Quaker Immigrants to the Toronto Area from Yorkshire
(Note: Webpage in preparation)
Abraham and Sarah Grimshaw, descendants in the Edward and Dorothy (Raner) Grimshaw line, were apparently Quakers who immigrated to East Gwillimbury, Ontario before 1850. East Gwillimbury was a Quaker settlement area located north of Toronto. One of their daughters, Anna Eliza, was married to George Williams there, and William, their son was born there in about 1850 (see companion webpage on William). Another Grimshaw family, that of GR and Ellen Grimshaw (see companion webpage on John Thomas and Arvilla Grimshaw), may have also descended from Abraham and Sarah Grimshaw. The families of both William Grimshaw and GR Grimshaw settled in the Detroit area and apparently were closely connected, as indicated by the commonality of names in the two families.
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Possible Candidate Ancestor Line from Edward and Dorothy Line
May have been born after end of indicated lineage (after Abraham and Sarah departed for the U.S.)
Evidence: Parents, Abraham and Sarah; "Lister", variant of "Lester", in lineage; William's daughter, "Annie Sarah Lisa" combines Sarah and Anna Eliza of two sisters of William. Abraham was the nephew of Joseph Grimshaw (m. Margaret Wetherald) who was living in New York (see companion webpage)
Problems: No GR or George R indicated as a brother born about 1836. And George R was born outside London, according to family lore....
Edward Grimshaw (About 1559 - 22 Jun 1635) & Dorotye Raner
|--Abraham Grimshaw (1603 - 1670) & Sarah ( - 21 Sep 1695)
|--|--Josias Grimshaw (25 Apr 1658 - 15 Dec 1722) & Sarah Ibbitson (25 Dec 1647 - 15 Feb 1741/1742)
|--|--|--Abraham Grimshaw (24 Feb 1691/1692 - ) & Elizabeth Sandall (5 Dec 1701 - 13 Apr 1787)
|--|--|--|--Aaron Grimshaw (14 Dec 1722 - 8 Oct 1777)
|--|--|--|--Elizabeth Grimshaw (19 Jan 1724/1725 - )
|--|--|--|--Mary Grimshaw (29 Mar 1727 - ) & Samuel Cooper
|--|--|--|--Sarah Grimshaw (20 Feb 1729/1730 - )
|--|--|--|--Abraham Grimshaw (7 Nov 1731 - 7 May 1786) & Ellenor Whalley (24 Aug 1744 - 28 Oct 1841)
|--|--|--|--|--Joseph Grimshaw* (5 Apr 1765 - 27 May 1841) & Margaret Wetherald
|--|--|--|--|--Aaron Grimshaw* (23 Nov 1778 - About 1834) & Mary Lister (11 Feb 1776 - 5 Aug 1826)
|--|--|--|--|--|--Abraham Grimshaw (14 Dec 1801 - )
|--|--|--|--|--|--Josiah Grimshaw (29 Jul 1803 - )
|--|--|--|--|--|--Eliza Grimshaw (22 Feb 1806 - )
|--|--|--|--|--|--William Grimshaw (14 Jun 1809 - )
|--|--|--|--|--|--Mary Grimshaw
|--|--|--|--|--|--Henry Grimshaw (7 Dec 1810 - )
|--|--|--|--|--|--Abraham Grimshaw (12 Oct 1812 - ) & Sarah
|--|--|--|--|--|--|--Mary Jane Grimshaw (15 Dec 1834 - )
|--|--|--|--|--|--|--Joseph Grimshaw (17 Jun 1836 - )
|--|--|--|--|--|--|--Anna Eliza Grimshaw (15 Dec 1838 - )
|--|--|--|--|--|--|--Abraham Grimshaw (13 Aug 1840 - )
|--|--|--|--|--|--|--Joseph John Grimshaw (24 Aug 1842 - )
|--|--|--|--|--|--|--Sarah Grimshaw (1843 - )
|--|--|--|--|--|--|--William? Grimshaw (1850 - ) [hypothetical entry added]
More Evidence: Marriage of Eliza A. (reversal of Anna Eliza) to George Williams
Birthdate of Eliza, 1838, matches.
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~maryc/york1858.htm
York County Marriages, 1858
from Ontario Archives microfilm MS 248 reel 18, vol 84: York Co. 1858 - 1862
FORMAT: birth place is given before residence
George WILLIAMS, 24, England, East Gwillimbury, s/o Richard & Sarah, married Eliza A. GRIMSHAW, 20, Canada, Whitchurch, d/o Abram & Sarah, witn: William RANEY of Whitchurch, 9 Oct 1858
Did Abraham and Sarah Grimshaw come to East Gwillimbury as Quakers for land?
Most of the Yorkshire Grimshaws were Quakers....
http://www.eastgwillimbury.ca/profile/history.htm
History
The Town of East Gwillimbury was incorporated in 1850. Governor John Graves Simcoe named the area in honour of his wife, whose maiden name was Gwillim. In the late 1700's, Governor Simcoe was looking for the best route north from York (now Toronto) to the British naval posts on Georgian Bay. To assist in his search for the best route, he commissioned the first survey of East Gwillimbury in 1800.Many of the early settlers were United Empire Loyalists and Quakers who were attracted to the area by grants of land and the ability to practice their faith in peace. Hamlets sprung up throughout East Gwillimbury due, in part, for a need for shops, churches and schools. Development occurred in five areas - Holland Landing, River Drive Park, Sharon, Queensville and Mount Albert. Early settlement of these areas dates back to the late seventeen hundreds. The historical atmosphere of the Town is enhanced by the many attractive historic buildings still in use today.
Sharon
Sharon, originally known as Hope, was settled in the early 1800's by United Empire Loyalists, many of them Quakers, enticed here by the 200 acre land grants. David Willson with his wife, Phebe, and two sons settled here in 1801. After breaking away from the Quaker Church, he established his own religious sect, The Children of Peace. They had a large congregation and developed a unique settlement with a large meeting house and Temple, schools, hotels, a post office, a general store, a cider mill and a grist mill. Many craftsmen - carpenters, wheelwrights, blacksmiths, tinsmiths, shoemakers, a seamstress and a telegraph operator - lived in the village.Queensville
Among the various land routes to the shores of Lake Simcoe, Yonge Street and its back concessions were perhaps most often chosen by travellers in the early days. "Queen Street", now Leslie Street, was one of these roads. It had also attracted a large group of Quakers who formed the community of Sharon and later prompted the settlement of another community to the north, originally known as Hackett's Corners but renamed to Queensville in 1843. The establishment of a school and post office was followed by the addition of a bank, hotels, various churches, several shops as well as a flour and grist mill.Mount Albert
As the first settlers were arriving at the oldest villages of East Gwillimbury, the only indication of human presence in the eastern section of the municipality was an Algonquin Indian trail which ran north-south over "the hill". This area was originally settled by a small number of Quakers in 1821. It wasn't long until more bush was cleared for settlement and the Indian trail was widened to form Centre Road. Growth was slow in the beginning, consisting of farms and a few homes but by the mid-1800's the village consisted of several houses, grist, flour, woollen and lumber mills, a tannery, churches, schools, several shops and two hotels.
Where is East Gwillimbury?
Just north of Toronto. Not far northwest of Detroit, down the peninsula between Lakes Huron and Ontario.
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Webpage posted October 2005
