ANDREW LUCAS and ELIZABETH EDWARDS

ANDREW LUCAS: Born 25 Dec 1776 Old Leighlinbridge Co., Carlow  Ireland, died 7 Jan
1863, Brooke Township Lambton Co., Ont. In 1798, in Ireland, he married ELIZABETH
EDWARDS, born 1778 Co., Carlow Ireland, died 1840 Brooke Township Lambton Co.,
Ont.
Andrew buried Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Brooke Twp., Lambton Co., Ont.
Elizabeth buried St. Mary's Cemetery, Warwick Village, Warwick Twp., Lambton Co., Ont.
They had 8 known children. Jane, John, Anne, Mary, James, George, Andrew and Elizabeth.

NOTE: The exact location of Elizabeth's burial plot is unknown as there is no headstone
           and is therefore unmarked.

NOTE: One source states that Andrew and Elizabeth were born in Co., Carlow and another
one states Co. Kilkenny. They CAME from Coon/Coan Townland, Dysart Parish, Co.
Kilkenny, Ireland, but this does not mean that they were BORN there.

NOTE: According to the 1906 Commemorative Biographical Record of Lambton Co.,
Ontario compiled by J.B. Beers, Page 510 it states in part: Mr. and Mrs. Lucas came to
Ontario and settled in Beckwith, but in 1835 came to Brooke, and there lived until they died.
Their children, fourteen (14) in number were as follows: John, deceased: Thomas,
deceased: Andrew, a retired farmer of Brooke Township; Henry, deceased; Mary,
deceased, who married Elijah Tompkins; Elizabeth; Jane, deceased who married John
Boddy; James, deceased; George, deceased; and the others all died young. 
(Jane married William McKeown and James Holbrook Kilfoyle, not John Boddy..FLB).

There could have been 14 children born to this couple, since there is a 16 year gap
between James, born in 1805 Ireland and George, born 1821 in Beckwith Township, Ont.

NOTE: According to stories handed down from generation to generation say that Andrew
was a small man 5 feet 9 inches tall and never weighed over 145 pounds, but despite his
size he was a strong man and could carry an anvil weighing 14 stone (196 pounds) in each
hand, gripped by the conical points. He was also an expert blacksmith and could temper
steel, and made all the tools, knives, axes etc that were needed and even surgical
instruments.

He was a herbalist and often practised as a doctor, which included doing surgical
operations, as he had studied medicine for a few years in medical college in Dublin, Ireland,
but did not graduate. Since there was often no doctor within easy reach of some
settlements and no roads leading to a doctor, he did what was necessary to help the sick
or injured. 

His daughter Elizabeth (Lucas) Fuller often told the story of how she was in the yard milking
her cow when she was bitten on the calf of her leg by a rabid dog and that her father took
her into the shanty, laid her on the table and using a scalpel, he cut away the wounded part
and then applied his remedies. She never suffered any harmful effects, either from the dog
bite or the operation.

NOTE: In 1815, Andrew, Elizabeth and children emigrated to Canada, and it is thought that
they stayed with a Cousin, John Lucas, who lived at Huntingdon, Quebec, before they came
to settle in Beckwith Township, Lanark Co., Ont.

According to the Land Survey of Beckwith done in 1817 by R. Sherwood, it shows Andrew,
his son John and Andrew's brother James Lucas (who married Susan Leach/Leech) all on
the land. Andrew on SW 1/2 Lot 20 Con 4 Beckwith: John on SW 1/2 Lot 21 Con 5
Beckwith; James NE 1/2 Lot 20 Con 5 Beckwith.  (John and his uncle James were in an
area known as "The Derry" Andrew lived right across the road from The Derry).

Andrew, John and James Lucas, like so many of the settlers who came to Canada in the
early 1800's all received their land FREE under MILITARY Emigrant Warrants (M.E.) also
known as Fiats.

NOTE: Military Emigrant (M.E.) does not refer to Military people, soldiers etc. These were
settlers who arrived on troop ships that had returned soldiers to Britain, and that otherwise
would have sailed back to Canada empty. Their settlement was initially administered by the
Quarter Master General's Department of the British Army.
Thus the term "Military Emigrant" meant an Emigrant who arrived in Military ships, who
were given land within a Military settlement, and his supplies to get him started in his new
Country were given to him by the British Military Quarter Master.

