HomeMy WebLinkAbout956Paperbound book, 97 pages, 15 x 22.5 cms., written and published by Patricia A.
Fike Waugh. Only Chapter 3: pages 27 - 41 of 97 are used here.
"Elmer Ira FIke and Edith Davidson
Ancestors and Descendants
Written and Published by
Patricia A. Fike Waugh"
"Chapter 3
Another Move West
Pickering Township
Pickering and Markham were part of the Home District, which until 1792 was
known as the District of Nassau, and was created by Lord Dorchester in 1788 as
one of the districts around the north shore of Lake Ontario. The Home District
included the counties of York, Ontario, Peel, Simcoe, Wentworth, Halton and Brant.
The nineteen original counties created in 1792 by John Graves Simcoe were
abolished later in 1849. Scarborough and Pickering were surveyed first in 1791 by
Augustus Jones because of a decision by Lord Dorchester that the Toronto Portage
was a good place for the capital of Upper Canada to be located. The Village of
Pickering was just east of where the stream known as Duffin’s Creek intersects
Kingston Road and was on the stage coach route between Kingston and Toronto.
Duffin’s Creek was named after a resident of the area who mysteriously disappeared
from his premises where blood was found. He was presumed murdered although no
charge of murder could be made because his body was never located. After 1816, a
wave of immigration started from Britain and in the 1820s and 1830s Pickering
began to fill up, however, Loyalist heads of families from the U.S. and their children
were still eligible to receive land grants if they had arrived in Canada before July 28,
1798.
The Militia and the War of 1812
The Militia was very important to the young country that became the Canada in which
we now live. During the War of 1812, the British did not have the resources from
England to properly defend the vast boarder between Canada and the U.S. as they
were fighting with the French at the same time. If it had not been for the Militia and the
Native Warriors, Upper Canada would have fallen to the Americans and there is a
strong possibility Canada would be part of the United States today. The Militia also
saw service during the Rebellions of 1837-38. Men were eligible for service in the
Militia between the ages of sixteen and sixty.
It was the British plan that for the purpose of fighting battles during the War of 1812,
a small number of well-trained British red-coat regulars would be flanked on the left
and right by larger numbers of Militiamen and Native Warriors. Using this
"
"strategy, they somehow managed to drive the invaders out, even though the
Americans outnumbered the Canadian forces by ten to one. The population of the
U.S. at the time of the War of 1812 as today was ten times that of Canada, but the
Americans expected no opposition to their invasion. They were astonished and
defeated by the savage defense of Upper Canada by the aforementioned very brave
forces.
The Rebellion of 1837-1838
Sometime before 1840 Jacob Senior and his wife Adah moved to Pickering from
Newcastle, to the area of Brougham, in Ontario County. Jacob would have been
nearing sixty five years of age and might have been ready for a more comfortable
life in a more populated area of the province. In the book, “Past Years in Pickering”75
Adah Fike is mentioned as being a member of the Christian Church on April 23,
1840. It was the first meeting held by the little group since the Rebellions of 1837-38
which seemed to disrupt their gatherings for a few years. The rebellions were brought
about by hard feelings toward the Family Compact, a system of government put in
place by Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe. It was kept in place by bureaucrats who were
chosen by others in Britain and the Lieutenant-Governor in Upper Canada. It was not
an elected form of government, but more a form of patronage, and therefore very
unpopular with most of the people of the time. The rebellious sent a message to the
British that they had better create a more democratic from of government, or face the
same trouble that had arisen in the United States. The Rebellions gave birth to the
governmental process that exists in Ontario today.
The 1851 Census
Historians tell us that the 1851 Census was actually taken during the period of
1851-1853, and do the birth years recorded on the census forms could be calculated
from 1853. For example, on the 1851 Census Jacob’s age is shown as seventy
six but ten years later on the 1861 Census his age is eighty four, 76 therefore Jacob
was seventy four in 1851. He gives his occupation as Christian Labourer.
Some pages have gone missing from the 1851-1853 Census in Whitchurch and
Pickering Townships in Ontario County, Canada West. Jacob Jr., his wife and family,
and his neighbour Issac Bassett and his family along with many other people of the
are all on missing portions of the Pickering and Whitchurch Census.
