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Nothing is known about Obadiah Taylor from the time he was born somewhere on Long Island, NY, circa 1770, until he emigrated to Barton Township, Upper Canada in 17971. Was he a 20-year-old in Rensselaer, NY, when the US 1770 Census recorded an Obadiah Taylor there? Or was he the other one, in Stephenson, NY? Both Rensselaer and Stephenson are near Albany in upstate New York. Or was he living with his parents in Long Island and only recorded on the census as "one male over 16 years of age"? If anyone knows the answer, please contact us!
We do know that Obadiah met Anna Margaret Hess and married her in 17982. In 1804, he applied for and was granted 200 acres of land in Barton Township3, and Lot 26, Conc 8 in Whitchurch (north of Toronto)4. In 1817, he bought 100 acres at Lot 6, Conc 6 in Barton5.
By the time the War of 1812 with the Americans was over in 1815, Obadiah was doing quite well. He was married, owned land, and was the father of a young teen (Thomas, 15) and seven children under the age of 12: Michael, Joseph, Charity, John, another female, Henry, and baby Gilbert. We know from the Barton Assessment of 1816 that he owned 200 acres in the Home District, 155 acres in Niagara District and 45 acres of arable pasture in Niagara: he had 2 horn cattle, 4 milch cows and 2 oxen
Two more assessments, in 1818 and 1819, showed that Obadiah was steadily prospering. But it was not until 1826 that the assessments started to include information about humans! No names were given, but we do know that his household contained 4 males and 2 females above 16 years of age, and 3 males and 1 female under 16 years of age. That information corresponds to any American born child living on his or her own, and Thomas, now age 26, living with his new wife, Elizabeth.
In the 1842 assessment, Obadiah and Margaret were living together in their home on Lot 7, Conc 6. All their children were over age 22 and living away from home. In the 1851 Census, they were both living with Michael and his family. Five years later, Obadiah died and was buried in Burkholder Cemetery.
Sources:
1. Upper Canada Land Petitions, R61L3 T7/3, Vol. 496, Reel C-2833
2. McKenzie, Donald A. (1988). Obituaries from Ontario’s Christian Guardian: 1861-1870. Lambertville, NJ: Hunterdon House, p. 138
3. Land Council Minute Books, Land Book F: pp. 65-66
4. Upper Canada Land Records, RG Series: 01C13, Ref: 018, Vol 01, Pg 2.
5. Archives of Ontario, GS-1408