Person:Charles Annis (17)

CHARLES ANNIS was born March 10, 1739 at Haverhill, Massachusetts; died May 12, 1812 at Whitby, Ontario, Canada; married circa 1768, Sarah Emerson {1746-1831} at Methuen, Massachusetts. In 1770 Charles accompanied his brother Rolfe Annis to Windham, New Hampshire, and later served several periods of military duty during the Revolution including: enlisted Captain James Perry's Company, Colonel Sargent's Regiment, and marched to Breed's Hill on June 16, 1775 (Battle of Bunker Hill); enlisted September 13, 1777 into Captain Stephen Russell's Company, Colonel Samuel Bullard's Regiment, discharged November 30, 1777 with three months service with General Warner's Brigade in the Northern Department. It has been reported (unsubstantiated) that he was an aide-de-camp to General George Washington. In a petition to the honourable the Representatives of the province of New Hampshire in New England, in General Assembly to be Convened May the 22 A.D. 1771, asking an investigation of alleged irregular voting in town meeting Charles Anis' name appears. The petition is dated at Londonderry May 16, 1771. _New Hampshire Town Papers Vol 9 page 526.

He returned to Windham shortly after the Revolution, after which he began a series of moves through New York and Pennsylvania. During the 1790 Federal census he was residing at Aurelius, Cayuga County, New York, and circa 1793 he crossed the border into Ontario, Canada. His journey to Canada began by first exploring the north coast of Lake Ontario by boat, he than returned to New York, gathered his family, possessions, a mare horse and her colt, and went by ox cart to the area that is present day Whitby, Ontario. Legend has it that Charles was halted by British authorities at the Niagara River and asked if he was one of those who fought against England in 1776. He replied: "I will always fight for my home, and where my property is." It was reported that Governor Simcoe of Ontario, upon hearing this report, exclaimed: "That is the type of citizen we want." After a two week halt at Toronto, the family pressed on through the heavily timbered district just east of Toronto where they camped in the midst of a fine forest of white pine, beech, and maple. It was here that Charles and his two eldest sons cleared the land of the virgin forest and built homes in the wilderness. This area is now part of Scarborough Heights. The original Royal land grant was still in the possession of his descendants in 1931. Sarah Emerson was born June 1, 1741, the daughter of Charles and Susanna (Silver) Emerson. She died December 5, 1831 at Whitby, Ontario, Canada.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Haverhill (MA) Births
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