FAMILIES CONNECTED BY MARRIAGE WITH THE SECOND GENERATION OF TRUEMANS.
WELLS
William Wells, the first of the name in Point de Bute, was one of the
Yorkshire band. He was a mason by trade, and built the Methodist Chapel
at Thirsk before leaving Yorkshire. He married Margaret Dobson. The
Dobsons lived in Sowerby, near Thirsk, and were among the first to
accept the teachings of John Wesley. Mr. Wells did not come direct to
Halifax, but landed at Boston, and, after staying there some months,
came to Fort Cumberland. This was in 1772. He bought property in Upper
Point de Bute, very near to that of his father-in-law, George Dobson.
This property is still in the name of its original owner, a rare thing
in this country, as very few families hold the same property for a
century and a quarter.
Mrs. Wells was the mother of thirteen children, six of whom died in
early life. The remaining seven married and settled in the country.
They were married as follows:--George to Elizabeth Freeman, of Amherst;
William to Catherine Allan, of Cape Tormentine; Mary to George Chappel,
of Bay Verte; Elizabeth to Jonas Allan, of Cape Tormentine; Margaret to
S. Freeze, of Amherst Point; Jane to Bill Chappell, of Bay Verte; and
Joseph to Nellie Trenholm, of Point de Bute.
William Wells was an active member of the Methodist Church. He enjoyed
a special gift in prayer, and not infrequently, in the absence of the
minister, read the burial service over the dead.
I find this entry in the old journal: "June 3rd, 1811--Mrs. Jane
Fawcett departed this life May 31st, very suddenly; was well about ten
o'clock, and died before eleven o'clock; was buried Sunday afternoon by
Wm. Wells, Esq."
The following letter, written a century ago by Mr. Wells, may have some
interest for his descendants. The letter was addressed to William
Trueman.
"DEAR BROTHER--Am sorry to hear of Mr. Bennet's indisposition, but am
glad his case is hopeful. I trust the Lord has more work to do for him
yet. Respecting myself should be glad to come to see my dear friends,
but the journey appears to be too much for me to perform, for I was
exceeding bad yesterday, and altho this day I feel a little freer from
pain, yet my weakness is great. If I should be better towards the
latter part of the day maybe I may try to come, but I have hitherto
felt worse at the latter part of the day. I pray God that our light
afflictions may work out for us a far more and exceeding weight of
glory.
"Yours affec.,
_W._ WELLS.
"Saturday morning,
"Nov. 13th, 1802."
The descendants of William Wells are widely scattered over New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and a good number have emigrated to the
United States. Charles H., Charles C., James, and Joseph D. Wells,
great-grandsons, represent the name in Point de Bute and Jolicure. The
late W. Woodbury Wells, M.P.P., and Mr. Justice Wells, of Moncton, also
are members of this family, while Lieut.-Governor Snowball is a great-
grandson of William Wells.
BLACK.
William Black was born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1727. When a young man
he removed to Huddersfield, England, and engaged in the linen and
woollen drapery business. In 1774 he prospected Nova Scotia with a view
to settlement, and purchased a large block of land near the present
town of Amherst. The next year he brought his family, consisting of
wife, four sons and a daughter, to Nova Scotia, and settled on his new
farm.
William Black was twice married, and lived to the great age of ninety-
three years. He spent the last years of his life in Dorchester, where
he left a large family by his second wife. He was the father of William
Black, who has been designated the "Father of Methodism" in the Lower
Provinces.
The Blacks have proved good citizens, and have contributed their full
share to the development of the country.
PURDY
The Purdys were Loyalists from New York State. Three brothers came to
this country--Henry, Gabriel, and Gilbert. Jacob, the fourth, remained
in New York.
Henry Purdy settled in Fort Lawrence, Gabriel in Westchester, and
Gilbert in Malagash. Mrs. Martin Trueman is a grand-daughter of
Gilbert. The Purdys of Cumberland are all descendants of these
brothers.
The family for the last century has always been able to count an M.D.
among its members, and the civil service has seldom been without a
Purdy on its roll-call.
WOOD.
"The earliest record of the Wood family is the marriage of Thomas Wood
and Ann Hunt, May, 1654, at Rowley, Mass. Their son John, born in 1656,
married, in 1680, Isabel, daughter of Edward Hazen, presumably a
forbear of the St. John Hazens. Issue of this union was a large family,
of whom, Josiah, born April, 1708, was the twelfth child. He married
Eleanor ------, and their son, Josiah, born March, 1740, was married in
1767 to Ruth Thompson. Their son Josiah, born 1776, after coming to New
Brunswick, married Sarah Ayre, daughter of Mariner and Amy Ayre. Their
two children, Mariner and Ann, were the father and aunt of the present
Josiah Wood.
