Robert Deyell was born
about 1822 in Cavan Twp., Durham Co., Upper Canada, and died February
29, 1904, in Cavan Twp., Durham Co., Ontario, Canada, at age 82. He is the son of John Deyell and Mary Unknown.
Ann Jane Brown was born
about 1830 in Ireland and died November 26, 1884, in Cavan Twp., Ontario,
Canada, at age 60. She
is the
daughter of Unknown Brown.
Robert Deyell
and Ann Jane Brown were married about 1848 in
Unknown.
Robert Deyell
and Ann Jane (Brown) Deyell had
several children:
- John Deyell: Born
about 1850 in Cavan Twp., Canada West; Died after 1881 in Unknown.
- Mary Emma
Deyell: Born May 22, 1857, in Cavan Twp., Canada West; Died April 4, 1939,
in Unknown (age 81). Buried in Garland Cemetery, Monroe Co., NY. Married
January 4, 1893, in Port Hope, Durham Co., Ontario, Canada, to William John
Black: Born about 1861 in Unknown; Died Unknown.
- James
Deyell: Born about 1860 in Cavan Twp., Canada West; Died after 1881 in Unknown.
- Robert
Deyell: Born about 1862 in Cavan Twp., Canada West; Died after 1881 in Unknown.
- David
Deyell: Born about 1864 in Cavan Twp., Canada West; Died after 1881 in Unknown.
- Anna
"Annie" Deyell: Born
May 6, 1866, in
Cavan Twp., Canada West; Died Unknown.
Married June 16, 1898, in Cavan Twp.,
Durham Co., Ontario, Canada, to John Grey: Born December 28, 1859, in Cavan
Twp., Canada West; Died Unknown.
TIMELINE
Ontario was known as: Upper Canada from
December
26, 1791, to February 10, 1841; Canada West from February 10, 1841, to July
1, 1867; and
Ontario after July 1, 1867.
James
Deyell was born February 3, 1831, in Cavan Twp., Peterborough Co., Upper Canada.
Mary Jane Sloan was born
about 1834 in Upper Canada.
Elizabeth Abbey was born about 1842 in Port Hope, Durham Co., Canada West.
The 1850
U. S. Census shows three Gage children: Walter (age 7), Phebe (age 5) and Mary
(age 1). Nathanial, Loduski and Walter were born in Connecticut; Phebe and Mary
in Wisconsin. Nathanial was a farmer. Elizabeth was not listed.
The 1860
U. S. Census taken June 1860 shows Elizabeth Abbey (age 18) born in Canada is a
Servant Girl living in Lomira Twp., Dodge Co., WI, in the Nathanial (born in New
York) and Loduski D. Gage (born in New York) farmer household. Census images 23
and 24 of 42.
The 1861
Canada West Census shows Robt. Deyell (age 24) born in Upper Canada, and who
cannot read or write, is a married Farmer, and is living in Cavan Twp., Durham Co., Canada West. Living with him are:
Annie Deyell (age
30) born in Ireland, married; John Deyel (age 11) born in Upper Canada; Mary Deyel (age 4) born in
Upper Canada; and James Deyell (age 2) born un Upper Canada.
The 1861
Canada West Census shows Wm. Deyell (age 32) born in Upper Canada is an
unmarried Labourer and is living in Cavan Twp., Durham Co., Canada West. The
David Stinson family lives next door.
The 1861
Canada West Census shows Frances Armstrong (age 33) born in Ireland is a married male
Carpenter and is living
in a 1-1/2 story frame house in One Twp., Cavan, Durham Co., Ontario, Canada.
Living with him is a married female, Ann Armstrong (age 29) born in England.
Also living there are the following females, all unmarried and born in Upper
Canada: Mary Armstrong (age 7); and Susan Armstrong (age 3).
Mary
Jane
(Sloan) Deyell
died about 1863 in Canada West.
Elizabeth Abbey resided with her sister, Sarah (Abbey) Harris, until about 1863,
when she returned to Canada.
James
Deyell
and Elizabeth Abbey were married about 1864 in Canada West. Some researchers feel
this was a coerced marriage.
The 1871
Ontario, Canada Census shows James Deyell (age 40) born in Ontario is
a Head of Household married Carpenter with Canadian Presbyterian religion and is living
in Cavan Twp., Durham East, Ontario, Canada.
Living with him is Elizabeth Deyell (age 30) born in Ontario, who is married.
Also living there are the following, all unmarried and born in Ontario: Ann E.
Deyell (age 19); Sarah J. Deyell (age 15); William J. Deyell (age 13); Mary
Deyell (age 12); and David Deyell (age 10). A widow, Ann Armstrong, and
her family live nearby.
The 1871 Ontario,
Canada Census shows Ann Armstrong (age 38) born in England and of English Origin is
a Head of Household Widow with Church of England religion and is living
in Cavan Twp., Durham East, Ontario, Canada.
Living with her are the following females, all unmarried and born in Ontario,
Canada, with Irish Origin and with Church of England religion: Mary A. Armstrong (age
16); Susan S. Armstrong (age 12); Ida Armstrong (age 10); and Frances C.
Armstrong (age 7).
The 1871 Ontario,
Canada, Census shows Thompson Armstrong (age 43) born in Ireland and of Irish Origin is
a married Head of Household Carpenter with Methodist U. C. religion and is living
in Cavan Twp., Durham East, Ontario, Canada.
Living with him is Eliza J. Armstrong (age 29) born in Ontario, a married
female; Also living there are the following, all unmarried and born in Ontario,
Canada, with Irish Origin and with Methodist U. C. religion: Mary F. Armstrong (age
16); William T. Armstrong (age 12);and Rachael R. Armstrong (age 9.
The 1871
Canada West Census shows James Fisher (age 31) born in Canada is a married
Farmer and is living in a 1-1/2 story frame house in Cavan Twp., Durham Co.,
Canada West. Living with him are the following, all born in Canada: a married
female, Margaret Fisher (age
30); Joseph Fisher (age 7); Clemina Fisher (age 9); and Matilda Jane Fisher (age
5).
The 1871
Ontario, Canada Census shows Robert Deyell (age 48) born in Ontario is
a Head of Household married Farmer with Canadian Presbyterian religion and is living
in Cavan Twp., Durham East District, Ontario, Canada.
Living with him is Ann J. Deyell (age 40) born in Ireland, who is married.
Also living there are the following, all unmarried and born in Ontario: John Deyell (age
21), a Farmer; Emma Deyell (age 13); James Deyell (age 11); Robert Deyell (age 9); and David Deyell (age
7).
Elizabeth (Abbey ) Deyell died February 17, 1873, in Welcome, Durham Co.,
Ontario, Canada, at about age 31. She was murdered, but no one was ever
convicted, even though it appeared her husband was the likely suspect. The
family later learned that she had been murdered for some money left to her by
her brother Isaac Abbey, who died in 1865.
The Port Hope Guide, Port Hope, Durham Co., Ontario, Canada, June 5, 1873
Body of
a Woman Found!
SUPPOSED
MURDER
We
briefly noticed in our last issue the finding of the body of a woman in Mr.
Jacobs' lot, near Welcome, but were unable to give particulars of the inquest
being held that day (Tuesday) by Coroner Maxwell. From the evidence then taken
it appears that the deceased was between 20 and 30 years old, and the body had
laid in the position in which it was found for some months, being partially
decomposed. The clothing found upon the body was plain, but clean and neat. The
articles of dress consist of a large plaid shawl, a cloud with a card attached
bearing the marks :1i" and "90," evidently a store ticket; a black velvet hat
with feather; a silk hair net (brown); a white and brown cotton dress, faded at
exposed parts; wincey skirt; home-made cotton-and-wool skirt; hoop-skirt; two
pairs cotton drawers; chemise; two cotton under-garments; red woolen hose;
prunella boots and rubbers. A water-proof mantle and white cotton underskirt
were also found near the body; also a five-cent piece and two one-cent pieces. A
short distance from the body lay a book-mark of perforated cardboard, having
worked on it a design representing a harp, and the words "Meet me in Heaven." A
black glass button was also found near, none like it being on the clothing upon
the body. The hair of the unfortunate woman is light-brown in color, and
portions of it were bleached almost white from exposure. Dr. Herriman made a
'post mortem' examination of the body, and his evidence before the coroner's
jury is to the following effect: The body, particularly the face, was much
altered by decomposition; height, about four feet eight; age, 20 or 30 years;
not emaciated; medium size. The body presented no marks of violence, except a
round hole just below the right clavicle, about one inch from the sternal end,
and another upon the back part of the left shoulder, just above the scapula. The
holes were about three-eights of an inch in diameter, and had the appearance of
being made by a bullet ― both being of the same size. In front where the wound
was, appeared a substance in streaks and patches, which made the under-garment
stick to the body. The same appeared on the posterior part of the body about the
wound, and extended nearly to the hips. Nothing of the kind was found on the
other parts." This was all the importance evidence adduced at the first inquest,
which was adjourned until Monday, last, at 2 P. M.
