Upper Sundries: The Petition from the Residents of the London District, Ontario 1838

In going through the Upper Sundries files on the Library and Archives Canada (LAC), I stumbled upon a petition that was fairly interesting from both a historical and genealogical perspective. In the Rebellion of 1838, a few men were convicted of treason. Apparently, the provincial authorities were going to execute a gentlemen named Enoch Moore before the Queen had ruled on the matter. Many believed that this was not the correct course of action. Petitions from various locations were submitted, and these can be found in the Upper Sundries collection.

What has this to do with the Isaac Haney in question? The Moore family had ties to the Whitsell and Disher families. An examination of the August Jones map of Thorold for 1794 shows those families located near ours. There is also a Moore located next to George Maynes on the map of Pelham Township in 1811 rendered by Cynthia Parnell in the 1980s. It seems that one lot held by Jeremiah Moore fell into the possession of the Rev. Leonard Haney.

Now, the Isaac Haney that I am researching was dead by 1836 and never lived in Malahide from what anyone can discern. However, his sons were alive, and some ended up in the Malahide region. Therefore, for many of my cousins, this is a very important item. Many of the families that marry into the Ebenezer, Isaac Jr, and Mathew families can be found on these petitions.

The petition can be seen here and extends through several pages ending here. At the top of the page, there is a search box for that page, so you can type in your ancestors name.

How Did I Find This?

I used the finding aid, something I am pretty lousy at doing. I did a preliminary search and found a reference to Isaac Haney on this reel. There is a number right there, in this case the number is 114002. Then I went to the front of the reel and found the microfilm reel for record 114002 was C6902 shelf list 206. Now, it turns out that this microfilm has been digitized and is on line. Scrolling through the images, I was able to find the reference and the petition. I was actually rather excited as I have not had good luck with finding aids in the past.

Sadly, the reference isn't to my gentleman, but many of my cousins and those who married into the family may find this an interesting resource. Given that the earliest census is 1842, this petition gives a listing of some residents in the London District a few years prior to the first census and offers some clues about their lives and political views.

 Interpretation

Some who signed the petition supported the rebellion. However, for many others people, the issue at hand was probably the right of appeal to the crown.  Many believed that the men should not be executed until the Queen had heard the case and ruled on the matter. The residents of the London District brought forth a petition on the matter to the Lt. Governor supporting this idea.

Beyond the historical ramifications of the petition, the genealogical value is that if your ancestor signed the petition, you can reasonably expect they were living in the London District at the time of the petition. Now, if they did not sign, that doesn't mean they were not there. To that extent, it is not a census. However, it does give the reader additional confirmation that their people were in the region, and perhaps an idea that they supported the Queens ultimate authority in matters, or perhaps that they had some sympathy for the Moore family or their political perspectives.

This petition is by the residents of the London District. Many families who appear later in Elgin County appear to have signed the petition. I noticed a few families who appear later in Lincoln and Welland Counties, so it is still worth evaluating if you are not turning up anything in land records. Many families who married into cousin lines, such as the Zavits, Balls, Brown, & Schooley family members may find relatives. I am not related to any of those families and I found a few, so I am certain anyone familiar with these families will find more family members.

Thomas Edison's ancestors appears to have signed it, and several members of the Doan family can be found. Reagans, Calls, Callahan, Braan, Campbell, King, MacKay, Mason, Mines, Rollo and Tark signatures appear at the beginning of the petition. Hundreds of people signed this, so if you suspect your ancestors were in the Elgin or Middlesex area, you might want to try a search.

Some families were loyalists and others were not. The Light family is mentioned on another blog.

Important to Canadian Genealogists

Because the first enumerated census does not occur until 1842, this petition, along with other items in Upper Sundries, can be useful in locating an ancestor. For example, two cousin lines of mine are Ebenezer Haney (who married Hannah Slough and later Abigail Goff Dills) and another is Rev. Isaac Haney Jr (married Sarah Cottingham). Ebenezer is found on the Pelham Tax list in 1836, and the widow that he later marries is on the Census of 1842 in Wainfleet. Ebenezer submitted, and received, lands from Col Talbot in Elgin County in the 1840s, so there has been some discussion about when he moved to Elgin. He did not sign this petition as far as I can see, so he was likely still in Pelham in 1838.  However, his younger brother, Isaac is located in Elgin in 1842. Isaac Haney Jr does appears as a signer on this petition. This suggests he was in the London District, or fairly close, at the time of the rebellion.

The document, as it sits on the LAC website, isn't easy for some to read. I am not very good at finding documents, but I have some rudimentary skills at enhancing images and making them a bit more readable. I took the upper part of the petition and worked a bit on it so that it is a bit more readable. If you click here  it will take you to a transcription and a larger version of the text, and some of the signatures.

The information for citing this resource is here.

Some enhanced signatures are below. There are doctors, lawyers, and regular people. Some have tiny signatures barely readable, and others have large and quite flourished signatures.

Some, like Peter and H.K. Sutton, are just trying to sign where the ink didn't spill, and others like Abraham McLun (?), seem to run out of ink.

