Chapter 31.2.9

Quantz Family in the Township of Innisfil

Elizabeth Quantz

Glenys Babcock has provided the following letter:

 

Written by Mrs. Alvin Wice assisted by Mrs. Allie Appleton, Miss Mary Wice, Miss R. Wice, Mrs. J. Booth and Albert Wice. It is possible that some matters of interest have been omitted but all obtainable information was gathered at the time of writing by the committee.

 

In 1820 the first settler came to Innisfil Township. In 1823 another came from Markham followed ten years later by the Woods and Wices. Naturally one family influenced their neighbours in Markham, especially the young; married people who wished to start up for themselves.

 

Samuel Wice and Elizabeth Quantz were married in 1824, and their first five children were born in Markham. In 1833 land was obtained from the Crown on the 12th concession of Innisfil where Joseph Booth and family now reside. A log cabin was built which boasted an upstairs. This house contained a fireplace so large that it occupied the whole end of the house. To this home the family moved in March 1834. It is interesting to note that the moving was done by horses, showing that oxen were replaced by horses, to some extent, at that time.  In their travel the little procession must have moved very slowly along what is now Number 11 Highway. However, it takes a great deal of imagination to picture the scenes through which they passed and the stopovers that must have undoubtedly been made. You will understand that, although people traveled by water from Holland Landing to Barrie, the road has not very passable until some time later.

 

March was kind in providing pleasant weather for the trip, which must have meant a great deal for the children and the six months old babe. Matches were not plentiful in those days, so upon reaching their new home, they obtained their first coals from the Wood family. There was no door on the cabin for the first night, so a quilt was used to keep out the cold. This quilt was all that was between the new homemakers and the forest.

 

To keep the baby warm, he was cradled in a barrel. On one occasion a bear visited the pigpen which was eight logs high. As the intruder was about to slaughter the much-prized porker, Grandfather and Grandmother appeared on the scene, with axe and handspike, and saved part of their winter's food. The family eventually increased to ten named - Peter, George, Mary, Nathaniel, Henry, Frederick, Francis, John, Oran, and Sarah.

It is interesting to note that three of the family married Coulters. Peter married a clever tailoress, Margaret Wilson, who had been first engaged from Barrie to make up fullcloth into suits for the boys. After their marriage they took up their new home on the place now occupied by John Samuel and Wilson Wice.

 

Of the other members of the family: Mary married William Osborne, Oran married Elizabeth Williams, Henry married Eliza Gambol, Sarah married S. Meredith, John married Rebecca Morris and Francis, married Emily Srigley. Of these only Mrs Oran Wice survives (as of this writing).

 

Grandmother was known for her hospitality and was frequently called upon, when there was sickness in the neighbourhood. She was also a lover of flowers. Many of her characteristics have apparently been passed on to her descendants of whom there have been 324 divided among the following families.  Peter's 49, George's 48, Nathaniel's 63, Francis' 41, Mary's 54, John's 11, Sarah's 18, and 0ran's 40.

 

The family attended school in Painswick and their first church services were in the homes until the church was built at Victoria now Stroud.  Though few had the privilege of a college education Nathaniel attended Victoria Col1ege for a short time.  Every generation has shown decided musical talent even down to the fifth generation to Muriel Booth who now lives in the old home. This home is now one of the oldest in the Township built 75 years ago and still in good repair.

 

We dedicate this interesting history to the memory of Grandfather Samuel Wice who died on May 15th 1869 and to Grandmother Elizabeth (Quantz) Wice who died on November 24, I898.

- End -

 

Note by JQ - Elizabeth Quantz was born in 1810. She was the 4th child of Frederick Quanz and Elizabeth Ritter and therefore the grandchild of Melchior and Christina Quantz. Elizabeth Quantz and Samuel Wice were married on January 6, 1824 in Markham.

Moving in March of 1834 would mean that the ground was likely still frozen on the road they took north.

John Quantz

John Quantz, brother of Elizabeth, was the ninth child of Frederick Quantz of Markham and therefore a grandson of Melchior and Christina Quantz.

 

The following information was found and provided by Joanna P McMann. The pictures and some of the information can be found on The Innisfil Historical Society website.
http://www.innisfilhistorical.ca/details.php?IDnum=2789

John Quantz's father obtained Crown deed for farm. John came as a pioneer, cleared land, and built a log-house. The house in the picture was the second house. It replaced the log one. John Quantz house was built by himself in 1861 and later, demolished by Walter Fralick in the 1940's.

Daniel was the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Quantz and Margaret (unmarried) daughter.
Family of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Quantz were Olive Victoria, Amy, Aubrey, Beverly and Wintford.

 

 

John Quantz House – 1889 - IHS1108

Back Row (L to R): Olive Victoria Quantz, Daniel Quantz, Amy Quantz, Nancy (Mrs. Daniel Quantz),

Mary (Mrs. John Quantz), John Quantz with beard, sitting; Aubrey Quantz, Margaret Quantz.
Sitting: (baby) Beverly Quantz and Wintford Quantz.

