I would like to write about my ancestor William Thomas. William was born in England in 1784 and joined the army. He was in the 81st Regiment of Foot. The regiment was called “the Loyal Lincoln Volunteers”. He was sent to Canada to fight the war in 1812 called the Napoleon wars. He was sent to Quebec City and took a boat all the way to Hull to protect Lower Canada against the Americans.
William was a private in Hull until the war ended. After the war, the Canadian government gave William a house in Drummondville to have a new life in Canada. He decided to quit the army and start a family in Drummondville. William helped to build the St. George Anglican Church.
He was a farmer and he married in Sorel a girl named Sarah Dally in October 1817. They had ten children between the years of 1818 and 1845, five boys and five girls. Most of his boys grew up to be farmers. When the church burned down, he helped build a new one right over the old one.
William died in 1869 at the age of 85 years old. He was buried in the St. George cemetery. William was important to the community because he helped build the town of Drummondville and also helped to defend Canada from an invasion from the Americans. He is also important to me because he is my great great great great great grandfather.