The Wixsons of Upper Canada: Joshua 1780-1850

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Joshua Wixson flees to Upper Canada
1804 There is traditional story, perhaps passed down by his descendants, of how Joshua Wixson came to settle on his brother Joseph's land in Canada. It is recorded here by an unknown historian:
According to a tradition of the family, he moved to Canada under peculiar circumstances. He aided by carrying a passenger in his wagon several miles in the escape of one fleeing the State of New York to avoid payment of debt. As the story goes, the law at the time was such that a person lending assistance, even though innocent in so doing, which enabled a person to escape form his debts -- the one giving such help became responsible for such debts. It then became necessary for Joshua to flee, as he had not the means to take care of the obligations placed upon him by what he supposed was an act of kindness. Many years afterward he returned from Canada with small sacks of gold coin secreted about different parts of his clothing, paid the debts and thereby cleared his name and his conscience.
In 1804, Joshua and his family arrived and settled on the land cleared by his brother Joseph. Joseph had received a land grant in 1802 in Pickering Township, just east of the Town of York.
Historical summaries: first decade of the 1800's

Joshua Wixson and the Baptist Church
1816 Joshua and his family attended the First Baptist church in Markham, formed around 1816. Joshua's personality is far more obvious than his brother's in the histories of Pickering Township. He was a deeply religious person, and having been a minister in his native home, subscribed to the Baptists' belief that only an adult has the ability to choose the Church through baptism. His views were also fundamental. Joshua was often a biblical literalist. Even all his children bore biblical names. He held to his beliefs steadfastly, and was a natural leader and orator. His ideas are described as narrow at times, yet he was not apt to back down from a position (6).

The Baptists did not have an easy time in the early years of Upper Canada. Since their separation from the Church of England two hundred years earlier, Baptists had fled religious oppression often. Refuge was found in the Netherlands, and recently in the North American colonies. In Upper Canada, though, there was distrust among the ruling British families of the immigrant "Americans" and their non-Anglican ways. Not until 1799 were the first non-Anglican ministers legally allowed to perform marriages. In religious circles there was also conflict. The leader of the first Anglican parish in York, John Strachan, often sided against non-Anglicans on religious and political issues alike. On the advent of war with the United States in 1812, Strachan even suspected non-Anglicans of sedition and disloyalty. The Baptists, as marginalized communities, often felt pressure from within, struggling to define themselves in the colonial culture. Joshua dealt with these pressures by espousing strict adherence to biblical doctrine, putting him at odds with his parish Pastor in Markham.
Historical summaries: 1810's

Heresy, confusion, and disorderly walk
August 1821 During the summer of 1821, it happened that one of the members of the church was excommunicated for some wrongdoing. According to the records (7) , he repented and made confession of his fault, but to no avail. Many members agreed that the man should be readmitted into the church, and so Joshua pleaded on the man's behalf. Now, one may assume that trouble had been brewing between Joshua and the Pastor, Elder George Barclay, for some time. Imagine Joshua as the outspoken, self-righteous literalist who once claimed that the pastor should not receive a salary because it is unscriptural (8). Elder Barclay waited until Joshua was not present, and then excluded him for the defence of a former church brother. Next he excluded Joshua's wife Rachel and son Amos, for supporting Joshua on the salary issue. It was recorded :
On Saturday, August 4th, 1821, were separated from the first Baptist Church Markham Three: Joshua Wixon, Rachel Wixon and Amos Wixon for the crime of Heresy: causing confusion in the church, and disorderly walk.
The parish was in an uproar. None of the three were present to respond to the charges. Contrary to Baptist principles, no committee was appointed to interview them, and no forum for defence was provided. Elder Barclay declared Amos and Rachel to be "ignorant persons, and at length ordered to a total silence". By the next meeting for services in September, 16 others were excluded for not voting for the expulsion of the former three. The church had been torn apart. In all, 20 people left the Markham Church -- eight were Wixsons: Joshua and Rachel, their children Amos, Asa, Joel, and Ruth, brother Joseph's wife Deborah, and nephew Randal. Amos' wife Elizabeth also joined them.

The first Baptist Church of Christ in Pickering
October 1821 So the group of twenty formed a new church called the First Baptist Church of Christ in Pickering on 27 Oct 1821. Their meetings were conducted in each others homes, as it was still a sparsely populated area. At first, their petition to form a new parish was denied, yet they continued to meet. Eventually the group settled on two elders - Joshua Wixson and nephew Randal, and two deacons - Cornelius Johnson and Joshua's son Joel Wixson, with Joshua's wife Rachel as the clerk. The parish in the wilderness administered to its members as any full Baptist church would. Adults were baptised into membership upon a profession of faith. They practised full immersion during baptism, and the washing of feet before Communion. Members were censured or excluded for acting against the church. One of the original members, Casper Kile, was excluded within the first year for drunkenness and allowing frolicking in his house.
For a time the church met in a school house in Whitchurch Township, and also in the town of Uxbridge. Usually they were to be found at Joshua's home on the 7th concession, purchased in 1811, or in the nearby school house, depending on the size of the gathering.

Joshua's family settles the area
1820's- 1830's Joshua continued to acquire land in the area, receiving grants or making purchases about every two years, mostly within the 7th and 8th concessions of Pickering Township but there was one property he owned in Brock. Eldest son Amos bought his only farm in 1822. Young Joshua Junior received his first farm from his father in 1834. Of the remaining sons, only Benjamin owned his land, and not until 1844.
Historical summaries: 1820's
Wixson farms: 1821
Follow Joshua's family into the politically turbulent time of the 1830's.

