Welland History .ca

The TALES you probably never heard about

Dr. Henry Ryan Haney (1833-1876)

Dr. Haney was the first Doctor in Fenwick. The Haney family came from New Jersey. Isaac Haney in 1789 was near St John’s. He purchased land on Holland Road near Hurricane Road. Isaac was married to Hannah Drake, who was said to be related to Sir Francis Drake.

Isaac’s son was Matthew Haney, he fought in the War of 1812. He married Hannah Mains. Their children were Henry Ryan Haney and Matthew Haney. Both became doctors. There was another brother Stephen. Henry and Matthew went to school in St. John’s. The father Matthew ran a grist mill in St John’s.

Henry Ryan Haney taught school then attended the Faculty of Medicine at Buffalo University, graduating in 1856.His  older brother Matthew attended the same school and graduated in 1851 and settled in Humberstone.

After graduation Henry Ryan Haney moved to Fenwick.

He was inspector of the schools in Pelham, entered politics in 1872 for the riding of Monk, for the Librerals and in 1875 won again.

Dr. Haney’s office and residence was located on Canboro road. It was a two storey home later moved to Ridgeville. In 1979 it was demolished.

In 1878 Dr. Haney was joined by Dr. Birdsall.

On March 2, 1875 Dr. Haney married Charlotte Woods of St. Catharines. They had no children.

Dr. Haney died November 17,1876 at the age of 43. He died from cirrhosis of the liver.

He is buried in Hillside cemetery, Ridgeville beside his father Matthew Haney.

  1. On 4 December 2013, Len Fluhrer Said,

    Henry Ryan Haney 1833 – 2 Mar 1875, 8th child of 11 children of Matthew Henry Haney and Anna Mayne(Mains/Manes) was born on his parents farm Lot 130, Thorold Township, Welland County, Upper Canada. His father purchased the property from Henry’s grandfather Isaac Kinney Haney on 4th of April 1829. Isaac was the first chain bearer for Augustus Jones of Thorold when it was then known only as Township #9 in 1788.

    His father Sergeant Matthew, and two Uncles, Privates James and Leonard Haney served with distinction as members of John Decew’s, 2nd Regiment Lincoln Militia at Chippewa, Beaverdams and Queenston Heights. Militia rolls spell the name Hainey. The 2nd Regiment Lincoln Militia and the Haney family played a key roll in the rescue of the body of General Sir Isaac Brock at the Battle of Queenston Heights and it’s safe passage to Fort George. His Uncles Rev. Ebenezer Haney Senior and Rev. Isaac Haney become the founders of St John’s along with the Diffin Family. Early records showing the town originally called Diffin’s Corners. The land St. John’s now sits on being owned by the two Uncle’s Isaac and Ebenezer and and a Henry’s cousin Phebe (Haney) Brooks. Phebe was married to Miller George Brooks who purchased part of Isaac Haney’s old properties including the St. John’s Mill off Matthew Haney 8 Dec 1845.

    Henry Ryan Haney received his 1st Class Teachers Certificate at the age of 16. He studied under and stayed with “old Doc Dils” who was actually Fenwick’s first Surgeon and M.D. Abigail Dils (1808 – 31 Jul 1888) married Ebenezer Haney Senior. His older brother Doctor Matthew Fletcher Haney Junior (4 Apr 1824 – some time after 20 April 1891) was also Justice of the Peace and Medical Doctor at Stonebridge, Humberstone Township. Matthew Fletcher past his medical board papers at Toronto Medical University in 1851. His eldest brother William Haney Senior, and brother Stephen and Isaac Smith Haney ran the Stephen Haney and Bros. Mills, St. John’s.

    He became the Chief Coroner of Welland County and held the position of Surgeon by the 1871 Census. He was the Honourable H.R. Haney for the riding of Monck not Monk.

    Charlotte O. Woods(1856 – 3 Mar 1875) was his wife they married I have the 3rd of March 1875 but will recheck my records.

    Leonard G. Fluhrer IIIrd
    descendant of Doctor George Stroughton Charles Haney who you are also missing from your list a son of Ebenezer Haney and Mariah Hannah Slough first wife of Ebenezer. Abigail Dils was his second wife.

  2. On 8 December 2013, B Said,

    Good Morning Len

    Thank you for visiting our site and especially for the wonderful information you sent us on Dr. Haney. It is so important that these family histories be made available to us and future generations. Thank you.

  3. On 17 January 2014, William Haney Said,

    Isaac Haney married Mary Drake. Not Hannah Drake.

  4. On 12 February 2014, B Said,

    Thank you for the correction. We appreciate it.

