General Notes

Rev. Jabez Colver was born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.  All their children were born in New Jersey.  They moved from Hunterdon County into Sussex County where he owned considerable property.  Colver Lake and Colver Gap in Sussex County are named for Jabez Culver.  He was a Presbyterian minister.  During the Revolutionary War, his sympathy was with the British, but due to his American influence and owning considerable real estate he joined Washington's army as a Chaplain.

When the new province of Upper Canada was organized, he traveled from New Jersey to Newark on horseback, to consult with Governor Simcoe as to the terms of settlement in the new province.  He was promised a grant of 600 acres of land for himself, and 400 acres for each of his married children, and 200 acres for each unmarried child.

In 1794, he went to Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada, and settled in lot 1-12, Concession of Windham, and erected the first log house in the township.  Eight of his 13 children came with him.  He stayed there until his death in 1812.

Today there is a memorial park where the house stood, to the Culvers.  It is built of native rock and the plaque reads:
Collver-Culver
This memorial built in 1941
serves to honor and perpetuate
the memories of:
Rev. Jabez Culver
Timothy Collver
Joseph Culver
and their families, pioneers of
Norfolk County in the closing
decade of the 18th Century

It was erected by their descendants, and by them presented to the Norfolk Historical Society.  The triangle stone above the plaque for many years marked Rev. Jabez Culver's grave in old Windham Cemetery.  Much of the land around Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, is still in the Culver name.

(Our Colonial Lines, p. 88-89)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ below is from Dennis Collver's www.collver.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jabez Colver was born June 19, 1731 at Hunterdon County, New Jersey, He was married to Ann, who was born about 1740 and who died March 10, 1813. All their children were born in New Jersey. The family moved from Hunterdon County to Sussex County where Jabez owned considerable property. Colver Lake and Colver Gap in Sussex County are named for Jabez Colver. In the book The Loyalists of New Jersey in the Revolution it states that the Rev. Jabez Collver performed the marriage of a James Brittain and a Eleanor Butler in Knowlton, Sussex, New Jersey. James Brittain during the Revolutionary War was an officer of a Loyalist Battalion. "He (Jabez) was a Presbyterian Minister and Pastor of a church near Darkertown, New Jersey during the Revolutionary War, his sympathy was with the British. But due to his American influence and owning considerable real estate, he chose the bible rather than the sword and joined Washington's army as a Chaplain. Before and after the war he went to many areas and established new churches and would then move on once a regular one was installed."

When the new province of Upper Canada was organized, he traveled from New Jersey to Neward(Newark?) on horseback, to consult with Governor Simcoe as to terms of settlement in the new province. Canada was largely French and Catholic at this time, yet it was under British rule. Lt. Gov. Simcoe felt that if he were to encourage settlers, especially Protestant and Baptist ministers from the United States, he could change the make up of Canada to be more in tune with England. He brought in many of these missionaries under the condition, that he would over look the "Loyalty" issues (as the US had just thrown off English rule) if they would concern themselves with just religious issues and avoid the political ones. The missionaries agreed to this and it seemed to work pretty good. He was promised 600 acres, and 400 acres for each of his married children, and 200 for each unmarried child. They were the first pioneers to take a group of people into the Norfolk Canada.

In 1794 he went to Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada, and settled on lot 1-12, concession of Windham, and erected the first log house in the town- ship. Eight of his 13 children came with him. He stayed until his death in 1812. Today there is a memorial park to the Colvers where the house stood. It is built of native rock and the plaque reads:

COLLVER

This memorial built in 1941
serves to honor and perpetuate
the memories of:


Rev. Jabez Culver
Timothy Collver
Joseph Culver

and the families, pioneers of
Norfolk County in the closing
decade of the 18th Century

It was erected by their descendants, and by them presented to the Norfolk Historical Society. The triangle stone above the plaque for many years marked Rev. Jabez Culver's grave in old Windham cemetery. Much of the land around Simcoe, Ontario, Canada is still in the Culver name.

A son Nathan (b. 1764) died leaving a son Jabez B. Culver (b. 1789) who was adopted by the Rev. Jabez. This is a good place to pick up the trail as apparently the direct descendants of Jabez B. still live in Windham, Ontario Canada.

1763 to 1791, were very critical periods in US history. The revolutionary war started in Massachusetts in 1775 and ended at Yorktown Virginia in Oct 1781. It took another two years before an official peace treaty was signed. The colonies had formed into a loose federation with power at the state level and a weak central government. The Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in Sept. 1787, with the signing of the Constitution. It wasn't until May 1790 before hold out states such as Rhode Island and North Carolina ratified it (under extreme pressure).

