Exhibits to the Sheridan (Ontario) Pollard History

Following are the exhibits referred to in the Sheridan (Ontario) Pollard history. The final three photos are newer and not yet referenced in this history; names of all the people in them have yet to be identified.

Exhibit 1

The map shows the “Province of Canada” as it existed for most of the early 1800s. Historians
point out that Peel region used the name “Toronto” in the 1700s, well before it was used by the
City to the East.

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Exhibit 2

This map shows land holdings in 1871, with original 1808 Pollard land grant shaded. The key
features of the community prior to the 1850s, the Red Schoolhouse, Spring Creek Grave-ground,
and the Clarkson railway station, are shown.

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Exhibit 2b

The current streets of the area, with the original 1808 Pollard grant area in yellow, and heritage properties included in the
Mississauga Heritage walking tour marked as red dots.

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Exhibit 3

This map shows only the first wave of settlers, prior to the 1820s, when the Mississaugua Indians sold off the rest of their land in the area and moved North, opening up the river property and the land North of Dundas Hwy. for settlement.

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Exhibit 4

Joshua Pollard Sr.’s “proving up” certificate; the 3 gentlemen all vouched for each other’s
certificates

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Exhibit 5a

Southern part of the Pollard homestead as it stood in 1991, taken facing South inside the
cloverleaf of the QEW where Reg Jones, last occupant of the second (Joshua Jr.’s, built
1854) Pollard house, planted a willow tree (see Exhibit 7f for a picture of the house)

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Exhibit 5b

Facing East across the land, still vacant since the Mississauga dump of the early 1900s was
closed and bulldozed over, showing a Holiday Inn at right, not too far from where Joshua
Pollard built the first inn in the region in 1811

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Exhibit 5c

Gravestone of Adolphus Theodore Pollard (1835-1911) and his wife Hannah Isabella
(Shook) (1842-1921) at Spring Creek

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Exhibit 5d

Gravestone of Walter Pollard (1822-1887), youngest son of Joshua Sr., at Spring Creek

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Exhibit 5e1

5e1 and 5e2: Two pictures of a long gravestone with, from top to bottom, unknown Joshua Pollard (d. Feb 10, 1823 Age 41); Keziah Pollard (d. 1833 Age 51) 2nd wife of Joshua Sr.; John Pollard (d. 1823 Age 22), eldest son of Joshua Sr.; Elizabeth (Betsy) Pollard Stafford (d. 1837 Age 32), eldest daughter of Joshua Sr.; Joseph Pollard (d. 1821 Age 6), fifth son of Joshua Sr.; Mary Ann (Whitsell) Pollard (d. 1823 Age 51), first wife of Joshua Sr. These are among the earliest burials in Spring Creek.

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Exhibit 5e2

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Exhibit 5f

Gravestone of Joshua Pollard Sr. (1772-1850)

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Exhibit 5g1

5g1-5g3: Three sides of gravestone monument at Spring Creek with, on 1st side, Joshua Pollard Jr. (1813-1882) and his wife Mariah (Hill) (1814-1876); 2nd side Maggie Bell Pollard (1847-1883) 1st wife of Richard F. Pollard; 3rd side Joshua Brock Pollard (1837-1858) 2nd son of Joshua Jr. and his brother Erastus Derby Pollard (1840-1877)

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Exhibit 5g2

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Exhibit 5g3

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Exhibit 5h

Orr Road, formerly the Merigold Road at Con. 3S, Lot 28-30. This road is still heavily forested on both sides, much as it must have been as a dirt trail for carriages en route from Hamilton to Toronto. This would be what the settlers first saw (and had to clear) when they arrived in the 1810s.

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Exhibit 5i

Bradley House built c. 1830, now a museum, moved inland from waterfront Con 3S Lot 28; owned by the Bradleys, Merigolds and Beardsleys. Bradleys were Maritimers rather than UEL, so the decor her would be similar, but more rustic and less severe than the Pollards would have had when Joshua Sr. was raising his young family. Furniture shown is all reproductions except the corner piece behind the spinning wheel. The sitting room also served as a place of worship in those days.

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Exhibit 5j

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Exhibit 5k

Russell Bush’s Inn at Con 35 Lot 29-30, built in the 1830s after he bought the property from the Merigolds. No longer an inn by 1871, it is now a private residence.

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Exhibit 5l

Driveway to Clarkson’s house, much as it would have appeared in the early 1800s. By
comparison, Joshua Pollard Sr.’s house, unusually (and in anticipation of it serving as an inn)
was built very close to the road (which also probably doomed it when the road was widened).

