The Double Culver Quartette — E. A. Owen's Account (1898)

The account below is Sketch XII of E. A. Owen's Pioneer Sketches of Long Point Settlement, or Norfolk's Foundation Builders and Their Family Genealogies (Toronto: William Briggs, 1898), pages 84–90 — the chapter Norfolk County's old historian devoted to the four Collver brothers who married four Collver sisters. Owen wrote from inside the family: his own wife, Eliza Jane, was a great-granddaughter of the eldest brother of the quartette. The book is in the public domain, and the full volume may be read at the Internet Archive. The text is reproduced in full, with Owen's spellings and punctuation preserved; a handful of obvious scanning artifacts have been silently corrected against the sense of the passage. Owen writes "Culver" throughout — for why our branch spells it Collver, see "Why We're Collver, Not Culver."

Sketch XII. — The Double Culver Quartette

In the Culver family, of Norfolk, were four brothers who married four Culver sisters. The brothers were sons of that father of pioneers, Rev. Jabez Culver; and the sisters were daughters of Timothy Culver, who came to the settlement in 1796. It is the only case on record in the history of our old families, where four brothers married four sisters, all of the same name, and all the grandchildren of one common marriage union. Three of these marriages were solemnized in New Jersey, and the fourth, here; but all settled here more than a hundred years ago, their posterity having become as "sands on the sea-shore," forming no inconsiderable portion of Norfolk's present population. The names of the brothers were Jabez, Aaron, John and Gabriel; and the sisters names were Anna, Elizabeth, Miriam and Martha. They married in the order in which their names are written.

Jabez Culver, jun., eldest brother in the quartette, was born in New Jersey in 1760, and was thirty-four years old when he settled in Norfolk. His name frequently appears in the old court journal as a grand juror during the time the courts were held at Turkey Point. Jabez Culver was the only one of the quartette who moved out of the county. When the fertile hard-wood lands of Yarmouth began to attract settlers, he moved up into Elgin County and settled on the Catfish Creek, north of Talbot Street. He had two sons — Timothy and Isaac; and four daughters — Hannah, Catherine, Esther and Eunice.

Timothy Culver, elder son of Jabez, jun., was born in New Jersey. During the war of 1812 he returned to New Jersey, where he married and died, leaving one son, Philip. When a young lad, this son came to Canada to look after a land interest which his father had forfeited by leaving the country at a time when his services were needed in its defence, and after a hasty visit went south, where he met with some startling experiences. Where or when he died, or whether he died childless or not, are matters of family history unknown to his relatives in Canada.

Isaac Culver, younger son of Jabez, jun., married Jane Tuttle, and succeeded to the Yarmouth homestead. He had one son, Edwin, and three daughters — Esther, Emily and Calista — all of whom died young and without issue.

Edwin married Ann Burns, and succeeded to the homestead. He had one son, John Mark, who died single; and four daughters — Eliza Jane, Catherine, Emeline and Melissa, who married, respectively, E. A. Owen, D. A. Luton, W. S. Rogers and E. E. Sheppard.

Hannah Culver, eldest daughter of Jabez, jun., was carried from New Jersey in the arms of her Aunt Martha, wife of Gabriel Culver, on the back of a horse. She married Thomas Finch, of Vittoria, and settled, finally, in Oxford County. Her children are enumerated in the Finch genealogy.

Catherine Culver, second daughter of Jabez, jun., married John Learn, and settled near the old homestead in Elgin. She had seven sons — Andrew, George, Lyman, Edwin, John, Philip and Charles; and one daughter, Catherine. The mother lived to be very old.

Eunice Culver, third daughter of Jabez, jun., married Neil Close, and settled at New Sarum. She had six sons — Andrus, Charles, John, Oliver, George and Louis; and three daughters — Caroline, Eliza Ann and Catherine. Both parents attained a good old age.

Esther Culver, fourth daughter of Jabez, jun., married Wheeler Kitchen, and settled in Townsend. She had three sons — Richard, Isaac and Jabez; and two daughters — Esther Ann and Mary Eunice. Of this family, Richard settled in Monroe County, Missouri, Isaac settled in Woodhouse, Jabez settled in Michigan; and the daughters married, respectively, Samuel Culver and Timothy Culver, both of Townsend.

Aaron Culver, second brother in the quartette, was born in New Jersey, in 1766, and was thirty years old when he came to Norfolk. His pioneer log-cabin was erected on a knoll now included in one of the broad fields of the Loder-Culver farm. He brought a set of mill-irons from New Jersey, and when he had effected a settlement he set about looking up a mill-site. There was a good one on Patterson's Creek, where the town of Simcoe now stands; and when Governor Simcoe pitched his tent in the valley in 1795, on a spot now included in the Campbell Grove, Mr. Culver waited upon him and obtained a grant of the mill privilege. He built a mill on the site occupied in more modern times by the N. C. Ford & Co. mills. The little Culver mill was the pioneer mill of Simcoe, and was named "The Union Mill," for the reason, probably, that it was brought into existence by the united effort of all the settlers. The first land deed registered in the county from Townsend was in 1797, being a deed from Gideon Cooley to Aaron Culver.

