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| Pioneers of the Bay of Quinte Why I am interested in these folks. YDNA testing suggests that my grandfather, Charles Wesley Saylor (1863-1942), was born of a Platt father and was secretly adopted by his Saylor parents. The only surnames that are my close match are Platt, Flatt and Flett. In the DNA world this is called a Non Paternal Event or more commonly adoption or adultery. The immediate goal is to collect information about male Platt men living in the Quinte area and to ultimately find the most recent common Platt ancestor. A YDNA test done for a descendant of the above John Platt does not match my YDNA. Therefore it is unlikely that the descendants of John and Caleb Platt have a biological connection to me. The puzzle continues. The YDNA test confirmed that John Platt (above) descends from a known Richard Platt (b. 1604) in Hertfordshire, England. See test number IN75069 in Group 1 of the Platt Project on the FTDNA web site. I want to thank Linda Herman and Doug Platt for their enormous assistance. © Randy Saylor, 2019 |
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These are the six Platt families who arrived early in the Quinte area.
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| OVERVIEW With apologies, my main focus will be Caleb and John given the purpose of this research. However each of the settlers are presented below in their own sections with source notes. The objective is to determine the descendants of Caleb and John down to those born about 1840. They are here with notes of contemporary sources in two separate pdf's. Caleb and John are brothers. It has been fun to find records that lead to the conclusion that Caleb (Hallowell) and John (Hallowell then Percy) are brothers. Many genealogies have John as the father of Caleb. This was probably due to the fact that John disappears from the Hallowell record in 1816. Comments are welcome. Circumstantial evidence suggests the four Platt women are probably siblings of Caleb and John. In a nut shell, here is the evidence for concluding that Caleb and John are brothers. John Platt first settled in Hallowell on the south shore of West Lake along with Caleb, Daniel Pettet and Samuel Williams. Around 1816, John obtained a farm in Percy Township in Northumberland and sold his Hallowell farm in the same year. In 1820 he was joined by James Platt in Percy, the eldest son of Caleb. In 1839 James died and later in 1845 his eldest son Maitland petitioned successfully for a land grant based on James's service in the War of 1812. In the same petition, Issac Storm Platt, son of John, states in an affidavit that James is his cousin and he supports the facts of Maitland's petition. Since Isaac and James are cousins, then their fathers, John and Caleb respectively, are brothers. It is complicated, so here is a more developed explanation. Before 1798, Prince Edward County had only three townships: Marysburg in the east, Sophiasburg in the middle and Ameliasburg in the west. In 1798 Hallowell was created out of part of Sophisburg. In 1824, Hillier was created out of part of Ameliasburg. Isaac C. Huycke, Daniel Pettit, John Platt, and Caleb Platt are all listed on a 1795 Militia list in Sophiasburg Tp. John would be about 19 and Caleb 30. In 1798 a Hallowell Assessment lists Daniel Pettit, John Platt, C. Huyck, Caleb Platt and Samuel Williams. Later in 1808 in another Hallowell assessment we see Daniel Pettit, Samuel Williams, Caleb Platt and John Platt listed. These records support that the 5 men and their families were in Hallowell together by 1800. They all settled on the south shore of West Lake and were probably there when it was opened up for settlement. Daniel Pettit is the only Loyalist in the group. He is from Long Island and an Associated Loyalist. He came to Canada in 1786 with his wife, Elizabeth Platt and 4 children and settled first in Sophiasburg. He was granted land as a Loyalist and his petitions are noted in the pdf available in the Pettit section below. For the other men in this group, none of the land records indicate when they purchased their farms. The farms were all waterfront lots on the south shore of West Lake in the same concession named variously as South Side of West Lake, East Side of West Lake or South East of West Lake. It is not unusual that the early purchases were not registered. Daniel Pettit was the only one to be granted his lot. The