Comfort Sage (1796 - 1887)

Born 9 Jun 1796 in New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Susannah H. (Lawrence) Sage — married before 25 Feb 1816 in Ontario

Descendants

Died 5 Apr 1887 at age 90 in West Oxford, Ontario, Canada

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Biography

Comfort was born in Bloomfield, Ontario, New York in the Finger Lakes Region, 9 June 1796, ^[1] the seventh child of Allen Sage^[2] and Christina Brant.^[3][4][5]

He was listed as the owner of 47 acres of land, 6 cultivated, in the township of Oxford Upon Thames, Ontario, Canada in 1816. ^[6] In 1828 he was living in Oxford County, Ontario.^[7] 1851 finds him in Oxford County, West Ontario.^[8] He shows in 1861 and 1871 as a farmer in Oxford South, Canada.^[9][10][11] In 1881 he is living in the home of Martha Sage in Quebec.^[12]

Comfort passed away 5 April 1887 after suffering from paralysis for two weeks.^[13] He is buried in West Oxford United Church Cemetery, Centreville, Oxford County Municipality, Ontario, Canada^{[1][5][14][13][15][16]}

Interestingly, a couple who were renovating their home in Ingersoll many years later, discovered that a slab of pristine limestone that was being used as a hearth. Once they turned it over, they realized that it was in fact the headstone of Comfort Sage. ^[16] One of his obituaries stated that he was "an old respected and well known resident" and was one of the early settlers. It went on to say that he "always took an active part in the notable events of Canadian interest. He was on duty at Queenston when Gen. Brock fell and was in the engagement which followed. When the war ended, he received an honourable discharge. He also took part in the MacKenzie rebellion (citing the Sweaburg column, Woodstock Sentinel-Review, dated 13 April 1887). ^[5]

Military

Despite his tender years, Comfort served as a militiaman during the war of 1812 between 1812 and 1815. he applied for a pension in 1875.^[17][3] His name appeared on the July and August 1812 muster roll of the 2nd Flank Company under the command of Captain John Carroll. ^[2] He was probably part of the contingent that captured Fort Detroit on 16 August 1812.^[2] In 1813 and 1814, he served with his brothers, Samuel and Willard.^[2]

Mother

According to family lore, Comfort's mother was Christina Brant, daughter of famous Mohawk war chief Joseph Brant. This is also asserted in Scott Gillies newspaper column. He cites Dorothy M. Currie and her history of West Oxford's United Church records, Heritage Renewed, Oxford, Ontario : n.p., 1975. This book also says that Christine died while Comfort was still quite young and he was raised by his father and step-mother, Elizabeth Westbrook.^[2]

Children

This list comes form Scott Gillies: ^[2]

• Lucinda Sage
• Mary Sage
• Levi Sage
• Allen Sage
• Enoch Sage
• Lucy Sage
• Sally Sage

Research Notes

His entry in Find a Grave reads:

• Sage was born at Bloomfield, N. Y in 1796 and emigrated with family to the area that, decades later, would become Brant County. He would have been a teenager during the War of 1812.
• Sage married Susannah Lawrence, the daughter of other early Brant County pioneers, and the couple had at least seven children.
• Ken Sage said that family lore holds that Comfort was "a great walker" who liked to travel long distances on foot. Of course, walking may often have been a simple necessity in the very early pioneer days. "He was a hard worker and would often walk to Hamilton and back. The exercise probably kept him in shape" and contributed to his long life, Sage said.

