A Sketch on the life of William McMicking
by E. L. Dennis
(his daughter)
My father, William McMicking, J.P., son of Thomas McMicking and Isabella Gass (both of Scotland) Was born March 6th, 1805 in the Township of Stamford, County of Welland, on the farm the Crown deeded to his father after the war of 1776 because of his allegiance to and great love and loyalty to the British Flag. He deeded the farm to his son, William, who was the eighth child of a family of ten. Thomas McMicking built two log houses on the farm – he improved the last one by building a stone kitchen on the back. His son, William, built a large house in 1835 entirely of stone, not fare from the original home. There was a stone quarry near the bank of the Niagara river.
On May 17th, 1827 William McMicking was married to Mary McClellan, daughter of John McClellan, a U.E. Loyalist, who came to Canada in 1776 because he was loyal to the British Flag. The British Crown gave him 200 acres of land because he would not fight against the British. He and his brother, Martin, fought in the battle of Queenston Heights in 1812. Martin was killed. Before the war of 1776, John McClellan was settled in Pennsylvania. He married Jane Thompson of that state in Canada. The land he drew from the Crown was situated about seven miles from Thomas McMicking’s farm in Stamford Township. About 1835 he sold his farm and went a hundred miles further back to a place called Caledon. They had thirteen children.
When I was a young child, I didn’t wish any greater treat than to hear mother tell about pioneer days. In those days they raised their wool, and flax, spun it and wove their cloth. A tailor went from house to house and made the men’s best suits. During the War of 1812 the wild Indians roamed through here at will, went into the houses and took what they wanted. Grandfather McClellan had a brand new suit and grandmother was afraid the Indians would take it so she took the tick out of the cradle and put grandfather’s suit under it and put my mother and her sister Jane in the cradle to rock. A big indian came up to the cradle and mother jumped out but Aunt Jane sat still so the suit was saved. A side saddle was hanging in the hall, they took it down and talked about it a long time and finally threw it down on the floor and walked out. The Indians returned to have another look at the saddle and one big indian drew his tomahawk as if to strike grandmother because she had hung the saddle up. John McClellan and his wife, Jane Thompson, are buried in Caledon. He was ninety-six when he died.
William McMicking and Mary McClellan, who was a relative of General George B McClellan and Ulyssess S. Grant, reared a family of twelve children: Jane, Thomas, Isabella, John, William, James, Eleanor, Mary Elizabeth, Robert Burns, Sarah Augusta, George Albert and Emma Louise.
William McMicking was a most successful farmer and a thorough Christian. He was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church at Stamford that his father helped to organize, which was the first one organized in Canada in 1785 and it is still sending out the gospel message. He was a Justice of the Peace adjusting satisfactorily all the little difficulties of those who sought his advice – served on the Grand Jury – was a Captain in the militia and served during the McKenzie Rebellion of 1837. Not being very robust, his health failed in 1856. He tried several treatments but could not regain his health. In the spring of 1857 his brother-in-law, Dr. Johnston of Brampton, took him to seaside but he derived no benefit from the salt water and gradually grew worse. His work was finished and on August 20th, 1857 at age 52, he passed peacefully away surrounded by his wife and children. He is buried in the little Presbyterian Cemetery adjoining the old church at Stamford where Dr. Russell preached for 28 years. He married father and mother and baptized all of their children and married their eldest daughter Jane during his pastorate at Stamford. He died in 1854 at Stamford and is buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery. My great grandmother, grandfather McMicking’s mother, was the first person to be buried in the cemetery at Stamford Presbyterian Church.
Mother told me that grandfather gave the McPherson farm to one of his nephews. It was about three quarters of a mile below the halfway, next to the William Parker farm on Portage Road. Grandfather owned a great many acres in that section, land was not much account in those days. Those Coopers who live down below Queenston are related to us and I haven’t a doubt that Capt. James Cooper was his nephew, the other one was Thomas, he would be the oldest. They all named their first boy “Thomas”. I did not get any old papers or letters from my old home. It makes me feel so badly every time I think of it.
