John McKenzie

ID # 4654, (1778-1842)
BirthJohn McKenzie was born in 1778 at Scotland. 
MarriageHe married Ellen Nichol
DeathHe died on 18 October 1842. 
BurialHe was buried at Section 3, Mountview Cemetery, Galt. 
NoteHe The first information found for John and Ellen(or Helen) McKenzie in and about the area of what was then Shades Mills (and later the town of Galt, and still later the city of Cambridge) is to be found in the list of communicants of First Church. This is to be found on microfilm LCM-30 at the archives of the United Church of Canada and also on microfilm GS2987 at the Archives of Ontario. The second page, which is dated July 8th, 1824, shows a John McKenzie as number 40. It also shows a John McKenzie as number 44. Number 46 is shown as Helen McKenzie Sr. and nbr. 47 shows Helen McKenzie Jr. Who is who so far as the two John McKenzies are concerned is ambiguous, not to mention that we are left not knowing which one is the husband of Helen. That Helen (Sr.) is the former Ellen Nichol seems reasonable to believe. That she had a daughter Helen Jr. is obvious, but a record for her in later census years or marriages is not apparent. A record of First Church marriages did not begin until 1834.

Mountview Cemetery did not exist when John died. He was almost certainly buried originally at the First Church Presbyterian Cemetery at High Park and then later moved to Mountview with the 'dig' in the 1880s. His wife was likely also originally buried at High Park. Birth and death information for John and Ellen are taken from a transcription of their gravestone in Mountview Cemetery.

Some considerations to do with McKenzie settlement in Dumfries and Beverly:

One document presents the researcher with a bit of a challange. For this, see Library & Archives microfilm C-4547 Vol 29, 1816, pages 13170-13172, Upper Canada Sundries, Civil Secretary's Correspondence. LAC indexes this under the name of Robert Carrick, eventually a settler in Dumfries Township.

This is a petition for land in Upper Canada from residents of Caledonia, New York. The signatories represent themselves as being immigrants from Scotland and wishing to move to British ruled territory. The petition consists of two pages, the second page having a number of signatures, and a third image which is simply the cover page. The cover page seems to indicate that no action was taken, but since William Dickson was a member of the legislative council the petition was probably the inspiration for his despatching of Absalom Shade to Caledonia to encourage settlement in his newly established Dumfries Township.

At least some of the signatories on the petition certainly took advantage of Dickson's invitation. The Alexander Harvies, senior and junior, signed the petition, as well as Robert Carrick who was Alex Harvie senior's son-in-law. John Buchanan's signature appears. Of the 24 signatures, three are McKenzies: William, Donald, and John McKenzie Jr.

A closer examination of the Dickson Papers (microfilm MS5 series) will probably tell something of the story not to mention abstract index pages for Dumfries.

The one difficulty here that we have equating signatory John McKenzie Jr. with the same person that appears in this tree is that he will have been a child when the petition was made in 1816. (Were there three generations of John McKenzie that came to Dumfries Township?)

Add to that, Donald and presumed brother Simon McKenzie are not in Dumfries as of at least 1851, but in the Gore of Beverly. This is immediately next door to Dumfries Township and Simon's postal address is shown as Branchton, which is in North Dumfries.

At the time the microfilm of the Dickson Papers was searched, the McKenzies were not being sought. Some notes were made and William McKenzie was found taking up 200 acres on lot 7 of the 10th concession in Dumfries in 1825 and apparently a half lot on the7th concession in 1822. John took a half of lot 4 in the 10th concession of Dumfries in 1826. Given that John McKenzie Jr. was apparently still a minor at this time, this is, probably, John McKenzie Sr.

A page from the Dickson Papers has been found. This is page nbr. 194, from Ledger C3, and appears on Archives of Ontario microfilm MS5 reel 3. This is a faded page and is difficult to read. The initial entry appears to be dated September 1st, 1828. The last digit is questionable and is almost certainly a 6 - 1826. This seems reasonable as the next entry is dated 1827. The entries run through 1829. The page is too faded to make much of. It does record a transaction for 100 acres (a half lot) on lot 6 of the 10th Concession. This was a concession of old Dumfries Township and is to the account of John McKenzie. (When the county system came along in 1850 and the township was divided - the south part to Brant County and the north part to Waterloo County - the division line was the 7th concession. John McKenzie and family were firmly located in North Dumfries Township. This agrees with the 1832 assessment for 'East' Dumfries (that is to say the portion of Dumfries Township east of the Grand River) which also shows the family on lot 6 of concession 10.

Familysearch makes available abstract index pages for North Dumfries. The page for lot 6 of the 10th concession has entries in it that are ordered according to the dates of registration and not as to dates of the original transaction. This shows John McKenzie purchasing the south half of lot 6 of the 10th concession from the Hon. William Dickson on 29 Decr., 1829, but this was not registered until 2nd July, 1849. Since John McKenzie Sr. was already dead (as of 1842), this delayed registration was one done by the family who no doubt had some sort of documentation to hand. Registration was the onus of the purchaser. 20 years seems an inordinately long period of time to get this done, but is hardly unheard of.

In 1851 there were some transactions on the same lot, but evidently in the north portion and this included William McKenzie (who we must believe to be John McKenzie Jr's brother). Transactions which bear a marginal note to the effect that they relate to the will of John McKenzie (Sr) begin in 1861. Here, Helen McKenzie, who we must believe to be John McKenzie Sr's widow, shows a 'release dower' to John McKenzie (Jr). There is also a release to John from a James McKenzie. And, finally, still in 1861, which seems to end the McKenzies title to the property, is the sale by John McKenzie of the south half of the township lot to Angus McBean (surname pronounced McBane).

Andrew Taylor, in his book Our Todays and Yesterdays, 1967, includes as an inset a copy of the 1861 Tremaine map of North Dumfries. This is, eminently, the most readable copy found, and it shows the property as being close to the town of Galt. As of the time of the Tremaine map the property is still shown as being that of John McKenzie, but was certainly later the McBean property. Moffatt Creek courses through the north corner of the property and on the south side of the creek, back in a wood, thrusting up over the trees was what was left of the abandoned McBean mansion (so called). Your researcher was a kid and was admonished by family members to stay away from the McBean house. (It was believed that the current McBean owners of the property lived in California). And stay away we did. It occasionaly appeared in the pages of the Galt Reporter, however, that the house was the subject of much vandalism. (Your researcher wishes now that he'd at least got a closer look at the place.)

The McBean house/mansion (however it might fairly have been described) is now long gone and a subdivision of modern homes covers the area. 

Children of John McKenzie and Ellen Nichol

Last Edited27 Mar 2021