| Notes |
- came to Upper Canada c1800
10 known children
Dowling Family Genealogy on rootsweb says he was born 7 Dec 1771 in Fairfield Co, Connecticut
Hungerford
[Guy St-Denis - Byron: Pioneer Days in Westminster Township] In 1815 Samuel Hungerford purchased the improvements [to northern part of L34] made by Calvin Martin....In 1800 he had migrated to Upper Canada and eventually made his way to Westminster. Although his arrival in the Byron area predated Watson's survey, he cannot be considered one of the pre-survey squatters, as he did not take up his own land until he purchased Martin's improvements in 1815. Prior to this purchase Hungerford had apparently lived with Joseph Kilbourn Sr. on lot 50 in concession A. Hungerford had married one of Kilbourn's daughters, Abigail, which helps to explain his presence on Kilbourn's location. He was probably assisting his aging father-in-law to clear and cultivate his farm. On June 2, 1812, however, he prepared a petition requesting a grant of his own 200 acres, but when he arrived in York he found that the government was preoccupied with the war and nothing could be done about his petition.
After the war, on April 3, 1815, as noted, Hungerford bargained with Martin, who was then living in Oxford Township, for the improvements to the broken front lot 34 and the adjacent northern part of lot 34 in the first concession. The two men agreed upon a price of $125 for which Hungerford gave Martin a horse worth $60 as part payment of the total sum. Because neither Martin nor [Usrich] Shenick before him had received the patent to the property Hungerford was, technically, one of the post-war squatters. In May he occupied the 200 acre lot and began performing the settlement duties, apparently without informing the proper authorities that he had purchased Martin's improvements. As a result, on January 17, 1816 the Executive Council, feeling that by this time Shenick's location ticket was invalidated, allowed Archibald Burtch to locate 100 acres of the northern part of lot 34, south of the Commissioners' Road and also what was now Hungerford's farm. Unfortunately, the land south of Hungerford was also occupied, by Peter McNames, which compounded the already confused mess. On the same day Burtch's wife was allowed all of lot 34 in the broken front to the north - which was also now occupied by Hungerford.
[After a long drawn-out dispute with Burtch, Hungerford was eventually granted the land by Executive Council, with the help of Ezra Griffith and Peter McNames, on May 1, 1821]
It is not clear whether Hungerford actually farmed the land in the broken front himself or merely held on to it for purposes of speculation....Hungerford retained his property until February 7, 1823 when he sold it to George J. Goodhue for £500. One of the most prominent merchants in early Westminster, Goodhue later bacame London's first "millionaire".
By 1829 the mobile Hungerford was the occupant of lot 50 in concession A, the former location of his father-in-law, Joseph Kilbourn Sr. Later, on September 19, 1840, he purchased the north-west quarter of lot 41 in the first concession, along with part of its broken front, from Charles Montague who paid £75 for 63 1/2 acres of lnad. On this property is a very high hill that came to be known as Hungerford Hill...Although Hungerford sold the property to his son in 1852, he continued to live there until his death on March 4, 1857. He was then interred in the Brick Street Cemetery. His saga of acquisitions, disputes and transfers forms one of the most intricate in the township and well demonstrates the pioneer settlers mobility, difficulties and ability to get into extended squabbles.
[p80] After Watson deserted to the Americans at Detroit he supplied Hull with much valuable information concerning British strength, morale, etc. Part of this information included a list prepared on July 10, 1812, of all the residents of Upper Canada whom he possibly believed could be "depended upon as staunch friends to the United States." ....Among the 119 names listed is that of Samuel Hungerford, a well-known early settler of the Byron area. Contrary to Watson's view of him, Hungerford remained loyal to the British throughout the war, and actually served in the Middlesex militia. In addition to this entry the overall accuaracy of the document is very suspect....Hungerford, who probably never realized his name was so abused, subsequently served the militia by opening and repairing roads for military use. He was also very active in furnishing and going with his team in assisting the British troops to pass through the country. Like so many other settlers, Hungerford suffered the loss of a horse during McArthur's raid, and two others stolen by Indians earlier in the year.
That your petitioner is a native of Connecticut in the United States of America -is 46 years of age-and has resided in this province for 16 years. That in the month of April, 1815, he purchased from one Calvin Martin.... lot 34 in the first Concession of the Township of Westminster......who bought the property from Ulrich Shenich a follower of S.L. Watson who originally settled on the said Lot, but returned to the United States during the War of 1812. [from Glen Curnoe]
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1772 - 1857 (84 years)
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