Christina Brant does not appear to be the parent according to this record. https://archive.org/details/cihm_01100/page/n9

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Death: "Ontario, Canada, Deaths and Deaths Overseas, 1869-1948," database with images, Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 48, Ancestry Sharing Link - (Ancestry Record 8946 #1537054 : accessed 31 December 2022), Comfort Sage death 5 Apr 1887 (age 90) in Oxford, Ontario, Canada.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Newspaper clipping. Media. Gillies Scott, "Comfort Sage related to Joseph Brant."
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Military.' Jonasson, Eric. Canadian Veterans of the War of 1812, Winnipeg, Manitoba : Wheatfield Press, 1981, pg. 55 (available at Family History Library). [Canadian Genealogy Index, 1600s-1900s]
4. ↑ Brown, Cora May Beach, The record of the death of Comfort Sage, of West oxford
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 31 December 2022), memorial page for Comfort Sage (9 Jun 1796–5 Apr 1887), Find A Grave: Memorial #110558473, citing West Oxford United Church Cemetery, Centreville, Oxford County Municipality, Ontario, Canada; Maintained by Neal O'Hara (contributor 46792096).
6. ↑ Shenston, Thomas S. The Oxford Gazetteer, 1852, Woodstock, Ontario : Council of the Corporation of the County of Oxford, 1968; digital images, Internet Archive (https://archive.org : accessed December 2022); citing pg. 143.
7. ↑ McKenzie, Donald A. Upper Canada Naturalization Records, 1828-1850, Toronto, Ontario : Ontario Genealogical Society, abt. 1991, pg. 10. [NOTE: available at Family History Centers]
8. ↑ 1851 Census. "Canada Census, 1851", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWT6-XNM : 1 October 2021), Camfort Sage, 1851.
9. ↑ 1861 Census. "Canada, Ontario Census, 1861," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQ7L-QF2 : 5 September 2017), Comfort Sage, West Oxford, Oxford, Ontario, Canada; citing p. 22, line 11; Library and Archives Canada film number C-1061-1062, Public Archives, Toronto; FHL microfilm 2,435,934.
10. ↑ 1871 Census. "Canada Census, 1871," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4QQ-RY2 : 7 April 2022), Comfort Sage, West Oxford, Oxford, Ontario, Canada; citing 1871; citing National Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
11. ↑ Canada, City and Area Directories, 1819-1906
12. ↑ 1881 Census. "Canada Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVDF-3HL : 2 March 2021), Comfort Sage in household of Martha Sage, West Oxford, Oxford, Ontario, Canada; from "1881 Canadian Census." Database with images. Ancestry. (www.ancestry.com : 2008); citing Martha Sage, citing Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Death. "Canada, Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JKZQ-LM8 : 2 March 2021), Comfort Sage, 5 Apr 1887; citing West Oxford, Oxford, Ontario, Canada, , Registrar General. Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm .
14. ↑ Obituary: Ingersoll Chronicle & Canadian Dairyman, Thursday, April 07, 1887
15. ↑ Comfort Sage related to Joseph Brant, SCOTT GILLIES, Wednesday, January 12, 2011 6:10:00 EST AM: www.ingersolltimes.com/2011/01/12/comfort-sage-related-to-joseph-brant
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Olive Tree Genealogy. "Old Tombstone Found in Fireplace Hearth," Ancestors at Rest (Friday, 31 December 2010) (online: Brian Massey, Blogger.com) ; citing Heather Ibbotson's article, "Discovery of tombstone has descendants 'thrilled to death'," that appeared in the Brantford Expositor (Brantford, Ontario), Thursday, 30 December 2010 [NOTE: article no longer available online at the Brantford Expositor] <https://ancestorsatrest.blogspot.com/2010/12/old-tombstone-found-in-fireplace-hearth.html>. It is available as media on Ancestry.com Media
17. ↑ Military: "Canadian Immigrant Records, Part One," database, Records of Immigrants to Canada, (Ancestry Record 3795 #72654 : accessed 31 December 2022), Name: Comfort Sage; Year of Record: 1875; Source/Event: Statement showing Militiamen of 1812-1815 who have applied to participate in the gratuity voted by Parliament in 1875; Comments: Militiaman (1812-1815); Age: 78; Reference: National Library of Canada: Parliamentary Sessional Papers, 1876, No. 7 page 79.

Acknowledgements

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