My wife's family has a long and rich history in North America. The first Covell to arrive was Nathaniel Covell. He came as an indentured servant to the Governor, Edward Winslow, at the age of 13, arriving 26th August 1653 in Boston Massachusetts. The first Covell to arrive in Canada, three generations later, was Simeon John Covell. His pedigree (ancestors) can be found in his dedicated history section of the site (link below). Simeon's arrival in Canada was as a result of the Revolutionary War or the War of Independence (depending which side you were on). Simeon was a Captain in the Queens Rangers (a loyalist regiment) at the Battle of Bennington, NY in 1777 and later he was associated with the Jessup's Loyal Rangers. His exile to Upper Canada earned him the title of United Empire Loyalist. Covell's have lived and prospered in Eastern Ontario for over 200 years. |
The settlement of Massachussets, and more importantly to our family Cape Cod, is well documented. Nathaniel Covell finished his seven years of contracted service and found his way to Yarmouth. In the Spring of 1663 he married Sara, daughter of William Nickerson. William, at that time, was fighting in court over land in Barnstable, Massachusetts that he had purchased from the Indian Mattaquason, the sachem of Monomoit (i.e. chief of the Monomoit 'tribe'). The final resolution of the issue did not happen until 1672 when the court agreed to let William have possession of what he has purchased. Over the next 10 years he bought two more tracts bringing the total land he owned to about 4,000 acres. This comprised, for the most part, what is today the town of Eastham.
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Canadian Family History
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Simeon Covell [UEL] had three children, all born at Cambridge, Washington County, New York before the war. Several researchers have concluded that Simeon had six children, three born in Canada. My research has revealed that the three later children that are mentioned are definitely not Simeon's and are most likely those of his nephew David, son of his brother David Sr., both of whom moved to Augusta township in 1793. For more on this subject follow the Simeon Covell history link below.
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Looby Information
Credits
Many thanks to those who have helped me build my Covell database: Joyce and Bruce Watts, Robert Snyder and Ann Tate. |
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