Jacob H. Fykes
Some families whose surnames are spelled Fykes are included on the 1851 Census
in Cornwall Township, Stormont County. Jacob H. Fykes, Age 25, born in the United
States, is listed with Elizabeth, Age 26. John Fykes, Age 18, born in the U.S. is
shown residing with Mary, Age 69 and Nehemia, Age 32, both born in Upper Canada.
John I, Fykes, Age 57, George F., Age 1, Frances, Age 7 and Jane Age 31, all born in
Upper
"
"Canada are listed on the same census form. William Fykes, Elijah, Peter, William
H., John, Catharine and Barbara are also on the same page.77 Nehemia Fikes is
listed on the 1881 Census at Age 61 with Harvey Fikes, Age 63, Elizabeth, Age 55,
Levi, George, Lida, Charles, and John.78
Children of Jacob and Adah
Jacob Sr. and Adah spear on the 1851 Census of Pickering Township79 residing
with Edward Age 30, James Age 26, Hannah Age 22, all married, and Elizabeth
Age 15. Relationships to the head of the household were still not included in census
information at the time. Land records exist showing Edward Fike owned land in
Pickering in 1846, the South Half of Lot 31 on Concession 5. Edward did not appear
on any Canadian Census returns after 1851, and he is reported to have returned to the
U.S. and lived in New York State,80 as did many other Fike families. No more
information is available at this time regarding James or Elizabeth. There is a
record of a Mary Jane Fike, born 1824 in Port Hope who married Barber Home
Crawford in Pickering in 1850.81 Mary Jane was probably the daughter of Jacob
and Adah or Daniel of Hope and his wife Elizabeth. Benjamin Fike is listed in
Uxbridge on the 1851 Census with his wife and family. It has not been proved that
Benjamin and Jacob Jr. were brothers or the sons of Jacob Sr. and Adah.
They were born in the years to make it a possibility, during 1814-16, when by 1817
Jacob Sr. is shown on the census with two sons under Age 16.
The Sons of Temperance
In 1850, a Jacob Fike is listed as being one of the founding members of the
Temperance Society in Brougham, Division No.104, Grand Division, in Canada West.
The Pickering Public Library has a fine collection of the Society’s original records
from Jacob’s time and later. The records do not show whether or not the founding
members were young to middle-aged men, tradesmen, farmers and labourers around
Brougham, and Jacob’s name does not appear in the minutes after 1851.
Jacob Jr. moved away from Pickering Township in the early to mid-1850s whereas
Jacob Sr. stayed in the area. There is no reference to Jacob’s age in the minutes or
other written records of the Sons of Temperance. The elder Jacob would have been
seventy four, and it is possible that he too would have been interested in the ideals
and activities of the organization.
There is a photograph in the Pickering Public Library taken at the end of Brock Road
in Brougham. Just past the stone in the picture is the old Temperance Hall which had a
hardware store on the ground floor.82 There is a lovely chart on the wall of the Local
History Room on the Second Floor inscribed with the Founding Members’ names.
"
"In the “Sons of Temperance Minute Book 1850-1853,”83 Jacob Fike is listed as a
founding member along with the following men:
Calvin Sharrard, Charles Major, Henry Barnum, Joseph Warner, David Matthews,
James L. Bently, William Wilson, Asher Willson, David P. Crawford,
Robert G. Barnum, William Sharrard, Robert Brown, Joseph Eade, Joseph Crawford,
Gamble and Elijah S. Willson.
The first meetings were held at the home of William Corbett Proctor,
boot and shoe-maker in Brougham, until a proper hall was built.
On June 29, 1850 in the “Minute Book,” Jacob is shown as being reprimanded for
non-payment of dues and given two months to make payment in full, and he duly
promised to pay within the allotted time. He was not the only shirker, and it is quite
often recorded in the minutes that committees were formed from time to time to
remind delinquents of their failure to pay dues. It was an ongoing problem, especially
in the early years. Jacob appeared in the “Minutes of March 29, 1851” on a list of
people requesting a special meeting to receive the proposition of Bartimus Bentley.
