Fourth Generation  

James Alexander must have emigrated from Ireland between 1840 and 1844 assuming the census records of his children's ages are accurate. See the 1861 census for Hungerford Twp, Hastings Co, Ontario. The census records list him as a farmer and his religion is Church of Scotland.

James married Jane circa 1833 in Ireland ²⁶. Jane was born about 1806 in Ireland ²⁶.

Their children were:

4         i.  William ALEXANDER (born about 1840 in Ireland -)
         ii.  John ALEXANDER (born circa 1841 in Ireland -)
        iii.  Sarah Ann ALEXANDER (born circa 1843 in Hungerford Twp, Hastings Co, Ontario, Canada -)
         iv.  Robert ALEXANDER (born circa 1848 in Ontario, Canada -)
          v.  Margaret ALEXANDER (born circa 1851 in Ontario, Canada -)

Jane married James ALEXANDER circa 1833 in Ireland ²⁶. James was born about 1803 in Ireland ²⁶.

John and Elizabeth were probably married around 1838 in Ontario as all their children were born in Ontario. They were members of the Church of England.
There was a Robert Emerson born in Sep 1793 Co Fermanagh, Ireland near Enniskillen who emigrated 1831 and lived in Hungerford Twp and then moved to Huntington. This information was published in the Intelligencer, the local paper of Bellevue. This is probably a relative of John Emerson.

John married Elizabeth. Elizabeth was born about 1814 in Ireland.

Their children were:

          i.  Ann Jane EMERSON (born circa 1839 in Ireland -)
         ii.  Elizabeth EMERSON (born circa 1842 in Ontario, Canada -)
5       iii.  Ellen Mary EMERSON (born about 1843 in Ontario, Canada -)
         iv.  Susanna EMERSON (born circa 1845 in Ontario, Canada -)
          v.  Thrusala EMERSON (born circa 1848 in Ontario, Canada -)
         vi.  Sara E EMERSON (born circa 1850 in Ontario, Canada -)
        vii.  James EMERSON (born circa 1852 in Ontario, Canada -)
       viii.  Lety EMERSON (born circa 1856 in Ontario, Canada -)

Elizabeth married John EMERSON ²⁷. John was born about 1814 in Ireland ²⁸.

I have a copy of William's land records dated 2 July 1835 when his petition was approved. Vol. 091 pg 029 Ontario 28 Oct 1850 V. 002 pg 255, May 1841 & Aug 1845 V025 pg 381. According to these papers William paid John Maguire for an interest in his land and John Maguire appointed William to act as his attorney to do everything necessary to secure the land grant. I have a copy of the Order in Council dated 14 Sep 1825 granting John Maguire 200 acres. I also have a copy of a document dated 25 Aug 1826 in which John Maguire appoints William Hand as his attorney in all matters relating to securing the land grant. This document was witnessed by Richard Bradley. William obtained the land grant because John Maguire drowned, in the Welland Canal, the middle of May 1830.
William was married twice. His second wife was named Mary and she is listed in the Simcoe Co census records of 1861.
I believe William also had a daughter named Elizabeth. He may have had other children also.
The land grant was in concession VI and lot 6. The village of Stanton is on the former Hand farm. ³²

William's age is unclear. In the 1861 census he states he is age 62 which would make him born circa 1799. In the 1871 census he states he is age 70 which would make him born circa 1801. The Dundalk Herald Newspaper states he died in his 85th year and his grave marker stated he died at age 88. The official death registration states he was age 78 at his death. This information was provided by his son, Thomas. William could have been born anywhere from 1789- 1801.
I think 1799/1800 is the most probable date of his birth. ³³

William married Elizabeth ³⁴. Elizabeth was born in Ireland and died about 1845.

