"Page 3."

A Trip to the Perry Gifford Farm
by Janette Burnham Lozon

Don was widening his search for Lorenthe's actual grave but was unable to find it. As I was looking at the fields stretching to the south, Mr. Gifford pointed to a stand of trees in the distance. The original farm, he told me, went out to beyond those trees.

Dowsing Demonstration

Don was unsuccessful in finding Lorenthe's grave and so we all moved over the road to the meadow behind the house. Don had been successful in finding two graves there in November and easily relocated them. He slowly and methodiclaly walked back and forth in the the meadow but was unable to find more. I watched in fascination as he walked over one of the graves. The rods were perfectly straight in front of him as he held them in his hands. Suddenly and with no movement from him other than walking forward the rods quickly crossed in front of him. A few paces more and the rods straightened themselves out. He passed the rods to Gary and then to his brother, Roger. As they walked over the same area, the rods reacted in the same way. Marion, Helen (Bingleman), and I also tried. It worked for us but very sluggishly. We wondered if it was a gender thing. Did the dowsing work best when the conductor was male? Don told us that when there was no wind he could hang the rod vertically from his finger over a grave and in a short time the rod would begin to swing on its own -- forwards and backwards or in a circle to indicate the sex of the person buried. Don explained also that the dowsing works through cement vaults, floors and church altars. Most graves that Don dowses for contain the remains that were buried conventionally, but he told us that the dowsing also works on graves that contain the ashes of cremated bodies.

At the website www.canadiandowsers.org/How_to_grave.html Brenda Marble explains and provides instructions for dowsing very clearly and in detail.

Gary had marked each of the graves with a stick and an overturned aluminum can. He placed the sticks where he figured the head would be if the graves were facing east as most graves were during that time. I happened to be standing by one of the graves and I looked up and saw the tree across the road where Lorenthe's gravestone was. What a striking picture that would make! I stepped back and aimed my camera towards the tree. I was astonished by what I saw in my viewfinder. From where I was I could see the heads of the two graves lined up perfectly on an angle to the walnut tree and Lorenthe's stone.

A Short History and Genealogical Record

Perry Gifford came to the Grand River from the United States, possibly from New York, and possibly with a brother named Hiram Gifford and maybe with another undocumented brother. He was born in 1773 and was in Haldimand before 1812 when he was operating his ferry. He married his first wife around 1800 when their oldest child was born. We know nothing about her except that she died around 1836. There is a family story that says she suffered a fall from a horse that left her severely brain damaged. The sequel to the story is that she was nursed by a neighbour's young daughter, who later became the second wife of Perry Gifford.

Together Perry and his first wife had four children:

