Records of the Bay of Quinte
1828 Petition for Prince Edward County to become a District
1829 Petition for Prince Edward County to become a District
Background to these petitions
In
1788, Districts were established in Upper Canada. Originally, only four
districts were created and they formed the basis for administration
and Courts. As the population increased these districts were subdivided
and by 1849 there were twenty districts.
In 1792, Prince Edward was part of the first group of counties to be established. They formed the basis
for elections, militia, surveying of townships and land boards. The
counties existed within the districts. In 1830, the County of Prince
Edward was within the Midland District and the district seat was
Kingston.
This petition, dated 1830, follows those of 1825, 1828 and 1829 and continues to request that the "peninsula" of Prince Edward County be established as a District of its own, separate from the Midland District. In
1831, following this petition, Prince Edward finally became a District with
Picton (Hallowell) becoming the administrative and judicial seat. The
court house was completed in 1834. See the Archives of Ontario maps for the early District boundaries. This petitions provide a partial census substitute for the years 1828, 1829 and 1830.
In 1825 Simeon Washburn, a Justice of the Peace, wrote to Major Hillier, secretary to the Lt
Gov, mentioning that he is acting as the agent for Prince Edward County
in its wish to become a distinct District. The petitions and signatures
associated with this letter have not been found.
14 Nov [1825], Monday morning
Dear Sir [Major Hillier]
The inhabitants of the County of Prince Edward have again determined to
petition Parliament to be erected into a distinct District and for that
purpose have appointed a Committee of management below - who have
appointed me their agent for connecting the business before Parliament.
On Saturday last the petitions for both Houses were transmitted to me
and will be shortly introduced, the Committee below, from the
circumstance of a Township in the proposed District being named after
you, have requested me to call on you for signature to the petitions
but from the pecularity of your situation I have a delicacy in
doing so without first ascertaining how for it would accord with your
feelings on the subject.
The inhabitants, with a zealous spirit which does them credit, have
raised upwards of £900 and are now zealousy engaged in building a goal
& court house: and from the ??? ??? peninsula of land of which the
County is composed and its numerous population of 8000 and upwards they
anxiously hope to gain their end this time. Would you feel disposed to
put your name to their petition[.] I will wait on you with pleasure
- but if on the contrary you would decline, the Committee therein hope
there will be no impropriety in soliciting your good wishes toward a
measure of vast consequence to a most populous & thriving part of
the Province.
I am dear Sir, faithfully yours
S Washburn
Source: Civil Secretary's Correspondence, Upper Canada Sundries, LAC,
RG 5 A1, V 75, 39784-7, C-4616, on line at heritage canadiana, starts at image 306 |
There are 3 later petitions found for Prince Edward County to become a District. They are in 1828, 1829
and this one in 1830. The text of the petitions themselves are very
similar and only the 1830 petition is transcribed in full. See the
images of each petition for the full text. All the signatures of the
inhabitants are transcribed and are on their own web page.
This
petition was assembled by gluing several pages together in a long
scroll. The text of this petition itself is followed by seven pages of signatures in
four columns each and they are transcribed below as assembled. Each column
was headed by the signature of a Justice of the Peace. Signatures can
be a challenge to transcribe. Let me know if you think I have misread
some and I will double check.
© Randy Saylor, transcribed Dec 2011, updated Mar 2016.
Source: Civil Secretary's Correspondence, Upper Canada Sundries,
1766-1841, RG5 A1, LAC, film also at AO, Vol 104, C-6871, pp. 59152-52g, on line at Heritage Canadiana, starts at image 1225.
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The Petition
To His Excellency Sir John Colborne Lieutenant Governor K.C.B.
of the Province of Upper Canada and Major General commanding His Majesty’s
Forces therein etc etc
The petition of the undersigned freeholders and others of
the county of Prince Edward in the Midland District
Humbly Sheweth
That the Midland District extends along the Lake Ontario
and the Bay of Quinte a distance of upwards of seventy miles in length, is
generally of a productive soil and from its extensive inland roads?
communication perhaps more advantageously situated than any other District in
the Province. That the population of the
district now exceeds Thirty Thousand [sic] Souls and when the vacant lands
become occupied and under cultivation, which is rapidly taking place, it will
from its agricultural products alone sustain more than five times that number.
