The Misener Family of Ontario, Canada

Origins of the Misner family in New Jersey

The Misener family of Ontario, Canada are United Empire Loyalists who removed to Upper Canada after the American Revolution. Though their earliest origins are unclear, they appear in Sussex County, New Jersey in the early 18th century. A very active family association maintains the family records and has held a family reunion every year for nearly one hundred years. Presently, research is being done by Steven Misener of Stockholm, South Dakota on the earliest settlers of the Misener family in New Jersey and their roots in the Old World. Much of the information on the Misner family comes from the Misener Family Association and Mr. Steve Misener.

The activity and longevity of the Misner Family Association is in part due to the excellent oral history that survives in this family. To a great extent this is due to "Uncle' Adam Misener (1798-1901) whose longevity and story telling helped shape and strengthen the Misener family identity in Ontario. Uncle Adam's oral history is recorded in two publications, the 1897 publication "Wentworth Landmarks", which in a rather flowery and romantic Victorian account, a journalist's transcribes him impressions of an afternoon chat with Uncle Adam. The second source for Uncle Adam's story is an article published by the "Dundas Banner" in 1895. Both of these published accounts of Adam Misener are important, even though they are not in Adam's own words or written by his own hand. Uncle Adam was a credible informant and it seems reasonable that the stories were faithfully retold in these publications. Adam Misener is not the only Misener whose family recollections were put down on pen and paper. Dr. Ray Sells Morrish printed a booklet, "Miseners", in 1933; privately published in Flint, Michigan. Another family chronicler is Harley Misener whose work dates from 1954 and donated family material to the Wilfred Laurier University at Waterloo, Ontario. Both Ray Morrish and Harley Misener are descendants from Uncle Adam's brother Nicholas Misener. Also, as mentioned above, Steven Misener has begun researching the earliest records on the Misener and has penned his findings in a short collection of notes titled, "The Misener Family History" (1997).

Despite the rich oral history and the activity in present family research, there are still many questions about the origin of the Misener name and the pre-New World origins of this family. In Ontario, many of the descendants identified their family origins as "German"; however, many of the early Canadian census records that include information on ethnic origins indicate that the eldest generation of Miseners affiliate themselves with the "Dutch". Being able to trace their earliest ancestors to State of New Jersey and the association of a few of the Misener families in that colony with Dutch families and the Dutch Reform Church, there seems to be circumstantial evidence that strongly suggests Dutch origins.

In Steve Misener's note, "The Misener Family History" (1997) he explores some of the possible early origins of the Misner family. His work traces the Misener, Maisinger, Meusinger name within the New Jersey records. Though he has not come to a conclusive answer as to their origins or even identified the original emigrant, Steve's work has done an excellent job in sketching out the earliest inhabitants of that region as reflected in existing colonial records. Two early family appear in early Hackensack, New Jersey. Conrad Maisinger and his wife Anna Margaretha Wannemacher are recorded as early as 1710 and left record of a large family; many that were baptized in Rariton, Rembuch, as well as, Hackensack. Another settler, Sebastian Maisinger, his wife, and three of his children are recorded as having arrived from Holland in Capt. Allan's ship in 1709. This family also eventually settled in Hackensack. Steve Misener has not found the link between these two families and our ancestors; however, this work indicates that Uncle Adam's recollection of his ancestors arriving in 1720, may not be accurate and that the Misener's arrival in the New World may be several decades earlier.

My connection to the Misner family is through Uncle Adam Misener of Troy. His daughter Catherine Misener married James Buckberrough of Norfolk County, Ontario and the couple settled in the town of Springford in Oxford County.

Richard Misener of Sussex Co., New Jersey

The earliest identified ancestor of this family is Richard Misener of New Jersey. Richard is believed to be the original emigrant that came to New Jersey; however, this family story has not be documented by records contemporary with Richard. Richard's great grandson, "Uncle" Adam Misener (1798-1901) recalled that the Misener family were "Hollanders" who arrived in 1720 and settled in New Jersey. Richard and his wife Elizabeth left record in Newton, Sussex County, New Jersey in what is today Warren County. Warren County is located in the Western most part of New Jersey and is a mountainous region. The earliest settlers in the region were Dutch from Kingston, New York that came and set up copper mining in the area. Later groups came from Pennsylvania; many of these later settlers were Quakers. In the 18th century, Warren and its neighbor Sussex were remote regions sparsely populated with only around 600 people inhabiting the area by 1750. The region saw some farming and dairy farming was the principle agricultural pursuit in the region.