others would have bought the location ticket from the original grantee then improved the land and some years later registered the transaction to obtain a deed. Samuel Williams had Lots 1 and 2 and first mention of his ownership is in his will in 1822 when he passes the lots on to his children. Caleb Platt's purchase of Lot 3 is dated 1806 and registered in 1822. Daniel Pettet petitioned in 1797 and received Lot 10 in 1802. John Platt settled the North half of Lot 13 and South half of Lot 14 and first mention of his ownership is when he sells the land in 1816. This is all to show that these families settled there as neighbours probably around 1800. Let us follow John Platt to Percy Township. The 1816 deed where John Platt sells his Hallowell lots states that John Platt is "of Percy Township, yeoman." Percy Township in Northumberland County was opening up at this time and the census records have survived beginning in 1803. In 1803 there are twenty families settled there and by 1817 the number had grown to 40 heads of families. John Platt was first named on the 1817 Census and Assessments for Percy Tp and every year after that until his death in 1839. Therefore John Platt moved to Percy Township in Northumberland County near Warkworth from Hallowell Township leaving the other Platts who settled with him on the south shore of West Lake. John settles on Lot 17, Con 1 in Percy. There is no record of his purchase but in 1838 "John Platt Senior" sells the 200 acres of Lot 17 to John Blair. There is no mention of John retaining any part of lot 17. Instead of a will, in 1839 John wrote a memorial of his dispersal of his estate before he died and in it mentioned that he possessed a "part of lot 17." This memorial states in part:
As an aside, John's wife is Hannah Zufelt. Hannah Platt of Percy successfully petitions in 1834 as the daughter of Henry Zufelt UE for lands as a DUE. John died in 1830 and is said to be buried in the Warkworth Cemetery along with wife Hannah and daughter May Anne Platt - this will be checked soon. To confirm that John Platt of Percy was originally from Hallowell and is the brother of Caleb Platt of Hallowell we need to shift to James Platt of Hallowell, son of Caleb Platt of Hallowell. James Platt purchased Lot 16, Con 2, Percy from his father in 1827. There is no record of when Caleb Platt purchased the lot from the original grantee and the only registered record of his ownership is when he sells it to his son. James was born in 1796 and married Mary Hicks in 1817 in Hallowell. James first shows up in Percy in the 1820 census with wife and children on Lot 16, Con 2. James dies intestate in 1839 and his eldest son Maitland petitions in 1845 for a land grant based on his father's service in the War of 1812. This is the key document.
This petition and the accompanying affidavits establish that John and Caleb are brothers. James was stated to be "of Percy formerly of Hallowell" and this is supported by the fact that James bought his farm in Percy from Caleb Platt, his father. The key sentence is the statement of Isaac S. Platt, son of John Platt, saying that "he is a cousin of James Platt" who was the eldest son of Caleb Platt. That means that John and Caleb Platt are brothers! Hopefully this argument will hold up to scrutiny. Are John, Caleb, Elizabeth, Hannah, Prudence and Jemima Platt siblings? So far we know that John and Caleb are brothers. Hannah Huycke is stated to be the sister of Caleb Platt in a 1904 Albert Bowerman history of the Bowerman Family. That connects John, Caleb and Hannah as siblings. Merton Y. Williams in his 1967 study of Samuel Williams states that Jemima Platt is a sister of Caleb Platt. They all settled beside Elizabeth Pettit supporting the possibility of five of them being siblings. Prudence Roblin settled further away but Elizabeth names a daughter Prudence suggesting a connection. If they are siblings then where were they born? The 1911 death registration of Edwin Platt states that his father Caleb Platt Jr was born in Providence, Rhode Island. We know that is wrong as Caleb Jr was born in 1801 in Hallowell. Perhaps the informant mistakenly was referring to his grandfather Caleb Platt Sr who was born in 1765 somewhere in what after 1783 became the USA. An effort will be made to find birth records for these Platts in Rhode Island and elsewhere. Elizabeth is the oldest of the above and married Daniel Pettit who was from Long Island. All of this