William Pherrill (1804 - 1886)

Born 1804 in New Brunswick

Ancestors

Husband of Charlotte Ann (Boulton) Pherrill — married about 1835 in Upper Canada

Descendants

Died 21 Nov 1886 at about age 82 in Pickering, Ontario, Canada

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Biography

William was born in 1804. He is the son of Stephen Pherrill and Elizabeth Russell.
History of Scarborough reports that during the War of 1812, in the spring of 1813, when faced with suspicions of an imminent American attack "William Pherrill ... was detached as signal-man at the lookout post on Scarboro Heights, with orders to mount his horse and ride into York with the tidings the moment he spied the American vessels in the distance."^[1] While the Pherrill farm was certainly in an excellent location to watch for approaching enemy ships, William was only about nine years old in 1813 and likely had not been detached from any militia unit! But he may have kept watch on the bluffs and ran to tell his father to raise the alarm.
In 1835 William Pherrill, a Constable, along with Edward Cornell, a Poundkeeper, were found not guilty of a charge of forcible entry by a Grand Jury.^[2]
William is listed in 1836 among the shareholders of the Farmers' Joint Stock Banking Company of Toronto.^[3]
In the Rebellion of 1837, Lieutenant William Pherrill was a militia leader at the Battle of Montgomery's Tavern on Yonge Street, where the rebels, led by William Lyon Mckenzie were routed and dispersed.^[4][5]
That autumn, he was also a witness to his sister Elizabeth's wedding to Orlando Rutherford.^[6]
On June 16, 1846, he was granted a Crown Land Patent to 50 acres comprising the southeast quarter of Lot 31, Concession C, Scarborough.^[7] By 1861, William & family were living in West Whitby and he was listed as a farmer & lawyer.^[8] In the fall of that year, he would retain the services of Hon. J.H. Cameron Q.C. to defend his eldest son, Edward against charges of cattle stealing. Edward, who was a teenager at the time, was found guilty and was sentenced to three years hard labour at the Reformatory Prison for Upper Canada.^[9][10]
In 1871 William was living in Reach,^[11] while Charlotte and the kids were living in Whitby.^[12] By 1881, William and Charlotte (along with their unmarried daughter, Sarah) had moved back to the farm in Scarborough.^[13] He and Charlotte had eight children. He passed away on November 21, 1886. Cause of death was listed as 'old age'. His nephew Dr. Stephen Taber was the attending physician. Informant at his death was Rev. Anthony Hart of Markham.^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ History of the Township of Scarborough 1796-1896 David Boyle, 1896. Pg. 231.
2. ↑ Some Humble Yet Noteworthy Events on Scarboro Heights, "James McCowan Memorial Social History Society".
3. ↑ Journal of the House of Assembly of Upper Canada, Appendix to Report on Banking, Dec. 1, 1836, pg. 217.
4. ↑ History of the Township of Scarborough 1796-1896 David Boyle, 1896. Pg. 233.]
5. ↑ For more on the 1837 Rebellion see:The Battle of Montgomery's Tavern
6. ↑ "Ontario, District Marriage Registers, 1801-1858," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2C1-LCFW : 30 November 2016), Orlando Rutherford and Elizabeth Phinnell, 30 Oct 1838; citing Home Township, Algoma, Ontario, Canada, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,030,052.
7. ↑ History of the Township of Scarborough 1796-1896 David Boyle, 1896. Pg. 286.]
8. ↑ 1861 Census of Canada, Canada West, Ontario County, Image 768 of 969.
9. ↑ Whitby Chronicle, October 10, 1861.
10. ↑ See Our History, Hospital for Sick Children, entry for 1859. Two years before Edward's trial, Upper Canada had instituted the creation of the first facility designed specifically for young offenders. This was where Edward was sentenced to.
11. ↑ 1871 Census of Canada, Ontario, Ontario North, Reach, pg. 66 of 178.
12. ↑ 1871 Census of Canada, Ontario, Ontario South, Whitby West, pg. 17 of 86.
13. ↑ 1881 Census of Canada, Ontario, York East, Scarborough, Image 40 of 88.
14. ↑ "Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JKZQ-76D : 24 June 2015), William Pherril, 21 Nov 1886; citing Pickering, Ontario, Ontario, yr 1887 cn 12275, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,853,486.

See also:

• Reports of Cases Adjudged in the Court of Chancery of Upper Canada, Volume 13; Alexander Grant, Rowsell, 1868; pp. 476-484.

• History of Toronto and County of York, Ontario: by Charles Pelham Mulvany, Graeme Mercer Adam.

• Cited in Ontario, Canada, Marriages 1801-1928, Ontario County 1871, Image 35 of 112.

• Cited in Ontario, Canada, Marriages 1801-1928, York County 1876, Image 372 of 473.

• Cited in Ontario, Canada, Marriages 1801-1928, Ontario 1879, pg. 41 of 162.

• Cited in Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Series: MS932; Reel: 44, Ontario, 1883.

• "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8S4-943 : accessed 23 December 2014), William Pherrill in entry for William Pherrill and Jennie Bevans, 12 Nov 1908; citing Crawford, Ohio, United States, reference v 17 cn 281; county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 388,688.

• Photos courtesy of Joan Gardner Moore.