A reference to sketch, "Juries and Court Officials Made at Turkey Point," will show that Aaron Culver was, also, a frequent grand juror, and that he was one of the old treasurers of London District. He was twice married. By the Culver union he had three sons — David, Moses and Timothy; and by his second wife, Jane Fray, he had two sons — Aaron and George; and two daughters — Sarah and Jane. He died in 1849, in his 86th year.

David Culver, eldest son of Aaron, married Sarah White, and settled in Townsend. He had four sons — James, Nathaniel, Aaron and Joseph; and three daughters — Martha Jane, Mercia and Sarah.

Moses Culver, second son of Aaron, married Sarah Merritt, and settled in Townsend. He had four sons — Levi, Loder, William and Moses; and three daughters — Jane, Mary and Nancy. He died in 1835, in his 33rd year.

Timothy Culver, third son of Aaron, married Rebecca Pursley, and settled in Townsend. He had five sons — Philip, Mahlon, Oliver, Aaron and Thomas; and two daughters — Jane and Amy.

Aaron Culver, eldest son of Aaron by his second wife, married —— Stearns, and settled near Simcoe. He had three sons — Alvin, Ebenezer and Leamon.

George Culver, second son of Aaron by his second wife, married Emily Musselman, and settled on the homestead. He had four sons — Sylvanus, Herbert, Mark and Ernest; and two daughters, one of whom married John Bouprey, of Simcoe.

Sarah and Jane, daughters of the original Aaron, married, respectively, Joseph Woolley and Leamon Sovereign.

John Culver, third brother in the quartette, was born in New Jersey, in 1768, and was twenty-six years old when he built his log-cabin in the Townsend wilderness. He came a little in advance of his father and brothers, and was the first Culver to effect a settlement in Norfolk. They left New Jersey early in 1793, but the season was spent somewhere about the Grand River, and they did not reach Norfolk before February or March, 1794. The ground was covered with snow, and after crossing the Grand River they had to chop their way through the brush-entangled forest. When they reached a certain spot on what is now Lot 1, 11th concession, Townsend, they pitched their tent. The snow was cleared away from the prostrate trunk of a huge tree, and a temporary shelter constructed with pine boughs and cow-hides. What a mighty transformation has been effected in Norfolk since Miriam Culver and her three babies cuddled together on a bed of pine boughs by the side of that log a hundred and three years ago! And what were the thoughts of the brave young pioneer as he guarded that rudely constructed couch all through the "stilly watches" of that first night? In our imagination we can see the leaping flames and the radiating shadows. It is midnight, and stretching away in every direction is a vast, unbroken and densely wooded forest. Old Townsend's first permanent settler stands with his back to the crackling flames, and, with folded arms, peers into the outlying darkness. Hark! What demoniacal, blood-curdling sound is that? He listens. It grows louder. On a bed of pine-boughs, by the side of a fallen tree, lies old Townsend's first pioneer mother. She has had a hard day's tramp through the forest, and has fallen into a deep sleep with her babies nestled snugly in her arms. She is oblivious to her surroundings, and hears not the discordant howls of the blood-thirsty wolves. She is dreaming of her happy, far-away New Jersey home and the dear friends left behind. But the vigilant sentry disturbs not her slumbers. He heaps on more wood and sends the sparkling flames higher and still higher, for well he knows that this is a certain means of warding off attacks of wild beasts.

John Culver was truly a pioneer of pioneers. He was a preacher, but never assumed the duties of the regular pastor. He was a poet, and in 1828 he wrote a volume of hymns which was published as the "Upper Canada Hymn Book." He was somewhat eccentric in character, and towards the close of his life he became enamored with the doctrines of Universalism. He had five sons — Michael, Gabriel, Darius, John Mark and Hiram; and seven daughters — Rhoda, Sarah, Mary, Elizabeth, Miriam, Dorcas and Susanna. He died in 1834 in his 67th year, and his wife died in 1852, in her 80th year.

Michael Culver, eldest son of John, was married three times. He had seven sons — Gabriel, Lewis, Dr. John, Mark, Darius, Hugh and Carlton; and four daughters — Mary Jane, Sarah Ann, Harriet and Miriam. He died in 1869, in his 79th year.

Gabriel Culver, second son of John, and his sister Elizabeth, settled in the States.

