A History of the Lost West Grave Yard

A History of the Lost West Grave Yard

By Indiana Bones

(AKA: John G. West)

The following is an attempt to tell the story of this cemetery and the people buried in it.  Much is unknown as the cemetery has been abandoned and is remotely located deep in the woods with the last known burial in 1934 being that of Sarah Wells wife of Henry Harrison West.

West Cemetery is located in northeastern Christian County, Kentucky in the Ovil Community very close to the Todd County line.  The cemetery is a good distance in the woods – isolated and basically abandoned.  It was copied 20 May 1966 and published in the Cemetery Records Northern Portion of Christian County, Kentucky, compiled by Anna Hunsaker Meador, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, copyright 1976, Pp. 373.  Sometime after the 1966 reading of this cemetery and 1978 when I was beginning my research of this West family, the cemetery could not be found after several searches.  I had found a few hunters that said the old cemetery was basically hidden in the woods, long abandoned and that most of the stones were gone or buried under vines and under growth of trees.  Even back in those days, I was told that there were lots of snakes in the area – rattlesnakes and copperheads!  Sadly, when it was cold enough to not have to worry about the snakes, hunting season became the thing to worry about!

Several times in the 1980's I had asked about this cemetery with those who did not know anything about the cemetery or those stating it being in total ruins and thus essentially no longer in existence!  I very much wanted to see this cemetery to assure myself that the dates listed in the cemetery book were the same as on the grave markers.  I knew that my great, great grandfather William Ellis West had died in 1896, but the only record of his birth would be his marker in this “lost” cemetery.  Also, I had visited the graves of so many of my ancestors; I wanted to visit his, too!

The directions listed in this book (p. 343) for West Cemetery are: From 107N turn right at Lacy go 3.3 miles, turn left go .6 miles. Keep to the left then go 3.9 miles, follow unused trail keeping to the right the cemetery on the right in the woods.  There is a Withers Cemetery not far from this same general area.  The directions listed in the book (p. 342) are: Located from Hopkinsville on 107N turn right at Lacy go 3.3 miles, turn left go .6 miles, keep to left go 3.3 miles cemetery on right near road.  The Withers Cemetery is marked on the topographic maps and can easily be found by following these directions.  This cemetery is just south of Withers/Weathers Branch (of Pond River?) on Froghop Road and is fairly well maintained.  West Cemetery has the same directions only that you must go about .6 mile further up Froghop Road.  However, when you go this distance, that “unused trail” has long since disappeared.  Froghop Road comes off of Ovil Road (State Highway 178) and runs between Ovil Road and Greenville Road (107N) [directions are from Ovil Road to Froghop Road].

In the early summer of 2012, I had been listed in an Evansville newspaper article as being a “cemetery geek!”  My wife thought I should have a special name and give presentations about cemeteries to genealogical societies and anyone interested in that kind of program.  We came up with “Indiana Bones!”  Later, I had given several programs about cemeteries as Indiana Bones... dressed for the part.  I went to a special dedication of a Sons of the American Revolution Monument in remembrance of those who participated in that Revolutionary War and were buried in Christian County with unknown graves.  As I was at the ceremony, I could not help but want to find that lost West cemetery with W. E. West buried there – his great grandfather, Thomas West, was one of those patriots being honored that day in the Western Kentucky Veterans Cemetery.  I came back to the county another time visiting some of the relatives in this area of the county asking about this cemetery... they remembered that it existed, but no longer knew where it was.  A few weeks later, I returned with a resolve to find this cemetery.  I stopped at several places asking about the cemetery with no results.  Late in the afternoon, I found Rick Maywald that knew exactly where this cemetery was and had actually cleaned it up a few times and he, with his parents, had watched over it.  In fact, he took me back there to see it!  The cemetery is on his father's property that adjoins his. 

Rick got me into a 4-wheeler John Deere 'Gator' taking me from the south of Withers Creek going through 3 pastures, fording the (dry) creek and following an old, over-grown logging road for several minutes north east of the creek... when we finally came to a spot where you can just barely see some grave markers.  The grayish colored markers resemble the tree trunks and are hard to notice from the few hundred feet from the logging road to the cemetery.  The last marked grave was in 1913 of Nancy E. West.  William Ellis West and at least three of his brothers are buried here.  Besides the normal grave markers, there are quite a few unmarked small sandstone slabs (field stones).  Nearly every grave has a foot marker.  Some are sandstone, but several are regular marble or granite foot stones with initials that match the grave markers.  Some of the graves appear to have a foot stone and a head stone that are unmarked graves of unknown people, perhaps as many as 10 more graves.  To read the markers, you face north with the footstone at the north end of the grave.  One of these unmarked graves is believed to be one of William's 3 brothers, Henry Harrison West.  When I stood before the grave of my great, great grandfather, I was amazed and stunned... I was literally shaking as I was trying to take photos of the marker.  All the markers listed in 1966 were still there and in reasonably good shape.

The following seven markers were read in 1966 as:

Mary A.  daughter of F. M. and H. A. West

20 July 1873   13 June 1890

W. E. West [Son of Jesse West & Mary Bright Rogers - JGW]

13 September 1822   21 July 1896

Jennie West Boggess [Daughter of F.M. & H.A. West - JGW]

09 June 1869   18 September 1893

Eddy Montgomery Boggess (no dates) [Son of Jennie & J.P. Boggess - JGW]

Nancy E.  wife of C. P. West and J. R. Johnson

27 September 1913   Aged about 82 years

Charles P. West [Son of Jesse West & Martha Pruitt (a half-brother to W.E. West) - JGW]

22 February 1828   01 September 1875

Francis M. West [Son of Jesse West & Martha Pruitt (a half-brother to W.E. West) - JGW]

24 June 1833   21 March 1893

It is known that Harrison West is buried here in 1929.

Also his wife Sarah (Sallie) on 23 Apr 1934 and his daughter

Lou West in 1921 who married Floyd Cook. In addition,

Lou's stillborn daughter Mary Effie Cook 1921.

[Henry Harrison West (1840-1929) is another son of Jesse West & Martha Pruitt (a half-brother to W.E. West).  His death certificate states that he is buried in the “West Grave Yard” - JGW]

Plus, quite a few field stones...

Now, Indiana Bones had a great adventure to share with others.

Who were these people and why are they buried in a small cemetery hidden deep in the woods?  I will start with William Ellis West, the fourth son of Jesse West and Mary Bright Rogers.  His mother died within a year of his birth, perhaps during childbirth or as a result of the birth.  He was raised by his step mother Martha Pruitt.  Jesse and Martha had nine more children, three of which are buried with William in the West Grave Yard: Francis M., Charles P. and Harrison West.