My sister Isabella’s husband, John Parker, bought the old homestead from brother Robert, about 1865. Mother died in 1873, my sister and I married in 1877. Isabella had four sons and three daughters, two of them died young and the other one got married. The father died in 1892 and the married girl in 1904. The oldest son married and left the mother and three boys on the homestead. The father died without a Will but he said the law would divide it as well as he could. That is alright but the law divides it too soon. I wanted him to leave everything to his wife. The boys couldn’t stay on the farm so two more married and John took his mother with him to Niagara Falls. She had lost her memory completely by this time. They rented the farm. I never knew they were going away and I don’t know what they did with all that was left in the old house. I heard their sons-in-law had two barrels of books. I would like so much to have had the iron that mother crimped her caps with the oven that they put before the fire to roast the meat and the cap Thomas wore when he attended the University of Toronto. Father built the house in 1835. My brother, James, was the first boy born in the new house and father left the farm to him. We had no chance to get any old papers or letters. Boys don’t care for anything like that, and the girls were all dead and the mother was like a child. You will wonder at me writing all this to you but I know you will realize just how I feel every time I think of it
Coopers
In the story of Thomas McMicking elsewhere in these notes, reference is made of his nephew, James Cooper. In St. Andrew’s Cemetery at Niagara are the gravestones, inscriptions as follows:
“In memory of James Cooper, born in Scotland, 1770, emigrated to America in 1774, died 1856, in his 86th year”
“Elizabeth Hixon, his wife, born in the Province of New Jersey, 1773, emigrated to Canada in 1788, died 1855, age 82.”
In Miss Carnachan’s “Inscriptions and Graves” there is a note to the effect that James Cooper, when a child was captive among the Indians for several years.
James Cooper, Lieut. of a flank company of the 2nd Lincoln, promoted to Captain in 1812, was present at the Battle of Queenston Heights (dispatches) and Frenchman’s Creek.
In Miss Carnachan’s “History of the Niagara” the following obituary notice is quoted:
“James Cooper, on the 24th March 1860, at his residence, Queenston Road, Niagara Township, died, aged 86 years. He was one of the few surviving original settlers of Upper Canada having been brought to this province, was a prisoner by the Indians in 1776. Mr. Cooper was one of the sterling men of the olden times, full of truthfulness, honest and loyalty. He was a member of the Church of Scotland, and in every relation of life a man greatly esteemed.”
There are several graves in Stamford Presbyterian Cemetery of members of the Cooper family in Niagara Township.
James McMicking
James McMicking, born Nov 27, 1811, youngest and tenth child of Thomas McMicking (fourth), when a young man, he went to Dundas where he had a paper mill, which he operated for many years. He died in 1891, is buried in the cemetery in Dundas.
On May 17th, 1827 William McMicking was married to Mary McClellan, daughter of John McClellan, a U.E. Loyalist, who came to Canada in 1776 because he was loyal to the British Flag. The British Crown gave him 200 acres of land because he would not fight against the British. He and his brother, Martin, fought in the battle of Queenston Heights in 1812. Martin was killed. Before the war of 1776, John McClellan was settled in Pennsylvania. He married Jane Thompson of that state in Canada. The land he drew from the Crown was situated about seven miles from Thomas McMicking’s farm in Stamford Township. About 1835 he sold his farm and went a hundred miles further back to a place called Caledon. They had thirteen children.
When I was a young child, I didn’t wish any greater treat than to hear mother tell about pioneer days. In those days they raised their wool, and flax, spun it and wove their cloth. A tailor went from house to house and made the men’s best suits. During the War of 1812 the wild Indians roamed through here at will, went into the houses and took what they wanted. Grandfather McClellan had a brand new suit and grandmother was afraid the Indians would take it so she took the tick out of the cradle and put grandfather’s suit under it and put my mother and her sister Jane in the cradle to rock. A big indian came up to the cradle and mother jumped out but Aunt Jane sat still so the suit was saved. A side saddle was hanging in the hall, they took it down and talked about it a long time and finally threw it down on the floor and walked out. The Indians returned to have another look at the saddle and one big indian drew his tomahawk as if to strike grandmother because she had hung the saddle up. John McClellan and his wife, Jane Thompson, are buried in Caledon. He was ninety-six when he died.
William McMicking and Mary McClellan, who was a relative of General George B McClellan and Ulyssess S. Grant, reared a family of twelve children: Jane, Thomas, Isabella, John, William, James, Eleanor, Mary Elizabeth, Robert Burns, Sarah Augusta, George Albert and Emma Louise.
