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Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario. |
Benjamin Shenston
Abt 1790 - Yes, date unknown-
Name Benjamin Shenston Born Abt 1790 Of, London, England 
Gender Male Residence 1832 Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence 1834 Thorold, Thorold Twp., Welland Co., Ontario Eby ID Number Waterloo-91247 Died Yes, date unknown Person ID I91247 Generations Last Modified 1 Dec 2024
Family Mary Strahan, b. Abt 1790, Of, London, England , d. Yes, date unknown Children 1. Thomas S. Shenston, b. 25 Jun 1822, London, England , d. Yes, date unknownLast Modified 3 Dec 2024 Family ID F14627 Group Sheet | Family Chart
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Notes - THOMAS S. SHENSTON, Registrar of the County of Brant, was born in London, England, June 25th, 1882[1822] ; is the son of Benjamin and Mary (Strahan) Shenston, and is remotely related to the poet Shenstone. When Mr. Shenston 'was about nine years of age, the family emigrated to Upper Canada, and after sojourning one year near the Town of Dundas, Couuty of Wentworth, went to the Township of Woolwich, County of Waterloo, ten miles north of the Town of Guelph, taking two and a half days to make the journey with two yoke of oxen. There Thomas had ample opportunities for exercise in swinging the axe in the compact woodland, without the diversion of hunting up a school-house conveniently, the nearest being at Guelph. Two years later the family removed to the Township of Thorold, in the Niagara District, near the " Decew Falls," on a hundred acre farm, purchased from Nicolas Smith. This farm proved to be a heavy clay and unproductive, and Mr. Shenston became discouraged, and prevailed on his father, in 1837, to allow him to go to St. Catharines and learn the saddle and harness trade, and while there he became a volunteer, during 1838, to fight the rebels, being in Captain Mittleberger's company, under Col. Clark. In 1841 Mr. Shenston went to Chatham to settle and start in business for himself, but the climate not agreeing with him he moved to East Woodstock, where he did an extensive business at his trade, and erected, among other buildings, the east half of the three-story brick block, known as the " Elgin Block." In 1848 he had his dwelling house, shop and the Elgin Block, destroyed by fire while uninsured. During 1846, 1847 and 1848, he was a member of the Council of the District of Brock, as the representative of the Township of East Oxford, and for several years he was School Trustee for the Town of Woodstock. In 1849, when 27 years of age, Mr. Shenston was appointed Magistrate, and during the last two years of his residence in that county, he did more magisterial business than all the other seventy-five magistrates in the county. In 1849 Mr. Shenston sold out his premises and business, and for a year or two before he left that county he was Secretary-Treasurer of the Woodstock and Norwich Road Company, County Clerk of Oxford, and Secretary of the Board of Education for that county, and a School Trustee for the Town of Woodstock. In 1852 he was Census Commissioner for the county. On January 21st, 1853, when the County of Brant was formed, he was appointed Registrar, and has held that office ever since. This appointment necessitated his removal to Brautford, the county town. In 1853 he was appointed a Magistrate for the County of Brant, and Commissioner in Queen's Bench. From January 1st, 1869, in a house furnished rent free by Ignatius Cockshutt, he sustained an Orphans' home for* twenty or twenty-two orphan girls, being, however, aided to the extent of one-half by Mr. Cockshutt for the last five years. He is Senior Deacon of the First Baptist Church, and, with trifling exceptions, has been Superintendent of the Sunday school of that church for over twenty-five years. Mr. Shenston, who is literally a self-educated man, holds several other offices, and is ever busy with his pen. He was married, December 30, 1843, to Mary Lazenby, of East Oxford, and their family numbered six children, two of whom died in infancy. Naomi Ann is the wife of Richard R. Donnelly, an extensive publisher, Chicago ; Reuben Strahan learned the drug business, but abandoned it for the art of printing, and is now one of the proprietors of the Brautford Expositor : Joseph Newton is Deputy Registrar for his father ; and Ruth Davidson is the wife of Rev. Elmore Harris, pastor of a Baptist Church in Toronto, Ont.
The history of the county of Brant, Ontario: containing a history of the county: its township, cities, towns, schools, J. H. Beers & Co. Warner, Beers & Co
- THOMAS S. SHENSTON, Registrar of the County of Brant, was born in London, England, June 25th, 1882[1822] ; is the son of Benjamin and Mary (Strahan) Shenston, and is remotely related to the poet Shenstone. When Mr. Shenston 'was about nine years of age, the family emigrated to Upper Canada, and after sojourning one year near the Town of Dundas, Couuty of Wentworth, went to the Township of Woolwich, County of Waterloo, ten miles north of the Town of Guelph, taking two and a half days to make the journey with two yoke of oxen. There Thomas had ample opportunities for exercise in swinging the axe in the compact woodland, without the diversion of hunting up a school-house conveniently, the nearest being at Guelph. Two years later the family removed to the Township of Thorold, in the Niagara District, near the " Decew Falls," on a hundred acre farm, purchased from Nicolas Smith. This farm proved to be a heavy clay and unproductive, and Mr. Shenston became discouraged, and prevailed on his father, in 1837, to allow him to go to St. Catharines and learn the saddle and harness trade, and while there he became a volunteer, during 1838, to fight the rebels, being in Captain Mittleberger's company, under Col. Clark. In 1841 Mr. Shenston went to Chatham to settle and start in business for himself, but the climate not agreeing with him he moved to East Woodstock, where he did an extensive business at his trade, and erected, among other buildings, the east half of the three-story brick block, known as the " Elgin Block." In 1848 he had his dwelling house, shop and the Elgin Block, destroyed by fire while uninsured. During 1846, 1847 and 1848, he was a member of the Council of the District of Brock, as the representative of the Township of East Oxford, and for several years he was School Trustee for the Town of Woodstock. In 1849, when 27 years of age, Mr. Shenston was appointed Magistrate, and during the last two years of his residence in that county, he did more magisterial business than all the other seventy-five magistrates in the county. In 1849 Mr. Shenston sold out his premises and business, and for a year or two before he left that county he was Secretary-Treasurer of the Woodstock and Norwich Road Company, County Clerk of Oxford, and Secretary of the Board of Education for that county, and a School Trustee for the Town of Woodstock. In 1852 he was Census Commissioner for the county. On January 21st, 1853, when the County of Brant was formed, he was appointed Registrar, and has held that office ever since. This appointment necessitated his removal to Brautford, the county town. In 1853 he was appointed a Magistrate for the County of Brant, and Commissioner in Queen's Bench. From January 1st, 1869, in a house furnished rent free by Ignatius Cockshutt, he sustained an Orphans' home for* twenty or twenty-two orphan girls, being, however, aided to the extent of one-half by Mr. Cockshutt for the last five years. He is Senior Deacon of the First Baptist Church, and, with trifling exceptions, has been Superintendent of the Sunday school of that church for over twenty-five years. Mr. Shenston, who is literally a self-educated man, holds several other offices, and is ever busy with his pen. He was married, December 30, 1843, to Mary Lazenby, of East Oxford, and their family numbered six children, two of whom died in infancy. Naomi Ann is the wife of Richard R. Donnelly, an extensive publisher, Chicago ; Reuben Strahan learned the drug business, but abandoned it for the art of printing, and is now one of the proprietors of the Brautford Expositor : Joseph Newton is Deputy Registrar for his father ; and Ruth Davidson is the wife of Rev. Elmore Harris, pastor of a Baptist Church in Toronto, Ont.
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Event Map 
Residence - 1832 - Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada 
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