CONTENTS—The second town—Ernest’s town—King George—His children—
Settlers of Ernesttown—Disbanded soldiers—Johnson’s regiment—Major
Rogers’ corps—The “Roll”—Number—By whom enlisted—An old book—
Township surveyed—Settling—Traveling—Living in tents—A change—
Officers—Names—Occupants of lots—Mill Creek—The descendants—
Quantity of land—Village—The settlers in 1811—The main road—
Incorporation of Bath—Trading—Fairfield—The library—Bath by
Gourlay—Bath of the present—Bath _versus_ Napanee—In 1812—American
Fleet—Wonderful achievement—Safe distance from shore—Third
township—Fredericksburgh—After Duke of Sussex—Surveyed by Kotte—A
promise to the disbanded soldiers—Johnson—Fredericksburgh
additional—A dispute—Quantity of land—Extract from Mrs. Moodie—
Reserve for village—Second surveys.
THE SECOND TOWNSHIP—ERNESTTOWN—BATH.
The first township was named after His Majesty, the King’s Town, and all
of the other townships, both upon the St. Lawrence and Bay Quinté,
received names after distinguished loyalty, or some distinguished
nobleman, or general of Great Britain, then occupying a prominent
position. King George the Third, who died in 1820, aged eighty-two,
having reigned sixty years, had a family of fifteen children, whose
names were George, Frederick, William Henry, Charlotte Augusta Matilda,
Edward, Sophia Augusta, Elizabeth, Ernest Augustus, Augustus Frederick,
Adolphus Frederick, Mary, Sophia, Octavius, Alfred, Amelia. These royal
names were appropriated to the townships, towns, districts, &c.
Ernesttown was so named after Ernest Augustus, the eighth child of the
King.
The first township, we have seen, was chiefly granted to Captain Grass
and the band of loyalists who came from New York under his guidance,
notwithstanding some objection from Sir John Johnson, and the officers
of his regiment. The second township, however, and also the third, were
allotted to the 2nd battalion of the 84th regiment, commonly called Sir
John Johnson’s regiment, also the King’s New York Royal Rangers. The
regiment was generally designated, by the rebels, as the Royal Greens.
This body of men took a conspicuous part in the war—took a noble part,
although those who feared them, and were unequal to meet them in
successful combat, endeavoured to malign them. The history of this
regiment is referred to elsewhere, and as well that of the distinguished
founder. The writer has in his possession the “roll of the 2nd battalion
of the King’s Royal Rangers, New York,” containing the names of the
parties by whom each of the soldiers was enlisted, which will be found
in the appendix.
By this it is learned that the whole number of the company was 477. That
Sir John Johnson enlisted 88, Major Ross 47, Captain Leahe 17, Guminall
38, Munrow 29, Anderson 1, Lieutenant Halbert 1, Captain McKay 95,
Morrison 30, Singleton 1, Major Gray 2, Captain Crawford 2, John
McDonell 2, Lieutenant Langan 30, Langhn 2, Lieutenant Wair 1, French 1,
C. McAlpine 1, Ensign Thompson 1, Lieutenant McKay 2, Sergeant Howell 2,
Tipple 1, Ensign Smith 3, and 69 by whom, it is not stated, they were
enlisted. This roll was afterwards a precious document, when it became
necessary to prove that one was truly a U. E. Loyalist. The book in
which this roll is found, seems to have been an account book kept by the
Adjutant, Fraser, and is dated at Oswego, 28th November, 1782.
Subsequently, it was used as an account book by “Captain Crawford’s
company.” We believe it was after his death that the book came into the
possession of Mr. Sills. It is an interesting relic of the past, and
ought to find a lodgement in some museum.
Many of these disbanded soldiers were from the Mohawk valley and Upper
Hudson. The majority were from the old Johnston district, and not a few
of Dutch origin. These honest and industrious settlers are represented
to-day by wealthy and valuable citizens, whose names unmistakably
indicate the stock from which they have descended.
This township was surveyed probably in 1784. It may be that a base line
was run in the fall of 1783. By looking at the map of this township, it
will be seen that the lots are marked, like those of Kingston, from west
to east, showing that the base line was run along the whole length, and
then subsequently the survey completed from the west.
