Notes:

. JAMES DEVINS, Lot 18, Con 10, was born in Con 6 of York Twp. in the year 1804. He is descended from a family who originally emigrated to Canada from Pennsylvania, U. S., his father, the late Isaac Devins, landing at the mouth of the River Don with Governor Simcoe, whose tent he assisted to put up. Mr. Isaac Devins located in the Township of Markham, but not being satisfied he came to Con 6 of York Twp. where he subsequently died, being over 80 years of age. In the early days the settlers had to go to the head of the lake in scows to have their grist ground. The first saw-mill built on the Humber was erected by an uncle of our subject, & was put up by order of the Government. James Devins moved from York into Vaughan Township at an early period of settlement, there being at that time less than half-a-dozen dwelling-houses between Toronto & Vaughan.
Our subject married in 1830, his wife s maiden name being Eleanor Christner: their family consisted of 9 children. In politics Mr. Devins has taken a somewhat active part, & at election times has given great assistance to the Reform party. He belongs to the Methodist persuasion.

James married Helena CHRISTENER in 1830. Helena was born in 1809 in Ontario, Canada; died on 4 Dec 1891 in York County, Ontario, Canada; was buried in Nashville / Zoar Primitive Methodist Church Cemetery. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Isaac is the son of Hannah ELIZABETH Hover 1749 NY & Abraham Devins (various spellings) born 21 Jun 1747 Machackemeck, Orange Co., NY. (Afterwards the widow Elizabeth Devins married Asa Johnson & resided on Yonge Street.)

. Abraham, his father, came to Upper Canada in 1793 with his family.
One of his sons was Issac Jr. He was named constable of the Humber, listing among his contributions as having worked as foreman on Yonge street.
There is no record of his twin, Abram Devins, but he must of left or died.For he is on the census records one year, and then he vanishes with no clue at all. Ref: Terry Greatrex, Genealogy.com

. UCLPetition, Granted 176 Acres Aug 24, 1796.

About the same time, William Berczy, who was an agent for the the English Land Company & leader of a group of German immigrants & their family, brought the group to Upper Canada from New York State, as they were having problems settling there. Berczy hired Isaac & Levi Devins to help his group & the Simcoe Rangers from the to time. [Feb 1795] For their labors, the Devins received payments in flour, salt & other goods as in a barter system, money noting being plentiful & supplies were more necessary for the settlers.
Ref: History of Vaughan Township, G Elmore Reaman.

. There is a story, recounted by James I H Devins an incident, which happened in the United States. We do no know the location, however, it must have happened when Isaac & Abram were young children.
"Abraham, the father, had built the little log house in a clearing & was in the bush cutting down trees & cleaning up the brush. This day, he was late coming home, so his wife went out to see if she could find him. When she called him, he answered & said he would be right in. The twins had followed her from the cabin. She heard a noise & a little way off in the bush she saw a panther. She had a big apron on, so she gathered up the twins in it & struck out for the house. When they reached the cabin, she shut the door with the panther right behind her. The animal put his big feet on the door. Abraham arrived on the double, & shot the panther with his rifle, which he always carried. The cat measured 9 feet from tip to tip. He was a pretty big animal."

. 1790 Census town of Genesee, Ontario Co., New York
Abraham, 3 males over 16, 2 males under 16, Females 2.

. It is noteworthy that with the Devins are also listed in Genese Town, the family of Nathan Chapman & Nicholas Miller, who became interlaced through marriage before arriving in Canada.

. 1795 Jan, Isaac Debits participated with the group hauling supplies to the settlers in Markham by sleigh & oxen.

. 1795 Mar 16 - Wm. Berry sent to Burlington Bay, Mr. Beasley's boar with Swift, Morrison, Miller, Devins & Sutton to fetch flour & other provisions & to transport remaining trunks, boxes & tools from Queenstown to York (Toronto).

War of 1812
. Private in the 3rd York Militia.
. 1814 Jul 12-16, Captain John Playter's Company and transferred to Capt. Heward's Co. on the 16th.
. 1814 No 12 - 24 Cdpt Heward Detachment, York Garrison, engineering Dept.
Isaac is reported to have be killed in the Wyoming Massacre at Beaver, Pennsylvania.
. 1814 Dec 10, Capt Heward, Duty York Garrison [Toronto waterfront].
House Photo from 1902, Lot 20, Con. 6 West. Finch Ave. Devins home. Finch, south side near Weston Rd. The Devins family was the first to settle in Emery, when Isaac Devins (a U. E. Loyalist from Pennsylvania) arrived in 1795, after working with Governor Simcoe as a superintendent on the construction of Yonge St. He is credited with building the first saw mill on the Humber in the same year. His son John R. Devins was the father of John C. & Isaac Jr., who owned a carriage shop and blacksmith shop at the crossroads of Weston & Finch. Isaac Sr. lived in this house in 1804, and his descendants lived there until at least the 1960s. No longer standing. - - -

Birth:
Machackemeck, Orange Co.

Died:

Isaac married Mary POLLY CHAPMAN in 1790 in Genesee, Orange Co., New York. Mary was born in 1770 in Genesee, Orange Co., New York; died on 16 Mar 1856 in Lampton Mills (on the Humber R.), Toronto. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

M. Polly is the daughter of Hannah Tyler b. 14 Jun 1743, Sharon, Litchfield, Connecticut & Nathan Chapman who was one of the original settlers who lived in the South-east corner of Vaughan Twp.
Nathan Chapman arrived in 1796 on horseback form Pennsylvania. Lot 28, Con. 1 Yonge St. West, Vaughan. In 1864 Nathan Chapman also purchased Lot 37, Con 1 Yonge St. which was farmed by son John & grandson Robt. Langstaff Secondary School is now located on this Lot 37, Yonge Street.

. Polly's Grandmother, the widow Hannah Tyler Chapman live beside her at Lot 29. Hannah's second husband was Asa Johnson, of Yonge Street, Toronto.

. Two Chapman sisters married two Devins brothers:
Mary POLLY Chapman married 1790 Genese, NY, to Isaac Devins &
Hannah ANNE Chapman married 1792 NY to Levi Devins.

. The children of Polly Chapman & Abraham Devins are:
Elizabeth Devins - 1793 Orange Co., NY-1870 Seneca, Ohio;
Hannah Devins, 1795 Humber River, Toronto, Ontario-1875 USA;
Sarah Devins, 1799-1867 Toronto;
Rebecca Devins, 1802-1881 Toronto;
James Bernard Devins, 1804-1893 Toronto;
Nancy Devins, 1806 Toronto - 1877 Sombra Twp., Lambton, Ontario;
John Chapman Devins, 1809-1893 Toronto, married 1832 Jennet Rogers, 1815-87;
Lucy Devins, 1811-1894 Ontario &
Albert Devins. - - -

Notes:

Nathan Martin was the husband of Elizabeth Devins [the Eldest Daughter of Isaac and Mary 'Polly'  Chapman Devins and moved to the USA .    This is noted in "The Abraham Devins and his Descendants Living in Canada and the USA Book written by William Duck, 1988.