William C. Connell

William Cornell immigrated to Canada from Rhode Island and is a distant relative of Ezra Cornell, founder of Cornell University.

He was the second settler in Scarboro, Canada, and remarkable for his energy and upright character. He was a member of the Society of Friends, and a staunch supporter of the government. His sons fought in the Canada Militia in 1812. He built the first sawmill in the township.

Notes for William Cornell: William Cornell One of Scarborough's earliest European era pioneers, William Cornell, squatted at Lot 18 Concession C (south end) Scarborough (near the foot of Markham Road at the Scarborough Bluffs, bounded by Lake Ontario on the south, pre-historic Lake Iroquois shoreline on the north, lot 17 on the east and the allowance for Markham Road on the west) in about 1800. Here he planted Scarborough's first orchard in about 1802. In 1801, in cooperation with others, he cut the original alignment of Kingston Road along this portion of the lakefront below the Lake Iroquois shoreline. He purchased the property in about 1809. Bricks were made on Cornell's farm at an early period. (In about 1820 William Cornell set up a potash works near Bellamy Road and Kingston Road.) The 130 acre south portion of the Cornell holding was tenanted by Robert McCowan ca 1845-1855. One of the earliest industries in Scarborough was William Cornell's "potash works" (near Bellamy Road and Kingston Road) where the ashes of the huge white pines were processed into soap - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This information was originally published by: ONTARIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY Papers and Records Volume 1, Published in Toronto in 1899 Pages 132-138. THE CAMERON ROLLS, 1812. The MS. from which the following extracts are taken was sold to the Ontario Historical Society by a Mr. H. King who could give no information respecting how it came into his possession, beyond the statement that he "bought it from another man," whose name he did not know, some three or four years ago. There can, however, be no doubt as to its genuineness. It is written on loose sheets of small letter paper bearing the watermark 1809, and is mainly in two hands, some changes, corrections, and additions having been made by others. There is scarcely anything in the sheets themselves to guide one as to their chronological arrangement, but the "Rolls" of CapT. Cameron's company have been placed in their present order on account of the fact that in the first one, George Smallman (No.12) appears as a private, whereas in the second, he is entered as a sergeant, the presumption being that he was promoted. D.B.

ROLL OF CAPT. CAMERON'S COMPANY OF YE 3RD REG'T OF YORK MILITIA, VIZ. 1. Duncan Cameron, Captain 2. Arch'd McLean, Lieutenant 1. Wm. Jarvie, Lieutenant 3. Geo. Ridout, Ditto 1. Robert Moor, Serjeant-Major Staff 1. Edward McBride, Quartermaster Serjeant Seargeants 1. Thomas Bright, Serjeant 3. John Thompson, Serjeant 2. George Smallman Ditto 4. George How, Ditto 1. Henry Ernest*Drummer 1. William Shaw, Private X 22. Simeon Devins Private Dead John Lyons substitute 23. James Finch " X 2. Michel Doyle Private, Dead Jacob Miller substitute 3. William Myers Ditto 24. Osborn Cox Private X Dead 4. Henry Hale Ditto Dead** 25. Jeremiah Whipple Private deserted 5. Jonathan Cawthra Ditto 26. Hazen K. Cross deserted 6. John Cawthra Ditto 7. Alexander Legg Ditto X 27. John Cuveyon(?) **** " Philip Philips substitute armourer 8. Ely Ludden Private X 28. Isaac Pilkington Private X 9. Robert Bright " 29. Johnson Yeomans " 10.William Harley " 30. Henry Johnson " 11.Thomas Humberstone " 31. William Laurence " 12.Thomas Simpson " 32. Andrew Thompson " X 13.Matthias Tewilliger " 33. Luther Rawlins " 14.John Boss " 34. Edward Thompson " 15.Henry Webster " 34. Joseph Secord " 16.Simcoe Wright " deserted 17.Isaac White " 36. Peter Stoner deserted 18.Charles Davidson " 37. William Cornell " * * * * * * * * * 19.Richard Graham " 38. Richard Thompson Private 20.John Quick " 39. John Kennedy Private dismissed, being over age*** 40. Andrew Kennedy " 20.Samuel Lewis Private 41. William Knowls H Stiver, 21.Francis Lee " substitute.