The proposition from Mr. Bentley was about the construction of a new building to
house the group, the Temperance Hall mentioned above. Jacob also appeared on a
list of elected officers on the same date “O.S. – Jacob Fike”. On May 17, 1851 he is
mentioned on a list of people under the heading of “Special Meetings” called to
receive the proposition of Messrs. R. Johnson and George Smith, but it is not
recorded why the special meeting was called. On July 5, 1851, Jacob’s name is
on a list as a member of the Visiting Committee, and on July 19, 1851 he is
mentioned again regarding the same committee. The committee reported that help
was needed to cut Jeremiah Place’s hay because he was ill. There was a constant
turning over of officers, or perhaps elections were held until the expected result was
achieved. On July 26, 1851, Jacob was nominated to be Chaplain of the group at the
next election of officers. The election was held on August 2, 1851, and Jacob Fike
was elected Chaplain. It is further recorded in the “Minutes” that the members of the
committee reported Jeremiah Place was still not well, and sadly, on August 16, 1851
the final report by the Visiting Committee on that matter is that “Jeremiah Place is
dead.” In the “Minutes” of September 20, 1851, Jacob appeared once more on a list
of people nominated for officers. He was not elected, and his final recorded
appearance, perhaps due to exhaustion from the electing and changing of officers,
is on November 29, 1851, on a list of members present at the meeting taking a vote
for the Brougham group to become incorporated.
The Sons of Temperance was founded in New York City in 1842 as a temperance
organization and functioned as a fraternal benefit society. Some of the stated
objectives were as follow: “To shield its members from the evils of intemperance,
to afford mutual
"
"assistance in time of sickness, provide a sum of money at the death of a member,
to elevate character, to enlist workers in an earnest and noble endeavour to reclaim
those who fell under the influence of strong drink, to save the young from the power of
the drink habit, and to assist in every way the suppression of the drink traffic.”
It admitted both men and women and had secret rituals, sings, passwords, grips and
regalia. The regalia were cherished by the Brougham Group which they wore on visits
to other divisions and other special occasions. There was a great deal of
disagreement within the temperance movement as to whether fraternalism and
secret ritual were appropriate to the cause.
Active members’ surviving spouses received money if their partner died, for example,
On October 15, 1853 the “Minutes” show that “Willson’s widow received 3 Pounds,
15 Shillings upon his death.” Members who were too ill to work received a weekly
benefit if their dues were paid in full. This would have been a difficult requirement to
fulfill when Jeremiah Place was ill as so many members were in arrears, however the
Visiting Committee did see that poor Jeremiah’s hay was cut.
Although not stated outright in the objectives above, it is shown in their records that the
Brougham group was interested in wholesome family and group outings as a pastime.
Events such as parties, picnics, and wagon and buggy trips were arranged for the
amusement of their families. The records show that events included a torch light
procession on New Year’s Eve and a trip to Niagara Falls. It was a decent way for
families to socialize and add some excitement to what otherwise must have been a
very routine existence. When the Brougham Division #104 began, all the founding
members were males. As time passed more women became interested and joined
the group, and the social events continued at a merry pace.
It is noted from time to time in the “Minutes” that members were severely reprimanded
and fined, and sometimes their names were even expunged from the roll if it was
discovered that they had violated “Article 2.” This meant they had taken spirits such
as whiskey or hard cider, whether by accident or design. One man was forgiven by the
group after he confessed to drinking water which he did not realize was spiked with
whiskey until it was much too late. Men who confessed were viewed with more
leniency than those who were caught taking alcohol by another member of the group.
Jacob Fike’s name is not mentioned as ever having succumbed to the evil to which
many others did.
Benjamin Fike
Some of the addresses given, for example, for Benjamin and Jacob in assessment
records in Hope Township were for land owned by Elias Smith and his son John
"
"David Smith, although some were for Crown Land. They might have rented the
land in order to clear the trees and sell the timber to the mill, which could be how they
earned a living. Benjamin appeared as head of his own household on a census return
in 1835, when he was twenty-one years of age, the year he married Emily Seaton.
