MEMBERY, Giles: 1808 - 1896
Giles Membery was born on April 3, 1808 at a farm in Lyme Regis, Dorset, England, third of eight children born to Amos Membery and Sarah Marsh.
Giles married Elizabeth Jane Raymond (Tile # 9) and they, in the company of Giles’ father, Amos Membery (1775-1855), emigrated from England by way of the United States, arriving in Canada in 1845. By the time the 1851 census was taken, the Membery family headed by Giles Membery, farmer, had six children in their household, two children born before the family left England, Frederick born in 1840 during their time in the United States and Martha, Sarah and Walter all born in Adolphustown, Ontario. Father and patriarch Amos Membery was also living with the family at the time of the census and his occupation is listed as gentleman. Daughter Amelia, born in1853, was not yet born at the time of this census. It is interesting to note that under the heading of religion only mother Elizabeth and three children are noted as Church of England, whereas the elderly gentleman, Amos, is described as Congregationalist, his son Giles and three of the children including three-year-old Walter are described as Free Thinkers.(1)
Frederick, the eldest son of Giles and Elizabeth married United Empire Loyalist descendant Elizabeth Jane Dorland, daughter of Philip Dorland (Tile # 11). Daughter Amelia married D.W. Allison and daughter Martha married his brother Joseph Allison. The Allison boys were descendants of an adopted nephew of original Adolphustown settler Joseph Allison who arrived with Van Alstine’s group of Associated Loyalists in 1784. The former family home of D.W. Allison, located in what is now Adolphustown Park, serves today as the U.E.L. Heritage Centre.
In a letter to the editor of the Napanee Beaver, in the process of correcting an error in the obituary of his brother-in-law D.W. Allison, Giles’ son Frederick Membery gives an interesting insight into the history of the Membery family:
“My grandfather Amos Membery came from Dorsetshire, England in the year 1845 and settled in Adolphustown, purchasing the old U.E.L. farm owned by Capt. Maybee, now owned by J.B. Allison, Esq. who also married a sister of mine. My grandfather brought with him from England $30,000.00 in gold – a good sum to own so far back as 1845. The name Membery can be traced as far back in England as the year A.D. 449 in the Dooms Day Book and a town in Devonshire County still retains our name, and just outside of the town of Membery are the ruins of a castle still called Castle Membery.”(2)
Giles Membery was predeceased by his father Amos who died in 1855, and by his eldest son Amos M. who died in 1879. His grandson, Amos W., only son of Amos M. and Margaret, died in1878 at the age of five. Giles’ second son Frederick had two daughters. His youngest son Walter moved to California. Thus the Membery surname has disappeared from Adolphustown although Membery descendants still live in the area. Giles’ wife Elizabeth died in 1888. At the time of the 1891 census, Giles is listed as living in the home of his son-in-law, Joseph Allison.
Giles Membery died June 10, 1896 and was buried in the St. Alban’s Cemetery alongside other members of his family.
1. 1851 Adolphustown Census, via www.ancestry.com.
2. “Letters to the Editor,” Napanee Beaver, May 21, 1906.