• 1) John GIFFORD, born 1800 in New York, died 1872 South Cayuga Township, Haldimand County, Ontario, was married to Rebecca MEAD, born in 1805, in Woodhouse, Norfolk County, died 14 June, South Cayuga, Haldimand, Ontario, the daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth MEAD. John GIFFORD was buried at the South Cayuga Baptist Church. Together they raised ten children:
  • 1. Eliza Jane BACON, the daughter of Rebecca MEAD and Reuben BACON, born in 1818 in Norfolk County, died in 1900 at Dunnville, married to Philip VASBINDER.
  • 2. Edwin GIFFORD, born 1826, died 1904 in South Cayuga, Haldimand, married to Mary Ann COOPER.
  • 3. Maxwell GIFFORD, born 1827 at South Cayuga, died 1913 at Dunnville, Ontario, married to
    • 1) Margaret HOUSER in March 1849, She died in December of the same year after giving birth to their daughter, Margaret E.GIFFORD, who became the wife of Gideon MOYER.
    • 2) Maria ANGER, daughter of Charles ANGER and Katherine WINDECKER, in 1850.
    • 3) Catherine WINDECKER HARKNESS in 1890. Catherine was the daughter of Frederick WINDECKER and the first wife of John HARKNESS.
  • 4. Maria GIFFORD, born 1830, died 1879 in Walsingham Township, Norfolk County, married to Peter ANGER, son of Charles ANGER and Katherine WINDECKER, in 1855.
  • 5. Mary Jane GIFFORD, born 1832, died 1836.
  • 6. Benjamin Mead GIFFORD, born 1833, married to Elsie SENN YOUNG, daughter of Joseph SENN and Dolly WINDECKER, died in 1888 at his residence in Chicago, Illinois. He was buried at Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago.
  • 7. Henry Cornelius GIFFORD, born 1835, died at Toronto, Ontario, in 1922, married to
    • 1) Eliza Jane MOYER;
    • 2) Hannah McCALL. He was a merchant.
  • 8. George GIFFORD, born 1838 in South Cayuga, married to Mary Ann WINDECKER in 1865, died in South Cayuga, Ontario, in 1911
  • 9. Thomas Andrew GIFFORD, born 1843 in South Cayuga, died 1909 in North Cayuga, married to Susan TOPP, daughter of John TOPP and Susan CAMPBELL, in 1864.
  • 10. Elizabeth GIFFORD, born 1842, died 1914 at Dunnville, married to William BURNHAM on 5 June 1864. Their children were:
    • George Avery BURNHAM, born 1864, died 1917 in Port Colborne;
    • David "Asa" BURNHAM, born 1866, died 1948 in Chatham Ontario, married to
      • 1) Mary Jane ANGER, daughter of Daniel ANGER and Susan GREER
      • 2) Catherine WOOFENDEN, daughter of Thomas WOOFENDEN and Catherine TYLER, in 1899 in Harwich, Kent County
    • Alice Rebecca BURNHAM, born in 1869, married to William H. McPHERSON in 1891, and moved to Tillsonburg;
    • John Wesley BURNHAM, born in 1872, died in 1961 in Sudbury, Ontario, married to Bertha Victoria ANGER in 1904, moved to St. Charles, Ontario
    • Eliza BURNHAM, born in 1873, married to
      • 1) Nicholas RADCLIFFE in 1891 in Essex, Ontario,
      • 2) John Alexander SMITH in 1898, moved to Tilbury.
• 2) Harvey GIFFORD, born in 1805 in New York, son of Perry GIFFORD, died in 1886 in Cherokee County, Iowa, married to
  • 1) Eliza DELAIRE
  • 2) Lydia YAGER.
  Hiram Gifford, Hiram's children (probably) with his first wife, Eliza DELAIRE were:
  • 1. Peter GIFFORD, born in 1830 in South Cayuga, married to Almira JONES on 24 February 1855, living in Pine Rock, Ogle County, Illinois in 1860. Almira was married to Lawrence WREN on 28 February 1867. There is a record for Pte Peter GIFFORD in the U.S. Civil War records. He enlisted in Company H Iowa 1st Cavalry Regiment on 29 December 1863. The record states that he did not survive the war.
  • 2. Henry GIFFORD, born in December 1835, married to and divorced from Esther, was living in 1900 in Clark Township, Tama County, Iowa. He records that he immigrated to the United States in 1852.
  • 3. James GIFFORD, born February 1838, married to Cynthia THOMAS, was living in Waterloo Township, Black Hawk County, Iowa in 1925.
  • 4. Sarah GIFFORD, born in 1840, married and divorced from William TALLEY in Illinois, living in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1925, ae 85.
  • 5. Albert GIFFORD, born in 1842, married to Ella M., died 7 August 1931, at Malibu, Los Angeles County, California at the National Military Home. He was a veteran of the Civil War and was buried at the Los Angeles National Cemetery, 950 South Septilveda Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90049
  • 6. William GIFFORD, the son of Harvey GIFFORD and Lydia YAGER, was born in 1850/51 in South Cayuga, and became a successful business man in Cherokee County, Iowa, married to Nancy H. DANIELS, born in Illinois, a daughter of Sullivan and Honora DANIELS.
  • 3) Hiram GIFFORD born 1807 in New York, son of Perry GIFFORD, married to:
    • 1) Lorenthe, born in 1805 in Canada, died 1848 in South Cayuga, Haldimand, Ontario;
    • 2) Mary CRISLOR/CRYSLOR, born 1827, on 2 October 1849;
    • 3) Nancy CUMMINS on 5 September 1854;
    • 4) Christine, born in 1820.
    Hiram was living with his daughter Eliza Jane in La Porte City, Iowa, in 1885. His children were:
    • 1. Sarah Ann GIFFORD(possible), b 1832, living with Harvey and Lydia GIFFORD family in 1852.
    • 2. William GIFFORD, born 1834, living in 1860 in Pine Rock, Ogle County, Illinois, with Lucy GIFFORD, 17, and Richard GIFFORD, 21.
    • 3. Harvey GIFFORD(probable), born in 1836, living with Edward and Mary Ann GIFFORD in the 1852 census for South Cayuga Township.
    • 4. Richard GIFFORD, born 1840, was living with Jeremiah and Mary Ann JOHNSON in the 1852 Census for Rainham Township, Haldimand County, Upper Canada. In the 1860 census for Pine Rock, Ogle County, Illinois he was living with William GIFFORD and his wife, Lucy.
    • 5. Daniel GIFFORD, born in December, 1842, in South Cayuga, died on 19 August 1932 in Los Angeles, California, buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery, married to Mary Charity FULLER on 1 October 1872. Mary Charity FULLER was born in 1855, died in 1917, buried with Daniel GIFFORD at Los Angeles National Cemetery, Section 34, Row A, Sites 21, 22.
    • 6. Eliza Jane GIFFORD, born in 1844, in South Cayuga, married to Edwin Berry on 12 March 1866 in Stephenson County, Illinois. In the I885 census for La Porte City, Black Hawk County, Iowa, we find Elizabeth BERRY, 42, a divorced dressmaker, born in Canada, as head of household that includes Hiram GIFFORD, 77, widower, retired farmer, born in New York.
    • 7. Henry GIFFORD, born in November 1848, in South Cayuga, married to Amanda Mayhaly in 1879. Both were living in Basin Township, Big Horn County, Wyoming in 1930. Henry and Amanda were the parents of eight sons.
• 4) Mary Ann GIFFORD, born in 1808 in the United States (probably New York), married to William STARKEY, was living in Walsingham, Norfolk County in 1871. Their children were:
  • 1. James STARKEY, born 1827, married to Nancy BLARE, of Cayuga, on 23 October, 1849, was living in Pine Rock, Ogle County, Illinois, in 1860.
  • 2. Mary Jane STARKEY, born 6 January 1834, married to Leman VASBINDER in 1851, died 15 October 1905 in Sombra, Lambton County, Ontario.
  • 3. Emma STARKEY, born in 1835, was living with Edward and Mary Ann GIFFORD and their young family in South Cayuga, in 1852.
  • 4. John STARKEY, born in 1837, married to Alda KILLENS, daughter of Richard KILLENS and Elizabeth McCOLL, on 24 January 1867 at Dunnville, Ontario.
  • 5. Elmyra STARKEY born in 1839, living with her mother and family in 1861 in North Cayuga
  • 6. Andrew STARKEY, born in 1840, living with his mother and family in South Cayuga in 1852.
  • 7. Deborah STARKEY, born in 1844, living in North Cayuga in 1861 with her mother and family.
  • 8. Thomas STARKEY, born in 1846, married to Jenette RUSSELL on 2 December 1870, and living in Walsingham Township, Norfolk County, on 6 January 1872, when their son, John William, was born.