Since Jesse West married Mary Bright Rogers in Christian Co., Kentucky on 07 Aug 1817 all of Jesse's children were born in Kentucky; while Jesse and his wife were both from North Carolina coming with their parents in the early 1800's.  They were tobacco farmers and settled in the area where this little cemetery is located.  William E. West married Cincinnati O. Williams in nearby Todd County in 1848 and had five children, one being my great grandfather John William West born in 1857 and died shortly after I was born in 1947.  Cincinnati died in 1912 and is buried in the O'Daniel Cemetery on Herring Mill Road near the old homestead of William Ellis West on Melvin West Road.  John William West was born and died in their home [Melvin was John's son with Glendle Rayburn West being Melvin's son and the great grandson of Cincinnati & William Ellis West].  John W. West is buried in the New Ebenezer Church Cemetery (located on Pilot Rock Road) where his wife and many of his children are buried, including my grandfather Warner West (who also died in the home of William Ellis West in 1939), Melvin West, Icy Nora Henderson, William Walter West, Annie Laura Morris, Eva Eunice West, Elvie Ellis West. John's son Gather (Gaither) West (1892-1907) is buried in O'Daniel Cemetery not far from his grandmother's grave (Cincinnati O. West). Another son Charlie Bell West is buried in Denver, Colorado in 1946.

Francis M. West married Hester A. Lindsey in 1864 Todd Co., KY.  They had one daughter Mary A. who was buried in the West Grave Yard at age of almost 17 years – she was a twin of Marthy A. West (the two being born in July of 1873).   Another daughter Jennie E. married J.P. Boggess in 1890 in Todd County... she is buried in this West Cemetery along with her son Eddy Montgomery Boggess. Frank (as Francis was called) had one son John Harmon West who died in Hopkins County, Ky at age 64.  He and his wife Mary Sue Berry had at least 8 children.  Francis & Hester had at least 5 children (the four already mentioned, plus William Charles West).  Francis was born 24 Jan 1835 with a twin brother James K. West.

Charles Patterson West married Nancy Emeline Williams 15 July 1871 just four years before his death.  She is buried in the West Grave Yard near her husband and has the tallest marker, an obelisk.  She also had married J. R. Johnson, as listed on the stone along with C. P. West as husbands.

Henry Harrison West was the youngest of the children of Jesse West born 27 Dec 1840 and died 18 Jun 1929.  He with his wife Sarah (1854-1934), daughter Lou Cook and granddaughter Mary Effie (stillborn) are known to be buried here.  Lou and her daughter died on the same day (21 Jul 1921) according to their death certificates.

As far as why this cemetery is in the middle of a remote, isolated area of a dense woods, the answer must be that at one time it was not an isolated area.  Since most that are buried here come from the family of Jesse West, I suspect that the cemetery is located on what was his land.  Jesse West was born in North Carolina in 1798 and he died in 1843 in Christian County, Kentucky.  The first known burial was in 1875 when Charles P. West was buried there.  With all of those field stones with unknown burials, Jesse West could be buried there.  His wife Mary Bright Rogers died young in 1823 and, perhaps, from problems with the birth of William Ellis West.  This William is buried in this cemetery despite the fact that he had moved from the immediate area to near where the O'Daniel Cemetery is located on Herring Mill road.  Is it possible that he was buried near where his mother was buried (and possibly where his father is buried)?  Charles H. West (Jesse's father) might have owned the land that this cemetery is located and might be buried here, as well... Charles died in 1845 a couple years after his son Jesse died!  Aquilla Buckner married Charles H. West about 1796 in Chatham Co., North Carolina.  Her grave is unknown as well, but the Kentucky State Vital Statistics has recorded her death to be 07 Dec 1854.  It could be that Aquilla is buried here, also.  Remember there are at least 10 field stones here marking graves that may have pre-dated the engraved marble markers.

There are two deeds recorded in Christian Co., KY – Henry Boggess (of Macoupin Co., Illinois) and his wife Mary sold property to a William West in 1835 & 1837 (Deed Book X, P. 261 & Deed Book Y, P. 522).  Henry's relation to J.P. Boggess is unknown at this time, but the land that was sold to William West is very near the land that this West Cemetery lies.  The 1830 Federal Census of Christian Co. lists an Isaac West, then Henry Boggess followed by William West.  Generally, the list of names are in the order of visitation indicating that the next name was the owner of the next home along the route of the Census Taker. 

[Work to do: check the deeds going back in time of the land that now belongs to Glendle West from Melvin, then  from William Walter West & John William West, and earlier from F. M. Cowan, as well as, William Ellis West & Cincinnati... it might be fun to check all of these deeds back & go forward from original owners to current owners.  It would be exceedingly interesting to be able to see the abstract of title for the Maywald property that has the West Cemetery on it!  - JGW]

So, where is Thomas West, Jr's land actually located?  Where was Charles H. West living?  What land did Jesse West live on?  Who ended up with these lands?  Where was my William Ellis West living and what lands did he own?  Why is West Cemetery deep in the woods?  Was there homes and roads going by it... was there a church or was it just on one of the West family's land for use by the family?

Some Genealogy Humor

[Originally posted by John G. West for the TSGS Blog.]

The 12-Step Program for Recovering Genealogists is strict; and, it will be hard for me to overcome my addiction to the overpowering, all consuming desire to look for dead people!!!

There is lots of genealogical humor on the Internet... this site has lots of humor!  Twisted Twigs and Snarled Branches!  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.278071112258211.62427.269836083081714&type=3  I especially like the 12-Step Program for Recovering Genealogists.  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=520634304668556&set=a.278071112258211.62427.269836083081714&type=3&theater

Here are a few of the steps: # 9.  Family picnics will no longer be held in cemeteries! # 10.  My family will no longer be referred to as the "live ones!"  # 5.  I promise to no longer refer to "dead people" with my few remaining friends... # 6. I promise to take photos of other things than just tombstones!

To help me, I will spend time in quite places like libraries, cemeteries, courthouses.

BTW, if you happen to know anything about the West, Woodis, Flatt, Phipps, Long, Wood, Wheatley, Mays, Martin, Williams, Buckner, Haynes, Lewis, Huff lines please email me!

- Compiled by Indiana Bones

Momma I want to sing—Doris Troy

Doris Troy…”She’s sung on sessions for clientele that would fill up an entire wing of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”  This article from the book “Unknown Legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Richie Unterberger, says she has written songs with two ex-Beatles, Stephen Stills, Billy Preston and others.  Doris recorded on the Beatle’s Apple label.  However, for most of the public musical world Doris Troy is best known as a one-hit wonder for her 1963 Top Ten single “Just One Look!”  [one of my favorites while I was in high school- JGW]  Doris Troy (born Doris Elaine Higginsen; January 6, 1937 – February 16, 2004) was an American R&B singer and songwriter, known to her many fans as "Mama Soul"

“… there have been few other African American performers who have proved their mastery of so many styles – girl-group pop, stone cold soul, gospel, hard rock and more.”  She did sessions for Solomon Burke, Chuck Jackson and the Drifters, she was also a songwriter with Gregory Carroll under the name of Doris Payne.  The March 1963 demo issued by Atlantic that made #10.  In Britain, her “Just One Look” became a big hit for the Hollies in 1964.  The Hollies and others, including Faith, Hope & Charity, Major Lance, Linda Ronstadt, Bryan Ferry, Anne Murray, Klaus Nomi, and Harry Nilsson in a duet with Lynda Laurence covered her material, as well.   Troy's only foray into the UK Singles Chart, "Whatcha Gonna Do About It", peaked at #37 in December 1964.   As her solo career peaked, she sang back-up for the Rolling Stones, Humble Pie, Kevin Ayers, Edgar Broughton, Pink Floyd, George Harrison, Johnny Hallyday, Vivian Stanshall, Dusty Springfield, Nick Drake, Junior Campbell and Carly Simon.

