The American Revolution brought with it an exodus of those who either sided with the British or due to religious convictions refused to participate in the revolutionary cause. Many of these people fled to the region known as Upper Canada and settled on grants provided by the British Crown to compensate these patriots for their losses and their suffering during and after the revolution. Today, United Empire Loyalist "UEL" is a heritage in which many Canadians take great pride in and consequently participate in various historic organizations related to preserving the history of their early pioneer ancestors. It is due mainly to these efforts that information on the Green, Pettit, and Gordon families survive. It is fortunate that the Green and Pettit families were prominent personalities in the early years of Upper Canada, supplying characters like the patriotic "Billy Green" in the War of 1812 and the judge and statesman Nathaniel Pettit as part of Canada's history and folklore. Generally, records concerning Loyalists are scarce. This is mainly due to the Revolution. Many Loyalists lost their rights, including to sell land and to register deeds and wills in the county court houses, so that evidence of their migration are often not clearly documented in their home counties. Early records of Upper Canada are also poor for this time period, since it was a frontier with only a provisional government and no civil infrastructure to process and store documents like wills and estate inventories or even marriage records. Many of the early Loyalist that arrived in Upper Canada became part of the "Great Hunger" of the late 1780s, which devastated many of these families who arrived with little provision on this rough frontier. In this period, virtually the only records that survive are land records.
The Green family and their Loyalist roots have been researched and documented in several published works. It is fortunate that most of these works are scholarly and well researched. For Canadian branches of the family two works hold great importance. Professor Watson Kirkconnell's work, "Climbing the Green Tree" was compiled in the late 1960s and privately published in 1976. Kirkconnell was a professor who used sources such as personal along with public records found in the local Ontario archives for his work on the Green, Kirkconnell, Allison, Watson, Kitchener, and Hooper families of Upper Canada. Kirkconnell was descendant of a Charles Green and though included the other Green families of the region, did not try and verify the existing assumptions about these "cousins". Kirkconnell's work is valuable in identifying existing sources, but falls short on its ability to document each fact. Partly this is due to Kirkconnell's reliance on secondary information for the Samuel Green family of which he was not directly related.
The second and more comprehensive work was done by Ida Crozier (“Crozier & Green”) who produced and privately published four volumes on the Green family; all descendants of Samuel Green Sr. of New Jersey. Mrs. Crozier's fourth volume, "A Green Genealogy Volume IV", is the one that interests us most, since it concerns the descendants of John & Mary (Davis) Green; the ancestors of the Greens concerned in these notes. Mrs. Crozier produced this book along with Charlotte Barbara Green, apparently stemming from their own efforts to provide documentation for their UEL membership. The work mostly consists of identifying the various branches down to 1991, which they did with the help of numerous contributors; however, their most important contribution for these notes is their research into the early records of the Green family of New Jersey and the first two generations that came to Upper Canada. This work is of great value, since they provide substantial documentation for their information and in many cases provide copies of the original documents. In the these notes, Mrs. Crozier's work has become my primary resource for much of the core history of this family and I refer to this particular work by the identifying phrase "Crozier & Green". Crozier & Green's work on the early Canadian Greens was drawn mostly from the Grimsby Historical Society's 1951 publication, "Annals of the Forty - 1790-1840", which documents the development of municipal government in Upper Canada, which was centered in an area called "Forty Mile Creek", or the area 40 miles from Niagara Falls. Also in the series the Grimsby Historical Society provides sketches on all the prominent first families that settled in this area.
