the story of the davis united empire loyalists · john graves simcoe who had been made the province...

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TThhee SSttoorryy ooff tthhee DDaavviiss UUnniitteedd EEmmppiirree LLooyyaalliissttss *compiled from multiple sources and written by Val Pinard (July 2013) In the late 1700’s some members of the Davis families came to Canada from the United States after the American Revolution. These families were loyal to the British during the American Revolution and so became known as “United Empire Loyalists”. This is a simplified story of to help members of my family understand the role we played in this historic event which very much shaped the Canada we know today. HISTORY SUMMARY: In order to do the story justice, one has to start with a bit of a history lesson. The “Davis” story will make more sense if you understand what the world events were that led up to the migration of the “Loyalists” to Canada. 1607 – 1732: The British formed 13 American colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America

the original thirteen colonies were Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina (where the Davis families later settled), South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia

United States as we know it had NOT been formed yet….these were the only colonies in North America at the time

*Note: At this time, France had ownership of Canada’s 3 colonies 1756 - 1763: “The Seven Year War” also known as “The French and Indian War”.

The war was between France and Great Britain (and their allies) for dominance in North America and supremacy in the world

Britain won the war and became the dominant power in America

France gave up all claims to all 3 colonies in Canada which later became known as The British North America. This was made up of three colonies (Québec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland)

The war was generally considered the first world-wide conflict – the confrontations took place in Europe, America and Asia

It was a costly victory - The British Government had borrowed heavily from British and Dutch bankers to finance the war, and as a consequence their national debt had almost doubled

1775 – 1783: The American Revolution (American War of Independence)

The American Revolution was due to Britain imposing taxes on its 13 American colonies in America to help pay for the costly “The Seven Year War”. It was also due to Britain wanting total power to legislate any laws governing the American colonies.

o Some colonists (known as Rebels or Patriots) were angry about the taxes being imposed by Britain and disagreed over the way in which Britain treated the 13 colonies versus the way the colonies felt they should be treated

“Rebels” or “Patriots”: o People who wanted the 13 American colonies to gain their independence from Britain.

They wanted their own country called the United States.

United Empire Loyalists:

o Not everyone who lived in the American colonies wanted to break away from the British. There were many people (aprox 250,000) who wanted to stay part of Britain and remain British citizens. These people were called loyalists.

o Many people felt that their lives would be better off if the colonies remained under British rule. Some of these people were simply afraid to go up against the might of the British army. Still others thought that British rule would be better than patriot rule. These people came from every class and walk of life. Some very wealthy and some just ordinary


Americans (including many ethnic groups – German, Dutch, English, Irish, Scots, black slaves and even various native tribes)

Although fighting would not formally end until 1783 The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776

o The thirteen American colonies had been at war with Britain for around a year when the Second Continental Congress decided it was time for the colonies to officially declare their independence. This meant that they were breaking away from British rule. They would no longer be a part of the British Empire and would fight for their freedom

o The Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted on July 4, 1776. It announced that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. They now formed a new nation—the United States of America.

o The 3 remaining colonies (Quebec, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) became known as “British North America”

When the war ended aprox 70,000 to 80,000 loyalists left the 13 American colonies. Some returned to Britain or settled in the Bahamas, but roughly 50,000 came to the remaining British North American colonies (*NOTE: the Davis family came to what was known as Quebec at the time).

These changes led to the creation of 2 more "provinces" or British colonies - New Brunswick, - and the division of Québec into two separate colonies: Upper Canada (Ontario) to the west and Lower Canada to the east (Québec).

o British North America thus went from three colonies (Québec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland) to five (with New Brunswick and Upper Canada).

1812 – 1815: The War of 1812

June 18, 1812 the US declared war on Britain. This was a 32-month military conflict between the United States and the British Empire with fighting raged at sea, along the Canadian border, as well as around Washington and New Orleans.

As a colony of Britain, Canada was swept up in the War of 1812 and was invaded a number of times by the Americans.

The United States planned to take over Upper Canada (modern-day Ontario) and Lower Canada (modern-day Québec) in a single mass attack.

o The invasion was to occur at four strategic locations: across from Detroit, in the Niagara area, at Kingston, and south of Montréal. If they succeeded, they would isolate and then capture the stronghold of Québec City, thereby cutting off any further British troop movement up the St Lawrence River and into the Great Lakes.

o The Battle of Stoney Creek took place on June 6, 1813 and was a defining moment of the war (*The battle took place on the Gage family homestead – Mary Davis was married to James Gage and lived in this homestead). This battle was a defining moment of the War of 1812. Without a victory here, Canada would have become another state of the United States.