"Mr. Wood has a number of interesting documents of ancient date, among
them two grants of land from the King to Robert Thompson, the great-
great-grandfather of Senator Wood. The earliest, dated 1759 (in the
reign of George II), was for 750 acres, one and a half shares of the
original grant of the township of Cornwallis. The later document
attests that in 1763 Robert Thompson was granted 500 acres more,
individually by George III.
"Mr. Thompson does not appear to have gone into possession, and some
forty years later his widowed daughter, ambitious for the welfare of
her fatherless family, set out from Lebanon, Conn., with her son Josiah
to find this lost heritage.
"They appear to have come to Dorchester, N.B., by a schooner commanded
by one 'Lige Ayre, so called. Why they should have gone first to
Westmoreland's shire town, instead of direct to the Eldorado of their
dreams is one of the unknowable things, but presumably the exigencies
of travel in those days had something to do with it. Both passengers
and mail matter went by dead reckoning, so to speak, and could seldom
get direct conveyance to their destination.
"In the yellowed leaves of a century old diary, penned by the hand of
Senator Wood's grandfather, and also from letters, we find quaint
comments and an interesting insight into the lives of the early
settlers.
"The journal was begun in October, 1800, when Josiah Wood was twenty-
four years old. He and his mother, after visiting in Canard, appear to
have made their home for the time being in Newport, N.S., where in the
cloth mill of Alexander Lockhart Josiah found employment. The young
man seems to have had all the business acumen and habits of industry
that distinguish his posterity. When work in the mill was slack he
taught school, beginning with four scholars. Evening amusements
consisted of husking parties, etc., where Mr. Wood contributed to the
festivities by flute playing and songs. His idea of a vacation was
taking a load of cabbages to sell in Windsor, where his sole
extravagance was buying a bandana handkerchief.
"Mrs. Wood filled in her time, though hardly profitably, by having
smallpox. This dread disease did not seem to cause any dismay in those
days. The neighbors came and went with kindly ministrations to the sick
woman, and the son pursued his work in the mill, quite unconscious that
according to modern science he was weaving the death-producing microbe
into every yard of cloth.
"In February, 1801, Mrs. Wood and Josiah went to Halifax, where they
put up the sign 'The Bunch of Grapes.' The diary speaks of their
visiting 'Mr. Robie, Mr. Blowers, the Chief Justice and the governor,'
with regard to their land, but to no purpose, their claim being
considered invalid.
"In the fall of the same year they returned to Dorchester, where Josiah
not long after married Miss Ayre. He died in his early thirties,
leaving two young children, Mariner and Ann. The widow married Philip
Palmer and afterwards went to live in Sackville, N.B. They had eight
children, Martin, who settled in Hopewell Cape; Dr. Rufus Palmer, of
Albert; Stephen Palmer, of Dorchester; Charles Jabez, and the Misses
Palmer, of Sackville, and Judge Palmer, of St. John.
"Miss Ann Wood went to live with her grandmother at Fort Lawrence,
while Mariner continued with his stepfather, commencing business in a
small way on his own account at an early age. He purchased in course of
time the property adjoining Mr. Palmer's, in Sackville, where he built
a store and dwelling which is known as "The Farm," and continued his
ever growing business at the same stand till his death, in 1875. In
1871 the firm assumed its present name of M. Wood & Sons.
"During his genealogical research Senator Wood has found relatives whom
his branch of the family had lost sight of for a century. The Senator's
grandfather had a brother, Charles Thompson Wood, born at Lebanon,
Conn., October, 1779. He married Elizabeth Tracy, and pursued the trade
of hatter in Norwich, Conn. He died in 1807, leaving two children,
Charles Joseph and Rachel Tracey, both of whom married and in 1830
moved to Kinsman, Ohio.
"The children of this Charles J. Wood are living at Kinsman, and
Senator Wood visited his long lost relatives this autumn. The pleasure
was mutual, and while the Senator would tell of many years' patient
seeking for his father's kindred, they related the story which had been
told them by their father of his uncle, who had gone to the wilds of
Canada and never been heard of more."--MISS COGSWELL IN ST. JOHN DAILY
SUN.
McLEOD.
