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- Pioneers of Prince Edward County BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES MARVEL GARRISON Arrived at Adolphustown with the Vanalstine group in 1784. Marvel Garrison came to Prince Edward County with Major VanAlstine and his group of early pio neers. In this group was Mary Roblin, destined to be Marvel's future wife. The courageous Loy alists arrived in Adolphustown on June 16, 1784. Marvel had been deprived of a large fortune , and arrived in Canada penniless. Marvel acquired four hundred acres of farm land in Hay Bay which he developed into a successf ul agricultural business enterprise. He built a gracious home surrounded by find farm buildin gs and later he erected and operated a hotel. He also was a contractor involved in the constr uction of the Rideau Canal in the 1820's. It is hardly surprising that in view of his various undertakings, Marvel soon acquired anothe r fortune to replace the one he had lost before coming to Prince Edward County. When the canal was completed, Marvel again turned to his farm, operating both a four mill an d a sawmill at Milford. He passed on in 1857, at the age of eighty-four. His wife had died i n 1849, age sixty-nine. Marvel had little interest in politics, but contributed significantly both to the knowledge a nd to the development of animal husbandry in Canada by breeding the finest horses in the dist rict, and advising others in this field. Marvel's daughter, Rhoda, married James Dulmage, and one of his granddaughters, Mary Garrison , married Peter Empey.
THE GARRISON FAMILY.
Marvel Garrison was the founder of this family in Upper Canada. We can at best only give his birthplace as somewhere on the Hudson, but his name was destined to be historic, as he came to Canada with Major Vanalstine's party, and married Mary Roblin, daughter of John Roblin, who was also a member of the expedition. This fixes the date of his arrival at Adolphustown as June 16, 1784. He was among those who suffered heavy material loss through espousing the British cause in the Revolution. The confiscated property of the family was extensive and valuable, being rated so high as to place the owners in a position not only of solid comfort, but even of opulence. On his arrival in Canada he selected upwards of four hundred acres of bush land in Adolphustown, which he lost no time in reducing to agricultural uses. His older sons were of an age to help him from the beginning; and, before many years had gone by, a large part of the property had been cleared and placed under cultivation, and a, substantial dwelling, flanked by spacious outbuildings, erected. But the Pioneer was not yet satisfied; if there was a niche to be filled within the radius of his supervision, he was not the man to see it empty. A hotel was needed to meet the requirements of the district, and this too he built, and it became a widely known and favorite hostelry for years to come. But his fund of energy was not yet exhausted. The campaigns of the war of defence suggested to the Imperial Government the necessity of a connection between Lake Ontario and Montreal other than the St. Lawrence, and in 1827 the Rideau Canal was projected and the work begun. Marvel Garrison during the whole time of construction was engaged upon it as a con- tractor, and so managed as to clear a large amount of money. The canal completed, he concentrated his energy at his home on I-lay Bay, carrying on farming operations on a more extensive scale, and later becoming proprietor of the flour and saw mills at Mil- ford. During his lifetime he bestowed farms upon his sons, so that at his death, which occurred in 1857, he could look round and see them all (with the exception of those who went to the United States) comfortably settled within easy traveling reach of the old homestead. He was eighty-four years of age when he died; his wife had died in 1849, being then in her seventieth year.
Marvel Garrison did credit to himself, to his ancestry, and to the noble band of United Empire Loyalists with whom he helped to create Ontario. He did-not concern himself much with the politics of his time; his hands were occupied with work that taxed to the full his untiring energy and remarkable business capacity. I-le was noted for keeping the finest bred horses of the district, and did much by example and advice to give to both the horses and the stock of the county the high place which is theirs to-day.
Marvel Garrison's daughter, Rhoda, married James Dulmage, and Mary Garrison, a granddaughter, married Peter Empey, thus establishing a connection with two good families of German de- scent in the county. Mary A. Dulmage, granddaughter of the Pioneer, married Murney Ackerman, a descendant of Edward Ackerman. Lewis Garrison, a grandson, married Almira C. Palen, of the well-known Palen family, and settled in Athol.
Since this was writen, we know that the dates and ages are not correct. As per tombstones in the Garrison Cem of Frederick burg On Can
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1767 - 1860 (93 years)
