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Upper Canada Land Petitions

pertaining to Jacob VV, his wife Chloe HODGES DUE, and their son David VV

Jacob VV was born 1745 in the United States and married Chloe Hodges. daughter of Loyalist Timothy Hodges.  Timothy claimed losses due to property and livestock lost in the Hoosick, NY District, and took his Loyalist grant in Augusta Twp. (a "big house" at Con. 3 Lot 5). Jacob VV was of age to have participated in a Loyalist regiment, indeed a land petition made by his son David mentioned him having been a Loyalist, yet if Jacob had been with the Loyal Rangers he would have immediately been settled alongside them in Augusta Twp. near Brockville. Instead, he and Chloe remained in New York State well past the end of the Revolution and their first children were born there in the upper Hudson River area. Only last-born son Phylander was born in Canada in 1803.

It appears that while still living in Hoosick, NY state, Jacob applied to settle land in 1790, and received approval for a patent, but at that time, keeping his options open, his grant remained "un-allocated". (By the way, John VV-m. Patterson also resided in Hoosick while making petition for land in Lower Canada - perhaps there's a connection). In 1800, Chloe Hodges applied for her land grant as a daughter of an United Empire Loyalist and this claim was taken in Augusta. 

When Jacob VV's oldest son David was about 17 and possibly living in Murray Township, Northumberland Co., Jacob apparently chose his UE land grant to be issued in David's name, a lot nearby David in Haldimand Twp., Northumberland Co. The patent was entered into the Land Surveyor's book but somehow not confirmed by an Order in Council. One wonders if David even knew his father had made this grant for him at the time. This set off quite a mess in later years as Jacob died intestate in 1828. To add to the trouble, David had been unable to perform settlement duties on this land grant and by 1843 it was declared forfeited. Land petitions describe first David's attempt to prove he was the rightful heir, and then further to explain the reason for not having improved the land - due to significant war injuries received during his War of 1812 service. As a Private with the Glengarry Light Infantry, David was "wounded in the Ankle Joint on the 25 July 1814 at the Battle of Londies Lane by a Musket ball lodged in the Ankle Joint and remaining there for 32 Years and 1 month causing your Petitioner much pain and from said last wound has been a Cripple ever since." The Medical Board in 1836 declared David "incapable of earning his livlihood by labour in consequence of a gunshot wound of the right foot". He likely sold out of the small military land grant he received in the Rideau Lakes; it too required physical fitness to carve out of the wilderness. I suspect that this David is David the Shoemaker of Brighton, Northumberland m. to Cynthia of Brockville, Augusta who apparently had no children. David struggled along, finally "compelled" to amputate the foot in 1846. Did he ever receive the land? Niagara forces Capt. James Fitzgibbon's intervention finally gained David the option to purchase his lot at a favourable rate, but it is unknown whether he did so.

Land Petitions related to this family:

(more about David's Glengarry Regt. history and his medical review 1836
 

Linked toHodges, Chloe; VanValkenburgh, David Mahany; VanValkenburgh, Jacob

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