Walter Rolling

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There is no definitive proof of exactly how or when the Rolling family came to King Township. Extensive research suggests the following scenario:

Beginnings - United States:

Benjamin Rolling Sr. was born in 1797 in Alexandria, Virginia. He was married to Almira who was born in 1801 in the United States. It is not known whether they were slaves or free Blacks, or why they left Virginia.

The couple appeared in Ohio in 1822, where their first daughter, Charlotte Rolling, was born. It is also not known if Almira and Benjamin were legally married. Legal marriages between slaves were not allowed, and free Blacks had to find an anti-slavery clergyman to perform the ceremony for it to be considered legal. Many times, Blacks just held solemn ceremonies with their family and friends in attendance.

If the Rollings were slaves, they may have travelled to Upper Canada from Ohio on the Underground Railroad. It is estimated that by 1815, more than 1,000 slaves had travelled to Upper Canada via the Ohio River. If the Rollings were free Blacks, Ohio had fewer restrictions than Virginia. In Virginia, the free Blacks needed to be registered, could only work certain jobs and live certain places. It seemed that free blacks were caught in a 'no man's land' between slavery and freedom. Compared to the Whites, they were barred from schools, could not vote, were physically threatened, and could not change their economic position.

Even though Ohio was coinsidered to be a "free state", the conditions were still not ideal. Many people in that state did not disapprove of slavery and many Blacks were surprised by the treatment they received. Expecting to be treated as equals, they found many doors closed due to the colour of their skin. Free Blacks and hired-out slaves lived wherever they could; shacks in alleyways, in makeshift houses on the edge of city limits, in basements, and outbuildings.

Black Laws - Black Code:

Some states, including Ohio, passed "Black Laws", also called the "Black Code", which regulated the movements and liberties of free Blacks. In many places, the Code was meant to be a deterrence for Blacks to settle in that state and to limit the activities of the Blacks already living there with the aim to get them to leave.

Ohio passed their Black Code in 1804, but it was not strictly enforced. The law was called "An Act to Black and Mullatto Persons". It stated that Blacks could not live or work in Ohio without a Certificate of Freedom issued by the federal court. This document had to be carried with them at all times. In 1807, Blacks entering the state had to provide a $500 bond, signed by two White men, as a guarantee of their good behaviour. As the Black population grew, the more the Whites demanded the laws to be enforced.

By the 1820s, Ohio was a haven for Black immigrants from other states. In 1827, 10% of the urban population of Cincinnati was free Blacks. There was also an increase in White immigration from countries such as Ireland. This increase in immigrants resulted in competition between the Blacks and White for employment. One June 29, 1829 all Blacks were "put on notice" that the Black Code would be enforced and they had 60 days either to comply with the requirements or to leave. That meant that they had to post a $500 bond, have their behaviour guaranteed by two White men of respectable station and observe curfew. Certain jobs from that point on would be reserved for Whites.

Race Riots:

Then on July 27, 1829, the Cincinnati Gazette reported that if a resident employed a Negro or Mulatto person who caused an offence, they had to pay a fine of up to $100 and be liable for maintenance and support of that employee if they could not support themselves.

On August 22, 1829, three days of race riots broke out in Cincinnati. More than 300 Whites attacked Blacks residents who lived in the city, who they felt were competing with them for jobs. Black citizens responded with gunfire.

With the implementation of the Black Code and riots in Ohio, in 1829 a group of largely free Black citizens lead by James C. Brown, sent representatives to Lieutenant-Governor Sir John Colborne, seeking asylum in Canada. The government, directed by Colonel Edward George O'Brien, helped these Blacks to relocate to Oro Township, which is north of Barrie, Ontario. It is estimated that 460 Blacks immigrated to Canada during this time.

