| Notes |
- Jacob was of medium height, weighing about 150 or 160 pounds. He had a fair complexion & chestnut hair, with rather short side whiskers.
. He relied on neighbours, such as Richard Lawrence, to translate documents for him.
UCLPetition 5, Y Bundle 5, C2980, p381. Yonge Street Impassible
To His Excellency, Governor Peter Hunter,
We the inhabitants of Yonge Street being subjected to such inconveniences by Reason of the Road to town being unpassable for most parts of the year, as to prevent our being able to carry our produce to market, do pray your Excellency to take our situation into your wide consideration and devise some means to enable us to make a good and passable Road by mobilizing an company independent of owning land on the Street, to do his proportion thereof.
Signed, Yonge Street, 16th January, 1800
Signed, {Baron] Fred V. Hoen Grt, Walter Moodey, Thomass Hill, Jacob Cummer, John Evenson, Joseph Johnson, Nicholas, Johnson, Abraham Johnson, John Willson, SR, John Lyon, Anthony Hollingshead, Balsar Munshaw, Elisha Dexter, John Willson, Jur, Sil Willson [Stillwill.], James Ruggles, John McDougall, Ephriam H. Payeson.
. Yonge St., Willowdale. Upper Canada. Jacob Cummer selected 300 acres of land on which he commenced to make a home amist the heavy pine forest. His good judgment was shown in choosing a tract one-half of whose acreage was pine, the rear part of the farm being hard-wood, with fine soil & gently rolling land. The location proved to be a wise one so he built a log house & commenced the labor of clearing off the timber. The earth soon began to yield a good living. Of course the wild animals of the forest gave him as well as all the other settlers much trouble. Bears destroyed the wheat, gathering the grain together with their paws, hugging it & eating off the heads. In this manner a large part of the crop would be destroyed. Then the wolves killed the sheep and hogs & the foxes preyed upon the chickens, lambs & small pigs. However, the early pioneers were diligent & watchful and waged war upon these pests by trapping & shooting. For this warfare they used the old-fashioned flint-locked army musket. Indeed there were at first only 3 of them within a radius of 4 miles.
Jacob's early education was obtained at the common schools & before he attained his majority he became a flour miller, learning his trade at Lockport, NY. For a time he operated the mils at Reading Mills, near Willowdale.
During the Rebellion of 1837, MacKenzie s printing press was hidden in an old dry well back of Joshua Cummer's farm.
"When and why the "K" of the family name was changed to "C" are questions we are not able to settle definitely. An interesting tradition tells us that Jacob Cummer himself made the change because he found it easier to mark his grain bags with a "C" than with a "K." Evidently the change was made before his death. Mrs. Joshua Cummer says that it was during the boyhood of her husband. As Joshua was married in 1835, we are safe in saying that the change was made before that time."
Note: The Cummer Memoranda, a copy at the North York Public Library, 6th Floor, and available also on the internet, is the finest of detailed genealogy to be found. It was done the good old fashioned way of first hand research by Wellington Willson Cummer, Esq., 1901. - P J Ahlberg.
1834 August 30th, WILL OF JACOB CUMMER
IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. I, JACOB CUMMER of the Township of York in the Home District in the Province of Upper Canada, Husbandman, being weak in body, but of sound & perfect mind & memory considering the uncertainty of this mortal life, make & publish this last Will & Testament:
. I desire that my just debts & funeral charges be well & truly paid out of my movable property.
. Wife ELIZABETH CUMMER shall have comfortable support for life off of the 285 acres of land & in case she may choose to remain on the premises upon which I now reside she is to have possession of the west half of the house, the garden with all fruit trees in or around said garden, also all my household furniture & live stock, & she my wife shall, if any of my children which are now living with me should marry or become of lawful age go to such of my heirs as she may deem a proper portion of the movable property of my estate & in case my wife ELIZABETH shall wish to leave the premises which I now reside to live with any other person or persons she shall have all the proceeds of the 285 acres of land above named; the sum of £30 currency yearly to be paid £10 currency by Samuel Cummer when they get lawful possession of their respective lots as specified in this m y last Will ^ Testament.
. Unto my son Daniel a tract of land & premises in the Township of York in the District & Province aforesaid, being composed of the north half Lot 23 in the 1st Concession on the east side of Yonge Street of the York Township forever.