The one thing that Ida Crozier did not document is the Buckberrough-Green connection. For me, her work does not disprove the family connection, but confirms what I have suspected during the brief period that I have worked on this family, that there is no clear paper trail that leads from the Buckberrough family back to the Green. The Green family is believed to be connected with the Buckberrough family, through the marriage of Margaret Green to William Buckberrough. This marriage took place about 1819/20 probably in Wentworth County, Ontario. The lack of documentation for this marriage is not entirely surprising, since at that time public records were poor and few records survive from that period. The changing borders of the counties and the movements of these early inhabitants also poses some problem as to tracking and identifying people. However at this early date, there were very few families in the region and though "Green" is a common name it was not so common as to make probable identification fairly easy. Margaret's full name and her place of birth as the town of "Dundas" is found on the death certificate of her son George Buckberrough. We know that the Green family settled near Dundas at a place known as "Greensville" and that by the 1871 Census almost all the Greens in this region could be traced to one family. An even better indicator of this kinship is found in naming patterns. The name "Gordon" along with "Peter Gordon" in the Buckberrough family further pinpoint Margaret's parentage to Samuel Green who married Margaret Gordon; the daughter of a Peter Gordon an United Empire Loyalist of apparently some status. The further plausibility of the marriage between Margaret Green and William Buckberrough is in Margaret's baptism. Margaret along with many of her siblings were baptized in 1817 and the birth dates of each child are recorded as well. Margaret was of the age of 17 at her christening a good indication that she could have lived into adulthood. There are other circumstantial evidence that makes the Buckberrough-Green connection likely, since other branches of the Buckberrough family intermarry with families like the Lawrasons, Smiths, Colemans, and Miseners who in turn married into the Green, Gordon, and Pettit families; all an indication of the closeness of these families and the warmth in their relationships. Early Ontario marriage records, wills, and other documents that might help us to more positively identify the Buckberrough-Green connection are rare for the period in question, but still need to be more fully searched. An exhaustive search has yet to be made for these types of documents.
Both Crozier and Kirkconnell produced works that appear to have relied on the work of Helen Encke Orton Benson. Benson published her own work in 1972 called, "The Samuel Green Family of Northwest New Jersey". Her work originally focused on the eldest son of Samuel Green, the New Jersey Surveyor of Sussex County, Samue Green Jr. also found as John Samuel Green. The first part of her book does an excellent job of identifying the existing original sources for Samuel Green in northwestern New Jersey.
The most important question in many of the works on the Greens of Sussex is the often claimed of descent from the prominent Rhode Island Green family. Kirkconnell traces the Green family to the New England emigrant John Green (1597-1658) who is often referred in Green genealogical works as " the Surgeon ". Due to John Green's prominence in Rhode Island's history and the public roles many of his descendant have played, this family has been researched a great deal, though the quality of this research is still perhaps not fully established. John "the Surgeon" was one of the founders of the colony of Rhode Island and his family took a dramatic role in the early history of that colony. Subsequent second hand information indicates that Kirkconnell misidentified the Greens of Sussex who appear to have come from Pennsylvania. At this time, the origins of the Green family of Northeastern New Jersey are still unclear. What appears to be clear is that Samuel Green our ancestor is the earliest documented ancestor for the Greens who later settle in Ontario, Canada.
More substantial kinship relations are established when Crozier quotes the work of James P. Snell who in his 1881 history identifies Samuel Green as being the brother of George Green a freeholder in 1723 an 1724 in Amwell township [re: ibid, pg. 1; & Snell, "History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey", vol. 2, pg. 346, 'Early Records of Old Amwell']. According to Crozier & Green, Samuel and George are mentioned in documents as being together on many of the surveying trips in the northwestern part of New Jersey. However these records really only account for Samuel for the 1720s and in earlier records we can not find a positive identification. George, however, is a name that is used by Samuel and his children in their naming pattern which strengthens the likelihood of their kinship. There were two major flows of emigration into northwestern Jersey. People from Connecticut emigrated down to Long Island and then across to this region of New Jersey. The other route came from the southwest, where Quakers and other settlers from Pennsylvania came in search of cheap land. There is argument for both paths of emigration for Samuel, but little conclusive evidence.
There seems to be numerous interpretations of Samuel's will and other records in Green genealogical records, but the gist of most of these works is that Samuel came to this region as a surveyor of land and accumulated large tracts of land for himself making him a wealthy man before the Revolution.
