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- William Pengelley NORTHEY, the son of John NORTHEY and Grace PENGELLEY, was born on December 02, 1792 in Parish of Germansweek, Devonshire, England, and died on January 22, 1863 in Smith Township, Peterborough County, Ontario, buried in Bridgenorth Cemetery, Bridgenorth, Ontario. He married Margaret GORDON on February 22, 1792 in Parish of Germansweek, Devonshire, England, and they had eleven children. She was born in England.William Pengelly Northey was born December 2, 1792, son of Grace Pengelly. This was in the time of banned marriages in England according to church law. Grace Pengelly could not marry her sister's husband John Northey even though her sister Elazabeth had died leaving a husband and 5 small children. Elizabeth Northey had died April 25, 1791. However, Grace and John went to Plymouth and were married January 4, 1796 in Plymouth parish, and returned home legally married by law. It is believed that John Northey Jr. was the father of William Pengelly as he referred to him as "my" son in his 1816 will. In similar fashion, John Northey Sr., referred to him as "my" grandson William Pengelly in his 1803 will. In neither situations was he referred to as son of Grace Pengelley. As a farm labourer he probably worked on land leased by the Northey family- Hennard Gifford the 60.3 acre farm leased by his grandfather in 1776, and the smaller 7.3 acre Hockaday tenement in Hennard Mill Village also leased by his grandfather, but now lived in by his parents.The parish of Germansweek recorded a marriage February 22, 1814 between Margaret Gordon and William Pengelley Northey. This was the last time that William used Pengelley as part of his name in any public record.William and Margaret lived with his parents in the house known as Hockadays. His parents died in 1816. William, Margaret and family remained in this tenement house until they left for Canada in 1842.In his father's will of 1816, William was left a tenement house in Hennard Mill Village known as Mill's House. It is not clear how William's father became in charge of this tenement. William Northey's grandfather, John Pengelly Jr. leased Mill's Tenement in 1777 to enlarge land previously leased by his father John Pengelly Sr., in 1751 known as Bonds Tenement. It is interesting to note that John Pengelly Sr., signed a 99 year lease in 1750 for property known as Pengelly tenement with the number of lives being 1-his own. After his death in 1775, Pengelly tenement was never again in the Pengelly family, but remained beigh called Pengelly tenement - adding to the difficulty in tracing where families lived, when you also consider there were 3 John Northey's and 2 John Pengelly's living there from 1750 to 1842.In 1786, John Pengelly Jr., built a second house on Mills Tenement. After his death in 1800, John Northey the Third leased a house on Mills. The records do not specify which house, however both had an orchard and garden. There was also some difficulty identifying where exactly the two houses were situated. John Pengelly Jr., was a brother of both Elizabeth and Grace Northey. He died in 1800 and left his lands to his daughter and husband John Knight until 1814. Records have not been found to show how John Northey Jr. came to be in possession of Mills tenement, not is it clear to what use William Northey made of this tenement which was 10.2 acres in size. He probably worked the land and family members lived there as it was not too - far away.William Morthey was well aware that all land leased would be returned to the Luxmore family following the death of his Uncle Thomas Northey who was the last of three lives recorded on the original land lease of 1776. Thomas Northey died October 16, 1842. The lease had expired, and as other leases expired in the following years, the lands of the original farm and village were leased to larger neighbouring tenements. The houses quickly fell into ruin, and Hennard Mill Village became a bumpy field and the village disappeared forever.The land is now under water as part of the Roadford Reservoir Project finished in 1990, however the Exeter Museum did extensive documentary research and archaeological investigations and has published material.William Northey and his wife Margaret Gordon had 11 children all baptised in the church at Germansweek in the parish of Gemansweek. All were born while they were living at Hockaday tenemenet in Hennard Mills Village. Their firstborn died at 15, and is buried in the Cemetery at St. Germanus Church in Germansweek Church Village.
In the late summer of 1842, William and most of his family came to Canada, spent the winter of 1842-43 in Port Hope, Ontario, and settled in Smith Township in 1843 having purchased land from Thomas Ward.It is believed that 9 children and 1 grandchild came over with William and Margaret Northey, and that the oldest son William Northey Jr., his wife Ann Perkins, and 3 children came over in the mid 1840's.
In 1843, William Northey purchased 50 acres Pt. Lot # 12 East Communication Road in Smith Township for 62 pounds, and in 1846 he purchased an additional 71 acres of N. Pt Lot # 12 for 85 pounds 10 shillings and 8 pence. Here he built a log shanty, cleared some land, and began to farm with assistance from his children until they married and left home.In the 1851 census it was recorded that he was a widower, but evidently a successful farmer having 26 acres under cultivation. He had harvested crops of wheat, oats, peas, and hay, 45 pounds of wool had been sheared, and 12 yards of fulled cloth and 17 yards of flannel had been made. His animals included 6 oxen, 5 milch cows, 15 sheep, and 5 pigs.William Northey passed away January 22, 1863 and was buried in the Cemetery at Gilmour Bapitist Church in Smith Township, although William and his family were Methodists.St. Germanus Church in Germansweek Village published a pamphlet in 1975 outlinging the religious growth and change over the years in and around Germansweek. It was recorded that John Wesley had visited the area in the mid 1820's spreading the Methodist religion. He stayed over night in a house in Hennard Mill Village, and preached a sermon the following day in the village green. This may have been the time when William Northey and his family became Methodists.In William Northey's will dated 1862, his money was to be divided equally among his 10 children. His youngest son Thomas was to have use of the farm rent free for 3 years, and all furniture and personal property. At the end of 3 years, the farm was to be sold to the highest bidder. From the proceeds, $40.00 was to be given to each of his 10 children, $200.00 to his grandson Richard Northey, son of his daughter Grace White, and the balance to be equally divided among his four sons.Thus his land which was to become part of the Village of Bridgenorth passed out of the Northey family.(Source: James Northey-Peterborough, Ontario, Canada)
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