In the early spring of 1784, came the soldier settlers; the 1st
battalion, commonly called Jessup’s Corps, settled on the St. Lawrence,
in Edwardsburgh and Augusta, while the second, or Rogers’ Corps, passed
up to the Bay of Quinté. Respecting this regiment, the following will
prove appropriate, from the pen of the historian of the County of
Dundas. “At the close of the war, this regiment was stationed at the
Isle aux Noix, a fortified frontier post at the northern extremity of
Lake Champlain, which has been mentioned as an important fortress during
the old French war. Here they passed a whole year, and were employed in
adding to the already extensive fortifications of that island. While
they remained there thus employed, two Government surveyors, named
Steichmann and Tewit, were actively engaged surveying the County of
Dundas, for their future occupation. Late in the autumn of 1783, the
soldiers were joined by their wives and little ones, who had wandered
the weary way afoot, to Whitehall, through swamps and forest, beset with
difficulties, dangers, and privations, innumerable. The soldiers from
Isle aux Noix met them there, with boats, and conveyed them the rest of
their journey by water, through Lake Champlain. Imagination fails us
when we attempt to form an idea of the emotions that filled their
hearts, as families, that had formerly lived happily together,
surrounded with peace and plenty, and had been separated by the rude
hand of war, now met in each others embrace, in circumstances of abject
poverty. A boisterous passage was before them in open boats, exposed to
the rigors of the season—a dreary prospect of a coming winter, to be
spent in pent up barracks, and a certainty, should they be spared, of
undergoing a life-time of such hardship, toil, and privation, as are
inseparable from the settlement of a new country. As soon as the journey
was accomplished, the soldiers and their families, were embarked in
boats, sent down the Richelieu to Sorel, thence to Montreal, and on to
Cornwall, by the laborious and tedious route of the St. Lawrence. The
difficulty of dragging their boats up the rapids of this river was very
great; to us it is really quite inconceivable. Arrived at Cornwall, they
found there the Government Land Agent, and forthwith proceeded to draw
by lottery the lands that had been granted to them. On the 20th of June,
1784, the first settlers landed in the County of Dundas.”
Not unlikely some of the 2nd battalion were stationed at Carleton Island
and Oswego, up to the time that settlement took place. We learn that
Captain Crawford’s company at least was at the latter place in 1782.
However, it seems clear that most of the battalion was in Lower Canada,
and came up with the first battalion. The survey was not yet completed,
and they pitched their tents along the shore, waiting until the work of
drawing lots was accomplished. In the meantime, they passed their days
as best they could; not knowing where their lot would be cast, they
could not proceed with the clearing of land. The writer has been told by
one who, passing up during this summer, saw the tents spread along the
shore, upon whose brink the primeval forest yet stood in all its native
beauty. Now, had they been stationed at Carleton Island or Oswego, it is
not likely they would have thus come before they could enter upon their
work of settling.
The camp tents in use by these disbanded veterans were the same they had
occupied in their campaigning. How great the change to them. The alarm
of the coming foe, the thought of approaching battle, the cannon’s roar,
the rattle of small arms, no longer disturbed their dreams, nor sounded
upon their ears. The battle cloud had passed away, leaving but a wreck
of their worldly goods, and there was a great calm—the calm of the
desert wilderness, unbroken even by the sound of the pioneer’s axe—the
calm of a conscience quieted by the thought that all had been sacrificed
in a righteous cause. They had met and conquered many a foe; but the
fate of war had driven them to the desert wild, to encounter new fears,
to fight the battle of the pioneer. How they succeeded; how glorious the
victory, is written, not merely by our own feeble hand elsewhere—it is
indelibly inscribed upon the pages of the townships, by the tillers of
the soil.
In this township as well as elsewhere, the officers seem to have had the
choice of lots upon the front, while the rank and file took possession
of the rear lots. Among the officers who settled on the front of
Ernesttown and Fredericksburgh, may be found the names of Lieut. Church,
Lieut. Spencer, Capts. Crawford and Thompson, Ensign Fraser, Capt.