Sussex county, New Jersey provides some of the best records which we can positively attribute to Samuel. The most important of these records is his will which was written on the 03rd of September 1760 and proved on the 22nd of November of the same year. The will indicates that he was married several times and the will names his surviving children. The will and estate papers also provide us with evidence of Samuel's wealth, which appears to be considerable.
Little can be positively said about Samuel's marriages at this time, beyond the fact that he was married more than once and his last wife survived him and was named Hannah. His multiple marriages are evident in his will, which distinguish his "first" children: Sarah Severns, Samuel Green, Margaret Opdike, Richard Green, and Ann Opdike. Samuel first married is believe to have taken place in Bucks county, Pennsylvania to Margaret Kemp, daughter of Edward Kemp [re: Benson, ibid]. Benson quotes a deed of conveyance for 500 acres from Benjamin Harris to Edward Kemp on the 26th of March 1718 which fits the same description as a tract of land in Burlington County, New Jersey that was conveyed from Samuel Green, Sr. to Samuel Jr. on the 01st of December 1754. In this deed between the Green men, Samuel Jr. is called "the heir to Edward Kemp" [re: Crozier & Green, pg. 2]. It is unclear if Edward Kemp made a will naming his daughter Margaret Green; however, the deed is a strong indication of Samuel Green Jr.'s mother.
Samuel Green, Sr. married secondly to Sarah Bull the daughter of Thomas Bull of Gloucester county, New Jersey. The evidence for this is best documented in a New Jersey deed dated the 23rd of October 1738 which states, "Samuel Green of Hunterdon County and Samuel Green, jr., his eldest son, to Samuel Harrison of Gloucester County, lots of land in Gloucester County, part of the property being lots that went to Sarah Green, heretofore wife of Samuel Green, the elder, and formerly Sarah Bull, coming to her from her father, Thomas Bull, Gentlemen, Deceased" [re: DB 10, pg. 5]. The use of the wording "heretofore", defined "up to this time, which means that by the date of this deed Sarah was deceased. Sarah is documented as being alive as late as 1722 when there is record of her brother's estate. From this second marriage it is not clear which of Samuel's "first children" belong to Sarah, but it has been speculated that Margaret, Richard and Ann are her children.
Samuel's third wife is Hannah Wright who it is said he married in Somerset county, New Jersey after 1738 when he was 67 years old. There is numerous references to this marriage, though the documentation does appear to be in the form of a marriage record. Hannah has been identified as the daughter of John & Orka (Harmanus) Wright. It is said that Hannah was born about 1714 in Ireland; however, the proof of this is lacking. Hannah's mother, Orka Harmanus looks like a Dutch name. Harmanus is a common male first name and Orka's maiden name is probably a patronymic. John Wright may have come from Ireland and married Orka in New Jersey or New York.
The most important document that Samuel leave us is his will which is transcribed below from Ida Crozier's transcription:
Will of Samuel Green 3 Sep 1760
In the Name of God Amen, I Samuel Green of Hardwick in the County of Sessex and Province of New Jersey, Yeoman, Being in a Languishing Condition, but in perfect Mind and Memory and Calling to mind the Mortality of my Body do Ordain this and No Other to be my last Will and Testament Imprimis.
I give unto my first Children, that is Sarah Severns, Samuel Green, Margaret Opdike, Richard Green & Ann Opdike the sum of five Shillings Each.
Item, I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife fifty Acres of land adjoining Richard Stouts and John Kelleys Land, also all the Overplus Land if any there be after the following Legacies are taken out. Likewise all my personal Estate of all kinds whatsoever together with all the unlocated Rights of Property belonging to me unto her and her heirs and Assigns for Ever. And I do give unto my wife the Use of the Improvements Whereon I formerly lived and all the profits therefrom arising, and also fifty acres of Land where I now Live to be bounded Westward by the mill Creek and pond and Southward by Jonathan Pettits Line and so to include the above, quantity as She shall think proper During her Life and whereas I have let unto Charles Murry My Mill and twenty Acres of Land for the term of ten yeas I give to my wife all the Rent for the same. During the said term.
