5 Stump Brothers
A statement made by a Rev Stump, at Purpleville ONT is:
"There were 5 Stump brothers who came up from Somerset Co PA.They were loyal to the British Monarchy, and refused to swear oath to the new rebel government."
As an historian this tantalizes me.
Now knowing that Abraham Stump Sr was a "Northumberland Ranger" (Indian Scout) - and having the story of Frederick Stump, his nephew (son of Christopher Stump), another "British Ranger" who fled an Indian Massacre (to Georgia then to Nashville TN) - the Stump family seems to have given strong support to the British government - after all, Queen "Maud" brought them over from the devastation of the Palatinate by the French, brought them to the "New World" - even if there were problems resulting from her soon death.
AND - most of the children of Johan Georg Stump were Brethren (Baptist Brethren then - early connected to the Little Swatara German Baptist Church) - a faith that opposed war - whose young men refused to participate in the militia - a church persecuted by the Sons of Liberty during the Revolution.
But - they came to York Co Ontario from Somerset Co PA.
Somerset Co PA was originally called "Brothers Valley" - a major settlement of the German Baptist Brethren (and Mennonites) starting about 1750.
I suspect that Abraham Stump, with others, after the 1800 census, moved west to Somerset Co PA.Maybe it was because of the increasing tensions with the British, which resulted in the War of 1812, these Stumps had already been "tarred" with the brush of "Tory"
[An adjacent William Stump, seemingly older than Abraham, also disappears about that date from Northumberland Co - and is possibly the William Stump then found in Mifflin Co PA - part of the way to Somerset Co.I do suspect that William Stump is a brother of Abraham.]
Around 1800 was when the 200 acre Lots of "Upper Canada" were opened to settlement - and a number of people from Somerset Co moved to Vaughan twp, York Co PA.Abraham Stump moved there in 1803.
So - who are the "5 Stump brothers"?
Several in my research group say they were the sons of Abraham Stump.I disagree.In 1803 the three youngest would have been:13, 6 and 4.I do not see them as old enough to have "refused to swear oath to the new rebel government."Of the three older sons - one is labeled an "idiot" - "retarded".
I do place our Abraham Stump (c1750-1820) as one of the 5.
There is record of an Adam Stump being in Canada.[Adam Stump, wife: Mary Catherine Deiss - who then moved to York Co PA]His tradition says he came from Germany to Canada - but he has several of the family names in his children - so I think he might be connected, maybe even a brother of Abraham(or - one son is Casper!)Johan Georg had an assumed brother, Adam Stump, who died in Schoharie in 1741 and there are some inferences that the Adam Stump who lived adjacent Caspar, Abraham and John at Millbeck, Heidelberg twp could have been a son of Johan Georg
In Northumberland there was record of a nearby Jacob Stump, who was younger than Abraham, but definitely older than Abraham's children.When I was at Brampton ONT - at the "Old Jail" Archives - inquiring of the Stumps there (Solomon and Daniel both owned land near there at one time) - I mentioned Jacob Stump - and the Archivist came running out of the records:"You are UEL ! " - "Whats UEL?" - 'United Empire Loyalist" (a title given to refugees from the States - especially if they had fought with the British Army)I do not have a connection between those two Jacob Stumps - but we have not identified that Jacob Stump
Maybe there are more Stump names - that we have not heard of yet?