Alexander McLeod was born on board ship in Dublin harbor, the 11th
December, 1773. His father belonged to the 42nd highlanders, a regiment
then on its way to augment the British force in America. This regiment
was on active service during the American Revolutionary war, and at its
close was disbanded and grants of land in the Maritime Provinces
distributed among its members. The greater number of these grants were
on the Nashwaak River, in New Brunswick. Alexander McQueen, an officer
in the same regiment, grandfather of Alexander McQueen, of Shediac, and
great-grandfather of Sheriff McQueen, of Westmoreland, settled in
Pictou County, N.S.
Mr. McLeod settled on the Nashwaak, and lived there the remainder of
his life. Alexander, his son, went to Sheffield in 1796, and began a
mercantile business. He married Elizabeth Barker, of that place. In
1806 he removed to the city of St. John, where for some years he
conducted business on a scale large for the times, and was very
successful. He was a Methodist local preacher, and in 1829 started a
literary and religious journal, which enjoyed, like most of its
successors in that city, but a brief existence. Mr. McLeod's family
numbered six--Roderick, the youngest, died in infancy; Annie, the
eldest, was a teacher and never married; Sarah married James Robertson;
Margaret married Rev. Albert Desbrisay, who was for some years chaplain
of the old Sackville Academy; Wesley was twice married, first in 1836,
to Amy Trueman, who died, leaving one daughter; and again, in 1840, to
Seraphina Trueman.
Wesley McLeod was a persistent reader, a good conversationalist, and a
most interesting man to meet. He was a bank accountant, and the last
forty years of his life were spent in the United States. His home was
in Newark, N.J., where his widow and three daughters still live.
Mr. McLeod never lost his love for the old flag for which his
grandfather fought, and although so many years of his life were spent
in the United States, where he always took a great interest in all
public questions, he never became a naturalized citizen of the
Republic. He lived to be eighty-five years of age. Robert Trueman
McLeod, of Dunvegan, Point de Bute, is a son of Wesley McLeod.
Alexander first married Sarah Trueman, of Point de Bute, by whom he had
five children. His second wife was Georgina Hultz, of Baltimore, U.S.
Robert, the youngest son of the first family, was in the Confederate
Army in 1860, and lost an arm at Fort Sumter. He afterwards graduated
with honors from Harvard and died in Europe while travelling for the
benefit of his health.
Alexander McLeod was a Methodist preacher, and a Doctor of Divinity
when that title was not so common as it is now. He was one of the
editors of the PROVINCIAL WESLEYAN. Like his brother Wesley, the last
years of his life were spent in the United States, where both he and
his wife were engaged in literary work.
The following extract is taken from a letter written by a member of the
McLeod family in reply to one asking for information:
"Your letter was received a couple of days ago and I would gladly send
you all the information we have, but the most of it is so vague that it
is quite unsatisfactory for your purpose. Of course we all know very
positively that the McLeods sprang from the best and most honorable
clan of old Scotland. We have improved some in manners, for we no
longer drive our foes into caves, and smoke them to death. (We only
wish we could.) We no longer brag that we were not beholden to Noah,
but had boats of our own--that would relate us too nearly to Lillith--
but still we are proud of our ancestors."
AVARD.
Joseph Avard was born in the town of St. Austle, Cornwall, England, in
1761. At twelve years of age he was apprenticed to a clockmaker, with
whom he remained eight years. He married Frances Ivey, in 1782.
Mr. Avard was appointed a class-leader, and for seven years never
failed to be present at the regular meeting of its members. He was
intimately acquainted with Mr. Wesley, and attended his funeral, at
which there was said to be thirty thousand people present. He also
heard Charles Wesley preach his last sermon.
In 1789 Mr. Avard was one of nine charter members of the Strangers'
Friend Society, organized by Dr. Adam Clark. The object of the Society
was the relief of distressed families in the town of Bristol where
Mr. Avard lived. He was made a local preacher in 1790. For a short time
he lived in London, and a daughter was buried in the City Road burying-
ground. In 1806 Mr. Avard emigrated to Prince Edward Island, landing at
Charlottetown on May 15th, where he remained until 1813. In the fall of
that year he left Charlottetown, with the intention of going to
Windsor, N.S., but on reaching Bay Verte he decided to stay the winter
in New Brunswick. A part of the time was spent in Fort Lawrence, and in
the spring he removed to Sackville, where he made his home until near
the close of life. He died at his son's home, in Jolicure, in his
eighty-seventh year.
Of the three children that came with Joseph Avard to America, Elizabeth
married John Boyer, of Charlottetown; Adam Clark entered the ministry,
and died in Fredericton, in 1821; Joseph was educated in Bristol,
England, and soon after his arrival in America found his way to
Chignecto and taught school several years in Point de Bute. In 1813 he
married Margaret Wells, daughter of William Wells, of Point de Bute.