Joshua Wixson flees to Upper Canada 1804	There is traditional story, perhaps passed down by his descendants, of how Joshua Wixson came to settle on his brother Joseph's land in Canada. It is recorded here by an unknown historian: According to a tradition of the family, he moved to Canada under peculiar circumstances. He aided by carrying a passenger in his wagon several miles in the escape of one fleeing the State of New York to avoid payment of debt. As the story goes, the law at the time was such that a person lending assistance, even though innocent in so doing, which enabled a person to escape form his debts -- the one giving such help became responsible for such debts. It then became necessary for Joshua to flee, as he had not the means to take care of the obligations placed upon him by what he supposed was an act of kindness. Many years afterward he returned from Canada with small sacks of gold coin secreted about different parts of his clothing, paid the debts and thereby cleared his name and his conscience. In 1804, Joshua and his family arrived and settled on the land cleared by his brother Joseph. Joseph had received a land grant in 1802 in Pickering Township, just east of the Town of York. Historical summaries: first decade of the 1800's
Joshua Wixson and the Baptist Church 1816	Joshua and his family attended the First Baptist church in Markham, formed around 1816. Joshua's personality is far more obvious than his brother's in the histories of Pickering Township. He was a deeply religious person, and having been a minister in his native home, subscribed to the Baptists' belief that only an adult has the ability to choose the Church through baptism. His views were also fundamental. Joshua was often a biblical literalist. Even all his children bore biblical names. He held to his beliefs steadfastly, and was a natural leader and orator. His ideas are described as narrow at times, yet he was not apt to back down from a position (6).
	The Baptists did not have an easy time in the early years of Upper Canada. Since their separation from the Church of England two hundred years earlier, Baptists had fled religious oppression often. Refuge was found in the Netherlands, and recently in the North American colonies. In Upper Canada, though, there was distrust among the ruling British families of the immigrant "Americans" and their non-Anglican ways. Not until 1799 were the first non-Anglican ministers legally allowed to perform marriages. In religious circles there was also conflict. The leader of the first Anglican parish in York, John Strachan, often sided against non-Anglicans on religious and political issues alike. On the advent of war with the United States in 1812, Strachan even suspected non-Anglicans of sedition and disloyalty. The Baptists, as marginalized communities, often felt pressure from within, struggling to define themselves in the colonial culture. Joshua dealt with these pressures by espousing strict adherence to biblical doctrine, putting him at odds with his parish Pastor in Markham. Historical summaries: 1810's
Heresy, confusion, and disorderly walk August 1821	During the summer of 1821, it happened that one of the members of the church was excommunicated for some wrongdoing. According to the records (7) , he repented and made confession of his fault, but to no avail. Many members agreed that the man should be readmitted into the church, and so Joshua pleaded on the man's behalf. Now, one may assume that trouble had been brewing between Joshua and the Pastor, Elder George Barclay, for some time. Imagine Joshua as the outspoken, self-righteous literalist who once claimed that the pastor should not receive a salary because it is unscriptural (8). Elder Barclay waited until Joshua was not present, and then excluded him for the defence of a former church brother. Next he excluded Joshua's wife Rachel and son Amos, for supporting Joshua on the salary issue. It was recorded : On Saturday, August 4th, 1821, were separated from the first Baptist Church Markham Three: Joshua Wixon, Rachel Wixon and Amos Wixon for the crime of Heresy: causing confusion in the church, and disorderly walk. The parish was in an uproar. None of the three were present to respond to the charges. Contrary to Baptist principles, no committee was appointed to interview them, and no forum for defence was provided. Elder Barclay declared Amos and Rachel to be "ignorant persons, and at length ordered to a total silence". By the next meeting for services in September, 16 others were excluded for not voting for the expulsion of the former three. The church had been torn apart. In all, 20 people left the Markham Church -- eight were Wixsons: Joshua and Rachel, their children Amos, Asa, Joel, and Ruth, brother Joseph's wife Deborah, and nephew Randal. Amos' wife Elizabeth also joined them.
The first Baptist Church of Christ in Pickering October 1821	So the group of twenty formed a new church called the First Baptist Church of Christ in Pickering on 27 Oct 1821. Their meetings were conducted in each others homes, as it was still a sparsely populated area. At first, their petition to form a new parish was denied, yet they continued to meet. Eventually the group settled on two elders - Joshua Wixson and nephew Randal, and two deacons - Cornelius Johnson and Joshua's son Joel Wixson, with Joshua's wife Rachel as the clerk. The parish in the wilderness administered to its members as any full Baptist church would. Adults were baptised into membership upon a profession of faith. They practised full immersion during baptism, and the washing of feet before Communion. Members were censured or excluded for acting against the church. One of the original members, Casper Kile, was excluded within the first year for drunkenness and allowing frolicking in his house. For a time the church met in a school house in Whitchurch Township, and also in the town of Uxbridge. Usually they were to be found at Joshua's home on the 7th concession, purchased in 1811, or in the nearby school house, depending on the size of the gathering.
Joshua's family settles the area 1820's- 1830's	Joshua continued to acquire land in the area, receiving grants or making purchases about every two years, mostly within the 7th and 8th concessions of Pickering Township but there was one property he owned in Brock. Eldest son Amos bought his only farm in 1822. Young Joshua Junior received his first farm from his father in 1834. Of the remaining sons, only Benjamin owned his land, and not until 1844. Historical summaries: 1820's Wixson farms: 1821 Follow Joshua's family into the politically turbulent time of the 1830's.