Notes for Abel STEVENS Jr.
FROM "THE HISTORY OF PITITSFORD, VT" by Caverly. "ABEL STEVENS, JR, was a large, athletic man he dealt largely in furs and hunting and trapping as a pasttime and as a source of considerable income."
Cont'd from Abel Stevens, Sr. notes on A HISTORY OF THE STEVENS FAMILY, by Effie Stevens Gilbert: The home where Abel Stevens, Jr. grew up, built by his father, was a "log cabin, 20 ft long by 15 ft wide, made of split basswood logs and planed with a settlers axe. The roof was constructed by placing straight poles lengthwise, covered with strips of elm bark. The floor was made of split basswood logs, also planed with an axe. It had one window, one door and a fireplace. The hearth and fireback were made of flat stones. The chimney consisted of a flue made of green timber plastered with mud. The cabin was furnished with such furniture as could be made with an axe and auger. The Loyalists were furnished with rations by the Government until they could clear the land and provide for themselves. They were also given a horse and cow. The seed furnished them consisted of spring wheat, pears, corn and potatoes. The farming implements provided were axes, hoes and augers. The mosquitos were so numerous that, when the men were planting corn, they had to make a smudge in a wooden trough and drag it behind them. Every United Empire Loyalist received a grant of 200 acres of land from the Government. Each male child of the Loyalists, at the age of 21, received 200 acres free from all expense; and females, upon their marriage within that age, also received 200 acres free from all expenses ... their nearest neighbor <sic> was Ezra Lillie, who settled Plum Hollow. These settlers were compelled to make roads opposite their own lots, and in front of non-resident lands. By the original survey, the lots were designated by a post driven in the ground, plainly marked with the number of each lot.
These early settlers endured great hardships. They had large families, and the mothers suffered much in giving birth ... and quite frequently a delicate mother passed on leaving her helpless babe behind.
Abel Stevens, SR, was an educated man, having received an education in Vermont State. He was a regular ordained Baptist minister and was known as Elder Abel Stevens, Sr., the first Baptist minister in this part of the County. The first Court in Upper Canada assembled in Johnstown about fifteen miles from Brockville Apr 22, 1800. Here Elder Stevens appeared before the Court and asked permission to solomnize marriages.
Being an educated man, he taught his children and they acquired quite a good educational background In those days, deer was plentiful and profitable for food and clothing. The women wore deerskin dresses and petticoats, which when colored blue were quite pretty. Every housewife had a dye tub in which to dye blue, using the bark of the soft maple to make the color. The men and boys wore buckskin pants. Every Sunday morning, Elder Abel Stevens, Sr. dressed in his leather pants and smock, shouldered his gun, mounted his horse, and rode ten to fifteen miles to preach to the settlers who had congregated at one of the cabins, all arriving on horseback...
The Loyalists had many difficulties to surmount, one being the grinding of their corn into meal. This was done by chopping a hole in a stump and placing the corn therein, and pounding it with a wooden maul (later an iron maul was used). After a time a small gristmill was built m Wiltsetown, and the settlers went there to get corn ground. At that time there were no roads, only a blazed path through the woods, and usually the girls had to go to the mill, as the boys were too busy clearing the land ... Betsy Stevens, a girl of 16 years, took a bag of corn before her on a horse and started for the mill, which was eleven miles from her home. She, being late getting there, had to wait until midnight before the corn was ground, and then started back on her lonely ride. When she had ridden about seven miles, a pack of wolves persued her, making the forest hideous with their cries. The brave girl urged her horse on the gallop. Several times the wolves were so near she could see their eyes gleam in the darkness. It was a ride for life! In about a half hour, she rode up to her father's door, not only safe herself, but the cornmeal too. After a time a small gristmill was built here on Beverly Creek by a gentleman named Mattice. [Approval for the mill was obtained by Abel Stevens, Sr., who sold the rights to Mattice.]
Sometime after the township was being settled, a notice was received from the Government that it was necessary to give the municipalities a name. They were then known by numbers. Abel Stevens, Sr. was appointed a delegate to proceed to Toronto and name the township, the understanding being that it should be called Stevens Town, the name chosen by the settlers. When Elder Stevens arrived at the Crown Lands Office, the clerks were busily engaged calling the men to name their township. Coming to the number of this township, there was a pause. Elder Stevens was appealed to and, from modesty, hesitated giving the township his name, saying he did not know what he had better name it. One of the clerks said, we will name it Bastard, as it has no father, and finally it was named Bastard after an English nobleman.
Elder Abel Stevens, Sr. was a power in the Baptist Church, and the forefather of the Stevens of Delta and Phillipsville. He is remembered for his piety and his scrupulous honesty, as well as for his hospitality and industry. He was the law-giver, the conveyancer, and the general leader of the settlement in its early days. The children of Abel and Eunice were Abel Stevens, Jr., Elizabeth, Eunice, Uriah, Alfred, Isaac, David and Horace...