Benjamin, born in 1814 is listed on the census in Hope Township in 1835(84) and on
the 1851 Census in Uxbridge(85) with his first wife Emily and family. Benjamin and
Emily were married in Newcastle District circa 1835, and are listed incorrectly in the
“Marriage Register of Upper Canada/Canada West, Vol. 7, Part 1, Newcastle District
1810-1848,” under Emily Seaton and Benjamin “Filed,” which should of course be Fike.
A note in the marriage register says that Benjamin and Emily are shown in the “Index”
only because “Register A” which should accompany the index is missing for that time
period.(86) Benjamin married a second time to Eliza Seaton, his sister-in-law.
Their marriage record shows both were widowed and both lived in Uxbridge at the time.
They were married 14th of March, 1853 in Stouffville by Rev. Durant, and their witnesses
were J.B. and Mary Thibedeau of Uxbridge.(87) Benjamin and second wife Eliza moved
to Grey County South, Osprey Township, and had a large second family. They appeared
on census returns of 1861,(88) 1871(89) an 1881.(90)
Benjamin Fike Jr., Nelson Fike, Jacob Fike
Two of Benjamin’s sons from his first marriage, Nelson, born circa 1842 and Benjamin
Jr., 1846(91) returned to the United States and farmed the land in Michigan.
There is a census record of Nelson with his wife Hannah in 1889 living in Elmer,
Sanilac, Michigan.(92) Another of Benjamin’s sons from his first marriage, Jacob,
born in 1844, married Hannah Clark in Simcoe County in March of 1866.(93)
Jacob and Hannah are shown on the 1871 Census in Grey South(94) having a daughter,
Jane aged three months, but they are not listed on any later Canadian Census.
Daniel of Hope, Son of John
Daniel of Hope was a veteran of the War of 1812, and is shown on a list as #75,
Private in the Flank Companies of the First Regiment Northumberland Militia on
service in the year 1812,(95) when he was almost sixteen years old.
There is a record in the Archives of Ontario of Daniel having attended a reunion of
Veterans of the War of 1812 when he was in his seventies. He was interviewed by the
press and when asked about his experience, said he did not see any action during the
war, did not remember his captain’s name, and he did not receive anything for his
service. However, there are payroll lists from the war that have his name on them.(96)
No doubt his advanced age had something to do with his faded memory of the war,
but it is true tat the Northumberland Militia was mainly responsible for transporting
prisoners of war from Kingston to York and did not take part in any recorded battles.
He is listed later in “Canadian Veterans of the War of 1812”(97) at the age of eighty as
having been a sergeant in Captain Burnham’s Corps. The publication lists lump sum
"
"payments made by the federal government to honour veterans in the amount of $20.00.
Daniel petitioned for and received a land grant of 100 acres in Northumberland
County98 because of his service, but it is not certain that he took the grant up.
People often sold their grants and lived on the money they received. Daniel appeared
on the Hope Township Census during the years 1835-1841.99 He was the son of John,
elder brother of Jacob, which would make him the nephew of Jacob and Adah. After her
husband died, Adah went to live with Daniel and his wife Elizabeth. Later in life, in Park
Hill, Middlesex North, Williams West, Daniel and his wife Elizabeth are listed on the
1871 Canadian Census.100 They lived with Elizabeth, Age 18, and Adah Fike,
a widow by then, whose age is recorded as eighty two and shows her birthplace as
the U.S. Adah’s husband Jacob’s last appearance was on the Census of 1861 in
Pickering at the age of eighty-four years.101 By 1881, Adah had also died and no
mention is made of her on the census return which lists only Daniel, Elizabeth,
and a teenaged girl, perhaps a grand daughter, Rose.102 Daniel died at Age 85 of
general paralysis, in Park Hill, on November 28, 1882. His wife Elizabeth lived until
Age 90, dying of the grippe in the 8th Concession of Delaware, in February of 1899.
Her son Augustus Fike is shown on the death certificate as having registered her death.
Children of Daniel and Elizabeth
Daniel,103 his wife Elizabeth and family are listed on the 1851 Census104 in Ontario
County, Pickering Township. On the census, Daniel and Elizabeth’s children are listed
as Margaret, (William) Augustus, Mary and Emily. Mary Fike of Pickering married
Robert Clendenning of Markham on April 1, 1855. They were married by the Reverend
Markham, and their witnesses were members of the Fike family, William Fike and
Ady Fike.