Resettlement - Upper Canada (Ontario):

It is believed that Benjamin and Almira Rolling lived in Ohio during this time and came to Canada with this group in 1829. Records were found of them settling in Oro Township. Leaving their home country would not have been easy, but they would have had a growing concern for their welfare and the future freedom of their children. It was known that Canada could be a land of opportunity and a place where the Black Code did not exist.

John Beverley Robinson, the Chief Justice of Upper Canada, developed the Fugitive Offenders Act in 1833 which stated that "Negroes in the country to which the formerly belonged, here they are free." It also stated that "for the enjoyment of all civil rights consequent to a mere residence in the country and among them the right to personal freedom as acknowledged and protected by the Laws of England...[must] be extended to these Negroes as well as to others under His Majesty's Government in this Province."  

In 1829, Sir James Kemp, administrator of Lower Canada stated that "the state of slavery is not recognized in the Law of Canada nor does the Law admit that any man can be the proprietor of another." Even though the United States protested to Canada and the British Government to force Canada to return slaves, they were denied. The British Government stated that it would "never depart from the principle recognized by the British courts that every man is free who reaches British ground."

The community of Oro was established in 1819 by the government of Upper Canada. Land grants were offered here to Black veterans of the War of 1812. Of these veterans, only nine families had established themselves there by 1831. Therefore, from 1828 to 1831, the government granted land to other Blacks, many of whom were from Ohio. Peter Robinson, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, sold 100 acre lots for the price of one shilling per acre.

To gain title of the land, the owner had to clear a portion of the road adjoining the land, build a house of a certain size and clear 10 acres. By 1831, it was estimated that there were approximately 97 Blacks in Oro Township. That year, Peter Robinson did an inspection of these lands, and if these tasks were not complete, the residents were evicted from their land.

The census indicated that there was a Benjamin Rolling who had registered for a property in Oro Township: east half of Lot 8, Concession 5. By 1831, the family had left the lot and moved on. It is not known exactly why the Rolling family left Oro, but it could have been because of the poor land conditions, harsh climate and the remote and inaccessible location.

Blacks who came to Upper Canada by the early 1830s were tolerated but welcomed, as Canadians felt sympathetic and viewed them as temporary residents. The Blacks became a cheap source of labour for many Canadians. Blacks came to Canada in search of a better life with higher wages, social acceptability, and where basic human rights and freedoms were upheld.

Opportunity - King Township

It is not known why the Rolling family moved to King Township from Oro but by 1835, Bejamin Rolling was living south of Aurora in King Township. They may have come to King Township because it had cheap land that was believed to be excellent for agriculture. The township was also experiencing a population boom. It may also have been because King Township was settled by Quakers from Vermont and Pennsylvania, people who were known to condemn slavery and aided in the underground railway. Benjamin Drew, a Quaker abolitionist stated "I look upon slavery as a disgrace, and as breaking the laws of God: that no man can keep the laws of God and hold to slavery." The Quakers had a strong influence on the life and development of King Township. They were the first settlers to make their homes on Yonge Street, later moving northwest towards Kettleby and Lloydtown.

The precise relation between the Barnhard/Barnhart and Rolling families, of King Township, is uncertain but they were most certainly related. Charlotte Barnhart was born Charlotte Rolling, married Richard Barnhart in Virginia and together they escaped to Canada. Their daughter Ellen (Nellie) was recorded as living with Walter and Laura Rolling on the 1921 census and was listed as Walter Rolling's cousin.

1797 - Benjamin Rolling Sr. is born in Alexandria, Virginia.

1820 - Richard Barnard/Barnhart is born in Virginia where he is a slave.

1822 – The Rolling family is living in Ohio; Charlotte Rolling is born.

1830s - Richard & Charlotte escape to Upper Canada, likely using the Underground Railroad.

1831 – The Rolling family is living in Oro, Ontario.

1835 – The Rolling family moves to south of Aurora. Benjamin Jr. is born that year.

1838 - Richard and Charlotte’s daughter Nellie (Helen/Ellen) is born.

