JARVIS, William Munson: 1793 - 1867
William Munson Jarvis, born in 1793, was the third son of William Jarvis (Tile # 52) and Hannah Owen Peters. He was born in Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake), Upper Canada where his family had relocated from England in 1792. At that time, his father, William, had been appointed to the prestigious position of Secretary and Registrar of Records for the newly created province of Upper Canada.
When the War of 1812 broke out, young William Munson and his brother Samuel Peters (Tile # 53) both joined the militia. William Munson fought at Queenston Heights and Stoney Creek. He was wounded and captured at the Battle of York on April 27, 1813 but was later released. An entry on the casualty list of those in the Upper Canada Militia who applied for pensions after the war reads as follows:
“JARVIS, William M. 3rd York, Lieutenant. Wounded at York by the explosion of the magazine of the West Battery, April 27, 1813. Lost an eye. Entered on Pension List.”(1)
William Munson Jarvis married Anne Sumpsion Racey on November 11, 1826 and they had four children.
William Munson became High Sheriff of the District of Gore, an historic district in Upper Canada, which was formed in 1816 from parts of York County. The district town was Hamilton. Not much is written about him in family biographies and he seems to have led a relatively quiet life after his war injury. This is certainly true in comparison with his brother Samuel Peters (Tile # 53) who was imprisoned for a time after he fought in a duel that resulted in the death of his opponent.
William Munson Jarvis died in 1867.
1. William Gray, Soldiers of the King: The Upper Canadian Militia, 1812-1815 (Boston: The Boston Mills Press), p. 265.