Augustus Fike
Augustus Fike was the only son of Daniel and Elizabeth, and was sometimes known as
William Augustus. He was a farmer who made and sold farm implements and lived in
MacGillivray Twp., Con. 21, Lot 11, north of the Town of Park Hill, during the years
1856-1871. He married a lady called Cinderella and in 1871 they were listed on the
census with two children, Eliza and Lorenzo.105 Lorenzo’s children, shown on the
census taken in 1901 are Clinton, born 1896 and Verna born 1898. Records show that
Augustus married twice again in later years to Mary Ellen Moon and Ellen Winterbottom.
Information from Directories
The surname Fike is listed in early Toronto and Home District Directories and shows
that Fike families lived in or around Pickering Township between the years 1846-
"
"1851, and even earlier in the case of the Bassett family. Because their names are the
same, it is difficult to know whether an address was for Jacob Sr., for Jacob Jr. A Jacob
Fike is listed in the “Home District Directory for 1846-46,” at Lot 23, Concession 5 of
Pickering. In the same Directory on the same page, Edward Fike Lot 31, Concession 7,
is shown to be living in Pickering. Jacob Fike is listed in a Directory for 1850-1”106 at
Lot 18 Concession 5, Pickering, and a Jacob is shown in the same Directory at Lot 5,
Concession 3, Uxbridge with Benjamin at the same address.107 Daniel Fike is shown
at Lot 32, Concession 7 in an 1851 directory, a neighbour of Jacob and Edward.
Issac and Almina Bassett
Issac Bassett was a neighbour of Jacob, and was listed in a directory at Lot 20,
Concession 5 of Pickering Township, and Jacob Fike is shown at Lot 18 Concession
5. Jacob Jr. and his wife Harriet were witnesses at the marriage of Issac Bassett to
Almina Bassmau, April 15, 1850 in Pickering,108 with Rev. R. Barrie officiating at the
wedding ceremony.
Charles and Elijah Bassett
Elijah Bassett is mentioned for the third time in Ontario records, no age given,
when he is listed as a member of the Militia. The first time his name appeared was at
Baldoon in 1803, the second on the Hamilton Twp. Census in 1812. He is shown as a
member of the “York County 2nd Regiment, North York Militia for Whitchurch North,
North Gwillimbury, East Gwillimbury, King, and Whitchurch South,” between the ages of
16 and 50 or 60, on June 4, 1828.109 “The City of Toronto and Home District Directory
for 1837” lists a Charles Bassett at Concession 4, Lot 10 of Whitchurch. This indicated
that members of the Bassett family were living in York County as early as 1828 when the
militia list was made.
"
"Location – Source – Family
Lot 10, Concession 4, Whitchurch – The City of Toronto and Home District Directory
for 1837, p. 147 – Charles Bassett
Lot 23, Concession 9, Pickering – Brown’s Toronto City and Home District Directory
1846-47, p.59 – Jacob Fike
Lot 31, Concession 7, and S _ Lot 31, Concession 5, Pickering – Same Directory and
Ontario Archives Land Records Index – Edward Fike
Lot 20, Concession 5, Pickering – Brown’s Toronto Directory for 1850-1 for York County,
p.69 – Isaac Bassett
Lot 18, Concession 5, Pickering – Same Directory for 1850-1, p.69 – Jacob Fike
Lot 32, Concession 7, Pickering – Same Directory for 1850-1, p.69 – Daniel Fike
Lot 5, Concession 3, Uxbridge – Same Directory for 1850-1. p.87 – Jacob Fike,
Benjamin Fike
Lot 31w, Con 5, Pine Orchard – County of York Directory for 1876 – Wm. Bassett,
Farmer
Lot 29-30e, Con 5, Pine Orchard – County of York Directory for 1876 – W. Bassett,
Blacksmith
Lot 29-30e, Con 5, Pine Orchard – Same Directory 1876 – Isaac Bassett, Farmer
Lot 22w, Con 7, Ballentrae – Same Directory for 1876 – Charles Fyke, Farmer
"
"The table on the previous page shows the locations of Fike families in Ontario County
between the years of 1837-1851 according to directories. The directories show that the
families lived at five locations during the years 1846-1851, four in Pickering, and also in
Uxbridge. Benjamin, Jacob, Edward and James all lived in close proximity in Pickering
and Uxbridge during the same time period. Bassett families appeared in directories
during the period of 1837-1876, and Charles Fike, son of Harriet and Jacob is listed in
1876.