They had a family of seven sons and four daughters, four of whom are
still living-John, William and Charles, of Shemogue, N.B., and
Mrs. McQueen, of Point de Bute. William married Eliza Trueman.
Joseph Avard, jun., was man of strong character, and when he set his
will to do a piece of work he was generally successful. He settled
first in Jolicure, where he conducted a farming and mercantile
business. He subsequently bought a large tract of land in Shemogue,
N.B., and for many years he was farmer, ship-builder and merchant in
that locality, where he spent the last thirty years of his life.
In 1838, while on a business trip to River Philip, Mr. Avard was
greatly shocked, as were the public in general, with the report that an
entire family had been murdered in the vicinity, and that the man,
Maurice Doyle, who was suspected of the crime, had escaped and was on
his way to the United States, his aim being to get to St. John and take
shipping there. As Doyle was known to be a desperate character, no one
seemed willing "to run him down." As soon as Mr. Avard knew the state
of affairs he at once volunteered to undertake the work. In the
meantime Doyle had got a good start. At Amherst Head he hired a farmer,
George Glendenning, to take him to the Four Corners, Sackville.
Mrs. Glendenning was suspicious of the man, and advised her husband to
have nothing to do with him, but Mr. Glendenning laughed at her fears.
The dog, however, seemed to share his mistress's suspicions, and what
was very unusual, determined to see his master through with the
business. In spite of every effort the dog could not be turned back
from following the chaise. Afterward, when Mr. Glendenning learned the
character of the man, he believed the dog had saved his life, for in
crossing the Sackville marsh, several miles from any house, Doyle asked
him if the dog would protect him if he were attacked.
Mr. Avard always drove a good horse, and by changing horses and driving
night and day he overtook and captured the fugitive at Sussex. At one
place in the chase he prevented the man from getting on board the
stage, but could not arrest him. When he finally apprehended the
fugitive, he brought him back in his chaise and delivered him to the
authorities in Amherst, where he subsequently paid the penalty of his
crime on the scaffold. The documents following, as will be seen, refer
to this piece of early history:
"PROVINCIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
"HALIFAX, 10TH JULY, 1838.
"SIR,--It appearing by the report of the Local Authorities at Amherst
that the prompt arrest of the supposed perpetrator of the atrocious
murders recently committed in the County of Cumberland is mainly
attributable to your zealous exertions, I have it in command to request
you to believe that His Excellency the Lieut.-Governor and
H. M. Council highly appreciate the important services which, at much
personal risk, you rendered in pursuing, for upwards of 100 miles, and
apprehending the Prisoner; and it is my pleasing duty to request you to
accept of the best thanks of His Excellency and the Council for your
admirable conduct on that occasion. I have the honor to be
"Sir,
"Your most obedient
"Humble Servant,
"RUPERT D. GEORGE.
"JOSEPH AVARD, Esq., J.P.,
"Westmoreland."
Mr. Avard's reply.
"WESTMORELAND CO., WESTMORELAND,
"N.B., July 18th, 1838.
"SIR,--I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the
10th instant conveying to me in a most gratifying manner the
approbation of His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor and Her Majesty's
Council of my conduct in pursuing and apprehending Doyle, the supposed
perpetrator of the murder in the County of Cumberland, and beg leave
through you to acquaint His Excellency and Her Majesty's Council that
were it possible for me to possess any stronger sense of my duty (as a
magistrate) to Her Majesty and the Government than I formerly felt, I
must do so from the very handsome manner in which they have been
pleased to appreciate and acknowledge my services on that occasion.
"I have the honor to be
"Your obedient
"Humble Servant,
"JOSEPH AVARD.
"THE HONORABLE
"RUPERT D. GEORGE,
"Provincial Secretary,
Halifax, N.S."
DIXON.
Charles Dixon was one of the first of the Yorkshire settlers to arrive
in Nova Scotia. He sailed from Liverpool on the 16th March, on board
the DUKE OF YORK, and after a voyage of six weeks and four days arrived
safely at the port of Halifax. Mr. Dixon says of himself: "I, Charles
Dixon, was born March 8th, old style, in the year 1730, at
Kirleavington, near Yarm, in the east riding of Yorkshire, in Old
England. I was brought up to the bricklayer's trade with my father
until I was about nineteen years of age, and followed that calling till
the twenty-ninth year of my age. I then engaged in a paper manufactory
at Hutton Rudby, and followed that business for the space of about
twelve years with success. At the age of thirty-one I married Susanna
Coates, by whom have had one son and four daughters." Three more
children were added to Mr. Dixon's family, and in 1891 his descendants
in America numbered 2,807, of whom 2,067 were living and 740 had died.