Richard left a will probated on the 22nd of April 1762 in Sussex County. This will is our primary source for information on Richard and his children who are named in the will. Adam Misner "yeoman" serves as administrator for the estate with Henry Misener as bondsman; both were of Hardwick township in Sussex. Richard is believed to have the following children, probably all by his wife Elizabeth: Adam; Henry; and Nicholas.

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Adam Misner of Sussex County, New Jersey

Adam Misener is said to have been born in 1710 and emigrated with his parents to the New World in 1720 [re: Wentworth Landmarks, pg. 126, interview of Adam Misener (1798-1901)]. Evidence in New Jersey neither substantiates nor disproves this bit of family lore. The presence of several Misener families in New Jersey as early as 1709 allows for Adam to have been born in the New World. It is also told that Adam died in 1814 at the age of 104, which mirrors the longevity of later generations in this family, but is suspect without strong confirming evidence. Unfortunately, records in New Jersey do not establish Adam's date of death or help to provide any information on his date of birth. He is documented as an adult by New Jersey records only from 1762 to 1808, establishing at least 46 years as an adult and making 1741 as the "latest" time he could have been born. But again, the records are not complete enough to make any clear assumption.

Adam is the first person the there is any real oral family history. His grandson, "Uncle" Adam Misener (1798-1901) recalled that Adam had five sons: Peter, Nicholas, John, Jacob, and Conrad, along with five daughters whom Uncle Adam did not name. Adam did not leave a will or probate papers to provide a full list of his children.

Adam's Bible existed up until 1954, when it was copied and included in the personal papers of Harley Misener now stored at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. The original has not been located. The following inscription is found in the Bible, "Adam Misener his book rote in the yere one 1775 God gift him grace there into look not only to Look But understand, John Stine his Hand and pen".

Many of Adam's children emigrated to Canada after the American Revolution causing speculation as to their Loyalist sympathies. Yet, there is no documentation that they received any compensation as Loyalists per se in Canada. Sussex County records between 1762 an 1808 identify Adam Misener in the region known as Hardwick Township. This area is associated with many Canadian Loyalists families such as the Pettit, Willson, and Green families that settled in the same areas in Ontario as the Miseners. The difficulty of establishing Adam's residency in the region is due to the numerous changes in counties, township named, and place names during the settlement of the area during Adam's lifetime. Records may give the impression that Adam moved from one county or township to another, but the more likely explanation is that the names changed while Adam stayed on the same parcel of land. Steve Misener places Adam's home farm about 6 miles from what was known as "Log Gaol", later Frelinghuysen Township, and today known as "Johnsonburg" in Warren County. With records referring to Paulins Kill, it is assumed that today the farm would fall somewhere about halfway between Johnsonburg and Newton, NJ. Also according to Steve Misner, the traditional Misener burial ground is now known as the "Iliffs Burial Ground" and is located southeast of Newton on a road called Maple Drive off of Sky Top Road off of Country Road 669 in Sussex County [re: Misener, Steven, "TMFH", pg. 5]. This perhaps may also be a clue to locating the Misener homestead. Today, this graveyard show only a couple of Misener stones.

Adam was appointed "Overseer of Highways" in 1774 for Hardwick Township and is described as a "Chosen Freeman" in Independence Township from 1784-6 [re: Misener, Steven from "The History of Sussex & Warren Counties" (1881)]. Adam may be the man found on the 1793 tax list for Independence township, along with John and Conrod Miziner (sic) [re: Misner, Steve, "The Misener Family History" (1997), pg. 4]. This same year, Adam Misener and George Foliot, both of Hardwick, are recorded by the Court of Quarter Session for Sussex as having appeared in court concerning "trespassing"; however, the court minutes are ambiguous about who was the plaintiff [re: ibid, pg. 4]. Later records indicate that George Foliot had land that bordered Adam Misener [re: Steven Misner, pg. 7; deed Adam Mizener to Coonrad Mizener, 06 Jan 1796] Adam and his wife Jane sold two parcels of land after the Revolution, one a lot of 169 acres on the 01st of December 1803 and another 50 acres on the 13th of January 1808 [re: ibid, pg. 4].