In the
interim it was discovered that the body found was that of Mrs. James Deyell, of
Millbrook, a daughter of the late Abner Abby, of Hope. The inquest was resumed
on Monday, at the Temperance Hall, Welcome. The following compose the Jury: ― H.
Pethick, Foreman; G. S. Thompson, J. Peacock, J. B. Pearce, F. Northcott, J.
Parker, J. Kearnan, W. Smith, R. Routley, Thos. Carson, senr., Thos. Carson,
junr., Thos. Wade, and Thos. Jeffrey.
Polly
Deyell being sworn, testified that she was the daughter of James Deyell,
Millbrook; her step-mother left home on the 16th of February, Sunday, all the
family being at church; thought she had gone to her mother's, but not sure; made
no search that night; her father was at Uncle John's in the afternoon; did not
know where he was in the evening; he was at home when she returned from church,
and under the influence of liquor; looked for mother next day; father worked at
Sowden's; he went to Etcher's to look for mother, but did not find her, and
looked no more; he was not in the habit of abusing her; she was a good mother,
and kind to us all; father drank hard sometimes, but was not cross; don't know
when he came home Tuesday night; he was a little tipsy; don't keep a horse; did
not see him have a horse and cutter Tuesday; he said he wouldn't look any more
for mother, have heard him say he was going to get married since mother left.
To the
Foreman ― Father was home on Monday night. Witness then identified the clothes
produced as those worn by her step-mother when she left home, also the
book-mark.
William
Deyell being sworn, testified that deceased was his step-mother; he was away
from home when she left; his father told him Monday, 17th Feb., she had gone,
and that he couldn't find her; supposed she had gone to her aunt's, Mrs.
Irwin's, west of the Guideboard, or to some of her brothers in the States; his
father seemed sorry she had left; stopped at home since his step-mother left to
keep his brother and sister company; his father was not at home when he left for
church on Sunday, but was when he returned; he slept on Sunday night with his
father, who was a little the worse of liquor; his father wished him to go to her
aunt's and see if she was there; on Wednesday morning his father again requested
him to go and look for his step-mother; he got a rig, and he and his sister came
to Adams' corners, where they enquired of Mrs. Greer, who said she had seen a
woman pass around 11 o'clock on Monday, but was not sure whether it was the one
they were looking for, and could not describe her clothing; they drove to her
aunt's, Mrs. Irwin's, on the Toronto road; she had not been there; then they
returned to Millbrook; Mrs. Etcher, deceased's mother, and a young man named
Nugent, had been to Irwin's looking for her before them; Mrs. Etcher said to him
that she would have his father arrested when she went home, as he had killed her
daughter; he never saw his father beat or ill-use his step-mother; he had never
heard him say he was going to get married, or that he was glad she had left.
Witness also recognized a portion of the clothing produced as that worn by his
step-mother, also the book-mark.
To a
Juror ― His father never looked away from home for his step-mother, and that he
and his step-mother always agreed well.
G. H. G.
McVity testified that he is Manager of the Ontario Bank in Port Hope, also of
the Savings Bank Department; did not know the deceased, Mrs. Deyell; knew that a
person by that name had money deposited, and recognized a copy of her account;
did not recollect her being being in the Bank of the 17th of last February; she
drew $23.35 on that day, and they had her receipt for the amount she was paid
four $5 bills, but could not say what the balance was paid in. James Deyell
testified that he was husband of deceased; the week before she left he was
working for Mr. Sowden; came home Saturday night, 15th Feb., and he and his wife
went to the village, did their marketing at R. Howell's grocery, and returned
home; sitting by the store she said, "Jimmy, I want you to be good to Polly"; he
answered, "Elizabeth, I am always good to her"; had no words; went to bed, and
got up Sunday morning as usual; he went after breakfast to see his
brother-in-law, Thos. Armstrong, who was sick, returning home 11 o'clock, his
wife was quite friendly, and he had no notion she was going away; young Haddad
............. over by his place and ... by his brother's, John Deyell's, slept
until night; on his ... being home he stopped into Nugent's, and from there went
straight home; this was about 7 o'clock; his wife was gone; the lamp was lighted
on the table; thought she had gone to church with the children, so he sat by the
stove for a short while; she did not return, and he went to bed and slept to
morning; thought she had gone down to the old woman's, her mother's; on Monday
morning he went to Sowden's and worked till noon; then came home, examined the
trunk, and, found the pass-book gone, also her clothes; then he went to Mrs.
Etcher's, but she had not been there, nor did they know where she was; he did
not know how much money she had in the Bank, nor did he ever ask her; never
heard any word of her till last Friday, when he heard she had been found dead;
he was at the Bank with her once, about three years ago this fall; did not know
how much money she drew; it was her own, and he did not bother with it; the
money was sent to her by her brother, who was in the American army, and who has
since died; and she never told him she was coming to Port Hope to draw the
money; he had been in Port Hope but twice in two years, and then was working on
the train; when he missed the pass-book, he thought she had gone to her brother
in the States. Witness also recognized the clothing as that of his wife, and the
book-mark.
To a
Juror he answered that he did not intend to marry again; said so in a joke, he
and his wife were always on friendly terms; he never interfered with her Bank
affairs; he had written to her brother at Barren Centre, N. Y., but received no
answer; he was at home Monday night, 17th Feb.; he had no knowledge as to how
his wife came to her death; she was of sound mind, and healthy; there was never
any jealousy between him and her, never any occasion for it; had been married
about nine years.
Drs.
Dewar and Powers submitted the following:
HOPE,
June 2, 1873. We, the undersigned, were present when Drs. Herriman, senior and
junior, exumed a body in the Port Hope cemetery today. The body was that of a
female apparently below middle life, but was in such an advanced state of
decomposition that we did not arrive at the cause of death. Dr. Herriman has
shown me two pieces of skin taken from the body, which had the appearance of
being perforated. The wounds were probably inflicted during life.
J. F.
DEWAR, M. D., L. R. C. O. E.
L. W.
POWERS, M. D.
The
inquest was closed yesterday afternoon,, the jury returning a verdict of murder
by some party or parties unknown.
The Port Hope Guide, Port Hope, Durham Co., Ontario, Canada, June 12,
1873
DEATH OF
MRS. DEYELL!
Further
Evidence
THE
VERDICT.
The
following is the remaining evidence of importance on this case (which we were
unable to present to our readers last week), together with the verdict of the
Coroner's Jury: ―
James
Burton testified to seeing James Deyell on Sunday evening; he was then drunk or
the next thing to it; didn't know then that his wife had left; didn't know they
lived agreeably together or not, but it was the general talk that he did not
give his wife enough to keep her comfortable; she was a quiet woman, and he
supposed she had good reason for leaving; did not see him with a horse and
cutter on Sunday evening, or at any time, as he had said; this was all he knew.
Susan
Armstrong, who lived next to Deyell, had seen him drunk a good many times, but
did not know anything of deceased's going away; recognized the water-proof.