Just one look caught a second look by many others…

Doris Troy's version of the song was featured in a 1991 Pepsi commercial starring Cindy Crawford, which was reaired during Super Bowl XXXV in 2001. An updated version of the ad, still featuring Cindy Crawford and Troy's version of the song aired in 2002. In 2015, Troy's version of the song was featured in an ad for Aspartame Free Diet Pepsi. The song was also used in a series of commercials for Mazda beginning in 1979 and continuing into the early 1980s. The song is also featured in a scene in the movie Crazy, Stupid Love

George Harrison, along with Ringo Starr and Stephen Stills contributed to her song writing creations.  Other collaborators included Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, Delaney & Bonnie, Jackie Lomax, and Klaus Voormann.  Later, her celebrity was growing with her work with many British top rock acts that was topped by her vocals on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. 

Since 1984, Doris played the starring role in the Broadway musical hit Momma I Want to Sing written by her sister, Vy Higgensen,( a participant of the West DNA Family) a top New York Disc Jockey. Mama, I Want to Sing! was also made into a motion picture, starring Ciara, Patti Labelle and Hill Harper, which was released on DVD in 2012

She was born as Doris Elaine Higginsen, in the Bronx, the daughter of a Barbadian Pentecostal minister. She later took her grandmother's name and grew up as Doris Payne. Her parents disapproved of "subversive" forms of music like rhythm & blues, so she cut her teeth singing in her father's choir. She was working as an usherette at the Apollo where she was discovered by James Brown.  She took her stage name from Helen of Troy.  Troy died from emphysema at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada, aged 67.

Most of this blog was gleaned from a book “Unknown Legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Richie Unterberger, Miller Freeman Books, San Francisco, CA 94107, copyright 1998; pp. 395-398 that my son Phillip lent me because of the nice article about Doris Troy.  The article was completed with additional information from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Troy   Photo of album cover from Wikipedia.  Blog compiled by John G. West

Time Line - William West (B. 1752)

TIME LINE FOR WILLIAM WEST (B. 1752)
[As compiled by Ron Roy... any additions, corrections or questions are welcome!  "WW = William West (b. 1752)]

1752 – William West (WW) born [WW Rev War Pension App Files]
1772 – SEP 23 – William West private in Captain Jeduthan Harper’s Company of the Chatham County militia. Listed in that Company with him are Thomas West Sr, Thomas West Jr, Ignatius West, and (in another company) Richard West.  At this time William West is a minor 20 years of age (indicating a likelihood that he was still living with or near his parents and/or close relatives) [Transcription of the Records of Chatham Co Court of Pleas line http://www.ncgenweb.us/chatham/militia.htm [2] ]
1774 – AUG – WW appears in Chatham court Minutes as plaintiff agst David Davis [Laird and Jackson 13, Bens NC Commentary]
1779 – AUG 15 - WW Chain Carrier with Ignatius West Jr for survey of grant of 400 ac to Ignatius West(the later is Ignatius West Jr also as per the deed of disposition in 1784)
1779 – AUG 30 - WW Chain Carrier with Ignatius West Jr for survey of grant to Ignatius West (the later is also Jr also as per the deed of disposition in 1784)
1781 – APR – WW joins Rev Forces while living in Chatham Co [WW Rev War Pension App Files]
1783 – OCT – 1 – WW Received money in Hillsborough Dist for
services in Rev War [NC Rev. War Voucher No. 5733, Bens NC Commentary]
1784 – NOV – WW appears in Chatham Co court minutes road orders with Thomas and Ignatius West [Court Minutes Nov. 1781-May 1785  89, Bens NC Commentary]
1784 – DEC –13 – WW purchases of 150ac of land in Chatham Co on the S. side of Haw River, joining Elnathan Davis from Ignatius West Jr & wife Milley [Chatham Co Deed Bk C 355-356, Bens Commentary3.rtf]
1785 – FEB – 14 – WW witnessed deed from Ignatius West Jr & wife Milley To Ignatius West Sr (b. 1750) for 125 acres on the N. side of Dry Creek, joining Haw River. [Chatham Co Deed Bk C 355-356, Bens Commentary3.rtf]
1790 – WW Listed on Census of Chatham Co, NC 3 free white males under 16 years of age, 3 free white females, and 5 slaves. (This is the only listing for a William West in Chatham Co, NC) [1790 Census 86]
1792 – NOV – WW impaneled on a grand jury [Chatham Co Court Minutes 1790-1794, Bens NC Commentary]
1794 – NOV – WW impaneled on a jury [Chatham Co Court Minutes 1794-1800, Bens NC Commentary]
1795 – MAY – WW appears in Chatham Co court minutes road orders with Thomas West (Jr? or Sr?) and Ignatius West Sr (b. 1750) Richard West, Meachams, Fikes[Chatham Co Court Minutes  1794-1800, Bens NC Commentary]
1796 – NOV – WW appointed overseer of a road [Chatham Co Court Minutes 1794-1800 241, Bens NC Commentary]
1800 – WW Listed on Census of Chatham Co [1800 Census]
1807 – WW Sr.(first record showing more than one WW) Listed as
insolvent Tax for five polls [Chatham Co Court Minutes 1805-1811, Bens NC Commentary]
1807 – THRU 1817 - WW listed on the Logan Co Tax Lists [Logan Co Tax Lists, Bens NC Commentary]
1808 – NOV 28 - WW purchased 533 acres in Logan Co from John Neely [Logan Co KY Deed Book]
1808 – NOV 28 - WW purchased 27 acres in Logan Co from John Neely [Logan Co KY Deed Book]
1808 – FEB – WW (Sr or Jr not indicated & May not be Same) appointed an undetermined position in Capt. Edward Jones’ District for the year ensuing [Chatham Co Court Minutes 1805-1811 193, Bens NC Commentary]
1808 – John West appointed Overseer instead of WW Sr. [Chatham Co Court Minutes 1805-1811 195, Bens NC Commentary]
1810 – MAY 30 - WW has survey for 300 acres on N fk Red River [The Kentucky Land Grants Vol 1]
1810 – JUNE 11 - WW has survey for 100 acres on Red River [The Kentucky Land Grants Vol 1]
1811 – WW gives son Matthew West his power of attorney in Chatham NC [Chatham Co Deed Bk R p57, Bens NC Commentary]
1812 – Mar 16 – Lucy Fike paid to settle an account of a note given her by James West and William West - from the settlement of estate of James West. [ Logan Co, KY Will book A, p.223]
1816 – WW purchases land in Robertson Co, [Robertson Co Deed Bk M 112-114]
1823 – WW sold same land above in Robertson Co, [Robertson Co Deed Bk R 119]
1832 – AUG –16 – WW Applies for Rev War Pension, lives in,
Robertson Co, TN. This WW is 80 years old indicating that he is WW (b. 1752) [WW Rev War Pension App Files]
1833 – SEP – 20 – WW Applies for Rev War Pension, lives w/Oliver Edwards, Robertson Co, TN (Strong indication that Oliver Edwards was WW son-in-law) [WW Rev War Pension App Files]
1839 – OCT – WW moved from Robertson Co, TN To Simpson Co KY [WW Rev War Pension App Files]
1840 –WW Listed on the 1840 Census of Simpson Co, KY as Rev War Pensioner age 87 residing w/James Milliken

David West (1758 – after 1826) Part 3: 1818 – after 1826

Compiled by Joy Ikelman, June 2016. All disclaimers apply.