Nothing is known of Adam's wife Jane or her origins. Her name appears on the deed of sale for the family farm in Independence Township, Sussex County, New Jersey in 1803 to William Hellyer. The children of Adam and Jane are believed to be as follows: Peter; Jacob; John; Nicholas; and Conrad

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Nicholas & Jane (McClain) Misner

Nicholas Misener's family is one of the best documented branches of this family. His son Adam who died at age 103 is responsible for the preservation of much of the family history and consequently left detail record of his father and the family history. The account of Nicholas' brother in the Pioneer Sketches of Long Point Settlement, provides a second source of information on the family's origins. From information provided by the Misener Family Association, Nicholas' Bible must have survived or at least a transcript has survived providing the vary detailed dates for this whole family.

Nicholas and Jane McClain were married in Hardwick, Warren County, New Jersey on the 16th of April 1785. Jane was recalled as an industrious and thrifty person by her son Adam Misener. Steven Misener states that the McClain family came to New Jersey from Ireland in the late 17th century or early 18th century and he suspects they settled in Philadelphia; however, I have not seen any conclusive work identifying this family. The McClain origins in Ireland are also associated with the Battle of Boyne in 1690, in which the Catholics were conquered and their persecution by the English was at its greatest. This association with the Battle of Boyne appears to come from oral family history, that recalls that Jane's great grandmother hiding with her children in a hole under the bank of a river while the battled was in progress. It is said that the family soon emigrated out of Ireland to America. With the naming of a son "John McClain" Misener, it is assumed that Jane McClain had a male kinsman, perhaps her father, by that name. Looking at her children's names, traditional Irish naming patterns would identify her father as Peter McClain, since the second son was named after the Mother's father.

The life of Nicholas in New Jersey is not as well documented as that in Ontario. The family story states that when their fourth child was 10 months old, Nicholas packed up his family and journeyed to Upper Canada with a yoke of oxen, one cow and a mare saddled or harnessed to the cow. Jane rode the mare with the daughter Sarah on her lap. The family traveled to Oswego, NY, where some traditions have that Jane and the children traveled by boat to Ontario while Nicholas drove the stock around the lake and another story that the entire family took the boat. Either way, the story is that the boat landed on the 04th of July 1793 after six weeks of travel. Nicholas' brothers John and Jacob had come to Upper Canada three years earlier and had settled at Crowland township in what is now Welland County, Ontario. Nicholas also settle in this area. It is said that after 40 days after his arrival, Nicholas walked to Little York (now Toronto) and took the oath of allegiance, paid a fee of 4 and walked home; about the distance of 200 miles round trip. Nicholas' farm in Crowland was conveyed by a Crown Grant dated 01st of March 1797 and located as follows in what is now Lot 3 of Concession 2, "beginning within one chain the northwest angle of lot #2, 2nd Concession, thence 40 chains west, thence 50 chains south, thence east 40 chains, thence north 40 chains containing 200 acres of land." [re: Steven Misener, "Notes"].

Steven Misener quotes from the History of Crowland Township, 1867-1967 Centennial Year Book, "When Nicholas arrived at Crowland he met a friendly Indian, in the vicinity of Chippawa, who offered to lead him to good land and good water. Following Indian trails the Indian led him to a spot where two trails crossed. Here on high ground covered with huge pine trees were two flowing springs. Facing the trail that led from White Pigeon to the Chippawa River east of Port Robinson, Nicholas built his cabin. Later, Lilac bushes were planted on either side of the door. They still remain to mark the spot. This trail was the first route used through Crowland connecting Burlington and the Fort Erie area; it was much shorter than the Niagara River way. In 1823, Nicholas built a new home. It also faced southwest on this trail. It stood until 1938. On this property, Lot 4, Concession 2, one building still remains facing southwest towards this old Indian trail. Nicholas, fearful of land grabbers walked to York to have his land claim verified and received his titled. It is still intact. Here he remained the rest of his life." Another story from the same booklet records that the Battle of Cook's Mill, during the War of 1812, was near the Misener farm. The Misener farm was used as British headquarters during the engagement, which lead to the deaths of 67 Americans and 19 British. The Americans retreated back to Ft. Erie where they burned the fort and returned to Buffalo before Winter set in. This was not the only engagement near the Misener home. Adam Misener recalls that as a child he could actually hear the Battle of Lundy's Lane, in which his father and two of his brother's participated on the 23rd of July 1814. Sarah Misener lost her fiancee to the battle, though neither of her brothers or her father were wounded. Two of Nicholas' sons, Richard and Peter, fought for the British and along with their father were part of the local Militia.