Mary
Etcher, mother of deceased, being sworn, said: ― The deceased never acted
towards me as a child since she joined in the Deyell family; she was too much
kept down; if I should call at her place, and her husband in, she dare not show
me any kindness; she was one that kept her trials to herself, and always covered
his faults; if she had told them it might have been better for her; when she
left she looked like a skeleton, and I don't know how she was able to walk to
Port Hope; I had not seen the deceased from the Thursday previous to her
leaving, the 13th; I thought then she had a strange look, as if broken down with
trouble; she had her hair down and kind of tucked up; I said, "Why, best you get
a net and keep your hair tidy"; she did not say much, appeared to put it off
easy, and said if she got anything new there was such a fuss about it; she left
on Sunday night, the 16th Feb., and have not seen or heard from her since,
although I made all necessary enquiries; I never knew of him beating her, nor
did she ever say that he was cross to her; he appeared to have her so under his
control that she was quite submissive to his commands and influences, and kept
her from making free with her friends; I was at church on Sunday, and did not
see Deyell; it was at the evening service I was I saw him on Monday; at 11
o'clock he came to our home looking for her; I saw him again at 12 o'clock, and
I saw him again a little after night; I saw him again on Tuesday in company with
Mr. Sowden, did not see him any more this day; I saw him on Wednesday morning
about 8 o'clock; I went up to the house to see if deceased had come home; I then
told Deyell I was going to look for her; he said he would go, too; I then left
with my brother's son and came out to Port Hope; found she had drawn the money
from the Bank on the day previous, the 17th; this is after I had come from Mrs.
Irwin's, who lives at or near the Roseberry Hill, in Hope; I was also at Mr.
Oliver Abby's; when I found she had got her money and was not at her friends' in
Hope, I made up my mind she had gone to her brothers in the States; I wrote to
them, and got answer to my first letter, saying she was not there, but none to
subsequent ones I then thought they did not want me to know she was there; the
letter I had the answer to was that one I had directed to Wellington Abby, my
son; he lives in Wisconsin, Fondulac County, Byron P. O.; don't think he he ever
resided in the State of New York; I don't know whether he (Deyell) followed her
to Port Hope or not to prevent her from drawing the money from the Bank, or
whether he had come out to obtain it from her after her having become possessed
of it; when at Mrs. Irwin's, at Roseberry Hill, Deyell's son and daughter came
there with a horse and cutter, and said they had come there looking for Mrs.
Deyell; I told the boy (Willy), "Your father has killed her",; I have been shown
the clothing, it is her's, the petticoat I made myself; the cloud I don't know;
I never saw the book-mark, I think she must have got it sent her from the States
by some of the children; she did appear to me when I saw her last, three days
before her departure, a little disturbed in her mind, or, what I supposed,
demented, she had that appearance; looked as if she was completely heart-broken
from some cause; it was on Wednesday, the 19th Feb., that William Deyell and his
sister came with the horse and cutter to Mrs. Irwin's looking for deceased, as
they said.
John
Owens testified to having seen a woman come part way up to his house, which is
about 20 rods from the gravel road, Monday, 17th February; but he did not
recognize her, nor could he describe her clothing.
Wm.
Boskelly had been out hunting about the latter part of February and saw a woman
sitting on a log in Mr. Brand's woods. When she saw him she rose and went on to
the road near the cheese factory. He could not describe the clothing worn by the
woman he saw.
William
Marshall, about the 17th of February last, on his way home from Mr. John
Brand's, saw a woman lying by the roadside in the snow. He passed by, and when
about seventy yards from her he looked back a man get out of a sleigh, speak to
her and go away. She then got up and went into the fields. She had on a white
and red cloud, and he thought by her actions that she was not quite right in her
head. This was about 2 or 3 o'clock. She carried a water-proof on her arm, and
had a bundle under one arm. She went into Mr. Edmund Hawkins' fields, going
toward Welcome. He would not know the man who spoke to her. He got out of Mr.
Williams' (butcher) sleigh, the Williams boys driving. The woman was not very
tall.
Albert
Skitch saw the woman described by last witness walking along the Gravel Road
towards Welcome, and saw William Marshall and Timothy Haskill just behind her.
Did not think they spoke to her. He did say, She walked very slowly.
Charles
Hutchinson, on the day of the Millbrook races, coming to Port Hope with a load
of wood, found the pass-book produced on the Gravel Road a little south of
Welcome, north of the hollow, on the west side of the road. About a rod south of
the book he found eleven dollars in bills. He told several persons of it. He
noticed a cutter track close to the fence out of the usual travelled road, near
where he found the money. He gave the book and money to Coroner Maxwell, taking
a receipt.
Mrs.
Agnes Hutchinson, mother of the last witness, corroborated his testimony. When
she found out whose book it was she enquired twice of Mrs. Deyell in Port Hope
but she did not know of any person who had lost it.
Robert
Little, on Monday afternoon, 17th February, (he thought) going to Port Hope on a
load of wood, after passing the Guide Board, met a woman, who often stopped on
the road and looked around her. He met Wm. Little and told him of the woman,
saying that something appeared to be wrong with her. Next morning, Little told
him he had twice asked her to ride but she did not answer. She was slim and not
very tall.
Charles
Hutchinson, on the day before he found the money, saw a woman a little south of
the spot where he found it, going northward. He asked her to ride, but she made
no reply.
William
Little met his cousin, Robert Little, when returning from Port Hope on Monday,
February 17th, who told him concerning the woman he met ...rv.ing, asking him to
see what the matter was and ask her to ride. When he came up with her she was
standing, apparently troubled, looking across the fields. He asked her twice to
ride, but she gave him no answer, so he drove on. A man in a cutter came up
behind him and enquired if he knew her. The man said he also asked her to ride,
and she said she had no place to go. He could not describe her clothing.
John
McMahon, on the 17th February, saw a woman near the culvert south of Welcome,
standing on the west side of the road. As he came near she started toward him.
He passed her, and she turned partly around, her back to him. She went across
the culvert and went on perhaps two rods. He then met Chas. Hutchinson and
another boy with a team. As they passed by she stepped to the east side of the
road and got over the fence. The buildings he was passing hid her from his view,
and he saw no more of her. He kept looking back, for she seemed to act
strangely. He saw her hat and was sure it had something red about it, a flower
or feather. He thought she had a shawl on, a light dress with dark stripes, and
red cloud around her neck. He would not be positive as to the color of the
cloud, but was quite sure about the color of the feather. She climbed the fence
easily; he then being about 20 rods from her. The fields were nearly bare, and
it was a grain field.
Luke
McCormick had heard screams from a woman, one night (did not remember date) when
about going to bed. The scream proceeded from a woman in a cutter just opposite
his door. The cutter drove off at full speed. His wife also heard it. The scream
appeared to be from a person who was frightened.
Robert
Lethbridge, toll-keeper, had been told one morning by Luke McCormick that there
had been murder or foul play the night before, and had made an entry of the
time, "March 18,". He now knew that this was a mistake, and he should have said
"February." He saw a woman pass the gate on the Monday spoken of, in the
afternoon. She appeared to be in great distress, and was weeping. She wore a
light striped dress, and was a little below medium height.
Charles
Haskill, who lives on the Old Fox Road, one soft, dull evening, very dark,
heard the report of a pistol in the direction of the ravel Road, about 10
o'clock p. m.,. Did not hear any cries, nor see anyone passing that night.
John
Peacock went on Saturday afternoon to search about the place where deceased was
found, thinking possibly he might find a bullet. He found a small pearl
shirt-button, partially imbedded in the ground. He gave the button to Mr.
McGuire, the detective, who was with him at the time.
William
Hall, baker, some time in February last (did not remember the date), early in
the week, saw a horse and cutter come to a stand-still before his door, the
driver seemingly not knowing which way to go. He heard a woman asking "Which way
are you taking me?" The man spoke so low he could not tell what he said. They
turned to the Gravel Road, and the man drove the horse as tight as he could go.
The woman was crying at the height of her voice, and he could hear her nearly up
to Luke McCormick's. The horse had no bells on, and the snow was nearly gone
around there at the time.
Mary
Grimson, about the middle of April, saw on the opposite side of the creek, and
near where the money was found, and near the gateway t..... into Mr. Jacob's
field, tracks as if a buggy had been turned round three or four times.
This
closed the evidence, and on the evening of Tuesday, 3rd inst., the Jury returned
the following verdict: ― "That the said Elizabeth Deyell came to her death on
Monday, the seventeenth day of February last past, or about that time, at the
said Township of Hope, in the said County of Durham, having inflicted on the
right breast of the said Elizabeth Deyell one mortal wound, which she died,
evidently made by a leaden bullet fired from a pistol or gun by the said party
or parties unknown. The above wound presents on view a round hole, just below
the right clavicle, one inch from the external end, and it made its exit, which
is apparent, through the back part of the left shoulder, just above the scapula.
