Thomas Merigold
ID # 7958, (1761-)
| Birth | Thomas Merigold was born in 1761 at New Jersey. |
| Marriage | He married Elizabeth Annesley. |
| Note | The following information, to a limited degree, is drawn from an undated book, believed to have been written in the early 1950s, by Dr. Esther Clark Wright, The Loyalists of New Brunswick. This was printed at Fredericton and, evidently, self-published. It certainly has an excellent general background of the events that carried the American Loyalists to New Brunswick. In a general list of the Loyalists, this does make mention on page 305 of Thomas Merigold, a sergeant in the 2nd New Jersey Volunteers and it states that he went to Upper Canada. This out-of-print book, when obtainable, is a worthy read. We will mention here that this same book, on page 256, in the general list of Loyalists also mentions four males by the name of Ansley. Two are shown as being in the 2nd New Jersey Volunteers, Daniel and John, and two in the 1st New Jersey Volunteers, Ozias and Thomas. Was Elizabeth Annesley, the wife of Thomas Merigold, of their family? No evidence has yet been found to say so, but this information should be at least a starting point for research. Also to hand is Sharon Dubeau's New Brunswick Loyalists, a Bicentennial tribute. This was published in 1983 by the Generation Press in Agincourt, Ontario. This has to do with the Loyalists themselves and provides brief biographies, all a paragraph or so in length, and which runs to 161 pages. The author states that the biographies are not comprehensive and that there were many more persons that do not appear in the book. The Merigolds are not mentioned. Page 4 does have a brief biography of Ozias Ansley, but this is no help so far as any connection to Elizabeth Annesley is concerned. Petitions for land in Upper Canada as found on Library & Archives Canada's microfilm reels are a source of information for Thomas Merigold. Some are to be found on the LAC website, and two others, referred to as being in Upper Canada Sundries, while indeed LAC microfilm (C-4505 & C-4508), are to be found on Canadiana.ca. See C-2196 beginning image 576, petition 31. On August 18, 1808, at York, Thomas Merigold petitions the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, Francis Gore, for a grant of land. He describes himself as an American Loyalist who served the British cause during the whole of the American Revolution. He was disbanded at Saint John in September of 1783. He states that he received 200 acres of land in New Brunswick as a grant, but that he has 'a numerous family of ten children which he has brought into this country' and no prospect of providing for them there. He prays for a grant of land in Upper Canada. Included in the petition is a receipt from the Receiver General for the payment of settlement fees of thirteen pounds, eighteen shillings, eight pence, plus a sum for surveying fees, for four hundred acres. Image 578 of this petition is a commendation from Edward Winston, the President and Commander in Chief of New Brunswick, which tells that he has served as a captain of militia. The cover of the file appears to indicate that his petition has been granted. It's a guess, but, considering the era, his military experience was probably instrumental in gaining a favorable response to his petitions. A comment here on his ten children. When he states that he has brought them into 'this country' it seems reasonable to believe that he meant that he brought them into Upper Canada from New Brunswick. Such information found for the children we believe to be his shows them to be born in New Brunswick. The only care we should take with this is that what became New Brunswick was not separated from Nova Scotia, of which it was a part, until 1784. These petitions of themselves do not typically tell where the grant of land was located. For this, it is often necessary to refer to the Ontario Land Record Index (OLRI) available on microfiche at the Archives of Ontario, which then leads to a second step to complete the search. With Thomas' petition, however, there is some assistance more easily obtained. For the following see C-2197 image 955, etc., petition 132, dated 28 April, 1812, and addressed to Isaac Brock. He describes himself as Thomas Merigold of the Township of Toronto and that he has received some 400 acres from the crown (a few words are faded and obscure so the exact amount is questionable), but maintains that he was promised another four hundred acres. It appears that his request was granted. The file cover signatures include that of Isaac Brock. In this petition Thomas also tells that he is 51 and born in New Jersey. and that he joined the British Standard in the year 1777. This brings us to petition 288 on microfilm C-2200, beginning image 143. It becomes clear that he is in possession of lots 29 and 30 on the 3rd concession (south of Dundas Street) in Toronto Township. The exact amount of land he has isn't entirely clear and seems related to the broken front created by Lake Ontario on the south side. The petition appears to relate to this. The endorsements on the file cover are not clear to your researcher, but it does appear that his petition was granted. A thought. When the American army advanced on Fort York during the War of 1812, they came from some distance to the west. They probably marched through Thomas' property. A brief comment here relating to the two Upper Canada Sundries files. The first, C-4505, pages (not images) 3340 to 33423, relate to lot 29 and broken front of Toronto Township, and are dated September of 1808 in the Surveyor General's office. This relates to a quibble as to whether it may be a 'masting' reserve. Your researcher has heard of Crown and Clergy reserves, but not masting reserves. It had to do with whether the timber was of a quality for the masts of ships in the Royal Navy. As it happened, the timber on the lot was deemed to be unsuitable for ships' masts. C-4508, pages 6215 to 6216, refer to lots 23 and 25 of the 3rd concession in