Darius Culver, third son of John, married Mary Heath, and settled on the homestead. He had two sons — Horace and Leamon; and four daughters — Evangeline, Amanda, Harriet and Mary D. He died in 1855, in his 37th year.

John Mark Culver, fourth son of John, married Sarah Kern, and settled on the homestead. He had two sons — Ransom and Albert; and four daughters — Emily, Roxey, Ruth and Miriam.

Hiram Culver, youngest son of John, married Sarah Ann Stokes, and settled in Townsend. He died this present year in his 83rd year, and was the last survivor of his generation. Hiram inherited some of his father's mental peculiarities. As a mental arithmetician he had few equals. It is said he once computed the number of thirty-seconds of an inch around a two-hundred-acre lot, mentally, without making a mark of any kind. The grand total runs up into hundreds of millions, and the feat is one that few men, indeed, are able to perform. Hiram Culver had one son, James S., who died single. His four daughters — Miriam C., Amoret A., Louisa Jane and Amanda M., married, respectively, Edgar Bryning, Willard Walker, Thomas Giles and Albert Deming. Mrs. Bryning has in her possession one of the most valuable old books in the county. It is a concordance of the Bible, published in 1643, and brought from New Jersey to Norfolk more than a century ago, by Rev. Jabez Culver, father of the quartette in question.

Rhoda Culver was the first-born child in the Townsend cabin. She married James Lewis, and settled in Townsend. Of the other daughters of John, Elizabeth married Alexander McIntosh, of Townsend; Miriam married William Wood, of Windham; Dorcas married Dr. Bostwick, and Susanna married Mark Hopkins.

Gabriel Culver, youngest brother in the quartette, was born in New Jersey in 1774, and was twenty years old when his father settled in Norfolk. He married after he came to the settlement, and it is quite probable that his marriage was the first one solemnized in the township of Windham. During Governor Simcoe's visit in 1795, he called at Gabriel's little clearing and advised him to leave a clump of trees that stood in front of his cabin for a grove. The advice was acted upon and the trees were spared. He had six sons — Asa, Jabez L., John, Ira, Orrin G. and Nelson C.; and three daughters — Elizabeth, Nancy and Calista. He died in 1841 in his 68th year, and his wife died in 1866 in her 90th year.

Asa Culver, eldest son of Gabriel, married Sarah Widner, and settled in Windham. He had four sons — Lewis, Descom, John Asa and Alvin; and three daughters — Helen, Caroline and Sarah Jane. Asa, the father, died in 1879 in his 82nd year.

Jabez L. Culver, second son of Gabriel, married Mary Chamberlain, and settled in Windham. He had four sons — Dr. John G., Edwin, Louis and Dr. Addison; and two daughters — Martha and Almira. He died in 1841 in his 42nd year.

John Culver, third son of Gabriel, married Mary Boss. He had no children.

Ira Culver, fourth son of Gabriel, married Desire Brown, and settled, finally, in Iowa. Benjamin Culver, of Norwich, is a son of Ira.

Orrin G. Culver, fifth son of Gabriel, married Harriet Walker, and settled in Windham. He had two sons — Lyman and Leander; and one daughter, Serena.

Nelson C. Culver, youngest son of Gabriel, married Sarah, daughter of Abraham Young, the old Windham pioneer who lived to be nearly a hundred years old. He settled on the old homestead, but at present lives in a pleasant home on the lake shore near Normandale. He is the sole survivor of his generation. He has six sons — Omar, Asa, Ogden, Frank, Tom and Lemuel; and five daughters — Calista, Mary, Susanna, Eva and Jennie.

Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Gabriel, married John McIntosh, and settled in Townsend.

Nancy, the second daughter, married Col. Thomas Clark, of Waterford.

Calista, youngest daughter of Gabriel, married Nelson Vasbinder.

If all the people in Norfolk who are related to the Culver family were removed from the county, those remaining would feel lonely. They have become very numerous and influential, and it is no doubt a fact that a careful computation would show that the Culver connections would outnumber those of any other of our pioneer families, and that they own more cultivated fields and comfortable Norfolk rural homes than any other family. The Culvers are pre-eminently tillers of the soil.

Citation: E. A. Owen, "Sketch XII. — The Double Culver Quartette," in Pioneer Sketches of Long Point Settlement, or Norfolk's Foundation Builders and Their Family Genealogies (Toronto: William Briggs, 1898), pp. 84–90. The work is in the public domain. Owen's dates and traditions are reproduced as he printed them; where the documentary record refines them (Jabez Jr.'s birth year, the family's arrival dates, and the two Timothy Culvers, among others), see the posts on this site, which cite the primary sources.

© 2026 Albert B. Collver III · The Collver Family History Project. Original historical documents reproduced here are in the public domain; the research, text, and annotations are the author's. Please cite or link rather than republish.