It is unclear at this writing, as to why the Rev. Jabez moved his family to Canada, apparently a lot of people who were sympathetic to the British (Tories) took Gov. Simcoe up on his offer. So it could be he was under local pressure to leave or he just wanted the chance to do continue missionary work. Other possible explanations are: an outbreak of Yellow Fever in Philadelphia caused a panic and sanitary conditions in the older cities were getting pretty bad. Another interesting note, the US and Britain were close to war at that time, in fact President Washington ordered troops into the Ohio ( Then called the Northwest Territory) area to crush Indian resistance and to force a withdrawal of British troops from various forts like Fort Detroit.

At the end of the Revolutionary the Tories that left the former Colonies were given land in Canada, equal to the amount they lost. If Jabez had been a Tory, wouldn't he have headed to Canada in the early 1780's and not wait until 1793? He was considered by other Canadians to be a "Late Loyalist" which was a name given to people who migrated to Canada after the offer of free lands were given.

In the "The Long Point Settlers" there is an entry: "recorded 15 Jun. 1798 - From a principle hath ever been strongly attached to the British Crown and Government; suffered such persecution and loss in the time of the late American War; In order to favor an idea or intention entertained by the loyalists of Sussex County in the Province of New Jersey in or about the month of Jan 1776 to erect the royal standard in the said County of Sussex, subscribed his name in writing too an enrollment under John Petit, who was nominated as an officer of a battalion to be raised for that purpose; hopes that the said John Petit had a legal authority to take such enrollment; proofs adduced, not sufficient to entitle the petitioner to be entered on the U.E. list. But the council is perfectly satisfied that the petitioner has been firmly attached to his majesty and the constitution of Great Britain, and the quantity of the land given to him in a larger proportion than has been extended to others of his condition is proof of their sentiments in his favor.

The U.E. mentioned above was the United Empire Loyalists and he was denied membership as there was too little proof. But they closed by saying that they felt he was "enough" of a loyalist to receive preferential treatment in land grants. He was also slow to take an oath of allegiance to the Crown, which was preventing him from receiving a license to be a pastor. During the war of 1812, some of his nephews and grand children were brought up on conspiracy and treason charges. So was he a Tory, or merely opportunistic?

There is also accounts from various sources that document that both American and British forces used the "Collver House" at Turkey Point in Long Point settlement as a headquarters for their armies. John Collver is listed as a petitioner for compensation for war damages caused by both armies. In some of the letters a British officer writes about the bad behavior and looting by both American and British troops.

The Children of Jabez and Anna:

Ebenezer Culver, born 1756.
Phoebe Culver, born 1757.
Ann Culver, born 1759.
Jabez Culver, born 1760.
Freelove Culver, born 1762.
Nathan Culver, born 1764.
Aaron Culver, born 1766.
John Culver, born 1768.
Hannah Culver, born 1770.
Micheal Culver, born 1772.
Gabriel Culver, born 1774.
Griffith Culver, born 1778.
Benjamin Culver, born 1780.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Burial Notes

Old Windham Pioneer Cemetery, Plot No. 17

Memorial inscription on the gravestone in Old Windham Pioneer Cemetery:

COLLVER
TO MARK THE GRAVES OF
THE REV. JABEZ COLLVER
AND HIS WIFE
U.E. LOYALISTS FROM NEW JERSEY WHO
WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN
SETTLED HERE IN 1793, THE ANCESTORS OF
MANY IN NORFOLK. THAT YEAR MR. COLLVER
ORGANIZED A PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION
AND MINISTERED TO IT THROUGHOUT THE
COUNTY TILL HIS DEATH
HE DIED DEC. 29TH 1818
AGED 88 YEARS
ERECTED 1912

  Recorded Events in His Life

• He worked as a Presbyterian minister and pastor of a church near Darkertown, New Jersey, USA.

• Jabez served in the military: during Revolutionary War, joined Washington's Army as Chaplain.

• He had a residence before 1794 in New Jersey, USA.

• He had a residence in 1794 in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.

• Fact: Built the first log house in Windham township, about 1795, in Windham Township, Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.

• He has conflicting death information of 1812 and Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada. ³

• Gallery: Memorial Placque and Cairn, in 1941, in Windham, Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.
  
  Today there is a memorial park where the house stood, to the Culvers.  It is built of native rock and the plaque reads:
  
  Collver-Culver
  This memorial built in 1941
  serves to honor and perpetuate
  the memories of:
  Rev. Jabez Culver
  Timothy Collver
  Joseph Culver
  and their families, pioneers of
  Norfolk County in the closing
  decade of the 18th Century
  
  It was erected by their descendants, and by them presented to the Norfolk Historical Society.  The triangle stone above the plaque for many years marked Rev. Jabez Culver's grave in old Windham Cemetery.
  
  — Our Colonial Lines, p. 88-89