John Rummerfield

Medals & Honours: Louis Rebellion Medal

Pillar Location: Pillar VI, Row 2, Column F

Story: 

John Rummerfield was born in 1860 in Wallace Township near Gowanstown, Ontario.

According to Perth County marriage, baptisms, & burial register 1852-1859, John’s parents, Solomon Rummerfield and Margaret Jean Sweaton were married on January 20, 1859.   The marriage was performed by rev. John Armstrong, a Wesleyan Methodist Minister from Wallace Township.

The 1861 census for Wallace Township shows John and his mother living with her parents.

The County Marriage Register of Ontario 1858-1869, Perth County, shows John’s mother, Margaret Jean marrying a Barnard White.  Barnard and Margaret Jean are both buried in Palmerston Cemetery, Palmerston, Ontario.

During genealogy research, I was unable to find out what happened to John’s father, Solomon Rummerfield.

Solomon’s parents were John “Rebel” and Margaret Susannah Rummerfield.  “Rebel” John was born in the present day Ajax, Ontario area where his father, Anthony, in 1803 was the first town warden of that area.  This whole family had a military background in their blood.

The town Rummerfield, Pennsylvania was named after Anthony.  Rummerfield pa. Is located across the Susquehanna River from the French asylum.

Anthony fought alongside the British, and it was Anthony’s land where the Newtown battlefield was located.

John “Rebel” Rummerfield was involved in the 1837 rebellion and spent four months of a four-year term in the Kingston penitentiary for high treason.

Cst. John Rummerfield left his grandfather’s farm and went to Toronto, Ontario to work on the railway.  While in Toronto, he boarded at the Caledonia house owned by William Bell.  This boarding house was located where the Sheridan Centre is located today, across the road from Osgoode Hall.

In a letter of recommendation to the NWMP, William Bell described John as a “sober, trustworthy and highly respected man.”

John signed the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Office on April 24, 1882 in Toronto.

John was involved in the North-West Rebellion of 1885 and was awarded the Louis Rebellion Medal.  This medal is on display at the RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan.

In a response to Supt. Steele’s telegram, Cst. John Rummerfield of “K” Division had died.

From a copy of the official notice of John’s death it states:

“Constable John Rummerfield engaged in the North West Mounted Police in Toronto on April 24, 1882.  He was stationed at Fort Carleton during the North-West Rebellion of 1885 and died at Battleford on August 22, 1886 of typho-malarial fever.  He was buried at Battleford.  It appears that constable resided at Gowanstown, near Perth and at Toronto before engaging in the North West Mounted Police.”

The author of this story, James Rummerfield had the opportunity to travel to Battleford to find out more information about Cst. John.

Thank you to Corporal Larry Romanow of the North Battleford Detachment of the RCMP for his help in finding the burial site of Cst. John.

Although no stone marks the site of John’s grave, there is a plaque at the entrance to the Northwest Mounted Police Cemetery:

“In memory of North West Mounted Police Members who lie in unmarked graves.”

Every year on Remembrance Day, a wreath is laid at the cenotaph in Sunderland, Ontario in remembrance of Cst. John Rummerfield By the author of this story, James Rummerfield.

As part of the Veterans’ banner programme, a banner was hung from hydro poled on the streets of Sunderland, Ontario.  These banners are hung from late October until after Remembrance Day, to honour the Veterans of war and Peace.  (See image of banner in profile gallery).

This story was written by James W. Rummerfield, who resides near Sunderland, Ontario.  Cst. John Rummerfield was a grandson of my great-great-grandfather.  

All of the information in this story was obtained from genealogy sources, as well as from Cst. John’s service record with the North West Mounted Police.  The service record was obtained from the National Archives of Canada.