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Exhibit 5m

Proctor’s House built c.1840 at Con 2S Lot 29, just South of Spring Creek. Owned by Proctors and Cavans. Also at the end of a long winding road. This house was probably frequented by the Pollards and may have been the home of William Pollard when he lived on this lot in the 1840s.

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Exhibit 7a

Joshua Pollard Jr. (1813-1882) c. 1870

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Exhibit 7b

Mariah Hill (1814-1876) c. 1870, wife of Joshua Pollard Jr

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Exhibit 7c

Hannah Isabelle Shook (1842-1921) c. 1870, wife of Adolphus Theodore Pollard

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Exhibit 7d

Dr. Stephen Pollard (1846-19xx) c. 1870, brother of Adolphus Theodore Pollard, medical school grad photo

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(click here for higher resolution version)

Pollards and Neighbours, May 24, 1897, Queen’s Birthday party at the Pollard homestead, then owned by David Shook.

Identities per Barnett:

• Group A:
1-2. Mrs. David Shook, with baby
3. Charlotte Shook (Mrs. William J. Hendry)
4. Theodore Pollard
5. H. Isabelle Shook (Mrs. Theodore Pollard)
6. Mrs. Mary Shook
7. Mary Rowe

• Group B:
8. Diana Shook
9. Henry Clarkson

• Group C:
10. Unidentified woman (with hat)
11. Mrs. Andrew Hendry
12-13. Mary Oliphant (Mrs. Snider in front)
14. Robert Shook (almost invisible above 13)
15. Jennie Hagerman (partly obscured face)
16 Margaret Rowe
17-18. Will Shook (child Walter Shook in front)
19. James Shook
20. Edith Hendry
21. M. Hendry

• Group D:

22. Henry Shook
23. Mr. Hendry
24. Marg Hendry
25. George Hendry (tall hat, mustache)
26. Mary (Pollard) Johnston (daughter of Adolphus Theodore)
27. A. Snider
28. Thomas Oliphant
29. Belle Rowe
30. Cora Clarkson
31. Mrs. H. Shook
32. David Shook
33. C. Hughes (Mrs. Sheard)
34. Ellen Shook
35. Catherine Rowe
36. Mrs. Hagerman
37. Mary Oughtred (sister of Richard Oughtred, Mrs. West)

• Group E:
38. Stephen Shook
39. Conrad Shook
40. Jim Shook (son of James Shook)
41. Robert Hughes
42. Ross Hendry
43. Archie Shook (son of James Shook)
44. Alec Shook (son of David Shook)
45. Esther Shook (daughter of David Shook, Mrs. Murphy)
46. Lottie (Charlotte) Pollard (daughter of Adolphus Theodore)
47. Gillian Oliphant (Mrs. G. Patterson)
48. Jim Shook (son of David Shook)
49. Roy Oliphant
50. Hazel Hendry
51. Grace Hendry
52. Kenneth Shook (son of James Shook)
53. Harry Gibbs

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Exhibit 7f

Brick home built 1854 by Joshua Pollard Jr., last occupied 1952 by Reg Jones.

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Exhibit 8a1

Exhibit 8a2

Exhibit 8a3

Exhibit 8a4

Exhibit 8a5

Will of Joshua Pollard Sr. [my annotations in square brackets]

In the name of God Amen —- this twelfth? day of March in the year of our Lord 1848, I, Joshua Pollard [Sr.] of the Township of Toronto in the Home District and Province of Canada, farmer, being weak? in body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given unto God for the same, therefore calling into mind the mortality of the body knowing that it appointed unto all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last will and testament.

That is to say, first of all I give and recommend my soul unto the hand of Almighty God that gave it, and my body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian burial at the discretion of my Executors, and, as touching? such worldly estate —- which? it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, demise, and dispose of the same in the following manner and forms viz.:

First I give and bequeath to Maria [Caslor] my dearly beloved [third] wife one good cow, four good sheep, all the furniture and building? she had and brought to my house at our marriage and one third? of all the building made since our marriage; also I give and bequeath unto my said wife the following yearly payments, annuities and privileges to be paid, done and performed by my son Joshua Pollard [Jr.] so long as she my said wife Maria may live and remain my widow viz. The sum of 5 pounds in cash or provisions annually at her option, ten cords of good hard fire wood to put into the wood shed yearly, the cow and four sheep to be well kept both summers and winters, also the use of the following viz. the house and out houses attached being the premises I now occupy together with a certain piece of land lying and being next [to] the Middle Road [now the Queen Elizabeth Way], and between the house and garden fence and the Eastern line of my farm to be fenced off from the said Easterly line fence to the garden between the third and fourth rows of apple trees, so that my said widow may have free use of three rows of said trees; also the use of the front yard for all necessary? purposes in passing and repassing both in and out; also one cooking stove and furniture, one box stove, one table, one bed stead? in front room, two —- and three —- chairs, and privilege of one third of the garden and so much of the cherries, prunes?, plums, and currents as she may require for her own use, but not to exceed one third yearly, that may be in the gardens and front yard.

