Thomas Albert Erb

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-122817

Other Events:

• Name: Abram Erb
• Eby ID Number: 00032-2802
• Occupation: 1852, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; sawyer

Notes:

Abraham L. Erb, "was born May 11th, 1824. He is married to Mariah Quickfall. They reside at Otterville, Ontario, where he is engaged in farming. They have one child named Hannah, married to Philip House. They also reside in Otterville, Ontario."


Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

Abraham married Mariah Quickfall 5 Dec 1850, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Mariah (daughter of Thomas Quickfall and Hannah Martinson) was born 1826, Burton upon Stather, , Lincolnshire, England; was christened 28 Jan 1827, Burton upon Stather, , Lincolnshire, England; died 17 Feb 1906; was buried , Erbtown Free Methodist Burial Ground, South Norwich Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Maria Quickfall
• Name: Mariah Erb
• Eby ID Number: 00032-2802.1

Notes:

THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE

An interesting meeting took place the Saturday before last in the old log cabin in Waterloo Park.

This house was, of course, the first schoolhouse in this area and stood originally on the school-house square at the corner of King and Church Streets in Waterloo. It was built in 1820 and served its purpose until 1842, when it was torn down and a 1-storey stone house was constructed on the site. The dismantled log house was erected again in Greenbush and served as a residence for a long time for the coloured man, Mr. Carroll and his family. In the course of this year, the Waterloo Park Commissioners purchased the house, moved it to their park and furnished it again as it was when it was a school-house.

At this gathering, in addition to many other ladies and gentlemen, the following (male and female) former pupils attended, took their places on the benches, and were called to order by the 82-year-old teacher, Benjamin Burkholder, who held the scepter, or rather, the switch, from 1831 to 1842 in the old log-house: Joel Guth, 80 years old; Abraham Scherk, Blair, 79; Jakob Bricker, Waterloo, 77; Sarah Burkholder, nee Erb, Bridgeport, 75; Amos Weber, Berlin, 73; John C, Bricker, Hawksville, 71; Maria Erb, nee Quickfall, Norwich 69; David B. Eby, Waterloo, 69; Wendel Baumann, Woolwich, 68; Henry Stauffer, Erbsville, 67; Simon Beatty, Elmira, 67; Jakob Ratz, New Hamburg, 67; Israel Baumann, Berlin, 65; George Elbert, Moorefield, 63; George H. Baumann, Elmira, 63; John Devitt, Waterloo, 62; Richard Quickfall, Bridgeport, 62; Isaak Hoffmann, Waterloo, 61; Robert Barkwell, Peel, 60; Diana McMahon, nee Dekay, Berlin, 60; Thomas Quickfall, Floradale, 60; Benjamin Devitt, Waterloo, 60; Isaak Devitt, Floradale, 58; John Longmann, Peel, 57. In addition, to these, the teacher read the names of 25 pupils from the roll; they were, however, absent.

Mr. Burkholder gave an interesting talk about the history of the old school-house, and after him, Rev. J.A. MacLachlan, Rev. J. McNair, Mr. J.E. Baumann, M.P., and Mr. Jakob Ratz spoke about the old days which brought many things out of the past to mind again. School was, as a rule, only in session in winter and the costs were borne by the parents of the children. There were few subjects taught, namely: Reading, Writing and Sums. The children heard little about language, and geography; no child had more than 2 or 3 books. The predominant language was German. The pupils learned to read and write English, but didn't understand a word of it. Among the teachers in the old school-house from 1820-1842, with the exception of Mr. Burkholder, were the following whose names are still recognized: Jephtha DeKay, Joseph Guth, John Herringer, Peter Otto, John Dobbin, Elias Eby, Robert Barber, & Joseph Eby.

After those present, on hearing the various speeches felt themselves transported back to the past, the school was closed at four o'clock and the pupils were gathered together in front of the school and photographed as a group. On their return into the school, they found it had been transformed into a dining room with heavily-laden tables, which the old-timers thoroughly enjoyed. After everyone had chatted cordially for a while longer, the gathering broke up. The company will not meet again in complete numbers, nor in such a way.

Berliner Journal September 26, 1895 Page 4 Column 4

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00032-2781
• Public Service: 1822, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Assessor - Waterloo Township
• Occupation: 1852, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; yeoman

Notes:

Samuel Erb, "the eldest son of John and Magdalena Erb, was born January 4th, 1792. On June 25th, 1816, he was married to Mary Lewis who was born August 14th, 1795, and died March 26th, 1877. They resided for many years about two miles south-east of Berlin, on the farm lately owned by Israel Snider, where there family was born. Later they moved to Norwich, Oxford County, Ontario, where he died June 26th, 1878. Their family consisted of eleven children"


Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

_______________________-


ERB.-June 26th, in Middlesex Co., Ont., SAMUEL ERB, aged 84 years, 5 months and several days.


