Nathaniel Pettit
ID # 2941, (1724-1803)
| Birth | Nathaniel Pettit was born on 12 June 1724 at Sussex County, New Jersey. |
| Marriage | He married Margaret McFarlane on 28 February 1747. The date for the marriage of Nathaniel Pettit and Margaret McFarlane is taken from volume 7 of Annals of the Forty, page 43. A location for the marriage is not stated, though since it was in 1747 it was probably in New Jersey. |
| Death | He died on 9 March 1803 at Ancaster at age 78. |
| Burial | He was buried at The Forty (Grimsby). |
| Note | This tree is not intended as a study of the Pettits, but the family is certainly of historical interest in the settlement of Upper Canada after the American Revolution and so some mention is given here. While the source is secondary in nature, volume 7 of The Annals of the Forty provides some information for the family of Nathaniel. His wife and children are named, and dates are provided, which, it is claimed, come from a family bible. Nathaniel Pettit died in Ancaster in 1803 and was buried in the cemetery at The Forty. This is attested to in a letter sent by daughter Rachel to her sister Abigail. At some later point, the cemetery was closed and remains were removed to the Church of England burial ground. It is believed, however, that Nathaniel's remains were not moved. In more recent years, when ground was broken for a high rise building human remains were found and some researchers in the Hamilton area believe that they are those of Nathaniel. According to Ancaster's Heritage, A History of Ancaster Township, Ancaster Historical Society, 1973, page 78, the Crown Patent for lot 43 on the 3rd concession was 'registered by Nathaniel Pettit of Grimsby on July 10, 1801'. The same paragraph states that Rachel Pettit married Lawrence Lawrason and that they purchased the lot on May 26, 1802. The family history goes on to quote a story that at some point appeared in the Hamilton Spectator. The article quotes Nathaniel's bible in providing the names of his children and their dates of birth. Some marriage information is also provided. The list of children reads: Andrew born 2 February, 1748 Elizabeth born 6 December, 1750, married Peter Runnion Catherine born 17 April, 1753, married Peter Gordon Mary born 17 February, 1756. Rachel born 20 June, 1758, married Lawrence Lawrason Abigail born 8 May, 1764, married Thomas Wilson Nathaniel's petitions for land are of interest. His earliest peition is in emminently readable condition and is dated 1787 and addressed to the Governor General of Canada, Lord Dorchester. This states that he was appointed a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in the County of Sussex in the Province of New Jersey in 1766. He goes on to say that he served as a member of the House of Assembly in that province. He tells of his efforts on behalf of the Crown in the autumn of 1776 and that he was able to raise troops, but because of being lame and infirm he was unable to engage in active service himself. He goes on to tell that he was made a prisoner of the rebels from April of 1777 to May of 1778. He paid heavy fines to gain his liberty and, with several of his neighbours, came to Niagara to settle. This petition is to be found on microfilm C-2737, Vol. 418, Bundle P Miscl., 1775-1795, petition 95. Later documents of similar nature are also well indexed and available online from Library and Archives Canada. Just how Nathaniel made his journey from New Jersey is not clear. Many Loyalists fled by sea to Nova Scotia, but, in New Jersey, columns of wagons formed up at Log Gaol, among other places, and Loyalists trekked to Upper Canada. It is believe that Nathaniel's wife Margaret was dead prior to these events, but, probably, he made the journey with at least some of his children. Unquestionably, daughter Rachel, the wife of Lawrence Lawrason, came to Canada. Reading over available documentation - the Niagara Branch of the OGS transcription of St. Andrew's Anglican Church at Grimsby comes to mind - Nathaniel came to Upper Canada with some Pettit family members, or he was followed by them. The above referred to letter sent by Rachel to Abigail mentions that two nephew of Nathaniel's, Jonathan Woolverton and John Pettit - nephews - were executors of Nathaniel's estate. Finally, at the end of Rachel's letter to Abigail, she says that Peter Gordon's family send their love. The Gordons must have been close at hand, perhaps living in Ancaster where the Lawrasons were at the time. |
Children of Nathaniel Pettit and Margaret McFarlane |
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| Last Edited | 7 Oct 2020 |