One of the oldest and most respected
residents of the Township of North Fredericksburgh today is our venerable
friend, Milo Parks, Esq., who has now for over eighty-four years resided on
the same farm on the pleasant shores of Hay Bay. He was born there on the 2nd of October,
1812--the first year of our last terrible war with the United States, and he
has resided there ever since. He was
the youngest of no less than twenty children, nearly all of whom grew up to
maturity, married and became industrious and valuable citizens. Cyrenus Parks,
his father, was one of the sturdy U.E. Loyalists who settled in Upper Canada,
who resolved to hew homes for themselves out of the unbroken wilderness,
resolved to live and die under the British Flag. He was born at Queensbury, Charlotte
county, New York, Dec. 22nd, 1754.
There he married and became a large and prosperous farmer, near the
banks of the Hudson river. He had just
married and begun to raise a young family when the great American rebellion
broke out, in 1775. As the war
advanced, he felt it his loyal duty to stand true to the British cause. He became a member of the King's Rangers, a
regiment that had a memorable record during the war, and later on became a
Captain in that regiment. His brother
James also took up arms in the same loyal cause and became a Sergeant in the
same regiment. By the fortunes of war,
they were both captured, along with the others of the same regiment. They were released on giving their parole
not to serve again against Congress during the continuance of the war. The regiment was disbanded in 1781 and most
of the men finally settled in Fredericksburgh, or at other points along the
Bay of Quinte. It is said that they
were offered their homes and their farms if they would swear loyalty to the
United States and forswear their allegiance to Great Britain. This Captain Parks determindedly
refused to do, and all his men stood equally firm. Their homes were then confiscated and they
were ordered to leave the country. They appear to have been mustered out in
December, 1783 at St. John, Quebec, and for a year or two remained with their
families in that locality, after which they came to Upper Canada and settled
on the banks of Hay Bay, side by side, where both lived and died. These grand old heroes lie buried in the
same burying ground, on the Parks farm, between their two former residences,
where several of their own children and many of their neighbours among the
first settlers also found their last resting place. There are few prettier locations on Hay Bay
than in that immediate vicinity, now a beautiful thriving farming centre,
noted for one of the largest fruit orchards in the country. Nearby stands the brick Methodist church,
erected two years ago. Just there the
Bay is narrowest of any point, and for years an important ferry was kept
which was a matter of much greater convenience then than now. Their settlement seems to have been made
there in 1786, and each man was granted 400 acres of land, in a block,
several farms of which remain in the hands of their descendants to this
day. In the Crown Lands Department at
Toronto is preserved an old U.E.L. list and on it are the names of Capt. Cyrenus Parks, Sergeant James Parks, and Nathaniel Parks,
Drummer, all of the King's Rangers.
All were on the Provision list for the time, the Government very
considerately granting necessary supplies of pork and flour until such times
as the pioneers could clear and cultivate their own lands. Nathaniel, before named, was the oldest
son of Cyrenus, and entered the King's service as a
fifer, at the tender age of 13 years.
He was the father of the late Jason Parks, so well known to all the
old residents of Fredericksburgh, who died in California two years ago, at
the residence of his grand-son Herbert Parks, formerly a resident of Piety
Hill, in this town. Irvine Parks, Esq., our County Treasurer,
has now in his possession the certificate of his grandfather, Nathaniel,
signed at St. John, Dec. 24th, 1783, certifying to his faithful service in
the King's Rangers Provincial Regiment and to his honourable discharge at the
disbanding of the regiment. Dr. Nelson Parks, of the Beaver office,
has in his possession the family bible of his grandfather, Cyrenus. It is now
over a hundred years old, and according to a statement on the fly sheet, it
was bought in Kingston "January ye 10, a.d.
1793." The book has been in
family use ever since and is still in a good state of preservation. In it is the record of the births of the
parents and their twenty children, written in a very plain bold hand, no
doubt of Cyrenus himself, the head of that numerous
family. Among those who settled at about the same
time and became permanent residents were the Huffmans,
Shumans, McCabes, Wagars, Posts, Petersons, Woodcocks, Outwaters,
and some others. Nearly all these well
known families have still descendants residing in that locality, who are well
known and much respected citizens. The family consisted of twelve sons and
eight daughters. We have not a record
of all, but from among these daughters were the wives of Baltus
Shuman, the mother of the late Mrs. F. Dupree; Peter McCabe, the mother of
Elias McCabe; Wm. Parks, of Richmond; Peter Huffman, of Camden; Alexander Forshee, of Richmond; John Watson, of Richmond, late of
Dresden. The Parks families of Thurlow, Prince Edward and Durham counties, are also
descendants of this same family. Cyrenus Parks'
first wife died about 1790, leaving eight children. He afterwards married Elizabeth Huffman, an
aunt of the late John Huffman of that locality. The Huffmans were
also among the U.E. Loyalists, their father having been a member of the
celebrated Butler's Rangers, a regiment of great note during the American
Revolution. The last twelve children
were by her. It is somewhat singular
that, politically, the family seemed divided according to their mother's
proclivities. Those of the first wife
and their descendants were well known Liberals, while, it has been explained
to us, those with the Huffman blood in their veins were all staunch
Conservatives. One is almost inclined
to deem it fortunate that some such division took place, for a family so
numerous, so energetic and influential, would if all on one side, all but turn
the scale in any contest in this county. Mr. Milo Parks has never taken a very
prominent part in election contests in this county, being a man of quiet and
somewhat reserved habits, much attached to his home and business affairs. He has always been a consistent supporter
of the Conservative party, however.
Years ago, before Fredericksburgh was divided into two municipalities,
he was a member of the Township Council and also represented the township in
the United Counties Council (Frontenac, Lennox and Addington). His sons loyally follow their father's
footsteps in political affairs. His
children are: Rosetta, who married Nathaniel Lucas and
died in Kansas some years ago. John F., now a resident of
Fredericksburgh, married Miss Annie Outwaters, and
has a grown up family. James C., married Miss Mary Gibson, was
for many years in business in Napanee, and now resides in Kansas City. Albert C. married Miss Jennie Tyce, of Prince Edward, has one son, Leonard, now resides
in Napanee during the winter and on the homestead during the summer. He is probably the largest fruit grower in
this county. Charles Benjamin Seymore,
married Miss Annie Dorland of Adolphustown.
His children are all successful business men. Mr. Parks married Miss Bathsheba Lazier,
of Prince Edward over sixty years ago, also a member of a large and well
known U.E.L. family. The grand old
pair though now octogenarians, who have both spent very industrious and hard
working lives, and reared a large family, are in excellent health, with clear
minds and excellent memories, calmly enjoying the evening of their days. We have only space to add that both Mr.
and Mrs. Parks have been life long and active
members of the Methodist church, always ready to promote its interests and to
build up its cause. The Beaver joins
with hundreds of its readers in wishing them a Happy New year and many
returns of the same. |