| Notes |
- Henry Edwards, Sr.
"When England and the United States of America engaged each other in the War of 1812, two young brothers named Henry and George Edwards of Manchester, England, joined the British army and came with it to Canada and served through that war. At its close in lieu of their pay each of them received from the government one hundred acres of land near the present site of the City of Cannington, Province of Ontario. About this time an emigrant by the name of Masterson (first name unknown) from Sligo, County Sligo, Ireland came to Canada and entered one hundred acres close to the homes of the Edwards boys. He built a house, cleared some land and sent for his wife and two children. Mrs. Masterson's maiden name was Elizabeth Munson. Learning of her husband's success in the new country she bade farewell to her home and friends and sailed for America probably not later than 1815.
When she arrived in that wilderness of trees and wild beasts and the still more savage Indians, she found her husband had been killed. It seemed that he had been in the woods when a storm came with rain, thunder and lightening and that he had took shelter under a tree. The tree was struck by lightening and a large limb torn off which fell upon him. It was impossible to say whether he was killed by the blow from the limb or whether the lightening had killed him.
Mrs. Masterson went pluckily to work on the farm her husband had left her and became acquainted with and married Henry Edwards. Three children were born to them: Henry, the oldest; Sara Ann second and Elizabeth third and last" [This account was penned by Dr. E.W. Jardine - document undated]
There is a marriage record in St. John's Union, Co. Sligo, Ireland recording John Masterson, of Kilmactranny, marrying Elizabeth Munson, of St. John's. The were both listed as Church of Ireland members. The marriage took place on 29 Oct 1812. It is possible this is our Elizabeth Munson.
John Jardine, in a letter dated 17 Feb 1878, states that Sarah Ann was the eldest in this family. The letter was written to his daughers and states "Your grandmother's maiden name was Munn* and was from the County Sligo, Ireland. She was first married to a Mr. Masterson he left her in Ireland and came out to Canada and bought a farm in Brock township. He then sent for his family who arrived there to find him dead. Some years after she married your Grandfather Henry Edwards by him she had four children Sarah Ann, Henry, Elizabeth, and Edward... who was killed by the kick of a mule when he was a boy about 15 years of age."
John's letter also states "Your Grandmother had one son named John Masterson by her first husband, he had just come home from the southern states the fall your mother and I were married. A man in the township of Maraposea (?) had forged a deed on John's farm. For further information I would have to go to Canada." (also) "Your Grandmother had three or four daughters by her first husband as well as a son."
*NOTE: later letters and burial record correct this. Her maiden name was Munson. [2]
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Ernest Benjamin Gillis Family History
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