This wound corresponds and is in appearance similar to that on the right breast,
both being of the same size ― about three-eighths of an inch in diameter. From
these facts (circumstances connected with this case), evidence produced to the
Jurors, presents and unanimously say, that the said person or persons unknown
did feloniously, willfully and of the malice of forethought, kill and murdered
the said Elizabeth Deyell egalist the peace of our Lady, the Queen, her Crown
and Dignity."
John Deyell, residing on
Lot 23, 3rd Concession, in his 95th year in 1878, was one of the first actual
settlers. He came from the County Monaghan, Ireland, and settled on his land in
1816. He had four sons and four daughters by his wife, Margaret Lancashire, whom
he married in Ireland. His descendents in 1878 are 74 grandchildren, and 56
great grandchildren living. Mr. Deyell assisted Mr. Wilmot in making the survey
of Cavan, and also of part of South Monaghan. Mr. Deyell's experience was that
of most of the early settlers - a life of toil and hardship. He says the first
person born in the township was Florence McCarthy, and the first buried was Mr.
Hyland. The first person married was Mr. McGuire to Miss McNeil. Mr. Thompson
performed the marriage ceremony, and received the fee of one shilling. The first
mill for grinding corn was a hand mill owned by Mr. Thorne. The first grist and
saw-mill were erected by John Deyell at what is now called Millbrook. Mr. Deyell
procured a boulder from the field, and got a stone-cutter to dress it down as a
mill-stone. The first church was erected on Lot 12, 5th Concession, where Rev.
Mr. Thompson, who had been sent out as a missionary, first preached. The first
hotel was also built by John Deyell, on his farm, and his well-remembered sign,
which hung out for 19 years, bore the motto - "Live and let Live." The first
school-house was also built on Mr. Deyell's farm - to which he gave a grant of
an acre of land.
The 1881 Ontario,
Canada, Census shows Ann Armstrong (age 48) born in England with English Origin is
a Head of Household Widow with Methodist Church of Canada religion and is living
in the Village of Millbrook, Durham East, Ontario, Canada.
Living with her are the following females, all unmarried and born in Ontario,
Canada, with English Origin and with Methodist Church of Canada religion, and
with an occupation of Tailoress: Susan Armstrong (age 22); Ida Armstrong (age 17);
and Charlott Armstrong (age 15).
The 1881
Canada West Census shows James Fisher (age 42) born in Ontario is a married
Farmer and is living in a 1-1/2 story frame house in Cavan Dist., Durham East,
Ontario, Canada. Living with him are the following, all born in Ontario:
Margaret Fisher (age
40), a married female; Joseph Fisher (age 24), an unmarried Farmer; Walter
Fisher (age 20), an unmarried Farmer; Fredrick Fisher (age 18), an unmarried
College Student; Matilda J. Fair (age 22), a Widow; and Eguiste E. Fair (age 1).
The 1881
Ontario, Canada, Census shows Robert Deyell (age 55) born in Ontario is
a Head of Household married Farmer with Canadian Presbyterian religion and is living
in Cavan Twp., Durham East District, Ontario, Canada.
Living with him is Ann Jane Deyell (age 50) born in Ireland, who is married.
Also living there are the following, all unmarried and born in Ontario: Emma Deyell (age
21); Anna Deyell (age 14); James Deyell (age 21), a Farmer; Robert Deyell (age
19), a Farmer's son; David Deyell (age 16), a Farmer's Son; and John Deyell (age
31).
John Gray
(age 39) a Bachelor born in Cavan Twp., and Annie Deyell (age 32), a Spinster
born in Cavan Twp., were married June 16, 1898, in Cavan Twp., Durham Co.,
Ontario, Canada. His parents: Francis Gray and Elizabeth Gibson. Her parents:
Robert Deyell and Ann Jane Brown.
The
1891 Ontario, Canada, Census taken on April 6, 1891, shows Robert Deyell (age
65) born in Ontario is a Widowed Head of Household Widowed Laborer with Presbyterian religion and is living
in Cavan Twp., Durham East District, Ontario, Canada.
Living with him are his children, all unmarried and born in Ontario: James
Deyell (age 31), a Shanty Man; Robert Deyell (age 29), a Shanty Man; David Deyell (age
27), a Shanty Man; Emma Deyell (age 34); Ann Deyell (age 24).
The 1891 Ontario,
Canada, Census shows Samuel Deyell (age 45) born in Ontario to Irish-born
parents with Methodist religion is a married Farmer and is living in Otonabee Twp.,
Peterborough East Dist., Ontario, Canada. Living with him are: a married woman, Mary
Ann Deyell
(age 39) born in Ontario to Irish-born parents; Mary Deyell (age 9) born in
Ontario to Ontario-born parents; Burton Deyell (age 7) born in Ontario to
Ontario-born parents; Margery Deyell (age 5) born in Ontario to Ontario-born
parents; Essie Deyell (age 2) born in Ontario to Ontario-born parents; Annie Deyell (age
2/12) born in Ontario to Ontario-born parents; his widowed mother, Mary Deyell (age
74) born in Ireland to Irish-born parents; and two unmarried Servants.
The
1901 Ontario, Canada, Census shows John Grey (age 41) born December 28, 1859, in
Ontario is a married Head of Household Farmer with Presbyterian religion and is living
in Cavan Twp., Durham East District, Ontario, Canada.
Living with him is his wife, Anna Grey (age 34) born May 6, 1866, in Ontario.
Also living there are the following, both born in Ontario: his son, Lawarance J.
Grey (age 1) born October 6, 1899; and his widowed Father, Robert Deyell (age
80) born December 10, 1820, a Retired Farmer.
NAME: Deyell, Elizabeth ADDRESS:
Cavan Twp. AGE n/a SEX F DATE: May 27, 1873 BOX: 51 CAUSE OF DEATH: Wilfully
murdered by unknown person. RNO 718
WELLINGTON ABBEY, a general farmer and stock raiser, residing on section 20, in
the town of Byron, was born in Port Hope, Canada, on the 22d day of April, 1840,
and is a son of Nathaniel A. and Mary (Neugent) Abbey. The paternal grandparents
of our subject were natives of Dutchess County, N.Y., but shortly after the
Revolutionary War removed to Canada, where Nathaniel Abbey was born.
The mother of our subject was a native of County Cavan, Ireland, and in early
life emigrated to Canada, where she became acquainted with and married Mr.
Abbey. Unto them was born a family of seven children, five sons and two
daughters. Isaac, the eldest, enlisted in the Union service during the late war,
as a member of the 14th Wisconsin Infantry, and with the exception of the battle
of Tupelo, participated in every engagement with his regiment until the close of
the war. He had escaped death or injury from rebel bullets, but on the 9th of
October, 1865, the day on which the regiment was discharged, he died from
disease caused by the hardships and exposure incident to army life. His death
occurred in Mobile, Ala., and he was laid to rest in the National Cemetery near
that city. Wellington, of this sketch, is the second in order of birth. Orin, a
retired farmer, now residing in Belleview, Kan., was also a valiant soldier
during the late war, having served in the navy for one year, and as a member of
the 38th Wisconsin Infantry for two years. Frank, when but fifteen years of age,
responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting in the ranks of the 38th
Wisconsin Infantry, in which he served two years, and is now residing in Beaver
Crossing, Neb. Abner is engaged in farming near Grand Forks, Dak.
Elizabeth is now deceased. She had prepared to make a visit to
our subject, when she was foully murdered. She was at that time residing near
Port Hope, Canada. It was known that she had money in the bank, and the assassin
probably supposed that she had some about her person. For three months after her
disappearance no clue was found to the mystery, nor could any trace of her be
found. At the end of that time the body was one day discovered, sitting erect
against a step, and on examination it was found that a bullet had penetrated her
heart. Sarah Ann became the wife of John
Harris, and they now reside near Sauk Rapids, Minn. The children were all born
in Port Hope, Canada.
Nathaniel Abbey, the father of the family, was a carpenter by trade, but in
connection with that business followed the occupation of farming. His death
occurred in the month of March, 1849, and he was buried in the old cemetery near
where he resided. He was a man of a quiet and retiring disposition, but received
the respect of all who knew him. His wife survived him for many years. After the
death of her husband she became a resident of Wisconsin , locating in Sheboygan
County, where she purchased a claim, which had been entered by a Mr. Grant.
