Chronology of Jedediah Hubbell Dorwin ( 1792-1883)

Chronology of Jedediah Hubbell Dorwin (1792-1883)


1720	Age	Dorwin's grandfather born
1770	.	Dorwin's father Philo (?) born
1792	.	Jedediah born, May 25th, New Haven, Vermont. Son of Philo Dorwin and Mary Hubbell. One of 5 children.
1811	19	Left his father's farm. Began writing his journal. Wrote consistently until his death.
1811-14	19-22	Lived in Oswego area (Onondaga Hollow) of New York State. Was a soldier in 1814.
1815	23	June 15th. First saw Montreal. Had arrived on the 14th in what is now St. Lambert. He was ferried across the St. Lawrence river in a pine log canoe and arrived in the mud at the foot of Jacques Cartier square. Later established trade between Vermont and Montreal. Imported pork, cheese, and butter. Smuggled tea and loaf sugar back.
1816	24	March: Settled in Montreal working as clerk.
1816-18	24-26	Operated small grocery and provision stores.
1817	25	April 7th: Married Miss Isabella Williamson of Albany, NY. in St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Montreal.
1818	26	Was initiated into Masonic Union Lodge No. 8 under the registry of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Lower Canada. He remained a Mason until the time of his death.
1818-19	26-27	Recession. Gave up grocery and provision business.
1819	27	Son George Born. Exact birth date unknown. They also had an adopted daughter, Esther M., birth date probably 1826.
1819	27	Contracted for and accomplished the removal of Citadel Hill from Dalhousie Square using Irish immigrant workers. Met Mr. (later Colonel) John Dyde. December: Brought cod from Boston by sleigh to sell in Quebec City.
1820-21	28-29	Bought and sold cod in winters, traded with American farmers in Eastern Townships during summers. Bought fish on Labrador coast in return for unspecified goods.
1822	30	Engaged in whaling after purchasing his own ship in Labrador.
1825	33	Shipped wheat to Chatham, NB in his own schooner. Later picked up cargo in Sydney, NS, and Saint John, NB for the West Indies.
1826	34	June: Schooner returned to Quebec with sugar.
1830s	.	Made trips to United States midwest to buy wheat and packed meats
1835	43	April 30th. His furniture sold at auction. William Street, Montreal. Why?
1836-40	44-48	Away from Montreal from Fall 1836 (except for visits) for unspecified interests. Returned 23 May 1840 from Jonesville, MI "for good".
1840	48	Entered lumber trade with Peter McGill (Peter McCutcheon, 1789-1860).
1841	49	Did the Dorwins reside in Rawdon? Son George was present in Rawdon "...at the burial of John McRea of Rawdon, labourer, who was drowned in the Lacquourreau [sic] River on May 27, 1841 and buried on the 28th. Witnesses to burial were John Robinson, George Dorwin and Charles Dunn."
1842-43	.	Dorwin still listed as a commission merchant in the Montreal Directory.
1851	59	Dorwin and son George living in Rawdon according to 1851 Rawdon Census
1852	60	Nov. 4. "Unofficial" opening of the Industry Village and Rawdon RR (Dorwin, president). Head office on St. Paul Street, Montreal. Board of Directors met at Mechanics' Institute in Montreal. Dec. 4. Official opening of the Industry Village and Rawdon RR. Industry Village & Rawdon Ry. Opening Date Uncovered. Or read the Gazette account.
1853	61	St. Sulpicians invest 1000£ in the railway.
1854	62	April 14 at 8 am. Death at Montreal of his niece, Canfield's daughter, Amelia Isabella Dorwin, age 17. Burial at Mount Royal Cemetery.
1855	63	Incorporated L'assomption River and Ry Co. to build from a point on the Industry Village and Rawdon RR in the Parish of St. Paul's, to navigable waters of Laquarreau or L'Assomption Rivers. He wanted to "...make the L'assomption River navigable for steamboats, by dredging and deepening the channel of the river to the First Rapids at St. Paul's, on the River Laquarreau... and to build RR from headwaters on either river to intersect with the Industry Village and Rawdon RR."
1856	64	Given permission to erect a dam and locks at the mouth of L'Assomption river etc.
1858	66	Had his railway ceased operation by this date? The Keefer Report (1858) listed railways current and abandoned in Canada makes no mention of the IV&RR. Yet Keefer was at the opening of the IV&RR and so obviously knew about it.
1859	67	Nov. 8. Burning of Dorwin's mills at Rawdon. But where were they located? And how did they burn? Was it an accident? Dorwin unable to resume because of low finances and retires from business.
1860	68	January 10, 1860 - Sale by the sheriff on the steps of the church in St. Ligouri, Quebec, of the assets of the Industry Village and Rawdon Railway. Dorwin purchases them for Peter McGill for 450£ ($1800). The railway was dismantled.
1860s	.	For 3 or 4 years Dorwin was the Montreal agent of Royal Naval Military and East India Life Assurance Company.
Mid- 1860s -1869/70	.	Was listed in directories as inventor and manufacturer of barometers.
1861	69	Dorwin patented a mercurial barometer
1861		Miss Dorwin. Is this Esther M.?
1869	71	April 23rd. Death of Mrs. Isabella Dorwin (nee Williamson). His brother Canfield Dorwin, banker, fails under questionable circumstances.
1872	80	Death of last brother, Canfield Dorwin, Broker, Montreal.
1880	88	At age 88, recovered his spirits and returned to Rawdon with another unsuccessful railway scheme.
1881	89	Feb. 5 and Spring - Dorwin writes in THE MONTREAL DAILY STAR accounts of Old Montreal ("Montreal in 1816"). Sold largest printing of the Star to date and caused a limited second printing.
1883	91.5	Nov. 10. Saturday. Dorwin in good health. Goes for usual walk. Nov. 11. Sunday. Dorwin takes ill, dies about noon. (But was it noon Monday? Death is reported as November 12th in newpaper accounts and the Cathedral's burial record.) Aged 91 years, 6 months. Nov. 15. Funeral at Montreal's Christ Church Cathedral. 2:30 pm. Largely attended. Son George could not attend due to illness. No word of daughter Esther M. Burial in Mount Royal Cemetery, plot F 104.
	.	Post Dorwin
1884	65	Feb. 18. Son George dies: recorded in First French Methodist Church. Burial of George Dorwin age 65. Died of asthmatic consumption. Buried Feb. 20 of the same year from his late residence No. 218 St Lawrence Street, Village of St Jean Baptiste. Witnesses were Mitchell Sadler, Y L Grant and another indecipherable signature.
1888	.	Dorwin's diaries (vols. 1-8) were donated by his daughter, Miss (Esther M.) Dorwin of Montreal, and are in the National Archives of Canada, Ottawa. His antiquarian autograph collection resides in the rare books collection of the McCord Museum of Canadian History, Montreal.
1904	78	28 October. Daughter Esther M. Dorwin Manson dies. Buried on Mount Royal.
1911	81	6 February. George's wife, Celia McManus, dies.

February 21, 2000.
revised 2008/09/14

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