At the demise or marriage of her my said wife all of the above yearly payments and privileges are to cease and revert to the proper use and benefit of my said son Joshua Pollard [Jr.] to whom I will and bequeath all my said estate property being a part of lots 30 and 31 [lots 28-29 having been sold to the Shooks] in the first concession south of Dundas Street, Township of Toronto, Home District and Province of Canada, containing 100 acres of land, or the same more or less, to have and to hold the same on the condition that he the said Joshua Pollard do and shall well and truly pay, keep and perform the before-mentioned yearly payments and privileges, as well as the following, viz.:

To my son William Pollard [b.1810] I will and bequeath the sum of 50 pounds currency to be paid in 4 yearly payments, the first to be due and payable at the expiration of one year from the date of my decease.

To my son James Pollard [II] I will and bequeath the sum of 100 pounds currency to be paid in 4 yearly payments in like manner.

To my daughter Lucinda the wife of Garrett Westerfelt I will and bequeath the sum of 25 pounds, and to my daughter Olive the sum of 25 pounds, the last mentioned daughter being the wife of Dennis Spencer, all to be paid in like manner by 4 yearly payments.

Also to my son Walter I give the sum of 200 pounds to be loaned at interest during his natural life, the interest to be paid to him annually from one year from my demise, and at his death should he the said Walter Pollard leave no heir of his body born in wedlock, the said 200 pounds I will and bequeath to my three sons and two daughters viz. William, Joshua, James, Lucinda, and Olive, to be divided equally amongst them or in the case of their demise or any of them, then amongst the heirs of the deceased the portion each would have been entitled to had they been living.

Also I give and bequeath to Theodore Stafford, the son of James Stafford (my grandson) the sum of 12 pounds and 10 shillings to be loaned at interest by my Executors until he attains the age of 21 years, and then to receive the principal and interest to his own use and benefit, but should he the said Theodore Stafford not live to the age of 21 years the said sum of 12 pounds 10 shillings together with the interest up until the time of his decease, is to be divided amongst my three sons and two daughters, above named, in manner and form as to the above named 200 pounds.

I also will and bequeath unto my said daughters Lucinda and Olive jointly, all the beds and building? on the house after the above-named one third is given to my wife Maria.

The remainder of all my chattel property not disposed of above, I direct my Executors to sell at auction and after paying all my lawful debts, funeral expenses and expenses of registering this my will, the balance to be divided amongst my sons William, Joshua, James and Walter, and my daughters Lucinda and Olive, equally.

The freehold estate hereby willed and bequeathed to my son Joshua Pollard is to be held, liable for all and singular the bequests, annuities and privileges above-mentioned, and not to be sold or any part thereof until all are satisfied and paid without giving good and sufficient security to the satisfaction of my Executors.

And I hereby utterly disallow, revoke and —- all and every other former testaments, wills and legacies, by me in any way before-named willed and bequeathed. Ratifying and confirming this and no other my last will and testament, and I hereby constitute and appoint, Nathaniel Hemphill, Joshua Pollard, and Oliver Hammond, all of the Township of Toronto aforesaid to be my Executors to this my last will and testament.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this day and year above written.

Signed, sealed, published and disclosed by the said Joshua Pollard as his last will and testament in the presence of the subscribers. [Signed] Joshua Pollard, Conrad Shook, William Stewart

Inventory: 100 acres 700 pounds, notes on hand 43, cash 9, 2 horses 15, 3 cows 10, 3 Herefords? 3, 9 sheep 3, 4 stags? –, 1 buggy wagon 7, 1 set H?, 1 saddle & bridle 2, 1 lumber sleigh 2, 1 sleigh, 1 farming mill 3, 1 straw cutter 1, household furniture 39, hay in barn 2 (other unreadable), total 848 pounds.

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Exhibit 8b1

Exhibit 8b2

Will of Joshua Pollard Jr.

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Exhibit 9

Map of City of Toronto c. 1877, with homes of Pollards 1870-1907 marked with red dots

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PHOTOS NOT YET REFERENCED IN THE SHERIDAN POLLARD HISTORY (courtesy Paul Plante)

1891 photo of Adolphus Theodore (standing 3rd from right) and his wife Hannah Isabelle (Shook) (sitting second from right), with other unidentified family members and neighbours. Higher resolution photo here.

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1897 photo of Adolphus Theodore (standing 3rd man from left) and his wife Hannah Isabelle (Shook) (third row from top, 4th from right), with other unidentified family members and neighbours. Higher resolution photo here.

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