Suggest This Page To A Friend!
Submitted by Carolyn Brooks -
This is a series of Letters written investigating the family/loyalist history of the Haszard family in the late 20s and early 30s.
Mr. Horace H. Van Wart,
Dear Sir:-
Your letter reached me today and I will be pleased to give you all the information about my Grandfather James Douglas Bagnall and my Grandmother Matilda Ann Gardiner, I know. My Grandfather died quite a few years before I was born. I can, though, remember my Grandmother, who died in my father�s home. They are both buried in the Baptist Cemetery in Central Bedeque and I am very sorry to say that no tombstone marks their grave. The Prince Edward Island famers at that time were very poor, all they possibly could do was get the bare necessities of life.
I think I can tell you the names of my Grandfather�s family and who they married. Of course they are all dead now. The eldest of the family was (a) Sophia who married a printer and I think followed my grandfather as King�s printer. His name was Lagrin. Do not know his first name. They had one son,
(a) Samuel James (who was my father). He married Helen Shuman, having twelve children, of whom I am the youngest.
(b) Caroline married John Baker; they also raised a large family.
(c) Anna married Edward Needham, and lived in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
(d) Emma married Nicholas Jenkins and lived in Georgetown, P.E.I.
(e) Douglas went to California, San Diego, Santa Cruz Co., and
(f) George who also located in California, did not marry and died young.
I would not know who I could refer you to that would know more, as my older brothers and sisters are dead. Only four of my father�s family are living, all living in the United States but myself. The other branches of the family I do not know much about, and I would refer you to Dr. John S. Bagnall, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Philip Bagnall, Hunter River, Prince Edward Island, Margaret Bagnall, 2 Tweed Street, Herne Bay, Auckland , New Zealand. They are the three eldest members of the family living. Margaret Bagnall I think could give you a lot of information. On her visits to Canada was always making a study of it.
As near as I can remember, my Grandmother died May 12, 1878.
I was a boy then of twelve years.
Will be pleased to give you any information I may obtain at any time.
Yours very truly,
(signed) Rufus G. Bagnall
Central Bedeque
Prince Edward Island
April 8, �30.
P.S.- We are the Bedeque, the other brothers settled in
New Glasgow and Hazel Grove, P.E.I.
Copy of Letter of Judge F. L. Hazzard, dated Dec 27, 1927, to Mrs. John McLean, Souris, P. E. I.:
Judges Chambers
Charlottetown, P.E.I.
27, Dec. 1927
Dear Mrs. McLean:
I duly received your letter of 21st instant enclosing a letter from Arthur E. King to Senator McLean intimating the desire of the latterto get some information with regard to the Loyalists, etc.
I have given the matter of Mr. King�s request some consideration and have looked up the Haszard Book to which you referred in you letter but did not succeed in getting much information. The only thing I found there was that:- "Eunice Haszard" daughter of Thomas Haszard (5th generation) and my Great, Grandfather married John Gardiner, who was the father of John Rhodes Gardiner (the father of Charles C. Gardiner). These facts are recorded in the book. Thos. Haszard (5th Gen.) above mentioned was a Loyalist and when he came to this country left his property behind him and sacrificed everything for his Loyalty to the King. I cannot say, however, that I, as one of his descendants, can express my approval of his act. Now this appears to be the line thro� which Mr. King proposes to trace his right or eligibility for membership in the United Empire Loyalist Association of Toronto. This is as far as I can go. I remember Edward Needham very well, but do not know who his wife was? You would likely know that and it is possible he could trace it thro� her.
I herewith return Mr. King�s letter.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) F. L. Haszard.
C O P Y
Dominion of Canada
)
In the Matter of the descent of Arthur
Province of Prince Edward
)
Edward King, now of the City of Toronto,
Island
)
in the County of York, Assistant Manager.
