Francis Tree

Other Events:

• Military: 1778, Boston, Massachusetts, British North America
• Property: 10 Sep 1787, Ferryland, Newfoundland
• Petition: 18 Dec 1826, Ferryland, Newfoundland

Notes:

Military:
Near the end of the American Revolution, Francis Tree (Jr.) served briefly as a seaman on board the brig, Hazard, commanded by Capt. John Foster Williams. A record indicates he was engaged 27 June 1778 and discharged 14 Oct. 1778, with a total service of only three months, 19 days.

As per his mother's account in "The Newfoundland Journal of Aaron Thomas - 1794" pp. 110 - 112, her son [unnamed but I assume Francis Jr.] had "served under General Washington in the American Army" [Navy?], and was a "Citizen of the States of America".

However, some years later, while in London, England, Frances Jr. was taken by a British naval "press gang" and forced to serve in the Royal Navy. According to his mother, in 1794 he was still in naval service on board the Royal George, a "British Ship of War". This indiscriminate use of impressment of American sailors by the British was one of the major causes of the War of 1812.

Property:
Minutes of the Fishing Admiral's Court.
Francis Free [sic] Jun. have [sic] built a fish flake, house and other conveniences as is needful for the use of the fishery in the said harbour of Ferryland ..... last occupier we were informed was James Murphy boatkeeper deceased grandfather of the said Francis Free [sic] Jun.

Petition:
Newfoundland 1826 Vol 2. Public Offices and Miscellaneous Colonial Office 194/73 [Reel B-694]
Pages 409-410 18 Dec 1826 from Francis Tree to [Lord] Bathurst

Francis Tree complained that he has lost his position of deputy sheriff of Ferryland under the [Royal] Charter, he now asks for some relief, to remove to St. John's and set up "a house of Board, and Lodging" to support his large family in these hard times. Reference to the service that he and his family have given to the public good, including his father's role in assisting when HM Brig Trepassey, Capt. Henry Edwin Stanhope, was "on shore at Ferryland, with the loss of both Masts and Rudder." Stanhope left his father with a letter of thanks. Helped many other naval officers by serving as pilot into Caplin Bay.

Died:
The Newfoundlander - St. John's - Thursday, January 27, 1842
Died, on Wednesday night the 19th inst., aged 81 years, Mr. FRANCIS TREE.

Francis married Ann "Nancy" Cox 9 Apr 1798, St. John's, Newfoundland. Ann was born Abt 1779, St. John's, Newfoundland; died Abt 1 Mar 1865, St. John's, Newfoundland; was buried Abt 3 Mar 1865, St. John's, Newfoundland. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Died:
Deceased was the eldest daughter of Francis Tree, St. John's. She left 4 children. Funeral held from her residence on Bates Hill, St. John's.

Susanna married John Munn Yes, date unknown. John was born Abt 1780, Scotland, United Kingdom; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Died:
Deceased was the wife of Capt. William Cole. No place of death was given.

Eliza married William Cole 26 Mar 1830, Barbados. William was born Yes, date unknown; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Harriet married John J. Hatchard 13 Jan 1833, Bermuda. John was born Yes, date unknown; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Baptism: 30 Jan 1825, St. Luke's CE Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland
• Occupation: 21 May 1852, London, England
• Residence: 1864-1865, Harbour Grace, Newfoundland

Notes:

Birth:
John and his sister Ann were baptised in the St. Luke's Anglican Church at Ferryland, Newfoundland on the same day. No birth dates or place of birth were given in the church records. However, on John's Seaman's Certificate issued to him in 1852, it is stated that John was born at St. John's, Newfoundland.

Occupation:
Copy of Master's Certificate of Service #51.459 issued for the port of Liverpool by the Registrar General of Seamen, London England.

Residence:
John Munn, shipmaster, Harvey, near Carbonear road

Buried:
Master Mariner; drowned at Cat Harbour on a voyage from Labrador to Harbour Grace.

Died:
Mosdell's book "When Was That?" EVENTS IN NEWFOUNDLAND.

ADAMANT: Capt.Alcock, belonging to Harbour Grace, driven from her anchors at Cat Harbour,October 18, 1868, while returning from Labrador with 165 passengers on board. Ship became a total wreck and five persons including Capt. John Munn were drowned.