Howard. According to John Collins Clark, son of Robert Clark, the first
lots were taken up in the following order, commencing at the easternmost
lot, No. 42:
Lot 42 was first occupied by David Purdy; Joshua Booth, Esq., married to
a daughter of David Fraser, lived on Lot 40 or 41; Mr. Nicholas Lake,
Lot 39, but soon left it; Lot 38 was settled by Capt. Wm. Johnson;
William Fairfield, sen., Lot 37. He had twelve children, all of whom
lived to marry. Daniel Rose commenced a settlement on Lot 30, but in a
few years left, and removed to the third concession. Matthias Rose,
sen., settled on Lot 35, he died in his 90th year. Lot 34 and east half
of 33, were settled by Robert Clark, Esq. His wife was a Ketcham, they
had five sons and a daughter; he died at the age of 80 years. His eldest
son, Matthias, had twelve sons. West half of Lot 33 was occupied by John
Longwell. The east half of Lot 32 was first owned by John Sayer; the
west half by Simon Swarts. Lot 31 was school land, first occupied by
Michael Phipps and William Sole. East half of Lot 29, owned by a German
named Gedd, west half occupied by Daniel Fraser, Esq., though not the
first settler on that lot. Sebastian Hogle, John Lake, and John Caldwell
settled Lots 27 and 28, but soon removed back into the concessions.
James Parrot, Esq., a half-pay officer, settled Lot 26; he afterward
sold this lot to Adam Stanring, from the Mohawk River. The next
settlers, continuing westward, were Jacob Miller, Frederick Baker,
Wigant (Lutheran clergyman), John Mabee, Joseph Huff, a waggon maker,
Adam Peat, a tailor, Nicholas Amey, Simon Snider, David Williams,
generally called Sergeant Williams, a blacksmith, Joseph Losee, Lieut.
John Dusenbury. Lieut. Best soon left, and Dusenbury died. Lot 19, has
latterly been partially laid out into village lots, and a number of
buildings erected. Lot 18 was a Government mill lot. It was leased for
some years by Joshua Booth. From the number of mills subsequently
erected on the stream, that empties here, it obtained the name of “Mill
Creek.” Lot 17, settled by William Cottier which was afterward owned by
A. D. Foward. There were several occupants of the next lot; and the next
was settled by Brisco, and the next by Richard Robins. Then came one by
John George. Lot 11, now a part of Bath, was owned by George McGinnis, a
half-pay officer, who sold to Fairfield. No. 10, on which is situated
most of the village of Bath, was occupied by John Davy. No. 9 was owned
by James Johnson, father of the celebrated “Bill” Johnson, the traitor
of 1812. The next was settled by Jeptha Hamley, Esq. Westward lived
Matthias Rose, William Rose, Wilcox, Shibley, then Finkle, Brisco,
Huffman, Pruyn, Williams, Church, &c. As a general thing, the sons of
the first settlers, settled in the rear concessions. At the present
time, says Clark, there are not more than 10 or 12 of the farms on the
front owned by the descendants of the original settlers.
The township of Ernesttown contains 68,644 acres, all of which is
excellent land with the least exception, so that the pioneers were not
the losers in having this township allotted to them instead of Kingston.
However, at that time the distance from Carleton Island and Cataraqui
seemed considerable. The land being good, and the settlers industrious,
as a general thing, the time was not long, when the township became the
best cultivated, and most wealthy, not alone around the Bay of Quinté
but in the whole of Western Canada. The richness of the soil, and lying
more immediately at the mouth of the Bay, contributed to its prosperity,
and a village before many years sprung up, which for a time rivalled
even Kingston itself, in respect to rapid increase of inhabitants, the
establishment of trade, building of ships, and from the presence of
gentlemen of refinement and education, and in the foundation of a
library and a seminary of higher education.
Gourlay says, in 1811, that “the settlers are most of them practical
husbandmen. Their farms are well fenced, well tilled, and accommodated
with barns.” There are now above 2,300 inhabitants, a greater number
than are found in any other township in the Province. They have three
houses of public worship, one Episcopalian, one Presbyterian, and one
Methodist. In 1817, Ernesttown had “one parochial academy in the
village, and thirteen common schools over the township.”