leads to the idea that these Platts may have been in and around RI and made their way directly to Upper Canada following the advice of Elizabeth Platt and her husband Daniel Pettit. They may have spent some time after the war in the Hudson valley given that Hannah and Issac Huycke were married in Albany County, NY, in 1786. These potential siblings are not mentioned in the Platt Family chapter of the well known Settlers of the Beekman Patent by Frank Doherty. John Platt of Percy named his son Isaac Storm Platt. No citation has been found but it is widely presented in online genealogies that John's first wife was Mary Ann Storm who died about 1810 and was the mother of some of the children. Many genealogies list a John Platt as the father of Caleb Platt but no record has been found by this researcher. As said before, it is probable that people noticed John Platt disappeared from Hallowell in 1816 and assumed that was the father. It needs to be said that there is a John Platt UE who settles in Montreal. He is not part of this group of Platt siblings. WikiTree has a John Platt from LI and died in Oneida Co., NY in 1810 as the father of Elizabeth who married Daniel Pettit. This conflicts with what is on Find-a Grave which has dau. Elizabeth marrying a Waterbury. I doubt this is the John Platt we might be looking for. Source: WikiTree, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Platt-1777 Source:https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20500418/john-platt Following up on the Storm surname being used as a second name by John Platt of Percy for at least one son and possibly two of his sons. Isaac Storm Platt is named as such on a deed dated 21 Dec 1839 [see notes attached to him.] Storm may have morphed from Van der Sturm. Zephaniah Platt is the founder of Plattsburgh (see below) and he receives two letters from a Thomas Storm in 1800. See the finding aid to his Papers held by the NY State Library. The six Quinte area Platt settlers are briefly presented below and some have links to pdf's which include all source notes. For the most part contemporary BMD records, census, wills and land records are the sources. The online genealogies vary considerably for these families with lots of errors. Some have been viewed for direction but only accepted as a source in a few noted cases. |
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| 1. Elizabeth Platt (1759-1799) and Daniel Pettit (1750-1831) See this pdf for their children and all source notes. Elizabeth Platt was the first wife of Daniel Pettit. The Pettit family settled on the south shore of West Lake a few farms from Caleb Platt. The Pettet Cemetery is on their farm and Caleb and Lois are buried there. There is a well researched web page on the Descendants of Daniel Pettit, by Cornelia Taylor. https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/t/a/y/Cornelia-L-Taylor/GENE3-0001.html Pettet Cemetery Daniel Pettet, d. 14 Jun 1831 @ 81 y 9 mo [Sep 1750] Elizabeth d. 15 Jun 1799 @ 40 y [1759] Mary d. 15 May 1849 @ 81 y 16 d [30 Apr 1769] Source: Transcriptions of headstones done in 1965 by OGS, AO, MS451, r25 Land Patent Daniel Pettet was granted his patent for lot 10, South East of West Lake Conc on 19 Dec 1826. However he settled on this lot before that. No petition has been found for this grant and Daniel was not a Loyalist. The grant is not listed in the Ont Land Record Index which is very unusual for a grant to not be listed. Source: Abstract Index, Hallowell Tp, PEC, AO, GS 5150 or GSU 198152 Will of Daniel Pettit [sic] Daniel Pettit Superior of Hallowell Yeoman 1: burial 2: to my wife Mary Pettit maintenance from the farm I now live on ... household furniture ... $100 3: son James Pettit and grandson Isaac Pettit each $5 in addition to the land heretofore deeded to them by me 4: daughter Prudence Cryderman $4 5: son William Pettit $10 in addition to what he heretofore received from me 6: daughters Elizabeth and Phebe Pettit each $60, one cow, six sheep and one good feather bed and bedding and right to live at home till married 7: son Daniel Pettit £75, 1 cow, 10 sheep and right to live at home till married 8: son Sylvenus Pettit and heirs and assigns this home and farm where I now live ... pay all legacees herein mentioned Executors: wife Mary and sons Daniel and Sylvenus Witnesses: Asa Warden, Daniel Hare, Tunis Eckert Registered in Prince Edward County on 29 Sep 1831 in Book 2, memorial #1832 Registered in Surrogate Court of Midland District, Kingston, 6 Oct 1831 Source: Surrogate Court, Frontenac County, RG 22-159, AO, GS1 reel 1223 |
