Shavers of Ancaster

Guest blog by Fred Blair

William Rymal and Margaret Shaver

William Rymal (1794-1843) married Margaret “Peggy” Shaver (1801-1884) in 1820. She was the daughter of William E. Shaver (1771-1830) and Mary Catharine Book. Like William Shaver there was more than one William Rymal who served in the 5th Lincoln Militia. I cannot separate these documents reliably so I will present all eleven records here with arguments for grouping them into four sets.

1. Private William Rymal served November 24, 1812 in Captain Daniel Young’s Company (5L292b). He was probably not William J. Rymal who deserted from the same company from November 25 to December 16th because the payrolls were consecutive and for the same company. Knowing that there were two Williams they would have distinguished between them as they did in the document (5L369). This was William 1.

2. Private William Rymal deserted November 25 to December 16, 1812 from Captain Young’s Company (5L369). This was probably William 1.

3. Private William J. Rymal deserted from the same company on the same dates November 25 to December 16, 1812 (5L369). This was William 2.

4. Sgt. William Rymal served April 25 to June 24, 1813 in Captain Charles Depew’s Co. (5L156). Was William 1 or 2 promoted to sergeant? Since we do not know, he became William 3. William Rymal (1794-1843) was about 19 years old but there were other sergeants in the 5th Lincoln about the same age or a year younger so he could have been William 1 or 2.

5. Private William Rymal was stationed at Durand’s house in Barton Township while serving in Captain Samuel Hatt’s Company from May 3 to 24, 1813 (5L345). He was stationed nearby during the May 11 or 12th American naval attack on the King’s Head Inn on Burlington Beach. He was not William 3 because the dates were in conflict. This was William 4.

6. Private William Rymal was on command while serving in Captain Hatt’s Company from May 25 to June 24, 1813 (5L153). He was not William 3. He was probably William 4.

7. Private William Rymal served June 25 to July 24, 1813 in Captain Hatt’s Company (5L179). This was probably William 4 because of the consecutive service in the same company.

8. On July 12, 1813, Private William Rymal was one of four men taken prisoner between Burlington Heights and York and held in the US. They made their escape on January 24, 1814 and returned to Upper Canada. They each received pay from July 12, 1813 to June 24, 1814 (5L555). The men were probably captured in a bateaux on Lake Ontario as small boats were used to transport supplies and people between the places. This is probably William 4 because Sgt. William was accounted for below.

9. Sgt. William Rymal served from July 23 to 25, 1813 in Captain Israel Dawdy’s Company (5L173). It would have been unlikely for both Williams to be promoted to a sergeant. This was probably William 3.

10. Sgt. William Rymal was sick and absent from Captain Charles Depew’s Company from September 17 to October 24, 1813 (5L490). This was probably William 3.

11. Sgt. William Rymal served December 25, 1813 to January 1, 1814 in Captain John Smith’s Company (5L221). This was probably William 3.

To summarize, there were sets of service records for Williams 1, 2, 3, and 4. It was unlikely that there were three William Rymals serving in the 5th Lincoln. William 1 may also have been William 3 or 4 and William 2 may have been William 3 or 4. There were four possible combinations. This puzzle will be unresolved until further documents are found.

The next Blog will be about War Loss Claims and how they affected the Shaver families.

Militia Payroll Document Links

22 See Document 369
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

103 See Document 369
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

153-154 May 25 to June 24, 1813, Capt. Samuel Hatt’s Co.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

156 Mar. 22 to June 24, 1813, Capt. Charles Depew’s Co.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

169-170 Sept. 17 to Oct. 24, 1813, Capt. Charles Depew’s Co.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

173 July 23 to 25, 1813, Capt. Israel Dawdy’s Co.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

179-180 June 25 to July 24, 1813, Capt. Samuel Hatt’s Co.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

214-216 See Documents 292b-2294b
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

221-222 Dec. 25, 1813 to Jan. 1, 1814, Capt. John Smith’s Co.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

292b-294b Oct. 25 to Nov. 24, 1812, Capt. Daniel Young’s Co.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

345 May 3 to 24, 1813, Capt. Samuel Hatt’s Co.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

347 See Documents 179-180
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

363 See Documents 292b-294b
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

367 See Document 369
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

369 Nov. 25 to Dec. 16, 1812, Capt. Daniel Young’s Co.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

370-372 See Documents 292b-294b
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

417 See Documents 221-222
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

490-491 See Documents 169-170
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

518 See Document 173
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

555 July 12, 1813 to June 24, 1814, Imprisoned men
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

557 See Document 555
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-...

Fred Blair
fredblairorillia@hotmail.com