There were wins and losses on both sides during the two years that the war lasted, with no clear victory for either of the warring parties (The war was settled with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on Christmas Eve in 1814 in which the terms called for the return to status quo).

o The British colonies remained independent of the United States and their inhabitants would continue to forge what would become some fifty years later the new Canadian nation.

Had the United States won the war it is likely that Canada would not have evolved as a separate country and would now be part of the United States.


OUR FAMILY TREE: Next it’s important to understand the Davis family tree…..

*NOTE: the boxes highlighted in yellow signify family members who are mentioned in the

following stories and details


William Alexander Davis branch: William Alexander Davis’s parents (Thomas and Mary) were of Welsh decent and are as far back in the Davis branch as I’ve been able to go so far. William was born in 1741 in the colony of Maryland in the US. He had 5 brothers (one of which was Robert Davis) and one sister all of which were also born in the US. As a young man, William ventured off to Virginia where he met and married Hannah Phillips (in 1771). They moved to North Carolina where William soon became a wealthy plantation owner with a large tract of land, a beautiful home, large distilleries and breweries, and many black slaves. Alongside the Davis plantation was the Ghent family (also of Welsh descent) – they became friends as well as neighbours. (*Note: in a later story, you will see that William’s daughter Elizabeth marries Thomas Ghent) In 1775 war broke out (The American Revolution) and although William managed to stay out of the actual fighting, he was a supporter of the King (he was loyal to Britain). In 1781 British General Cornwallis along with 2000 British soldiers arrived at the Davis plantation where William sheltered and fed them. Beside the Davis plantation was the Ghent family home and this is where General Cornwallis set up his headquarters. Cornwallis and his soldiers consumed all the available food supplies on the land, and in return William was given a “Due Bill” for 10,000 pounds. This was like an IOU that William was supposed to be compensated for at a later date – and notice I say “supposed to be compensated for”…..he never did get his money as you will read later. Once the British left the “Rebels” swept in and completely destroyed the plantations. William was so disheartened, that he and his family fled to the Phillips home (Hannah’s parents) in Yorktown, Virginia. It is believed that the British soldiers under the command of General Cornwallis also retreated there. It was while William and his family were staying there that they met John Graves Simcoe who was a member of the Queens Rangers (on the British side). John Graves Simcoe was entertained and cared for by the Davis and Phillips families. (*Note: John Graves Simcoe was later made Lt. Governor of the new Province of Upper Canada) The war ended in 1783 with the defeat and surrender of British General Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia and so the Davis family, along with Hanna’s ill parents (the Phillips) returned to Orange County, North Carolina to see if they could re-establish the plantation. In 1790 William’s daughter Elizabeth married Thomas Ghent. The young couple lived and worked with William and Hannah. In 1792 the last of Hannah’s parents had died and so after enduring much abuse from the rebels and having been subject to very harsh taxes, the entire Davis family (including Elizabeth and her husband Thomas Ghent) decided to seek the opportunity to remain under British rule and set out on an 800 mile journey to Newtown, Canada (which is now Niagara on the Lake, Ontario).

“Hannah rode on horseback all the way, sitting proudly on a hunting saddle trimmed with blue velvet, ornamented with a pair of brass powder horns. At one point the horses became stuck in the mire, and seven out of twenty were lost.”

Genesee River

Orange County, NC

Niagara on the Lake


In August of 1792 they reached the mouth of the Genessee River (which now is Rochester NY) and realized they could not go any farther by land. They remained there for the winter while Thomas Ghent (Elizabeth’s husband) and Ashael Davis (William’s oldest son) set off on horseback to Niagara on the Lake in search of John Graves Simcoe who had been made the province of “Upper Canada’s first Lt. Governor on Nov 11, 1791. They found John Simcoe and in the spring John sent a government gunboat called the “Bear” to bring the entire party to Niagara on the Lake where a warm welcome awaited them. Once William arrived at Niagara, he presented John Simcoe with the Due Bills that he had been given by General Cornwallis. John Simcoe sent them on to London hoping for approval of a “Crown Grant” of land for William. Unfortunately the books for any Loyalist claims to lands had been closed in 1790 and since William had still been in the colonies until 1792, the application was turned down – he was too late to qualify for any grants of land. William suffered another setback in the spring of 1793 when his wife Hannah died. Poor Hannah never recovered from the trauma of 2 uprootings. John Simcoe felt compassion for William and his family and so offered “choose as much land as you will”. On June 19, 1793 William petitioned to London stating he had arrived from North Carolina and had taken 200 acres in Barton Township. (*Note this section of land was beside where his nephew Thomas had settled before him – see page 11 for details of this branch.) The following year, 1794, he partitioned again and ultimately obtained another 2,300 acres in Barton and Saltfleet Townships. (All of Williams sons and daughters, including Elizabeth (now married), received 200 acres each. Thomas Ghent obtained an additional grant of 300 acres adjacent to the Davis property.) The area of land referred to here, is currently the Glendale Golf Club (in the Hamilton/Stoney Creek, Ontario) area at the top of the escarpment at Mount Albion. It was here that William built what was later named “Harmony Hall” – also known as his plantation of the north. It was built to resemble the plantation he left in North Carolina. In 2013 on a trip with my Mom and Dad we set out to find any remains of the original homestead but were unsuccessful. There is a new subdivision built right where the old homestead would have been. We did however, find a street called “Davis Crescent” so I think we were close. On the land William had been granted was a waterfall (Albion Falls). It was here that William established Albion Saw Mill and Albion Grist Mill (a grist mill ground the grains that the local farmers would bring.)