  5. On 18 February 2014, Judy McElderry Said,

    I have a mystery ancestor, Charles Haney b. Abt. 1785 in New Jersey. He married Rachel McDaniel, b. 1788 in now Carbon County Pa, at that time Northampton County. Three children born, Lewis, b. 1813, Pearce, b. 1816 and Harriet, born 1819, all born Pa.. I believe Charles may have come from the Sussex or Hunterdon County area. Possibly involved in iron forge work or lumbering. He and his family appear in Berks County PA, in the 1820 census. Rachel McDaniel Haney’s mother lived with a Loyalist in then Northampton County PA, William Thomas, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1783 with several other Loyalist families. Any thoughts on connection possibilities with your early Haneys?

  6. On 20 February 2014, B Said,

    Hello Judy

    Thank you for the added information. Perhaps someone who views the site will have some knowledge of your mystery ancestor, Charles Haney. I wish you luck on discovering the connection.

  7. On 4 January 2015, Janet WHITE Said,

    re:”Phebe was married to Miller George Brooks who purchased part of Isaac Haney’s old properties including the St. John’s Mill off Matthew Haney 8 Dec 1845.”

    After having five children, Phoebe died 19 Sept 1847 (perhaps after the birth of her last child, Phoebe Maria BROOKS in 1847) and George BROOKS remarried Elizabeth CARL (UEL descendant) on June 17, 1857 in Thorold. He is listed as co-owner of the mill with Stephen HANEY in 1851Census, page 39 #40 for Welland: “One brick grist mill for custom and merchant work, drove by water power. Average about 70 bushels per day. Cost $7000. One sawmill very doubtfully if ever does much”.Their child was Sarah Rebecca BROOKS, born 01 July 1857, in St. Johns, Welland County. She married my great grandfather, Rev. James Henry WHITE, DD, on 05 Sept. 1883 in Fort Erie, Ontario, a minister at Emerald St. Methodist Church in Hamilton. They came to British Columbia in 1888 and were very involved in the building of Methodist Churches in New Westminster, Victoria, Chilliwack and Nelson. Sarah Rebecca remained very close to her BROOKS half-sisters and died in 1916 in Vancouver; her husband died in 1948, aged 93, in Vancouver. (Janet WHITE, jwhite@telus.net)

  8. On 6 January 2015, B Said,

    Good Morning Janet

    Thank you for writing with his information. We know it will be of assistance for others researching the family. B

  9. On 17 January 2015, Len Fluhrer Said,

    What source does the first post come from linking Hannah Drake as wife to Isaac Haney?

    The actual mother of the Haney boys has been in debate for several years and there is much misinformation connecting Mary to Mary daughter of Samuel Drake Jr.

    Looking to clear this up if we could find better sources. Albert Richard Haney lists in both Haney Volumes Mary Drake but data was based on the Fraudulent Sir Francis Drake Association a known Genealogical scam.

  10. On 19 January 2015, Austin Haney Said,

    Is there by any chance that there may be a family connection between these Haneys and William thomas Haney (b.1864) of Collingwood Ontario? He’s my great-great-grandfather and I’m trying to do some research on our family history. Any help with this riddle would be greatly appreciated!

  11. On 19 January 2015, B Said,

    The information was taken from the 1995 Pelham Historical Calendar.Society. It does state in this source as Mary being the wife of Isaac. I suggest you contact the Pelham Historical Society to try and get further help.

    http://vitacollections.ca/pelhamlocalhistory/2428319/image/1255459?n=2

  12. On 2 May 2016, Len Fluhrer Said,

    Please disregard the name Kinney in Isaac Haney’s name it appears to be a translator error created from old records of Niagara OGS. Since that time the actual map has come available online and the original map simply has Isaac Haney.

    Also other records have come to light to suggest the middle initial of Isaac Haney might be “S” so Isaac S. Haney not Isaac Kinney Haney.

    I apologies for the error.

  13. On 3 May 2016, B Said,

    Thank you Len for this correction. There are probably many errors in the old records so it is great to receive updates such as yours.

  14. On 7 June 2016, Barbara Haney Said,

    Abigail Dils was a widow. She was born Abigail Goff and was no blood relation to Dr. Dils. However, her first husband may have been related. Her first husband was Lemuel Dils, a widower with children. He died not long after Abigail and he were married, leaving her with his children, who Abigail raised One of the children was Solomon Dill.

    Abigail raised Lemuel and Nancy’s children, and eventually met and married Ebenezer. She was again a step mother, but also had her own children by Ebenezer (James, David, William), as Len well knows.

  15. On 18 February 2017, Janet WHITE Said,

    Correction to above marriage of George BROOKS to Elizabeth CARL: Date of marriage should be 17 June 1855, not 1857…

  16. On 20 February 2017, B Said,

    Thank you Janet for the correction. B

  17. On 25 August 2017, Janet WHITE Said,

    Thank you.

    janet WHITE UE

  18. On 25 August 2017, B Said,

    You are welcome Janet.

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