Good morning all
A brief note concerning two things
a) For anybody interested in it, the
first volume of my work is finally off the press!!
It is what you might call an index or directory to the 1793-1813 settlers of
Durham Co.
If any of you would like a copy but want more info on it, contact me.
b) You can't say I give up easily -
NATHANIEL ABBY
b 1773/74 NY/CT d 1825/26 Hope Twp Durham Co UC
m Mary ?WINTERS?
b Apr 11 1777 d Mar 29 1869 age 92 yr 11 m 8 d (buried Pioneer Cemetery, Whitby
Twp ON)
their son:
NATHANIEL A (aka Abner) ABBY
b 1798/99 d Mar 1849 Clarke ?
m Aug 5 1833 Mary NUGENT
b Co Cavan Ireland d ?Millbrook ON? 1888;
their daughter:
ELIZABETH ABBY b 1845/46 Hope
- went to Wisconsin but returned to Hope ca 1863,
married there and was murdered by her husband,
- surname was Dowall/Dowell close but no cigar: his surname was
Deyell, pronounced Dee - ell.
Her death notice also tells us that her father was known as Abner, not
Nathaniel.
DEYELL; Elizabeth (nee ABBY)
Died 17 Feb 1873 at Welcome, Ontario
Age 27 years, born Durham County. Murdered.
Wife of James Deyell of Millbrook.
Daughter of Abner Abby of Hope Twp.
- source = June 04 1873 of The Guide (a Port Hope newspaper of the day)
Note that the surname is spelled
A-B-B-Y. It's been my experience that during
the 19th century, in Durham County at any rate, that's how the family spelled
it.
Series E : Inquests: Box 49-55,
1832-1912, Open. See Report Below.
LIST OF INQUESTS GENERATED FROM
DATABASE FOLLOWS: Report gives name, address, age, sex, date of inquest, box
number, and cause of death. In some instances, we have added a "Note" which
gives additional information.
NAME: Deyell, Elizabeth
ADDRESS: Cavan Twp. AGE n/a SEX F DATE: May 27, 1873 BOX: 51 CAUSE OF DEATH:
Wilfully murdered by unknown person. RNO 718
Mill on the Brook: became Millbrook, came from the name John Deyell and James
Deyell gave to their Grist Mill
Millbrook
and Cavan Township
74-021
TITLE
Millbrook and
Cavan Township fonds. -- [between 1920 and 1940]. -- 1 folder.
BIOGRAPHY /
HISTORY
The Township of
Cavan, located in the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham (previously
Durham County), was first surveyed in 1817 by Samuel G. Wilmot (who also
surveyed North Monaghan and Smith Townships). The land which was to become Cavan
Township was virgin forest, untouched by Europeans, and no longer considered
Indian territory. Wilmot was assisted by John Deyell, who, with James Deyell
were two of the first settlers in Cavan Township. They established a mill on a
brook in 1824, and as a result, were the founders of the village of Millbrook.
John Deyell was also responsible for the name of the township, Cavan County,
being a neighbour of Monaghan County, the County in Ireland from whence he came.
Cavan Township was settled quite quickly. The same year it was surveyed, 115
lots were ticketed. By the next year, 1818, a further 160 lots were ticketed.
The total population of the township in 1819 was 244. Many of the pioneer
settlers of the new township were either military men who were given land grants
for their services in the War of 1812, or Irish emigrants, many who were from
County Cavan in Ireland. In 1825, the population reached 936; ten years later,
in 1835, the population had more than doubled to 2,575. Cavan continued grow,
and its population peaked in 1861, at 4,901.
#008975-79 (Peterborough Co.) William DEYELL, 27, b. Ontario, of
Otonabee, Farmer, s/o William & Mary DEYELL, married Jane Amelia
ARMSTRONG, 23, b. Ontario, of Peterborough, d/o Frank & Jane ARMSTRONG,
witnesses: James RUTH & Eliza DEYELL, both of Otonabee, on 8 January 1879 at
Peterborough
There was a James Deyell who died October 4, 1905, in Bluevale, Concession
11, Thornberry, Huron Co., at age 78, born in Cavan Twp., Ontario, as reported
by Sarah A. Deyell.
Stories from a small town, by Sue Weigand
Welcome Death brings life to
Millbrook murder mystery
August 14, 2009
Playwright Robert Winslow
breathes new life into a murder mystery that’s nearly 140
years old. Welcome Death, produced by Millbrook’s 4th Line
Theatre, takes its title straight out of the headlines of
the 1870s. The discovery of the body of Elizabeth Deyell in
a farmer’s field near the village of Welcome was big news
for local newspapers. The ensuing inquest into Deyell’s
murder proved to be even more interesting for Winslow, who
bases his play on the historical documents of that event. Just as the simple headline is
loaded with multiple meanings, so too Winslow crafts a play
that operates on different levels, serving as a whodunit, a
historical fiction, and a social commentary on the Victorian
era. The case of who killed Elizabeth
Deyell has never been solved. The Millbrook resident left
her home “in the middle of the night, in a snowstorm,” says
Winslow. She walked 15 miles (24 km) to Port Hope, where she
took out all of the money in her bank account. When her body
was discovered three months later, her money nearby, it was
evident she had been murdered, shot at close range. As with many murder mysteries,
the play starts with Deyell’s dead body, says Winslow.
“Then,” he says, “several scenes track her life over a
period of five years.” He says he tried not to write
Deyell’s character as a typical victim. “I made her a very
loving person, full of life, because there’s something so
dark about the story. Hopefully, the audience will want to
know what happened to her.”
From a historical perspective,
Winslow has taken great pains to get things right. He
consulted a retired Toronto coroner. And while researching
life in the 1870s, he interviewed professors at Trent
University. He even retraced Deyell’s last footsteps. “I did
the walk to Port Hope from Millbrook. It takes five to six
hours. Being only 4’8” tall, Elizabeth wouldn’t have had a
big stride. People were a lot tougher then, they walked a
lot. Still, to go out at night, she timed her exit for
optimum cover,” he says. Winslow bases much of the play on
the actual notes of the murder inquest, which he found in
the court records for the United Counties of Durham and
Northumberland at the Trent University Archives. Some of the statements made by
the inquest witnesses not only provided Winslow with the
facts of the story, but they moved him as well. “The mother
testified about her daughter’s state of mind when she left.
She said Elizabeth was like a skeleton, ‘worn down with
care,’” he recalls. But ultimately, while it was
clear that Deyell was murdered, the evidence fell short of
solving the crime. The inquest determined that she was
killed “by person or persons unknown.” In the play, Winslow
hopes the audience will come to a more precise conclusion. “Who knows what really happened,
just try to imagine,” suggests the playwright, who is also
directing the production, and playing a central character,
the coroner Robert Maxwell. “The audience will be treated
like the jury, so I will address them.”
The play faces some unique
production challenges, including the use of a mock-up of a
dead body that is so heavy it takes two people to carry it.
“In those days, at an inquest, the body was right there in
the room,” explains Winslow. Moreover, the play is being
performed in the 4th Line’s rarely used “meadow stage.”
While the audience at the 6 pm start time will be in the
shade provided by nearby pine trees, the cast is in the sun
all day during rehearsals. Entrances and exits from the
stage also had to be carefully choreographed using a series
of ring paths. “The paths were cut so they cannot be seen,”
he says. “The actors have to walk a quarter mile to get back
to the backstage area.” The bowl-shaped meadow is
“acoustically very good,” says Winslow. A piano, violin and
cello are in view of the audience, while more atmospheric
music is played from backstage, behind the pines. Music director Justin Hiscox
composed most of the music and arranged the rest. He will be
at the piano to play period pieces from Tchaikovsky and
Brahms, as well as accompany the violin for Irish fiddle
medleys. Backstage, however, Hiscox has assembled a choir
along with an assortment of eclectic instruments like
windchimes and a large Brazilian carnival drum called a
Surdo drum. “Backstage, I’ve opted for a more
experimental, soundtrack-type effect, so I’ve stepped
squarely out of the period into something very sinister and
modern and abstract,” he says. “It sounds very creepy. It
creates a dark quality.” Hiscox says he put his brother
Mark in charge of the backstage music and the singers. “He’s
sort of the leader of the backstage Creeptone Choir, and
they sing, basically, a lot of dissonance. I think people
will like being scared.” The spooky music sets the tone
for the play’s exploration of spiritualism, and the
Victorian era’s preoccupation with the occult. “Spiritualism was very popular at
the time,” notes Winslow. “People were trying to find a link
between this world and the next. Even in the realm of
science, they were trying to prove life after death. Many
prominent people like Susannah Moodie, Arthur Conan Doyle,
and psychologist William James professed spiritualist
beliefs.”