[Cat Harbour, Bonavista Bay was later renamed Lumsden, Bonavista Bay. KR]

John married Elizabeth Brown 30 May 1850, Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. Elizabeth was born Abt 1830, Brigus, Conception Bay, Newfoundland; died 10 Mar 1904, Harbour Grace, Newfoundland; was buried Abt 12 Mar 1904, Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Baptism: 30 Jan 1825, St. Luke's CE Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland
• Land: 1858, St. John's, Newfoundland
• Court Action: 1879, St. John's, Newfoundland
• Residence: 1894-1897, St. John's, Newfoundland
• Will: 1897, St. John's, Newfoundland

Notes:

Birth:
Ann and her brother, John, were baptised in the St. Luke's Anglican Church at Ferryland, Newfoundland on the same day. No birth dates or place of birth were given in the church records. However, on John's Seaman's Certificate issued to him in 1852, it is stated that John was born at St. John's, Newfoundland.

Ann's age was given as 75 in her Newfoundland Vital Statistics record so it is possible that she could have been born as early as 1822.

Land:
In his will, Philip Tree, left all of his property at Caplin Bay to his grand-niece, Ann Hart, daughter of John Munn and Susanna Tree. He also stipulated that the Tree property at Ferryland was to initially to go to his sister-in-law Ann Tree (widow of Francis) but upon her demise that property too should be passed on to Ann Hart.

Court Action:
When Philip Tree died in 1849, it appears no action was taken by his executor, George Hart, husband of Ann Hart, to have Philip's will probated in a timely fashion. The will was not actually probated until nine years later, in 1858.

Assuming that the Philip's heirs divided his properties as stipulated in his will, Ann Hart and her grandmother, Ann Tree, were entitled to collect rent or lease money for their respective holdings. Ann Tree passed away 1865, as did Ann Hart's husband, George. Upon the death of her grandmother in 1865, Ann Hart, then became entitled to all of the former Tree property at Caplin Bay and Ferryland.

I can't tell what happened over the next fourteen years but finally in 1879, Ann Hart petitioned the Supreme Court to have the land holdings at Caplin Bay declared legally hers. The defendants named in the suit were Robert Boland and James Power, whom I determined were sons-in-law of the deceased Michael Hearne, the original lessee. About the same time, another writ was issued to the executrix of the estate of "Edward" Hanrahan to recover a debt of $84. The property location is undisclosed in the writ, but I believe it was at Ferryland, where the District Sheriff "Edmund" Hanrahan had died in 1875.

Later in 1879, the Supreme Court upheld Ann's petition giving her sole rights to the property at Caplin Bay. The outstanding debt on the property, likely at Ferryland, is not mentioned thereafter, indicating that the debt was likely settled out of court within the estate of Edmund Hanrahan.

Residence:
Ann Hart wid. George h. Military Road

Will:
On the 6 December 1896, Ann Hart wrote her last will and testament. She died, a little over a year later, on the 27 December 1897. In her will, he left the lion's share of her worldly possessions (both monetary and property) to Annie Hart, daughter of her late son George Francis Hart. She noted that Annie was living with her in Newfoundland at that point in time. She also asked her executor to set up an investment scheme which would generate income to be split evenly between Annie and her brother, George (who lived in England) while they were still minors.

There is no specific mention of the former property holdings at Caplin Bay and Ferryland. It is unclear what arrangements were made for their disposal between 1879 and 1896.

Ann married George Hart 16 Jan 1841, St. John's, Newfoundland. George was born 28 Apr 1816, Liverpool, Lancashire, England; died 31 Oct 1865, St. John's, Newfoundland; was buried 5 Nov 1865, St. John's, Newfoundland. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Baptism: 16 Jun 1860, Harbour Grace, Newfoundland

Notes:

Died:
Deceased was the infant son of Capt. John Munn.

Other Events:

• Baptism: 10Aug 1861, Harbour Grace, Newfoundland

Notes:

Buried:
References per www.stonepics.com

NF126 : HAG09 MUNN, Isabella Ann (1892) - 3 photos

NF126 : HAG09 MUNN, John (1868) & Isabella Ann - 1 photo

NF126 : HAG09 MUNN, John (1868) - 5 photos

Other Events:

• Baptism: 29 Mar 1892, St. John's, Newfoundland

Other Events:

• Baptism: 15 Oct 1846, St. John's, Newfoundland

Other Events:

• Baptism: 13 Dec 1849, St. John's, Newfoundland

Notes:

Birth:
Headstone transcription says she was born 14 May 1849?

Died:
Deceased was the only daughter of Capt. Hart of the vessel Meteor (ship).