Coporal John Chance

  The Story:

The story in the family was that John was the son of a Anglican minister whose name was Wesley Chance. Research has not been able to confirm that a minister by that name existed.

Many years ago Julia May Chance (a granddaughter) found in a magazine a notice that indicated that a person by the last name of Chance died and the lawyers were looking for descendants in Canada to claim the inheritance. After writing, the reply was that it was far too late to receive anything. No one knows of the book or magazine that Julia had found [a mystery].

The story in the family was that John was an English soldier (some say the Queen's Rifles). This may be true as he was found in a pay roll for Captain William Duff's Company 10th, Provisional Battalion which was stationed near St. Catherines, Ontario. John received 2 pounds 1 shilling and 41 pence for the month of January 1839 he had the rank of Corporal. After his service in the military John moved and eventually into the Burford Township in Brant County where some of his children were born.

Living in 1836 in Burford Township was a David Chance and he was involved with the 1837 "Upper Canada Rebellion". In his cabin was held at least one meeting, where the ring leaders of the rebellion in the area met. After the defeat of the rebels he left Ontario in great haste. Also living in Burford Township was Reverend James Chance. It is a possible that the Reverend Chance was the part of the story of John's father was a minister. James is young enough to be a brother. James left Burford Township and move to northern Ontario. Perhaps they both were relatives. Later John and family moved to the Woodstock area.

John was a brickmaker his sons John and Gersham followed him into the occupation and they worked for a time at the same brickyard in Woodstock. He apparently was also quite a character. In the middle 1845 he was charged and convicted of trespassing on his neighbour's property and sentenced to 1 month in jail. A few months later, he himself charged the neighbour [Charles Barnhart] with assault and battery. Charles was fined 2 shillings, was not jailed.

In 1851 he owned 2 pigs valued at six dollars and had land 40' x 60' and lived in a one story frame house in Woodstock in the St. Patrick, St. John and St. David's wards. In 1871 he still resided in Woodstock and was listed as a brick maker. In 1874 the Old St. Paul's Anglican church records in Woodstock, Ontario stated that John was "was deaf and dropsical, but is anxious and devout". He lived on James Street, in a area near Chapel school where many of the Chance family members also lived for many years.

John was buried with his wife in the Anglican Cemetery, Woodstock, Ontario, their grave is marked by a very attractive, four sided, short gray sandstone tombstone. A grandson [Gersham] and John's son John lies there as well, neither is recorded on the stone.


RESIDENCES: 1851 Burford Township, Brant County, Ontario; 1861 Woodstock, Oxford, Ontario till death; 1837 Fort Erie, Ontario.

From the Ontario Historical Society Papers and Records Volume XXVII, Toronto, 1931 pg 82-3: "These were troubled years, and as in other church registers, some slight reflection of these troubles is found recorded in its pages. The agitation for the secularization of the clergy reserves had gained great strength, but in the hard-fought general election of 1836 a majority of the conservative candidates had triumphed. A long and bitter wrangle in parliament and in the press culminated in an armed insurrection which was quickly overcome by the loyal militia. From December 1837 to July, 1838, the deserted and dilapidated barracks at Fort Erie and other hastily improvised quarters at Waterloo (Fort Erie) were occupied by the "Queen's Niagara Fencibles," recruited and commanded by Colonel Kerby, in constant apprehension of an invasion from the opposite shore. After its disbandment, detachments of the sedentary militia were called out for the defence of the frontier. These were relieved by the 10th Provisional Battalion, also recruited and commanded by Colonel Kerby, which garrisoned Fort Erie and Waterloo from November, 1838 until May, 1839. ... On its disbandment the 10th Provisional Battalion was replaced by small detachments of the 1st and 3rd Incorporated Militia, who continued on duty until the midsummer of 1840. Births, marriages and deaths in all these regiments are duly recorded."

From THE REGISTER 0F SAINT PAUL'S CHURCH AT FORT ERIE, 1836-1844


On this third day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight, I baptized John Ussher son of James Baird, private in the Queens Niagara Fencibles, baptized and of Alice his wife, born on the twenty third day of May preceding, John Anderson, Rector of Waterloo The Sponsors were John Chance, William Hewson, Eliza Chance.

On this thirteenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight, I baptized Robert Frederick, son of Robert Abraham and of Charlotte his wife, baptized born on the third day of this same month The Sponsors were Robert Abraham John Chance, Dorothea Webb.

On this twenty first day of April in the year of the Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine, I baptized John, son of John Chance, private in the 10th Provisional Battalion, and baptized of Eliza his wife, born on the twenty fourth day of March preceding - John Anderson Rector of Waterloo."

John married Elizabeth (Eliza) Bennett, daughter of John Bennett Reverend and Eliza Mary Ann. (Elizabeth (Eliza) Bennett was born in May 1814 in , , , England,⁴ died on 28 Feb 1890 in Woodstock, Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada ⁴ and was buried in Anglican Cemetery, Woodstock, Oxford Co., Ontario.)