The United States wasn't the only country that was affected by the War of 1812.
If it weren't for the War of 1812 Pensions many wouldn't know maiden names for their female ancestor, nor marriages among many other beautiful treasures that can be found in the War of 1812 Pension Files.I support the Preserve the War of 1812 Pensions Project because I think everyone that has a story needs to have that story heard and found. Believe me there are a lot of stories in those files.
This day, however, I am going to share another reason why I am grateful for the War of 1812.It was a source for one of my Hero's ancestor coming to the New World. William Stephen Sackley left England in the Service of His Majesty King George III to fight wars on other Lands' soil. In 1814, according to his Land Petition or later called a Land Warrant, he was in Canada in 1814 to fight for Canada's rights as their British Colony.This gave me fruit for thought looking at the war from a Canadian Perspective. Of course, they were the only representation of England at America's back door and so they would be considered a threat from a military way of thinking.There were those in power however, who thought of it as a opportunity to grab Canada as their own land if they won the war with England.The Canadians, on the other hand, didn't have any desire at that time to be "liberated" from Britain nor to be a part of America, which some Canadians had fled when the American Revolution was fought. Reading many sites about the Canadian Perspective of the War of 1812, I developed a great respect for their side of the story. This site has a nice write up and video "A Canadian Perspective on the War of 1812". The War of 1812 Overview is a place to learn from too.
Going back to why I, an 8 generation American girl, would be researching a Canadian Perspective, since I don't have any Canadian ancestors.
The Hero's (my special guy) ancestor John Sackley appeared on his pedigree chart as just a name. Nothing was known about him other than his siblings names from a note in a cousin's baby book.
As we started researching, we found from Census records he was from Canada West. Nice, but when I first started researching this, Canada was an huge unknown for me... My neighboring country and I knew more about Mexico (and no ancestors from here) than Canada, crazy right. Why hadn't I paid more attention in World History, for that matter American History. John became my brick wall in my research until I turned my attention to his siblings. His sister married a prominent man who founded a town in Indiana, and they mentioned her name as his wife and her father's name in passing. Now, I had John's father's name William Sackley. My first thought was to grab a William Sackley listed on the IGI who was born in Nova Scotia...wrong, not old enough... Another sibling, as a pioneer of a Nebraska township, had his biography written up in a history book of Nebraska. It gave when the family came to America, and the place that they came from in Canada...Napean, Carlton, Quebec,which now gave me a place to focus on. However, it wasn't until I found my wonderful Gene-Friend Lorine McGinnis Schulze's Blog The Olive Tree Genealogy which led me to her unbelievable website The Olive Tree Genealogy that is one of the most helpful resource guides for Early American, and Canadian research I have found. Ship Passenger lists, Censuses, Immigration, Land records,Canadian Census links to name a few things that you can find here. Through her links, I was able to order the Land Records which lead me find William Stephen Sackley (he went by Stephen until he came to America) and it in turn gave me the information on his service in the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot, in the English Military. The following is what I have gleaned from Canadian sites, and Researching the 37th Regiment.
I admit I am just starting here, but it was an awesome exercise in finding my Hero's ancestor's story. I know he joined the military during the Napoleon War, which for him extended to the War of 1812 between America and England. At the end of the War he found himself in Canada, a brand new country (for him), with an opportunity to stay and own land.Apparently he thought that was the best idea, for he stayed.
This has been my, so far, findings...What the British government offered what was described as very favorable conditions. Each private was to receive 100 acres, a sergeant, 200 acres, a Lieutenant, 400, a captain, 800; and a colonel, 1000 acres. The land was distributed through a "Land Petition" initiated by an ex-soldier, which would be converted to a "Land Warrant" after a certain amount of time. They would also receive their army pension (officers were placed on half-pay) as well as rations for the first 12 months. Each family was to receive a shovel, ax, hoe, scythe, knife, hammer, kettle, bed tick and blanket, hand saw, 12 panes of glass, one pound of putty for glazing and twelve pounds of nails (in three sizes). The community itself would receive two sets of carpenters’ tools. For the sake of protection and militia duties, muskets and ammunition were retained by the ex-soldiers. In addition clergyman and schoolteacher were to be dispatched. (4.)
A few 37th Regiment men can be found in the Richmond Military Settlement at Carlton. The 37th was in garrison in Canada from 1814-1825. Many of these men took land grants in the settlement of Goulbourn near Richmond. The 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment had its beginnings in 1702 and continued until 1881
In the Land Records, Stephen is shown as having been granted 100 acres in Goulbourn and being part of the 37th Regiment. The 100 acres shows he was a private according to the amount allotted. He is shown in the 1st Carleton Regiment 1828 Militia Muster Roll, as Stephen Sackley age 35 having serving previously in the 37th Reg't.
References:
1. National Army Museum, 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot., 7 July 2014, Online, 2 March 2015, http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units/37th-north-hampshire-regiment-foot .
2. Wikipedia, Results of the War of 1812, 19 January 2016, Online, 11 November 2014, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_the_War_of_1812
3. FamilySearch Wiki, Canada in the War of 1812, 30 January 2015, Online, 6 July 2015,
https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Canada_in_the_War_of_1812
4. Ron Dale and Wes Cross, The Regiments of the Richmond Military Settlement, The 37th, 99th and 100th Regiments, April 2008, 2 January 2014, Online, 5 May 2013, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~crossroads/barry/99th_regiment.html
If it weren't for the War of 1812 Pensions many wouldn't know maiden names for their female ancestor, nor marriages among many other beautiful treasures that can be found in the War of 1812 Pension Files.I support the Preserve the War of 1812 Pensions Project because I think everyone that has a story needs to have that story heard and found. Believe me there are a lot of stories in those files.