Military and Militia Grants (M) were issued to disbanded regular soldiers for strategic or
potential defense puropses and for Militia service during the War of 1812.

NOTE: Andrew was granted his 100 acres of free land under Military Emigrant (M.E.)
Warrant/Fiat Number 384. According to the Richmond Military Settlement letter dated the
30th November 1821, Andrew completed his "terms of settlement" that was required on the
24th October 1821. By an Order in Council No.7075 dated the 4th February 1824, he was
given a Deed to this property South West Half Lot 20 Concession 4 in Beckwith Township
but the official Deed was not issued until 18 April 1824.

On the 6 September 1826, Andrew sold the SW 1/2 Lot 20 Con 4 to Thomas Edwards for
100 pounds.
On the same date Andrew bought the NE 1/2 Lot 20 Con 4 consisting of 100 acres from
Thomas Edwards for 100 pounds. In other words they just swapped or traded properties
and to make it legal and binding money also changed hands. (My belief is that no money
was exchanged and that they just SHOOK hands and the deal was made..and there is a
strong possibility that this Thomas Edwards was a brother of Andrew's wife Elizabeth
Edwards, but no proof as yet, that this is fact..FLB).

On the 11 March 1835, Andrew sold the NE 1/2 Lot 20 Con 14 to Thomas Saunders for
140 pounds. This is when Andrew moved to Brooke Township, Lambton Co., Ont.

(Thomas Saunders was married to Martha Edwards. He was the brother of Ellen Saunders,
wife of John Lucas, Andrew's son. In 1843 Thomas Saunders sold this property to Samuel
Leach, who was married to his sister Jane (Saunders) Kidd, in other words he sold it to his
brother-in-law).

NOTE: While still living in Beckwith Township, he heard rumours from the Indians of some
type of black liquid that was oozing from the ground in the extreme western part of Upper
Canada, being described as lying about 20 miles east of the St. Clair river and 20 miles
south of Lake Huron. Being interested, he decided to investigate. The date of his trip is not
certain, but was probably in 1830.

He travelled on foot and by boat until he reached the point where the City of Hamilton is
now situated. From there westward he followed an Indian trail to where Brantford is now
situated, and from there he followed the east branch of the Thames to the forks of that
river where London is now located. From there on, he had the assistance of Indian guides
who led him to what was afterwards known as the "Gum Beds" or the "Pit Hole" where OIL
was oozing out of the ground.

He spread an old blanket over the softest part that he could find and had the Indians tramp
it down with their bare feet into the oily substance. In the morning a sufficient amount of oil
had filtered through the blanket to enable him to fill several containers that he had brought
with him.

He then began his return journey. When passing through London, he was offered a free
grant of a 5 acre block at the north-west corner of what is now known as Richmond and
Dundas Streets, if he would settle there and open a blacksmith shop as the village was
badly in need of such an artisan. He declined the offer and continued on home to Beckwith.

The discovery of the oil beds created no special interest, he considered it valuable only as
a lubricating oil and as a medicine, but while he was at the "Gum Beds" he also found out
that the land was much better than in Beckwith, and these were the chief reasons why he
went back to Beckwith and then brought his family back to Brooke Township, where they
stayed and are buried.  
   

We, the descendents of these early pioneers with all of our modern conveniences and fast
transportation, cannot begin to realize the hardships they went through before they set
sail, during their sea voyage and after their arrival in Canada, during which time they had to
clear trees and bush to make room for a small log cabin and to plant their meager crops,
but despite all the hardships and suffering, the majority emerged with a new sense of
confidence, of purpose, and above all the sure knowledge that nothing worth-while is ever
easily gained.

With these thoughts in mind and with the Grace of God they survived, and we will be forever
indebted to them for their sufferings so that we can now live in this great country we call
Canada.

On the 30th June 1922, as a result of a fire and explosion in the Four Courts Complex in
Dublin, Ireland, which housed The Public Records Office, most of the Protestant records of
the Church of Ireland were destroyed. These included  original Parish Registers of births,
marriages and deaths, Deeds, Leases, Ecclesiastical records of all Irish dioceses, Survey
Maps, Census returns, Testamentary papers and Wills just to name a few.

Thus doing research in Ireland is very difficult and trying to find actual documents to trace
lineage lines is nearly impossible. Thus a lot of data is missing for Ireland, but it is known
that they came originally from England.

CHILDREN OF ANDREW LUCAS AND ELIZABETH EDWARDS