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Jacob Conrad and Anna Eva Staring Clock's married life
began at the very outset of the hostilities of the War of
Independence. Jacob Conrad was a Lieutenant in Col.
Jacob Klock's Corps. of the Continental army from which he was
taken prisoner by the British and transported to
Montreal in 1780. Shortly afterward, he signed up with the British in
the second battalion of Kings Royal Regiment of New York under Sir John
Johnson and was sent on a raid to the Mohawk
Valley. Once there he deserted and returned home
to his wife and children. Johnathan Hart, another member of the
second battalion of the Kings Royal Regiment of New
York, testified to this desertion in York township, October, 1811.
Jacob Conrad and Anna Eva Staring Clock came to York
township in 1801/2 with 18 head of horned cattle, two horses, 4 sheep
and 240£ York, in movable property. At this time they had thirteen
children not all of whom accompanied them to
Canada. They settled on lot 32, third Concession
from the Bay, York township.
Life in Canada was never dull for the Clock family.
John and David Clock and Henry Phillips appeared to be
speculating in land in Canada and John and David
Clock in the USA as well. Conrad Clock and Edward Phillips were in
the York Militia during the War of 1812-14. In the
Military "C" Series they can be seen joining and deserting the militia
with great regularity. At one point both were in
the guard house.
It was during the War of 1812-14 when the Americans
invaded the Town of York that Jacob Conrad Clock and his
son-in-law Edward Phillips were each charged with
treason by Jacob Conrad's other sons-in-law Jacob and George
Anderson and their father Elias Anderson UEL.
It was testified that Jacob Conrad Clock asserted that
everything in the country belonged to the Americans and
nothing to the King, with damning the King and comforting
the enemy. It was also asserted that Jacob Conrad sold veal,
eggs and butter to the enemy when they were in York
and received from the enemy, flour and pork. In his defense Jacob
asserted that the Americans were not his enemies
but his friends.
That was probably true as Jacob Conrad Clock's nephews
were American veterans of the War of 1812-14, having
served at Sackett's Harbour, New York, from which
the invading force sailed. As a parting shot Jacob Conrad was
reputed to have suggested that he had given to the
Americans Jacob Anderson's name and all the others who had assisted
in taking down prisoners and if he had caught Elias
Anderson in town he would have given him in to the Americans.
Edward Phillips was reported to have gone one step
further than selling produce. It was testified that he said when
the Americans came again he would have all the old
Tories hanged!
Jacob Conrad Clock claimed war losses during the War
of 1812-14, the witnesses being John Clock and William
Stoutenburgh. He claimed 33 pounds 15 for five cows
and 2 spring calves killed by the Indians the 27 Apr 1813
The following article from the Globe and Mail, dated
6 Mar 1984, describes the social climate and living conditions in the
Town of York, now the city of Toronto, about 1832 when Jacob Conrad Clock
died and about five years before Joseph and Isabella Shortt arrived from
County Monaghan, Ireland, to locate just north of there in Markham Township.
Two descendants of these families would eventually meet and marry.
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In connection with the mention of "hogs wallowing in
mud" in the above article, it appears that hogs were a problem.
In 1801, when Jacob Conrad Clock arrived at the Town of York, the meeting
of elected persons that year discussed the following:
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In 1802, it appears hogs as well as fences were a topic
of conversation in the minutes of the Town of York meeting:
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Even as late as 1823, swine were allowed to run at large in York Township but horses were to be shut up in the Township. Fences were to be five and a half feet high at the stake and rider and the spaces between the rails were to be four inches until the height of three feet.
e-mail: M. Gordon