Kingston Township in the Midland District. (Kingston Township is in present day Frontenac County.) This is addressed to Isaac Brock in May of 1812. This refers to a petition made by Thomas Merigold, but tells that the lots are held in the name of Lieutenant Moore. Onland.ca does provide abstract indexes for these two lots, but the assigned patents are identical, both dated March 12, 1824, and both properties granted to James Forsyth et al. Unless Thomas was a part of the 'et al', he does not appear to have been a part of the ownership of these lots. 1824 seems a rather late date for the patents to have been assigned, but the Ontario archives has an online search engine for the Second Heirs and Devisees Commission which lists 47 files for the township, none of which are under the name of Merigold. (Note that in the above paragraph, the abstract index images for the Kingston Township lots were sought on Onland.ca. They have also been checked on Familysearch. As might be expected, the information is essentially identical. Given the rather late date there should be another story. A reel exists, probably at the Ontario archives, that should show original patents. There are also reels for files known as the Township Papers that might be of some help.) There is at least one more piece of information that may be gleaned from land petitions. For this, see C-2235, images 375 thru 382. These are two petitions, one by Thomas Merigold Jr. and the other a Benjamin Monger. They are related to the same property and it's evident that the two men are going into a partnership. First, the petitions were obviously drawn up together and handwritten (beautifully) by the same clerk, probably a lawyer's clerk. They are dated at York (now the city of Toronto) on 5th March, 1817. Merigold and Monger wish to lease Clergy Reserves, namely lots 27 ( Thomas Merigold) on the 2nd concession of Toronto Township, and lot 28 (Benjamin Monger). In the process of this, Thomas states that he is the son of Capt. Thomas Marigold, also of Toronto Township. Going by the file covers, these appear to have been granted. Something of Thomas Merigold Sr's militia experience. The index of Loyalists in the Dr. Wright book shows Thomas Merigold as a sergeant in the 2nd New Jersey Volunteers. This was probably his status when he came to New Brunswick. Fred Blair on his excellent website War of 1812 Canadian Stories provides the muster roll of the 2nd Regiment of York Militia. This was drawn from townships that included Toronto Township. In this roll, Thomas Merigold Sr. is a captain. Also present are sergeants Thomas Merigold Jr. born 1791, and Daniel Merigold, born 1795. Also present, apparently as a private, is Amos Merigold, born 1797. This doesn't tell us the year Amos appeared in the roll. Some rolls did give the age of the person. Information found on Fred Blair's website may also be found on Library & Archives Canada's website. Particularly note microfilm reels T-10383 and T-10384. These reels at times tell the location of the regiment or a company during a given time frame of the War of 1812. There were militia units made up of citizens of military experience in Upper Canada prior to the War of 1812, but information for these is very sketchy. Nothing has yet been found for a militia placement for Thomas Merigold in Upper Canada prior to the War of 1812. That there was one is entirely possible, even probable. Post War of 1812, there is another source and has to do with information not currently on microfilm. In 1995, the Toronto branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society published a book, now long out of print, Men of Upper Canada, Militia Nominal Rolls, 1828-1829. This was assembled and written by Bruce S. Elliott, Dan Walker, and Fawne Stratford-Devai. The introduction tells that the rolls are scattered throughout the National Archives of Canada, but that they have never been microfilmed, so they must be consulted in Ottawa. For our purposes, the roll of interest begins on page 224. This is for the 3rd Regiment of West York. The limits from which the personnel were drawn was that of Toronto Gore and Toronto Township. This was dated Mlitia General Orders 17 August, 1826. Here we find captains Thomas Merigold and Amos Merrigold. The ages are not given and we cannot know if the Thomas listed was senior or junior. The 3rd company of the regiment lists a John Merigold, age 23, apparently a private. Also, page 175, lists under the 1st Regiment of Oxford Militia a William Merigold, age 20. The townships drawn upon for recruits for this regiment included Burford and Oakland. Considering the later history of Amos Merigold, there is at least a reasonable chance that William Merigold is a family member. One or two thoughts relating to the family's religious affiliation. Nothing has yet been found indicating the relgious affiliation of Thomas Merigold Sr. or his children before the 1851 census. Such records as we do find for the Merigold family once every person census information becomes available is that they were Wesleyan Methodist. This seems to be no help so far as the Wesleyan Methodist baptism records are concerned. No doubt the children were baptized, but the reporting thereof to the W.M. central authority was very hit and miss. Still, the information may yet prove helpful in tracking down family baptism information in local church records. A note here for Thomas Merigold Jr. mentioned above in the petition that appears on microfilm reel C-2235. This tells that the petitioner, Thomas Merigold Jr, was the son of Capt. Merigold of Toronto Township. Your researcher believes that he is the Thomas Merigold who appears in later years in Southwold Township in Elgin County and who at age 80 died in Southwold in 1871. His place of birth is given as New Brunswick. He is almost certainly the son of Captain Thomas Merigold, Loyalist, who was born in New Jersey. |
Child of Thomas Merigold and Elizabeth Annesley |
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| Last Edited | 21 Apr 2020 |