John GRANT and Rachel JEFFRIES were married about 1791 in Frome, Somerset, England. To them were born at least eleven children. My information indicates that the GRANTs first arrived in Dummer Township Peterborough County 1831. It is thought that the GRANTs were Scottish and that they emigrated from Scotland to Frome England to engage themselves in making cloth, stone masonry or other endeavors. William GRANT married Jane HARRIS in 1818, had served in the British Army and purchased a discharge to work as a Fuller. After the Napoleonic War, the whole of Europe was in depression and the Parish council in Frome helped to organize a group of residents to immigrate from Frome to Canada. Twelve families and a number of single men, 80 people in all sailed from Bristol to the new world. William and Jane GranRANT and four small Children including Ernest and Joseph sailed to Canada were among them. William received a grant of 100 acres of Land on Lot 20, Concession 3 in Dummer Township. The family stayed in Peterborough until they settled on the land. They had 11 children on this property which was very marginal for growing crops.
The BATTEN families came from Cornwall, England settled in Peterborough County in the 1820' and 30's. John BATTEN and his wife settled in Otonabee Township, Joseph BATTEN settled in Smith Township and Richard BATTEN was granted 100 acres of the est half of Lot 21, Concession 3, Dummer Township. Richard got word to his brother William still in Enland and asked him to come to Canada to help him establish his farm. William BATTEN married Elizabeth VINNICOMBE in St. Tudy's Parish, Cornwall, in 1816 and with their their five children, including Jane and Hannah, sailed for the New World on board the Springflower. Will's brother Richard died soon after they arrived and he is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery in Dummer Township. After a year stay in Peterborough William built a house and completed the grant of land and moved the Family to their new home in Dummer. Richard BBATTEN, their sixth child, was born in Dummer Township in 1835.
A double wedding occurred at the BATTEN farm in 1847 when Ernest GRANT married Hannah BBATTEN and Joseph GRANT married Jane BBATTEN. The 2 couples each established a 100 acre farm on Lots 21 and 22, concession 2, Dummer Township beside each other and near the BATTEN farm. They farmed there until around 1855. It is believed that Ernest and Hannah found the land to be stony and they decided to move to a place where the land was better for farming. Some of the other early Dummer families had moved to Bruce County and Ernest had gone to visit and survey the area before they decided to move. Around 1855, Ernest and Hannah, moved to near Paisley in Bruce County where they took up 100 Acres and later another 100 acres in Elderslie Township. It is believed that the GRANTs did well with farming and other enterprises. There is still Grant Family reunion held near Paisley and I had the privilege to attend the gathering a few years ago.
Provided by Doug GRANT a ggggrandson of John and Rachel. |
