Chapter 3
Let us go back now to Mersea Township along Talbot Road where
Frederick Levi and his presumed brother John Lebo received land
grants of Lot 230 (Frederick Levi) and Lot 229 (John Lebo).
There was, according to an early land map of that area,
ownership by a Francis Amireaux of Lot 227 South Talbot Road
West. Could it be that through influence of their father,
Frederick Levi (Liebau, or through their older brother John,
that Frederick Levi, John Lebo and their sister Louisa Liebau
and Francis Amireau (her husband), acquired adjacent or almost
adjacent parcels of land of 200 acres all along Talbot Road?
Could it in fact be that the father of Frederick John Levi, that
we have always referred to as Frederick Levi Sr., and whose
spouse was always referred to as (Modley or Modlin) were in fact
the parents of Elizabeth Levi Whittle, John Lebo and Frederick
John Levi? We have not yet been able to verify this, but I think
there is a good chance that such is the case. It however, Louisa
Liebau was born on July 8, 1799 in Amherstburg, Ontario, how
could the father of John Lebo have emigrated to the U. S. in
1802 from Paris, France according to the story told by Bertha
Churchill? Did John Lebo (Levi), her great grandfather go with
General Brock and carry the cannon? We have no other choice, at
the present time, than to leave the readers hereof with the
puzzle until we are able to do more research.
When we first located the land records in Mersea, where
Frederick Levi and his wife Ann conveyed Lot 230 South on Talbot
Road West to Isaac (Bufsel) or Russel on June 25, 1836, this
placed Frederick and Julia Ann as being there as land owners. We
didn't find at that time when and how they acquired the land.
When we found that John Whittle and Frederick Levi acquired Lot
8 in the Second Concession in Gossfield, in 1832 and sold it in
1838, we didn't know the relationship of John Whittle and
Frederick (John) Levi, that John's mother Elizabeth and
Frederick's father Frederick were brother and sister. When we
recently came into a possession of a copy of Frederick's
petition to the Crown and the Council Minutes granting the
petition and ordering the Registration of the patent; it places
him on the land as early as 1820. The Petition reads as follows:
FREDERICK'S PETITION FOR LAND
To His Excellency - John Colborne K.C.B., Lieutenant Governor of
the Province of Upper Canada and Mayor General Commanding His
Majesties Forces therein;
In Council
The Petition of Frederic Levi of Talbot Road, Farmer
Humbly Sheweth
That your Petitioner is the son of the late Frederic Levi
deceased; late of the Township of Mersea in the County of Essex
and Western District Yeoman. That you Petitioner was located in
the year 1820, by Colonel Talbot upon a lot of two hundred acres
of land on Talbot Road West. Liable to Settlement Duties which
he has performed and is ready to pay the fees that may be
required.
Wherefore your Petitioner prays that your Excellency will be
pleased to grant him the said lot and your Petitioner as is duty
bound will ever pray.
Mersea Talbot Road
8th September 1829
Recommended by
Thomas Talbot
-------------
I certify that Frederick Levi has taken the oath of allegiance before me
Thomas Talbot
J.P.
You will note that the petition is dated the 8th of September,
1829 but that the Petitioner was actually located upon the lot
in 1820 and that he had performed the settlement duties for
which he was liable at the time of filing of the petition in
1829. There is then the prayer that the petition be granted upon
the recommendation of Thomas Talbot.
By this petition, we also learn that his Father, Frederick
Levi (Leibau) had died before this petition was filed and also
that he had resided in Mersea. The Petition then came before the
Mersea Council for it's action and the following minute entry
was made:
In Council 9th May, 1836, Recommended
-----------------
Warrant No. 2339
16 May, 1836
The Petition of Frederic Levi of the Township of Mersea
George Howe
3rd May, 1836, Referred to the Surveyor General to report hereon
for the information of the Honorable Mersea Council
By Command
---Signature---
Lot No 230 South on Talbot Road West in the Township of
Mersea, wherein the Petitioner has been located and performed
the settlement duties, is free from difficulty and may be
discharged, if it is Your Excellency's pleasure.
----6th May, 1836
J. Radenhurst
The Council then entered it's order as follows:
In Council 9th May, 1836
Ordered that Frederick Levi, shall receive a grant of two
hundred acres of Land - Registration 6th July, 1836, et. 557
Rep. 16 May, 1836.
Pat & Survey paid 8 lbs. Sterling
John Bishop
Of the Review General
Clerk G__ General
To the Receiver General
---- Signature ---
It is difficult to know what the intent of Frederick John Levi
was when he applied for and obtained the patent of the 200 acres
on Talbot Road. He also had an interest in Lot 8 with John
Whittle, his cousin. His brother John Lebo and his
brother-in-law, Francis Amireau (husband of Louisa) had
undoubtedly obtained patents at or near the same time and were
required to prove up on their lands during basically the same
time. But, we have nothing placing Father Frederick in the area
as a farmer. Family history has it that he aslo was a farmer. If
such was the case, we have been unable, as of yet, to find
records of his land. It may be that the two tracts located on
the Ecorses River belonged to his family and that he had land
somewhere in the area.
Was it Frederick John Livi's intent to make farming his
lifelong career as his brother John Lebo did? Or did he intend
to homestead the land and sell it for a profit and go into
business? During the time he was on the land, it is believed
that he married a neighborhood lady from the Leamington area,
Mary Bruner. Aunt Eva had given us indication that there was a
likely tie with the Lebeau family and thereafter and when
studying history of the first families in the area we read of
the Bruner family as follows:
"The name of Bruner, long known in the County of Essex, is
worthily borne in the present generation by Amon and Wellington
Chapter 4