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| 2. Caleb Platt (1765-1829) m. Lois Elsworth (1779-1823) See this pdf for descendants and all source notes. Descendants of Caleb Platt and Lois Elsworth Birth and Death Buried with wife in Pettet Cemetery Caleb Platt d. July 24, 1830 @ 65 wife Lois d. May 2 1823 @ 42 yrs Source: AO, MS451, r25, p. 418 Pettet Cemetery Both Caleb and Lois are both buried in the Pettet [sic] Cemetery in Hallowell Tp. This cemetery is on the shore of West Lake on the Pettet farm located on Lot 10 in Con South Side of West Lake just east of where the Platt's farm was located. The headstone for Caleb says he died 30 July 1830 [sic - above transcription differs]. This date of death is incorrect as the probate was started 5 March 1830 and his will was dated 29 June 1829 so he died before 5 March 1830. Source: See this account on Find A Grave. 1792 & 1795 Militia Lists 17 Nov 1792, Danl Petitt, Caleb Platt are named on the list as "Present fit for duty." 1 June 1795, Isaac C. Huycke, Daniel Pettit, John Platt, Caleb Platt Source: Return of Captain Henry Youngs Company of Militia, Sophiasburgh, AO, Henry Youngs Papers, F898, MS788, 8 Not a Loyalist Caleb Platt does not apply for land as a SUE nor does Caleb petition as a settler. It is not yet clear when he came to Upper Canada but he was in Cnada by 1792. However, James, the first child of Caleb and Lois is born in 1796 in Hallowell and is in the register of Rev Robert McDowell. They are in Hallowell quite early. He and Lois settle in Hallowell Township on Lot 3, Con South Side of West Lake and have 10 surviving children. Lois Platt - land deeded In 1805, Caleb Elsworth gave his daughter - Louis Platt (wife of Caleb Platt) the deed to half of his Crown Lands - east half of Lot 3, Concession 8?, North of East Lke Source: Burleigh Fonds, letter dated 1957, page 13, https://archive.org/details/hcbplatt00burl/page/n13 Caleb Platt signed a petition in 1818 in support of Robert Gourlay. Source: Source: Civil Secretary's Correspondence, Upper Canada Sundries, 1766-1841, RG5 A1, LAC, film also at AO, Vol 41, C-4602, pp. 20053-65, transcription on this website The Will of Caleb Platt, Hallowell ... last will and testament ... 1st. my three eldest sons, James, Jacob and Caleb shall have the farms that they are now in possession of ... 2nd. to my three youngest sons John, Dyer and Henry the Farm whereon I now live to be equally divided when the youngest son ... age of 21 years. With these incumberances to wit: a proportion to be paid as in hereafter specified unto my four daughters Easter, Mary, Huldah and Deborah 3rd. I give unto my Eldest daughter Easter £25 currency 4th. I give unto my daughter Mary £50 currency 5th. I give unto my daughter Huldah £25 currency 6th. I give unto my Youngest daughter Deborah £50 currency [to be paid out of stock or moveable property when age 21 or married or removed. They can live at the house till age 21. Appoint Thomas Bowerman, John Platt, Easter Platt and Caleb Platt executors ... 29 June 1829. Caleb Platt [Jr] of Hillier starts the probate process 5 Mar 1830. Source: Frontenac Surrogate Court, Kingston, 1801-1858, RG22-159, AO, GS1 reel 1223, will of Caleb Platt |
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| 3. Hannah Platt (c1766-?) m. Issac C. Huycke (1763-1826) See this pdf for source notes to date Hannah Huycke is said to be the sister of Caleb Platt "Catherine Huyck, sister of John P. Huyck, whose mother [Hannah] was sister of Caleb Platt." Note: the work of Albert Bowerman is highly regarded and he likely gained this knowledge from family living prior to 1904 who would know the relationship. Catherine is a daughter of Hannah. Source: Bowerman Family of Canada, Albert Bowerman, 1905, Marion Cronk Fonds, Cdn Quaker Archives, folder 5-4-6, image 155, online http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~saylormowbray/genealogy/bowerman1904.html Hanna Platt married Yzaac Huyk, 17 Sep 1786, Albany Co, NY. Source: Holland Society of NY, Vol IV, Albany and Jamaica. Source: NYGBR, 1900, 144 and 248 are cited but do not refer to this Hannah. Their child John Platt Huycke was born in 1789 in Dutchess County so they were married there before coming to Canada. Their tenth child is named Samuel Williams Huyck suggesting a connection with Jemima Platt who married Samuel Platt. Source: Children named, online, https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=cdn%2Dkemp&id=I13846 27 Jul 1797, Sophiasburgh, petition of Isaac C. Huycke ... has purchased lands ... never received lands ... pleased to grant ... as other settlers ... [fold] recommended for 200 acres, warrant next day Took the Oath of Allegiance 29 Jul 1797 along with Jonathan Bowerman to qualify as a settler. Source: UCLP, RG 1 L3, LAC, Vol 224, 1797 224 H3/156, C-2044, online, starts at image 201 xxxx https://archive.org/details/hudsonmohawkgene02reyn/page/712 |