Jacob and Harriet Fike
Upper and Lower Canada were divided by the Ottawa River in “The Constitutional Act
of 1791” and reunited by “The Union Act of 1840” into the Province of Canada.
They were known as Canada East And Canada West until Confederation in 1867
created the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Jacob Fike and Harriet Bassett,
both of Pickering, were married in Pickering in Canada West by Rev. David Wright in
1841.111 Since parents’ names were not required by the government on the marriage
registers at that time, their parents’ names are not recorded. In some rare and lucky
cases, the brides’ parents stood as witnesses and parents could then be identified
from the marriage register. Jacob and Harriet had seven children, Elijah, Ira, Charles,
William, Margaret Ann, Mary Jane and Joseph Jacob. They named their first-born son
Elijah, and another son Charles, perhaps in honour of members of Harriet’s family.
The Missing Years
Jacob and Harriet moved to Middlesex County at about the time the census was made
in 1853 or shortly thereafter. Their daughter, Mary Jane states on her marriage record
that she was born in 1857 in Dorchester. This indicated the family lived in Middlesex
County as early as 1857 and might have been in North Dorchester for the 1851 census
by the time it was taken. It is recorded on the marriage register of their daughter
Margaret Ann that she was born in New London in 1853.112 New London is in
Connecticut, and this might or might not be correct. If correct, it means the family
was in the United States at the time of Margaret’s birth and perhaps during the time
the 1851 Census was made.
Harriet’s husband Jacob Jr. is somewhat a man of mystery since his birth records,
along with many others of that era, cannot be found. He does not appear on a census
when he was alive. He died at a young age and left not much of evidence of that either,
merely a brief, impersonal notation on a census. The family is found on the 1861
Census in Middlesex County, North Dorchester Township. Jacob is shown as having
died in North Dorchester at Age 44 of inflammatory lung disease the previous year.
This indicates Jacob’s birth year was 1816, and on later census returns, Harriet’s birth
year is determined to be 1825. There is a column on the census form
"
"for “place of birth” which shows Jacob was born in Canada West, that is, Ontario,
west of the Ottawa River. In fact on the 1861 Census, the deceased Jacob, Harriet and
their children all show as being born in Canada West. This is confusing because
Margaret later states she was born in New London. Jacob left very little trace of his
forty-four years on earth. After the record of their marriage in Pickering in 1841,
there is no record of them, other than Sons of Temperance records and the 1861
Census.113 It is not known what happened to any assets the family might have
possessed when Jacob died as there is no record of a Will.
There is more than one discrepancy on the 1861 Census. Harriet’s age is given as
twenty four and she would actually have been thirty five or thirty six in 1861. Eldest son
Elijah, born 1844, is recorded at home with Harriet, and recorded again on the same
census at his employer’s farm. Their son Ira’s name is given as “Harvey” but his age of
fifteen is correct, having been born in 1846.
Harriet Bassett Fike and William Macklem
Harriet Bassett remarried within two years of Jacob’s death to William Macklem of
Whitcurch and gave birth to at least three more children in the years that followed.114
On her marriage registration Harriet states she was born in Westminster Township,
which was an area directly south of the Town of London. Harriet and William are listed
on the 1871 Canadian Census and later on the 1881 Census. In 1871, the census
shows that Harriet took some of the children from her first marriage, Charles, Margaret,
Mary Jane and Joseph Jacob to live with her when she married William, although
Harriet’s son William is not mentioned. On the later census, only their biological children,
Martha, George and Thomas Macklem are listed.115
Later in 1876, Harriet’s son Charles was living in Ballantrae, Ontario residing on the 7th
Concession, Lot 22W.116 There are records of a Charles Fike living in Brussels,
Ontario but no mention is made of his parents. Marriage records can be found of a
William in the Peterborough area but no definite connection can be made regarding his
parents. There is no positive record of Harriet’s son Joseph Jacob in the area,
but there are records showing the girls, Margaret and Mary Jane married men who
lived nearby. Mary Jane married Alexander Hadden of York County, and Margaret as
mentioned married Frederick Graham of Whitchurch.