David West (1758 – after 1826)
Part 3: 1818 – after 1826

Summary:  David West is the ancestor of one of our West DNA Family Group #5 participants. This article addresses David West’s life between the years of 1818 to 1826, when he was last mentioned in Quaker records. He probably died before the 1830 Census. It is likely that Susannah West preceded him in death. David and Susannah’s sons were Benjamin, Abraham, Jacob, and Levi.

Note: Quaker customs, terminology, and record-keeping are unique. Please refer to Understanding Quaker Records on this blog site for more information.

Land in Batavia Township, Genesee County, NY

By the end of 1817, Wests from this family had moved from Prince Edward County, Upper Canada (Ontario), to Genesee County, in western New York. [1] This relocation is consistent with the Society of Friends’ “Western Movement.” [2]

On 06 Jul 1818, David West and son Benjamin acquired land from the Holland Land Company in Batavia, New York. They co-signed on lots 10, 12, and 14 in Township 13, Range 2, Section 7. [3] On 12 May 1820, Abraham selected a lot nearby—lot 3, Township 13, Range 2, Section 3. [4] These lots were generally 120 to 320 acres. [5] A map from 1814 shows that the lots were in the northern part of Batavia Township—later called Elba. [6] If a settler paid for the land upfront, he would receive the title. Most settlers (including the Wests) made a down payment, and then signed “Articles of Agreement” (contracts) that specified a period of time in which payment would be made. [7]

U.S. Census of 1820, Elba, Genesee County, New York

In the 1820 Federal Census, all four brothers—Benjamin, Abraham, Jacob, and Levi—were listed with their father in Elba. [8] The position of their names on the list directly correlates with the location of the lots. Abraham’s name is set apart from the others, just as his lot was set apart.

David West’s record lists one male 45 and over (David, 62), one female 45 and over (Susannah, 65), and a male aged 16 to 25. This could possibly be another son, but there is no indication (from data) for this. It is more likely that David had someone helping him to maintain his farm, or a boarder.

The census information for the four brothers matches what we know about their families in 1820. Abraham’s record shows no female in his age group. This validates that his first wife, Mary, died by 1820. He would marry again in 1822. [9] It also appears that Abraham has a young married couple with a child living with him, plus his two young children.

Portion of the 1820 Federal Census of Elba, Genesee County,

New York, showing David West and his four sons.

David West is Disowned from Hartland Monthly Meeting
On 18 May 1826, David West was disowned from Hartland Monthly Meeting. [10] This is the last Quaker minute that I could find for him. In 1819, David and Susannah had become members of this Meeting. [11] By 1826, David was probably a widower. In the same month of 1826, Abraham and his family had moved to Logan (Adrian Township), Michigan Territory. [12] Benjamin and Levi and their families were living in Norwich, Oxford County, Upper Canada. [13] I could not find the location of Jacob.

It is possible that David West expressed viewpoints that were not in line with his Meeting’s doctrines. The original minute book would describe the circumstances of the disownment. I only had access to the index from the Friends Historical Library (Swarthmore College). In general, a disowned Friend would not be kicked out of the Meeting forever. A properly written apology and consideration by committee could cancel the action. [14]

In the mid-1820s, the Society of Friends was in turmoil over changing beliefs. These changes began at least a decade before, as soon as the Society of Friends’ Western Movement began. The Friends were living in a new environment that required cooperation with non-Quakers. Quakers could no longer maintain the same level of separation from the world as before. [15] In 1828, the Society of Friends split into two groups—Orthodox and Hicksite.

Estimating a Date of Death for David West
It is likely that David West died before 1830. David West did not appear on the 1830 Federal Census. Tombstones for Susannah and David have not been located. During this era it was unusual for a Friend to be remembered with a tombstone. [16] Also, Quaker minutes generally did not mention the death of members.

The data from the Elba land records may give us an estimated date. The Holland Land Company retained titles on the land that was “purchased” until full payment was made. [17] The Company could withdraw a settler’s land at any time and resell it to someone else. This was called a “reversion.” [18] Reversions usually occurred when there was no activity on an account—generally meaning that the settler had left the area.

In about 1827, Abraham West’s land reverted back to the Holland Land Company. [19] This is probably because he left for Adrian, Michigan in 1826. In 1830, Lots 10, 12, and 14—the lots that were co-purchased by David West and Benjamin—reverted back to the Company. [20] Benjamin West’s name is recorded in the reversion list. David West’s name was not recorded.

At the time that Benjamin’s land reverted, he and Levi had been living in Norwich (Upper Canada) for eight years. It is my theory that David West lived on the Elba land until his death. Benjamin allowed reversion to occur in 1830 as he had no more reason to make payments on the land.

The Rest of the Story
As I worked on this project about David West, I discovered a lot of information about his sons Benjamin, Abraham, Jacob, and Levi. Much of it is online, for free. If you are researching this West branch, check local, State, and Federal records. Check the Canada Archives. Examine Quaker minutes in the United States and Canada. [21]

During the 1840s, the four brothers lived in Michigan—another stopping place of the Society of Friends’ Western Movement. In the 1840 Federal Census, Abraham, Jacob, Levi were counted in Lenawee County, Michigan. [22] Benjamin returned to the United States from Canada in 1845. [23] The 1845 Michigan Census lists Benjamin, Abraham, and Jacob in Lenawee County. [24] Abraham and Jacob lived in Adrian, and Benjamin lived in Raisin. Levi was not listed in the Michigan Census, but he lived in Raisin. [25] All the brothers were together once more, at least for a little while.

References and Additional Notes
West Family DNA group results are at http://web.utk.edu/~corn/westdna/west5.htm.