1846 – The Rolling family moves south of Pottageville.

1850 - By this year, Richard & Charlotte Barnart settle on a half-acre (Lot 3, Concession 5) in Laskay.

1861 - Richard buys a half-acre of land from Joe Baldwin in Laskay.

1869 - Benjamin Rolling Jr. buys a home in Laskay.

March 29, 1871 - Benjamin Rolling Sr. dies in King Township.

May 13, 1873 - Walter Rolling is born in Laskay.

1883 - Benjamin Rolling Jr. opens his general store in Laskay.

1892 - Walter Rolling attends Aurora High School.

1893 - Walter Rolling graduates from Newmarket Model School (aka Alexander Muir Public School).

January 3, 1895 - Walter Rolling starts teaching at Kinghorn School in King Township (now the home of the King Heritage & Cultural Centre).

February 7, 1896 - Richard Barnard dies in Laskay.

March 24, 1897 – Benjamin Rolling Jr. is killed when his rig is hit by a train.

1897 - Walter Rolling attends the Toronto Normal School.

1900 - Charlotte Barnhart dies.

June 27, 1906 - Walter Rolling marries his first wife, Eva Elizabeth Smith.

April 10, 1916 - Eva Smith Rolling dies.

July 13, 1920 - Walter marries his second wife, Laura E. Clark.

1921 - Ellen Barnhart is living with Walter and Laura Rolling.

June 30, 1936 - Walter Rolling retires from teaching; his last and longest position was at Kinghorn School.

June 19, 1937 - Walter Rolling Day celebration is held.

June 10, 1943 - Walter Rolling dies in King City.

April 11, 1978 - Laura Rolling dies.

Family

Walter Rolling was born on May 31, 1873 in the village of Laskay, located on Weston Rd, just south of King Rd. He was the second oldest child of Benjamin Harris Rolling Jr. and Sarah Elizabeth Britton; he had five siblings. His father was a well-known pedlar, storekeeper, and postmaster in the town.

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Walter grew up living with his family in Laskay, Ontario. Even as an adult, he continued living in the family home to help out, especially after his father died suddenly in 1897. In 1902, Walter and his mother Sarah sold the family home in Laskay and Walter moved in with his cousin Ellen Smith.

Walter lived with Ellen until 1907, when he and his first wife, Eva, rented four acres of land near the Kinghorn School on Concession 5, Lot 4. Around 1910, Walter moved to King City, renting property on Concession 4, Lot 6. He remained there until 1916, when Eva, his first wife died.

Then in 1916/17, Walter bought property in King City at Concession 3, Lot 4. This is where he lived with his second wife, Laura, until he died.

Marriages:

On June 27, 1906, Walter married Eva Elizabeth Smith (1876-1916) at the Smith family home in Toronto. Eva was the second daughter of George Washington Smith and Elizabeth Jane Campbell, an African-American family.

George Washington Smith came to Toronto in his late teens from the United States and developed into a very successful businessman. He owned multiple barber shops and later was a newspaper dealer. Due to his clientele, he became a well-known in Toronto's "coloured colony" and part of the upper class Black community.

Eva suffered from heart trouble. Tragically, she died at her parent's home on April 10, 1916 after a lingering illness.

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On July 12, 1920, Walter married Laura Emily Clark (1892-1978). Laura was born in Uxbridge, Ontario to Peter Clark and Mary Emily Kennedy, who were of Scottish decent. She received her teaching certificate from Peterborough Teachers College and also studied music at Whitby Ladies College and taught at the Strange School in King Township. After their marriage, Laura taught music on Friday afternoons at Walter's school.  

