Samuel Nelson Nevills

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00032-2801.11

Other Events:

• Interesting: politics, life story, mill
• Name: Titus Geer Simons Neville
• Eby ID Number: 00032-2801.1
• Occupation: 1850, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; merchant, miller, carder, fuller & spinner
• Occupation: 1852, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; miller and merchant
• Elected Office: 1858, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Reeve/Mayor
• Occupation: 1861, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Miller
• Residence: 1861, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian
• Business: 1862, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Dry good store, woollen manufacturer
• Occupation: 1871, Ailsa Craig, Middlesex Co., Ontario, Canada

Notes:

"The Sheriff is in charge of T.G.S. Nevills' store, Ailsa Craig. The last seen of the "Old War Horse" was aboard the ferry between Sarnia and Port Huron, where he was overheard humming the well-known lines from Nancy Lee about, 'The sailor's wife the sailor's star shall be, Away with me across the sea.'"

London Advertiser July 18 1881

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Death of T.J.G. Nevils

"Sunday evening last, about 5 o'clock, the dead body of Mr. Nevils was discovered by some of his neighbors, through his bedroom window, the door having previously been tried but found fastened. After the fact of his death became known, the door was forced and the proper officers summoned to take action. Mr. Nevils lived in a house on the Duncan road, near the residence of J.B. McArthur, and carried on the business of a tailor and repairer of garments, and for some time had lived alone in the house. The jury impanelled returned a verdict that the deceased came to his death from natural causes. J.H. Tuttle, the undertaker, took charge of the body, telegraphing to the dead man's friends the facts in the case. The disease that carried him off is claimed by some to have been dropsy and by others to have been Bright's disease. Two sons of the deceased arrived Monday from Vassar, and preparations made for burial. He was buried in the village cemetery Tuesday afternoon.".'"

"The Cheboygan Democrat" Thursday, March 18, 1886

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Built second grist mill in New Hamburg; according to E.W.B. Snider, Neville had a sawvmill and a flour mill which operated for some time, but eventually "the water freshets made conditions very unfortunate, destroying mill dam and damaging buildings, so that where formerly a thriving busines was done, today there is barely a trace left of the industries:

Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 6 pg 29

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The first name of the place was Cassel, but was shortly changed to New Hamburg. Wm. Scott was one of the most prominent among the pioneer business men. He, about 1834, became possessed of a lot of land and a grist mill. Most, if not all of this property, he purchased from Absolom Schade. According to some one Goschman was the builder and first proprietor of the mill. Scott added a saw mill and distillery, the little group of buildings being located just at the rear of where the Wm. Tell Block now stands. Later a woollen mill was erected on the site of the distillery. Meantime, Charles Kirkpatrick opened the first general store and other tradesmen followed. T. G. S. Neville was the second merchant, following Kirkpatrick in 1835. Neville also built a grist mill and established a second woollen mill. He became the owner of considerable land and was a leading figure for some years, becoming the village's first reeve in 1858. In 1852 Scott erected the large four-story frame flour mill, still familiar to nearly everyone, as it was burned down only six years ago. In 1837 a second visitation of cholera epidemic dealt the place a severe blow. These are, in the main, the facts in connection with the earliest, history of New Hamburg. The names and occupations of a few of the other . early settlers are herewith given in the hope that they may prove of some interest.

Special Industrial souvenir number of New Hamburg: containing a comprehensive review of the natural advantages and resources of the village of New Hamburg, 1908, Berlin Daily News, Berlin, Ontario
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Titus was named after Titus Geer Simons after his father's commanding officer in the War of 1812 and was reported to have been born in West Flamborough, Wentworth Co., Ontario. He served on Waterloo County Council in the years 1858-1864.

Titus married Margaret Erb 1842. Margaret (daughter of Samuel Erb and Mary Lewis) was born 11 Jul 1822, About Two Miles South-East Of Berlin, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 24 Oct 1909, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada; was buried , Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, York Co., Ontario. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Margaret Nevills
• Eby ID Number: 00032-2801
• Residence: 1861, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist
• Residence: 1871, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

Margaret Erb, "was born July 11th, 1822. She was married to Titus G. S. Neville who was born September 27th, 1820, and died March 14th, 1886. They resided in New Hamburg, Ontario, where he died. To them were born the following 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.].

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Margaret separated from her husband.

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NEVILLS - At the residence of C.H. Westwood, 193 Madison Avenue, on Sunday, October 24, 1909, Margaret Nevills, widow of the late Titus Nevills of New Hamburg, Ont., in her 88th year. Funeral private, Tuesday, 2: 30 p.m.


Toronto Globe & Mail Newspaper undated

Residence:
She was living with her daughter Samantha, separated from her husband.

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.].

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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:

• 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.].

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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