PRIVATES OF CAPT. CAMERON'S COMP'Y TO WHOM LEAVE OF ABSENCE HAS BEEN GRANTED, VIZ. NAMES WHEN UNTIL RETURNED. GRANTED WHEN 1812 1812 1812 Francis Lee 15 July 19th July 18th July Andrew Thompson do do 18th July William Cornell do do 18th July * * * * * * * * * Luther Rawlins do do 18th July Thomas Simpson 16th July do 19th July Matthew Tewilliger 17th do 25th July 25th July Wm. Jones 17th do 25th do 24th July Wm. Laurence 17th do 25th do 25th July Johnson Nuomans*17th do 25th do 25th July Andrew Kennedy 19th do 25th do 25th July Eb. Ransome 19th do 25th do Joseph Crawford 19th do 25th do 25th July Henry Powell 19th do 25th do Samuel Lewis 19th do 21st do 21st July Simon Devins 22nd do 25th do 25th July Charles Dennison25th do 26th do 26th July John Kennedy 9th August 15th August 21st August Andrew Kennedy do do do do Edward Lawrence do do 28th August Matthew Teowillegar do do 18 August 1812 Joseph Crawford do do 15th August Peter Stoner 18th August 19th August 19th August Mathias Twilliger 24th August 30th August Saml Lewis 26th do 31 August 31 Augt Joseph Crawford 29th Augt. 5 Sept'r retd 5 Sept'r Richard Graham 30 do do Peter Stoner do do retd 31 Augt. John Kennedy do 3rd Sept retd 3d Sept'r

• Probably the same name, the name that appears on Roll No.1 as " Yeomans."

LIST OF DESERTERS FROM YORK GARRISON, 30TH JULY, 1812.

1 Henry Powell 6 Hazen K. Cross 2 Thomas Major. 7 Andrew Thomson 3 Ebenezer Ransom 8 William Cornell * * * * * 4 Jeremiah Whipple 9 Joseph Secord 5 Henry Johnson. 10 Phillip Phillips

ROLL OF CAPT. CAMERON 5 COMPANY IN YORK GARRISON 29TH AUGUST, 1812.-does not show William Cornell's name, leading one to believe that when he deserted on July 30th, 1812, he did not return to the garrison.

More About William Cornell: Date born 2: Oct 29, 1766

More About William Cornell and Rhoda Skinner: Marriage: Abt. 1809

Children of William Cornell and Content Davis are: +Isaac Cornell, b. Aug 18, 1789, d. 1860. +George Cornell, b. Jun 05, 1791, d. date unknown. William Cornell, b. Jul 03, 1792, d. Apr 24, 1819. Anna Cornell, b. Jan 29, 1794, d. date unknown. Silvey Cornell, b. May 15, 1795, d. date unknown. Hannah Cornell, b. May 18, 1797, d. Jun 01, 1827. +Elizabeth Cornell, b. Feb 14, 1799, d. May 12, 1832. Mary Cornell, b. Apr 24, 1801, d. date unknown. Gideon Cornell, b. Apr 18, 1803, d. date unknown. Millicent Cornell, b. Feb 08, 1805, d. date unknown. John Cornell, b. Mar 09, 1807, d. date unknown. Cornell, b. Dec 1808, d. Dec 1808.

Children of William Cornell and Rhoda Skinner are: Edward Cornell, b. Jun 03, 1810, d. Jun 11, 1850. Susannah Cornell, b. Mar 01, 1812, d. Jan 04, 1896. Harriet Cornell, b. Jun 08, 1814, d. date unknown. Charles Cornell, b. Oct 10, 1816, d. date unknown. Charlotte Cornell, b. Jul 14, 1819, d. date unknown. Frances Cornell, b. Jan 08, 1821, d. date unknown.