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1861 Ontario Census

I just picked up my late father's work on our genealogy. We have a Loyalist (Butler's Rangers) ancestor, John PENCIL who settled in Fredericksburg with his wife Eva Dingman McNutt and her children from a prior marriage. John and Eva had one child together, John Pencil, Jr. born either 1786 or 1789. He married Fanny Jackson fo Richmond around 1816. They had at least hte following children:

- Laura born abt 1812 died ? married Carleton Kerr
- Nancy born abt 1814 died abt 1854 married John Drader
- John III born 1834? died ? married Martha Hubble

Note the big gap between Nancy and John III.

My father's notes state that there was a Jethro Pencil born abt 1830 in Loughboro Twp. Frontenac County and a Michael Pencil born abt 1821 in Richmond Twp, Lennox and Addington Co. in the 1861 census.

I would like more info on Jethro or Michael or any of the individuals mentioned above.

Thank you.

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Permalink Reply by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on September 29, 2010 at 12:41pm

Sorry I missed this query but here I am now with some information for you. Your John Pencil is found on p 12 of "Early Settlers in Niagara, inlcuding the First Census 1782, 1783, 1784, 1786, 17871" in "Return of Persons Under the Description of Loyalists in Capt. Peter TenBroeck's Co. of the Corps of Rangers, Niagara, 20 NOv. 1783" Lucky you because the entire family is listed with their ages!

John Pensell [sic] 45
Mrs. Pensell 31
James Pensell 10
Gradus Pensell 6
Catherine Pensell 14
Sarah Pensell 12
Margrate Pensell 4

Spelling is as recorded in the return.

What strikes me as odd is that the names don't agree with your facts AND the fact that Loyalists who settled in Fredericksburg were not usually from Butler's Rangers - almost all of those men settled in the Niagara area. Are you sure there are not TWO John Pensells?

See Loyalists for more help with Loyalist research and also check the new online index to Upper Canada Land Petitions

Permalink Reply by Loretta P. Lisowski on September 29, 2010 at 3:28pm

Hi Lorine,

The above 1783 list is for John Pencil, SR. and his new wife Eva Dingman McNutt (married Mar. 30, 1783). The children listed are actually her children from her previous marriage to James McNutt, Sr. This is the only list that listed them by their step-father's surname.

Eva Dingman McNutt Pencil had family members (Garrett Dingman, her brother and John Woodcock, her brother-in-law) who were scheduled to receive their land allotments in Fredricksburg. So although most Butler's Rangers settled in the Niagara region, John Pencil, SR. complied with his new wife's wishes by settling in the same township as her relatives.

John Pencil, SR. and Eva had one child together, John Pencil, JR. It is John Pencil, JR. who married Fanny Jackson of Richmond circa 1816. I am asking about their children who would be the grandchildren of John Pencil, SR.

I have another question though because my info is a little different than yours. I have this same info from a different source but John Pensell, SR. is listed as in Col. John Butler's Company not Capt. Ten Broeck's. Who is the author of the book you mentioned above? Maybe I can get this through interlibrary loan.

Permalink Reply by Al (alpobc) on September 29, 2010 at 4:38pm

Hi Loretta;
The book that Lorine mentions is by Corlene Taylor, Ontario Genealogical Society. Niagara Peninsula Branch. If you put Early Settlers in Niagara in http://books.google.ca you'll find it. The Allen County Public Library in FT WAYNE, IN 46802 United States has it. You can search library catalogues at World Cat.
I hope this helps.

Al Parsons
Duncan, British Columbia, Canada

1861 Ontario Census

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