Charles Dixon settled in Sackville, N.B., and very soon became one of
the leading men in that community. He was a zealous Methodist; his
biographer says: "His house was a home for the early Methodist
preachers, to whom he always gave a warm and hearty welcome." Mr. Dixon
was one of the members who took an active part in the erection of the
first Methodist church in Sackville, while he and his neighbor, William
Cornforth, whose land adjoined, jointly set apart about four acres of
land for a Methodist parsonage. One of the latest of his efforts at
writing contained instructions to his executors to sell certain
articles of his personal property to assist in furnishing the Methodist
parsonage.
There are not many of the Dixon name now living in Sackville. The boys
of the families have had a tendency to seek wider fields for the
exercise of their energies. The late James Dixon, of Sackville, the
historian of the family, was a man of strong character and more than
ordinary ability.
William Coates Dixon married Mary J. Trueman in 1841, and resided in
Sackville until the death of Mrs. Dixon, which took place in 1844.
Subsequently he married Harriet E. Arnold and settled on a farm at
Maidstone, Essex County, Ontario. James Dixon, in his "History of the
Dixons," published in 1892, says of William Dixon: "He is still active
and vigorous, capable of much physical exertion, and has an excellent
memory, is a diligent reader, with a decided preference for poetical
works, and employs some of his leisure hours in writing poetic
effusions, a talent which only developed itself when its possessor had
nearly reached his three score years and ten." We have not heard that
Mr. Dixon has lost any of his vigor since the above was written, and
understand he expects to round out the hundred.
PRESCOTT.
The Prescotts were originally from Lancashire, and descended from Sir
James Prescott, of Derby, in Lincolnshire. John and his wife, Mary,
came from England to Boston in the year 1640. Jonathan Prescott, their
great-grandson, was a surgeon and captain of engineers at the siege of
Louisbourg, in 1745. After the fall of Louisbourg he retired from the
army and settled in Nova Scotia. He did a mercantile business in
Halifax, and owned property in Chester and Lunenburg, where he built
mills. "The Indians twice burnt his house in Lunenburg County.'
Mr. Prescott died in Chester, in 1806, and his widow in Halifax, in
1810. His son, Hon. Charles Ramage Prescott, was a prominent merchant
of Halifax, but on account of failing health and to get rid of the fog
moved to King's County, N.S. He lived for years at Town Plot, where his
beautiful place, called "Acadia Villa," was situated. He was twice
married. His first wife was Hannah Widden. The late Charles T.
Prescott, of Bay Verte, was his youngest son by his second wife, Maria
Hammill. Mr. Charles Prescott married Matilda E. Madden, April 30.
William, Robert and Joseph, of Bay Verte, are sons of Charles T.
Prescott. William married Mary Trueman, of Point de Bute.
PRINCE*
[FOOTNOTE: *Rev. John Prince was a respected minister of the Methodist
Church. He joined the Church in Point de Bute and commenced his
ministry there. END OF FOOTNOTE]
"Moncton, March 9th, 1899.
"Dear Mr. Trueman:
"I have just received your card requesting information respecting my
family. In answer I may say that my late father was a native of North
Yarmouth, near the city of Portland, United States. He emigrated to
this country in the year 1813, located in Moncton, and was engaged in
mercantile pursuits until the time of his death in 1851, paying one
hundred cents on the dollar. After taking the oath of allegiance he was
appointed a magistrate, the duties of which he discharged with great
fidelity until the time of his removal from earth.
"My father was a sincere Christian and a deacon in the Baptist Church,
and died much lamented. His family consisted of twelve children, six
sons and six daughters. May, the eldest, married a Mr. Gallagher and
had several children, most of whom are dead. Emily, second daughter,
married Mr. John Newcomb, father of the distinguished astronomer,
Prof. Newcomb, of world-wide reputation. Joseph married Miss Harris.
Harriet married Mr. Thos. Trueman. William has been an accountant in
the railway offices of this city. John's wife was Miss Embree, of
Amherst, and his second wife is Mrs. Cynthia, formerly Mrs. Mariner
Wood. James resided in St. John; George and Henry, both dead. George
never married; Henry resided in Truro at the time of his death and
married to Miss Raine, daughter of Capt. Raine, a retired naval
officer. Rebecca, Sarah and Ruth never married.