Ira Fike and Elizabeth Van Volkenburg
Ira Fike, second son of Jacob and Harriet, did not make an appearance on the 1871
Census with Harriet and William Macklem. Ira, about fourteen when his father died in
1860 and sixteen when his mother remarried in 1862, had left home in 1871. At age
twenty four, Ira had a short first marriage to Elizabeth Wild Van Volkenburgh,
"
"who stated on the marriage register she was the daughter of Peter and Jane Van
Volkenburgh of Toronto. Ira gave his occupation as “machinist” on the marriage register
and his residence at time of marriage as Toronto. Ira was skillful at fixing watches,
clocks, bicycles, and other small machinery. Perhaps he learned something about the
mechanical trade during the time he lived and worked in Toronto when he was young.
Ira is not found on the 1871 census in Toronto or Grey County, and for whatever reason,
the marriage to Elizabeth was short and unsuccessful and he, like his mother, remarried
within two years.
Peter and Jane Van Volkenburg
Peter Van Volkenburg’s name appeared in the Toronto City Directory117 as Van
Valkenburgh, a carpenter located at 43 Agnes and 82 Elizabeth Streets, today known
as Dundas and Elizabeth Streets. Dundas Street was called Agnes Street in those days,
and although Dundas Street existed in 1871, it ran approximately where Simcoe,
McCaul and St. George Streets are at the present time. The family is listed on the 1871
Census in St. John’s Ward, Toronto, showing Peter 43, Jane 42, William Wallace 8,
Alice 13, and a female whose name is completely illegible and gave her age as twenty
one.118 The family moved to Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan in the U.S., and they
appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census,119 but there is no record of Elizabeth after the
1870 marriage.
Osprey Township
In 1880, Osprey Township was at the far eastern border of Grey County, bodering on
Collingwood Township to the north, Melancthon to the south, Artemesia to the west and
Nottawasaga in Simcoe County to the east. The township covered an area of 70,677
acres and the population numbered about 3,033 souls. It has existed as a separate
municipality since 1852.120
Ira and Mary Laughlin Fike
Although it was not possible for the person Ira was to cope with the extremely hard work
necessary to be a successful farmer, he did spend the rest of his life as the husband of
a woman who inherited a farm. Ira married Mary Laughlin of Osprey Township, Grey
County in 1872 in the small town of Flesherton.121 Ira might have been staying with
relatives at the time because he gave his residence as Osprey, where Benjamin lived
by that time with his second wife Eliza. Malinda Fike, daughter of Benjamin, and Robert
Armstrong were witnesses at their wedding, and the Reverend Alexander Russell
officiated.
Mary Laughlin was described by Ruth Walden, her grand daughter, and by Stanley Fike,
her grandson, as being a short, pretty strawberry blonde with green eyes. Mary was the
hard-working daughter of Robert Laughlin, a farmer, and his wife Elizabeth.
"
"Her marriage certificate states Mary was born in Markham circa 1853. Mary’s mother’s
name in shown on the register as “Isabella Dimesheer” which is quite a mystery since
her name on all census returns is Elizabeth or Eliza. There is a record of marriage
between Robert Laughlin of Pickering to Miss Eliza Dunsheath of Markham in
1852.122 A witness at this wedding is registered as Samuel Dunsheath.
To add to the confusion, a Robert Laughlin of Simcoe County is listed on the 1871
Census and his wife’s name was Isabella.123 The name “Mary” does not appear
with this family and it is possible that the two families were incorrectly linked by
someone in the past while filling out the marriage register. Mary, Elizabeth and Robert
Laughlin, and Margaret and James Laughlin are listed on census returns in the year
1861. Only Mary and her parents are on the 1871 Census in Grey County,124 and both
Robert and Elizabeth gave their birthplace as Ireland.
