Wellington County, Ontario GenWeb - Pioneer

Wellington County, Ontario GenWeb - Pioneer - GEROW, James

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Pioneer - GEROW, James

Biographical Sketches of
Early Settlers of Wellington County

Information from: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario.
Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906

GEROW, James (d.) This family comes from French Huguenot stock, the ancestor having come to the U.S. and set. in Duchess Co., N.Y. prior to the Revolutionary War. James Gerow m. Rebecca Steeves. The Gerows sided with the British, and, as a consequence, were finally compelled, with other U. E. Loyalists, to seek a home in Canada. They went to New Brunswick, but not liking the country, made their way in ox carts to Upper Canada, arriving in Ancaster in 1815. The late James Gerow was b. in Duchess Co., N.Y., in 1802, and was a lad of thirteen when the family came to Ancaster. He found employment in the Pioneer Mill there, and later ran the mills in Ancaster and Dundas. He m. Rebecca Hotrum, nee Steeves, at Ancaster, in 1822, and in 1831 they came to Eramosa, where he had purchased lot 5, con. 1 (100 acres). He had come up to Guelph Village with the expectation of being the tenant of the first Canada Co. mill, but, owing to some misunderstanding, the Allans had taken the place, so young Gerow took his wife and small family out to his Eramosa possessions. There had been about eleven acres cleared on the farm, and a log shanty without a roof erected. The new comers improvised a roof, and there settled, and both lived, until their death. He d. in 1872, age 70 years, while she d. in 1865, age 66 years. The late James Gerow and his wife were members of the Church of England, and were held in high esteem by the whole community. They had the following issue: Joshua S., Mrs. William Duffield, James, Mrs. John Hilborn and Charles W.

Joshua S., b. 1823, came to Eramosa with his parents. He is now retired at Eden Mills.

James, b. 1827, m. Sarah Arms and set. in Guelph Tp., where he owned and farmed 100 acres. Issue: James T. (d.), William and John. He d. in Guelph in 1877.

Charles W., b. on the Eramosa homestead, in 1839, has always lived there. He m. Cicelia Barclay. Issue: Rebecca Jean and Charlotte Ada.

From: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario. Toronto:Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906