William McMicking was a most successful farmer and a thorough Christian. He was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church at Stamford that his father helped to organize, which was the first one organized in Canada in 1785 and it is still sending out the gospel message. He was a Justice of the Peace adjusting satisfactorily all the little difficulties of those who sought his advice – served on the Grand Jury – was a Captain in the militia and served during the McKenzie Rebellion of 1837. Not being very robust, his health failed in 1856. He tried several treatments but could not regain his health. In the spring of 1857 his brother-in-law, Dr. Johnston of Brampton, took him to seaside but he derived no benefit from the salt water and gradually grew worse. His work was finished and on August 20th, 1857 at age 52, he passed peacefully away surrounded by his wife and children. He is buried in the little Presbyterian Cemetery adjoining the old church at Stamford where Dr. Russell preached for 28 years. He married father and mother and baptized all of their children and married their eldest daughter Jane during his pastorate at Stamford. He died in 1854 at Stamford and is buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery. My great grandmother, grandfather McMicking’s mother, was the first person to be buried in the cemetery at Stamford Presbyterian Church.
Mother told me that grandfather gave the McPherson farm to one of his nephews. It was about three quarters of a mile below the halfway, next to the William Parker farm on Portage Road. Grandfather owned a great many acres in that section, land was not much account in those days. Those Coopers who live down below Queenston are related to us and I haven’t a doubt that Capt. James Cooper was his nephew, the other one was Thomas, he would be the oldest. They all named their first boy “Thomas”. I did not get any old papers or letters from my old home. It makes me feel so badly every time I think of it.
My sister Isabella’s husband, John Parker, bought the old homestead from brother Robert, about 1865. Mother died in 1873, my sister and I married in 1877. Isabella had four sons and three daughters, two of them died young and the other one got married. The father died in 1892 and the married girl in 1904. The oldest son married and left the mother and three boys on the homestead. The father died without a Will but he said the law would divide it as well as he could. That is alright but the law divides it too soon. I wanted him to leave everything to his wife. The boys couldn’t stay on the farm so two more married and John took his mother with him to Niagara Falls. She had lost her memory completely by this time. They rented the farm. I never knew they were going away and I don’t know what they did with all that was left in the old house. I heard their sons-in-law had two barrels of books. I would like so much to have had the iron that mother crimped her caps with the oven that they put before the fire to roast the meat and the cap Thomas wore when he attended the University of Toronto. Father built the house in 1835. My brother, James, was the first boy born in the new house and father left the farm to him. We had no chance to get any old papers or letters. Boys don’t care for anything like that, and the girls were all dead and the mother was like a child. You will wonder at me writing all this to you but I know you will realize just how I feel every time I think of it
Coopers
In the story of Thomas McMicking elsewhere in these notes, reference is made of his nephew, James Cooper. In St. Andrew’s Cemetery at Niagara are the gravestones, inscriptions as follows:
“In memory of James Cooper, born in Scotland, 1770, emigrated to America in 1774, died 1856, in his 86th year”
“Elizabeth Hixon, his wife, born in the Province of New Jersey, 1773, emigrated to Canada in 1788, died 1855, age 82.”
In Miss Carnachan’s “Inscriptions and Graves” there is a note to the effect that James Cooper, when a child was captive among the Indians for several years.
James Cooper, Lieut. of a flank company of the 2nd Lincoln, promoted to Captain in 1812, was present at the Battle of Queenston Heights (dispatches) and Frenchman’s Creek.
In Miss Carnachan’s “History of the Niagara” the following obituary notice is quoted:
“James Cooper, on the 24th March 1860, at his residence, Queenston Road, Niagara Township, died, aged 86 years. He was one of the few surviving original settlers of Upper Canada having been brought to this province, was a prisoner by the Indians in 1776. Mr. Cooper was one of the sterling men of the olden times, full of truthfulness, honest and loyalty. He was a member of the Church of Scotland, and in every relation of life a man greatly esteemed.”
There are several graves in Stamford Presbyterian Cemetery of members of the Cooper family in Niagara Township.
James McMicking
James McMicking, born Nov 27, 1811, youngest and tenth child of Thomas McMicking (fourth), when a young man, he went to Dundas where he had a paper mill, which he operated for many years. He died in 1891, is buried in the cemetery in Dundas.