| Notes |
- . Abraham P Lawrence was born Tues. morning at 4 O'clock the 18th day of June 1805. - On 5 July 1825, at York, mother Mary Rezeau Lawrence swore she saw her husband, John Lawrence when he wrote down their children's names & birth dates.
Note1: The names of those children were equally carefully chosen. The following choice contributed to their name choice:
Abraham Perine Lawrence is named after his mother's grandmother's prominent New York Poillon family. The use of Abraham appears to be without precedent in the Lawrence or Poillon families. - P J Ahlberg, 2010.
. UCLPetition 139
Petitioner Abraham Lawrence of Vaughan Yeoman, Native of NB & resided this Province 9 years, son of Late John Lawrence, Esq. of Vaughan, deceased. Will be 21 years next June [b 1805]. Taken Oath of Allegiance. Wants 100 Acres as settler. Has received no Land from the Crown. A son of the late John Lawrence, Twp. of York, a Justice of the Peace.
Signed, York, 21 December, 1825, Abraham Lawrence.
. UCLBooks 1825 Dec 21. Abraham Lawrence, Lot 139, Stating that he is a native of New Brunswick & praying for a grant to 100 Acres of land. Recommended for 100 Acres.
. 1830 June 21, Canada Land Company,
A & J LAWRENCE, Lot 5, Con 10, Gwillimbury West, 200 Acres.
Quarter Sessions of Peace:
. 1842 Jan 5, Wed. Ed W Thomson, Esq. Chairman. Grand Jury: Alexander P Lawrence, Chas C Lawrence, Abraham P Lawrence, Miles, John Langstaff, Ricd. Vandeburg. Tavern License granted. Queen VS Cotter tall, Assault, No Bill.
. 1852 Census, Vaughan & Agricultural Census
Lot 46, Con 1 W side Yonge St., one half acre, half acre under cultivation, half acre Garden or Orchard.
The land is first rate from Lot 43 to 54, a fine earthy soil with a clay subsoil. Generally well watered.
* SHOOTING OF COL. MOODIE*, REBELLION OF 1837: Captain Hugh Stewart, retired naval officer living Lot 51 Yonge St., Markham Twp., who accompanied Col. Moodie, gives the following account of the death of his companion: "December 4th about 4 p. M., a large body of 75 men came along Yonge Street, passed Wm. Babcock Crew's Tavern, Lot 49, WSY, Richmond Hill. Their numbers increase to about 125. The magistrates in the neighborhood met at Col. Moodie's house. Col. Moodie wrote to His Excellency the Lieut. Gov. & Mr. Drew volunteered to take the letter to Toronto. The magistrates separated to do the best they could. Shortly afterwards word was brought that Mr. Drew was taken prisoner by the rebels. Upon this Col. Moodie determined to go to Toronto himself, against the prayers of his wife & family. I (Capt. Stewart) insisted on going with him, as did also Captain Bridgeford. On the road we were joined by Mr. Prime Lawrence, Mr. G. Read & Mr. Brooks. Col. Moodie suggested that we should arrange ourselves in close order, three abreast - Col. Moodie, myself & the stranger in front. Col. Moodie said, 'If they (the rebels) have a guard, we must gallop through them, whatever be the result.'
On nearing Montgomery's Tavern, we observed a guard across the road, armed with muskets, who desired us to stop or they would fire. We kept on steady right through through them. I looked for our companions & found only Col. Moodie by my side, who remarked, We are alone. He put his hand on my arm & said, Never mind, push forward, all is right yet!' About 150 men were then in front of Montgomery's door & a voice called as we were passing, Guards, fire! We passed Montgomery's & about one hundred yards from it was found a strong guard posted in close order. We reached them, when pikes & bayonets were presented to our horses' breasts. Col. Moodie said, 'Who are you - who dare stop me on the Queen's highway?' The reply was, 'You will know that in time.' Col. Moodie then fired his pistol & at the same moment, three guns were discharged at us. Col. Moodie fell upon my horse's neck & said, 'I am shot! I am a dead man!' I assisted him to regain his saddle & he said he could sit for a little while. I was dragged off my horse & used in a most barbarous manner until they got me inside the north at Montgomery's House, when a Scotchman, one of the rebels named Wm. Nelson reduced me from their brutal treatment in the 2nd story of the Tavern.
Here Brooks says he desired them to charge. We were then taken into Montgomery's Tavern. Shortly afterwards Mackenzie came into the room & asked for me." I do not add the statements of several eye-witnesses, in my possession, in refutation. Col. Moodie died in about a couple of hours after he was shot.
Col. Moodie's foolhardiness is admitted even by Sir Francis Bond Head. He determined, says the ex-Lieutenant Governor, in The Emigrant, that coute qui coute - he would ride through them & give me information that they were marching on Toronto.