1. Please refer to Part 2 of this series on David West. It is likely that Jacob West moved from Greene County, NY, to Genesee County, NY.
2. Arthur Garratt Dorland, 1927: A History of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in Canada, The MacMillan Company of Canada Limited, Toronto. “Chapter 3: The American Background of the Quaker Migration to Canada,” p. 42-62.
3. Karen E. Livsey, 1991: Western New York Land Transactions, 1804-1824, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland, p. 194.  At ancestry.com; accessed Mar 2016. The type of transaction is listed as “O.” This means David and Benjamin were the original owners of this particular property.
4. Livsey, 1991, p. 246. The transaction is listed as “W.” This means that Abraham West was probably assuming a contract from a previous owner.
5. Robert Silsby, 1961: “The Holland Land Company in Western New York,” Adventures in Western New York History, Volume VIII, The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, Buffalo, New York, p. 3.
6. Map of Genesee with Townships in Counties and Inhabitants, 1814. Holland Land Company Maps, Archives of the Holland Land Company, 1789-1869. State University of New York, Fredonia, NY. At nyheritage.nnyln.net; accessed Mar 2016.
7. Livsey, 1991, p. viii.
8. Census of 1820, Elba, Genesee County, New York. Records of the Bureau of the Census, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
9. Hartland Monthly Meeting of Friends: Men’s Minutes 1821-1833, H393, Volume 3.3, p. 18. Swarthmore College, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore, PA. Abraham West of Elba, son of David and Susannah; Anna French, daughter of Elijah and Tabby French, married 20 of 12 m 1822.
10. Hartland Monthly Meeting of Friends (Orthodox), Men’s Minutes 1821-1833, H393, Volume 1.1, p. 129.
11. Farmington Monthly Meeting of Friends (Orthodox), 1803-1997: Men’s and Joint Meetings, F335, Volume 1.3, 1816-1821, p. 94 and 109. Swarthmore College, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore, PA. Susannah and David are mentioned separately in two minutes. Hartland Monthly Meeting was created from a portion of Farmington Monthly Meeting.
12. W.A. Whitney, 1880: Historic and Biographical Record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume 1, W. Stearns & Co., Adrian, MI, p. 102. Abraham (“Abram”) West was one of the first settlers of Adrian, Lenawee County, Michigan.
13. This is indicated by Benjamin and Levi’s membership transfers to Norwich Monthly Meeting, and various excerpts from the minutes of that Meeting.
14. J. William Frost, 1973: The Quaker Family in Colonial America: A Portrait of the Society of Friends, St. Martin’s Press, NY, p. 55. “The excommunicated could still regard himself as a Quaker. . . If the evildoer repented, he had to make formal acknowledgment, either orally or, more often, in writing, before the Monthly Meeting.”
15. Please refer to Part 2 to read about the changes that were occurring during David West’s years in Canada.
16. Frost, p. 43.  Up to the early 1800s, “Friends permitted no marker of any kind on the grave, but since having a tombstone was not a disownable offense, some appeared.”
17. Silsby, p. 6.
18. Livsey, 1991, p. xiv.
19. Karen E. Livsey, 1996: Western New York Land Transactions, 1825-1835, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland, p. 73. At ancestry.com; accessed Mar 2016.
20. Livsey, 1996, p. 283.
21. The West sons are mentioned in various Monthly Meeting minutes. Here are some of the Monthly Meetings you should check: Oblong (NY); Nine Partners (NY); any other Meetings in Dutchess County (NY); Farmington (NY); Hartland (NY); Adolphustown (ONT); West Lake (ONT); Norwich (ONT); Adrian (MI); Raisin (MI); and, Red Cedar (IA).
22. Census of 1840, Lenawee County, New York. Records of the Bureau of the Census, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
23. Norwich Monthly Meeting Minutes, found in Canadian Yearly Meeting Archives, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, on ancestry.com. Accessed Apr 2016. The minute is on page 38 and 39 of the file called Cemetery Records, 1847-1930, which is actually a compilation of various documents. Benjamin West had been member of Norwich Monthly Meeting for more than 30 years. This is a transcript of his certificate of transfer:

      To the Raisin Monthly Meeting of Friends, Michigan.
Dear Friends. Benjamin West having removed and settled within the compass of your Meeting       requests our certificate: this is to certify that he is a member of our religious Society and settled his temporal concerns to satisfaction as far as appears, as such we recommend him to your Christian care and remain your Friends.

Signed in and on behalf of Norwich Monthly Meeting of Friends (Canada) held 9th of 4th Mo. 1845.

Signed John Palmer, Frederick Stover, correspondent. Clerk for the day.

24. Michigan State Census Records, 1827-1874. 1845 Census of Michigan, Lenawee County. Originals are archived at the University of Michigan. Images are available at Seeking Michigan, seekingmichigan.org. Accessed Mar 2016.
25. “Business Notes, 1799-1840s.” Part of the collection of E.H. Marion Crock of Bloomfield, Ontario. Archived at Pickering College, Newmarket, Ontario. Information used with permission of Canadian Quaker Archives and Randy Saylor, project coordinator. Image 1-6: 17, 18 transcribed by Doug Smith. In a letter dated 3 Mar 1847, Mary Jennings of Raisin, MI, wrote to Stephen Bowerman: “Levi & Nancy live within one quarter of a mile of us. They and their family are all pretty well.” Mary (Bowerman White) Jennings was the mother-in-law of Levi West.

Many thanks to Lorelle VanFossen for her genealogical work. VanFossen is a descendant of Levi West. To see her compilation of the descendants of David West, go to: http://family.cameraontheroad.com/family-names/david-west-descendants/

David West (1758 – after 1826) Part 2: 1810 – 1817

Compiled by Joy Ikelman, May 2016. All disclaimers apply.

David West (1758 – after 1826)

[Part 2: 1810 – 1817]

Summary:  David West is the ancestor of one of our West DNA Family Group #5 participants. This article examines the years he lived in Prince Edward County, Upper Canada. Three questions will be answered:

• How did David West’s land lease document reflect changes in Quaker thinking?
• Was David West a Loyalist?
• What else do we know about David West during the years 1810-1817?

     Note: Quaker customs, terminology, and record-keeping are unique. Please refer to UnderstandingQuaker Records on this blog site for more information.

 

Land Lease Petition, Ameliasburgh Township, Upper Canada

In March 2016, I found a remarkable document in the Canada Archives. It was David West’s land lease petition of 1811. In the family stories that had been recorded, his sons Benjamin, Abraham, and Levi lived in Canada. However, there was no mention of David West living there. This document was a total surprise!

To his Excellency Francis Gore, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Upper Canada

               In Council:

   The Petition of David West of the Township of Ameliasburg, Yeoman.

               Humbly showeth That your Petitioner is desirous to obtain a Lease of the Reserved Lot Number thirtythree on the third Concession Township of Ameliasburg Lake Side in the Midland District and begs leave to offer Benjaman [sic] West of the Township of Ameliasburg, Yeoman, as a Surety to be joined in a Bond with your Petitioner to secure the required payments of the rents According to the terms of the Lease, that your Petitioner is prepared to pay In Advance of Rent Immediately after the Order in Council the fees for perfecting the Lease.

               Wherefore your Petitioner Prays that your Excellency may be pleased to grant him said Lease as Your Petitioner is ready to Settle Immediately upon the same on the Terms mentioned In the Notice Issued from the Council office hearing at the fourth of April 1811. Your Petitioner being prepared to comply with the Terms of the same.

               And your Petitioner as in

               Duty bound will ever pray

               David West [signed]

               Ameliasburg, July 4^th 1811

 

General Analysis of the Document 

There are five pages in the document: the petition, oath of allegiance, testimony of neighbors, payment, and stages of approval. The petition went through several layers of bureaucracy, and was finally approved on 28 Dec 1811. [1] David West assigned surety to his son, Benjamin.  

The Bay of Quinte settlements. The location of the land was in Ameliasburgh (or Ameliasburg) Township, Prince Edward County (not Prince Edward Island), Upper Canada. Prince Edward County is surrounded by Lake Ontario to the west, and the Bay of Quinte on the north and east. David West’s land was probably inland of these large bodies of water. Upper Canada is now Ontario.

