The following petition contains the names of 88 adult male Catholics of Huntley township (Carleton Co., Ontario [Upper Canada]), circa 1837. This is not a complete inventory of RC males, or of RC male heads of household, in Huntley township at that time (among the names that I was expecting/hoping to find, but which do show up here, are Moran, Hogan, and Cahill, for example). It is a list only of those men in and around the Huntley area who signed on to the petition.
While most of the names below were written by the same hand, a few of the men appear to have signed their own names. In transcribing the names, I have not attempted to “correct” the spellings, which vary considerably even for the same name within the same document (which is typical of pre-twentieth century documents, of course). A few of the names I found difficult to make out, in which cases I have given my best guess.
Some of the names (e.g., Mantil/Mantle, certainly; but possibly also Allen, Buckley, Forrest, Gregg, Roach/Roche, and no doubt some others) are names associated with the Peter Robinson Settlers.
Roman Catholics of the township of Huntley, petition, 18371
To His Excellency Sir Francis Bond Head H.C.R. Lieutennant [sic] Governer [sic] of Upper Canada &c &c &c.
The memorial of the Roman Catholics of the Township of Huntley humbly sheweth
That your memorialists having erected a Church hoping to have the attendance of a Priest to afford us the consolations of Religion — Your memorialists finding that our ability will not admit of contributing as largely to the support of a Priest as his station demands
Your memorialists therefore prays that your Excellency in your wisdom will be pleased to grant us Lot number 15, on the 8th concession of this Township, containing 200 acres as a Glebe for the assistance of the congregation in supporting a Priest.
And your memorialists in duty bound will ever pray
>Dennis Galvin
| names | names | names |
| A. Whelan | Thymothy Forrest | John Lahey |
| John Whelan | James Forrest | William Green |
| Christopher Whelan | Richard Forrest | John Green |
| Peter Carthy | Cornelious Forrest | John Galvin |
| Andrew Carthy | James White, Sen. | |
| Dennis Carthy | Patrick Mahaney | John Kennedy |
| Jas. Whelan | Carrol Sulivan | John Keefe |
| Patrick O, Leary | William Welsh | James Allen |
| Michael Meehen | John Russel | Jefrey Donoghue |
| James Quin | Garret Russel | Michl. Cronan |
| Philip Green | Thimothy Kenedy | John Mahony |
| Richard Goody | James Buckley | Joseph Donoghue |
| William White | Dennis Brian | John Bresnahan |
| James White Jr | John Bresnahan | James Bresnaham |
| Thomas Bresnahan | ||
| Thomas Lahey |
| names | names |
| Maurice Roach | James Manion |
| Simon McGrath | Dannial Maxwell |
| Micl McGrath Senr | Martin Maxwell |
| Micl McGrath Junr | John Maxwell |
| Michael Roach | Owen Kelly |
| Wilm Fitzpatrick | Daniel OLeary |
| Thos McVeay | Samuel OLeary |
| Arther McVeay | James OLeary |
| Martin Mannion | Patt Carroll |
| William Gregg | John Ryan |
| Michl Gregg | James McDonnol |
| Wm Gregg Junr | John Kelley |
| John Kennedy | Darby Kelley |
| Andrew Manion | John Dwire |
| John Manion | Thomas Brown |
| John Felhey? | Garret Brown |
| Patk Manion | Bernd. McGee |
| Patt Kennedy | Peter Whelan |
| Edmond Ring | Ml Cavanagh |
| James Mantil | Wm Cavanagh |
| Robert Mantil | MLT Cavanagh |
Please direct the answer to Andrew Whelan & others
Pakenham Post office
District Bathurst
1 Roman Catholics of the township of Huntley petition, 1837, Upper Canada Land Petitions, RG 1, L 3, vol. 239A, bundle H20, petition 118, microfilm C-2096, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa.
(More on this, and on a related petition of 1840, in a later entry).