Winslow’s character, Coroner
Maxwell, is a scientific man, but he is open to “trying
everything he can to solve this,” according to the
playwright. “There is a ghostly element to the play, a sense
of the spirit not at peace due to the violent circumstances
of the death. And there’s a sense of her spirit guiding the
coroner to solving the crime.” “It was also a time when women
couldn’t own property, and they couldn’t vote,” he says. “I
hope there’s a certain educational value about women in
society at the time. When you track this woman’s history,
pretty much all her movements were controlled by male
society. And there were no shelters for women to go to
then.” The young actress who plays
Elizabeth, Rachel Brittain, says that playing a person from
a different era is interesting, especially in terms of
women’s rights. “It’s so different from now, to put yourself
in that time of such repression.” Even more interesting, she says,
is playing a character who really existed, in the real place
where she lived. “It’s a strange sensation, being out here
and being her, and knowing that she’s still a little bit
here. I mean, you pass Deyell Line on the way here. It does
get you in an emotional place.” The play promises to explore “the
dark night of the soul.” And perhaps it will offer enough
clues to solve the murder along the way.
Welcome Death premieres at 6 pm
tonight, Wednesday, August 12th at the Winslow Farm, 779
Zion Line, Millbrook. An opening night gala reception
follows at the Baxter Creek Golf Club. Performances run
Mondays through Saturdays at 6 pm to August 29. The
production is not wheelchair accessible. For more
information, phone 705-932-4445 or go online.
Susan S. Armstrong's (born in
Millbrook) parents were Frank Armstrong and Ann Hodson. Married November 16, 1881, in Peterborough, Ontario,
Canada, to George Jackes: Born about 1851 in Hope Twp., Ontario, Canada West;
Died Unknown.
Thomas James Deyell: Born about in
Upper Canada; Died July 14, 1875, in Cavan, Durham Co., Ontario, Canada. Married
to Unknown Smithson: Born Unknown; Died before 1875 in Canada.
William Smithson: Born about 1845 in
Upper Canada; Died after 1881 in Unknown. Married to Sarah I?
Alfred Deyell: Born about 1865 in
Ontario;
James Deyell: Born about 1867 in
Ontario;
Mary A. Deyell: Born about 1870 in
Ontario;
There is not many "Deyell" Genforum messages, so I'm hoping you can help.
I have a Thomas James Deyell, s/o James Deyell and Margaret Lancashire, b. 1832
d. 1875.
He was married to Mary Smithson and had 4 children.
William Thomas Alexander, b. 1864
John Alfred b. 1866 - became a physician
Mary Ann b. 1872 - m. Robert Hutchison
James Douglas b. 1868 - became a veterinarian
parents died young, and the children went to live with Mary Smithson's brother,
I believe, and a census bears this out.
This was all in the Northumberland, Victoria Co. areas of Ontario.
Hope this connects to your Deyell's
The FAMILIES of SARAH ANN PARR and her
husbands, ANDREW RAMSAY and JAMES DEYELL
BRIEF LIFE SKETCH of SARAH ANN PARR
Incidental biographical information,
other than censuses, vital registrations, etc. were contributed by Ken Parr of
Vermont, who interviewed some of the Deyell descendants in 1974.
Sarah Ann Parr was born on 29 June 1847
in Brighton township, Northumberland County, Ontario. She appeared on the 1851
and 1861 censuses of Brighton township, Ontario as a child to Young and
Charlotte Parr, also on the 1871 census with them in McKillop township, Huron
County, Ontario. She was known to have had at least 2 illegitimate children (or
by common-law marriage). A birth registration shows an illegitimate female child
born to Sarah Parr in Toronto on 1 Aug. 1878. However, there is no knowledge of
a female being raised. This may have been a mistake in registration, which did
not occur until early September of the same year. In support of this
supposition, Sarah appears on the 1881 census of Morris township, Huron County,
Ontario under the name of Sarah A. Ramsay, with a child, William J. Ramsay, age
2. This child would fit into the time frame of the registered birth, if his
birth were in August, and the census taken around April. An Ontario Marriage
registration was found between Sarah and Andrew Ramsay (widower), son of Henry
and Mary Ramsay, on 26 May 1880, at Wingham, Huron County, Ontario. Andrew
apparently died within the next year, as Sarah appears on the 1881 census as a
Widow. However, a death registration has not been found for him. The child,
William James Ramsay, grew up and married Sarah Jane Routledge on 1 Nov. 1899 at
Turnberry twp., Huron Co., Ontario. He was age 21 at the time of the marriage,
and she was 22. His parents' names were given on the registration as Andrew
Ramsay and Sarah A. Park (error in registration). Her parents' names were given
as Edward J. Routledge and Elizabeth A. Webb. An interesting addition to this
information, is that a man named Ramsay visited the Robert Parr family in the
early 1900s, in Simi, California, and claimed to be Sarah Parr's son. (Copy of
letter describing this, in author's possession.)
Sarah Ann Parr married James Deyell on
8 March 1883 at Wingham, Huron Co., Ontario. He was born 23 Feb 1831 and was
from the Peterborough, Ontario, area, son of John and Mary Deyell. He was said
to have had a hotel and sawmill there. Problems with his first wife developed,
the story goes, so that he walked away from everything to Peterborough where
other Deyells were living. The first wife was found dead the next spring. At his
marriage to Sarah Parr Ramsay, he was listed as being a widower, age 39,
occupation carpenter, and religion Presbyterian. Sarah was listed as being a
widow age 35, daughter of Young and Charlotte Parr, Methodist. James Deyell took
up a small place outside of Wingham, near the present cemetery, and he
specialized in driving a livery horse, especially for the local doctor. He was a
heavy drinker. He died 4 Oct. 1905, age 78. Both he and Sarah are buried in the
Wingham Cemetery, Wingham, Ontario.
Sarah Parr Deyell was evidently a very
large and strong woman. In her earlier years she was strong enough to lift her
husband bodily into bed when he came home drunk. In her later years she became a
firebug, and had to be restrained on many occasions, even tied when in bed. She
died in January, 1926, at Wingham, Ontario, having been a widow for over 20
years.
Sarah and James Deyell had three sons:
Robert Deyell
Isaac Deyell
John Deyell
Robert Deyell was born 3 Feb. 1885,
probably in Wingham, Ontario. According to the Wingham Advance Times, he married
Janie England on 5 May 1905 at Wingham, Huron Co., Ontario. However, according
to the Ontario marriage registration, he married Jessie England on 5 Sept. 1905.
She was age 21 at marriage, a Baptist, born in Turnberry twp, Huron County,
daughter of Jas. England and Eliza Jane Park.
Isaac Deyell was born about 1887, most
likely in Wingham, Ontario. According to the Wingham Advance Times, he married
Victoria Calvert in the Congregational Church at Louddow, Ontario on 2 Jan.
1923. Bride and groom were both of Stratford, Ontario at that time. It is
reported that they had no children.
John Deyell was born 13 Aug. 1890,
probably in Wingham. He married, and had three children:
Percy Deyell b. 25 May 1915. Marr. Jane E. Johnston.
Louise Deyell b. 13 May 1917. Marr. J. Wilfred Gannett, 1927-1970. They had a
daughter Mary Gannett who married a man by the name of McArthur, residence at
Brussels, Ontario.
Elmer Deyell b. 11 June 1923.
Sources of Information
Sarah Ann Parr
1. Appears as a child age 5 on the 1851
census of Brighton twp., Northumberland Co., Ontario; appears as a child age 13
on the 1861 census, same place.
2. Appears as a young lady of 23, with
her parents, in the 1871 census of McKillop twp., Huron Co., Ontario.
