2. Thomas HUMBERSTONE (7)(8) (9) was born about 1776 possibly in Philadelphia, Penn.,(10) possibly in New York, although he may actually have been born on board a ship on the Atlantic Ocean (his daughter Catherine, in the 1880 US census, states that her father was born on the Atlantic Ocean).
Doug Thomas, descended
from Samuel Humberstone's wife Mary, has recently found documents that actually
cast doubt on whether Thomas Humberstone was Samuel's son. The documents, court
documents from 1833 or 1834 about land that was in dispute between Thomas Humberstone
and Mary's son Samuel Thomas, state quite clearly that Thomas was not Mary's
son. They also show that Thomas was unable to show evidence as to who his mother
was.
But they also cast doubt on whether Samuel was his father. The court asks for evidence that in fact Thomas was Samuel's heir, noting that while Samuel did refer to Thomas as his son,
it was proved that Samuel Humberstone frequently said [Thomas] was not his son, and said so at one time when he was dangerously ill. He told one witness that [Thomas] was the son of a widow woman in New York, and that his father was a sea-faring man. [Upper Canada Queen's Bench Reports [Old Series], Volume III, Published by J. Lukin Robinson, Esq., reprinted by R. Carswell, Toronto 1878, "Doe ex dem. Humberstone v. Thomas," p.33]
Thus Thomas Humberstone's parentage is in fact unknown. He was however clearly adopted by Samuel and raised as a son. [Thanks to Doug Thomas for these documents and information!]
Thomas accompanied Samuel and Mary as they moved, first in 1783 to Shelburne, Nova Scotia, then to Montréal, and then in 1795 to Augusta Township, Canada West (Ontario). In 1796, when he turned 20, he petitioned the governor for a grant of land, to which he, as the son of a United Empire Loyalist (that is, someone who, during the American Revolution, remained loyal to the British crown), was entitled. He was granted land in York, and reportedly went on foot from Augusta to his newly-acquired land. In York he opened a pottery, drawing on the skills he'd learned as the son of a potter.
He served in 1812 in the York Militia, York (now Toronto), Ontario, in the war of 1812.(11) (12)(13) "For his services in the War of 1812, he drew a pension, a captain's half-pay, also five hundred acres of land in Tecumseth, when Sir Peregine Maitland, K.C.B., was Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (what is now Ontario), and he also received a medal in memory of the capture of Detroit. He belonged to the Third Regiment of Incorporated Militia, and was taken prisoner of war by the Americans and sent to Greenbush, October 11, 1813, where he was let out on parole until exchanged after being kept as hostage. He served under General Brock, and when the latter fell mortally wounded at the Battle of Queenston Heights, he helped to carry him off the battlefield, and the General's words to the others were, 'If I die, remember Humberstone, remember Humberstone'."
He appeared on the census in 1837 in York (Toronto), Upper Canada. (14) Two Thomas Humberstones are listed, probably father and son. Information for the first: concession #1, lot #24, York township, under remark: "West of Yonge St." For the second: concession #1, lot #11, York township, under remark: "Yonge St. Road from Montgomery's Tavern to the end of the township."
A book about Yonge Street, talking about the problems tradesmen had in getting their customers to pay debts, noted that "With such reluctance to pay for what were necessary services, it must have been a considerably risky undertaking for Thomas Humberstone, from Staffordshire in England, to start a pottery on his farm at Lot 14, on the west side of Yonge Street [in Toronto]." Thomas is mentioned in a couple of books on the history of Toronto:
"A Yonge Street settler who landed inadvertently in the States at this time was Thomas Humberstone the Potter from Lot 14 west. He was an officer in the York Militia but the business of weapons was alien to him. A local story relates that an old musket dug up on his farm on Yonge Street was for long used to poke and stir the logs in his fireplace; one day while his daughter was doing this the musket, which must have been loaded all that time, blew up and killed the unfortunate girl. One of Thomas's duties during the war was to take a group of American prisoners by batteau to Kingston for confinement. Thomas's control of the situation seems to have been somewhat shaky because in the course of the journey, the Americans took over his batteau, made him their prisoner, and put in to the American shore; there he remained until the end of the war." [Berchem]
"Beyond [Hogg's] Hollow [along Yonge Street in Toronto], Mr. Humberstone's was passed on the west side, another manufacturer of useful pottery ware. A curious incident used to be narrated as having occurred in this house. The barrel of an old Indian fowling-piece [gun] turned up by the plough in one of the fields, and made to do duty in the management of unwieldy back logs in the great fire-place, suddenly proved itself to have been charged all the while, by exploding one day in the hands of Mr. Humberstone's daughter while being put to its customary use, and killing her on the spot. ... Mr. Humberstone saw active service as a lieutenant in the incorporated militia in 1812. He was put in charge of some prisoners captured by Colonel Fitzgibbon, at the Beaver Dams, and when now nearing his destination, Kingston, with his prisoners in a large batteau, he ... was made a prisoner of himself by the men whom he had in custody, and was adroitly rowed over by them to the United States shore, where being landed he was swiftly locked up in jail, and thence only delivered when peace was restored." [Scadding]
And this, from his grandson Edward L. McConaughy, based on reminiscenses of his grandfather and Thomas H.'s son-in-law Edward Gardhouse:
"E.G. showed me the house [where Priscilla Humberstone was born] and told me about his father-in-law, Thomas Humberstone, who had a wooden leg. ... I will say that he (T.H.) was wounded at a battle in the 1812 War, while fighting for the English, near Niagara Falls. It seems that he (T.H.) was an orderly for General Brock, the British Commander, who was mortally wounded at the same time that he (T.H.) was wounded and lost a leg. It also is told that the good General was offered a drink, but told his staff to not mind him, but to look after Humberstone. Anyway grandfather (E.G.) with mischief in his eye said that sometimes to tease the old soldier, they would murmur something not flattering about the War and then the old soldier, T.H. would reach over with his wooden walking stick and gently prod the speaker and tell him that that was enough.." [personal reminiscence of Edward McConaughy, typescript]
He signed a will on 12 Nov 1847 in York, Ontario. (15) He named his son Thomas and his wife Ann executors. He gave to his son-in-law Leonard Morgan use of two acres of land, 8 rods by 40 rods, in the northwest part of lot number 24 in the first concession West of Yonge Street, on which Morgan and his family was then living. Upon Morgan's death the land was to be sold and the proceeds divided equally among Morgan's four children. He left to his wife Ann the use of all of his other lands, 38 acres in the west part of lot number 24 in the first concession West of Yonge St. Upon Ann's death the land was to be sold and divided equally among their seven children. He also left to Ann all his remaining possessions. The will was proved 14 June 1850.
Thomas HUMBERSTONE died on 17 Oct 1849 in Newton Brook, Ontario. (16) He was buried after 17 Oct 1849 in St. John's Church, Toronto, Ontario.(3) His gravestone is on the east side just south of the 401 highway; at the time this church was located in York Mills. He was a potter in Toronto, Ontario.(17)
He was married to Ann (Nancy) HARRISON (daughter of Christopher HARRISON and Priscilla PEDDLE) on 15 Jun 1800 in York, Ontario. (18) They were married by justice of the peace John Willion of the town of York because "there [was] no minister of the Church of England living within eighteen miles of them." Ann (Nancy) HARRISON was born in 1783 in Nova Scotia. (3)(19) She died on 18 May 1857 in Newton Brook, Ontario.(3) Thomas HUMBERSTONE and Ann (Nancy) HARRISON had the following children:
+3 i. Ann HUMBERSTONE.
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Table of Contents
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Last revised 6 Jan 2011