Winston Cosgrove's
Wolfe Island Past and Present

Excerpts from:

Chapter One: Historical Heritage

Used with the kind permission of Mrs. W.M.
(Phyllis) Cosgrove October 10, 2001

For the purpose of brevity, only portions have been extracted
from the full text. For a genuine appreciation of Mr. Cosgrove’s
writings please read the entire work. The book is available
from the Kingston Public Library.

To trace the history of Wolfe Island, one must delve far beyond the memory of the oldest resident. In 1673, the explorer LaSalle petitioned the King (Louis XIV) for a grant of Fort Frontenac. On May 13, 1675, Louis XIV conferred upon him the seigniory of Fort Frontenac and parts adjacent, which included Wolfe and Howe Islands. The honor was bestowed upon Robert Cavallier, Sieur de la Salle.

LaSalle was to pay back 10,000 livres which the Fort had cost the King to maintain a garrison, to build a church whenever the number of inhabitants had reached 100 and to domesticate the Indians in the neighborhood.

In November 1685, LaSalle confirmed a grant of land for Wolfe Island to James Cauchois according to the same conditions that LaSalle had received the land from the King.

Upon the death of Cauchois, the Island passed to his daughter Madelaine who was married to a man named Curotte. Her son, James Francis Curotte received the Island upon Madelaines’s death. In March 1794, the property passed to James’ half-brothers Amable and Michael Curotte.

Around 1800 the rights to the Island were sold to David Alexander Grant and Patrick Langan for one shilling per acre. Grant was married in 1781 to Marie Le Moyne, Baroness de Longueil. This transfer terminated any French interest in the Island.

Because the old Paris custom of seigniorial rights and dues were not favoured by the British, and since the original conditions had not been fulfilled, on July 15, 1823 the nominal owners made certain concessions and were granted title to five-sevenths of Wolfe Island by George IV, who retained two-sevenths in lieu of seigniorial rights and dues.

David Alexander Grant died in 1806 and his heir Hon. Charles William Grant became the 4th Baron of Longueuil, Baron Grant. In 1823, Charles William Grant received one half of the five-sevenths of the Island. Patrick Langan died in 1813 and his three daughters, Julia (Mrs. James Leslie), Maria (Mrs. Archibald Johnson) and Charlotte (Mrs. Forsyth), receiving the other one half of the five-sevenths.

(Subsequent) Land sales (1834-1841) by C. W. Grant went to:

Thomas Brooks, Thomas Bannister, Ezil Cook, James Grame, D.A. Hitchock, Hiram Lathrop, Uriah Lidford, Martin Staley, Donald McDonald, James Smith, William Randal, William Abbott, Terence Conley, James Conley, William Dawson, Michael Baker, Donald Cameron, William Grimshaw, James Coyle and Joseph Huot.

Most of the transactions involved the purchase of one hundred acres at a cost of one hundred and twenty-five pounds.

Adrath House, “The Old Castle,” was built on the Grant holdings west of Marysville. Adrath was built along French feudal lines, complete with dungeon. The rambling twenty-five room structure had several additions including a carriage house and servant rooms. The exterior had gabled roofs adorned with carved oak embellishments. It was a focal point for many years in the life of the Island, as dues and tithes were paid there and many social events held.

It is generally believed that the old castle was built about 1828 when limestone quarries were first opened. The Grants lived at the house between 1841 and 1844. C.W. and Carolina (Baroness De Longuruil) Grant’s only daughter Charlotte married an Irish clergyman Rev. Antisel Allen in 1845. Their son Grant Allen became a noted novelist and scholar.

The entire estate of the Grants appears to have been left to the Allens. Charlotte Allen died in 1894, Rev. Allen in 1900 and their son Grant in 1899. The land was sold in the name of the Allen trust. Vincent Greenwood, Sr. who lived nearby as a youngster can recall a millionaire by the name of Bennett living at Adrath for a time. Patrick Tobin who died in 1912 was named as the last regular occupant.

A fire in 1929 razed the Adrath house.

ADRATH HOUSE COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE OLD CASTLE
W.M. Cosgrove, Wolfe Island Past and Present, 1973, p. 7.
Photo Courtesy of Kenneth White, Wolfe Island

The Islands: Books: Winston Cosgroves Wolfe Island Past and Present: Historical Heritage

Winston Cosgrove's Wolfe Island Past and Present

Chapter One: Historical Heritage

Winston Cosgrove's
Wolfe Island Past and Present