3. Ontario marriage registration to
Andrew Ramsay, 1880.
4. Appears on the 1881 census of Morris
twp, Huron Co., Ontario as Sarah A. Ramsay, with child William James Ramsay, age
2. She is designated as W (for widow).
5. Ontario marriage registration to
James Deyell, 1883. She was a widow.
6. Appears on 1891 census of Wingham
town, Huron Co., Ontario, with husband James Deyell and 3 children.
7. Family records give birth and death
dates.
8. Obituary in the Wingham Advance
Times.
9. Tombstone for James and Sarah Parr
Deyell in Wingham Cemetery, Wingham, Ontario.
William James Ramsay
1. Born out of wedlock, but took the
name Ramsay. A birth registration was found for an illegitimate baby delivered
to Sarah Parr at the Burnside Lying-in Hospital in Toronto on 1 Aug. 1878.
Although the sex was given as female, an error could have been made, since the
birth was not registered by the hospital until a month later. This would
coincide with William's age (2) in the 1881 census listed above; he would
have been age 3 in August.
2. Ontario marr. registration gives parents' names for bride and groom.
William's mother's name was erroneously given as Sarah A. Park, though father's
name was given as Andrew Ramsay. William's age was 21 in Nov. 1899.
3. In the early 1900s, a man named Ramsey (sic) visited Sarah's brother Robert
A. Parr in Simi, California, and claimed to be Sarah's son. Andrew Ramsay
1. Ontario marriage registration (copy on file) says Andrew
was a widower, age 42, Methodist by religion, residence,
Morris twp. Huron, Co., Ontario, and parents' names are
given.
2. Named as father on William James Ramsay's marriage
registration.
James Deyell
1. Appears on
1891 census of Wingham, Ontario with Sarah and 3 sons.
2. Birthdate given in 1901 census of Wingham.
3. Ontario marriage registration gives parents' names, age as 39 years, widower,
carpenter, and religion as Presbyterian. Gives bride's name as Sarah Ann Ramsay,
widow.
4. Tombstone in Wingham Cemetery, Wingham, Ontario.
Robert Deyell
1. Age 6 in 1891 census of Wingham,
Ontario.
2. Marr. notice in Wingham Advance Times of May 1905.
3. Mentioned as survivor in obituary of mother.
Isaac Deyell
1. Age 4 in 1891 census of Wingham,
Ontario.
2. Marr. notice in Wingham Advance Times.
3. Mentioned as survivor in mother's obituary.
John Deyell
1. Age 8/12 in 1891 census of Wingham,
Ontario.
2. Birthdate given in a letter (copy in file) from Eliza Jane Parr to Mary Parr
(sisters-in-law to Sarah), saying that Sarah had a new baby boy on 13 Aug. 1890.
3. Info on John's children comes from the family records collection of Eva
Archibald of London, Ontario.
4. Tombstone of J. Wilfred Gannett, husband of Louise Deyell Gannett, Wingham,
Ontario.
John Deyell – A Profile
By Norman McBain
The Deyell name has been traced back
to the French Huguenots who were compelled to flee from Continental Europe
in the 15th and 16th centuries because of religious persecution. The
original spelling of the name was "Dalziel" and the use of that name
continues in Scotland where some of the family migrated in those times of
hardship. Another branch of the family went to Ireland where the name became
changed to Deyell. Strangely enough, the earliest census rolls in Cavan
Township shows not only the name of John Deyell but also that of, Alexander
Dalziel. It is also noted that the early assessors and enumerators used
their own judgement in spelling and the customary Deyell was sometimes
written as Dyall or alternatively Dayall.
John and the "Iron Duke"
The Deyells of Ireland lived at Drum,
County Monaghan, and it is known that the family consisted of three
brothers: John, Robert and Samuel. As far as is known, John is the only one
to have come to Canada. He first came in 1812 and fought against the
Americans at Queenston Heights under General Brock. Surviving that war, he
returned with his regiment to Europe and fought at Waterloo in 1815 under
the Duke of Wellington. An interesting sidelight reveals that a couple of
his grandsons were named Wellington usually abbreviated to Wellie. No doubt
this happened because of his high regard for the great Duke and the stories
and legends of John's military service were passed on to his sons.
First Survey of Cavan
John Deyell was born at Drum, Ireland
in 1775 and died in Cavan, November 21, 1878 - an amazing lifetime of 103
years. He married Margaret Lancashire and they came to settle in Canada in
1816 with their eldest son William. They were the first white settlers in
what is now known as Cavan Township. He took up land on Lot 23, Concession
3, where he raised his family. His house, still in good repair, stands on
this property on Highway 28. His wife, Margaret, who bore him five sons and
four daughters, died in June 1866. Deyell assisted Mr. Willmot in making the
first survey of Cavan and South Monaghan Townships and had the privilege of
naming both these townships after the counties of the same name in his
native land.
"Live and Let Live"
Deyell operated the first lodging
house between Port Hope and Peterborough, called Centreville Hotel, owing no
doubt to its being located just halfway between the two towns. Over the
door of his inn he placed his personal motto: "Live and Let Live" which
became his sobriquet. An earlier writer, in discussing the life of John
Deyell, posed the interesting question, What would people call us if they
named us according to our characteristics?"
First Schoolhouse
John donated an acre of his land for
the first schoolhouse which later became the site of the present Centreville
Presbyterian Church and Cemetery. He established the first grist mill in
Millbrook, which gave the village its name: the Mill on the Brook. He is
said to have procured a boulder from the field and had a stonemason dress it
into a millstone.
The story is told that John Deyell,
wanting to buy a piece of land in Smith Township at Fowlers Corners, was
informed that a neighbour was also interested in the same property. One day,
seeing the neighbour drive past and suspecting that he was going to make the
purchase, John hastened on foot cross-country to the corners, closed the
deal and was leaving the property as the neighbour arrived. That property,
being Lot 1, Concession 3, Township of Smith, remains in the Deyell name to
this day.
Many Descendants
Following is an abbreviated summary of
the sons and daughters of John Deyell and Margaret Lancashire:
-
William (born in Ireland), settled
in Otonabee Township and married Mary Shannon.
-
Robert settled in Millbrook and
married a Lang.
-
Samuel settled in Smith, at
Fowlers Corners, and married Sarah Burgess.
-
John settled in Ops Township and,
married Letitia Stenson.
-
Thomas settled in Cavan and
married 1) Esther Stenson and 2) Nora Mahony.
-
Essie - Otonabee and Peterborough
married 1) Thomas Ryan, 2) Thomas Barrie.
-
Ellen - Cavan, married James
Hutchison.
-
Margaret - Cavan, married Joseph
Armstrong (Bailieboro).
-
Mary Jane - Cavan, married Robert
Lancashire.
John Deyell and his immediate family
are, of course, long gone but the name goes on in his grandchildren and
succeeding generations. There are still Deyell settlements in all the
townships in which John's children settled and, over the years, his
descendants have, no doubt, scattered over the entire continent, if not
beyond. As a society dedicated to preserving our heritage, we can all be
proud to claim John Deyell as our earliest pioneer and to share this pride
with his descendants.
A Memorial Window
An appropriate stained glass window at
the west end of Centreville Presbyterian Church, facing the doors by which
the worshippers enter, is a memorial to John Deyell and his wife, Margaret
Lancashire. Installed by his descendants, to dedicate the memory of his
toil, friendship and the hardships of pioneer life. Depicted in its richly
coloured panels are motifs of an early pioneer farm and various household
articles, among them the Holy Bible, which the early settlers brought with
them to their new land.
Appreciation is hereby extended to
Mrs. Clarence Drain, Peterborough, who provided the bulk of the material
which enabled me to provide this brief synopsis of John Deyell.
MEMORIAL WINDOW IS DEDICATED TO JOHN DEYELL AND HIS WIFE,
THE PIONEER FAMILY OF CAVAN
__________________
Impressive Ceremony at Centreville Presbyterian Church July
1st
__________________
ANNUAL FAMILY REUNION
__________________
Deyell History in District Dates Back to 1816
MILLBROOK -- One hundred and fifteen years of unbroken family history,
intimately interwoven with community and township progress was fittingly
commemorated at the annual Deyell reunion on July 1st, the special feature this
year being the unveiling of a handsome Memorial Window in the Centreville
Presbyterian church, in honour of John Deyell and his wife, Margaret Lancashire,
the first actual settlers of Cavan Township.
