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His Father Was Jailer Of the Then Important Midland District - George V. Dulmage Comes of an Old Irish Family – Early Canadian Methodism – Kingston as It Was Almost a Century Ago George V. Dulmage, now a resident of the village of Sydenham, an old man in his eighty-seventh year, and yet enjoying fairly good health and an excellent memory, is a native of Kingston and one of the few remaining members of a former generation, whose reminiscences of his early years are of much interest. His father, Elias Dulmage, was a well-known and quite a prominent citizen of Kingston, as early as 1810 or thereabouts. He was then the jailer of the Midland district – then a position of considerable importance and prominence, which he held for twenty years. “He held that position,” says the son, “fifteen years in the old jail and five years in the new,” which would indicate that the present is a t least the third jail in Kingston. Where the first jail stood and just what sort of a structure it was would make a subject for and interesting paper for the historical society. The Dulmages were one of the old Irish Palatine families, who came to Canada with the early U.E. loyalist pioneers and whose names were so prominently identified with the founders of Methodism, both in the United States and Upper Canada. John Embury, the first of the family in this province, was a brother-in-law of the celebrated Barbara Heck and her husband Paul and who appears to have emigrated with them from Court Mattrass, county of Limerick, Ireland, to New York when it was yet a small British colony, also in company with Philip Embury, the first Methodist local preacher and class leader in America. It was at the strong urgings and solicitations of Barbara Heck that Philip Embury, who had been a local preacher under John Wesley in Ireland, was induced to preach the first Methodist sermon in his own humble dwelling in New York and from the first class. The party of Palatines of which the Emburys, the Hecks and probably the Dulmages, contributed a part, left Ireland in 1760 and it was in 1766 that the first memorable meeting was held in New York, already referred to on Barrack street, New York. Out of that first small Methodist congregation soon grew one large enough to warrant the building of the old John street Methodist church, or chapel, the first in America. The Emburys and Hecks who had been farmers and country people in Ireland, soon resolved to leave New York, which was then becoming quite a town, and settle on farms up the Hudson river, near Troy, at what was popularly known at one time as “The Embury Settlement,” where they again founded the first Methodist society. There Philip Embury died. John Dulmage and his wife, the grandparents of the subject of the present sketch, were among the members of that small community and for years after, the histories of these families – the Hecks, the Emburys and the Dulmages – are intimately connected. It was
while they were in this settlement, near Ashgrove, that the troubles of the
American revolution first began; the Hecks and Emburys appear to have left
almost at once for Canada, so as to remain still under the British flag, and
at peace, and went to Montreal where they resided for a time. John Lawrence,
who appears all along to have been intimately associated with the Emburys,
went along and was married to Philip Embury’s widow. They reared also a
family and their descendants are yet quite numerous in the vicinity of the
township of Augusta, near Prescott, to which these families soon moved from
Montreal, Paul Heck’s name appears on the crown lands records of Canada as
having drawn land in the eastern district, as corporal in Burgoyne’s army. John Dulmage appears to have taken an
active part in the British ranks during the war of the revolution as a
lieutenant in the Loyal Rangers, and probably served as such during the entire
war. His name also appears among those to whom land was granted by the crown
in the eastern district, at Augusta. The families appear to have rejoined
there. It was there, too, that the first Methodist class was formed in Upper
Canada, made up in part at least of the Hecks, Emburys, Lawrences and
Dulmages. That may be put down as the actual formation of Methodism in Upper
Canada, though that class was irregularly formed so far as church discipline
is concerned because there was no regularly recognized minister to form it. Early Canadian Methodism It may well be stated here that the first
regularly sent Methodist missionary to Upper Canada was Rev. William Losee.
He came to the province in 1790 and began his regular work in Adolphustown
that year. It was there, in 1791, Sunday February 20th that the
first class in the province was regularly formed, in Paul Huff’s house on Hay
Bay. It was on the same lot in 1792 that the first Methodist church was
built, the remains of which are still standing. It may be as well to mention
just here, that the second class regularly formed was at Col. Parrott’s
house, four miles east of Bath on the next Sunday, February 27th.