In the 1930s, Laura became a society page contributor to the Toronto Star, Newmarket Express-Herald (later called the Newmarket Era), Aurora Banner, and Richmond Hill Liberal. She also worked for the radio stations CKEY and CFGM, and was a representative for the British United Press for 10 years. Harold Lubbock, a past Aurora Banner editor, stated that Laura "was always accurate and showed a great interest in her community." Laura was busiest during the Second World War, when the Toronto Star was short staffed. During that time, she was known to phone in at least three stories a day. "If I was asked to do something I never refused, if I had to go through hellfire and water," Laura stated when interviewed in 1968. Municipal politics were always her favorite subject to report on. One of her more famous stories was when the King City Bank was robbed in 1944, and she was taken hostage. She was known to have said that she "wasn't frightened, just frustrated" because she couldn't get to a phone to call the story in.

Laura was also an active member of the Women's Institute of Laskay, where she held officer positions and sat on committees from the 1940s to the 1970s. She was also involved in the Kingcrafts Society. In 1956, she was the Publicity Convenor and wrote 'A Pair of Working Hands.' Other organizations she was involved in included the Eversley Branch of the Women's Missionary Society and being the secretary of the King City Cemetery.

After Walter's death, she became more involved with journalism. She retired from the Toronto Star in 1965 and from the other papers in 1969. In 1967, she was awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal for "service to the nation."

Laura died at York Central Hospital on April 11, 1978, and was was buried with Walter at the King City Cemetery. There were no children from either of Walter's marriages.

Walter's Death:

Walter died of a heart attack on June 10, 1943. He was survived by his wife, Laura, his sister, Mrs. Florence Lightfoot, and his brother, George Rolling. The funeral took place at Walter's home, with many people in attendance, a sign of the high regard in which he was held. Walter was buried at the King City Cemetery with his parents.

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Walter was well educated. As a boy, he attended the Strange School, the closest school to Laskay approximately a one and a quarter mile walk away. His public school teacher was Elizabeth Tinline who noted that Walter was an outstanding student.

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Starting in 1892, Walter attended Aurora High School, which had just moved to a new building on Wells St. At the time, fewer than 10% of public school students went on to high school, for which they had to pay $4.00 per term; over 100 students had registered that year. The single most common profession chosen by Aurora High School graduates at that time was teaching. 

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After graduating from high school, Walter earned his Third Class Teaching Certificate from the Newmarket Model School. His first teaching job was at a school in Aurora; he was then hired to teach at S.S. #23 Kinghorn School (the current home of the King Heritage & Cultural Centre). Walter's first year salary at the one-room schoolhouse was $295, $15 less than Miss Alice Ferguson who he replaced. By his second year, his pay was increased to $310 per year. To help compensate his salary, Walter held other part-time jobs, such as selling tombstones for a company in Orangeville!

In 1897, Walter attended the Toronto Normal School where he received his Second Class Professional Teaching certificate. In 1910, the board of the King City School, S.S. #2, offered Walter the senior teacher's position, with a salary of $600 a year. At first he accepted the position, but then rescinded in favour of Kinghorn.

Walter offered a "fifth class" at Kinghorn, which was equivalent to grade nine for the students who were not able to go to Aurora for high school. Children came from miles around for that class since it was not offered elsewhere nearby. On Walter's 1917 teacher's evaluation, it was stated: "There are few schools in the Province that have been able to do as good work as this one. It has maintained a very successful Fifth Class for many years, while the majority of schools never have a Fifth Class pupil." Walter was very proud of his students and did not have a single failure in his class for thirty years. In 1932 and 1933 two of his students, Jimmie Gray and Billy Walker, won the Toronto district oratorical contest at the Toronto Normal School. Then in 1935 and 1936, second place for oratory was won by Douglas Kyle and Doris Hollinshead.

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Walter was considered a good teacher, but strict. One of Walter's past students, Mrs. Busby, remembered that students often had to stand in the corner. Walter described his approach to teaching as follows:

"I used the strap very seldom but when I did use it the recipient knew he had been strapped. I found that it was better to reason with a pupil and put him on his honour than to gain a point by force. I always tried to instill in my pupils the idea that they were part of the school and that they must work with the teacher, not against him. When you give a child responsibility he will invariably measure up."

