Person:John Cummins (3)

John B. V. Cummins was born after the death of his older brother also named John who had died a loyalist soldier during the Revolutionary War.

There are three different possible dates for the birth of John Cummins: the 1852 census indicates Jun 20 1779; his obituary indicates 1784; his epitaph indicates 1786.

"And Whereas John B. V. Cummings hath since married Elizabeth Freece one of the daughters and heirs-at-law of the said John Freece, deceased" Quit Claim signed and sealed 7 Sep 1810 and registered 31 Dec 1810 on page 305-306 in the land register in the Sussex County Clerk's Office at Newton Sussex County, New Jersey.

Estate papers in Book E2 page 445 in the Sussex County Surrogate Court at Newton, New Jersey, dated 5 Jan 1816 name John Cummins and his wife, Elizabeth, both of of Upper Canada as heirs to the estate of Jacob Cummins who had died in Hardwick Township, Sussex County New Jersey in 1811.

In 1817 John Cummins petitioned from Port Talbot Upper Canada for a grant of the 200 acres of land on the Talbot Road upon which he had already settled. On February 4, 1819 the Lieutenant Governor in Council Granted 200 acres to John Cummins of the Township of Westminster in the District of London in Upper Canada. On October 9 1823 John Cummins from Port Talbot again petitioned for a grant of his lot on the North Branch of the Talbot Road. He noted that he had removed from the Township of Flamborough East in 1816.

John Cummins of Westminster Township, Census District 3, Middlesex County, Canada West was described in the Census of 1851-2 as a Wesleyan Methodist and a 73-year-old widower (born 20 June) native of New Jersey. He lived on Lot 60 West on North Branch of Talbot Road. There was a Wesleyan Methodist Church on the property. He lived with a son, Isaac 40 years old, born May 30 and his wife, Margaret 29, born April 7 and the following grandchildren: John D. (aged 5 born December 3); Elizabeth (aged 3 born December 16); Cyrenus (aged 1).

The following obituary was published on page 91 of the March 16, 1853 issue of the Christian Guardian. "John Cummings was born in Noleton twp. Sussex County NJ in 1784 and came to Canada in 1810 settling in Flamboro East ca. 5 miles from Dundas. 7 years later he moved to the North Street Westminster where he died October 18 1852. (McKenzie, D.A. 1984. Death Notices of the Christian Guardian 1851-1860. Hunterdon House, Lambertville, NJ."

John and his wife, Elizabeth Freece, were buried together in Scottsville Cemetery just south of Lambeth on the Talbot Road in Westminster Township, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada.