The Family of Mary Davis wife of United Empire Loyalist John Green of New Jesey & Upper Canada

HOME

John Green of Hardwick, Sussex County, New Jersey married Mary Davis; the couple are well documented as early settlers of Upper Canada and United Empire Loyalists. The tradition for Mary’s maiden name is unknown, but strong oral family traditions indicate that the identification of her as a “Davis” is likely to be correct. It is unusual to find a female ancestor of such an early date as Mary who is described by records in such detail. Mary's parents or place of origin are unknown, though Crozier & Green who have published a history on the Green family believe her to have been of Welsh background. 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".

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)"

"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.

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.
(p)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

John and his wife Mary Davis had the following children:
Samuel Green b: 00 000 1770 ; d: 06 Jul 1813 b: Sussex, NJ; d: Battle of Stoney Creek, Ontario m: Margaret Gordon D/o Peter & Mary (Pettit) G. CH: Mary (m:VanEvery,William), Lucy (m:VanEvery,John), Mercy, Margaret (m:Buckberrough,William), William (m1:VanEvery,Eleanor) (m2:Nevelle,Sarah), James, John (m:Green,Sophia), Peter (m:Weaver,Elizabeth), Elizabeth (m:Hathaway,John), Samuel, Nancy Ann Green b: New Jersey ; d: Grantham, Ontario John Belcher Daniel Green b: 00 000 1775; d: b: New Jersey; d: Flamborough, Wentworth, Ontario Mary Chisholm Susannah Green b: 00 000 1775; d: b: New Jersey; d: Flamborough, Wentworth, Ontario? John Main Hannah Green b: Ontario; d: baptized: 02 Feb 1793, by Rev. Addison of Niagara Caleb Hopkins (c1785/6 - 08 Oct 1880) (b: NJ; d: Toronto, Ontario) S/o Silas & Mary (Swayze) H. CH: Rachel (m:Green,Anson) & others Note: From the Dictionary of Canadian Biography (p.258-60), Caleb Hopkins is identified as a farmer and Reform politician. He founded a settlement called "Hannahville" in Nelson twp. in Halton County. He was a prominent layman of the Wesleyan Methodist Church and established the first school in the area in 1828. His became a prominent figure in the Reform movement in Canada and held positions in the Upper Canadian House of Assembly until his ill fated alliance with the Grits in 1850. He withdrew from politics and settled in Hamilton, Ontario. His son-in-law was William Leggo a lawyer and author. John Simcoe Green b: 00 000 1777; d: b: New Jersey; d: Susannah Ryckman D/o Edward (1763-1846) Sarah Green b: New Jersey; d: William Markle Jr. Nancy Green b: Ontario; d: baptized: 02 Feb 1793 William Green b: 00 000 1772; d: 00 000 1847 b: New Jersey ; d: Flamborough, Wentworth, Ontario buried: Municipal Cemetery, Bullock's Corners, Went. Christinna Markle (born c1789; US) CH: John Graves Simcoe, Abraham (m:Moxley), Maria (m:Webber,Joseph), Rachel (m:Dunkin,Thomas), Kate (m:Hopkins,Swayze)