The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-06
A "REMINISCENCES OF ARNOLD.
Land Granted Him in Canada for various
Public Services"

TORONTO, March 5--A correspondent Of the
Globe has been investigating the location of the
lands in Canada granted to Benedict Arnold for
various public services" in 1893, and comes to
the conclusion that the 13, 400 acres in question
were situated, in part, at Least, in Gwillimbury,
in the northern part Of the county Of York, in
Ontario In Arnolds WILL made in August, 1900,
which is registered at Newmarket, county of
York, the land is described as "a grant Of 13, 400
acres of land made to him as a halfpay officer,
for himself and family, by order of the Duke of
Portland by his letter directed to Peter Russell,
ESQ, President of the Council of Upper Canada
In other wills made by the Arnold family. also
registered at Newmarket, mention is made sew
eral times of grant of 10000 acres
in Upper Canada, but these lands are
not otherwise described, and their location
has never been generally known. In his
will Arnold also mentions lands sin New Bruins
wick" but the will is sworn as being under "a,
000 Iu it he leaves money to his sons Richard
and Henry both of whom We're under age, ito
build and stock their farm i'll Canada" where
they were at that time.
In the marriage settlement of his daughter,
Sophia, who was welded in India in 1913, to a
captain in the English service, mention is made
of his Share of 90 600 acres of land in Upper
Benedict Arnold during his lifetime by his
Majesty for various public services" In the
wills and other documents of the various other
children-George Arnold, major in the Bengal
cavalry; William Fitch Arnold, a half-pay
captain of the British service; James Robertson
Arnold lieutenant-coonel in the Royal Corps of
Engineers, and Shippen and Edward Arnold
there is no description or location Of the land
otherwise than in Upper Canada"
The idea that the land in Gwillimbury was a
part Of the original grant is confirmed by the
location of 5000 acres in East and North Gwilim-
bury in 1922, and it is probable that the rest was
never located In 1924 Daniel Coxe the surviv-
ing executor of the original wills. decided por-
tions of the Gwilimbury lands to three of the
sons; bnt no mention is made of any other lands
belonging to the estate. The heirs had now
multiplied to sixteen, and in 1864, by order of
the Court of Queens Bench in Toronto, the
Gwillmbury lands were surveyed, valued and
divided among them. These townships being
pretty well occupied in 1922, the lots were scat
tered about the two townships The surveyors
reported 800 acres in East Gwlllimbury. at an
average value of $l6.97, amounting to $32, 250,
and $3.50 acres in North Gwillimbury, worth
$1422 per acre amounting to $42, ,5l5, or, in all,
1889 acres worth $74, 100.
In the meantime rumor got abroad that no
title existed to these lands. Squatters focked in
to take possession and refused to acknowledge
the Arnold right. Many suits brought
against them and writs of eiectment were issued,
so that finally they We're all cleared off the prop
erty, the heirs being able to establish their
claims in every instance. The lands were offered
at fair prices and gradually bought up, and are
now all sold but 200 acres, 800 of which are
under lease. Many lots have been sold within
the last two years, so that the Arnold eonnec-
tion with the County of York will soon come to
an end.
In the partition of 1864 the surveyors divided
up some of the lots so that each of the sixteen
claimants might have share, agreeably to the
directors of the court from the Rev. Edwin
Gladwin Arnold, who has 2, 600 acres, down to
some of the great granddaughters, who have,
respectively, 56, so, q, % 20 and II acres. The
lots were not, however. sold in patches: but
when a settler bought 100 acres, Mr.. Deedes of
Simcoe County of Norfolk, signed deed by
power of attorney for all the heirs.
Some seven or eight years ago q lumber ner-
chant of Buffalo, n. Y, bought the whole inter
est of the heirs in this land, which was then COW
cred with pine timber. At present the land is
mostly cleared and is fertile soil, valuable for
farming purposes.