Our Gershom Mott was born in Leeds, Ontario, Canada.

Question

There are so many Gershom or Gersham Motts on our family tree, but the one we are looking for was born in Leeds, Ontario, Canada. I believe they had to leave NY because they were on the losing side of the war, but they returned years later.

Comments

Which war are you speaking of? The US won the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

Do you have an approximate year when your Gershom Mott was born in Leeds?

When they returned years later, how old was Gershom? Did he go with his parents or stay in Canada? Do you kno what year he died?

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Gershom Mott was born on March 15, 1843, in Leeds, Ontario, the child of Jereimah and Lavina(Houghton). He married Henrietta Hewitt 4 April 1867, Kankakee, Ill. They had a daughter named Bertha E. Mott born in 1868. He then married Barbara Adaline Green in 1871.He died the 29th of March 1822 in Milford, Ill. He had a second daughter named Bertha Mae, but this is not my Great Grandmother.

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Frank - Saying the US "won" the War of 1812 is a stretch. As historian Bruce Hutchinson wrote of the outcome of the War "The United States had lost a war and won a conference" - militarily the US had failed to achieve it's primary strategic objective of annexing Canada, an objective quite clear in that famous quote attributed to Jefferson: "The acquisition of Canada this year, as far as the neighborhood of Quebec, will be a mere matter of marching; & will give us experience for the attack of Halifax the next, & the final expulsion of England from the American continent." Despite having numerical superiority (albeit the total numbers of troops on both sides are misleading as most militia could not be deployed outside their home region) the U.S. had lost many key battles, had suffered more casualties, and had lost control of about 10 million acres (I'd eyeball that at 7-10% of the U.S. territory at the time) by the end of the war. With Napoleon in exile, the British had regained their ability to reinforce their North American units with experienced fighters.

In the Treaty of Ghent the British made no concessions in regards of the practice of Press-Ganging or blockading trade - two of the reasons the US ostensibly declared war on Britain. All captured territories were returned to their pre-war disposition (that was a victory for the U.S.) and in the interest of ending the war quickly (or more to the point ending the economic costs of war) the British abandoned their First Nations allies and crippled their ability to resist U.S. westward expansion which no doubt pleased the so-called "warhawks" in congress.

There are of course other 'victories' too - If not for the war the US would likely not have industrialized as quickly as it did and might not have become a 'global economic powerhouse'; (ironically) had the US not attacked Canada some of the provinces might well have ended up as states. The war solidified the distinct national characters of both the Americans and the future Canadians.

On the whole I think it fair to call the War of 1812 a draw between the US and Britain/Canada. I would argue that while no side won, there is a clear loser of the War: the first nations of North America.

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http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/letters.htm

My great grandfather's brother, from Orillia, Ontario, Canada served in the US Civil War out of New York. He was wounded shortly before the war ended, and some time later, he returned to Simcoe County, Ontario. 

If  "Gershom Mott was born on March 15, 1843, in Leeds, Ontario, the child of Jereimah and Lavina(Houghton)."  and "...they had to leave NY because they were on the losing side of the war." What war is being referenced, the US Civil War? 

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In context of the question, the 'losing side of the war' would be (I infer) a reference to the Royalist faction (or Loyalist depending on your sympathies) in the Revolutionary War. Many people who supported the crown (even if only academically) evacuated (or fled, again depending on your perspective) with their families to other British territories rather than waiting to be subjected to a tar and feathering or more violent forms of coercion, and/or to have their land and property confiscated. First Amendment protections did not exist until more than a decade later.

As the question points out Gershom is a commonly used name in this family but the one of interest is (by my inference) a member of a Loyalist branch of the family - for example the Gershom of interest may be a grandson or great-grandson of Loyalist Reuben Mott[e] who removed from Poughkeepsie, Dutchess, NY to Elizabethtown, Leeds, Upper Canada because he was on the losing side of the war.

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A transcription of the 1812 Census of Elizabethtown, Leeds, contains a Gershom Mott household with 1 male and 2 females. There is also a Gershom Moss household (possible transcription error?) with 4 Males and 1 Female. As neither seems to appear among the numerous Mott names on the Elizabethtown census of 1802 it's hard to make any guesses on their origins, ages, or relationship. A number of other years of Census data for Elizabethtown exist on Microfilm but are not yet transcribed on the linked site.