The locality is yet known as Parrott’s Bay and a comfortable Methodist church
stands there now. The third of these historic early classes was formed on
Wednesday, March 2nd at Samuel Detlor’s house, two or three miles
south east of where Napanee now stands. That day is also memorable in the
history of Methodism as being the day of the death of John Wesley. When Losee first came to Canada form the
New England states, he is supposed to have crossed the St. Lawrence somewhere
below Cornwall – there seems no record – and came up on the Canadian side of
the St. Lawrence. He then found the Augusta settlement and its class and
preached there, but did not long remain, as he was on his way to see
relatives and former friends in Adolphustown. There was, later on, an early
Methodist church built there, but not till some years after the one in
Adolphustown. Early Events At Kingston Elias Dulmage, father of the present
sketch, lived first with his parents at Augusta and then moved west to near
Kingston, where the balance of his days were spent. He first moved to what
was then known as “The Beach Farm: where he lived for a time and then moved
to Kingston, probably at the time of his appointment as jailer in 1820. In
1816, George V., to whom these rough notes refer, was born and all his early
years were spent in Kingston. He has still in very clear remembrance of those
early years and many of the men who were leading spirits in the small
community, at that time. Kingston in his early days was quite a small
village, without sidewalks, or even well-graded streets, or market, or very
much machinery in the shape of a local government. He says; “I remember among
the early tavern keepers – they were not known as hotels then – Robert Walker,
Olcott and Milcord. I also knew Kerby, Markland and Macaulay. Among the early
merchants I remember were William Wilson (who later on built the large cut
stone block on the corner opposite where the “Golden Lion” now stands) and
his brother, Thomas Wilson, whose store was on Princess street. They both
came from England and lived and died in Kingston. The surveyors I remember
were Rorison, Baker and Kilborne. The market clerks, Murdock and Thomas. I
well remember John Counter, who became mayor and a very popular man. He first
had a small bake-shop and a candy store. The principal newspaper men of my
early days were Hugh C. Thompson, who was editor and publisher of The
Chronicle and he became a member of the upper house, and Stephen Miles, who
printed and edited the Gazette for many years. He afterwards became a Methodist
travelling preacher and died among his descendants in Ernesttown, after his
superannuation. Mr. Stoughton was the leading silversmith for many years. I
remember the Murneys of Murney Point and Molson and Morton, distillers. Mr.
Morton was once elected to the Upper Canada legislature for Frontenac county
and became a very wealthy man. The remains of his distillery are yet standing
near the penitentiary. I remember the Benson family; Thomas kept a store
opposite Mowat’s corner; Henry and John were twins; their only sister married
Dr. Dixon; all have passed away. There were in those early days a good many
soldiers across the river at the fort at Barriefield, but no bridge. The
troops had a large scow, with a rope reaching from shore to shore; the men
used to pull at that rope and so get the scow and their horses and freight
across the river. The other men would often pull themselves across in a large
ferry boat. The bridge, I think, was built by a company some time in the
twenties and was then a great convenience. It was then on the main travelled
road from Kingston to Brockville and all points east. A man named Rogers was
appointed to build the bridge. My first teachers were a man named Gillson, an
Irishman and Dr. Gunn, with whom I studied latin; then with Mr. Balfour.
These were all well known teachers in their time, but the number of their
scholars were few.” Mr. Dulmage was a school teacher for about
a quarter of a century and wielded the rod in the townships of Ernesttown,
Camden, Storrington and other places. Years ago he retired and has since
lived a quiet and retired life at Sydenham. He was never married. His father
had a family of eight or nine children, of which he is the only surviving
member. The only living descendant of that entire family is the Hon. J.D.
Carscallen, now a resident of New Jersey, where he has become a prominent and
wealthy man. He has been speaker of the legislature in the state. He
regularly remembers his old uncle and generally pays him a visit every year.
Mr. Dulmage’s reminiscences are of great interest to those who are interested
in the early history of the old limestone city. THOMAS CASEY
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