| Notes |
- . UCLPetition 62, William Vanzant, resides Markham, that he is desirous of occupying Lot 31, Con 9, Markham & desires a renewal of said Lot.
Signed, William Vanzant, 18th July, 1830.
. 1829 Sept 3, York, I give up my claim of Lot 31, Con 9, Markham. Signed, Wm. Wittan?
. 1829 July 2, This is to certify last November nothing is done on L31, C9, Markham, Witnesses: Garret Vanzant & John Hamilton.
. 1830 Feb 26, Markham. L31, C9, Markham is in a state of nature without improvement. Signed, William Clendening & William Holden.
. 1830 Mar 4 - James Hatter, Markham Twp., Yeoman, has examined Lot 31, Con 9, finds no improvement of any kind nor any house built thereon but the said lot is in complete wild state. Signed, John HISXMARK, Hatter.
. UCLPetition 62, Renewal of Leases: 1830, Mar 17, Markham, this is to certify Lot 31, Con 9 Markham was a wild lot of land last May 1829. No work done on it. Last August William Vanzant claims a place to set a house but house logs for a house cut 15 of 20 saw logs for boards intended for the house. James Holdden & John Hamilton both living in Markham came to work on this lot of land the 19 of this present month without? William Vanzant orders & say that say they had got this lot of land & making use of the labour Vanzant has done on this lot of land.
Signed, Garret Vanzant & James Vanzant.
. 1832 June 21, York. Patent Fee Registration 288. for Clergy Reserve L31, C9, Markham, leased to William Vanzant.
Ref: UCLP Renewal of Leases 1815-1838, Film C2982 P958.
. 1839 Dec 30, Toronto - Wm. Vanzant, Lot 31, Con 9, Markham, Amount due on leased clergy Reserves, £13. 2 .5p.
Ref: Journal of the House of Assembly of Upper Canada, pub. 1840.
. 1846 Aug 4, Tues. - "Great terror pervaded the minds of the timid & those living in isolated & remote places, on account of the frequency of these depredations, & the apparent impossibility of detecting the offenders. Now & then a suspected person was arrested, but, for want of sufficient proof, discharged." The Markham Gang was a wide ranging crime group of over a dozen men & a couple of women. Many of the convicted Markham Gang members were related, & those relationships would have facilitated recruitment in the gang. In the end some men would be sentenced to hang for vicious murders. Others like William Vanzant were sent to prison.
On 6 April, Mr. Witney arrested Oliver Badgerow, William Vanzant, John Fleming & James Green & charged them with larceny, & of possessing stolen goods & at the Toronto Assizes on Friday, 22 May, Spencer, Badgerow, Morden, Vanzant appeared before Chief Justice John Beverley Robinson. Daniel Spencer charged with stealing a cooking stove & then given it to Oliver & David Badgerow for disposal.
. The Nighswander Robbery: Oliver Badgerow & William Vanzant was brought before the court again charged with stealing 150 yards of cloth from John Nighswander’s fulling mill in January 1845. Witness Casper Stotts said 3 months after the robbery Vanzant’s wife told him her husband had stolen the cloth. In a conversation with Vanzant, the defendant had said that he hadn’t received his fair share of the money obtained from the sale of the cloth. Lorenzo White had assisted Vanzant in the robbery.
On Friday, 5 June, William Vanzant along with John Smith were found guilty of having burgled the home of George Smith on the first concession of Reach Township. The two stole dishes & a large quantity of pails & canisters from Smith.
Saturday, 6 June - Sentencing - In order to clear the Toronto jail, Chief Justice John Beverly Robinson had each of the guilty parties thus far in the Assizes brought before him for sentencing. Under cross-examination by Vanzant’s lawyer, J. H. Hagarty, Stotts confessed that the trousers he was wearing in court were made from the stolen cloth. He had obtained the trousers from Lorenzo White.
"The rules of the club were that we were to share & share alike, & it was understood that if any man turned, death should be his portion."
. Chief Justice Robinson handed out Vanzant an harsh sentence for 2 separate charges of theft. He was sentenced, on 6 June 1846, to 7 years hard labour in the penitentiary. The unfortunate wife, Sarah Stiles Vanzant was left with the 6 children alone, until William returned. They had one more child, Albert Vanzant.
1. Toronto Gaol, are to be found in the Ontario Archives; Jail Records, Toronto Jail, 1838-1848. Ref: RG-20-100-1. Microfilm; MS 2782.
2. All references to judges, lawyers & witnesses are to be found in the Ontario Archives; Court of the Queen’s Bench Assize Minute Books. Microfilm MS 530, reel 4.
Ref: Mayhem to Murder, The History of The Markham Gang, by Paul Arculus, 2003; &
3. Court reports at: An Interesting account of the organization & mode of operations of the celebrated horde of robbers known as the Markham Gang, 1846 (Canadiana Online, Archives of Canada.)
* 1851 Sep 30, Return of Convicts discharged from the Penitentiary, during the year ending 1851:
William Vanzant, Age 42 [= b. 1804 or if age 42 1804], Height 6ft. half inch, Complexion Fresh, Eyes Great, Hair Brown, Home District, Crime Larceny, Sentenced Jun 6, 1846, Term of 7 years, Discharged Jan 2 1851, Remarks pardoned.
. Disbursements at the Provincial Penitentiary:
. 1851 Jan 2, William Vanzant, Travelling Alliance, 17shillings 6pence.
Ref: Journal of Legislative Assembly of Province of Canada.
Research & transcripts by PJ Ahlberg. Thank you. - - -
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1804 - 1890 (86 years)