"As a family we were all as well educated as the circumstances would
admit. My father's people in the United States were nearly all
Congregationalists, and my great-grandfather Prince was a minister of
that body. He was pastor of a church in Newburyport, and is buried in a
vault under his pulpit. A few years ago I visited that place, partly to
see the church, which was built by my great-grandfather. When Sabbath
morning came I went to the church; reached it just a little after the
minister in charge had commenced the service. Seeing that I was a
stranger, with somewhat of a clerical appearance, he came out of the
pulpit to the pew where I was sitting, and said, among other things,
'We are going to have the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to-day, and I
would be glad to have you stay and assist,' which I did. At the close
of the service I remarked to the minister that I was very much
interested in being present, as I was informed that the remains of my
ancestor were in the vault under the pulpit, and that I was his great-
grandson. He seemed much surprised and announced the fact to the
congregation, and further said that I would preach in the afternoon,
which I did. He then directed the sexton to show me down into the
vault. In this vault there were the remains of three ministers in their
separate coffins. One was a coffin containing the remains of the
immortal Whitfield. In the coffin just opposite was the remains of the
Rev. Joseph Prince, and in another the remains of another former pastor
of the church, Rev. Mr. Parsons. I certainly was very much impressed by
my surroundings, for it was a scene the like of which I never hoped to
look upon again. This vault, I was told, had been visited by thousands,
who came to look upon George Whitfield's bones, for there was nothing
but bones. Whitfield died a very short distance from the church, and
the window of the house where he breathed his last was pointed out to
me. I remember with what strange feelings I lad my hand on the shade of
my ancestor. This man had twelve sons, and there was one thing about
them the pastor said he knew, and that was 'that they were all
Princes.'
"We can trace our ancestry back three hundred years, and the head of
the family was Rev. John Prince, Rector of a parish in Berkshire, Eng.
I have a photograph of the stone church where he ministered. His sons
were Nonconformists, and John Prince, the first to come to this
country, was persecuted and driven out of his country by the cruelty of
Archbishop Laud..
"Yours very truly,
"JOHN PRINCE."
CHAPMAN.
William Chapman was one of the Yorkshire emigrants that came to Nova
Scotia in the spring of 1775. He brought with him his wife and family
of eight children, four sons and four daughters. He purchased a large
block of land near Point de Bute corner, with the marsh adjoining, and
on this property at once settled.
William Chapman was one of the early Methodists, and it was in 1788, on
an acre of land given by Mr. Chapman, and deeded to John Wesley, that
the first Methodist church was built in Point de Bute. Later, Joseph
Chapman, Esq., a grandson of William, gave an additional piece of land,
and the whole at the present time comprises the cemetery at Point de
Bute.
The following letter from James Chapman, in Yorkshire, to William
Trueman, at Prospect, will perhaps be interesting to some of the
descendants. It was written in 1789:
"Dear Friends,--What shall I say to you? How shall I be thankful
enough for that I have once more heard of my dear old friends in Nova
Scotia. When John Trueman let me see your letter it caused tears of
gratitude to flow from my eyes, to hear that you were all alive, but
much more that I had reason to believe that you were on the road to
Zion, with your faces thitherward. I am also thankful that I can tell
you that I and my wife and ten children are yet alive, and I hope in
good health, and I hope most of us are, though no earnestly pressing,
yet we are feebly creeping towards the mark for the prize of our high
calling of God in Christ Jesus. My son, Thomas, now lives at Hawnby,
and follows shoemaking; he is not married, nor any of my sons. I have
three daughters, Ann, Mary and Hannah. Ann succeeds her uncle and aunt,
for they are both dead. Mary and her husband live on a little farm at
Brompton, and Hannah at Helmsley. My son James is in the Excise at
London. William and John are with me at home and George has learned the
business of Cabinet maker. Prudence keeps a farmer's house in
Cleaveland and Betty is at home and she is Taller than her mother.
