HomeMy WebLinkAbout813"Typewritten article, 6 pages, text and pictures; 21.7 x 28 cm; 2 copies.
NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF THE YAKE FAMILY IN AMERICA
Ira, b.1864, was son of Calvin (1843-1930; s of Hiram (1814-1899); s of John
(1783-1840); s of Daniel (1736/7-1832)
This account of the family history was given by J. Ira Yake, Toronto, Canada,
on May 20, 1934, to his niece, Hazel Yake.
Daniel Yake was born near,---about ten miles —- from Strassbourg in Alsace Lorraine
in 1736 or 1737. He lived ninety-six years and died in 1832.
About two hundred years ago there was a big exodus of people from the Rhine Valley
to the colonies in North America, These people sold their services to the captains of
vessels sailing between Hamburg and the colonies in payment of their passage money.
Daniel Yake, a young married man, with two children came out in this way. The passage
took over three months and his wife died on the way out. She was buried at sea and the
captain insisted on the two year services he had bargained for being extended to three
years.
On reaching America he sold his agreement of services to a planter for three years in
one of the eastern colonies (most likely Pennsylvania). After serving his time he
re-married. This was the time of the American Revolution and he along with a great
many others came to Canada. These people are now known as United Empire Loyalists.
He took up Crown Land about thirty miles north of Toronto and worked for some time in
a brewery at Lundy's Lane and, in fact, took part on the British side at the battle of
Lundy's Lane (1814). He probably came to what is now the Stouffville area about (1804).
During this time he sent three bags of flour across the lake on a vessel that stopped at a
wharf situated about where the Exhibition Grounds now are (Queen's Quay). One of his
sons called several times to see if any provisions had been sent to them and always got
the reply that none had been sent. In the spring of the year when Daniel came home
he found that the family had been living all year without flour and had subsisted chiefly
on wild game. He immediately returned to the wharf on foot through the woods.
After quite a row about the matter the wharfmaster found one bag of flour for him.
He carried it home on his shoulder.
His homestead was near Lemonville and he at one time owned a two hundred acres
extending from the 9th of Whitchurch to the 10th on the south side of the road coming
out at Lincolnville. There was a daughter named Esther who married a man named
Baker. A son John, —- one of the new family -- lived on the 10th of Markham on land
now occupied by Jacob McMullen. This John Yake had twelve children, Jacob father of
Ephius, being the eldest of the family. Other children were — John, Hiram, William,
Daniel, Maud, Annie, Rachel. Most all the Yakes living in Ontario today are descended
from this branch of the family. Old Daniel had at least two other sons, one named
Michael and Dani who removed to Michigan. That part of family has spread in a great
many directions in the United States. Daniel Yake finally settled down on the 100 acres
of which the Yake cemetry is a part. After his death it was sold to a man named
Kennan, and was afterwards known as the Whalen farm. Daniel Yake set apart a
plot of land to the roadway for cemetry purposes. He was Roman Catholic in religion
but the woman he married in America was Protestant and the family since has mostly
held to Protestantism, but has been affiliated with no particular church.
The house where Daniel lived and died was quite a substantial log house and was in
use for 60 years after his death. There was a creek close by the house. House stood
on the east side of the creek, about a quarter of a mile in from the road,
in the valley across from the graveyard, near where the buildings are now.
Daniel was reputed as being a very strong man, could-do the work of two men.
The cords of his wrists stuck out like lead pencils.
Old Daniel Yake never bought cloth. He took wool to the carding mill and made cloth.
They made shoes of deer hide and cow hide. Life was very crude and simple,
expenses were next to nothing. Here and there was a woollen mill where they could
take their wool for stockings and other knitted goods or have part of it made into full
cloth for clothing. There were itinerant tailors who would cut and make a suit for very
little money. The tailor would live in the house where he was making the suits for the
family. And some o the goods was made into blankets. All this material would stand a
great deal of wear.