Some of the most fondly remembered school activities were Arbour Day when students cleaned up the school yard and planted some of the sugar maples that used to surround the school yard. Afterwards, they were taken to the woods for an outing. The students had an end of school picnic at Lake Wilcox, and always attended the Rural School Fair, which was held every September. The school topics that Walter was most enthusiastic about were oratory, arithmetic, spelling, and geography. 

Walter retired from teaching on June 30, 1936. On this day he was presented with a gold watch, but a true celebration of his teaching and dedication to the community was held one year later on June 16, 1937, when they celebrated Walter Rolling Day. There were more than 2000 people in attendance including the Minister of Education.

Doris (Hollinshead) Willoughby, one of Walter's last students, described him as a teacher to the King Weekly in 1995:

"Certainly, I think he was fair. He was strict. We had to behave. We got a really good education there. If Mr. Rolling ever encountered racism, it didn't bother him. I don't think he ever thought much about it. If things hurt him, he didn't show it. We went all over with him and never ran into any problems."

Walter became a prominent member of the community, serving on many different boards. He served on the King Public School Board, was the secretary-treasurer for the Eversley Presbyterian Church, and from 1923 to 1943 he was the secretary of the King City Cemetery Board.

Walter Rolling had a strong interest in sports. He was a member of the Newmarket Football Team and in 1893, they won the district championship. He was also a member of the Davis Leather Company's Football Club, which was sponsored by the local tannery in Kinghorn.

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While teaching, he was also involved in many of the children's sports, including coaching the Kinghorn Girls Baseball team. Walter was a strong supporter of both boys' and girls' sports.

"In the old days, some of the best football players in the school sports were girls and girls were sometimes better than boys on the baseball teams," recalled Walter. "The girls took their part alongside the boys on the teams."

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After teaching for forty-one years at the Kinghorn School, Walter Rolling retired from teaching on June 30, 1936. On that day, he was presented with a gold watch, but the true celebration of his teaching and dedication to the community was held one year later on Walter Rolling Day!

Walter Rolling Day was held on Saturday, June 19, 1937. This was not a small event in any way, and was insisted on by the Davis family who had been taught by Walter and who ran the tannery in Kinghorn. There were more than 2,000 former students and friends in attendance (almost half of the population of King Township at the time). The Provincial Minister of Education, Dr. L. J. Simpson, attended and the event was covered by the Toronto newspapers.

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Andrew and E.J. Davis, with the help of twenty-five committee members helped organized the event. The Davises had the school and grounds wired with electricity, the school decorated, and a stage was erected. The day started with a parade led by Walter from Burn's Bush (King Road, west of the cemetery) to the Kinghorn School. The Newmarket Citizens' Band and a pipe band were in the parade. Besides the bands, there was also entertainment by the Radio Singers.

Throughout the day, there were softball games, football games, races, reminiscences, and speeches. The event finished with dancing in the evening.    

The Provincial Minister of Education, Dr. L. J. Simpson, made a speech praising Walter saying that: "It is impossible to estimate the contribution to society of a man teaching so successfully in the same spot for so many years."

Other speakers included former teachers and friends, Miss Tinline, Alice Ferguson, and Andrew Davis.

Joseph McCulley stated, "Hats off to a teacher looking so young and fit when so many graybeards are gathered here to recall him as their teacher. Splendid buildings and equipment can never replace the character of the teacher."