Albion Mill

Harmony Hall


William also had a tannery, distillery, an orchard, a herd of Ayrshire cattle. William constructed a church - “Auld Scotch Kirk” in an attempt to draw settlers to the area. Albion Mills was the local hub of commerce and services for most of the countryside and in 1880 this little settlement had its name changed to Mount Albion. In 1796 Ashael Davis (William’s oldest son) married Nancy Morden. They settled in to a routine life with William at Harmony Hall.

In 1796 Mary Davis (William’s 4th child) married James Jr. Gage. James father had been killed in battle during the American Revolution so in 1790 James and his mother (Mary Gage), and sister (Elizabeth) came to Stoney Creek, Ontario from New York. James Jr was 16 years old at the time. On the land they were granted the Gage family built a shabby, traditional log home which was later replaced by a larger, storey-and-a-half home in 1786.

After Mary and James wed, they moved into the Gage homestead with Mrs. Mary Gage Sr. and eventually had ten children. This homestead would later become what is known now as the Battlefield House Museum in Stoney Creek Ontario.

In 1804 Thomas Ghent purchased 205.5 acres of land from a Mohawk chief named Joseph Brant. (Joseph also fought for the British in the American Revolution and had granted crown land of around 3450 acres). This section of land became known as “Brant’s Block”. (Today this land is in Burlington, Ontario). The land was very good for growing fruit trees. The Davis and Ghent families had brought fruit seeds with them from North Carolina and had lived at Mount Albion long enough to raise apples from the seeds. They dug up the young trees at Mount Albion and brought them in a canoe across the bay, carried them through the forest and cleared the land on the new homestead at Brant’s Block and planted the trees. These families became part of the group of founders of the fruit growing industry in Burlington. Ashael Davis (William’s oldest son) had also purchased 240 acres in Brant’s Block adjacent to Thomas Ghent. After having 5 children Ashael and his wife decided they needed a larger home and some privacy! Together with Thomas Ghent’s family (12 noisy pre-school children all total between the 2 families) they moved to Brant’s Block where their new log homes awaited on their farms.

1812 – 1815 – The War of 1812 took place and the Battle of Stoney Creek – see section at end for more details around the war and how it affected Mary and James Gage and their homestead.

Brant’s Block

Mt. Albion (Harmony

Hall)


In 1814 Ashael’s wife Nancy died leaving him a widow with 6 children. Nancy died within 2 weeks of the death of her 2 youngest children. Ashael remarried widowed Hannah Bates and had another 4 children. Ashael built a second house in Brant’s block – a large brick home. Mom & Dad and I drove to the sight when we visited in 2013. It is located at 1134 Plains Road East, in Burlington. Ashael devoted the greater portion of his life to farming in this area. Ashael’s 3 oldest children moved back to Iowa in the United States. It has been said that Ashael died a wealthy man. William Alexander Davis died on February 3, 1834 at the age of 92 in his home at Harmony Hall. He was buried in a section of Ashael’s farm at Brant’s Block and a brick wall built around to keep the livestock out. (Note: no marker exists today for Williams’s burial site) Years later (in 1848) the area became established as the Union Burying Grounds. The founders were Methodists who wanted a burying ground separate from those established by the Anglican Church. Union Cemetery was honoured November 15, 2009 as a United Empire Loyalist Burial Site. There is a plaque near the Main Gate (on Plains Road in, Burlington Ontario) indicating “Loyalist Burial Site”.