That the County of Prince Edward is composed, as will be
seen by reference to the map of the Province, of a large peninsula upwards of Fifty
Miles in length, entirely cut off and separated from the rest of the Midland
District, except in narrow Isthmus at the extreme Western limit of the
county. That it covers an area of about eight
hundred square Miles, and has already a population of upwards of Ten Thousand
[sic] Inhabitants and when the uncultivated parts of the County become cleared
and occupied, which will be the case in a few years, the number will be greatly
increased, and it will present at tract of country on equal in its fertility
and internal resources and a population unsurpassed in respectability and
Loyalty to the Government by any other part of the Province.
The peculiar Peninsular situation of the County appears
marked out and designed by nature to form a separate jurisdiction untrammeled
and unconnected with the rest of the Midland District. The present incorporation with which has long
retarded the Growth and Improvement of our County without yielding any corresponding
advantage in return.
It will perhaps be unnecessary to enumerate and point out
to your Excellency all the disadvantages under which we labour, the peculiar
local situation of the County must render them self evident. We will merely state to your Excellency that
all or almost all the taxes levied and raised in the County of Prince Edward
except our representatives wages are spent in Kingston from which place
sheriff's fees are charged to the remotest parts of the County a distance of
more than seventy miles, and to which place we are all liable to be called that
the sittings of every Court either as Magistrates, Jurors, Constables,
Litigants or Witnesses.
That in many instances crimes and misdemeanors are passed
over and allowed to go unpunished on account of the great expense, and damages
unavoidably occurring to the persons prosecuting at so great a distance from
their homes. That the communication with the rest of the Midland District, separated
as the County is by the water of the Bay of Quinte is always interrupted, and,
at certain seasons of the year extremely difficult and dangerous.
These and other reasons needless at present to mention
induced the Inhabitants of the County of Prince Edward in the year of our lord eight
Hundred and twenty five [1825], to present their humble petition to the Provincial Parliament
and then in session, praying the passing of an act to set off and direct the County
into a separate and distinct District, and a bill for that purpose was introduced
and then passed the House of Assembly [9
words too faint to decifer] to your humble Petitioners it did not meet the
convenience of the other branches? of the Provincial Legislature. Every year since that period a similar petition has been sent from
the County and so well satisfied has the House of Assembly been of our ??? and
the many [two words?] situation that they have year after year declared their
readiness? to afford us relief by passing through their House a Bill founded
upon the Prayer of our petitioners which unfortunately for us has not been conducted?
in by the Honble the Legislative Council.
Your petitioners would further represent that the public
debt of the Midland District which has been contracted by building a new Gaol
and Court House in the Town of Kingston at present amounts to about Two
Thousand five hundd pounds in equitable proportion, of which your
petitioners are willing, shall be liquidated by yearly installments out of the
assessed Taxes collected in the County, after which there will still remain
a sum amply sufficient, with proper management and economy, to defray all
necessary expenses and charges of a separate jurisdiction.
These reasons and arguments your petitioners humbly and
respectively submit to the calm and dispassionate consideration of your Excellency
with a confident hope they will produce that decision they look to for their
relief and that your Excellency will be pleased to sanction an Act authorizing
and empowering the Lieutenant Governor or person administering the Government
by his proclamation to establish and erect the county of Prince Edward into a separate
and distinct district, to be subject to all the liabilities and enjoy all the
rights, privileges, jurisdiction and immunities of any other District in the Province. So soon as he shall receive satisfactory
evidence that a Goal and Court House are erected in the Township of Hallowell
in the said County and so far completed as to admit the holding of Courts therein,
and that the remainder of the taxes collected in the County, after paying such
proportion of the Public Debt of the Midland District as may apply, up here
appear just and equitable may be paid into the hands of a treasurer of the
County hereafter to be appointed, when set off as before mentioned and
appropriated to the General purposes thereof and your petitioners as in duty
bound will ever pray.