My grandfather [Abel Stevens, Jr.] was born in 1779 in the state of Vermont. He, too, was a regular ordained Baptist Minister and was known as Elder Abel Stevens, Jr. He built the first brick house in this township, moulding the bricks by hand. The house was erected on Stevens Hill. He also organized the first Baptist Church in Leeds, consisting of 18 members. He preached here in the Anglican Church for some years. I love that old Anglican Church, for at one time the Anglicans and Baptists owned it together, and my great-grandfather preached there and other Baptist ministers...
Grandfather owned eleven hundred acres of land; 200 were given him by the Government, and he took out the patent for said land June 30, 1801. He also bought 500 acres at $2.00 per acre, and his father gave him 200 acres. He had enough land to give each of his five boys a farm. Father, being the youngest boy, received the homestead which was a part of great-grandfather`s property, and he had 200 acres for himself.
Our village has had four names: First, Stevenstown, named after Elder Abel Stevens, Sr.; second, Stone Mill, after the mill here; third, Beverly, named after Sir John Beverly Robertson who presented the Anglican Church with a fine brass bell;..and presently, Delta...
From 1795 until 1930, a period of 135 years, there were 7 generations of the Stevens Family in Canada This history of the Stevens family tree, and notes on the township, I believe to be correct. Some of it was gleaned from Mr. Thad Leavitt's "History of Leeds and Grenville Counties". Some very important notes from the censes in CT & VT; also the censes taken of this township of Bastard in the year 1800; and some important information told me by my father ... This history was written by Effie Stevens Gilbert for the benefit of the Stevens Clan, and was compiled August 12, 1930.
CHILDREN OF ABEL STEVENS, JR. AND FIRST WIFE Ruth Huntley: Palmer, Lucinda, Nancy, Henry & Harmon. CHILDREN OF ABEL STEVENS, JR. AND 2ND WIFE, PHEEBE KNOWLTON: Mercy, Israel, George, Neri, Thomas, Fannie and Steven K. Stevens.
FROM "OUR STEVENS STORV": "Lots 18, 19, 20/ Concession 9, had been divided up between sons George, Stephen, and Abel Neri.
BURIED IN STEVENS HILL CEMETERY on the south side of Stevens Street, Delta, ONT: A gate leading down a grassy lane between fields of grain to the cemetery, enclosed by a fence and bordered on the far side by woods on the hills' slope.
Yonder is my home In Memory of In Memory of Pheebe Elder wife of Abel Stevens Elder Abel Stevens who died who died May 29,1858 Nov 20, 1869 aged aged 76 years 79 years cemetery on Abel Steven's land: Lot 19, Concession 9. Before his death he made numerous sales of his extensive Stevens Hill lots to some of his sons. The money he received must have left his widow in very comfortable circumstances. "Febe" had been left with 6 acres off Lot 19, Con. 9, where she lived beside her son, Israel K. Lots 18, 19 and 20, Con. 9, had been divided up between sons George, Stephen, Abel Neri.
Others buried in Stevens Hill cemetery include: Isreal H. Stevens, d July 11, 1920, aged 90 years Adelaide Wiltse, wife of Israel Stevens, d Jun 20, 1899, aged 64 years, 10 mos. Ida, dau of I H and A Stevens, d Nov 2, 1866, age 8 yrs 2 mos (b 1857) Effie Stevens, b Apr 1, 1860, d Oct 16, 1942, m Sep 18, 1890. Res. Delta Sidney R. Gilbert, b Sep 18, 1854, d Nov 2, 1919 (Children of Effie Stevens & Sidney Gilbert: Gordon Stevens Gilbert, 1891-1892; & Florence Adelaide Gilbert, m Sept 25, 1928 Thomas McEwan Grant) Thomas Stevens, d Apr 2, 1912, age 88 yrs and wife Rosinna Morgan, d Aug 17, 1880, age 56 years
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON SETTLEMENT OF UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS on Upper St. Lawrence in Haldimand Papers, Toronto, published in 1934.
Many of the names and dates for Abel Stevens and his descendants were obtained from "Our Stevens Story, On the Move" by Elizabeth Stevens Stuart, and received from the Gananoque Park Commission holdings, ON
FROM "THE ACTIVITY OF ABEL STEVENS AS A PIONEER", Ontario Historical Society publication XXXI, PP56 - 92:
"A petition addressed to Simcoe by Abel Stevens and four other men, presumably elders of the Baptist churches in other parts of the district, dated at Bastard on 16th May, 1796, has been preserved. It stated:
"That your Petitioners now inhabiting the Province of Upper Canada, and loyal subjects to His Majesty, King George the 3rd, have been educated in and are professors of the Baptist Religion, and wish not to intermeddle with the affairs of any other Denomination, therefore pray to be indulged and protected in the enjoyment of such privileges as His Majesty's good subjects of any other Denomination in this Province enjoy, Particularly we pray that those which are or hereafter shall be regularly ordained Elders in any Baptist Churches in this Province shall be fully empowered to administer the ordinance of Marriage, and that a Certificate from the ordaining Council shall be their sufficient Warrant Associated with Stevens in this petition were James Stark a son of Major William Stark a loyalist, and nephew of General John Stark the revolutionary leader, living in Hallowell, and Thomas Knowlton and Obediah Read, both residents of Elizabethtown. "
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