Taxes were extremely low if any at all. The school teacher boarded out among the
families; the teacher was generally an old soldier.
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"THOMAS BURNHAM – 1860 TO 1932
INT. SANFORD
ALICE JONES – 1852 TO 1914
INT. DICKSON HILL
"
Yf
"BACK.ROW.LEFT-TO-RIGHT
ROLPH-JONES- 1863 -TO 1947 - DIXON HiLL – CEM.
SUSAN-JONES- 1859 -TO 1920 - DIXON HiLL – CEM.
ABiJAH - JONES. 1857 - TO 1944 - CLARMONT- CEM.
CENTRE - ROW - LEFT-TO - RiGHT.
SALLY. SARAH - JONES. 1853 TO 1927 – DiXON HiLL – CEM.
MARY-YAKE - 1828 - TO 1915 - DiXON HiLL – CEM.
ALiCE- JONES - 1852- TO- 1914- DiXON HiLL . CEM.
FRONT. ROW. LEFT- TO- RiGHT.
MAHALiA - JONES- 1855- TO 1944- ?
MARY – JONES – 1873 – TO 1959 – DiXON HiLL. CEM.
WiLLiAM – JONES – 1861 – TO 1901 – WENT – TO – MANiTOBA?
NOT – iN. PiCTURE.
"
"2
Daniel Yake and Family-
In the early 1770s Daniel Yake, his wife and family of two to five children left Germany
where they lived about ten miles east of. Strasbourg for the journey to America. During
the trip Daniel's wife and at least one child, one report says three daughters, died and
were buried at sea. A daughter Esther and possibly a son Jonathan survived the trip.
Daniel and his wife were to each work two years to pay their passage, the boat captain
selling their labor to someone in America to pay their passage. After his wife's death,
the captain insisted Daniel work for three years. After paying his passage Daniel settled
near Lancaster Pennsylvania and at some time lived in or near Philadelphia. Daniel was
Roman Catholic and he married Mary Nicely, an English Protesant. Altogether Daniel
may have had as many as twelve children. Later they moved to Canada settling near
Dundas Ontario before moving to Stouffville Ontario where they purchased land in 1804.
Daniel fought on the British side at the battle of Lundy's Lane at Niagara Falls Ontario
during the war of 1812. During this time Daniel sent some flour across Lake Ontario by
boat for his family, but when Daniel returned home in the spring he learned his family
never received the flour and had lived all winter on wild game and pumpkins. Daniel
walked back to Toronto, got a bag of flour and carried it the thirty some miles home on
his back. At this time Daniel was in his mid to late seventies. Daniel and Mary are
buried in the Yake Cemetery about three miles east of Stouffville Ontario.
Jonathan Yake was born in Germany, that is all that is known about Jonathan.
Esther Yake was born in Germany. At Waterdown Ontario, now part of Burlington,
Esther married George Baker. Esther and George had eight children and moved to
Michigan, not much is known about this family.
John Yake was born in the United States. John married Sarah Long and they had fifteen
children. John was killed by lightening, one report says he was sitting in the house
holding his youngest child, Anna, who was knocked under a bed, another story says
they were walking in a field, either way Anna survived and her father died. John and
Sarah are buried in the Yake Cemetery.
Daniel, Hiram and Gabriel Yake were most likely born in the United States, nothing is
known about any of them but one of their father's sons may have died in the war of 1812.
Michael Yake was born in the United States. During the war of 1812 Michael was
imprisoned for refusing to bear arms against the United States. Michael married Jane
Van Zandt and they twelve children. Some years later, over a period of several years,
Michael, Jane, eight of their children and their children's families migrated to the United States. Michael and Jane are buried at Lexington Michigan.
(13)
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"3
Daniel Yake and Family
The surname was changed to Yake, probably when Daniel arrived in America.
The most probable spelling to that time was Jak. Other people have different
possibilities but I was told the only spelling in German that would translate to Yake in
English is Jak.
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