Christian Stoner (1753 - 1835)

Born 4 May 1753 in Bucks, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 25 Oct 1835 at age 82 in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada

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Biography

Christian was born in 1753 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He married Elizabeth Neff. As Mennonites, they joined others who refused to take up arms during the Revolution and emigrated to Upper Canada (Ontario). They settled in Humberstone Township. Their children were: John, Annie (Schich), Elizabeth (Augustine), Mary (Augustine), Christian, Esther (Stoner), Susannah (Neff), Lydia (Neff), Leah (Morningstar), Fannie (Otte) and Abraham.^[1]

He passed away in 1835.^[2]

Notes for Christian Stoner and Elizabeth Neff Research Notes:

1753 Christian Stoner was reported born on May 4, 1753.

1760 Elizabeth Neff was reported born on June 16, 1760. (John F Murray, "Neff Families and Their Desc. in the 1700's and early 1800's", Compiled for the Neff Reunion, New Market, Virginia, June 20-22, 1991)

1777 The marriage of Elizabeth Neff and Christian Stoner has been reported, by several researchers, on March 22, 1777.

1778 Elizabeth Neff married Christian Stoner on April 27, at St James Church, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. [1]

1835 Christian Stoner reportedly died on October 5, 1835.

1849 Elizabeth Neff reportedly died on July 14, 1849 in Ontario, Canada (John F Murray, "Neff Families and Their Desc. in the 1700's and early 1800's", Compiled for the Neff Reunion, New Market, Virginia, June 20-22, 1991)

A memorial stone naming Christian Stoner (1753-1835) and his wife Elizabeth Neff (1760-1849) is at the Stoner Family Cemetery, Port Colborne, Niagara Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada. [2] A biosketch reports:

Christian Stoner was of German heritage and was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was a land owner and a farmer. He was a Mennonite and because of his faith and the early training that was opposed to wars and revolutions, he as well as other members of the same faith refused to take up arms when the rebellion broke out between the 13 colonies and the motherland. When the Americans gained their independence, Christian Stoner became a sufferer from persecution by the Americans, because of his early steadfastness to his principles. Feeling it would be safer to live under British rule, he came to Canada in the early part of the 1790's and located in Welland County, where he took up 400 acres of land. Returning to Pennsylvania, he persuaded a number of relatives and friends to follow him to Canada, where they could find freedom, make a home and keep the faith of their fathers. Christian Stoner returned to Canada with his wife and children and located in Humberstone Township on his 400 acres, where a colony from Bucks County was beginning to be established. The remainder of his life he spent on the farm, where both he and his wife later died. Mr. Stoner took no part in public affairs, but was a firm adherent of the Mennonite Church. They had 12 children. Source: https://www-personal.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/mn/m19668x4181.htm

"ABRAHAM MORNINGSTAR was born in Humberstone, in the year 1821. His father, Benjamin Morningstar, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1789, and his mother (whose maiden name was Leah Stoner) was a daughter of Christian Stoner, one of the earliest settlers of Humberstone. Our subject's grandfather and great-grandfather were born in Bavaria, and emigrated, the latter dying on the passage out. His grandfather was but nine years of age when he landed in Pennsylvania, where, in after years, he farmed and conducted a factory for fulling cloth, until the outbreak of the American revolution, when, being a Loyalist, he sank the heavy machinery of his factory in the river to hide it from the rebels, and came to Canada, settling near Black Creek. At the close of the war he returned to his native land with a horse and cart to bring the machinery to this country, where he contemplated starting a factory. On the return trip the horse gave out with its heavy load (the plate used for pressing cloth weighing about half a ton) and Mr. Morningstar traded the horse for a yoke of oxen and proceeded on his journey. He had not got more than halfway home, however, when his funds gave out and he was sorely puzzled as to how the expenses for the balance of the trip were to be met. Meeting a friendly Quaker he related the circumstances to him. The Quaker heard his story, and saying "Thee looks like an honest man," gave him the required amount, for which he took no note in writing of any kind. The Quaker stated that he would be in Canada the next spring and that the money could then be returned to him. Mr. Morningstar arrived safely at home after an absence of nineteen weeks. The Quaker was paid his money when he called at the appointed time. The woolen mill, which was started with the machinery brought from Pennsylvania, continued to exist as the property of the Morningstar family for about fifty years. Benjamin, our subject's father was born in 1789, and consequently was about three years of age when the family came to Canada in 1792. In 1814 they removed from Black Creek to the farm in Humberstone where Abraham Morningstar was born. He has, until recent years, followed the business of farming in Humberstone. He was married in 1844, to Mary Sherk who was born in 1826 ; she is a daughter of Jacob Sherk. They have had a family of ten of whom seven are living. Caroline is the wife of E. B. Near, jeweller. Stonebridge ; Catharine married Philip Zavitz of Bertie ; Wilson is the proprietor of the flouring and shoddy mills at DeCew's Falls; Clayton is in business at Weston, Ontario ; Cyrenus farms in Humberstone ; Almira and Wallace are unmarried and living at home. Our subject now resides in the village of Stonebridge, where he is enjoying a well-earned rest from the active duties of life."^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Lambton, Ontario, 1906, p. 459
2. ↑ A source for this information is needed.
3. ↑ The history of the county of Welland, Ontario, its past and present [microform] [1]

Find A Grave Memorial ID #116391710