Their children were:

          i.  Mary Ann HAND (born about 1826 in Canada - died on 2 AUG 1886 in Mulmur Twp, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada)
         ii.  Jane HAND (born about 1828 in Canada - died on 16 APR 1881 in Mulmur Twp, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada)
        iii.  Thomas Alexander HAND (born on 10 NOV 1830 in Mulmur Twp, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada - died in 1915 in Alliston, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada)
         iv.  Hannah HAND (born in 1837 - died in 1889 in Mulmur Twp, Dufferin Co, Ontario, Canada)
          v.  William Craig HAND (born on 1 SEP 1836 in Mulmur Twp, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada - died on 8 MAY 1893 in Alliston, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada)
6        vi.  Winn HAND (born on 1 JUL 1840 in Mulmur Twp, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada - died on 17 NOV 1913 in Sault St Marie, Chippewa Co, MI, USA)
        vii.  Catherine HAND (born about 1841 in Mulmur Twp, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada -)

No information is known about Elizabeth. She was William's first wife. She is the mother of all his children. All the records of the children list Elizabeth as their mother and that she was born in Ireland. It is thought that she died in the 1840's.

Elizabeth married William HAND, son of HAND and Unknown. William was born about 1800 in Ireland ²⁹, died on 10 OCT 1877 in Mulmur Twp, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada ³⁰ and was buried in St Luke's Anglican Cemetery, Mulmur Twp, Ontario, Canada ³¹.

I believe that the Bradley family came from Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland. Richard Bradley signed William Hand's land grant papers as a witness. The land record index refers to Richard Bradley of Mulmur Twp and Richard's land grant papers, dated 1826, state that he was age 22, single and from Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland and that he emigrated June of 1825. There were at least 4 Bradley men that settled in Mulmur Twp. William, Edward, Levi and Richard. They have birth dates that are estimated from the census records to be 1800, 1802, 1804 and 1806. Also Mulmur was a very isolated rural area. It seems highly probable that they were brothers. There is a reference in the Soo Evening News which refers to Catherine Hand's Uncle Edward Bradley.
For the land records of Richard Bradley see: 01 c13 054149. He resided in York. The land grant was for Lot W 1/2 19 conc 1 WHST. It is an Order in Council dated 9 Nov 1825 and 20 Nov 1832.

William married Anna. Anna was born about 1818 in Ireland ²⁰, died on 7 AUG 1884 in Mulmur Twp, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada ³⁷ and was buried in St Luke's Anglican Cemetery, Mulmur Twp, Ontario, Canada ³⁶.

Their children were:

          i.  Edward BRADLEY (born about 1832 in Mulmur Twp, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada - died on 28 AUG 1904 in Mulmur Twp, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada)
         ii.  John BRADLEY (born about 1833 in Lockport, Niagara Co, NY, USA -)
        iii.  James BRADLEY (born about 1837 in Lockport, Niagara Co, NY, USA -)
         iv.  Thomas BRADLEY (born about 1838 in Lockport, Niagara Co, NY, USA -)
          v.  Jane BRADLEY (born about 1843 in Lockport, Niagara Co, NY, USA -)
7        vi.  Catherine BRADLEY (born on 3 MAR 1844 in Lockport, Niagara Co, NY, USA - died on 7 NOV 1919 in Sault St Marie, Chippewa Co, MI, USA)
        vii.  Mary Ann BRADLEY (born about 1845 in Lockport, Niagara Co, NY, USA - died on 13 JAN 1925 in Mulmur Twp, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada)
       viii.  William BRADLEY (born about 1847 in Lockport, Niagara Co, NY, USA -)
         ix.  Elizabeth BRADLEY (born about 1849 in Lockport, Niagara Co, NY, USA - died after 1926 , buried in United Church Dundalk Cemetery, Dundalk, Grey Co, Ontario, Canada)
          x.  Richard BRADLEY (born about 1851 in Lockport, Niagara Co, NY, USA -)
         xi.  Abraham BRADLEY (born about 1853 in Lockport, Niagara Co, NY, USA -)
        xii.  Ann BRADLEY (born about 1855 in Lockport, Niagara Co, NY, USA -)

Anna married William BRADLEY ³⁵, son of Unknown BRADLEY and Unknown. William was born about 1806 in Ireland ²⁰, died on 24 JAN 1868 in Mulmur Twp, Simcoe Co, Ontario, Canada ³⁶ and was buried in St Luke's Anglican Cemetery, Mulmur Twp, Ontario, Canada.