Innisfil Historical Society IHS1108  -  Lot No: 14, Con. 12, Innisfil

 

I was looking closer at the photo and based on the dates I'm thinking the dark-haired man with the beard must be Dan - and one of those children is my great-grandfather Wint. The older man must be Dan's father, but I don't know what his name is. If anyone has any information on this photo I would really appreciate it. I'm going to try to follow up with the Innisfil Historical Society who may have a copy of it as they produced the book it appears in.

My great grandfather was Wintfred Quantz (his wife, my great-grandmother Kate, changed the spelling to Quance, but we don't know why); he had a brother, Beverly Quantz; their father was Daniel Quantz who married Nancy Montgomery. Her uncle, Jonathan Montgomery, owned the Montgomery Inn or Tavern where rebel sympathizers met in the 1830's. Montgomery's Tavern actually was the site of a "battle" of the Rebellion of 1837. Nancy Montgomery was married to Frederick Daniel Quantz (Dan). They were my great-great grandparents. Their son, Oswell Wintfred (Wint) was my great-grandfather. Wint's sisters were: Olive Victoria and Amy Luella, they married Srigley brothers; his brothers were Audrey Manson and Wilmot Beverly (Bev).

My great-grandmother was Katherine (Kate) Balfe, died in 1926 shortly after they moved to Parry Sound to work at a lumber camp. My family is Catholic and they worshipped at St. Mary's in Barrie. I don't know if Wint converted to Catholicism or not. My grandmother just said he was Protestant. My grandmother used to live in a house in Big Bay Point. She did say that the house in the picture would have been in Painswick.

When Kate died, the girls were sent to live with a maternal Aunt in Buffalo (my grandmother is Anna, and her sisters are Ethel, Alice and Helen). Her brother (Wilfred) went with Wint to Belleville. Wilfred married a woman called Jean. They had two sons, Guy and Roy who live in Belleville. Roy had a printing business; her married a woman called Eva. It is believed Wint died in the 50's. I had seen an obit for Wilfred that mentioned Wint, but we couldn't find it this weekend when I was at my grandmother's. My grandmother (Anna) is 88, but she remembers all this stuff like it was yesterday - she's a wonderful resource!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Mrs. John Quantz and Daughters - c. 1880

Description:

Mrs. John Quantz (sitting) and daughters (standing l to r) Annie (Quantz) Sloan, Margaret Quantz, Olive (Quantz) Belfry.

Annie married Robert Sloan of Churchill
Olive married James Belfry of Lefroy
Margaret lived on the old homestead till her death in 1931.

Source: Innisfil Historical Society - IHS1417

Address: Lot. SH14, Con. 12, Innisfil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quantz Family c. 1885

Description: First Cousins:
Front: (l to r) John Pratt (Crown Hill), Mary Quantz (Mrs. Lot Smith).
Back: (l to r), Olive Quantz (Mrs. James Belfry), Annie Quantz (unmarried), Edward Quantz.

Children of Frederick and Fanny Quantz: Mary, Annie and Edward.
Children of John and Mary Quantz: Olive Quantz.

IHS150



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

James Belfry & Olive Quantz Wedding
December 12, 1888

 

Description: James was the son of William Belfry and Olive, the daughter of John and Mary Quantz.

Mr. and Mrs. James Belfry owned NH Lot 17, Conc. 4 and SH Lot 13, Conc. 12 and lived on both properties.
Their family: Violet (Mrs. Lemuel Hubbert), Lefroy and Laura (Mrs. George Hubbert), Holly and Stroud.
Innisfil Historical Society - IHS1099

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Milking a Cow - c. 1915

 

Description: Mrs. Daniel Quantz milking a cow by hand. All milking was done by hand before electricity. It was common for women to milk.

Innisfil Historical Society – IHS1416.

Lot 15 SH, Con. 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Charles Srigley Family - Four Generations – 1922

Description:

(l to r) Marie (Mrs. Percy Bullen and baby Helen (born May 6, 1922))
Standing: Mrs. Charles Srigley (nee Olive V. Quantz) and her mother, in front, Mrs. Daniel Quantz (nee Nancy Montgomery) of Painswick. IHS1402

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elizabeth Calder
1889

Description:

 (Zig zag as they come)
Anne Booth, Thomas Calder, Miss Booth, William Calder, Allie Sloan, Charles Wice, Elizabeth Calder, Joseph Booth, Olive Victoria Quantz, James Booth, Margaret Quantz, William Coulter, Ethel Coulter, Penninah Wice.

