For a long time, I have tried to sort out the migration of the Masten clan to Canada after the Revolutionary War.
Lynda Anne Mastin Payne, lplamp@juno.com, http://www.geocities.com/kanadianmastin wrote:
"After the war between the United States and England upon the United States winning their freedom from England our clan moved to Canada and we were known as "Empire Loyalists".
I have found a record of John Mastin under the "Quinte Loyalists" which were also known as the "Empire Loyalists" (see the information put out by the Ontario Historical Society Volume 27 pages 5-14 please note John Mastin's name shows up on the last page in the last paragraph) as having served and moved to Canada as refugee's from the war. He was given land in Sydney Township. I believe that he had lot 4, in concession 1 or 2. I also find that there were three other Mastins that settled in the Hallowell township area (near Belleville, Ontario) year 1808 that shows Aaron Mastin Cornelius Mastin and Peter Mastin. My father tells me he remembers his mother Pearl Way Mastin) speaking of one of the Mastin families as having been very wealthy (wealth was determined by the amount of land a person owned).
Aaron had 25 acres of land 15 cultivated
Cornelius Mastin had 25 acres of which 25 were cultivated
Peter Mastin had 101 acres of which 30 was cultivated".
- Arnold Mastin m. Pearl Way
- Victor Blaine Way Mastin married Florence Annie Sheckleton
- Lynne Ann Mastin married one of the Payne brothers from Huntsville, Ontario (her sister Gaye Pearl married the other.
As mentioned by Lynda, the Assessment of the Township of Hallowell for the year 1808 lists the following landholders (of relevance) and the number of acres of land
- Ichabob Bowerman (150)
- Arthur Elsworth (650)
- Cornelius Mastin (50)
- Israel Bowerman (100)
- Aaron Mastin (40)
- Peter Mastin (131)
On Dec 18, 2001, Bill Goldstein wrote that:"John had a son named Cornelis who had a son named Aard, but no record of his having a son named Petrus. But there is a good chance this is where your Abraham came from. Aard was a rabid Loyalist, whose family went to Canada after the Rev. War."
On 20 Jun 2006, Bernadette Mastin Loss wrote that she is searching for "Cornelius Mastin and his family who acquired land in Tyendinaga circa late 1840's. I think Aaron and Peter and Cornelius were possibly brothers. They were in Hallowell ca. 1808".
So who were the Empire Loyalists in the Masten line?
Among the Mastens who were clearly Loyalists was Cornelius Masten. While we do not know for certain which Cornelius Masten was taken as a prisoner on 26 April 1777 by Captain Joseph Reynolds, it is most likely one associated with the Vieles as both Barent and Ezekiel Viele were also apprehended. Thomas Brundage not only turned in the three listed above, but also Matthew Palmer, his brother in law. The Vieles had been tenants on his farm.
The towns of Fishkill and Beekman were hotbeds of Tory activity during the American Revolution. The Mastin family had settled in the Sprout Creek area. Also living in the area were Barent Viele, William Harris and Myndert Viele. Most of the men in the area refused to sign the Association and many were sent to prison or fled to Canada or other British territory. Barent Viele, married to Elizabeth Masten, refused to sign the Association and was fined 1250 pounds. He was later fined 46 pounds for having a son who was fighting for the British (The Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Vol. 1).
Barent Masten, son of Cornelis Masten and Arrientje Elswart (Ellsworth) married Margriet Burnet. Barent was also a Loyalist. who was living in Beekman in 1780 and 1800, not far from Elizabeth's father and brothers. John Masten, brother of Barent and resident of Oswego, was also a Loyalist (The Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Vol. 1). .
It appears that the Twillingers, Bowermans and the Myndert Masten line were among the first to emigrate to Canada. The earliest record of emigration is 1787 (based upon the death of Annetje Weller). But who exactly were Aaron, Peter, and Cornelius?
Let's start with the Terwilliger line, who we know emigrated to Canada.
Evert Terwilliger (1686-1767) had two children Benjamin and Joseph, both were born in Kingston, Ulster County, NY. Benjamin's son Evert married Sarah Masten. Sarah Masten (1756-1840) was the daughter of Johannes Masten (1735-1815) and Madleen Swart (our line). They had four children, Evert, Benjamin, Isaack, and Jan. All remained in New York.