. Unto my son JOHN that certain tract of land & premises in the to worship of York, Lot 22 on which my sawmill is now erected in the 2nd Concession of the York Twp. ESYonge, containing about 50 acres, together with said sawmill & appurtenances forever, subject to the following encumbrances, namely:
. THAT in one year next ensuing after my death the sum of £50 currency - to my daughter MARY, wife of John Willson,3rd,
- sum of £50 currency is to be paid unto my daughter Elizabeth, wife of Peter Lawrence in two year next ensuing after my death,
- Unto my daughter Sally in 3 years next £50 unto my daughter Nancy in 4 years next.
. Unto my son Jacob Cummer, west halves Lots 4 & 5,Con 2, Vaughan, Twp., containing 200 acres.
. Unto my son DAVID, land & premises in the Township of York in front half of Lot 21 in the Second Concession of the said York Twp., ESYonge Street, containing 100 acres forever, reserving out of the same 2 rods along the north side for the accommodation of a road.
. Unto my son Joshua, south half of Lot 19, Con 1 ESY, & the north part of Lot 18 being contiguous to the part of Lot No. 19, commencing on Yonge Street at the center of the lane leading from Yonge St. through the centre of said land eastwardly for the distance of 40 chains, from thence a line to run in such direction eastwardly as will include in this parcel or tract of land the one-half of the premises of 285 acres of land, being the tract on which I now reside, reserving for the purpose of a sight for a Meeting House one-half an acre on northwest corner of that part of Lot 19, above mentioned containing by a measurement 8 rods from NW corner where a post has been planted in front. I give & bequeath for the sight of a Meeting House forever & my desire & request is that the Episcopalian Methodist shall have the privilege of fulfilling their appointments & of hold conferences & any other general or quarterly meeting & that the trustees of the said Meeting house be empowered to let other Christian Denominations occupy the house as they may think proper.
After said deduction being made I bequeath & devise unto him my son Joshua, possession & enjoyment of all & every part & parcel of the above mentioned tract or parcel of land with the appurtenances & to his heirs & assigns forever.
. Unto my youngest son Samuel, land & premises contiguous to Joshua's southern bound on which I now reside containing about 142 acres of land forever.
Also unto my sons Joshua & Samuel each one horse,
a set of harness,
a plough & harrow,
one cow,
one bed, bedstead & bedding after my decease out of the goods & chattels.
The Horse & cow to be of good quality.
Executors shall equally divide or sell & equally divide the proceeds among all my children share & share alike in my household furniture, live stock or farm utensils if there be any such remainder which my wife Elizabeth should not deem fit to dispose of or keep for her own use.
Executors obtain the proceeds of said lands above mentioned, that the proceeds be equally divided among all my surviving children, that is to say, my sons, Daniel, John, Jacob, David, Joshua & Samuel & my daughters Mary, Elizabeth, Catherine, Sarah & Nancy or their heirs,
then my wife ELIZABETH is to possess all the residuary of my money so left, one-third of which is to be her own & the two-thirds to be equally divided among all my surviving children or their heirs & for their use an d benefit.
Executors Robert Irwin of the York Twp., my son-in-law, & John Cummer my son of the same place, & my beloved wife, Elizabeth,
Signed, Sealed, published an declared by the said JACOB CUMMER as for his last Will & Testament in the presence "JACOB CUMMER" names are hereunto written, (& who each of us subscribed our) names as witnesses at his request & in his presence at the James Bell, time & place as above written. John Willson, 4th & James Wanhope.
I also declare & publish this as part of my last Will & Testament by me made & executed this 30th August, 1834.
. Deeds of Conveyance from John Willson 3rd, of 4 Town Lots situate in the Town of Goderich in the London District, & also on which his dwelling house, outhouses & tannery is situate, & whereas the said John Willson 3rd, has the privilege of redeeming the above lands within 5 years from the 14th of August, 1834,
& in case of his default or non payment then I give & devise all the above named parcels of land unto my daughter Mary, wife of the said John Willson, 3rd, for & during her natural life & after her decease my will is that the above named property is to be equally divided amongst their heirs after deducting from the said lands the amount due me from the said John Willson, 3rd. The money to raised out of the lots that the dwelling house does not occupy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have set my hand & seal this day & year above written. In the presence of us witnesses: John Willson, 4th,
JACOB CUMMER, James Bell, James Wanhope.
Probated 2 March 1842.
Proved by Robin Irwin & John Cummer, Executors.
Research & transcriptions by PJ Ahlberg. Thank you. - - - [1]
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1767 - 1796 (29 years)