In some of the townships first surveyed, a plot was reserved at the
front, and subsequently laid out into town lots. Such was the case in
Ernesttown, seemingly. At all events a village sprung up at an early
period, on the front of the tenth lot. It was for a long time known as
the Village of Ernesttown; but in time, after the war of 1812, it
acquired the name of Bath, probably after the beautiful English town of
that name. The distance of Bath from Kingston is about eighteen miles,
and the road leading thereto was one of the first constructed in Upper
Canada, and the country there was regarded as the very centre of
civilization in the Province. For a long time the main road between
Kingston and York passed by Bath, even after it was no longer solely by
the way of Prince Edward and the Carrying Place. A branch of the main
road passed from this place to Napanee, and thence to Thurlow and
Sidney. Bath was regarded as a city in embryo. Its progress was onward,
until the war of 1812. Gourlay says of it in 1811, that “it promises to
be a place of considerable business.” But the war dealt a serious blow
to the place, from which it never recovered fully. The _Kingston
Gazette_, of 1816, remarks, to the effect, that the village is emerging
from its depression, and that it ought to be made a post town, and a
port of entry. In the summer of this year Samuel Purdy started a public
conveyance between Kingston and Bath. The following year the Steamer
_Frontenac_ and _Charlotte_ were commenced here. In 1818 a bill was
introduced into Parliament “to constitute the town of Bath—to provide
for laying out and surveying town lots and streets, and a market-place
therein, and regulating the police thereof.”
The first person to engage in the trading business at Bath was Benjamin
Fairfield.
Thus wrote Gourlay, of Bath, in 1811: “From the lake shore the ground
ascends about seventy rods, and thence slopes off in a gentle northern
descent. The ascent is divided into regular squares by five streets,
laid parallel with the shore; one of them being the lower branch of the
main road, and all of them crossed at right angles by streets running
northerly. One of these cross streets is continued through the
concession, and forms that branch of the main road which passes round
the Bay of Quinté. On the east side of this street, at the most elevated
point, stands the church, and on the opposite side is the academy,
overlooking the village, and commanding a variegated prospect of the
harbour, the sound, the adjacent island, the outlets into the open lake,
and the shores stretching eastward and westward, with a fine landscape
view of the country all around. The situation is healthy and delightful,
not surpassed perhaps in natural advantages by any in America. The
village is increasing in buildings, accommodations, inhabitants, and
business, and seems calculated to be the central point of a populous and
productive tract of country around it.”
A stranger visiting Bath to-day, having read of its early and
enterprising days, will not unlikely feel a pang of disappointment. We
are sorry to say that the place presents a tumbling-down appearance. A
large brick building, built in 1809, to accommodate what was then the
largest Free Mason lodge in the province, has a large rent in it, as if
an enemy’s cannon ball had penetrated and shattered it. Prominently
situated it attracts great attention. The quietness of the place reminds
one of Goldsmith’s deserted village. Within our own recollection, ship
building was carried on here; but now nothing indicates the place of
busy enterprise; there is nothing but the plain unbroken beach, where
was constructed the first steamboats built in Upper Canada. The literary
spirit that led to the establishment of a library here at an early date,
we fear has departed—gone with the spirit of those who nobly conceived
the project—gone as lawyers Macaulay, Fairfield, and Ridwell, who here
entered upon promising careers of professional usefulness. The glory of
Bath has not ceased to depart; year after year it has lost some element
of importance to its existence. The rich country around for many years
poured into this charming village its ever increasing supplies. The
merchants of Bath exchanged goods for the produce, and became rich; but
now, Napanee, affording a greater variety of the necessaries and
luxuries for family use, draws a large majority of the well-to-do
yeomen, who there spend their money. Occasionally, a grain buyer may be
able to offer a little higher price here, yet the farmer takes his money
to spend in Napanee. Times, indeed, have changed since the denizens of
Bath regarded their village as a rival of Kingston; when enterprise
sought here a larger field in which to drive business, and men of
education adorned society, and gave refinement and superior advantages
to its people. Then Napanee was in the backwoods—a place regarded as we
do now the settlements upon the Hastings’ Road; and those who lived
there were removed from the centre of civilization. But now the iron
horse speeds along by the old York Road; and Bath of Canada, like its
great namesake at home, although still beautiful, is interesting, mainly
from its past associations.