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Walter Rolling Day Committee Members

• Executive Committee: Andrew Davis, Duncan McMurchy, Hughie Ross, Aubrey Campbell, Albert Richards, Wilbert Burns
• Sports Committee: Aubrey Campbell, Archie Campbell, Albert Hallinshead, Wm Egan
• Ground Committee: Wm Ross, Wilbert Burns, Earl Scott
• Programme Committee: E.J. Davis, Miss M. Campbell, Miss B. McBride, C. Walkington, Andrew Davis
• Reception Committee: Mr. Rolling, Mr. McMurchy, H. Gillham
• Registration Committee: Miss McBride, Miss Zetta Hallinshead, Mrs. C. Crossley, Miss A. Baldwin
• Dance Committee: Miss M. Campbell, Albert Richards, Wm Ross, A. Gillham
• Advertising Committee: Andrew Davis, E. Hallinshead
• Finance Committee: Louis Scott, E.J. Davis, C. Walkington
• Refreshment Committee: Miss Wilson, Mrs. Gillham, Miss McBride, Miss M. Campbell, Mrs. Ross

The King Township Public Library, located in York Region, north of Toronto, has produced Walter Rolling Online to record and tell the remarkable story of this man and the known history of his family which in many ways serves to document the early African Canadian experience as connected with King Township. African Canadians have played a pivotal role in the history of many of Ontario's small towns, but all too often their contributions have gone unrecognized. The King Township Public Library, with support from the King Township Archives and the King Township Museum, felt that the story of the Rolling family was one of importance and worthy of recognition. It was essential that this story be documented and told before it was lost to history. Fortunately, the story of this family was able to be reconstructed through a variety of records and memories of local towns' people which have been scattered across the township and beyond its boundaries. This will enable future generations to come to learn about an important African Canadian family who enriched the lives and community of King Township.

The King Township Public Library would like to thank the King Township Archives and the King Township Museum for their support on this project. This has enabled the library to gather a wide range of information, photos, and materials to develop a cohesive history of the Rolling family. The collaboration between our community groups has made this project a great success. Mr. Carl Finkle, township resident and member of the King Township Historical Society who has been researching the Rolling family for over 15 years, has made a tremendous contribution to the success of this project by sharing his research and knowledge of the family. The Township of King was additionally a great help with information, specifically Chris Somerville of the Clerks department. This project was made possible with the continuous support from the King Township Public Library Board and the King Township Council.

With a grant from the Government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Culture, Library Strategic Development Fund, the King Township Public Library was able to hire Special Project Librarian Patricia Aspinwall to research and co-ordinate this project .The Library can now share the collective research about the Rolling family with the entire community in a more permanent and accessible way. Along with producing this webpage Walter Rolling Online, designed by Fenside Consulting Ltd, a print version has been assembled. The booklet, Walter Rolling and his Family, can be found at the King Township Public Library branches in the local history collection.

A Note on the Research and Terminology:

The information on this webpage is constructed on research, new and old, on the Rolling family. Where documentation was sparse, we may have had to assume certain events and conclusions but this was done to provide an understandable narrative. What is written is based on the best of our knowledge and we know there is more information to discover.

In the censuses, tax assessments, and vital records reviewed, there have been variations found in the spelling of the family name Rolling including Roulen, Roland, Rulen, Rollin, Rowland, and Rowling.

Terms such as Negroes, Blacks, and Native American Indian have been used because they are the terms used in the historical records of the day, and for historical accuracy. These terms were considered as acceptable during the period of time that is documented. We ask the reader to adopt current terminology and graciously forgive us of any errors or omissions unknown to us at the time of this publication.

Research done by Carl Finkle, a board member and past president of the King Township Historical Society, who researched the Rolling family for about 15 years.

Primary Sources

Archives of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario: Ontario Death Records, Ontario Marriage Records, Ontario Birth Records

Elman C. Campbell Museum, Newmarket: documents and pictures.

Era Banner, Aurora

Era, Newmarket

Federal Census Returns - 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911

King City Cemetery Records

King Township Archives: documents and pictures.

King Township Library: Tweedsumir Histories for Kettleby, King City, Laskay, Schomberg, Snowball, and Temperanceville by the Women's Institute and other historical papers.

King Township Museum: documents and pictures.

Toronto Star, Toronto

Township of King: Assessment and Collector Rolls

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