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Daniel Fergusson still use the "essette" for the letter "s" of the prior era suggesting they are older.

Some go on to have famous descendants, like Thomas Edison.

Several people who signed had grandchildren or children who marry into the family later. For example, Asa Schooley's grandson would marry into the family.

Jacob Zavits has kin who marry into the family. Just above him is Isreal J. Doan, one of several Doan family members who sign on the petition. 

The Goff family has a widowed daughter named Abigail who would later marry into the family and play an important role in the family genealogy. One family member commemorated in the Denver branch of the family is David Goff Haney. Going out on a limb speculating, but it seems to me some guy on this next one is related to Abigail. 

The Ball family will find James Ball centrally located, just under Mathew Caldwell and John Stephens, and to the left of Lemuel Freeman and to the right of Albert Ellis. 

Let's not forget Isaac Haney, who was my raison d'être for even looking at this petition. This is before he is a full fledged reverend. Some researchers believe he may have actually been circulating the petition. 

There was also the discovery of Isaac's brother, John Haney on the petition. 

There is also a John Moore just under Herman McKenzie. It is nice to know he signed the petition on his own behest. Several members of the Brooks family sign the petition, one is visible above named William Brooks.

Some of the signatures I enhanced. However, the petition is fairly long, and you simply have to check LAC website to see if your people are there. 

Historical Background

Colin Read and Ronald Stagg's The Rebellion of 1837 in Upper Canada (1985) describes Enoch Moore in the following way.

"Enoch Moore appointed Captain in 1837 Rebellion.  He was born in New Jersey before 1776 "His loyalist father took his family, including his sons, Enoch, Elias and John, first to Nova Scotia, then to Upper Canada in 1811. Enoch fought in the War of 1812 and became for a time deputy sheriff of the London District. A prosperous farmer, he acquired a large amount of property in the Malahide area, where he raised his family. Though his family was Quaker one, he strayed from the faith. In December 1837 he helped organize a meeting in Malahide, ostensibly so that the residents could unite to defend themselves from marauding Tories, if need be. He was jailed a London on 21 Dec. 1837, tried that spring, and found guilty of treason."

The petition just before the group petition is Enoch Moore's own petition. It is at image 1307 and 1308. He requests to be released on bail as others have been.

Apparently, Enoch Moore was still in jail and had been sentenced to death for his role in it. In September of 1838, he asks for release pending the receipt of a royal clemency because others in a similar situation had been released. His petition states,

To His Excellency Sir George Arthur, Lt Governor of the Province of Upper Canada, etc, etc,

The Petition of Enoch Moore, formerly of the township of Malahide, in the London District

Humbly Showeth

That your Petitioner is one of the unfortunate prisoners who has been in close confinement since the month of December, on the charge of high treason,

That your Petitioner after his conviction was advised to submit his case and the circumstances attending his conviction for the reconsideration of the Queens most Excellent Majesty and pray that the Royal Clemency might be extended to him.

That your petitioner has been informed and believes that his case has received the Royal Consideration and that he has been recommended to be dealt leniently with.

That your Petition feels deeply alarmed and expresses a feeling that many of his fellow prisoners, equally guilty or more so than himself, among whom some were convicted at the same time and whose cases like your Petitioners were reserved for the consideration of the judges in consequences is a defect in the evidence, having been liberation while your petitioner has been left in confinement without any intimation as to whether he may expect like indulgence.

Your Petitioner most respectfully prays that your Excellency will be pleased to take his case into consideration and kindly interfere with a view to carry out the Royal Clemency which has been extended to him by issuing an order for his release for his lousy and tedious confinement.

Your petitioner would take leave to appraise your excellency that he will be prepared to find bail to any amount for his future peaceable demeanor.
Your Petitioner as is duty bound will ever pray



Enoch Moore, Jail of the Home District, 25 September, 1838

Apparently, these petitions were successful as there descendants. Read and Stagg's historical account of his case continues,

"Draper considered him dangerous, for he was "intelligent and mischievous...craft and daring." None the less he was freed on bail on 5 October 1838."

For those interested, the Moore family genealogy is on line. John Moore can be found here and  Enoch Moore can be found here.



Implications for Research Regarding Isaac Haney


The Moore's have ties to the Whitsells, and the Whitsells have ties to the Haney and Seaborns, so the families are not unknown to each other. The Moore family had originally evacuated to Nova Scotia, and then removed to the Ontario region. A brother of Enoch, Elias, served in parliament with Henry R. Haney. So, it is likely that the Haney family was aware of the Moore family long before the rebellion. To the extent this family had ties to the same families and region as ours, it may be that there are insights on the path of migration of Isaac Haney who settled in Thorold around 1788 and perhaps his original location.

A clip for inclusion in a video presentation can be found here. It is nothing particularly special.



I am deeply grateful to Len Fluher III for teaching me about the era of the Rebellion. I am also grateful to Richie Sue Allen at the LAC for helping me navigate through the Sundries collection.