| Notes |
- Lewis Felker.2 is the son of Mary Mingle & Johann Frederick Völkel JOHN Felker, U.E. (United Empire Loyalist.)
. War of 1812, 4th Lincoln Reg't. Militia:
. 1813 Mar 25 - Jun 2 39 days
. 1813 Apr 25 - June 24 , Private Lewis Felker, 45 Days.
. 1813 Jul 20 to Jul 24, Private Lewis Felker, Jr, 5 Days.
. 1813 Jul 25 - 27th, Priv. Lewis Felker, Jr. Days 2, pd. 2s., 4th Reg. Lincoln Militia, Capt. Wm. Lyons.
. LOUTH MILLS, Account of Flour & Wiskey sent from this to St. David's by Capt. Askin & Ensign Applgarth:
. 1813 Dec 18th - Francis Harkisom, 4 (barrels), John Falker, 4, Joseph Falker, 4, Stephen Roy, 4, David Moyer, 4, Henry Hooh, 4, Isaac Osburn, 4, John Linderberry, 4, John Snyder, 4, David Battram, 4, John Ensly, 4, Isaiah Griffen, 3, Jacob Fisher, 4, Lewis Falker, 4,
Alexander Lane, 4, Gilbert Lane, 4, Jacob Houser, 4, A. Sheldon, 4, Joseph Ducher, 4, William Hutt, 4, Morris Canada, 4, Silas Hopkins, 5.
. 1813 Jul 20 to Jul 24, Private Joseph Felker, 5 Days.
. 1813 Jul 25 - 27th, Priv. Lewis Felker, Jr. Days 2, pd. 2s.
. 1814 Oct 18 - Nov 15, Lewis Felker, Days 15, paid 7s 6s. [together with:]
. 1814 Oct 18 - Nov 15, Fredric Felker, Days 15, paid 7s 6s. Counter Signed,
Lt. Col. Robt Nelles.,
. 1814 May 22 - 30th, Lewis Felker Jr. Days 9, pd. 4s 6s.
* 1814 May 22 -30th, Days 9, pd 4s 6p. 4th Lincoln Militia Commanded by Capt. Henry Nelles: Privates Lewis Felker, Jur., Joseph Felker, Lewis Felker, Sen., Adam Mingle.
Ref: War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls & Pay lists, t10386, p813. Archives of Canada.
. 1824 SETTLEMENT DUTY PERFORMED as attached & admitted.
Signed, York, 29 June 1824, T. Ridout, Survey General.
Note1: Thus Mary, Lewis Felker & her brother Jesse Meredtih & sister Anne Meredith were in the wilds of Garafraxa before 1824 to be able to earn their land, build a log cabin 16 X 20 feet. By March 1824 Lewis Felker had moved permanently to the Garafraxa wilderness. - PJ Ahlberg.
. 1826 Assessment & Census, Garafraxa Twp., Wellington Co.
Felker, Louis, Con 7, Lots 16 & 17W.
Uncultivated land: 75 Acres, Cultivated Land: 25 Acres
Oxen 4 Yrs+: 2 Milch Cows: 3 Young Cattle: One;
Males over 16: One (i.e. Lewis Felker); Males under 16: Three;
One Female over 16; Two Females under 16';
Farm Value: £69.
. 1833 Erin & Garafraxa Twps., Wellington Co., Gore District 7:
One male, 3 boys, 1 women, 2 girls.
. 1834 Feb 21 Assessment, Lot 16 & 17, Garafraxa Twp.:
Uncultivated land: 20 Acres; Cultivated Land: 30 Acres;
Oxen Milch Cows & Young Cattle: (same as above in 1826.)
One Male over 16; Three Males under 16;
One Female over 16: One; Four Females under 16;
Farm Value Lot 16: £52. & Lot 17, Value: £20.
Garafraxa-Owen Sound Road
. 1837-1850 Crown Lands, Letters to Survey Generals Office York, to Lieut. Governor, 400 sq. acres will take 1 year or more to survey best route for road through the woods. 1840, £3,000 Lieut. Gov calls township Syneham, i.e.. Owen Sound on Lake Huron Rd.
. 1829 Feb 29 Letter from John Telfter, local agent at Elora, A great dissatisfaction almost the settle, because more than 100 persons have come 100-200 miles away for a free grant. The people is crowding in to the settlement with their families before the sleighing goes off for the purpose of getting some cleaning done to put some spring crops in for the support of their families … Reply soon so the people can get some crips in or they will not be able to put in a crop in this year which will make it settlers no money to return home.
. 1842 Jan 12, Arthur. Road finished but for a few rods, Bridge over Saugreen R. 481 feet in 3 parts, must construct when ground frozen hard, oxen sink to their bellies, raid open in winter ]; in spring swamps will need a causeway. Joh Teller, 9 in family, Presbyterian.
Ref: Archives of Ontario RGI, A17, Box 15.
* A D Ferrier's Reminiscences, from lectures delivered to Farmers & Mechanics Institute, Fergus in 1864. Ferrier recalls his travels starting in 1830-1834.
. 1835 the of 1835 & the beginning of 1836 was very cold. The snow was between 3 & 4 feet deep in the woods, the thermometer was 30 degrees below zero.We used frequently to hear the wolves in pursuit of the deer; tow or 3 times got parts of the deer which they had been unable to devour. the sound of the wolves in pursuit is a good dal like that of a pack of foxhound, only more melancholy & more like a howl. they are very seldom seen. We often saw deer. They are easily tamed if taken young - but get very troublesome. We had several turtle feats. the porcupine is very good eating, very like a rabbit. Raccoon is not bad but rather rich & strong tasted. during the first interleaf bread was very scarce. although we had no bread, we had potatoes, oatmeal, salmon & lots of venison. Mr. Alpaugh, of Garafraxa, used to be a great hunter in those days & as he passed our house on the way to Fergus we got the first offer of his game. Stoves were hardly known. The big black pot & bake kettle were the chief culinary instruments.