Then Now

Union Burying Grounds – brick fence

I’m sitting in front of the gates to the Union Cemetery in 2013

The signs on the gate of the cemetery


The War of 1812 and the Battle of Stoney Creek (Mary and James Gage from William’s branch):

In 1812 the United States declared war on Britain, and invaded Upper Canada. In May 1813, an American force crossed the Niagara River and captured Fort George (Niagara-on-the-Lake). Then they moved on in pursuit of the British who had by then retreated to Burlington Heights (where Dundurn Castle now stands).

On June 5th of 1813, around 3,500 American troops stormed the Gage family homestead in Stoney Creek. They planned to use it as their headquarters due to its strategic location and great perimeter visibility. Their plans were to attack the British troops at Burlington Heights the following day.

When the Americans began setting up camp on the Gage property they destroyed fences for firewood and began plundering the Gage homestead. James and Mary Gage’s eight-year-old daughter Elizabeth witnessed the plundering and remarked,

“The cellar of my father’s house was full of all sorts of provisions, enough to do the family during the year and the soldiers made free with everything. In the house were a number of bags of flour and there were twenty barrels of whisky in the cellar, all of which they took, the solders killed all the cows and sheep they lay their eyes on. No wonder, either, for the poor fellows were the most miserable, half-starved lot I ever saw. We were really sorry for them. The officers who stayed at our house were quite kind and friendly, and we got on first rate with them. They brought their own cooks with them, but they used everything about the house, and the soldiers carried away the quilts and forks and spoons to their camp.”

That night the Americans haphazardly setup their camp with little regard for a potential British attack and as the troops settled in for the night they imprisoned Mrs. Gage Sr., Mary and the children in the basement of the Gage home.

A surprise attack took place in the middle of that night – (the early hours of the morning of the following day) June 6th of 1813. This was known as the Battle of Stoney Creek.

The surprise attack was made possible through the daring assistance of Billy Green, a local 19-year-old civilian. He heard that the American troops had stormed the Gage homestead and so quickly headed to Burlington Heights to warn the British. The British planned a spectacular night attack and Billy acted as a scout, since he was a very experienced woodsman who knew the area well.

*Painting done by Sarah Calder (granddaughter of Mary and James Gage) of the Gage

Homestead (currently the Battlefield House Museum)


The British left their camp at Burlington Heights at 11:30 p.m. on 5 June and silently made their way toward Stoney Creek. They had removed the flints from their muskets to ensure that there were no accidental discharges and dared not utter even a whisper

There were about 700 British troops supported by a small contingent of native warriors who fought for the British. Their surprise attack only lasted about 40 minutes. Hundreds of soldiers died and the British captured 2 American Generals and some field artillery. The land and house were recaptured by British troops and the Gage family was subsequently released.

More remarks from young Elizabeth were: “I remember the night of the battle distinctly. What a yelling and shouting there was! The officers rushed out of the house when the noise commenced, and soon some of the soldiers came running in. I well remember how scared they were. They thought it was the Indians, from the yelling, and were afraid of being tomahawked. You know in those days people were far more afraid of the Indians than they are now, and these people being in the enemy's country, and knowing the Indians were on the British side, were mortally scared of them. When daylight came and all the shooting was over, I went out in front of the house. There was the body of a soldier lying between the house and the creek and a lot of dead horses. I plainly remember seeing the blankets that the American soldier had been sleeping on lying in rows on the hillside just where they were sleeping when the surprise came. I thought at the time they looked like a flock of sheep on the green hill."

The battle lasted less than 45 minutes, but its intensity led to heavy casualties on both sides. As dawn broke, the outnumbered British were ordered to fall back into the woods in order to hide their small numbers. They succeeded in carrying away two of the captured guns, and spiked two more. They later watched from a distance as the Americans returned to their camp after daybreak, burned their provisions and tents and retreated. By afternoon on 6 June, the British occupied the former site of the American camp. The Americans never advanced as far into the Niagara Peninsula again.

In 1835, Mary Gage sold the house and property and moved the family to the ever-growing Hamilton, most likely initiated by James Jr. so he could thrive in the "ambitious city."

Throughout the years following this, the house had landed into the hands of several people and various parts of the land began to sell off.

By 1899 the house had fallen into such a bad state of repair that it was ready to be knocked down.

Luckily, Sara Calder, one of the granddaughters of James and Mary Jones Gage, saw the significance and recognize the historical value of the property and purchased the house and four-and-a-half acres of land around it. Later this property was transferred to the Women's Wentworth Historical Society of which she was president and it became known as the Battlefield House Museum.