Item, I give unto y son Adam when he shall arrive at the age of twenty one years three hundred acres of Land adjoining and including My old plantation above mentioned but not a to possess the old improvement until his Mother's Decease to him his heirs and Assigns for ever.
Item I give unto my son John When he shall arrive a the Age of twenty one years three hundred acres of Land Adjoining to Adams and including the mill and to Extend to the Rear Line Next to George Allens taking his Breadth until he hath the above quantity but not to possess the Mill until the above said Murrys Lease is Expired to him his heirs and Assigns for Ever.
Item I give unto My son William when he shall arrive at the age of twenty one years three hundred acres of Land adjoining John's running back to Anthony Morrices Line taking his Breadth until he hath his above quantity to him his heirs and Assigns for Ever.
Item, I give unto my sons Daniel and George when they shall arrive at the age of twenty one years three hundred acres of Land Each to be taken out of the Remainder of the above tract at the Discretion of my Executrix to them their heirs and assigns for Ever.
Item, I give and bequeath unto My five sons Viz. Adam Green, John Green, William Green, Daniel Green, George Green, all the Land belonging to me Lying in and about the Great Meadow to be Divided Equally among them when they shall arrive at the age of twenty one years at the Discretion of my Executrix to them their heirs and assigns for Ever.
Item, I give unto my two Daughters Rebekah and Mary Green Eight hundred Acres of Land belonging to me at the foot of Paqualburg Mountain to be Divided between them equally at the Discretion of my Executrix, When they shall arrive at the age of Eighteen years to them their heirs and assigns for ever.
And it is my will that if any of my Seven Last Children should die before the ages herein Mentioned that his, other or their Legacy shall be Equally Divided Among the Surviving ones. And Lastly I do Nominate and appoint my well beloved wife Hannah Green to be my whole and Sole Executrix of this my last will and Testament. In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this third Day of September Anno Domn one thousand Seven hundred and Sixty 1760.
Signed Sealed pronounced & Declared
By the said Samuel Green as his Last Will Samuel Green
and Testament in the Presence of us
Solomon Willits, Junior
Jonathan Willits
John Goodin
The heirs of Samuel are clearly named in his will, which divided a considerable amount of property, though most of it appears to be unimproved land. Samuel must have settled property on his elder children, since they received only a token 5 shillings each. Most of his estate was left to his wife for her support and his undeveloped land put aside for his minor children until they came of age. Samuel's home farm had at least 50 acres of improved land and he owned 20 acres and grist mill on Paulinskill. At the time of his death, Samuel had leased out the mill to Charles Murry for ten years. In addition to his home farm and mill, Samuel had 1500 acres of land in the surrounding region, plus the "Great Meadow" which some place as 500 acres, but whose size is unspecified in his will. In addition to this farm land, Samuel had 800 acres at the base of Paqualburg Mountain, which was undeveloped. Samuel's inventory of his estate indicates the value of his personal estate to be £226.13 and to include luxury items such as a looking glass, a silver cup, and 7 silver spoons [re: Whitsall/Green Webpage]. Samuel's house is believed to still be standing, though greatly altered. The owner in 1974, was Mrs. Peter Billow who was interviewed by Crozier & Green. According to Mrs. Billow the house was built in 1754, but remodeled by Robert Blair a later owner. The "Log Gaol" that is mentioned in many of the histories and contemporary records as near Samuel's home use to stand where the garage stands today. Mrs. Billows recall that "it was said one Negro was hung in the Log Gaol for not paying his debts." [re: Crozier & Green, pg. 7].
After his death in 1760, Samuel's widow, Hannah Wright, remarried to John Goodin (sic) of Sussex county as stated in the Sussex County Court Minutes of May Term 1762 [re: ibid]. Secondhand sources indicate Hannah followed her children to Canada where she died in 1808; however, other sources quote the sale of land in Ontario by Hannah's son Adam in 1785 to indicate the date of her death.
