All posts by Dinah Cruse

John Langstaff
1st Regiment York Militia

John Langstaff, one of 8 siblings, was born 1774 in Piscataway in the British New Jersey colony that would later become part of the United States.  He came to this area in 1808. He married Lucy, daughter of Abner Miles of Miles Hill later to become Richmond Hill.  Langstaff took over his father-in-law’s land at the site of toll gate number 3 on the Yonge Street Highway, two side roads south of Richmond Hill.  The land was located on the northeast corner of the intersection later to become Yonge Street and Langstaff Road.

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1st Regiment York Militia

James Miles
1st Regiment York Militia

October 6th 1776, James spelled M-I-G-H-E-L-L-S but pronounced “Miles” was born in Brimfield Massachusetts, to Abner Miles and Mercy Hayes who had married January 4th, 1776.  James was named after his Uncle.  James moved with his mother, father and at least two sisters of his five sisters to Genesee, New York.  James being 14 at this time would have assisted his father in their combined general store, inn, and cobbling business that served the first wave of settlers in that region.

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1st Regiment York Militia

David Bridgford
3rd Regiment York Militia

The Colonel was a prominent and colourful figure in the history of Richmond Hill.  Numerous references to him and his contributions to early society in Upper Canada have been found, particularly in the book, Early Days in Richmond Hill: A History of the Community to 1930 by Robert M. Stamp.

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3rd Regiment York Militia