The County of Prince Edward
December 1830
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| John
Stinson JP |
James Dougall JP |
Benjn Hubbs JP |
S Washburn JP |
| D.L. Fairfield |
John Dougall |
J A Macpherson |
R J Chapman |
| W Ireland |
Isaac Scott |
Jacob Platt |
John Scott |
| William Cunningham |
Lewis C Lazier |
James Lazier |
Abraham Lazier |
| Franklin Lazier |
Wilson Bently |
Caleb Williams |
Abizah Spafford |
| Thomas Eyre |
James Graham Junr |
Hulbert Williams |
Samuel Wright |
| Samuel Foster |
Joseph Rorke |
John Goodwin |
Wm Rorke |
| Samuel Merrill |
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| David Barker |
James Thomson |
James Barker |
David B Stevenson |
| William Clark Senr |
John Benson |
Nicholas Peterson |
Heavlin Hubbs |
| Jn M Gillis |
James Olson |
James Cummings |
Jeremiah Herington |
| Daniel W Hubbs |
William Beard |
Robert Fleming |
Thomas Moore |
| Joseph Ritan |
Abiger Tomkins |
Joseph Barker |
John Davis |
| Thads Ketchum |
John A Benson |
James O’Sullivan |
Adam Hubbs |
| John P Sullivan |
Dines O'Sullivan |
William Hughs |
John Johnston |
| Norman Landon |
James Bond |
Jacob Hicks |
John P Ellis |
| Wm A Richards |
John H Osterhortt |
John Scott Jun |
James C Larkin |
| Stewart Wilson |
Wm McCameron |
B F Hotchkiss |
John Hopkin |
| John Munro? |
James Ingell |
Hiram Brisbin |
Thomas Lawrens |
| Alexander P Sheriff |
Joseph J Johnson |
Charles Saylor |
Joseph Badgley |
| James Macdonald |
Philip Short |
George Bull |
Richard Young |
| James Caven |
Thomas Welsh |
J .A. Macpherson |
John D. Fraise |
| John Willson |
John Foster |
William Youngs |
Airen Pease |
| John Stanton |
James Johnson |
L P Macpherson |
Dyer S Ogden |
| Nathaniel Ellison |
George McCormack |
Solomon Leet |
Paul Clark |
| Samuel Love |
Robert Patterson |
Aaron Martin |
Samuel Wright |
| David Stinson |
Isaac Fisher |
Robert Scott |
Wm Leavins |
| Henry Osterhortt |
Joseph Johnson |
B Bristol |
Joseph Reynolds |
| Marinis Fuar |
Royn B Conger |
Amos Hubbs |
Gilbert French |
| James Williams |
John B Spencer |
Garret Barker |
John Mouk |
| William Steel |
Barret Dyer |
James Sprag |
Patrick Collin |
| Henry Gerow |
John Askins |
H S Allan |
John Patterson |
| William Patterson |
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J Stevenson |
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| Barry Patterson |
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Wm Barker |
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| David Smith |
John Coleman |
Corns Vanalstine |
William Case Miller |
| William Dougall, |
Asa C Ferguson |
Abraham Vanalstine |
William Dyre |
| Jonathan Hindes |
John Martin |
Moses Carnahan |
Isaac W Hare |
| Abraham Chase |
James Cook |
John Brown |
Henry Christy |
| Wm Rorke |
Garret Striker |
Gideon Bowerman |
Robert Lawson |
| Joseph Allen |
James Dulmage |
John Hewett |
Abm Stephens |
| Thomas Clappe |
James Patterson |
Soln Spafford |
Gilbert Orsen |
| Thomas Wilson |
Wm Ogden |
Samuel Pettingall |
Matthew Patterson |
| Jacob Frellick |
Samuel Townsend |
Abraham Townsend |
Archelaus Southard |
| D. Anderson |
Calvin Pier |
Arra Ferguson |
Wm Hale |
| Wm T Bowerman |
James McQuaid |
Stephen Nix |
Robert Johnston |
| William Cahill |
C B Augustus |
Anthony Merrill |
Jacob Osterhortt |
| Job Huff |
Daniel Hare |
John Ekert |
Henry Southard |
| Thomas Doyle |
Richd Tinn?