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4. Prudence Platt (1771-1850) m. in 1793, Philip Roblin Jr (1773-1848) See this pdf for their children and all source notes. Burleigh shows Prudence Platt as a possible daughter of John Platt. The Burleigh Fonds has two large Roblin folders and Prudence is recorded as the wife of Philip Roblin Jr, son of the Loyalist Philip Roblin Sr. An extensive account of the family starts on page 38 and beyond and the children are listed from page 45. They lived at Green Point in Sophiasburgh and operated Roblin Mills. Their son John Philip Roblin was an MPP for Prince Edward from 1838 to 1846. Source: Burleigh, Platt folder, 22 and Pioneer Life on the Bay of Quinte, page 699. Philip Roblin Sr UE is listed with other Loyalists at Kingston ready to move to Adolphustown. Source: Haldimand Papers, British Library, Disbanded Troops and Loyalists, No 4 Cataraqui [Adolphustown], 5 Oct 1784, Add Mss 21828, H1655, B-168, p. 68, on line Heritage Canadiana image 181 Maitland Platt, grandson of Caleb Platt, names one of his daughters, Prudence. |
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5. John Platt See this pdf for descendants and all source notes. Descendants of John Platt and Hannah Zufelt Birth John's eldest son was born in 1797 so if John was 21 then he was born about 1776 but probably earlier. A number of online genealogies have 1760 and since it is probale that he was born before 1776 the 1760 will be used. No citation is given. 1795 Militia Lists 1 June 1795, Isaac C. Huycke, Daniel Pettit, John Platt, Caleb Platt Source: Return of Captain Henry Youngs Company of Militia, Sophiasburgh, AO, Henry Youngs Papers, F898, MS788, 8 John Platt in Hallowell in 1798. First Class Rated (assessed for £2.6) Daniel Pettet John Platt C. Huyck Second Class Rated (assessed for £5.0) Caleb Platt Third Class Rated (assessed for £7.6) Samuel Williams Source: An assessment for Hallowell this 18th July 1798, transcription on this web site 1808 Hallowell Assessment Daniel Hicke 150 uncultivated, 50 cultivated Daniel Petet 230 uncultivated, 70 cultivated Samuel Williams, 260 uncultivated, 140 cultivated Caleb Platt, 140 uncultivated, 60 cultivated John Platt, 260 acres uncultivated, 40 cultivated Source: Assessment of the Township of Hallowell 1808, OHS, Papers and Records, V6, 1905, 168-170, on line at Bill Martin's site Percy Census John first shows on the 1817 Percy census. In 1818 he has 2 males & 1 female over 16, 2 males under and 1 female under. His oldest son Issac is 21 that year so may be on his own leaving Daniel as the other older male. Later census and assessments show John on Lot 17, Con 1 and by 1835 he has 50 acres cultivated and 150 uncultivated. Source: Newcastle District Census, Percy, AO, MS 16, r8 "Deed of Bargain and Sale, Daniel Young and Dorcas Young, his wife, to John Platt, Percy Township, of Lot 9, Concession 1, south-easterly side of West Lake, Hallowell. (June 11, 1826)" Note: The abstract index for this lot shows the grant to Daniel Young being patented in 1825. No record is registered of the sale to John Platt. Source: AO, F898, Henry Young Fonds, MS 788 Petition DUE 9 Apr 1834, Amherst District, Newcastle, petition of Hannah Platt, Percy Tp, ... is the daughter of Henry Zeufelt of Percy ... prays for 200 acres [fold] recommended, order issued 5 May 1834 Source: UCLP, RG1 L3, 1834, V 408, P18/104, C-2731A, on line starts at image 591 Could John Platt of Hallowell/Percy be John Platt UE of Montreal? Dr. H.C. Burleigh's genealogical work is highly regarded and his papers are on line at Queens University. His Platt folder has among its pages an extensive chart of the Caleb Platt - Lois Elsworth family. Most of the chart involves the Elsworth ancestral line but on the left we see a John Platt. Burleigh has used dashed lines