John Prosser and Sarah Willoughby
Pioneer Settlers of North Gwillimbury Township
John Prosser, 8 May 1796 1-9 February 1852. 2 John is believed to have been born in Florida town, Montgomery County, New York. Research seems to indicate that John was a son of John Prosser Sr. and Anna Haynes. According to family tradition John came to the Bay of Quinte area of Upper Canada at age 16 [1812] with two brothers. Research has shown that this movement to Upper Canada probably took place as late as 1819. In 1820 John married Sarah Willoughby, 9 August 1803-16 January 1889, 3 in the area of the Bay of Quinte [probably in Richmond Township, Lennox and Addington County]. Sarah was a daughter of Josiah Willoughby and Susannah Thompson who had moved from Bern, Albany County, New York to Western, Oneida County, New York before settling in the Township of Richmond (near Kingston), Lennox and Addington County, Upper Canada. In 1821 John and Sarah settled on bush land at Medina, now known as Keswick, in North Gwillimbury Township, York County, which was then part of the Home District of Upper Canada. On 21 November 1830 John was ordained as a minister of the Christian Church in Keswick. John also served as a Justice of the Peace for North Gwillimbury Township. John and Sarah, as well as some of their children and grandchildren are buried in Mann Cemetery, Keswick, Ontario. John and Sarah had ten children and at least 76 grandchildren.
| 1.1 Peter | 5 November 1821-2 October 1892 4 | md Nancy Pringle 1 July 1844 5 | 4 children |
| 1.2 George | 5 September 1823-27 March 1887 6 | md Jane Draper 1856 7 | 3 children |
| md Lydia Emes 5 February 1867 8 | 4 children | ||
| 1.3 John | 14 July 1825-30 April 1916 9 | md Lucretia Emes 23 November 1853 10 | 12 children |
| 1.4 Louisa | 24 August 1827-6 June 1903 11 | md Thomas Darius Mann 10 June 1844 12 | 4 children |
| 1.5 Elijah | 7 September 1830-27 December 1909 13 | md Cinderella Morton 14 | 11 children |
| 1.6 Solomon | 27 September 1832- June 1910 15 | md Isabella Keetch 6 November 1853 16 | 8 children |
| 1.7 Nelson P. | 20 November 1836-22 February 1916 17 | md Miranda Sheppard 18 | 10 children |
| 1.8 Robert | 25 March 1838-6 August 1917 19 | md Eliza Williscroft 13 March 1861 20 | one daughter |
| 1.9 Lauretta | 21 June 1842-30 June 1909 21 | md Albert York/e 22 | 11 children |
| 1.10 Daniel | 21 March 1846-4 November 1929 23 | md Eliza Jane Maguire 25 December 1867 24 | 9 children |
1 Joy Johnston, nee Prosser (22 July 1892-16 January 1973). Also Meta Marguerite Lehman. Joy and Marguerite were second cousins who shared an interest in family history and are known to have worked on the Prosser family in the 1960’s.
2 John Prosser gravestone, Mann Cemetery, Keswick, Ontario. A year of birth of 1796 for John is in agreement with his gravestone inscription in Mann Cemetery, Keswick. John’s gravestone inscription reads:
SACRED
to the memory of
ELDER JOHN PROSSER
who departed this life
Feby. 9th, 1852
in the 56th year of his age
3 Sarah Prosser gravestone, Mann Cemetery, Keswick, Ontario. Sarah’s gravestone states that she “died Jan. 16, 1889 aged 85 years, 5 mos. 7 days.” This inscription, if correct, can be calculated to give a birth date of 9 August 1803 for Sarah.
6 George Prosser gravestone, Mann Cemetery, Keswick, Ontario. His gravestone inscription reads:
In
memory of
George PROSSER
who died
March 27, 1887
aged
63 yr’s 6 mo’s
10
11 Louisa Prosser gravestone inscription, Darius Mann gravestone, Mann Cemetery, Keswick, Ontario. Her gravestone inscription reads:
Louisa PROSSER
his [Darius Mann] wife
born July 21, 1823
died June 6, 1903
12
13 Elijah Prosser gravestone, Queensville Cemetery, Queensville, Ontario.
21 Lauretta York gravestone inscription, Albert York gravestone, Mann Cemetery, Keswick, Ontario. Her gravestone inscription reads:
Lauretta
wife of the above [Albert York]
born June 21, 1842
died June 30, 1909