Daniel Gilman Willson
Daniel Willson (1841-1909) and Catharine McKinlay (1846-1923) grew up in close proximity in Ridgetown, Howard Township, Kent County, Ontario. In addition, Catharine’s father had been married to Daniel’s maternal aunt, so we can presume that the two knew each other very well from early childhood. Nevertheless, the couple was married relatively late for the custom […]
Anna (Hannah Sr.) Margarethe Schauer Sypes
This article presents proof that Anna (Hannah Sr.) Sypes is a qualifying ancestor for the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada and presents proof of her lineage through her daughter Hannah to the Bonner family. [Note: In this article, the wife of Gilman Willson will be designated Hannah Sypes Jr., and her mother Hannah Sypes […]
A Bear In The Night In Ridgetown
John Willson (1802-1888) was among the earliest settlers of Ridgetown, Ontario, when he arrived in 1833. He and his brother, Crowell, farmed adjacent 100-acre lots just east of the new town. Stories Of Bears And Wolves Life was hard on this cold, rocky, and forested land—new settlers had to build their own homes and barns and […]
Our Earliest Bonner And Willson Ancestors
The Bonner Family came from Scotland, driven from there in the 1820s during what the English politely call the “Clearances,” which comprised of driving families off their farmland, so it could be used for the more profitable sheep grazing. Families were driven from the Scottish Highlands (north country) to coastal areas, where life was much harsher. […]
Hannah Schauer Sypes – A Loyalist Icon
Hannah Schauer (1737-1797) was born in the Hudson Valley of New York in 1737 to our Palatine German ancestors, Johann Adam Schauer and Maria Fritz. At age 18, she married Jacob Sypes (1738-1777), also of German descent. Jacob fought with the British Army during the French and Indian War of 1754-1763. This long war between […]
A Quaker Loyalist Moves to Canada
Benjamin Willson, son of a Scottish immigrant, was raised in Wantage, New Jersey (located in Sussex County, about 30 miles west of the Hudson and 60 miles northwest of New York City). He was a Quaker and member of the Hardwick Monthly Meeting in Sussex. The Revolutionary War presented a quandary for Quakers in America. […]
Annie Willson
Annie Willson’s maternal grandfather, Duncan McKinlay, was born and raised on the McKinlay family farm called “The Anie”, in the parish of Callander, Perthshire, Scotland. The first owner of this farm of record was Finlay McKinlay, who lived and farmed there in the early 1600s. He had a grandson, John McKinlay, born about 1645, who […]
Gordon Willson (G.W.) Bonner
Gordon Willson Bonner was the oldest of 3 children of Robert John Bonner and Annie Willson Bonner. Although the family lived in Chicago, Gordon was born in Canada. Annie Bonner returned to the family home in Ridgetown, Ontario for the birth of all 3 of her children. Gordon was born on April 14, 1900, and […]