Coming out from County Monaghan in Ireland with his wife and three children,
the family later increasing to nine, five sons and four daughters, Mr. and Mrs.
Deyell braved the hardships and severe toll of pioneer life, the family
homestead, grown from small beginnings being located less than one mile south of
Centreville, on the provincial highway. The brick house, which finally replaced
the original log cabin, which in turn was the first hostelry in Cavan township,
and for nineteen years bore as its sign, "Live and Let Live", the favourite
saying of the owner and consistently reflected in his life and conduct, has been
for some time unoccupied, but in the orchard are still trees grown from the
apple seed planted by John Deyell.
Nine Branches of Family
Descendants of the nine branches of Mr. and Mrs. Deyell's family are
scattered widely over the North American continent, but approximately two
hundred of them gathered for the reunion on Wednesday, and in spite of the
extreme heat the event was a marked success and thoroughly enjoyed. In view of
the fact that the first settler in Cavan donated the land on which the
Presbyterian place of worship in Centreville is located (with its surrounding
cemetery) the interior of which is beautifully furnished and well cared for, it
was most fitting that this year's gathering should begin with a solemn and
impressive service in the church. Rev. D.N. McCamus of London, a life-long
friend of the Deyell family as were his parents before him being in charge
unveiling the Memorial Window and dedicating it to the glory of God.
"We are about to open this historic service," was the minister's announcement
and the congregation rose and sang the appropriate hymn, "O God of Bethel by
Whose Hand Thy People Still are Led", following which Rev. Mr. McCamus offered
prayer and read the Scripture lessons from the Book of Psalms and of Revelation.
Robert Deyell, of Centreville, chairman of the Reunion Committee on behalf of
the entire Deyell family connection, presented the window to the church
officials "as a lasting memorial of our worthy grandparents, this window is
dedicated and presented to the people of Centreville Presbyterian church, with
the hearty co-operation of the church board."
D.N. Dodds, representing the church session, made reply, mentioning the fact
that John Deyell not only gave the land on which the church stood, and where
first there had been a schoolhouse, but had also signed the call to Rev. John
Douglas, the first minister on the charge.
"The church is the third building erected on this lot, and the Deyell race
has always taken an active part in church and Sunday School activities in this
place, our confidence being that this interest and practical help will continue
through all the years ahead. The first home my grandfather entered in Cavan
township was that of Mr. and Mrs. John Deyell, where he was given a warm welcome
and he invariably spoke with the utmost kindness and appreciation of the
earliest pioneers of this township. We do well recall these pioneers, "lest we
forget" what an unpayable debt we owe to them."
Unveiling of Window
The hymn "Faith of Our Fathers" sung with deep feeling, preceded the
unveiling of the window which practically fills the west wall of the church,
back to the pulpit and choir loft, Rev. Mr. McCamus drawing the cord which
draped the large Union Jack used for a covering, and pronouncing the words of
dedication:
"We dedicate this Memorial Window in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost, and in reverent memory of John Deyell, and of Margaret Lancashire,
his wife, worshippers of the true and living God in Centreville bearing
testimony to the value of the gospel in their own well-ordered lives; making an
influence that has lived to this present; manifesting how beautiful a thing it
is to minister according to their ability of the people of this family today.
Therefore we dedicate this window to the service of God, the worship of His
Name, and the inspiration of His people. "
The window, which was installed by an Ottawa firm, has four panels, and is
peculiarly appropriate to the memory of pioneer settlers, the first panel
showing the traveller on horseback, with saddle-bags and rifle, and in the
background the oxen, and the log cabin home; its counterpart in the fourth
section, depicts the early settler sowing the grain by hand; and in the richly-coloured
centre panels the figures are of an apostle and an angel, while inset in the
small diamonds into which the stained glass is subdivided are farm implements
and animals of pioneer days; household articles such as a lighted candle; hints
at our forefathers' neighbours implied by the Indian headdress and wigwam; the
covered wagon; the ripened grain loaded for carriage to the barn; the church;
the schoolhouse; the hourglass; and the fruits of the harvest.
In his address, based on "Memory Observation and Imagination" the minister
made reference to the Holy Bible in the circle above the panels on the left
side, which the pioneers being remembered had brought with them, and honoured in
their home and lives; the central circle with the intertwined letters of the
Alpha and the Omega, "reminding us of Him Who is the beginning and the end of
all"; and the burning bush in the third circle, "the type of the Presbyterian
church, on fire for God and His Cause."
Memories of Early Days
Interesting reminiscences recalled by the speaker included the fact that his
parents came to Canada in 1844 from Manchester, England, his mother being the
daughter of a Presbyterian missionary in that city and his father an Anglican.
"They worshipped in this church, Rev. J. Douglas being their minister and I have
often heard them tell how my father would remain home and care for the children
while my mother walked the full distance to service. Neighbours, Turnbull, by
name, who usually rode on horseback, when they saw mother walking would turn
back, hitch their horses to the lumber wagon, and drive her with themselves to
church."
Later, when his parents moved to the vicinity of Balieboro, Mrs. McCamus on
the advice of her minister went with her husband to the Anglican church, which
was nearer, and so all but the two eldest children were baptized in that place
of worship. There was a further union later still "for my father, with his
neighbours the Byers, who were Presbyterian, saw that there was no place for the
young people to go on Sunday evenings, hence they agreed with the Sackvilles,
Baptist by belief, to open a prayer-meeting in my parents' home, when I was but
five years old, and it was carried on each Sabbath evening. My earliest
recollections are associated with the families of this neighbourhood, many of
whom are represented in this church today." In closing a most constructive
address, Mr. McCamus urged "looking beyond the picture and knowing the Shepherd,
and the Father Whom these pioneers worshipped and honoured in their day."
Wallace Point Picnic
Following the impressive service at the church, during which Miss Gwendolyn
Hutchison presided at the organ, adjournment was made by car to Wallace Point,
Otonabee River, where a delightful social gathering was enjoyed, and an abundant
picnic supper served. The two oldest living representatives of the sons of John
and Margaret Deyell, William Deyell of Lindsay who is eighty -three, and Mrs.
Ruth of Peterborough, seventy-eight were among those present and especially
warmly welcomed.
High lights in the reminiscences informally related were the fact that John
Deyell, "to prevent any jealousy, quarrelling, or bestowing of nicknames (since
there has invariably been a John, William, and Robert in each family of
descendants), settled each of his five sons in a different township, buying them
each a good farm." So Otonabee, Ops, Smith, South Monaghan and Cavan have their
Deyell settlements, the last two townships having been named by the original
pioneer, after Monaghan and Cavan in Ireland.
John Deyell's good horse "Bess" must have been an intelligent animal, for the
story was told on Wednesday of his custom, when reaching the river bank and
wishing to get across, of dismounting, ordering the mare to make her way over
which she obediently did, the owner then removing his clothing, fastening it
about his neck, and swimming over, where it was resumed and the journey
proceeded with. The same method had to be employed on the return trip. Walking
was an obligatory accomplishment of pioneer days, and the story was told of Mr.
Deyell's desire to buy a piece of property at Fowler's Corners, which a
neighbour also wanted. Seeing the latter driving by with is team and wagon one
day and suspecting whither he was bound, John Deyell left his work, made a hasty
toilet, and walked to the Corners, bought the land, and when leaving met the
neighbour just arriving with his team. The property is in the family today.
The Distaff Side
The part Mrs. Deyell played in the hard pioneer life, received due emphasis,
particularly from the older among the guests on Wednesday, the labour involved
in clothing her entire household, as well as providing the blankets and linens
for her home, with the products of her toil at the spinning wheel, receiving
emphasis as someone told of the visit of a relative from the Old Land and her
exclamations over "such clothes" as she viewed the homespun-clad family.
The Reunion Committee, through its chairman, Robert Deyell announced the
annual for 1932 on July First, at the Point. The other members are Mrs. J. R.
Eakins, Millbrook, secretary-treasurer; Mrs. (Dr.) Morrison, Peterborough; Jas.
Thorne, Otonabee; John Deyell of the Watchman-Warder, Lindsay; and Jas.
Hutchison, Cavan.
|