Elias Earls and Louisa Douglas
Elias was born Abt. 1820 in Kentucky, USA and died on 6 Dec 1894 in Holland Township, Grey, Ontario
Louisa Douglas was born Abt. 1830 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA and her death is unknown
Farm – Con 1, 2nd Div, Lot 4, Sullivan Township, Grey, Ontario
Elias Earls was born about 1820 in Kentucky USA. He arrived in Sullivan Tsp sometime around 1848-49 where he met and married Louisa Douglas the daughter of Ellen and James Douglas Sr. who were neighbouring farmers on the east side of the Garafraxa Road in Holland Township.
By the 1851 census[, Elias aged 35, and Louisa age 20 years old had one son named Aaron who was 2 years old and was residing on land located at Conc 1, 2 Div. Lot 4, owned by John Hemstock. According to the Agricultural Schedule of that census, Elias and Louisa had barely started to cultivate their farm with only six acres under pasture which had produced five and a half tons of hay. On 17 July 1858 Elias officially bought the 50-acre farm lot from John Hemstock for £50. He continued to cultivate and work his farm until 30 Sept 1859 when Elias sold the plot to Elizabeth Breese for £100.
Elias and Louisa and their growing family moved across to the east side of the Garafraxa Holland Tsp when Elias bought Lot 12 on Con 1, SW of the Toronto Road from Stephen Breese for £400 on 13 Feb 1860. The January 1861 Canada census shows the family has now grown to five children, Aaron is now 11, Nathaniel is 9, Jemima is 7, Elias Jr. is 4, and Robert is aged 2. Elias was noted as being both a bricklayer as well as a farmer. The family of seven lived in a one-story log house and unfortunately, it is also noted that Elias and Louisa had a 1-year-old baby boy who died in1860 from a violent cold.
On 12 Sept 1860 Elias also bought another farming plot over on Conc 2, the NE part of Lots 32 and 33. Northeast of Toronto and Sydenham Road, Holland, Grey County, Ontario totaling 100 acres. He paid $500 to Henry Taylor and his wife for each 50-acre plot and the sale included the right of way onto the properties.
When Elias was listed in the Gazetteer and directory of the county of Grey for 1865-66 on page 131, he is noted as residing on Con 1, Lot 11. I suspect that although Elias bought Lot 12, he was also farming on Lot 11 The 1871 census finds the Earls still on their farm in Holland Township with seven of their children. Elias is noted as both a mason and a farmer and his son Aaron who is now 21 years of age and Samuel (who we believe is Nathaniel from the 1861 census), aged 19 are also both noted as farmers
Elias and Louisa went on to have at least thirteen children. Two of their young sons, Elias Jr died at the age of 16 years old on 17 Sept 1873, and *Joshua Earls who died at the tender age of eighteen months in May 1866 are buried in Mount Zion Cemetery along with their older sister Jemima (1854 – 1948), who on 27 Feb 1884 had married William Bowie the son of Fielder and Anne Bowie of Sullivan Township.
*Elias and Louisa had another son born to them on 10 Dec 1870 named Joshua after his late brother. The second Joshua married Elizabeth Woods on 31 Dec 1902.
Elias received the Crown patent for the SW part of Lot 32 on Conc 2, Northeast of Toronto and Sydenham Rd., Holland Tsp, Grey, Ontario on 26 Sept 1889. The acquisition of this plot of land gave Elias considerable land holdings on this side of Holland Township. These lands stayed in the Earls family until 1920.
Throughout the years Elias, Louisa, and their large family continued to work and develop their farm. On 8 June 1895, his son Joshua Earls II bought the adjoining Lot 11 from Stephen Breese for $100.00. On 12 June 1895, he sold the same lot to his brother for $1.00. The Earls family stayed on this farm until Solomon Earls sold the land in Feb 1906.
Elias Earls lived to the ripe age of 102 years. He passed away from natural causes on 6 Dec 1894. It is recorded that he was born in 1792 in Kentucky, USA, and that he was a farmer. His son Joshua II was the informant. It is noted on his death registration that, “Deceased was born in slavery but made his escape after reaching manhood. Age and birthplace are as nearly correct as possible – J.R.H. Registrar
Unfortunately, there is little known about Louisa Douglas, as she is only mentioned sparingly in historical documentation.
From census records, we know that Louisa was born around 1830 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, and came to Canada with her parents and siblings in 1838. According to her father Jim Douglas’ Naturalization Registration, as of February 1841, the family was residing in Etobicoke, Ontario, and arrived in the newly surveyed Holland Township in Grey County around 1847/48.