Payment for the lease. David West paid “One Pound, twelve shillings and six pence of the fees in the Clergy Reserves, Lot no. 33.” The Clergy Reserves were parcels of land whose rent benefitted the Church of England. These plots, usually 200 acres, were leased for seven years and then renegotiated at a higher price. [2] The Wests left the area just before these seven years were complete. The crops grown on the land, including timber, could create profits for the lessee. Lot 33 was noted as “Timber not known.” Settlers were eager to rent these lands because they were unused parcels—some in very good locations and with timber ready to harvest.

Residency before leasing. The 1811 petition states that David and Benjamin West were “of Ameliasburg,” not “of New York.” This indicates that they were residents in Ameliasburgh before the land lease request. My theory is that they arrived shortly before August 1810, as they did not appear in the U.S. census of 1810. (The census began in August.) The (likely) birth of Benjamin and Polly’s daughter in Canada in 1810 also points to this year. [3]

Recommendation of the neighbors. The neighbors described David West as “a man worthy of the Notes of any gentleman,” and “a man we would wish to settell in our Neighborhood . . .” Eleven people signed this document. They verified that West had worked on the land prior to his petition, and even paid forty dollars to another man to help him. [4]

The importance of yeomen. David and Benjamin West stated that they were yeoman. In that era, a “yeoman” was usually defined as a property owner of either a small or large farm. To fellow Friends, they were “landed Quakers.” [5] In my opinion, this might indicate that the men owned land in Dutchess County or Greene County, New York, before they moved to Canada. [6] A yeoman’s presence would add value to the neighborhood. For instance, David West may have brought livestock, seed, tools, and supplies. These could potentially benefit others. [7] He may have also come with personal experience in land management that was useful to younger, landless settlers—both Quaker and non-Quaker. [8]

This is a first level analysis of the land lease petition. To understand implications relating to the Society of Friends, I looked deeper.

Analysis of the Document from a Quaker Perspective

Clergy Reserve lands were off limits to Quakers. Quaker discipline stated that Friends were not allowed to lease Clergy Reserve lands. The resolution by the Canada Half Year Meeting stated: “that it is inconsistent with our religious principles for any member of our religious Society to lease lands that are set apart or reserved by Government for the sole use and maintenance of a Protestant Clergy.” [9] This referred to the Church of England.

David West ignored the ruling. The rule was in place in 1810, but it seems that David West chose to ignore it. Other Quakers ignored it, too. [10] This was an act of defiance from the settlers in Upper Canada to the controlling Monthly Meetings in distant New York and Pennsylvania. [11]

Quakers and non-Quakers worked together, contrary to the rule of separateness. The Clergy Reserve lands were often located in a checkerboard pattern. These vacant lands would generally have unimproved roads, and this would hinder the distribution of goods to markets. [12] In a cooperative effort, Quakers and non-Quakers would buy or lease continuous swaths of land. This was called land banking. This ensured better infrastructure such as road improvement, fencing, and area-specific regulations determined by the settlers, themselves. [13]

Quakers and non-Quakers, together, were reforming policy at a local level. Alliance with non-Quakers would be crucial in reforming the outdated policies of the colonial administration. [14] Participation in government was not approved by Quaker discipline. Cooperation with non-Quakers in matters of community was a new idea, and frowned on by the traditional Society of Friends. This was another step challenging the Quaker tradition of “separateness.”

Pledging allegiance to King George was contrary to Quaker discipline. The provincial government encouraged settlement by Friends because they were “hardworking and diligently fulfilled their settlement duties.” [15] However, in order to initiate the land lease petition request, the applicant had to pledge allegiance to the King. This was the law. The provincial government knew that Quaker discipline forbade taking oaths of any kind. So, the government allowed “affirmations.” Quaker discipline objected to affirmations of allegiance, too.

David West risked disciplinary action. David West was part of a new era of Friends who decided to risk disciplinary action to ensure his family’s future. Twenty years later, Benjamin West would affirm of allegiance while living in Norwich, Oxford County, Ontario. [16] By then, this kind of affirmation was more accepted by the Society of Friends. Here is a record of David West’s affirmation of allegiance of 1811 that I transcribed from the Clerk’s handwriting:

I do certify that David West being a Quaker has this day taken and Subscribed the Solemn affirmation and declaration of Allegiance to his Majesty King George as required by Law before me. Ameliasburg, July 4^th 1811, James Young [Town Clerk]

 

Was David West a Loyalist?

Since he affirmed allegiance to the King in 1811, does this mean David West was a Loyalist? Let’s rewind back to the Revolutionary War.

The Wests during the Revolutionary War. The term “Loyalist” is usually associated with the Revolutionary War. In July of 1777, three things happened in this West family. (1) David’s brother, Benajah West, served in the New York Militia. [17] (2) Brother Elisha West took an oath of allegiance to New York. [18] (3) David’s father, Elijah West, was hosting Vermont state delegates at his Inn in Windsor to draft Vermont’s first Constitution. [19]

David West married into a traditional Quaker family. David West married Susannah Hoag between 1779 and 1782. [20] Susannah Hoag’s family had been Quakers for four generations. West probably was a convinced (converted) Friend before his marriage or shortly after he married. As a Quaker, he would have abided by the Peace Testimony.

The Peace Testimony. Quaker discipline forbade participation in war. This is called the “Peace Testimony.” [21] Quakers were not to aid either side with money, men, or supplies. If they did, they were disowned from the Society of Friends. [22] There is a misconception that any Quakers who came to Canada were Loyalists. During the Revolutionary War, Quakers were not officially Loyalists. And, they were not officially Patriots. A Friend might favor one side over the other, but would have to abandon Quaker beliefs in order to act on his/her political beliefs.

Persecution from Both Sides. If was difficult to remain neutral during the Revolutionary War. There were incidents in which Patriots and Loyalists plundered Quaker farms—destroyed structures, burned fields, and took the livestock. Both sides imprisoned Friends. Both sides demanded payment for non-participation in war. Both sides believed that Quakers were spies and traitors. [23]

After the War. Some Loyalists (non-Quakers) moved to Canada right after the Revolutionary War. The settlements bordering the Bay of Quinte were settled beginning in 1784. [24] Only a few Quakers made the move at that time. Those that did were clustered in settlements, together. The religion was still based around its separateness from the secular world.

The Quaker Western Movement. Most Quaker immigration to Canada began in the early 1800s, twenty years after the Revolutionary War. This was not a Loyalist movement to Canada. It was essentially Quaker expansionism. This was called the “Western Movement.” [25] New Quaker communities were created in Canada, western New York, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. David West and his family came to Canada in 1810, almost thirty years after the War.

David West was not a Loyalist.  He did not move to Canada to escape the United States after the Revolutionary War. He was looking at the options for securing land at a good price. He chose Upper Canada first. The law said he had to affirm allegiance to the King just to start the petition process. After seven years he probably wanted to avoid the rent increase. The family moved to western New York and eventually to Michigan.

