| Notes |
- Letter from John Lawrence.xii to Cousin Valentine Harden Tisdale :
"Dear Cousin, To Val Harden Tisdale, Yonge Street, December the 26th, 1837
I often have been talking about the Revolutionary War, but we have had a Rebel war in earnest. Pappa heard on Saturday night [i.e. Dec 6, 1837] about 9 o'clock that the Rebels intended to attack the City in the course of the next week. He went in early on Monday to inform the Governor who called his Counsel together immediately & said that it was the first information he had received that he could depend on. Father informed them the Rebels might come tonight. Sure enough about 9 o'clock at night they began to parade down the Street past our house. [i.e. Lawrence Ave East & First Con. Yonge St.] We had just got in bed when there came a tap at the Door. When Father jumped & opened the Door there came in a good Tory* saying that the Rebels was all going to take Toronto.
We all muster up directly & went to all the Loyal Fellows that we knew. That night I went out to get another man on the Second Concession West. The Rebels was going down that Road. We laid down by the fence to let them pass. They came within about 8 feet of us where they made a full stop & said this is not the place, turned off to go to Montgomery's Wharf, where they took their Stand. [Montgomery's Ave: Yonge just north of Eglinton Ave. West side.]
That night Father sent Peter & our hired man to 2nd Con to warn along that line to get into Toronto as early as possible in the morning.
Uncle Perine & Colonel Moody called at our house & told Mama he intended to go the Governor that night unless they killed him. They had a guard placed across the Street at Montgomery's Tavern. [i.e. a couple of miles south.] When Uncle & the Colonel came up they Bid them stand, but the Colonel in forcing his way through was Shot thought the Body by the Rebels. Perine immediately wheeled his horse & topped [jumped] over the fence & ran his horse to the Governor's house & gave the alarm that the Rebels was coming.
Father & Mr. Bond was all night along the Street laying by the sides of the fence whenever the Rebels would pass. They crept along the side of the fence until they came within a few rods of the Rebels guard & lay for about 2 hours expecting to get some information respecting their attack, but all their talk was what a fine fellow McKenzie was.
We all returned home just before day & got our Breakfast. On Tuesday morning five of us took into the woods & went up hills & down dales till we came into the City. At the Market Buildings we found the Governor with 2 guns in his hands & the Chief Justice Robinson & all the rest of the Nobility with their firelocks in their hands with their Cartridge Box & Baronets by their sides & a fine lot of Good Loyal men all getting Arms. We all immediately got our Army formed into a Company & marched to the Garrison.
That night Father was placed officer of the guard & the next Morning placed on picket guard where we was kept till about 8 o'clock at night. The next morning that word was for action. Capt. McClain came to my Father & wished him to go with him on the west flank of the Army as he was acquainted with the ground which he readily complied with. When they say the Army coming up Yonge Street, the Rebels ran down in the woods to flank them not expecting that we had a flank of about two hundred men coming out of the woods upon them. As soon as our Cannon began to play in their faces & our flanks on their backs, they took to their heels for their life. We believed there was upwards of a dozen killed & several wounded.
Sir Francis Bond Head led army into action like a Gallant General & when Prisoners was taken he allowed them the Greatest leniency. The Army all marched up above Hoggs Mills & then returned, except a few that pursued McKenzie & took his horse & burnt Gibson's House & Barn. Montgomery's Buildings was all burnt to ashes but we must not forget that MacKenzie began the burning & burnt Doc. Horn's house, or the thirty men who killed one of the Rebels & wounded several others & the Rebels had to retreat.
The Rebels came to our house several times with a full determination to have Father's Gun & Sword. Mama took care to have the Gun & Sword hid. They plundered all through the Neighbours, but all they took from us was one powder Flacks. MacKenzie threatened to burn our house the day the Battle took place.
Uncle Perine was here yesterday & said that all our relations was well up there [i.e. further north on Yonge Street] & Sarah C. is not married yet. She is waiting for you to come down. You must answer this as soon as you can.
The Family joins me in love to you, Uncle, Aunt & Cousins. For John Lawrence."
Note1: In 1984 the Archives of Ontario received this letter from John F Brook of Niagara-on-the Lake, Ontario. They maintain that the letter had never been delivered when it was found in a torn-down building. Archives of Ontario Accession # 16315. Further explanations on these people may be found in the Lawrence Willson Book.
Note2: Those accompanying Col. Moonie were: Capt. Stewart, Capt. Bridgeford. On the road we were joined by Mr. Prime (Perine) Lawrence, Mr. G. Read, & Mr. Brooks.
. Transcribed, P J Ahlberg, 2008.
. 1852 Census York Twp., (Lawrence Ave & Yonge St., Toronto)
John Lawrence, age 25 b New Brunswick, Methodist, Wheelwright
Eliza Lawrence, age 23, b 1829 New Brunswick
Han McKenzie, age 50, 1802, New Brunswick*
Han Carbold, age 18 New Brunswick.
Saw Mill by Water Power, 1 story building, Saw 200,000 ft. per annum.
One story frame house.
Note3: Brother Jacob Lawrence's lot is beside him, also with a saw mill.
Note4: Birth location ditto of NB may refer his father Peter Lawrence's birth location. No children for John & Sarah are listed. Is Han Carbold a servant?
. 1859 Oct 12, Bargain & Sale, Purchased from Amos Thorne for £50, Lot 6, Con 1 Yonge Street West side. Part quarter acre.
Ref: Land Registration Office, York County.