Thanks be to God both I and my wife enjoy a tolerable share of health
and can both work and sleep tolerably well. ________ died about last
Candlemas, which has made the society at Hawnby almost vacant for a
class leader, but I go as often as I can and your friend, Benjamin
Wedgewood, speaks to them when I am not there. Tho most of the old
methodists at Hawnby are gone to Eternity, yet there is about thirty
yet. James Hewgill is married and both him and his wife are joined in
the society. There us preaching settled at Swainby and I believe a
yearnest Society of aboyt Seventeen members. I often go there on
Sundays to preach. There has just been a Confirence at Leeds and good
old Mr. Wesley was there among them, very healthy and strong, though 86
years of age. At our Hawnby Love Feast I had Mr. Swinburn and his wife
2 nights at my house. They seem to be people who have religion truly at
heart and both earnestly desired me to remember them Both to you in
kind love and also to all their religious friends. I saw Nelly very
lately at her house in North Allerton. She desires you all to pray for
her, which she does for you all. My dear friends what Shall I say more
to you, But only desire you to continue in the good ways of God, and
never grow weary or faint in your minds, and then we hope to meet you
in heaven. Pray give our kind loves to our old friends, your father and
mother, and tell your Father when I see my Tooth drawers then I think
of him, for he made them. My dear friends, farewell, our and our
Family's kind love to you and all your Family, and also all the Chapman
Familys, James and Ann Chapman. Mary Flintoff and Sara Bently are Both
alive and remains at their old Habitations, But Mary never goes to the
meetings. Their children are all alive, But Sarah Flintoff and she died
at York about three or four years Since. James Flintoft is with his
unkle George Cossins at London."
The Chapmans were very fond of military life, and in the old muster,
days took an active interest in the general muster. As a consequence
there was usually a colonel, a major, an adjutant or a captain in every
neighborhood where the name was found.
A story is told of Captain Henry Chapman, on his way to general muster,
meeting a man with a loaded team, whose hope was to get clear of
mustering that day on the plea that he had not been long enough in the
district. The captain ascertained the man's views on the matter, and
then with an emphasis that indicated he was in earnest, he said, "If
you are not on the muster field by one o'clock I will have you fined to
the full extent of the law." One who witnessed this interview said it
was laughable to see the frightened look on the man's face, and the
rush he made to unhitch the team and get away to the muster field
within the time stated. This same Captain Chapman was one of the
kindest of men, but duty to Queen and country must not be neglected.
There was, too, a good deal of the sporting instinct in the family. A
horse race or a fox hunt appealed to something in their nature that
stirred the pulse like wine and furnished material for conversation on
many a day afterward.
Like a good many of the first generation born in this country, the
Chapmans were men of grand physique. The five sons of Colonel Henry
Chapman, of Point de Bute, each measured six feet or over, and were
finely proportioned. Two of the sons, Joseph and Stephen, were among
the volunteers in the war of 1812, and they both lived to pass the
four-score mark.
The children of the first Wm. Chapman were: William, who married a
Miss Dixon, of Sackville, and settled in Fort Lawrence on a part of the
old Eddy grant; and Thomas, who married Miss Kane, formerly a school
teacher, from New England. They settled beside William. John married
Sarah Black, of Amherst, and settled in Dorchester. Henry married
Miss Seaman, of Wallace, and remained on the farm at Point de Bute.
Mary married George Taylor, Memramcook. Jane married John Smith, of
Fort Lawrence, and was the mother of nine strapping boys, all of whom
proved good men for the country. Sally married Richard Black, of
Amherst. They settled first at River Philip, but later came back to
Amherst and lived on the farm his father first purchased in Cumberland.
Nancy was twice married--first to Thomas Robinson, and after his death
to James Roberts. Her home was in Amherst.
James Dixon, in his "History of the Dixons," says he thinks the
descendants of William and Mary Chapman now number more than the
descendants of any of the other Yorkshire families. Rev. Douglas
Chapman, D.D., Rev. Eugene Chapman, Rev. Carritte Chapman, Rev. W. Y.
Chapman, and Ephraim Chapman, barrister, are of this family.
The late Albert Chapman, of Boston, U.S., was very much interested in
looking up family history, and spent a good deal of time in gathering
information about the Chapman family. The following letters and
extracts which were received by him some years before he died may add
interest to this sketch:
"13 CHIPPING HOUSE ROAD,
"SHARROW, SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND,
"Jan. 15th, 1881.
"MR. CHAPMAN,
"SIR,--You will no doubt be surprised to receive a letter from an
unknown relative.
"We were much pleased to learn you had made enquiries about the Chapman
family after so long a silence. We often heard father speak of uncle
who left Hawnby Hall for America and could not get any letter answered.
Most of the Chapman family have passed away since he left. We have the
four grandchildren left belonging to Thomas Chapman, brother to your
grandfather. The grandfather has been dead eighty years, and our father
has been dead forty-five years.
"We should be glad to see you or any of the Chapman family if you could
take a tour and see the place where your ancestors lived. The house and
farm are still in the family and should be glad to accommodate you if
you could come over, and we shall be glad to hear all the news about
the family who lived and died in America.
"With best wishes to you and your,
"I remain yours,
"MARY WALTON."
Extract from a letter from Thos. J. Wilkinson to A. Chapman, Boston:
"YORK UNION BANK,
"THIRSK, YORKSHIRE.