 

A Few More Records about the David West Family

During the Quaker migrations to new territories and states, groups of Quaker families would travel together, and sometimes settle together. The West Family may have traveled with other migrants from the Nine Partners Monthly Meeting (Dutchess County, NY). David West was 52 years old; Susannah was 55 years old. Benjamin was 28, and wife Polly was 21. Abraham was 23 and unmarried, and Levi was 14. If there were unmarried sisters, they might have been about 25 and 17 years old. Jacob (age 21) and his wife Lana stayed in Greene County, New York.

I could find no further records on David West until 1818—when he bought land in Genesee County, New York. [26] It is possible that he moved back to New York before then, and left the leased land in Benjamin’s care. There are records for Benjamin, Abraham, and Levi. Here are a few things that are I found.

• Benjamin West was a member of Adophustown Monthly Meeting.  As far as I could tell, Benjamin was the only West who was active in a Monthly Meeting during this time period. In Ameliasburgh, Friends held Meetings in homes. [27] Anyone could come to the Meeting—you did not have to be a Friend. However, there were advantages of having a certificate of membership from the closest Monthly Meeting. Being a Quaker was much like having an insurance policy—it guaranteed that the community would take care of your family in matters of health, education, and finances. [28] In Dec 1812, Benjamin applied for membership in Adolphustown Monthly Meeting. He was approved in Feb 1813. [29] When it was time to move back to New York in 1817, Benjamin requested a transfer from the Meeting. [30]

• Levi West served in the War of 1812. Levi West served in the militia during the War of 1812 (which lasted from 1812 to 1815). He was 17 years old during his service. As a son of a Quaker, the directive to remain neutral in war time was paramount. It is possible that Levi made his own decision. The age of commitment (or official adulthood) with the Friends was 21. [31]

In October of 1812, an order from the Provincial Parliament required all inhabitants of 16 and older to take an oath of allegiance. [32] I could not find a roll of these oaths, but Levi was probably on it. Also, in Prince Edward County the government fined Quakers “20 shillings a year in peace time for exemption, £5 sterling in war.” [33]

 

Levi West’s service was in two parts. In July 1813, Levi served in the Prince Edward (County) Militia under Lieutenant Daniel Dorland. He was a Private. His unit brought Government batteaux from the head of the Bay of Quinte to the fort at Kingston, Ontario. [34] Batteaux were flat-bottom boats used to carry supplies—and sometimes soldiers—down the difficult waterways to forts. [35]  

 

In October 1813, Levi served under Sergeant James Pierson, in Captain James Young’s Company, transporting Government batteaux from Kingston to York, Ontario. [36] Sergeant Pierson, Captain Young, and two other men in his unit were neighbors who had signed the land lease petition for David West in 1811. [37]

• The West brothers married the White sisters. In 1815, Abraham married Mary White. Mary was the daughter of Nathaniel White and Mary Bowerman, who lived in Hallowell, Prince Edward County. The Whites had migrated from Dutchess County in about 1790. [38] Abraham and Mary’s first child, Elizabeth, was born in Hallowell in February 1816. [39] They moved back to New York, where their second child, Mary Ann was born in December 1817. [40] It is likely that Mary West (his wife) died shortly thereafter. Abraham remarried in 1822. [41] Sometime in 1817, Levi married Nancy White, the sister of Mary. [42] Their first child (Mary) may have been born in Palmyra, Wayne County, New York. [43] Their second child, Nathaniel, was born in 1818, in Elba, Genesee County, NY. [44]

The data about Benjamin, Abraham, and Levi point to the West Family’s move to western New York before December 1817. All four sons—Benjamin, Abraham, Levi, and Jacob—were counted in the 1820 Census of Elba, Genesee County, New York. By the 1840s, the brothers were living in Michigan.

 

Conclusion

Between 1810 and 1817, David West and his family were living in Upper Canada. This was part of a Quaker movement to expand into new territories. Quaker settlers were many miles from their original Meeting, which held strict discipline over many aspects of their personal lives, including marriage. A more progressive viewpoint was held in the new settlements. Cooperation with non-Quakers was essential to living in these remote areas. Waiting for a ruling from the Monthly or Yearly Meeting was non-productive. Personal life and social interactions—including mixed marriages of Quakers and non-Quakers (“marriage out of unity”)—increased.

While many historians maintain that the restlessness in the Society began in the 1820s, the David West story shows that it started nearly a decade before that time.

 

Please refer to Part 3: 1818-1826 for more information on David West.

 

References and Additional Notes

West Family DNA group results are at http://web.utk.edu/~corn/westdna/west5.htm.

1. Library and Archives, Canada, 2012: “No. 74, Lease, The Petition of David West for a Lease of Lot No. 33, 3^rd Cn, Ameliasburgh,” Upper Canada Land Petitions “W” Bundle Leases, 1797-1817, RG 1, L3, Vol. 545. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/index-e.html. Accessed Mar 2016. The microfilm images were added to the site in 2012.

2. Wikipedia: Clergy Reserves. Accessed Mar 2016.

3. Daughter Mary West was born in 1807 in New York. Daughter Susan or Susannah West was probably born in 1810 in Canada. This needs to be verified. Son Briggs West was born in 1811 in Canada. The rest of Benjamin and Polly West’s children were born in Ameliasburgh or Norwich, Canada. Data from Lorelle Van Fossen: http://family.cameraontheroad.com/family-names/david-west-descendants/. Accessed May 2016. Also refer to Raisin Center Friends Cemetery on Findagrave.com.

4. Transcribed directly with original spelling, including original spelling of names:

         To whom These presents shall Come We the under Subscribers do Recommend David West of Amelesburge a man worthy of the Notes of any gentleman, before whom these presents shall come and further do Certify that the Provost brought the Labour of one John Hauck done on Lott No 33 in the third Consseson of Ameliasburge Lake Shore For which he paid forty dollars and since he has done a great deal of Labour on said Lott himself and it is our sincear wish that the Provost might order a Lease for Sd Lott as he is a man who would we would wish to Settell in our Neighborhood and do pray that your honors would be pleased to grant our request.

Ameliasburg the 4^th of July 1811

[Signed:] Robert Young, James Peirson, Thomas Young, Aaron Peirson, Stephen Chase, Robert Hauyck, John Huyck Junr, John Thease, Simon [?], Amos Phillips, James Young, T.C. [Town Clerk]

5. Gregory Finnegan, 1995: “People of Providence, Polity and Property: Domesticity, Philanthropy and Land Ownership as Instruments of Quaker Community Development in Adolphustown, Upper Canada, 1784-1824,” Canadian Quaker History Journal, Canadian Friends Historical Association, Toronto. As an example, p. 11.

6. It is possible that David West and son Benjamin owned land in Windham Township, Greene County, NY, prior to moving to Upper Canada. Jacob West (another son) and his wife stayed behind.

7. Arthur Garratt Dorland, 1927: A History of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in Canada, The MacMillan Company of Canada Limited, Toronto, p. 87.

8. Finnegan, p. 12.

9. Dorland, p. 23.

10. Robynne Rogers Healey, 2002 (article): “From Quaker to Upper Canadian: The Boundaries of Community Identity among Yonge Street Friends, 1801-1850,” Annual Conference, University of Toronto, 26-27 May 2002, Historical Papers, Canadian Society of Church History, p. 33.