It was the citizens of Bath who first saw the American fleet in 1813
approaching the shore. The early morning sun saw the inhabitants very
shortly aroused to action. The old veterans, who for so many years had
used the plow and the axe, anxiously enquired for their old weapons of
warfare. Mrs. Perry tells us that she distinctly remembers that the word
came to her father’s while they were at breakfast, that the enemy was
entering Bath. Her father, then fifty-eight, forsook his breakfast and
sought his gun. But before he and his sons reached the village, the
fleet had passed on toward Kingston. Three of his sons, hurried on to
Kingston. In like manner, all along the front, arose the men of
seventy-six, with their sons; and their arms flashed in the morning
sunlight. The enemy had won at Bath a great victory. They had stolen in
at the early dawn, when no foe was there, and actually had succeeded in
taking and burning the schooner _Benjamin Davy_.
THE THIRD TOWNSHIP—FREDERICKSBURGH.
The early settlers sometimes called it the “Township of Frederick.” It
was called after Augustus Frederick, the Duke of Sussex, ninth child of
the king.
According to the original plan of this township, preserved in the Crown
Lands’ Department, it was “surveyed in 1784 by James Pearly Lewis Kotte,
Henry Holland, and Samuel Tuffe.”
The limits of the second township having been defined, the third was
also planned. Having fixed the base line, which formed a slight angle
with that of the second town, over the width of twenty-five lots, it was
at first, the intention to limit the township to this extent of
frontage; and the lots were consequently completed and numbered from
west to east, as had been done with the first two townships. But it
turned out that this would not meet the requirements of Sir John
Johnson’s disbanded soldiers, to whom the promise had been made that
they should be located in a township by themselves. The result was, that
the wishes of this corps’ were gratified, and the township was enlarged
to the extent of thirteen additional lots, which the map will show are
numbered from east to west, and which indicate that the lots were
completely surveyed before they were numbered. That portion of the third
town included in the portion first numbered, received the name of
“Fredericksburgh Original,” and that subsequently added, was called
“Fredericksburgh Additional.” The original intention of the surveyor,
was to have the latter portion form a part of the fourth township, which
would have effected a more equal division of the land; but the disbanded
soldiers did not wish to pass under the control of other officers, such
as held command of the settlers of the fourth township. Indeed, as will
be more particularly pointed out in connection with that township,
Adolphustown had well nigh been entirely consumed by the renewed
arrivals of Rogers’ men. There need be no wonder that the old soldiers
should thus desire to remain side by side under a common commander, in
the wilderness field, to fight the stern battle of pioneer life, and to
convert the wilderness into homesteads. The fact that numbers of each
battalion were unwilling to settle, except under their own officers,
reveals the spirit of the times: it tells us how much the settlement
partook of a military character, and the feeling of attachment which
existed between the officers and men, as well as among the rank and
file. It would not do that the same lots should be occupied as a part of
the fourth town under Captain VanAlstine; they must be severed from that
township, and united to Fredericksburgh, under the jurisdiction of their
old major.
Fredericksburgh contains 40,215 acres of the very best quality of land.
The following is taken from Cooper’s Essay, by the pen of the talented
Mrs. Moodie. “We approach Fredericksburgh: this too is a pretty place,
on the north side of the bay; beautiful orchards and meadows skirt the
water, and fine bass-wood and willow-trees grow beside, or bend over the
waves. The green smooth meadows, out of which the black stumps rotted
long ago, show noble groups of hickory and butternut, and, sleek fat
cows are reposing beneath them, or standing midleg in the small creek,
that wanders through them, to pour its fairy tribute into the broad
bay.” In 1811, the township had “a large population, and many excellent
farms, an Episcopal Church (subsequently burnt), and a Lutheran
Meeting-house.”—(Gourlay).
There was also a “reserve” for a village in this township at the front,
which, however, never grew into a village.
In 1798, an act was passed, the object of which was to ascertain, and
establish the boundary lines between the townships by which
irregularities might be removed. In 1826, a special act was obtained “to
make provision for a survey of the first, second, and third, concessions
of Fredericksburgh, original, and the whole of Fredericksburgh,
additional.” It was enacted that the eastern boundary line of the said
township, otherwise known as the line between lots number twenty-five,
and the Gore, in the said second and third concessions, shall be, and
the same is hereby declared to be, the course or courses of the
respective division or side lines of lots or parcels lying in the
aforesaid tract of land; and all surveyors shall be, and are hereby,
required to run all such division or side lines of any of such lots or
parcels of land, which they may be called upon to survey, to correspond
with, and be parallel to, the aforesaid eastern boundary line.