Port Colborne Historical & Marine Museum Digital Collections

Mennonite Exemption Certificate- John Graybiel,1812

Description

Sponsors

This item is a part of the 1812 History digitization project. This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy.

Media Type

Text

Item Type

Documents

Description

An original hand-written certificate dated August 31, 1812 declaring that John Graybiel of the Township of Wainfleet, County of Lincoln was a "manonist" and a son of a "Manonist" (meaning a Mennonite). This certificate, which the Militia Act required to be signed by three members of the congregation, exempted 16 year old John Graybiel from Military duty. It also proved that he was of the Mennonite faith and therefore, was not required to enlist in the militia.

According to the Militia Act of 1808, Article 27: Mennonites, Quakers and Tunkers "who from certain scruples of conscience decline bearing arms, shall not be compelled to serve in the said militia, but every person professing that he is one of the people called Quakers, Mennonists or Tunkers producing a certificate...signed by the clerk of the meeting of such society, or by any three or more of the people called Quakers, Mennonists or Tunkers, shall be excused and exempted from serving in the said militia; provided, nevertheless, that every such person... from the age of sixteen to sixty, shall, on or before the first day of December in each and every year, give in his name and place of residence to the treasurer of the district where he or they shall reside, and pay to such treasurer...in time of peace the sum of twenty shillings, and in time of actual invasion or insurrection, or when any part of the militia of that district may be called out on actual service, the sum of five pounds, and in default of such payment, for such justice...(of the peace)...to levy the same by distress and sale of the offender's goods and chattels...and for want of such distress the justice...shall commit him to the common gaol of the district...in custody no longer than the space of one calender month." ---"Documentary History" The Militia Law of 1808, Section XXVI, Vol. 3: 13-14.

For more information, read “‘Scruples of Conscience’: The War of 1812 in the Sugarloaf Settlement” by Donald G. Anger, the Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum.

Date of Original

31 Aug 1812

Subject(s)

Militias
Mennonites
Military - 1812
War of 1812
Graybiel, John
Militia Act of 1808
Military Exemption

Local identifier

2008.6.1

Language of Item

English

Geographic Coverage

Port Colborne

Ontario, Canada

Latitude: 42.8876622382699 Longitude: -79.2519378662109

Copyright Statement

Protected by copyright: Uses other than research or private study require the permission of the rightsholder(s). Responsibility for obtaining permissions and for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Recommended Citation