Martin Toffelmire and Family
I have just been visiting your great web site on Ruddle's Fort. I am a descendant of Martin Toffelmire, who along with his family and his wife's family, were captured and taken to Detroit by the British and the Indians. I was wondering why you do not list Martin Toffelmire as a captive.
Some years ago I published a book on the descendants of Martin Toffelmire/Tofflemire and I would be happy to supply some information for a link.
Peggy Colella
At Harrow, Ontario, Canada, a number of the captives from Ruddles Station finally settled, and raised large families which have been documented. The names of the captives include Katherine Honn who married Joseph Thomas Ferriss, Leonard Kratz and wife Mary Munger, William Henry Munger, her father, and Martin Tofflemire.
These people came to Grosse Ile, Detroit River for some 10 years before moving into Upper Canada.
Our history society, Harrow Early Immigrant Research Society (HEIRS) has much documentation of the descendants of these families.
Our new website is under construction, but would welcome a link to your site, if possible.
The site is: http://www.rootsweb.com/~onheirs/index.htm
We welcome your inquiries and interest in our Ruddles Station descendants.
edith woodbridge
HEIRS
Bob,
Sorry I took so long getting this to you. I tried to make it as brief as I could. I also have a piece on Leonard Kratz/Scratch, if you'd like that. He is one of the "Associated Families". Thanks for this valuable research tool on families of Ruddle's Fort.
Peggy Colella
The following comes from my book:
TAFFELMEYERS/TOFFLEMIRES HERE AND THERE, With Associated Families, published and copyrighted 1979
We can only suppose the reason Martin Tafflemier took his family and went to Kentucky. Maude Ward Lafferty's book DESTRUCTION OF RUDDLE'S AND MARTIN'S FORTS IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR gives this possible explanation. "Good land was becoming scarce in the Shenandoah Valley and Kentucky, then still a part of Virginia, was described by Daniel Boone as a 'second paradise'. Martin Tafflemier and his family were among those captured by Col. Byrd and the Indians and marched north to Detroit.
Tofflemire family legend (passed down through most Tofflemire branches) says that during the march north, one of the young Tofflemire women was carrying a baby in her arms. While crossing a stream on a log, the baby became frightened and began to cry. one of the Indians killed the baby with his tomahawk so that nearby settlers would not hear its cries. The 12 year old brother of the baby grabbed a rifle from a pack and shot the Indian. Nothing was done to the boy as it was considered Indian justice. (Was this indeed a Tofflemire child or has the story been confused over the years with the death of Mary Munger Kratz's baby?) Martin Tafflemier said in his land Petition that 2 of his 6 children were left with the Indians, one he redeemed with presents "to the amount of one hundred Pounds" and the other was returned to "Kentuck" within a few months. It is not known if this latter child was ever reunited with the family.
On 4 August 1780, Col. Byrd arrived at Detroit with about 150 prisoners, mostly Germans who spoke English. Nearly 200 others, mostly women and children, arrived later by boats. Some of the prisoners were taken to Niagara and Michillimackinac. After the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the prisoners where given their choice, return to their former homes in Kentucky or give Allegiance to Great Britain and be allowed to petition for land grants in Canada. The Draper Manuscripts tell us the Tofflemires had not the means to return to Kentucky, so they remained on Grosse Ile. The Kratz and Munger families moved to the Township of Gosfield in 1785 but soon returned to Detroit because of trouble with Indians. In 1792, the British Crown completed purchase and survey of the Lake Erie grant lands and settlers began moving to the new settlement.
Histories say that these captives lived in Detroit for several years before they moved to Canada. Isabella E. Swan's book THE DEEP ROOTS - Grosse Ile 1776-1876 provides us with information on their lives between the time they arrived in the Detroit area and the time they went to Canada. The island in the Detroit River known as Grosse Ile was purchased from the Indians by traders William and Alexander Macomb. Several of the early islanders had been captured by Indians, brought to Detroit, and there ransomed by local businessmen and families. Ransoms were paid in blankets, rum or commodities. Some persons thus ransomed became indebted to the Macombs for their redemption and gave their "note of hand" covering the ransom value. Macomb then offered them tenency on Hog Island (Belle Isle) or Grosse Ile where they could farm on shares and thus repay their debts. It is highly probable that this is how Martin Tofflemire came to be located on Grosse Ile. In his Petition, Martin states, "still indebted to the Miamis Company" for the 100 Pounds worth of ransom he needed to redeem one of his children from the Indians.
William Macomb undertook the building of a Gristmill on Grosse Ile. The first entry in the MACOMB LEDGER, regarding the Mill, was 14 May 1787. Pierre Ballanger laid up the foundation wall assisted by Samuel Hall. Martin Theophilous Myers (Tofflemire) built the mill house. In April 1788, additional men were paid off, Thomas (Alexander) Clarke, an English millwright living in Canada, boarded with Myers at Macomb's expense. John Snyder was the blacksmith for the mill. Mrs. Myers lived on adjacent property and "did" for the boarders.
In 1790, Myer left Lot 3 (spelling of the name on Lot 3 was Stofflemger but Miss Swan states "the 'g' being an error") and moved to Lot 11. Myer, who built the mill house in 1787, made a pledge that same year toward the support of the Rev. George Mitchell along with many prominent Detroit citizens desiring to establish Protestant services in the Detroit area. Sometime prior to 1800, Myer moved to Malden where his wife was engaged as a servant to Dr. Harffy. He later acquired a lot in Amherstburg; he and Michael Myers, who lived on Grosse Ile were probably related. (Is this the Michael Toffelmire who we supposed had never left Virginia, or another son for Martin?) Further mention is made of Michael in 1808. Jacob Iler testified that: "...eight or ten years previous to 1796, Claim 556 was improved by Charles Munger, as tenant ... James Mitchell 'went on' in 1805 and remained a year; since which time, it has been occupied by Michael Myers ... About eight acres are now under fence, and a house is erected thereon". There was also a brief mention of a George Myers on Grosse Ile, 1791. Could this have been another brother?