Other messengers were sent, but none returned. They were made prisoners.
Ref: "The Rebellion of 1837 in Upper Canada" Colin Read. & also: Life & Times of Wm. Lyon Mackenzie, with an account of the Cdn. Rebellion of 1837. By Charles Lindsey, Vol. II, 1862.
Note2: Col. Moodie his house was located just north of its present location on Yonge Street, opposite Hunt Avenue in Richmond Hill. Mrs. Moodie was reluctant to let her elderly husband go on the dangerous mission. But charging Col. Bridgeford to see that he returned safely, she let him go. Buried in Thornhill Cemetery.
. 1840 May 27, Vaughan, Published Banns. Wm. Evans married Mary Reid. Witnesses: A P Lawrence, Matilda Evans. Marriage #729 by Rev. Wm. Jenkins of Richmond Hill.
. FIRST RIDING OF YORK, At a meeting of the Freeholders of the 1st. Riding of York, held at Noble's Tavern, Twp. of Vaughan, on Monday, 4th Oct, Wm. R. Grahame, Esq., requested to come forward to represent the riding. We the undersigned, Electors having confidence in the integrity, ability & principles of W R Graham, Esq. ... will support him. Signed, various, inc. Ben Thorne, A C Lawrence, Miles Langstaff, Charles E. Lawrence, Jno. Langstaff, Arch MacDonald, Oct 7, 1844.
Ref: 11 October 1844, Toronto British Colonist.
. 1852 Census, Vaughan Twp., York Co., A.P. Lawrence, Lot 46, C1 Yonge St.
S. C. Lawrence, born New Brunswick, Age 35/1817 N.B Farm House, one story, Frame Shop or store, one story.
. Half Acre, Quarter Acre under cultivation. One & quarter A. Garden or Orchard.
Notes by census taker, J. Ellior, Co. York:
Mary Mulville, age 18, b 1834 Ireland, servant who also works for A P Lawrence.
. 1852 Agricultural Census, Vaughan Twp., York Co., A.P. Lawrence, Lot 46, C1 Yonge St.
One acre garden - orchard. Quarter A. of potatoes yields 10 bushels. 4 sheep give 12 lbs. wool.
"The land is first rate from Lot 43 to Lot 54 a fine earthy soil with a clay subsoil uses last year at from £700 to £1000 per 100 acres according to the buildings on the farm is generally well watered. There was not a dozen of apple trees on the farm in either area. I think it not better to put it with the pasture as many a farmer has not above 2 or 3 acres of pasture that has from 5 to 20 acres of fallow. Neither could I find where the tons of hay was too grown when there was no ground to raise it from.'
. 1866 York Peel Directory, Keswick, - A small post village situated on the east shore of Lake Simcoe, Gwillimbury North Twp., York Co. Distance from Toronto 47 miles, Daily mail, Population about 200.
- A. P. Lawrence, Hotel Keeper of Lawrence's Hotel, A P Lawrence, proprietor.
. 1868-9 Return of the Number of Tavern Licenses issued:
- A P Lawrence, North Gwillimbury Twp., £5.
. 1871 Nason's East & West ridings of the County of York Directory
11 Apr 1871 - N. Gwillimbury Twp., York Co., Abraham, Margaret, Clarissa, Theophilis, Charles, Margaret Lawrence.
. 1872 Gazetter of the County of Simcoe
Gilford, a village & Station of the Northern Railway, in West Gwillimbury Twp., 16 miles from Barrie, 49 from Toronto & 8 from cooks won, First settled in 186, Daily stages to Cookstown, Alliston & Rosemont, Population 250:
Lawrence, A Perine, Hotel Keeper.
Commercial Hotel, John Flansburgh, Prop. & Richard McCann, hotel keeper.
. Abraham Perine Lawrence died. 29 Dec 1886. Buried Sprague Family Burial Ground, Alternate Cemetery Names: 10th Line Presbyterian Cemetery; Old Presbyterian, S. Andrew's Presbyterian Cemetery & Mann Cemetery.
. 1886 Dec 29 - Ontario Death Registration #2805,
Abraham Perine Lawrence, died Dec 29, 1886, aged 81 years, 6 mths., 11 days, Gentleman, b. St. Johns' New Brunswick, d. Senile Decay, 1 year. Dr. J. Arland De La Hooke.
Note3: Dr. J Ackland De La Hooke was the husband of his Cousin Maria Louisa Denison (daughter of Maria Poillon Lawrence.) - PJA
Research & transcriptions by PJ Ahlberg. Thank you. - - - [1, 2, 3, 4]
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Ontario Land Registration
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1805 - 1886 (81 years)