Following the War of 1812, there are family stories of a trip back to New Jersey. There are several accounts of the trip, but most tell that Jane and her eldest son Richard set out from Upper Canada with one horse to collect Nicholas' legacy from his father's estate. Uncle Adam Misener tells a story of his mother returning to New Jersey on horseback accompanied by her son Nicholas on foot. Harley Misener elaborates on this story by stating, "Adam Misner (the father of Nicholas) died back in New jersey in 1814, having reached the age of 104. In 1814, peace having been restored (War of 1812) and Nicholas having received word that his father's estate had been settled, his wife Jane and her eldest son Richard, set out for New Jersey. They had but one horse, so Jane rode the horse while Richard trudge along side. On arrival, they found they were expected to bring the inheritance for the other three sons families as well as their own and since this was all in coins, it was much to[o] heavy to bring on horseback, so after a trip to Philadelphia to see the sights, they returned home. During the winter of 1817-1818, Nicholas hitched his one horse to one of those one-horse open sleighs we sing about at Christmas time and made the long journey back to New Jersey, returning with the sacks of coins. Some of these coins are still in existence, having been retained as keepsakes." Harley Misener (August 1954) For the time and for a woman, the feat to travel to New Jersey with only the protection of her teenage sons seems unlikely, especially if they were expected to carry back money. Much of this story has the sound of a myth, but there is probably a grain of truth somewhere in the story.

Nicholas purchased Lot 4 around 1818 and acquired an additional 400 acres in Beverly township in the District of Gore, now Wentworth county, on Lots 7 & 8 on Concession 2 on a site which later became Troy, Ontario. Lots 7 & 8 were purchased for $2325.00 from William Wedge and included a water power sawmill. His brother Peter Misener had earlier settled in this area of Ontario.

Nicholas and his wife are buried at the Young Cemetery, Chippewa Creek, Welland county, Ontario. The children of Nicholas and Jane (McClain) Misener are: Richard; Margaret; Peter; Sarah; Andrew; Adam; Nicholas; Conrad; Elizabeth; Mary; John McLean; William.

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Adam Misener of Troy, Ontario

Adam Misener of Troy, is the son of Nicholas & Jane (McClain) Misner. He is often referred to has "Old Uncle Adam". Most of the Misener recorded family history is attributed to having come from Adam Misener as recorded by an interview published in the book "Wentworth Landmarks", where Adam was interviewed at the age of 99 by the author. The article appears to be a rather flowery and romantic description of the author's visit with Adam Misener. Though not in his own words or in his own hand, we can assume that the article contains a relatively accurate account of his life as told to the author. The interview is transcribed as follows:

