Alonzo Benjamin Wereley ^{1 2}

  Research Notes:

From a clipping transcribed by Bev Cook Byers at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ONT-STORMONT-DUNDAS-GLENGARRY/2004-02/1076776417 :

from Cornwall Newspaper, Friday December 22, 1933:

OSNABRUCK PIONEERS DESCRIBE THE DAYS OF TALLOW CANDLES
By Down the Lane

Going back into the family history about 127 years, when his granfather
came as a United Empire Loyalist from New York State and settled on 200
acres of land in the 4th concession of Osnabruck, near Lunenburg, Alonzo
Wereley, now in his 81st year, related some interesting incidents of the past in
that section to Down The Lane a few nights ago. And, not to be outdone, his genial wife, Mrs. Wereley, had her say also, and, as only a period of four months separate the couple in age, and they were born but a few miles apart, one could verify in large measure what the other related, and in this way the visit was not only interesting, but
enjoyable.

Mr. and Mrs. Wereley were seen at the home of their daughter, Mrs. Geo.
Fyke, 29 Fourth St. east. They have spent the last six years in Cornwall
with their daughters, Mrs. Fyke and Mrs. Thos. A Sanderson, 39 First St. east.

Alonzo Wereley's grandfather, Peter Wereley, together with a brother George
Wereley and two sisters, Mary Wereley, who afterwards became Mrs. Frederick
Poapst, and Margaret Wereley, who married a Mr. Coons, all came from New
York State as U.E. Loyalists. Peter was born in 1789 and at the age of 17
he and his brother and sisters were among the first settlers on Crown Lands
in Osnabruck's 4th concession. He died in 1871 at the age of 82 years and
Alonzo Wereley is carrying on the family tradition as to age very well.

"I often heard my grandfather tell of the depredations of wolves in those
early days said Mr. Wereley. Wolves were very plentiful and one day one
of his cows came home with her faced all scratched and bleeding after
fighting to keep the wolves away from her calf."

Peter and George Wereley settled on adjoining farms, each having 100 acres
and Peter often carried feed in a sack on his back across the length of one
farm to the other.

Alonzo Wereley was born two miles east of Lunenburg on June 8,1853, and was
80 years old last June. He was a son of James Wereley, also a native of
that section. Alonzo was educated in the school in School Section 15. At
the age of ten years he was on the end of a plow and at 12 years drove a
team in a shanty at Casselman all winter. In 1875 he went to Sacramento,
Calif, and ranched and worked in the mountains for a year and a half. He
then returned to Lunenburg and a year and a half later struck West again
and engaged in lumbering near Carson City, Nev. and then went to Bodia,
Calif. where he secured employment in a gold mine. The lure of the
homelalnd again got the better of him and he returned East in the fall of
1880, and has resided in this section ever since.

Mr. Wereley drew ship's knees from Crysler, hauling them to Wales where
they were sold to Sam Warren, father of Fred Warren. This was before the
C.P.R. was built through Finch, the Grand Trunk being the only railroad in this
district. "There was plenty of hard work on the farm when I was a boy and
young man," Mr. Wereley said, "but I am glad I have lived to see so much
advancement in farming, with all the modern machinery now in use. To look
back on those days, farming is a much easier task now, and one can get to
town now in an automobitle in a short time, where it used to take hours on
horseback or on foot."

Alonzo Wereley was one of a family of five children of James Wereley and
his wife Sarah Ann Dixon, a daughter of Robert Dixon. The children were
Alonzo, Angeline (Mrs. Ellsworth Stoffer, dead]; Agnes (Mrs George Shaver]
now 73 years old, and residing in St. John Mich., Emma [Mrs.W.R. Osgood] aged 67
years and also a resident of St. John, Mich. Mrs. Wereley died in 1871, at
the age of 36 years, and Mr. Wereley afterwards married Mary Ann Scott, of
Finch Township. Of the union six children were born - John, now of
Crysler,; Jessie [Mrs. Frank Hackett], of Oswego, N.Y.; Charlotte [Mrs.
Stanley Mattice dead; Davis, of Finch village; Allan, dead; Margaret [Mrs.
Orris Dezell] Lisbon, N.Y., dead.

Mr. and Mrs Wereley were married Nov. 29, 1881, at Wales by W.A.Lang , of
the Pres. Church, Lunenburg. Mrs Wereley's maiden name was Etta Catherine
Shaver, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Shaver, of Osnabruck Centre,
where she was born Oct. 12, 1853.

  Birth Notes:

Born two miles east of Lunenburg.

Alonzo married Etta Catherine Shaver, daughter of Nicholas N. Shaver and Eliza Ann Morgan, on 29 Nov 1881 in Wales (South Stormont), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario, Canada. (Etta Catherine Shaver was born on 12 Oct 1853 in Osnabruck Centre, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Canada West (Ontario), Canada and died on 13 Nov 1938.)

  Marriage Notes:

May have been married in Osnabruck Twp, Stormont, Ontario.