America practiced no important ceremony in
connection with marrying. Certain steps had to be taken by the one who
might desire to have a certain female as his partner, and those
proceedings were always strictly attended to. But the final ceremony
consisted in little more than the affianced one, leaving the wigwam of
her father and repairing to that of her future lord and master. In many
cases the first settlers of America experienced some difficulty in
obtaining the services of a Christian minister to solemnize matrimony.
In French Canada there was not this difficulty, as from the first the
zealous missionary was ever beside the discoverer as he pressed on his
way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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