Joseph Terwilliger (1743-1800) married Annetje Weller. In 1776-1777, Joseph served in Hardenburgh's Company of State Troops as a Sergeant. They were still living in Ulster County in 1784, when their daughter Anne was born. Joseph is buried in Locust Lawn Burial Ground, Gardiner, Ulster County, NY.
Annatje (Anne) Terwillinger (1784-1868) married Israel Bowerman. The Bowerman's were in sympathy with the Loyalists but did not take part in the Revolutionary War as they were Quakers. The emigrated to Canada and eventually settled in Nottawasaga, Simcoe County, Ontario on March 9th, 1833. Annetje Weller, Annatje's mother also emigrated with her daughter and son-in-law. She died in 1787 in Hallowell Township, Ontario. Israel's mother, Jane, also emigrated to Hallowell Township where she died in 1797. Both mothers were widows.
Anne Bowerman (daughter of Annatje and Israel) married Peter Minard Mastin (b. 1796 in NY). They had 13 children: Israel, Nancy, Joseph, Anne, Lewis, Phoebe, Herbert, Harriet, James, Melissa, Euphemia, Elizabeth, and Duell. The family lived in the area around Picton, Dunedin (or Masten's Corner or Lavender). Joseph Mastin moved to Gore Bay had had 15 children with two wives.
In the 1861 Census (Nottawasaga, Simcoe, Canada West) Peter Minard is listed as age 62, farmer, and free thinker (of England). He is residing there with Anne (age 56) and children: Louis, Phoebe, Jonathan, and Harriett. all are Quakers, which is consistent with the Bowerman family. Peter (age 73) and Anne (age 66) are also listed in the 1871 Census ((Nottawasaga, Simcoe, Ontario), with son Jonathan (age 28).
Israel Bowerman's brothers, Joseph, Judah, and Benjamin also emigrated to Canada, where they settled in the vicinity of Bloomfield in Hallowell Township, Prince Edward County. They later resettled in the area around Dunedin around 1834, which was often referred to as the "Yankee Settlement" as a result of the "Down-east Yankee" dialect of the settlers.
All of Peter's siblings either immigrated to Canada or were born in Canada after Myndert and Nancy Morgan immigrated. Peter was the son of Myndert Masten (1768-1801). Myndert was born in Poughkeepsie of Aart Masten and Rebecca Viele. Myndert died in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Both Aart and Rebecca died in Poughkeepsie, NY. Myndert and his wife Nancy emigrated to Ontario, Canada around 1797, where their daughter Harriett was born. Rebecca Masten and Ichabod Bowerman also immigrated to Hillier, Prince Edward County. John Masten, however, emigrated to St. John, New Brunswick.
According to the 1790 US Federal Census, there were 8 household members in Aart's home in Clinton, Dutchess County, NY. 1 male 16+ (Aart), 2 males <16, 5 females (likely wife plus 4 daughters).
This Peter Mastin requested land in Hinchinbrooke, Lower Canada (Quebec) after having served for about three and a half years during the American War in the force commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Beverley Robinson in Captain Fowler's Company.
There is also a Peter Mastin who requested land in Haldimand (south of Hamilton, Ontario) in 1797.
In the 1851 census in Canada, Peter Mastin is listed as infirmed, 79 years old, born in NY State and Methodist. He is living with his son Abram (age 30) and daughter-in-law Abigail (age 27) and their children. Anne is not listed on the census. But this is not Peter Minard as the ages to not match and Anne is missing. It also lists a Cornelius Masten (age 31) and Elizabeth Masten, along with daughter Eustasia. All were born in Canada. Barbara Maxwell Krall (25 Apr 2005) wrote that "Aaron Masten married Rebecca Feeley. Their children were Peter. Aaron, John, Barued (my line b. ca 1799), Catherine, Eleanor (believed to be Nellie m. Issac Weeks, Laner, Jane. Barued [Barnard m. Electa Knapp b. 1806])". However, I have not been able to verify this.
FamilySearch lists a Rebecca Viele (b. 13 Aug 1780) to Philip G. Viele (1747-1772) and Marytje Brath (1753-). No Spouse is listed. However, further research on Ancestry has her dying as an infant.
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