This day, however, I am going to share another reason why I am grateful for the War of 1812.It was a source for one of my Hero's ancestor coming to the New World. William Stephen Sackley left England in the Service of His Majesty King George III to fight wars on other Lands' soil. In 1814, according to his Land Petition or later called a Land Warrant, he was in Canada in 1814 to fight for Canada's rights as their British Colony.This gave me fruit for thought looking at the war from a Canadian Perspective. Of course, they were the only representation of England at America's back door and so they would be considered a threat from a military way of thinking.There were those in power however, who thought of it as a opportunity to grab Canada as their own land if they won the war with England.The Canadians, on the other hand, didn't have any desire at that time to be "liberated" from Britain nor to be a part of America, which some Canadians had fled when the American Revolution was fought. Reading many sites about the Canadian Perspective of the War of 1812, I developed a great respect for their side of the story. This site has a nice write up and video "A Canadian Perspective on the War of 1812". The War of 1812 Overview is a place to learn from too.
Going back to why I, an 8 generation American girl, would be researching a Canadian Perspective, since I don't have any Canadian ancestors.
The Hero's (my special guy) ancestor John Sackley appeared on his pedigree chart as just a name. Nothing was known about him other than his siblings names from a note in a cousin's baby book.
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| Permission to use From Barbara Bonner. |
As we started researching, we found from Census records he was from Canada West. Nice, but when I first started researching this, Canada was an huge unknown for me... My neighboring country and I knew more about Mexico (and no ancestors from here) than Canada, crazy right. Why hadn't I paid more attention in World History, for that matter American History. John became my brick wall in my research until I turned my attention to his siblings. His sister married a prominent man who founded a town in Indiana, and they mentioned her name as his wife and her father's name in passing. Now, I had John's father's name William Sackley. My first thought was to grab a William Sackley listed on the IGI who was born in Nova Scotia...wrong, not old enough... Another sibling, as a pioneer of a Nebraska township, had his biography written up in a history book of Nebraska. It gave when the family came to America, and the place that they came from in Canada...Napean, Carlton, Quebec,which now gave me a place to focus on. However, it wasn't until I found my wonderful Gene-Friend Lorine McGinnis Schulze's Blog The Olive Tree Genealogy which led me to her unbelievable website The Olive Tree Genealogy that is one of the most helpful resource guides for Early American, and Canadian research I have found. Ship Passenger lists, Censuses, Immigration, Land records,Canadian Census links to name a few things that you can find here. Through her links, I was able to order the Land Records which lead me find William Stephen Sackley (he went by Stephen until he came to America) and it in turn gave me the information on his service in the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot, in the English Military. The following is what I have gleaned from Canadian sites, and Researching the 37th Regiment.
I admit I am just starting here, but it was an awesome exercise in finding my Hero's ancestor's story. I know he joined the military during the Napoleon War, which for him extended to the War of 1812 between America and England. At the end of the War he found himself in Canada, a brand new country (for him), with an opportunity to stay and own land.Apparently he thought that was the best idea, for he stayed.
This has been my, so far, findings...What the British government offered what was described as very favorable conditions. Each private was to receive 100 acres, a sergeant, 200 acres, a Lieutenant, 400, a captain, 800; and a colonel, 1000 acres. The land was distributed through a "Land Petition" initiated by an ex-soldier, which would be converted to a "Land Warrant" after a certain amount of time. They would also receive their army pension (officers were placed on half-pay) as well as rations for the first 12 months. Each family was to receive a shovel, ax, hoe, scythe, knife, hammer, kettle, bed tick and blanket, hand saw, 12 panes of glass, one pound of putty for glazing and twelve pounds of nails (in three sizes). The community itself would receive two sets of carpenters’ tools. For the sake of protection and militia duties, muskets and ammunition were retained by the ex-soldiers. In addition clergyman and schoolteacher were to be dispatched. (4.)
A few 37th Regiment men can be found in the Richmond Military Settlement at Carlton. The 37th was in garrison in Canada from 1814-1825. Many of these men took land grants in the settlement of Goulbourn near Richmond. The 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment had its beginnings in 1702 and continued until 1881
In the Land Records, Stephen is shown as having been granted 100 acres in Goulbourn and being part of the 37th Regiment. The 100 acres shows he was a private according to the amount allotted. He is shown in the 1st Carleton Regiment 1828 Militia Muster Roll, as Stephen Sackley age 35 having serving previously in the 37th Reg't.
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| Scrapbook page I created with what I have found. |
My next step is to see if I can obtain his English Military Records that hopefully will help be back to England.
Thanks for listening to my journey to Canada and hope your New Year of 2016 will find you breaking through brick walls. My journey was not an overnight one, it took many years to get here...References:
1. National Army Museum, 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot., 7 July 2014, Online, 2 March 2015, http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units/37th-north-hampshire-regiment-foot .
2. Wikipedia, Results of the War of 1812, 19 January 2016, Online, 11 November 2014, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_the_War_of_1812
3. FamilySearch Wiki, Canada in the War of 1812, 30 January 2015, Online, 6 July 2015,
https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Canada_in_the_War_of_1812
4. Ron Dale and Wes Cross, The Regiments of the Richmond Military Settlement, The 37th, 99th and 100th Regiments, April 2008, 2 January 2014, Online, 5 May 2013, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~crossroads/barry/99th_regiment.html
Great piece of research, thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement Diane.
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