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Benjn Gerow |
Thos McCartney |
| John Nixon |
John Johnson |
John Abercrombie |
Jonas Clark |
| Abraham Putney |
David Dulmage |
D M Hopkins |
Richard T Gardiner |
| Samuel McCartney |
John Stafford |
Jonathan Miller |
Andrew Huycke |
| B Dougall |
Gershum Clark |
Thadeus Lawson |
Samuel Clark |
| J T Lane |
Samuel Baker |
Joseph Clark |
Job Elsworth |
| William Stinson |
Willet C Danard |
Chas Smith |
Henry Spafford |
| John C. Meera |
William Huycke |
Winett Williams |
Chester Hoskins |
| T Wm Norton |
George Lawrence |
Nelson Huchin |
James Kinmouth |
| Geo Penrose |
Thomas Baker |
Peter Taylor |
Samuel Baker |
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| Chas Bochus |
Benjamin Leavens |
William Yerks |
W Williams |
| Chas M Bower |
Josiah Bowerman |
Matthew Curry |
W M Bockus |
| Peter Post |
William White |
Baptista Bodra |
F B Baker |
| Samuel L Porter |
Richard Smithiared |
John VanCourt |
William Hughes |
| Joseph Dailey |
Joseph T Bowerman |
William Shaughnessy |
Geo Snider |
| Schuyler Steward |
James Cooper |
Paul Washburn |
Joseph Heazlet |
| Wm Begle |
Elias Vannbuck |
Charles C Garratt |
Nicholas D Lazier |
| Andrew Patterson |
John Jones |
Allen Munro |
Peter Lazier |
| Corey Spencer |
Gershom Vincent |
Timothy Pringle |
Joseph Grooms |
| Duncan P Graham, |
Edward Rush |
John Carley |
Nicholas Peterson |
| Gideon Gardner |
Caleb Elisworth |
Job P Eylseworth |
Robert Maybe |
| Joshua Hicks |
Benjamin Baba |
Daniel Dalley |
William Blakely |
| Paul McCuaig |
Timothy Neham |
Moses Gilbert |
Elijah D White |
| Henry Dyer |
Orrin Pierce |
Norman Ballard |
James Leavins |
| Joseph Wilson |
Thomas N Brown |
Isaac Reynolds |
Solomon I Spafford |
| Paul Trumpor |
John Wilson |
Luke Ballard |
Vincent Ferguson |
| John W Farley |
Patt Shendun |
George Welsh |
William R Newell |
| Timothy S Master |
John McFaul |
David Wallace |
Ira Allen |
| Wm Wells |
J Welsh |
Samuel Waters |
Daniel Gilbert |
| Charles Johnston |
Peter Leavens |
Joseph Black |
James Welsh |
| Alexander Heasfelt |
Patrick Collins |
James Deacon |
Pet er Demill |
Alexander McDonell JP
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Alexander Vanalstine |
? Dulmage |
Charles Mernie |
| Joseph Hughs |
James Farrington |
Edward Farrington |
Samuel Farrington |
| Samuel Danard |
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Fras Thompson |
John Kennedy |
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| Samuel Foster |
John Goodwin |
William Reid |
Vincent Bowerman |
| Moses White |
Geo Munro |
Andrew Austin |
Willet Townsend |
| James Walmsley |
Wm B Leavens |
Abm Warren |
John Platt |
| Josiah Bull |
Gilbert Dorland |
Jonathan Bowerman |
John J Bowerman |
| Ira Spafford |
John R Morden |
Josh Walters |
Joseph Baker |
| Joseph McCaul |
Benjn Simpson |
John D Fraise |
Ira Brown |
| Walter Wilson |
John Darling Junr |
Abraham Ruttan |
Edwin N Kingsley |
| Valentine Ogden |
Owen Goodwin |
William Southard, |
Asa W Elsworth |
| David B Neill |
Wm Rankin |
William Curry |
James Ketchum |
| E Leavens |
Thomas P Cooper |
Wm Nelson |
Silas Ball |
| Wm W Cunningham |
John Millar |
Josh W Nelson |
Silas Dyer 2nd |
| Garnet D. Clute |
P Roaball |
Robert Grimson |
Duncan McCrimon |
| Gilbert Phillips |
Owen Richard |
Ruben? Reynolds, |
Geo Bigg |
| Francis Mitchell |
Hiram Wilder |
Owen McMahon JP
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Isaac Gleg |
| Wm G Williams |
Peter Taylor |
Erastus Boots |
David Williams |
| Phillip Williams |
John B Kimball |
Willson Conger |
John Palen |
| Joseph Rorke |
Richard Hughes |
Ezekiel Palin |
John Smith |
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| Thomas Clark |
Jos Groome |
Arra H Vandusen, |
Peter Collier |
| Palen Clark |
Lewis Head |
James Cumming |
Simon Phelps |
| John Richards |
John Wright Sr |
Orrin Sutcliff |
John Gordon |
| Benjamin Richards |
Danl Wright |
Henry Van Tass?