Directly alongside the school house in Troy is a little frame cottage set on stone foundation that tells one of a capacious cellar below. In the school yard the youngest of the present generation play about; from the cottage window in winter and leaning against the line fence in summer the oldest man in many a county watches them and has pleasant thoughts of his own childhood, so long gone from him. This was my find, and a most happy find it was, for though Uncle Adam Misener is so old - 99 years on Feb. 20 of this year - he is young enough in activity to pass for a much younger man, and in conversation is a most delightful companion. When the Psalmist wrote, "The days of our years are three scores years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be four score years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow, for it is soon cut off and we fly away," he certainly did not include Uncle Misener, for though he is long past the allotted span of life's years his strength, according to his own statement, is not yet labor and sorrow.
"I sawed and split all the wood we are using last summer, besides attending to the garden," said he, cheerfully. "Didn't it tire me? I wouldn't work till I got tired. I would take rests in between. But I will not be able to do so much next summer," he went on. And then he dramatically described what he called "his first stroke." It came one day last fall when he was alone in the dining room lying on the sofa. The room was warm and he had been dosing. "I got up," he said, "to open a door, but before I had taken a step I lost my breath, and with the feeling that my pulse had stopped there was a great flash in my eyes and I fell on the floor. I got over it all right, but I haven't been the same since, and have had done or two more strokes. The doctor says it would have settled me the first time if it had been a little harder. Uncle Adam was a slip of a boy when the battle of Lundy's Lane was fought, and as his father's house was but very few miles from the scene of hostilities, and he was around at the time, he heard a good deal of the row, though, like a good sensible boy, he did not get in the thick of it. He will tell you now, if you care to ask him about it, how he and his sisters were out in his father's field picking peas on the day of the battle. They had heard there was to be an engagement scon and were looking for it. It started about half an hour before sundown, and as the old man now says, with a wave of his arms, "when I tell about it I get the same feeling I had then." The first noise the youngsters heard was the bang of a 32-pounder which nearly scared them out of their wits. Then came a rattle like hail on a roof, dying away and coming thicker and faster, just as the storm might increase or subside. This was the musketry discharge, and every once in a while would roar out like a great thunder peal the big piece of ordnance.
Afterward the children went to the battle ground, saw the blood-stained earth, counted 42 bullet holes in one fence rail, gathered a great store of emptied cartridges and went home with their little hearts sorrowful and their minds full of wonderment, just the same as little Peterkin.
One day when he was a small boy Uncle Adam lost the sight of one eye. It happened in a peculiar way, too. He was playing knife with some other boys, and when he came to "eyes" the blade of the knife went too far, blotting out the sight forever. When one considers that even now at 99 years of age Uncle Adam is just beginning to use glasses, though for nearly all his life the strain of sight has been upon one eye, one cannot but wonder.
March 13, eighteen and eighteen," as he puts it himself, was the time when the old man first came to Beverly. There were at that time seven families in the place and sixty-three names on the assessment roll, and forest abounded everywhere. Like nearly everyone else in those early days, Uncle Adam had to have a mill of some kind. He had a saw mill, and with it bad luck. It had been running but a month when it burned down with all the product of the month's sawing. He tells how the fire occurred: "I went in with another young man in the mill business, and we kept it running all the time, he worked from noon till midnight and I from mid-night till noon. At night we used pin knots for torches , and one night when my partner quit work, he went right home instead of calling at my house and waking me up. When he left he threw the pine-knot embers into the creek, as he thought. A little while afterwards I woke up and my room was all of a glare. I looked out of the window just in time to see the mill roof fall in and a great sheet of flame catch the piles of lumber we had cut. The pine-knot embers got into some sawdust.
Three years after settling there Uncle Adam married Miss Mary Miller, who died five years afterward. In 1831 he married Miss Ellen Coleman, who died in April, 1895, at the good old age of ninety-five years. Ten children were the joy of Uncle Adam's wedded life, and but one of them has died as yet. The sturdiness of the Misener stock may be judged when it is said that of twelve brothers and sisters, of which Adam is one, all but two have lived to be over eighty years old. One of these two died young of scarlet fever and the other at seventy-nine years. A sister - Elizabeth - died a month ago, having reached ninety-three years, and now Uncle Adam the only one left of his father's family. but he has perpetuated his family's name, for last November there were in the little cottage at dinner no less than five generations represented. Mrs. Clement, 271 Mary street, is a daughter of Uncle Adam.
I cannot begin to tell you all the interesting talk I had with the old man as we sat by his kitchen fire that morning. he told me, and I can readily believe it from the steadiness of his hand, that he shaves himself yet. I learned that all his long life he has been a staunch Reformer in politics, and but twice since 1818 has missed recording his vote for Reform candidates. He admitted that he would like very much to live till he had passed the 100 year mark, though he sometimes thinks that one of those strokes will carry him off before that time comes. I gave him a paper to read, and as he sat by the fire the artist, back from his ruined walls and his search for Helen, sketched him as he sat, he not knowing a thing about it, so interested was he in reading about the developments of the Cretan trouble. Goodly, kindly old Uncle Adam; may he live pass the century mark."
J.E.W. [re: Wentworth Landmarks, Chpt. XXIII, pg 124-8]

Adam Misener married twice and had ten children. His first wife is Mary Miller and his second wife is Helena Coleman. Very little information has been gathered on the families of his wives. Adam is buried in the Troy Cemetery. His children by Mary Miller are: Lydia Ann; Conrad; Jane; and Catherine. The children by Helena Coleman are: Nicholas; Elisha; John Colman; Henry Moe; Eliza; Amelia; Kate Hood.

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� 1998