The children of Samuel Green by his first wives Margaret Kemp and Sarah Bull are as follows. It is believed John Samuel (or Samuel Jr.) is the only son of Margaret Kemp, since Samuel's daughter Margaret is noted to have been only 64 years old upon her death.
These sons were active Loyalists in New Jersey and later fled to Ontario, Canada. George and William Green are sketched in an article by Thomas B. Wilson titled, "Notes on Some Loyalists of Sussex County, New Jersey" [re: The Ontario Register, volume 2, number 1, pg.37-8]. In addition to George and William it is believed that perhaps Charles Green of Oxford, Sussex County, NJ is also another son. According to Mr. Wilson, George and William are named in the will of Samuel Green.
John is the son of Samuel Green Sr. by his third wife Hannah Wright. John was born in Greenwich, Morris County, New Jersey which in 1750 became Hardwick township. Hardwick later fell into the region that became Sussex county. His father had considerable property and a mill in this region and the family represent one of the first settlers of the area. John inherited from his father 300 acres including a 20 acre parcel with the mill and shared in an unspecified land holding called the "Great Meadow" along with his brothers. Evidence of John's land holdings is found in Deed Book K2, pg 162 in Sussex County. John sided with the British in the American Revolution along with many of his kinsmen.
John Green's role in the settlement of Upper Canada is recorded in the Grimsby Historical Society's publication, "Annals of the Forty". Since this publication appears to be the primary source for both Kirkconnell's work and that of Crozier & Green, I will transcribe parts of this verbatim below. Unfortunately, this article does not provide a bibliography or footnotes, though it does quote some of its sources. It is assumed that most of the information comes from Meeting Minutes and the private diaries as quoted.
"John married Mary David and, during the Revolution joined the Royal standard and afterward, probably in 1787, came with other New Jersey families to Canada and settled at The Forty. The first mention of John Green in our annals was found in a statement of the "Mills in the District of Nassau" (Ontario Archives) as follows -
A saw mill in a creek called the Forty Mile Creek, township No. 6, Lot 11, Conc. III, in the year 1788, by John Green, without permission the lands were granted him as only fit for husbandry. Also a grist mill on the aforesaid creek by Lot 10, Conc. I in the year 1789, by john Green -- the lands were granted to Nathaniel Pettit Esq. As only fit for husbandry but he sold them to the said Mr. Green, as a mill site, who erected a mill thereon.
John Green must have built a sizable house shortly after he built the mill, a sketch of which appears on the opposite page. Gov. Simcoe and his lady stayed there on several occasions in 1794-95, and the fist council meeting of the Inhabitants of township No. 6 was held at his home 05 April, 1790. Thereafter until 1796 meetings were held there John Green being elected Assessor in 1795, Collector in 1798 and Pound Keeper in 1799.
John was a surveyor and road builder and traveled with Governor Simcoe on his journeys along the shores of Lake Ontario. In her diary Mrs. Simcoe says - "Mr. Green, at the Governor's request and expense, cut a road through the woods across the mountain toward the Head of the lake making it possible for me to ride." Later, riding along it she remarked - " The spot that engaged our attention was named by Green 'The Tavern' because, when cutting the road, the men generally met there to dine."
The above gives one a fairly accurate picture of John Green's farm and activities in 1794-1795, as does the following description given by the Duke de Leancourt, a visitor whom the Governor brought to see the Forty Mile Creek Settlement: -
"The forty turns a grist and 2 saw mills, which belong to a Mr. Green, a Loyalist of Jersey, who six or seven years ago settled in this part of Canada. This Mr. Green was the constant companion of the Governor on his journeys. He is apparently a worthy man and in point of knowledge far superior to the common caste of settlers in the neighborhood. His estate consists of three hundred acres, about forty of which are cleared of wood. He paid one hundred and twenty-five dollars for forty acres through which the creek flows on account of the greater value they bear for this reason - the common price being only five shillings per acre. Land newly cleared yields the first year twenty bushels of corn. The soil is good but not of the most excellent quality. They plough the land after it has produced three or four crops but not very deed and they never use manure. The price of flour is twenty-two shillings ($4.40) per hundred weight: that of wheat from seven to eight shillings a bushel. Laborers are scarce and are paid at the rate of six shillings a day."
