My Research Challenge: Jonathan Butler in the Queen’s Bush settlement in Ontario Canada

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Permalink Reply by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on July 25, 2009 at 10:05am

Jonathan Butler in the Queen’s Bush settlement in Ontario Canada

My husband’s ancestor Jonathan Butler and two of his sons are noted in early Ontario census and tax assessment records as “negro”, “African”, “black” and “mulatto” By the third generation (Jonathan’s grandchildren) some of his descendants are recorded in the census as “black”, some as “mulatto” and others as “white”

We find no trace of Jonathan before 1834 and he disappears after 1840. His wife’s name is recorded only once, in church records, as “Elizabeth Ginkins” Perhaps it was Jenkins but this is speculation.

The first record we find of Jonathan is an 1834 assessment record for Woolwich Township, Gore District (now in Waterloo County Ontario). Here he is recorded as “Negro Butler” (no first name!) over 16 years of age, with 100 acres of uncultivated land west of the Grand River. The fact that his acreage is uncultivated was a clue that indicates he had probably only recently arrived in this area which was known as “The Queen’s Bush”

The lure of free land attracted Black settlers to the Queen's Bush Settlement. The community developed in the Clergy Reserve known as the Queen's Bush, which extended from Waterloo County to Lake Huron. This area, eight by twelve miles in size, had a population of approximately 2,500 by 1840. Of these about 1,500 were Black settlers.

Our next finding for Jonathan is an 1837 Assessment record which shows his full name – Jonathan Butler. He now has 20 acres of cultivated land and is in a household of 5 males under the age of 16 (presumably his sons) and 3 females under 16 (presumably his daughters) plus himself and his wife. If we assume that the children are his children, this allows us to put their dates of birth as being circa 1821 and 1837.

The next year (1838) finds identical numbers but now he has 30 acres cultivated. 1839 records him as Jonathan Butler, black, with 70 acres cultivated and the same number (and ages) of people in his home.

Under the religion category it states they belong to “other religion” and an unreadable notation in the column headed “unbaptised or not belonging to any denomination” It may be that the family belonged to a local black church but I have been unable to find any church records. To jump ahead in my story, we know that one of his sons was married and baptised as an adult in the Catholic Church and a second son was Lutheran (possibly due to the influcence of his German Lutheran wife)

In 1840 we find Jonathan for the last time. He has 60 cultivated acres and is recorded as Jonathan Butler. There is no record of number of individuals in the household this year.

Permalink Reply by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on July 25, 2009 at 10:06am

Alan Butler ca 1821-1872

We know that his son (my husband’s next direct ancestor) was John Alan Butler, known as Alan. Alan was baptized as an adult in 1851 at St Agatha Roman Catholic Church in Wilmot Township, Waterloo Co. He was recorded as the legitimate son of Jonathon Butler and Elizabetha Ginkens. One month later Alan was married in this scame church.

The marriage record, in Latin, reads

Joannes Alanus Butler [ex Toronto], legitimate son of Jonathon Butler and Elizabetha Ginkens [sic], was married to Catherina Weiss [ex Alsatis], legitimate daughter of Antonis Weiss and Catherina Dilirt [parentibus testibus (witness) Antonis Kaiser] at St Agatha, territoris Wilmot, February 20, 1851.

At his marriage to a German woman he was noted as “From Toronto” This could mean he simply lived in Toronto prior to coming to Waterloo County, or that he was born there. I have searched the few Toronto records I could find for the time period prior to 1834 (when his father Jonathan is found in Waterloo) and did find mention of a black hairdresser named Jonathan Butler married to a white woman and said to be so well off that he and his wife had white servants. I have trouble however reconciling this man with our Jonathan who was a simple farmer in the Queen’s Bush in 1834!

Allan is found in the 1851 census for Waterloo County with his wife. He is age 28. In the 1861 census for the same location he is age 36 and recorded as “mulatto” In 1871 he is recorded on the census as “African – black”. His place of birth is Canada (presumably in present day Ontario)

Alan died in 1872 at the age of 51 which gives him an approximate year of birth of 1821. So we know that his father Jonathan Butler was in Ontario at least as early as 1821. Alan’s widow, a German woman, took their children and re-located to Culross, Bruce County Ontario between 1872 and 1881.

Permalink Reply by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on July 25, 2009 at 10:07am

George Butler ca 1832-1902

The only other child of Jonathan and Elizabeth that we have proven is George Butler who was born in 1832 in Toronto Ontario and died in 1902 in Waterloo County. An early Atlas records George settling in the area of Floradale Waterloo County in 1835. We find George in 1851, living with a Mennonite family.

In 1861 census he is listed as “mulatto” and is with his German wife and children. 1871 census records him as “black” and the 1881 records him as “African” In the 1891 census George states that his mother was Irish and his father was born in the USA. The 1901 census is the last record of George before his death and it records him as “black, African”

Permalink Reply by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on July 25, 2009 at 10:09am

The Challenge

Our challenge is great – we are missing 8 children for Jonathan and Elizabeth. We are missing Jonathan and Elizabeth after 1840. They are not found in the 1851 census, nor the 1861 but there are many missing areas for both those census years. However Waterloo County appears to be intact, and his sons Alan and George are found there in 1851. So our question is did Jonathan and Elizabeth leave the area? If so, where? Did they take their other children with them?

There are two other male Butlers who may be sons – William born in the USA between 1822 and 1828 and Henry born in Ontario about 1829. It has been difficult to trace William and Henry and so far there is no proof they are sons of Jonathan other than geographic location (Waterloo County) and ethnic origins (black)

We have a rather grainy image of one of Alan’s daughters (Jonathan’s grand-daughter) but no other photographs or records to aid us in our search. We are unable to find Jonathan’s origins in the USA, nor when he arrived in Canada, nor his year of birth.

Permalink Reply by Angela Walton-Raji on July 25, 2009 at 9:10pm

Any possibility that the family could have emigrated to the US? You have outlined your challenge quite well, as it was thoroughly described.

Permalink Reply by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on July 26, 2009 at 6:18am

Hi Angela, Yes the family may have gone back to USA but I'm unable to find Jonathan and/or his wife in 1850 or 1860 census in America. There are Jonathan Butler males but I can't determine if any are my husband's ancestor.