Kathie McCutcheon-Gawne transcribes an 1843 record for the April 29th marriage of a Gersham Mott of Elizabethtown, to a Mary Cow of Elmsley. Once again without ages, parents, or any other details - and no related records for context, it is hard to make any useful guesses about this couple.

I have not found any matching Gershoms in later censuses for the area suggesting they died, moved away, or started using a different forename.

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You're right about the US not doing well in combat vs Canada. In this day and age, it seems strange that the two countries had fought each other. 

What I was puzzled by was the statement in the original question that included the phrase "they had to leave NY because they were on the losing side of the war."  It's not clear which war this was. 

In the American Revolutionary War, British General Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga in upstate New York. What I am interested in is when the Motts left NY and when did they return. 

If this is revealed, it would be interesting, but I don't want to beat a dead horse either. 

 

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Hello Carol and my Great Grandfather was Gershom Mott. Born in 1843 in Leeds, Ontario, Canada, Elizabethtown. The family, Adam Mott, came to RI on the Defense of London. Originally from Walden Essex, London. It is my understanding that they left RI because they were Loyalists. Jeremiah Mott was supposed to be born in Conneticut. Our Great Grandmother was Bertha Mott. My Grandmother was Laura Mary Mott (Dittler). I need any Birth, Baptism, Marriage or Death records. Gershom also served in the Army assigned to the 88th Illinois Infantry. I think that is how he got back to Kankakee, Ill. Thank you La Verne.

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Laura Mary Dittler (Adam) was never a Mott. She was born to Bertha Mott Dittler, who was married to John Dittler. Bertha E Mott and Bertha Mae Mott are (it appears) to be step-sisters with the same first name. We do not know what happened to Henrietta Mott, it appears that she died young, but she could have married. We have a gap in where Our Bertha was before she married John Dittler.

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Name: Jeremiah "U.L." MOTT

• Sex: M
• Birth: 1788 in Dutchess County, New York
• Death: 4 OCT 1812 in Leeds County, Ontario, Canadian and New York Border, USA. of Died from wounds, and drowned falling out of a row boat.
• Military Service: BET. 1811 - 1812 United Loyalist Soldier, War of 1812, Rank Private, 1st. Leeds Militia Regiment, Captain Adiel Sherwood's Company.
  
  
  
  Father: Samuel Sr. MOTT b: 31 OCT 1736 in Westerly, Washington, Rhode Island
  Mother: Hannah PRICE b: 1737 in Hartford County, Connecticut

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Do you have any records of Gershom Mott divorcing Henrietta Hewitt. None can be located. That would mean all other marriages were bigamous and the issue born on the wrong side of the blanket.

Answer 1

Gershom Mott
Father
Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947
birth:        Canada    
spouse:    Mary Lee
child:    Jerusha Hewitt        

Gershom Mott
Head
United States Census, 1910
birth:    1843    Canada English
residence:    1910    El Paso, Woodford, Illinois, United States    
spouse:    Adaline Mott        

Gershom Mott
Head
United States Census, 1880
birth:    1845    Canada
residence:    1880    Victor, DeKalb, Illinois, United States    
spouse:    Adaline Mott
children:    Ema Mott, Bertha Mott, Irebell Mott

Answer 2

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKFF-HRC

Gershom Mott

United States Census, 1910

Name	Gershom Mott
Event Type	Census
Event Date	1910
Event Place	El Paso, Woodford, Illinois, United States
Gender	Male
Age	67
Marital Status	Married
Race	White
Race (Original)	White
Relationship to Head of Household	Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original)	Head
Birth Year (Estimated)	1843
Birthplace	Canada English
Father's Birthplace	Germany
Mother's Birthplace	Ireland
Sheet Letter	A
Sheet Number	10

HOUSEHOLD	ROLE	GENDER	AGE	BIRTHPLACE
Gershom Mott	Head	M	67	Canada English
Adaline Mott	Wife	F	56	Ohio

Answer 3

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2M2J-8B4

 

Gersham Mott

United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards

Name	Gersham Mott
Event Type	Pension
Event Date	1907-1933
Event Place	United States
Form Type	Army Invalid
Death Date	29 Mar 1922