Innisfil Historical Society - IHS1097

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Henry Dawson, son of Fred Quantz
1917

 

Description:

Henry Dawson, boy 6 or 7 years old. Mr. Fred Quantz father, Mr. George Quantz raised this boy. He took him out of a home and raised him. Friend of Henry (unknown). This photograph taken when he went to join the army. IHS675

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horses
c. 1918

Description:

Mr. Fred Quantz's team of horses before he was married, around the time of the First World War.   IHS651

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Paul's Anglican-Harvest Home
c. 1890

Description:

Picture-Harvest Home in the church. The minister at that time was Canon Murphy, who was there for a long time. Mr. Fred Quantz thinks that he was christened at this church by Canon Murphy. This church later burnt. When the church was on fire, Mr. Fred Quantz and Beverly Quantz, as boys, climbed up the bell tower and took the bell down off the church while it was burning. Fred was about 12 years old at the time. This same bell is cracked, because Fred and Beverly dropped it to the ground.

Churches, Anglican, St. Paul's  -  IHS642



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Paul's Anglican Churchyard
c. 1900

Description:

Churchyard, St. Paul's Anglican Church. Mrs. Amelia Quantz family is buried there. His Grandmother Annie Quantz and his grandfather Frederick Quantz.

Churches-Anglican-St. Paul's  -  IHS76



 

 

Opening of gates - St. Paul's Cemetery
1947

 

Description:

Opening of gates to St. Paul's Cemetery donated by Helena (Lena) Raymes. Lena Raymes placed this entrance in memory of her father, Frank Quantz, son of George.

The plaque reads: "In memory of B. F. Quantz family"

Bert Bond, Margaret Quantz, Betty Quantz, Harold Knowles, Mrs. Fred Quantz, Mac. McDonnell, Wilda Ferguson, Mrs. Amy (Quantz) Srigley.

Cemeteries - St. Paul's - IHS290



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reid Farm House  -  c. 1930

Reid farm house, where Amelia Reid, (Fred Quantz's wife) lived. It was built in 1927. IHS670

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Steam Engine of Beverly Quantz  -  c. 1910

Steam Engine of Beverly Quartz, SH Lot 14; part 15, Concession 12. Beverly Quantz on left; George Whitehead on right. IHS1418



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steam Tractor  -  c. 1913

First steam tractor owned in this area at farm of George Quantz on Concession 12. About 1913-14. IHS647

 

 



 

 

 

 

Steam Engine
1920

Steam Engine of Beverly Quantz. He lived at St. Paul's and used to go out threshing. IHS1035

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taken outside the Trombley Store.

 

 


L to R: Third one is Grace Browning, Isabel Walton, unknown.

First on bicycle is Elna Quantz, then (now Mrs. Harry Ross,

Cookstown, then Dorothy Walton. IHS36



 

 

 

 

Descendants of John Quantz

Generation No. 1

1.  JOHN7 QUANTZ  (FREDERICK6, MELCHIOR5, URBAN4, JOHANN HENRICK3, ULRICH2, JOHANNES1) was born February 18, 1820, and died July 25, 1907.  He married MARY PRATT 1845.

Notes for JOHN QUANTZ:

John Quantz's father obtained Crown deed for farm at Lot # 14 on Concession 12 in Innisfil Township, Simcoe County. John came as a pioneer, cleared land, built loghouse. John Quantz house was built by himself in 1861 and later, demolished by Walter Fralick in the 1940's. The house in the picture was the second house. It replaced the log one.

     

Children of JOHN QUANTZ and MARY PRATT are:

2.           i.   DANIEL8 QUANTZ, b. 1846, Markham, Ontario, Canada; d. 1924, Innisfil Township, Ontario.

             ii.   MARY ANN QUANTZ, m. SLOAN.

            iii.   MARGARET QUANTZ.

            iv.   OLIVE QUANTZ, m. BELFRY.

 

Generation No. 2

2.  DANIEL8 QUANTZ (JOHN7, FREDERICK6, MELCHIOR5, URBAN4, JOHANN HENRICK3, ULRICH2, JOHANNES1) was born 1846 in Markham, Ontario, Canada, and died 1924 in Innisfil Township, Ontario.  He married NANCY MONTGOMERY.

 

Notes for DANIEL QUANTZ:

Source: Innisfil Historical Society

Daniel lived with his family at Lot #14, Concession 12 of Innisfil.

His gravestone shows his name as F. Daniel Quantz.

     

Children of DANIEL QUANTZ and NANCY MONTGOMERY are:

              i.   BEVERLY9 QUANTZ, b. 1889; d. 1962, Innisfil Township, Ontario.

             ii.   WINTFORD QUANTZ.

            iii.   OLIVE VICTORIA QUANTZ, b. 1873; d. 1926, Innisfil Township, Ontario.

            iv.   AMY QUANTZ, b. 1885, Markham, Ontario, Canada; d. 1966, Innisfil Township, Ontario.

             v.   AUBREY QUANTZ.

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