To Wit
)
I Francis Longworth Haszard, of the City of Charlottetown, In the Province of Prince Edward Island, one of his Majesty�s Justices of the Province of Prince Edward Island,
DO SOLEMNLY DECLARE
1. That there is in my possession a book known as the "Haszard Family of Rhode Island" in which for many years there has been entered by my predecessors in the family a record of the line of descent of those who are descendents of Thomas Haszard, who according to the records of this book and to the other enquiries which I have from time to time made, came to the Province of Prince Edward Island after the American Revolution, and who according to the information which I have from time to time acquired was a loyalist and left behind him in the United States of America such property as he possessed, desiring to remain a British subject. The said above named Thomas Haszard was my great grandfather.
2. That from the entries appearing in the Haszard book and from the other enquiries respecting the family which I have made I have learned that Thomas Haszard had one daughter, Eunice Haszard, who married one John Gardiner.
3. That amongst the children of the said Eunice Haszard and John Gardiner was a daughter, Anna Matilda Gardiner born, According to the records aforesaid, on the 29th day of May, 1791and who subsequently married one James Bagnall, Printer, and who may have been, and I think was, afterwards King�s Printer.
Another child of Eunice Haszard and John Gardner was one John Rhodes Gardiner.
4. The author of the above mentioned Book was Caroline E. Robinson, of Rhode Island. She was a descendant of the Haszard family. In the book it is mentioned regarding the said Thomas Haszard, that his son William, stated before the Loyalist Commission in 1833, "that his father had an estate of �20.000 confiscated in the United States", that he was obliged to leave his family and flee to the British possession, also that as far as could be ascertained, he never profited by any grants of land in Prince Edward Island made to him as a Loyalist".
And I Make this soleum declaration conscientiously believing it to be true and knowing that it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath and by virtue of the CANADA EVIDENCE ACT.
DECLARED before me at the City
)
of Charlottetown in the Province
)
of Prince Edward Island, this
)
"F. L. Haszard"
25th day of May A.D. 1928.
)
"LEITH E. BRECKEN"
;C O P Y
57 Wright St., Saint John, N. B.
May 17th, 1928.
Mr. A. E. King,
42 Playter Boulevard,
Toronto, Ont.
Dear Mr. King:
I am attaching an extract re the Hazard family, as sent me by Dr. McIntosh, Curator Natural History Society. Dr. McIntosh is also endeavoring to get some further information on this subject., which I will forward to you as soon as I receive it. Trusting things are going well with you and with kindest personal regards.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) W. H. Donovan.
WHD/CGB
ENCL.
Extract re the Hazard Family taken from "Biographical Sketches of the Loyalists of the American Revolution" by Lorenzo Sabine.
___________
Hazard, Thomas, of Rhode Island. A merchant of wealth. He abandoned home, fled to the British, and in 1782 was in New York. His wife Eunice with seven young children, were in great distress; and, on petition for relief, the General Assembly directed that the rents of a part of his property should be paid to her. His estate was confiscated; but, had he not "indignantly refused to make a satisfactory submission,"
It might have been restored. He went to England in 1785; and the British Government, in consideration of his loyalty and sacrifices, granted his five thousand acres of land in New Brunswick. He died aged, at St. John, New Brunswick, in 1804.
The name of Thomas was so common in the Hazard family, that each one who bore it had a particular appellation, of necessity; and Updike has a pleasant story on the subject. Thus, -- College Tom was a student. Bedford Tom lived in new Bedford; Barley Tom boasted of the barley he raised on an acre; Virginia Tom married in Virginia; Little Neck Tom lived on a neck so called; Nailer Tom was a blacksmith and made excellent nails; Rock Tom occupied the Rocky farm; Fiddle-head Tom had a head which resembled a Dutch fiddle reversed; Pistol Tom, was wounded by the explosion of a pistol; Derrick Tom, used the word Derrick as a by-word, &c, &c. The subject of the above notice was Virginia Tom, Thirty-two "Tom Hazard�s" were living at one time.
_________________
Extract from Appendix same book as above;
Hazard, Stephen. Of Rhode Island. At the peace he went from New York To Shelburne, Nova Scotia, where the Crown granted his one farm, one Town and one water lot. He was twenty one years of age, and unmarried
__________________
(Copy ) A. G. King.