John Green's wife, Mary, was licensed to practice medicine and surgery and it is said that she used to ride horseback through the forest on her errands of mercy.
In the year 1799 John Green exchanged a lot he had been granted near London for a steam of water called the 'Outlet of Burlington Bay' and a part of the strand which divided said bay from Lake Ontario for the purpose of erecting a gristmill. And in 1801 he purchased Lot 9, West Flamborough from the Patentee, Angus McDonnell, the price being £100. Therefore one may assume that about this time John moved from Grimsby to Flamborough township. The history of this township states that the village of Greensville was named after this family and that John Green ended his days in a little white house on the south side of his grist mill on the creek, where Kerby's bridge now stands. (1950)"
[re: Annals of the Forty, No 5 (1954), pg. 13-17].
Kirkconnell notes that the details of John Green's active Revolutionary service have not been preserved; however, the "Annals of the Forty" mention his participation in the Royal standards, which is probably quoted from John Green's claim records. John Green is recorded in the Ontario Register as providing bail for his brother William, when the latter was indicted in the Sussex County Court, New Jersey" [re: p. 22]. John's petition for land in 1808 is the primary proof of his service.
John and his brother Adam are said to have followed his cousin Charles to Upper Canada; however, their relationship to Charles have never been clearly established. Crozier & Green track John's documents in New Jersey and in Upper Canada to establish his movements during this time period. John Green's last signature found in Sussex County, New Jersey records is a document signed in Hardwick township in May of 1789, in which he and his brother Adam sign a petition for a tavern license [re: Crozier & Green, pg. 18]. In that same year John is found selling his land to Benjamin Scott for £100. John's petition for land from the Crown in Canada also states his arrival in Upper Canada in 1789. Despite this documentation of his emigration in 1789, John Green, Samuel Green, along with Jacob Glover were part of over four hundred people who took an oath of allegiance in Niagara in 1787 [re: Crozier & Green, pg. 18 from "Niagara Historical Society", Paper No. 39]. This discrepancy has been interpreted to indicate that John fled to Upper Canada in 1787, but returned to New Jersey to sell land, settle his affairs, before his final moved to Canada in 1789.
John's wife is identified as Mary Davis, though unfortunately the source for this information is unclear. Mary's parents or place of origin are unknown, though Crozier & Green believe her to have been Welsh. It is unclear what Crozier & Green base this fact. Mrs. John Simcoe, wife of the Lt. Governor of Upper Canada, knew Mary (Davis) Green and described her in her diary. Mrs. Simcoe noted that Mary "was licensed to practice medicine and surgery" and describes in her Diary one event where Mary prescribed for an ailing Simcoe child crow's foot boiled in milk [re: Crozier & Green, p.33]. Apparently, Mary Green became a well known figure in her community and traveled by horseback to care for the ill in the rural area. Up to the day of her death, Mary continued her medical work and according to an article in the "Ontario Register, Vol. 5, 1981", she was known as "Dr. Davis Green".