Burlington Heights (Dundurrn Castle)

*where the British had retreated to

Gage Family Homestead *where the American

Troops settled on June 5, 1813


On the centennial of the Battle of Stoney Creek, June 6, 1913, the Battlefield Monument was unveiled by Queen Mary in London, by means of a transatlantic cable. The monument was to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the Battle of Stoney Creek and 100 years of peace with the United States.

Every year on the anniversary the battle of Stoney Creek is re-enacted using hundreds of volunteers.

In 1962 the Women's Wentworth Historical Society was unable to keep up the house and grounds. Battlefield House and Park were taken over by the Niagara Parks Commission and during the 1970's, the house was restored to its 1835 period. The City of Stoney Creek then took over the house in 1988.

The monument Battlefield House after restoration


Robert Davis Branch:

Robert Davis Sr. was born around 1742 likely in the colony of Maryland in the US. He had 5 brothers (one of which was William Alexander Davis) and one sister all of which were also born in the US. Robert was a loyalist supporter and had a 360 acre plantation at Forresters Creek, Orange County, North Carolina USA. Not much is actually known about the early years of Robert Davis Sr. It is known that he married Jane Robins while in the US but not sure of the exact date. Robert and Jane had 3 children – John, Robert and Thomas. In 1779 Robert’s plantation was assessed at an impressive sum of money for the times. Sometime between 1779 and 1780 Robert died. As far as I can find, he died a prisoner of war during the American Revolution. In 1780 –Robert’s widow Jane was assessed again and the plantation was valued at only about a third of the value. In 1790 their youngest son Thomas moved to Canada. In 1793 Jane moved with her son John and his family to Upper Canada to live near her youngest son Thomas. They arrived in the spring of 1794. In 1794 their other son Robert also came to Upper Canada. Thomas Davis – first to arrive in Upper Canada He was born in 1764 in Forresters’ Creek, Orange County, North Carolina USA. He was the third child of Robert and Jane Davis. In 1786 he married Deborah Hall and together they had 12 children in total. Their first 3 children were born in Orange County, North Carolina, US before they moved to Canada. The remainder of the 12 children were all born in Canada. (Thomas later had 4 more children from a second marriage). On July 25, 1790 Thomas and his family arrived in Upper Canada. They were known to be the earliest of those who came from Orange County, to Barton Township, Wentworth County, Upper Canada. *Note: 3 years later (1793) William Davis (his uncle - from the first section of these stories) arrived from North Carolina. Thomas was joined by his mother Jane and brothers John and Robert in 1794, all of whom settled in Windham Township, in the north part of present Town of Simcoe. Thomas’s wife Deborah died in 1808 and he re-married Clarissa Williams and had another 4 children. It’s said that his second marriage went badly. John Davis – next to arrive along with is mother Jane He was born in 1759 in Baltimore Maryland, USA and was the first born child of Robert and Jane Davis. In 1777 he married Mary Dougherty who was from Orange County, North Carolina, USA. It is likely that John fought with the KRRNY (Kings Royal Regiment of New York) during the American Revolution. Not too many details can be found.


In 1793 John and Mary set out come to the Niagara Frontier (Upper Canada). They came with a party of 12 other families who all came from Maryland and North Carolina. It is said that shortly after the new province was organized, these 12 families sent one of their members to the new country to learn what the natural advantages of settlement were and what was being offered settlers by way of land grants etc. This trusted emissary was John Davis. John reported back to the 12 families favourably, and in due time the part was en route to the new country. They trekked more than 800 miles. Some walked and some rode on horseback or in canvas covered wagons bringing their household effects and a number of cows and other livestock with them. In the later stages of the trek through Pennsylvania and New York State, the roads were treacherous, and swollen by the spring run off so it was not an easy journey. The Davis family was the first to arrive in early 1794 followed in July of the same year by the rest of the 12 families. John petitioned for land in Upper Canada on Dec 4, 1793. John worked as a pioneer miller. Robert Davis – last to arrive from Robert Davis Sr.’s family He was born around 1762 in Forresters’ Creek, Orange County, North Carolina, USA and was the second child of Robert and Jane Davis. In 1794 he came to Upper Canada and worked with his brother John Davis in his mills. It’s not known for sure if he came with his Mother Jane and brother John or if he came a bit later the same year. In 1806 Robert returned to Orange County, North Carolina where he worked as a manufacturer. He married Elizabeth Latta and had 3 children all born in Orange County, North Carolina. Around 1827 Robert moved with his family back to Upper Canada and settled in Windham Township, Norfolk County.

the story of the davis united empire loyalists · john graves simcoe who had been made the province...

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