to indicate the possibility of three of his children being Prudence Platt, Jemima Platt and Caleb Platt. None of these children petition for land as a son or daughter of a Loyalist. Is this John Platt the same man as the loyalist of that name? Given that Burleigh was the genealogist for the Kingston UEL Association and there are letters in the folder discussing descent from this John Platt, it is concluded here that Burleigh treated the John Platt named as potentially the loyalist. In a 1957 letter Burleigh instructs a person looking to prove Caleb is a son of John Platt UE to check if Caleb applied as the son of a loyalist. Clearly, Burleigh was not convinced. It is concluded that John Platt UE of Montreal is NOT the father of Prudence Platt, Jemima Platt and Caleb Platt. Source: Dr H.C. Burleighs Papers, Caleb Platt and Lois Elsworth, Platt folder, online at Queens University, p. 12, 18, 26. |
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| 6. Jemima Platt (1779-1853) m. Samuel Williams (1767-1822) See this pdf for their children and all source notes. Merton Yarwood Williams, a UBC geology professor and descendant of the above couple, wrote a number of family historical books that are described on a web page on this site. One of the books, noted on the web page, is titled The Samuel Williams - Jemima Platt Family (1967). It is a well written and a detailed account of the family. Williams writes that "The Platt family is reported as descendants of Sir Thomas Platt of London, England. His son migrated to the Maryland area and later moved to Long Island. Still later some of the Platts moved to the Lake Champlain region founding the town of Plattsburgh, NY. Lieutenant John Platt, of the Rogers Rangers ... may have been the father of Jemima Platt, born at the same place in Decemeber 1779. Caleb's great-grandson, Morden Platt, reports that the first Platt to come to Canada was a Circuit Rider (Methodist). The first ordained M.E. US minister entered Prince Edward County in 1791. Was John Platt the Circuit Rider? Jemima Platt was probably living with her father near the site of the present Disciples Church, when she married Samuel Williams." Once again, a capable researcher does not firmly declare that John Platt UE is the father of Jemima. Jemima does not petition for land as the daughter of a Loyalist. It is notable that their second child is named John Platt Williams. They had 13 children. Is Jemima a sister of Caleb Platt? Williams states that she is and her third son is named Caleb. |
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| A. Were they from Plattsburgh, NY? Plattsburgh is located at the mouth of the Saranac River about the middle of the western shore of Lake Champlain where the river flows into the Lake. The book History of Plattsburgh, NY, from its first settlement to Jan 1, 1876, Peter S. Palmer, 1877, on line at HathiTrust - states that 30 000 acres in the area were granted in 1769 to Count Charles de Fredenburgh. Little settlement occurred until after the Revolution. In 1784 Zephaniah Platt and 32 others acquired the rights to settle on this land and patents were issued and the town of Plattsburgh was incorporated in 1785. The area was quickly settled and a Nathaniel and Charles Platt were part of the first settlers. Zephaniah Platt was from Poughkeepsie and that is more likely the area from which the Upper Canada folks originated. In conclusion, it is unlikely that the Platts in the Quinte area came from Plattsburgh as they were born before 1785. |
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| B. EXTRA RECORDS to place Petition of Wilson Platt Junior of Campden Tp was a lawyer served in Dock Yards at Kingston during the late Wat [1812] ... prays 200 acres [fold] recommended, order issued 2 Oct 1834 Source: UCLP, RG1 L3, 1834, V 408, P18/161, C-2731A, on line starts at image 813 23 June 1840, Inquest of James Priestley Jurors: Isaac Platt Source: Coroners Inquests, Newcastle, 1836-38, online this web site. Quaker West Lake Register Percival Platt & Ben Platt, become members by request, 15 11 mo 1838, Adolphustown Source: West Lake Monthly Meeting Register, 1820-1882, O-9-1, 55, on line at cfha.info. William Platt, 60, single Birth Date: abt 1855 Birth Place: Percy Township Death Date: 12 May 1915 Death Place: Northumberland, Ontario, Canada Cause of Death: Articular Rheumatism Source: Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 210 | ||