Jacob Spent his early years in Ancaster, Wentworth, Ontario where carried mail on horseback. He was one of the signers of George Gable's marriage bond when George was engaged to Nancy Kelly.

In the 1837 Directory of the Home District Jacob was living on Concession 1 Lot 35 Toronto Township as a householder. In 1838 At the time of Jacob's marriage to Jane Petch, he and Jane both lived on the Middle Road in the Township of Toronto, Peel County, he was a carpenter. He later became a sawmill owner. Jacob belonged to the Methodist Church and to the Conservative Party. Jacob also helped build the Old Port Credit Primitive Methodist Church there, later belonged to Merrigold's Church, now (1938) known as Clarkson Church.

By 1850 he lived as a householder on Concession 2 Lot 35 Toronto Township. In 1856 Jacob moved to Lot 5 Concession 2 in Trafalgar Township, Halton, Ontario.

He was a very fine carpenter and made coffins for everybody in the area. He owned and operated one of the four sawmills on the creek that empties into the lake at the Peel-Halton townline.

The house on the 9th line looked away from the present [1934] road down across the stream, which in those days was the centre of activity. In the buildings on his property were the usual items such as spinning wheels, candle moulds, flint & tinder. He made his children wooden toys [foxes, geese, hens, chickens and dominoes]. Jacob kept bees and the baking was done in an outside brick oven.

He always wore a silk hat and a frock coat to church and other events, was always well groomed. Visitors came early when they "called", came for supper and stayed till midnight occasionally and had a "midnight meal". One of his friends was Henry Taylor he played his violin and Jacob played the flute while they "intermittently .. ate hickory nuts".

When he died in 1894 he was living in Trafalgar Township, Halton County and was a yeoman. He died of paralysis on a rope strung, spool legged bed that he made himself.
 
 

George lived for some time in Toronto Township, Peel, Ontario where he was born, later moving to Townsend Township, Norfolk, Ontario where he was a farmer and raised his children. He was a member of the Methodist church.

He lived on one half of Lot 17 Concession 8 Townsend Township.  In 1844 he voted for an Israel Powell according to a voters' list located in the Eva Brook Donly Museum in Simcoe, Ontario.
 
 

MARRIAGE BOND OF GEORGE GABLE AND NANCY KELLY

Jacob Gable and Isaac Wheeler both of the Township of Toronto in the Home District carpenters are jointly and severally held and firmly bound unto our Sovereign Lord the King in the Sum of Two Hundred Pounds, lawful Currency of the Province aforesaid, to be paid unto our said Lord the King, or His Heirs or Successors; for which payment well and truly to be made, We bind ourselves, our and each of our Heirs, Executors, and Administrators, jointly and severally, firmly by these Presents, Sealed with our Seals, at Toronto in the Home District and Province aforesaid, this twenty fourth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty five.

The Condition of this Obligation is such, that whereas a License of Marriage has this day issued from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of the said Province of Upper Canada, for the purpose of joining together in Holy Matrimony George Gable of the Township of Toronto in the Home District Bachelor and Nancy Kelly of the same place spinster.

Now if it shall appear that there is no affinity, consanguinity, pre-contract, or any other lawful cause or impediment to hinder their being so joined together, as aforesaid then this obligation to be null and void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue. signed:

Jacob Gable
Isaac O. Wheeler

                                source: Upper Canada Marriage Bonds, Public Archives of Canada

Harvey was a resident of Townsend Township, Norfolk County, Ontario in 1842 at the time of his marriage, later moved by 1871 to Walsingham Township, Norfolk, Ontario. He was of Irish ancestry and was a labourer, trapper and farmer. He alternately went by James and Harvey

John lived in 1871 in Walsingham Township, was a farmer and was a member of the Primitive Methodist church. John belonged to the Methodist church in 1873. John in 1874 still lived in Walsingham Township, Norfolk, Ontario when he gave the death information on his mother's death certificate. 

"...Mary Ann Slack made several trips to visit these (Sam & Ernest) distant children, bringing home shells from the Pacific and beautifully grained curly Georgia pine from the South.

During a visit to Ernest in 1905 she died of pneumonia aged 74.  Ernest brought her home for burial in the family plot at Springvale where his father Henry Walton Slack had been laid to rest in 1891." 

"During the spring of 1845 Elizabeth Walton Slack and five sons travelled to Upper Canada (Ontario), settling 80 miles from York, later Toronto, with only a trail to Haldimand County. There was no Hagersville and Mudstreet was only part of trail - named for the soft mud in early spring when it was axle deep - for many years. Here in Walpole Township on the 12th and 13th concessions 250 acres were claimed. Of this 50 acres of bush was for each son. Our grandfather Henry's land was bought from the Canada Company for $4 an acre and was partially cleared (so did not come originally from the crown). The other farms I cannot say....

The 5th son was our Grandfather Henry Walton Slack born in 1819. He married Mary Ann Gable a girl of 17, of Walsingham Township (actually Townsend Township) in 1848.. She was a descendant of the Campbell Clan and distantly related to John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, the Marquis of Lorne, Governor - General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. Her grandmother was a sister of William Livingstone Sr., of Welland (June 1815 - June 7 1891) and was a distant cousin of David Livingstone, the African missionary and explorer.

Henry and Mary Ann Slack were charter members of the Springvale Methodist Church, organized in 1874. They lived on the 12th concession of Walpole. This was considered the Slack Homestead for here the elderly mother, Elizabeth Slack lived with her son Henry and family. The first home was a frame cabin a field east of the present house. Here a well was dug and a garden planted.

In the early sixties Henry Walton Slack and his wife built a large twelve room brick house with full basement, great thick walls and deep-set windows.  Apple orchards were set either side of the house.  Another well was drilled near the new house.

About 1864 Henry Slack moved his family to Petrolia.  The farm was rented for five years to Peter Leonard.  To care for the new house the Leonards were permitted to sleep in the upstairs but the cooking, churning, etc. were done in the basement....during this time Warren, Nancy and Julius were born and named after southern oil men who had large interests there.

Owing to the lack of domestic use or otherwise it didn't prove a profitable venture for Henry, so he returned home...." written by Mary Slack Ryerse

Henry was farmer, builder and "oil wildcatter".  He lived at Lot 7 Concession Walpole Township, Haldimand, Ontario and in 1871 belonged to the Church of England.