No marriage records for Elias and Louisa have been found as yet, but based on the birth of their first child Aaron I suspect they were married around 1848, when she was about 18 years of age.
Her children included Aaron (b. 1849), Samuel (b. 1852), Jemima (b. 1854), and Elias Jr. (b. 1856), there was also a baby boy noted in the 1861 census who ‘died of violent cold’ (1860), Robert (b.1859), Agnes (b. 1862), Joshua (1864-1866), David (b. 1867), Solomon (b. 1869), Joshua II (b. 1870) and Louisa (b. 1875)
The exact date of Louisa’s death is presently unknown. Research on Louisa Douglas-Earls is ongoing.
Note: I found the surname of ‘Earls’ spelled in a few different ways and chose the spelling that I most often found during my research for this narrative.
Written and researched by Nancy M. Lee
Painting - ‘Joshua and Solomon’ with permission by artist Tony K. Miller
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Year: 1851; Census Place: Grey, Canada West (Ontario); Schedule: A; Roll: C-11723; Page: 3; Line: 4-6
Year: 1851; Census Place: Grey, Canada West (Ontario); Schedule: A; Roll: C-11723; Page: 23; Line: 8
Abstract index books, ca 1832-1948, Sullivan Township, v. 1-2 ca. 1847-1958, Book 1, page 2,
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSVG-GSNL-8?i=7&cat=330982, film #008129790, microfilm page 8
ONLAND – Ontario Land Registry Access – https://www.onland.ca/ui/16/books/49570/viewer/28388250?page=38
Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns For 1861; Roll: C-1027-1028, page 41, Lines 1 – 7, microfilm page 443
Book 1, page 76, Abstract index books, ca. 1832-1958, Film # 008199329, (microfilm page 45) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLG-LQ2K-M?i=44&cat=330982
Year: 1871; Census Place: Holland, Grey North, Ontario; Roll: C-9953; Page: 46; Family No: 158, Lines 17 – 20,and page 47 Lines 1-5
Grey (16), Holland Book 170, page 1, microfilm page 125, Ontario Land Registry Access - Onland.ca
https://www.onland.ca/ui/16/books/49567/viewer/20648363?page=125
ONLAND – Ontario Land Registry Access – https://www.onland.ca/ui/16/books/49570/viewer/28388250?page=33
Canada, Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:M39Q-8ZT : Registrar General. Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm page 704.
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IMy heart swells with pride and admiration when I think of my grandmother, Jemima Bowie. On her tombstone, the years 1843 to 1949 are etched, but there's a whisper of uncertainty surrounding those dates. Yet, in my heart, I choose to believe that she graced this earth for 107 years—a testament to the blessings of longevity bestowed upon those who embody dedication, hard work, perseverance, and a deep-seated commitment to helping others.
Jemima Bowie, my beloved great-grandmother, was not just a name on a family tree. She was the daughter of Elias Earls and Louisa Douglas, a pioneering soul hailed as one of the earliest black women born in Canada. Her life unfolded on a humble farm in Holland Center, where she toiled tirelessly, clearing land, nurturing crops, and tending to a modest livestock. Standing at around 5 feet tall, she was a titan of resilience, raising a family and weathering the storm of burying her beloved husband, William Bowie.
Stories of her prowess with horses paint a vivid picture of her strength and skill. My mother, raised under Jemima's loving care, learned to harness a team of horses at just five years old—a testament to the wisdom and guidance that flowed from Jemima's hands. Her connection to the land was profound; my mother often reminisced about how the soil, tended by Jemima's loving hands, resembled brown sugar—a testament to her nurturing touch and agricultural prowess.
But Jemima's legacy transcends mere farming prowess. When tragedy struck in a Toronto hospital, and a hot water bottle scarred my mother's leg during birth, Jemima's love knew no bounds. Without hesitation, she journeyed from the rural tranquility of Holland Center to the bustling heart of downtown Toronto. With her knowledge of herbs and natural remedies, she crafted a poultice that, with time, healed my mother's scarred leg. Jemima's faith in nature's remedies mirrored the resilience and resourcefulness of early settlers, relying not on modern medicine but on the healing power of the earth itself.
Though I never had the privilege of meeting Jemima in person, her spirit lives on in the echoes of my mother's stories, in the values she instilled, and in the love she showered upon her family. They say that an apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, and in my mother's character, beliefs, and values, I see Jemima's legacy shining bright—a beacon of strength, resilience, and unwavering love.
Written By Jemima Earls-Bowie’s Great Grandson, Robert Green
July 2nd, 2024tem description
JEMIMA EARLS - BOWIE