Our first experience of (militia) state labor was realized in 1835. We busted together & marched to a pretty little stream. Our hands blistered nicely, but we just pricked the little blobs on the balsam trees & rubbed them with that. They healed wonderfully. Our dinner consisted of died deer fa]ham which old Mr Black provided, with bread , scones & crop.
Ref: Sketches of the Early Days of Fergus & vicinity, 1919.
. 1846 Smith's Canadian Gazetter, Province of Canada West:
Garafraxa, Wellington District, 1638 Acres under cultivation, land of excellent quality, 377055 acres of Crown land are open for sale at 8 shillings per acres. 1 grist & 2 saw mills. Population in 1841 is 322.
. 1851 Dec 2 - Places for Polling. Erin. Township Hall, Garafraxa, McKee's Barn.
Ref: Guelph Herald newspaper.
. 1854 Nov. 8 - 25 - Letter for Lewis Felker remaining in Garafraxa Post Office. Post Master Geo. S Keen.
Ref: Fergus Freeholder Newspaper.
. 1861 AGRICULTURAL CENSUS, Belwood, Wellington Co.
LEWIS FELKER, Con 7, Lot 16,
Under cultivation 70 Acres, Crops 1860 45A., Pasture 1860 25A, Wild woods 30A,Farm Value $3,000, implements $200, Spring Wheat 30A yields 200 bu., Peas 5A yields 200 bu., Oats 5A yields 250 bu., Potatoes 1A yields 50 bu., Turnip 4A yields 600 bu., Hay Bundles of 10,000 lbs. 6, Maple sugar 150 lbs, Wool 20 lbs., Full cloth 20 yards Flannel 25 yards, Cider nil, Bulls/Oxen over 3 years nil, Steers/Heifers 3, Milled Corn 2, Horses over 3 years old 2, Value of same $150, Colts/Filles 3 years, one, Sheep 7, Pigs 10, Value of a ll Livestock $600. Butter 200 lbs., Beef barrels 700 lbs., Pork barrels 200 lbs.
Census taker rears: In a good many places I find that the Farmers Complain hat the Spring Frost has injured the Peas & Spring Wheat. The Potatoes has also been injured by the Frost.
. 1861 Census Bellwood, Wellington Co., p 49
Lewis Felker, United, Age 63, Farmer. Mrs. Felker, age 63, Born Canada.
> Mary Fulker [Felker], Age 70 /1791, United States, Widow is crossed out. E. Methodist. [a vaguely located check mark in the last column MAY indicate she died in 1860-61.] VERIFY identity.
> W. Felker, Born Canada, age 10 [16?] single. VERIFY identity.
. Abram Felker, Farmer, b UC, Age 27, married & Mrs. Felker, b UC, age 25 / 1836.
Note2: Age of birth is slightly off, perhaps due to the actual census date.
Death Notices
"Felker, Lewis was born in Philadelphia, March 5, 1795,
came to Canada while young & settled near Smithville, Lincoln County.
In 1818, he married Mary Meredith.
In 1826, he moved to Garafraxa, where he died, June 20, 1861; predeceased by some of his children; survived by his wife & children.
Ref: Canada Christian Advocate, 1858-1872, published 17 July 1861, p. 4; p. 102.
METHODIST CHURCH, [ Life in pioneer Wellington County ]
. The Rev. Mr. Trerayne, who succeeded Mr. Pettit, writes :
Elora, May 1853, Dear Sir: Having now been for 6 months in the Mission,
I wish to submit to your Society some account of what has been done during that time.
Upon my entering on the Mission, I have in all 15 stations, through eight townships, viz, Egremont, Arthur, Garafraxa, Erin, Woolwich, Peel, Wellesley & Maryborough, all of which I have been enabled to visit monthly during the winter & to the station in Woolwich I have given a week-day service in addition to the Sunday. Have given up at present on account of the smallness of the congregations, & one other also I visit but once in 2 months, leaving me therefore at present but 16 monthly services.
The want of roads, & the difficulty of arranging stations within reasonable distances of each other, prevent the Missionary from doing as much as he would otherwise be able to perform. ' this want is particularly felt in Wellesley - in which place I am forced to walk through the woods, between the stations, a distance of ten miles in Summer, & in Winter have to go a round of six miles further. In the Spring & Fall the roads are almost impassible, being a heavy clay soil - a horse being unable to get along, on account of the very deep mud & loose crossways. But amid the difficulties at the worst seasons of the year, the Missionary must feel thankful that God has appointed him as an humble means of gathering together the scattered flock of Christ. He soon forgets his weariness in the warm welcome which is always given, & in the pleasure of seeing a godly congregation gathered round him, despite of mud, & rain, & darkness. & it is gratifying to find. ...
> In Garafraxa they have raised the means for building, & this week have advertised for tenders, & hope to have a church ready for worship by Winter. With the exception of two union churches & one court room, all the services are held in school or private houses.
I find a lamentable ignorance displayed with regard to the way in which the church in Canada is supported, - the most part think that all the lands called Clergy lands belong to the church, & that the proceeds of all go to the church. And continually the question is asked me - Why does not the government build us a church? Why is there not a stationed minister among us - have we not plenty of church lands for a Hector and to support him?
. Sadly Lewis Felker's monument was knocked over & lies in scattered pieces (2016). The clearly legible bottom reads, Died June 20, 1861, Aged 66 Years, 3mo. 15ds.
. Research & transcriptions by PJ Ahlberg. Thank you. - - -
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1795 - 1861 (66 years)