Reuben King (1816 - 1896)

Born 27 Feb 1816 in Hutton-Cranswick, Yorkshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Letitia (Blanchard) King — married 4 Nov 1839 in Wentworth, Ontario, Upper Canada

Descendants

Died 24 Oct 1896 at age 80 in Port Perry, Ontario, Canada

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Biography

Obituary: Port Perry, Ontario, Canada An old pioneer gone. Mr. Reuben King, for more than fifty years respected resident of Mariposa, died at his residence, Port Perry, on Saturday the 24th of October, having attained to the advanced age of 83 years. Few, if any, were better known in Mariposa than the late Reuben King and none more respected. The following brief sketch of his life is furnished by a friend. Reuben King was born in Hutton- Cranswick, Yorkshire England, in the year 1816 and resided there until he was in his twenty-first year when ambition and higher aim advised to to sail for America. It took him seven years of hard labour to save enough money to get away from England. At the time of his leaving England the best wages a man could obtain was forty-five dollars a year. He spent his twenty-first birthday on the ocean. His brother, David King of Oakwood accompanied him to this country.

When landing in Quebec and then viewing the surrounding country to which they had come to make homes for themselves, they thought it hard sight and would have returned immediately to the place from whence they came if they had not found themselves almost penniless. However, they worked along and saved all they could and finally settled in the township of Mariposa. When about 25 years of age he married to Letitia Blanchard of Mariposa. She proved to be an affectionate wife and a loving mother and kind neighbour. The shared the cares and joys of life together for twenty-five years when deaths cold icy hand fell upon his partner leaving him with nine children to mourn her loss, five of which survive yet, four sons and one daughter. Then he married again Mary Conant of Port Perry, Ontario. She also proved an affectionate wife and in the past as well as the present show great interest in the family welfare. The deceased leaves two sons and two daughters by his second wife. His family are grown up and all except the two young daughters are married.

When coming to Mariposa his prospects of ever having a comfortable home looked very dark as the township of Mariposa was then a dense forest but through perseverance and hard labour he succeeded in accomplishing his desire. By remitting industry and carefulness he continued to prosper until for hundred acres made up hi farm. The deceased is said to have owned one of the finest farms in the township. During the past few years Mr. King has paid particular attention to the planting of maples and now the entire front as well as the lanes are lined with beautiful rows of thrifty trees. Declining years and failing health forced the deceased to give up farming four years ago when he purchased a comfortable home in the pleasant village of Port Perry and only lingering for a short time he fell asleep from which none ever wake to weep. The funeral took place on Monday the 26th then to the family burial ground in the quiet cemetery at Pleasant Point. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ Retyped from Port Perry Newspaper.

• "Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6GZ-SPY : accessed 16 June 2015), Reuben King, 24 Oct 1896; citing Post Perry, Ontario, Ontario, yr 1896 cn 14374, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,853,833.

• "Ontario, District Marriage Registers, 1801-1858," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2C1-267D : 13 November 2018), Reuben King and Letitia Munchard, 4 Nov 1838; citing Newcastle, Durham, Canada West, British Colonial America,...