TRAIL OF THE BLACK WALNUT by G. Elmore Reaman, gives us this insight to the character of our hardy ancestors; settlers coming into Ontario, then known as Upper Canada, found a problem of giant proportions. Before any grain could be planted, the native forest cover of mixed hardwood trees had to be cut down. The forest was inhabited by Indians and wild animals ... a constant menace. "Only those inured to the hardships of pioneer life and endowed with indomitable courage where able to make any headway".
The Canadian Archives show several Tofflemire land grants. Apparently Martin Tofflemire first petitioned for land 12 May 1788. He also petitioned for a grant for his eldest son, Henry, stating, "Henry Taffelmire having been of great aid as well towards the support of his family and towards payment of his brother's ransom, and being now upwards of nineteen years of age". In spite of the fact that Henry was not legally of age yet, he was granted land 22 Oct. 1790. There are land Patents in Martin's name, dated 1806 and 1808. In 1803, Abraham Tufflemier, age 28 of Capt. Elliott's Co. was awarded 200 acres. In March 1804, Jacob Tufflemier, age 32 was granted 200 acres. His Petition said he had a wife and 2 children. (There is a discrepancy there.) In 1833, William Tofflemire, a Pvt. in the First Reg't. of Essex Militia, applied for land. On 9 Oct. 1821, Elizabeth Tofflemire, daughter of Edward Hazel, of Gosfield Twsp., wife of William Tofflemire, petitioned for 200 acres as the daughter of a United Empire Loyalist. An accompanying deposition states that her husband, William Tofflemire, did his duty in the Militia in defense of the Province during the late War (1812). The land was granted 14 Dec. 1821.
Four Tofflemires fought in the War of 1812 out of Fort Malden, in Amherstburg: William, John, Jacob and Abraham. All were Privates in Capt. Caldwell's Company of the lst Essex Militia. John and William were awarded the 1793-1814 Military General Service Medal, with Fort Detroit Clasp, for their service. Major William Tofflemire walked to Niagara in 1812 to join General Isaac Brock's forces. He walked back to Kingsville when the fighting was over. This was probably Martin's son as Jacob's son William would have been only 14 years of age. We are probably dealing with several different William Tofflemires here. The Major William Tofflemire in 1812 could not be the same William Tofflemire, Pvt. in the Essex Militia, in 1833. 1 still feel Martin's son William may have had a son William. A "Salute to Veterans of the War of 1812" in the Amherstburg ECHO, dated 22 Oct. 1795, gives John's age then as 80 years, which would make him born around 1795. 1 believe this was Jacob's son Jacob John. Henry's son John was living in Illinois in 1875; where Jacob John remained in Canada.
MARTIN TOFFLEMIRE, according to his land Petition, was a native of Maryland. He lived in Virginia for a time, then went to Kentucky where he was captured by a party of British troops and Indians and brought north to the Detroit area. Eventually, he and his family went to Canada and settled at Cedar Creek, in Gosfield Twsp., in Essex County, Ontario. There he built the first water mill in the county. Martin was married to Eve Munger, daughter of William Henry Munger and Sussannah Brodbeck. According to Munger researchers, Eve was born around 1750. She was still living in 1807, when she and Martin both signed papers on a land transaction. Piecing together a family this far back is difficult, to say the least, mainly because of lack of records. However, it is believed the following are children of Martin and Eve Tofflemire:
1. Henry Tofflemire, b. around 1769 d. about age 34, m. 1793 Judith Fox. (See Chapter II for their family)
2. Jacob Tofflemire, b. circa 1772, d. circa 1856, m. Ruth Riley, b. circa 1775, d. circa 1858. (See Chapter III for their family)
3. Abraham Tofflemire, b. circa 1775, m. Miss Francis. It is believed Abraham was one of the children held by the Indians after the trek from Kentucky. No children have been found for him.
4. William Tofflemire, b. circa 1776. There is some confusion on who he married. See Chapter IV for what little information we have.
5. Mary (Polly) Tofflemire, m.l. Mr. Banks - they went to Brownsville, Pennsylvania, where Mary was still living in 1830; m.2. June 1831 Adam Bruner b. 1782 d. 1885 (See BRUNER - Associated Families).
6. Elizabeth Tofflemire, b. 1784 - likely on Grosse Ile, as the family was still there in 1790. She died 8 Oct. 1865 - buried Baptist Cemetery, Ruthven, Ontario. Elizabeth m. George Bruner b. 1778 PA, d. 12 May 1835 Ruthven. (See Chapter V for their family)
Martin's land Petition of 1793 stated he had a wife and 8 children -"exclusive of one that is provided for" (Henry). This would indicate there were 3 children born while the family lived on Grosse Ile, as his first land Petition stated he had 6 children at the time of the Kentucky capture. Researcher Sally Smit of Minnesota came up with a daughter who married a James Coyle of Cincinnati, Ohio. A letter written by Mary Tofflemire Banks mentions her "sister, Mrs. James Coyle". (Could this be the child who was returned to "Kentuck" by the Indians?) It is very likely there was a son John in the family. It has been suggested that the baby who was killed by the Indians was John. Perhaps the Michael Myers on Grosse Ile was not Martin's brother from Virginia but a son. He may have retained the Myers name and thus been lost to further research.
This distinguished family grew and prospered and descendants can now be found throughout Canada and the United States. The original Tofflemire book contained nearly 400 pages. I have continued to update and add information over the years and the size has probably doubled now.