Buffy / Lightheart Connection
If there is anyone out there with knowledge of the Buffy, Buffey, Lightheart, or Lighthart families of Peel Region, Ontario, please help solve the puzzle and email me : "Email Chuck" Thanks for your help.
The following is what we have learned about the
history of the Buffy / Buffey family of Peel Region, Ontario, and the Lightheart
family who were close neighbors.
The late William Buffy was sometimes considered as the father of Brampton as a village. It seems that William had built the tavern at the Snelgrove (then called Edmonton) Crossroads around the year 1830. He later moved to Brampton, being listed in the 1837 Directory as a resident of Lot 5, Concession 1 West, Chinguacousy. He was still in Chinguacousy in 1842 and 1844, when he applied for tavern licenses. About the year 1834 he built a pretty respectable tavern on the corner where Mr. Clarke's grocery now stands, and in this house was for some time transacted much of the business of Brampton. At one time Brampton was called Buffy's Corners. The Brampton Inn was not well documented; The William Perkins Bull Collection (R.P.A. 93.0028 M) contains a great deal of information about innkeepers but nothing about Buffy in Brampton. The Pioneer Cemetery in Brampton contains the grave of Mary, wife of William V. Buffy who died in 1843 aged 21 years. (See Mary's tombstone). The Region of Peel Archives has a handbill (R.P.A. 82.0123) issued by William Buffy as Clerk of the Township of Chinguacousy announcing a meeting of Pathmasters to take place at Buffy's Tavern, Edmonton (Snellgrove) in 1848. In the Directory of 1850-51, William Buffy is listed on Lot 14, Concession 5, Caledon.
It seems that William Buffy was born in England around the year 1798 and was married to a woman named Susan, also born in England. We think William emigrated from England to Canada around the year 1830 with his wife and two children, William Vernon Buffy and George M. Buffy. After the death of his wife Susan, William remarried to a woman named Sarah who was born in Canada, West.
William Vernon Buffy, (son of William Buffy Sr. and Susan), was born in England around the year 1823 and was listed as a Carpenter. It seems that William Vernon Buffy was married four times. The first marriage was to a Mary who died on Feb 18, 1843 at age 21 and is buried in Brampton Pioneer Cemetery. There seems to have been no children from this marriage. The second marriage is only speculation at this point and we are working hard to prove it. We believe this marriage was to Elizabethh Ann Lightheart. This marriage produced three children:
1) Sarah Lightheart Buffy born 1844
2) Mark Lightheart Buffy born 1846
3) Andrew Lightheart Buffy born 1848
Elizabeth died in 1848, perhaps giving birth to Andrew Lightheart Buffy. Third wife of William Vernon Buffy was Agnes Anne Johnston born in Canada in 1831. This marriage produced eight children:
Thomas Buffy
William Vernon Buffy Jr. married Elizabeth Chatwell. See obit for their son Vernon Buffy
George Johnston Buffy
Prudence Buffy
Sarah Buffy
Charles Buffy
John Victor Buffy
Earnest Buffy
William Vernon married for a fourth time after the death of Agnes, to a Susanah Turner who had been widowed from a Mr. Christmas. No children resulted form this marriage.
The Lightheart family lived very close to the Buffy
family in Brampton and Mark Lightheart Buffy must have gotten his
middle name somewhere. It seems logical that Marks mothers maiden name would
have been Lightheart.
Mark is listed on the 1851 Census for Chinguacousy as living with the
family of Isaac and Elizabeth Lightheart. (Why? Perhaps after his wife died,
William Vernon had the help of his in-laws in rearing the three children). The
death certificate signed by Dr. Edward Spence, of London, Ontario on Feb 13, 1909,
lists "Mark Lightheart Buffy", Father "Buffy" mother
"blank"
1851 Census Chinguacousy, Peel County:
Isaac Lightheart, Farmer Age 55
Elizabeth Anne (Markle), wife age 44
Catherine Lightheart, daughter age 25
Elizabeth Ann Lightheart, daughter (would have been age 22, but died before
this census) (we believe this is Mark's mother).
Lucinda Lightheart, daughter age 20
Barbara Lightheart, daughter age 18
Edward Lightheart, son age 17 See obit from 1921
Miranda Lightheart, daughter age 16
Pheby Lightheart, daughter age 12
Ruben Lightheart, son age 7
Lancen Lightheart, son age 5
George Lightheart, son age 2
Also in this home were:
Sarah age 7 (Mark's sister?)
Mark age 6 (Mark Lightheart Buffy?)
Andrew age 3 (Mark's brother?)
And, Lydia Monib visitor from Notawasaga township age 13
Issac Lightheart is listed as living on Concession
2, Lot 22 in the 1837 Home District Directory. The Buffy's were very close
neighbors.
The 1843 Chinguacousy East assessment roll lists William Buffy on Concession 1,
Lot 8, 9, 17, and in the 1846 roll on Concession 1, Lot 17
The 1861 Census lists Mark as follows:
John Patmore age 40
Lucinda (Lightheart) Patmore age 30, (One of Isaac Lighthearts' married
daughters).
Barbara age 3
John Henry age 1
Mark Buffy age 14, Lodger
Lydia Sophia Lightheart age 22, Lodger, probably Lydia Monib in the 1851
census.
This writer has an Aunt (Ruth Buffy) still living, and she remembers going to visit her fathers' Uncle Reuben Lightheart. This aunt is a daughter of Andrew Collins Buffy, who was a son of Mark Lightheart Buffy. That would seem to tie things together . . somewhat.
By the time of the 1871 Chinguacousy Census, we find Mark married to
Ruth Marie Boomer (this writers great grandparents) and listed as:
Martin (Mark) Buffy age 25 Stone Mason
Ruth age 21
Rachel age 3
Barbara age 1
The 1874 Lynch Directory for Peel lists Mark Buffee, Mason living in
Tullamore, Peel.
The 1881 Census finds Mark, Ruth (Ruth Mariah Boomer) and
children in Aylmer, East Elgin.
The 1891 Census finds Mark, Ruth (Boomer) and family in London,
Middlesex County.
The following two questions need to be answered to help complete this genealogy quest:
1) Who were Mark Lightheart Buffy's parents?
2) What was the connection between the Lightheart's and the Buffy's?
Again, thanks to anyone who can shed light on this family history project.
Back one page