Herald of Truth - Volume XV, Number 8 - August 1878, pages 141, 143 and 144

Samuel married Mary Lewis 25 Jun 1816. Mary was born 14 Aug 1795, Ancaster Twp., Wentworth Co., Ontario; died 26 Mar 1877, South Norwich Township, Oxford Co., Ontario; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Mary Erb
• Eby ID Number: 00032-2781.1

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00088-5128.2
• Residence: 1825, Burton upon Stather, , Lincolnshire, England
• Land: Bef 1839, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 006E, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Occupation: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Laborer
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; England Church

Notes:

"The Quickfalls of this and other counties of Ontario are all descendants of old Franklin and Barbara Quickfall who emigrated to America and settled in New York State where they resided for many years. One of their sons, named II Thomas was born September 13, 1799. He was married to Hannah Martinson who was born November 14th, 1803, and died June 18th, 1889. In 1841 they (Thomas and his wife) with their family and his aged parents moved to Canada and settled in Waterloo County, Ontario, on the old "Moxley Farm" now known as the "Evergreen Farm", a little north-east of the town of Waterloo. Here they resided until their deaths. He died February 10th, 1868. To them were born several children, but the name of only one of their sons has been received"

Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

_____________________________

According to letters held by Madeline Lavender of Burlington, Ontario in 1995, brother-in-laws William and John Martinson left Thealby, Lincolnshire, England in the spring of 1830 for Quebec and were some years in Jamesville, Onondaga County, New York through the 1830's.

Thomas married Hannah Martinson 20 Oct 1825, Burton upon Stather, , Lincolnshire, England. Hannah (daughter of Martinson) was born 14 Nov 1803, , England; died 18 Jun 1889, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Artifact: Hannah Martinson's coffin plate
• Name: Hannah Quickfall
• Eby ID Number: 00088-5128.3
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Wesley Methodist

Notes:

Artifact:
Original at the Waterloo Historical Society

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21698950
• Eby ID Number: 00032-2779
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 075E, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 004W, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 011, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 104W, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Land: Bef 1831, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 020E, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region: Bef 2012, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

John Erb, "the third son of Christian and Maria (Scherch) Erb, was born December 8th, 1764, and was married to Magdalena Schrantz who was born in June, 1770. In 1805 he, in company with his wife and family, William Corwell, Henry Kraft and family, Peter Hammacher and family, Matthias Scheirich and family, Abraham Stauffer and family, and other families moved to Canada and settled in the township and county of Waterloo. John Erb settled on the Speed River about 200 rods from where now Erb's Mill, of Preston, stands. He proved to be the founder of Preston. In 1806 Mr. Erb erected his saw mill. Before this time no sawed lumber could be obtained nearer than Toronto or Niagara. A year thereafter (1807) he erected his grist mill which were rebuilt by their son, Joseph, in 1834. In a very short time Preston proved to be quite a business centre. Here he died September 2nd, 1832. His wife died June 2nd, 1826. They had a family of nine children"

Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

______________________

Preston (Bechtel or Hagey) Mennonite Church


The second meeting house in Waterloo County was built, probably in 1814, by John Erb, a wealthy miller of Preston. This brick meeting house served as a community church and was located "near Jacob Hagey's", which was on the road running from the top of the Kress Hill west and "adjoining the Kitchener Highway" (Witmer 1967: 26). Another meeting house, known as the Union Meeting House, was built in the area around 1824. A meeting was held in the Union church on November 20, 1824 to commence recording the accounts of the congregation in Hagey's Deacon Book. The deed of land for the Union Meeting House and burial ground, which was for one acre of part Lot 22, Beasley's Broken Front, was transacted in 1835.

Hagey Meeting House was buiilt of red brick in 1842 on part Lot 23, just north of Preston on the west side of the Breslau Road, and slightly north of the Union Meeting House site. The deed, dated February 2, 1842, recorded the purchase of the land from John Hilborn and stressed that the property was to be for "the purpose of public worship by the Mennonist Society" (Witmer 1967: 28). Joseph Bechtel was the first minister in the area, from 1804-1837; he was followed by David Sherk (1838-1843). Next came Joseph Hagey (1844-1877), who was ordained bishop in 1851, and then Jacob B. Gingrich from 1878 to 1901. Services were held every four weeks until 1890 when bi-weekly services were begun. A Sunday School was established in 1842 with the congregation of Wanner Meeting House near Hespeler, but it was discontinued because of a difference of opinion regarding the need for Sunday Schools. On April 26, 1891 a Sunday School was organized at Hagey's, with deacon Abraham Oberholtzer as superintendent. Five years later, on June 10, 1896, a Sunday School was organized at the Wanner church.

Major changes were made to the church building in 1927-1928 when the basement was excavated, new windows were installed and the roof was raised two feet. Fire on January 15, 1950 caused extensive damage to the interior and furnishings of the church. The building was completely renovated and also enlarged at the same time; dedication was on July 2, 1950. Another fire, on Feburary 19, 1953, completely destroyed the church. A congregational decision was made to build a new church, on Concession Road in Preston, and the cornerstone was laid on Thanksgiving Day, October 12, 1953. Official dedication services in the new Preston Mennonite Church were held on May 16, 1954. The building was enlarged in the summer of 1989.

Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose

John — Magdalena Schantz. Magdalena was born Jun 1770, Warwick Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania; died 2 Jun 1826, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Hagey Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21698966
• Name: Magdalena Erb
• Eby ID Number: 00032-2779.1

Other Events:

• Name: Franklin Quickfall
• Eby ID Number: 00088-5128.4
• Occupation: 1851, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; farmer
• Residence: 1851, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Church of England

Francis married Barbara Lawson 8 Apr 1798, Sunderland, , Cumberland, England. Barbara was born 1777, , England; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Barbara Quickfall
• Eby ID Number: 00088-5128.5
• Residence: 1851, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Church of England

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-42948