Verify this John Lawrence
. 1861 Jun 21, West Riding of York, W P Howland nominated. A large & respectable meeting was yesterday held at the Albion Inn, St. Andrews for hearing from the late member of the Riding an account of his course in Parliament. [a long discourse!] Will serve from York Twp.: John Lawrence.
. 1862 May 5, York Twp. Council, 5th meting held on 26th ins. Present Maguire, Playter & Shepard. The Council order the sum of $3 to be paid to John Lawrence for the funeral expenses for a pauper child. Council than adjourned to meet at the Prospect Houston Mon. May 26th. Signed, John Willson, 45th Clerk.
Ref: Toronto Globe & Mail.
Obituary
. 1899 Mar 24, Friday - Lawrence, At his residence, Aurora, John Lawrence, eldest son of the late Peter Lawrence, in his 84th year.
Funeral on Tuesday, Mar 28th, at 8 o'clock a.m. train arrives at Union Station 10:10 a.m., thence to Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Ref: Toronto Globe & Mail .
Ontario Land Registry North York Book 1, p48
Lot 5, Con 1 E Yonge Street
. 1797 Mar 12, Patent, Crown, Wm. Cooper, All 190 Acres.
. 1865 Mar 15, John Lawrence & Sarah M his wife, to James Metcalfe, to $8400, ALL
. 1867 Nov 4, Grant, John Lawrence et ux, to Township of York, $100, 2A.
. 1868 Oct 24, James Metcalf, to John Lawrence, $5000, ALL.
. 1870 Oct 3, Grant, Corp Twp. of York, to John Lawrence, A$100, part 2, 10 Acres
. 1884 Feb 6, Grant, John Lawrence et ux, to Geo W Banks, $00, Par 11, 4/00 Acres
. 1883 Dec 1, Mortgage, John Lawrence etux, to Geo W Banks, $800, Part 11A.
. 1888 Apr 6, Discharge Mort., John Lawrence, to Geo W Bank, $700, 11A.
. 1907 Nov 14, Grant, Franklin Lawrence, Samuel B & John W Lawrence, Executors of John Lawrence said Franklin, Samuel B, John W Lawrence & Minnie Redditt, to Jos A Montgomery, $47,000 ALL NE corner.
. 1910 Dec 14, Plan 1534, Dovercourt Land Building & Savings Co. Ltd. (Sarah A Harris, Franklin & S.B. Lawrence & J. Willson Lawrence,) Mortgages.
Lot 6, Con 1 East Yonge St., North York Book 2, p2
[i.e.North East side of Yonge & Lawrence Ave., Toronto]
. 1845 Dec 22, B&S, Peter Lawrence, to Jacob Lawrence, £2000, N &ESHalf, 105 A.
. 1846 Feb 18, Peter Lawrence et ux, to John Lawrence, £200, 2Acres
. 1847 May 31, B&S, John Lawrence et ux, to Peter Lawrence, £550 Part front part 2 Ac.
. 1883 Dec 13, Grant, John Lawrence etall, to Geo W Banks, $900TH A.
Lot 6, Con 1, West side Yonge Street, Land Registry Book 401, Metro Toronto, p 111-113 North York 97, p3-5: as well?
. 1845 May 9, Bargain & Sale, Peter Lawrence & Elizabeth his wife, to John Russell, £77 10 s., Part 2A.
. 1846 Feb 16, B&S, PL etux, to John Lawrence, £200,P 2 acre
. 1847 May 31 - B&S, John Lawrence et ux, to Peter Lawrence, £550, Front part 2ac.
. 1856 Dec 22, B&S, Amos Thorne, etux, to John W Lawrence, £50, Part quarter ac.
. 1858 Aug 17, Mortgage, John W Lawrence, to Rufus Skinner, £100, Part Quarter A. & Mort Discharged 1859 Oct 11
. 1859 Oct 10, Grant, John W Lawrence & Eliza his wife, to James Metcalfe, Part quarter acre.
. 1860 Jul 9, WILL, Peter Lawrence, SHalf, expo pt N part.
. 1860 Sep 29, B&S, Jos Beckett & Charlotte his wife, to John Lawrence, £9000, PS 104 ac.
. 1905 Oct 2, Plan, Frank Lawrence, Samuel B Lawrence, & J Willson Lawrence, Exors of John Lawrence
. 1909 Oct 19, Grant, F, SB & John W Lawrence, Exors of John Lawrence, sd, F, SB & JW Lawrence & Minnie Redditt, to Oris G Vanhorn, $35,033.50, SW Lot 10, subject to reservations.
. 1910 Jul 25, Plan, Melrose Realty Co., F., SB & JWillson Lawrence, Exors John Lawrence.
Lot 20, Con 1 West Yonge Street, North York Book 108, p3-5. [Yonge & Finch Ave. W]
. 1822 May 23 B&S Trust, Stillwell Willson et ux, to Wm. Allan, 5 shillings, ALL.
. 1854 Nov 8, B&S, Andrew Davis et aux, to Jacob Lawrence, £275, Part 1.
. 1863 May 1, Mort, James Hugo etux, to John Lawrence, $600, Part Acre;
. 1865 Mar 15, A.Mort., John Lawrence, to James Metcalf, $600, Part Acre;
. 1867 Feb 14, Grant, Andrew Davis, to Peter Lawrence, $525, Part 15 Acres;
Research & transcriptions by PJ Ahlberg. Thank you. - - - [2]
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1815 - 1899 (83 years)