"Forty Mile Creek" marked the 40 mile point from Niagara Falls and is where modern day Grimsby is situated. John built his mill on Lot 10 of Concession 1, land which had originally belonged to Nathaniel Pettit. The mill was situated on the Stoney Creek Road, five miles east of Hamilton. Crozier & Green state that, "at one time this mill ground all the flour for the garrisons of Upper Canada" [re: pg. 26]. A map of Township 6 shows John Green with lots 10 and 11 in the 3rd Concession. In 1790, John sold lot 11 to John Beamer [re: Crozier & Green, pg. 26]. John purchased from Angus McDonnell land in West Flamborough township on the 02nd of June 1796, described as 200 acres, lot 9 of Concession 2; he moved about 1798. John Green settled this area with Andrew Surerus and was known as "Greensville" [re: Crozier & Green, p. 31, from "Hamilton City Directory 1865-6"]. John's son Samuel remained at "Forty Mile Creek" to run the family mill until 1805, when they joined the rest of the Greens in West Flamborough township.
Crozier & Green provide an interesting antidote about John Green. They state that when he came from New Jersey he brought with him a slave. In 1812, Canada by law freed all slaves, but this slave remained with the Green family and was known by the name Tom Green. No doubt this accounts for the black families by the name of Green in this area, as found on the 1871 census.
John Green and his wife were members of the Anglican Church. They sold one acre and two perches (rods) on the 10th of January 1817 for the purpose of building Christ Church, a church school, and establishing a graveyard. This church is now situated on what is now known as Provincial Highway No. 8 at Bullock's Corners [re: Crozier & Green, pg. 29]. Though the graveyard has stones dating back to 1802, neither John nor Mary's tombstones are found to have survived.
John Green died in 1830 and left a will. An index of London District Wills list, John Green "Yeoman", filed 1834. His wife's death is stated as having occurred on the 05th of March 1829 [re: "Ontario Register", Vol. 5, 1981].
Samuel is identified as the son of John and Mary (Davis) Green by both Watson Kirkconnell and Crozier & Green's work on the Green family. He is also listed as John's son in "The Annals of the Forty". Crozier & Green provide an estimated birth year of 1770 in Sussex County, New Jersey. By the same above stated sources, Samuel is also identified as the same man who married Margaret Gordon and the couple are found in William D. Reid's book as claimant for land under Peter Gordon's UEL service. Apparently, Samuel never claimed land under his own father's service, though his siblings did. Crozier & Green place his marriage to Margaret Gordon in 1794 in Grimsby, Lincoln County, Ontario; however, do not quote their source.
Samuel Green is said to have purchased the mill and farm of his father in the area called "Forty Mile Creek", now Grimsby. Crozier & Green state that he "operated" the mill from 1801 to 1805 and in the year 1805 he moved his family to West Flamborough where his father had relocated and established the village of Greensville. Samuel owned 200 acres on Lot 6 in Concession 1 of West Flamborough township; the land had been registered on the 30th of May 1801, but was not occupied until around 1807.
Military records indicate that Samuel died in the War of 1812. Samuel fought with the 2nd York Regiment and was killed in action at the Battle of Stoney Creek; he died on the 06th of July 1813. Crozier & Green note that he "served as a Colonel", though his widow's pension claim states he was a "Private". In addition to her pension claim, Margaret Gordon Green also submitted a claim for lost of property amounting to eleven pounds five shillings, which was awarded to her [re: Claims RG 19 E 5a, Vol. 3749, file 3]. A detail of this claim indicates she lost one large hog and three sheep to Indian attacks in 1814 and 1815. Margaret signed her claim with an "X" suggesting that she may not have been able to write. Margaret appears to have remained unmarried, but detailed records relating to her have not been searched.
On the 04th of February 1817 Rev. Ralph Leeming baptized eleven children of Samuel & Margaret (Gordon) Green in Ancaster's Anglican Church. Only Nancy and Mary's birth date are given in the record. The following list of children are taken from various sources; however, the Crozier & Green Book, "A Green Genealogy Vol. IV" is provides the most comprehensive list of children, spouses, and their offspring.
Margaret Gordon Green applied for land as the daughter of an United Empire Loyalist. Her father Peter Gordon of Ancaster had married Mary, the daughter of Nathaniel Pettit [re: Reid, William D., The Loyalists in Ontario (1973), pg. 127]. Margaret's grant was registered after 1810. © 1999 mahard@jps.net