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T G Pallens |
| Robert Sproule |
Peter McGuire |
Peter Minaker |
Solomon Dulmage |
| Wm Hicks |
Patrick McFadden |
Samuel Molyneux |
Joseph Burley |
| Barnard Smyth |
Richard Hill |
George McGuire |
William Powers |
| Isaac Austin |
Jacob Vancleft |
John Lane |
William Carson |
| Henry Vandusen |
David Willard |
Thomas Wilbank |
Michael Mouck |
| Luis Minaker |
Joshua Hicks |
Joseph Holmes |
Jesse Vancleft |
| Isaac Ramas |
Cornelius Turner |
Saml W Carson |
Wm Vandusen |
| Andrew Kerr |
John Snider |
John Welbanks |
James Gerolamy |
| William Lear |
John Harrison |
John McDonnell |
Elias Vannbuck |
| Philip Clapp |
William Beniker |
James Ranaus Jr |
John Ames |
| John McIntosh |
Tobias Snider |
F Hume |
Isaac Ostrander |
| James Gerolamy Junr |
Thomas Carson |
Fredk Minaker |
Ira Leamon |
| Jacob Dulmage |
James Collier |
George Gerolamy |
Thomas Midceff |
| John Simmerman |
Jacob Hughes |
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David K Pall or Pace
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| Edward Dulmage |
Jacob Green |
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Thomas Carracke |
| John Migery |
Chas Smith |
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Samuel Clapp |
| Samuel Byers |
John Hicks
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Charles Sproul |
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Joseph Hicks
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John Allen |
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Orton Hancox JP
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David Van Blaricum |
D???? Spragge |
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Saml Holmes JP
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Benjamin T Alllison |
James Hart |
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James Cutter JP
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John Howell |
Abraham Goesline |
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Griffith Howell JP
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Gid Carpenter |
James Fairfield |
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| John Smith |
Thomas Pearsel |
Stephen W Randall |
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| John Allison |
Thomas Davis |
Robt Vaughan |
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| John Burdett |
Henry Lambert |
Alfred A Bradley |
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| Victory Sykes |
Jacob Short |
Ira Buttie |
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| Jeremy Dunning |
David Darling |
Joseph Smith |
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| Lewis R Snider |
Thomas Bowerman |
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| Elias Clark |
John Gerow |
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| Luke Vanhazen |
George Cathey |
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| Oliver Burdett |
Daniel Lambert |
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| Dens Sullivan |
Jacob Benson |
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| Wm Foster |
Jonathon Gauley |
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| James C Kemp |
Richard Somes |
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| Cornelius C Phelps |
Adam Short |
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| Jacob Hemell |
Peter W Ruttan |
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| Israel Tripp |
George Boulter |
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| Benjamin Smith |
Lyman Hill |
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| David Taggart |
John R Way |
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| William Cousin |
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| John Thompson |
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