11. Dorland, p. 23.

12. Healey, p. 33.

13. Finnegan, p. 3.

14. Healey, p. 37.

15. Healey, p. 25. Healey’s article is a history of the Yonge Street Friends settlement (Toronto). Similar narratives existed wherever Quakers settled in the early 1800s.

16. Upper Canada: Naturalization Registers, 1828-1850, #G5, B47, Vol. 3. Library and Archives Canada. Benjamin West’s oath of allegiance was sworn in 1831 in Norwich, Oxford County, Upper Canada. Found at www.bac-lac.gc.ca, accessed Mar 2016.

I do swear or being one of the persons allowed by Law to affirm in special cases, do affirm, that I have resided seven years in His Majesty’s Dominions without having been during that time a stated resident in any foreign country, and that I will be faithful and bear true Allegiance to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and of this Province as dependent therein. So help me God.

#45. Benjamin West, Norwich, Farmer, February 28, 1831 [signed Benjamin West]

17. Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Research Database. http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/. Accessed April 2015.

18. State of New York, 1925: Minutes of the Committee and of the First Commission for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies in the State of New York, December 11, 1776 – September 23, 1778 with Collateral Documents. New York Historical Society, New York, NY, p. 338.

19. Elijah West’s dwelling in Windsor, Vermont, is now a designated historic landmark.  http://historicsites.vermont.gov/directory/old_constitution/history

20. For more information, please refer to Part 1 in this series on David West.

21. Lisa Hansen, 2004: “Friends and Peace: Quaker Pacifist Influence in Ontario to the Early Twentieth Century,” The Quaker Archives and Library of Canada, Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Accessed Apr 2015.

22. Robynne Rogers Healey, 2006 (book): From Quaker to Upper Canadian: Faith and Community among Yonge Street Friends, 1801-1850, McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal and Kingston, p. 103. Healey quotes The Discipline of the New York Meeting, 1810:

[It is a disownable offense] to bear arms, or actively comply with military requisitions, be concerned in wartime preparations, offensive or defensive, by sea or land, pay a fine, penalty, or tax, in lieu of personal service, deal in prize goods, directly or indirectly, or be concerned in promoting the publication of writings which tend to excite the spirit of war.

23. Hugh Barbour, Christopher Densmore, Elizabeth H. Moger, Nancy C. Sorel, Alson D. Van Wagner, and Arthur J. Worrall, 1995: Quaker Crosscurrents, Three Hundred Years of Friends in the New York Yearly Meetings, New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, New York. Pages 57-61 provide some examples of Quaker persecution during the Revolutionary War.

24. Clarence M Warner, 1914: “The Bay of Quinte Settlements during the War of 1812,” Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association, Vol. 13, pp. 189-198.

25. Dorland, “Chapter 3: The American Background of the Quaker Migration to Canada,” p. 42-62.

26. Karen E. Livsey, 1991: Western New York Land Transactions, 1804-1824, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland, p. 194.  Accessed on ancestry.com, Mar 2016.

27. Dorland, p. 86.

28. Finnegan, p. 2.

29. Adolphustown Monthly Meeting Minutes, 1798-1813, Archives O-2-1, Trustees of the Canadian Yearly Meeting at the Religious Society of Friends, transcriptions by Carm Foster (p. 267, 269), Lynda Worther (p. 271, 273), coordinated by Randy Saylor, Toronto, Ontario.

30. Norwich Monthly Meeting, Men’s, 1822-1834, May 1826. West Lake Monthly Meeting, Book C, 1824-1837. Images at ancestry.com in Canada, Quaker Meeting Records, 1786-1988. Accessed March 2016. Correspondence between the two Monthly Meetings occurred between January and May of 1826 before the matter was settled. West Lake took over the minute book of Adolphustown when it was laid down (discontinued) in 1821. I transcribed this from the handwritten record:

Benjamin West requested our certificate to your meeting. This may certify that he has a right of membership with us, and by inquiry his temporal affairs appeared settled to satisfaction. Signed in and on behalf of Adolphus Monthly Meeting, held on 20 of 11 month 1817, by Gilbert Dorland, Clerk.

31. J. William Frost, 1973: The Quaker Family in Colonial America: A Portrait of the Society of Friends, St. Martin’s Press, NY, p. 136. Age 21 was the age of legal accountability, and men were encouraged to marry after this age.

32. Warner, p. 195.

33. William Richard Lunn and Janet Lunn, 1967: The County: The First Hundred Years in Loyalist Prince Edward, Prince Edward County Council, Picton, Ontario, p. 134.

34. Randy Saylor, transcriber, 2011: “Prince Edward Militia, Muster Rolls and Pay Lists of Various Officers, 1812-1814.” Accessed April 2015. Original source: War of 1812, Returns, Nominal Rolls and Pay Lists, R 1022-1-6-E, film at Toronto Public Library, p. 297-298.

35. Robert Malcomson, 2003: “Batteau in the British Service during the War of 1812,” The Northern Mariner/Le Marin du Nord, Volume XIII, No. 4, p. 17-28. Men who had this job were called batteaumen. Malcomsen writes: “Life in the batteaux was demanding. The hours long, the labour hard and tedious, potentially dangerous, and completely exposed to the elements.”

36. Prince Edward Militia, p. 321-322.

37. Neighbors who were in his company were: James Peirson, Aaron Peirson, Thomas Young, and James Young. Henry Hyuck was also in this company—he was probably related to John Huyck, another neighbor.

38. Albert C. Bowerman, 1904: The “Bowerman” Family of Canada, Descendants of Ichabod Bowerman of Dutchess Co., NY, 1683-1796, unpublished, typed manuscript. Part of the collection of E.H. Marion Crock of Bloomfield, Ontario. Archived at Pickering College, Newmark, Ontario. Folder 5-4-6. Information used with permission of Canadian Quaker Archives and Randy Saylor, project coordinator. Image 71, transcribed by Judy Andrus Toporcer.  

39. William Wade Hinshaw, Thomas Worth Marshall, and Dr. Barlow Lindley, compilers, 1946: “Adrian Monthly Meeting,” Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, 1607-1943, Volume IV, p. 1384. Reprint: Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland, 1994. The originals are archived at Swarthmore College, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, probably found in Adrian Preparative Meeting, 1836-1874.

40. Hinshaw, p. 1384. This is also mentioned in the Bowerman manuscript of 1904.

41. Hartland Monthly Meeting of Friends, 1821-1905: Vital Records: Marriages 1821-1850, H393, Volume 3.1. Swarthmore College, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore, PA.

42. Bowerman, Image 99, transcribed by Doug Smith.

43. _______, 1888: Portrait and Biographical Album of Lenawee County, Michigan, Chapman Brothers, Chicago, Illinois, p. 452.

44. “Norwich Monthly Meeting Records, Names Set off from Pelham Monthly Meetings,” Archives of Ontario, Toronto. Canada, Quaker Meeting Records, 1786-1898, images online at ancestry.com. Accessed March 2016.   This is a census of the Norwich Monthly Meeting from 1830. Nathaniel is listed as born in 1819.

 

Many thanks to Lorelle VanFossen for her genealogical work. VanFossen is a descendant of Levi West. To see her compilation of the descendants of David West, go to: http://family.cameraontheroad.com/family-names/david-west-descendants/