The incorrect name of Mary’s mother written in the register is a genealogical mystery
that requires further investigation. In those days, ministers made their records from
hastily scribbled notes after the wedding occurred, often from memory. Their minister
or someone acting on his behalf copied the information at the end of the year and
submitted it to the county. The information was copied again by the Registrar or his
Deputy into county records. The process therefore left plenty of room for errors in
transcription.
Town of Durham
Ira advertised himself as a barber in the Town of Durham for some years after his
marriage, and that is where his first four children were born. Ira’s advertisement
offering his service as a barber appeared in “Lovell’s Province of Ontario Directory for
1871,” and the “Ontario Gazetteer and Business Directory”125 for the years 1884 to
1889. The Town of Durham is reported as being located “117 miles from Toronto on the
Saugeen River, in Glenelg Twp., 28 miles south of Owen Sound.” Ira at age 33 and Mary
at age 27 appear on the Canadian Census for Durham, Grey South, Ontario in 1881
with their first three children, Harriet, Clara May and Lorne.126 Their son Elmer Ira’s
marriage register states he was born in Durham circa 1883.
The family is shown along with the rest of their children and Elizabeth, mother-in-law,
on the 1901 Census of Grey East, Osprey Township, indicating they had by that time
moved to Mary’s family farm,127 although Ira again gave his occupation as machinist.
There is no way to know what effect the tragic death of his father had on Ira, but it could
not have been very positive. Ira told his son Elmer Ira that he left home because his
family was very strict and too religious. Ira seemed to harbour a lot of anger throughout
his life, and unfortunately he directed the anger toward those close
"
"to him. The stories about Ira all run on the same theme. He is reported to have been a
man who was outwardly charming and enjoyed social events and dances. At other times
he was someone who was extremely cruel and domineering toward his family. It might be
that he was reflecting what he felt were the cruel tricks fate had played upon him when
his father died, his home was broken up and his mother remarried. No one will ever
know the cause of his unhappiness. Ira was one of a kind in the family, but it is certain
that once they were old enough to fend for themselves, his wife and children left and
made lives of their own. The children all drifted away and Ira lost the family farm Mary
had worked so hard to keep. They all moved to the cities and other towns and provinces.
They found other occupations, and Ira appears alone on the 1911 Census in Osprey
Township.
James and Harriet Walden
Mary and Ira’s eldest daughter Harriet and her husband James Walden cared for
Mary in her final years, along with her son Charles until they died. Mary died in 1928
and is buried in St. John Norway Cemetery, Scarborough. The Walden’s were the
parents of Ruth and Stanley Walden.
Hiram Fike
The Census records show that Hiram Fike lived in the Township of Mara, Ontario
North with his wife Alice, son Matthew and daughter Mary. On the 1871 Census,128
Hiram gives his age as forty eight, therefore was born circa 1823. His wife Alice gave
her religious affiliation as Roman Catholic. Marriage records for the couple might be
found in Roman Cthokic records which are held by the Church and are not included in
records at the Archives of Ontario. Alice gave her age as thirty, the children Mary as
three months and Mathew H., two years old.
Following are some census tables showing Jacob and Harriet’s family in Middlesex
County, Harriet and William Macklem in Whitchurch Township, and Robert Laughlin in
Grey County.
"
"Table 8
Jacob and Harriet Fike, and William and Harriet Macklem
North Dorchester and Whitchurch Townships
Middlesex Co.
N. Dorchester Twp. – Males +16 – Males -16 – Females +16 – Females -16
1861
Jacob deceased – 1 – 4 – 1 – 2
Harriet, Elijah, Ira
Charles, Joseph J.,
William, Margaret,
Mary Jane
Whitchurch
Township
1871
William Macklem – 2 – 1 – 2 –1
Charles, Jacob Joseph,
Harriet, Margaret,
Mary Jane
1881
William Macklem – 1 – 2 – 1 – 2
Harriet,
George, Thomas,
Martha, Lydia
Table 9
Osprey Township
1861
Robert Laughlin, --1 –1 –1 – 2
Elizabeth,
Margaret, James
Mary
1871
Robert, Elizabeth – 1 –0 –2 –0
Mary
"