from Daily Standard-Freeholder, January 4, 1950, Page 4
Founder of Prescott
Edward Jessup fought for Britton in the Recvolutionary War
It Cost Him His Prosperous Business in Albany New York
But lt Brought Him North To Found The Town of Prescott
by the Prescotti correspondent of the Brockville’ Recorder and Times
It would appear fittlng to consider in a brief manner some facts concerning the founder of the town, Edward Jessup.
Born in Stamford, Connecticut on December 4, 1735, Edward Jessup was a member of an influential English family which had settled in the New World and a member of a family which was to become very associated with the story or the development of Leeds Grenville, Addlngton and the Bay of Qulnte. Of especial interest is the important part which the Jessup family played In the development of the town of Precott from virgin bush and primitive surroundings.
Edward Jessup when the Revolutionary War broke out was a man ol considerable substance and wealth. At that critical period In the history of the New World in 1871 he resided with his wife, Abigail Dibble, in the city of Albany, New York where he engaged In extensive business interests and where he was the owner of no less than 500,000 acres of land bestowed upon him by the British Crown a gift of land which is described in a heading entitled "Jessup's Patent" in the early publication The Documentary History of New York in the archives of New York city.
Important Man
At the outbreak of the revolution Jessup drew half pay from the British Army and held other important and well paid positions which made him a man of enviable wealth.
When the revolution broke out in all its fury, Edward Jessup could quite easily have ignored the trend of events and continued to lead an affluent life replete with all manner of worldly wealth but the inner patriotism of the man triumphed over his material possessions which he promptly sacrificed to take up arms for the King. He organized the Jessup Colonial force known as the royal Colonial Regiment serving with courage and distinction under General Burgoyne during the attack on Ticonderoga and continuing to serve until the war had been won and lost.
At the close of the war having sacrificed all of his vast estates and wealth as a result of taking up arms for the Loyalists, Jessup proceeded to Canada with his regiment or corps which subsequently became known as "Jessup's Rangers" with the rank of Major. In Canada he and his Rangers were first located at various points in Quebec, but with the inducement of the offer of large grants of land to Loyalist soldiers in Ontario he proceeded with his men in the spring of 1784 up the St. Lawrence river the movement being conducted in what at that time was termed a "brigade of boats."
Arriving safely in the Johnstown area he commenced to oversee the settlement of his men on land grants throughout what we now know as the Leeds and Grenville areas while some members of the Rangers went further afield and settled in the area now known as the county of Addington and the Bay of Quinte.
The history of the British Empire can produce few episodes in individual courage patriotism and loyalty to parallel the story of Edward Jessup’s sacrifices : Inspired by his loyally and one of the finest traits of his character was shown in historical documents of the period recording the fact that in accepting the grants to him personally by the Government amounting to ,1200 acres of land he concerned himself first of all in looking after the interests of the soldiers who had fought and suffered with him under his command.
Jessup proceeded to England where he remained for a few years pressing his claims for compensation for at least some of the lands judged lost as a result of his loyalty to the Crown during the American Revolution and achieving a small measure of success returned to Canada where he settled in the Township of Augusta County of Grenville selecting as his allotment of crown Land Lots No 1 2 and 1 in the first Concession tracts of land which arc now virtually covered by the dwellings and factories of present day Prescott.
Home Still Stands
Major Jessup was apparently a man of untiring energy and ambition. With his son Lieut. Edward Jessup Junior he hewed down the surrounding forest and surveyed the land for a fee of $1 per diem. As a result of this survey he then drew up a plan for the potential town of Prescott so named by him in honor of Major General Robert Prescott who had served as Governor of Canada Nova Scotia and New Brunswick from 1796 to 1793.
On Lot No 1 he built the first homestead in what was to become Prescott. This house which still stands in the grounds of Fort Wellington. Is still open for inspection by tourists. Later on two additional buildings were erected one of which located on Water Street and is owned by the Buckly Estate.
Here in this building were laid the plans which resulted in the capture of Ogdensburg during the war of 1812 at a period when the building housed the officers mess of the military formations stationed at Prescott from time to time.
The second house was and here the ambitious foresight of Major Jessup was surely most evidently schoolhouse in which the first rudiments of elementary education were first applied in this district.
Within a few years dwelling houses warehouses and even factories were erected and the town began to flourish as one of the focal river ports of Upper Canada.
In addition Prescott became one of the central points for receiving immigrants from overseas and within a very few years what had been truly the "forest primeval" had made way for a small thriving town which had become officially recognized by authorities in Britain as one or the five most important ports on the North American continent. In the year 1814 the dream town of Major Edward Jessup had so grown and progressed that it received what in those days was a signal honor. Prescott became a place with an official post office.
In the same year 1814 it became apparent to the Jessups and other leading figures in the community life of the growing community that some form of local government would have to be brought into being and a petition was drawn up and presented to the Commons of the province of Upper Canada accordingly. However it was not until the year 1834 that the municipality became legally incorporated as a police village under the control of a board of police and thus it continued until Prescott became an incorporated municipality following the passing of the Act of Incorporation kn 1849 a century ago.
A man who “buided better than he knew," Major Edward Jessup died in February 1818 at the ripe old-age of 81 years. He had led a life devoted to the defence of King and country in the development of a new empire under the flag which he loved so well. He had cultivated and fostered British traditions and institutions and in carving out from the swamps and dense forest lands until the Town of Prescott had taken its early forms he left behind him in every stick stone and roadway in the community his lasting memorial.
As Prescott's Centennial year has just past it Is fitting that some thought be given to the man who really and truly was responsible for the original development of the town and strive with might and main to continue in several ways the continued building of the municipal structure upon the municipal structure which he well and truly laid.