"I have visited Hawnby a few times; it is most romantically situated
about ten miles from Thirsk, rather difficult of access on account of
the steep ascents which have to be climbed and precipitously descended
before it can be reached.
"As I am acquainted with the clergyman who has been there many years,
the Rev. O. A. Manners (connected with the Duke of Rutland's family) I
wrote him and received the following letter:
"April 2nd, 1880.
"DEAR SIR,
"I have examined the register and found frequent mention of the name of
Chapman of Hawnby Hall, viz., 'March 22, 1761--John, son of William
Chapman, Hawnby Hall, baptized. Feb. 3, 1763--Thomas Chapman, of the
Hall, died aged 75 years.'
"It would seem that the foregoing William Chapman was the son of Thomas
Chapman and the man who landed in Halifax in 1775.
"About the latter date a family by the name of Barr came to reside at
the Hall.
"James Cornforth of this place, who is in his 80th year, is related to
this family. The said William Chapman being his great-uncle (maternal).
"The Hall is now, and has been for many years, a farm house.
"_O._ _ A._ MANNERS."
The following names appear in the directory among the residents of
Billsdale:
Joseph Chapman, Farmer
Robert Chapman, Farmer
Robert Chapman, Shoemaker
Robert Strickland Chapman, Farmer
Garbuth Chapman, Farmer, Dale Town.
CARTER.
John Carter (the first) came from Yorkshire to Nova Scotia in 1774. His
wife was Jane Thompson. They settled near Fort Cumberland, and had a
family of three sons, Thomas, Christopher and John. Thomas married
Miss Siddall and settled first at Westcock, Sackville Parish, but
afterwards moved to Dorchester. Christopher married a Miss Roberts and
settled at Westmoreland Point, near his father. John married Miss Anne
Lowerison and remained on the homestead. The three brothers all had
large families, the boys outnumbering the girls, which is the reason,
no doubt, that the Carter name is more in evidence in the district than
any other Yorkshire name.
John Carter's descendants still own the farm their great-grandfather
first purchased in Nova Scotia. John Carter, sen., was drowned while
fording the Missiquash River while on his way home from Amherst. His
widow afterward became the second wife of William Chapman, of Point de
Bute. Mr. Carter and his sons were honest men, and the name still
stands well for fair dealing. Inspector Carter, of St. John, N.B.;
Herbert Carter, M.D., of Port Elgin, N.B.; Titus Carter, barrister, of
Fredericton, N.S., and Councillor Carter of Salisbury, N.B., are
members of this family.
TRENHOLM.
There were three Trenholm brothers in the Yorkshire contingent,
Matthew, Edward, and John. Matthew settled at Windsor, Edward at River
Francis, in the Upper Provinces, and John at Point de Bute on the
Inverma Farm. This farm was probably confiscated to the Crown after
Sheriff Allan left the country.
Just where Mr. Trenholm lived before he got possession of Inverma I
have no information, but as Sheriff Allan had several tenants, it is
quite probable that Mr. Trenholm was one of them. John Trenholm's wife
was a Miss Coates. They had three sons--John, William, and Robert--and
three daughters.
John married a Miss Foster and settled on a Brook farm at Point de Bute
Corner and afterwards built a mill on the Brook. His grandson, Abijah,
now owns this part of the property and turns out flour at the old
stand. William married a Miss Ryan and owned a large farm in Point de
Bute, on the north-west side of the ridge. Robert settled at Cape
Tormentine in 1810, and the following table shows the names of his
children and grandchildren:
Children. Grandchildren. Children. Grandchildren.
Stephen 11 Abner 6
John 5 Job 10
Hannah 10 Ruth 12
William 10 Thomas 10
Phoebe 11 Jane 8
Robert 10 Benjamin 9
Total 112
Hiram and Abijah and their families are now the only descendants of the
name living in Point de Bute.
The Trenholms were quiet, industrious men, very neat about their work,
and made successful farmers.
LOGAN.
Hugh Logan was one of the eleven hundred and seventy six settlers who,
with their families, arrived at Chebucto (Halifax Harbor) on the 2nd of
July, 1749. "This plan of sending out settlers to Nova Scotia was
adopted by the British Government, and the lords of trade, by the
King's command, advertised in March, 1749, offering to all officers and
private men discharged from the army and navy, and to artificers
necessary in building and husbandry, free passages, provisions for the
voyage, and subsistence for a year after landing, arms, ammunition and
utensils of industry, free grants of land in the Province, and a civil
government with all the privileges enjoyed in the other English
colonies."
Parliament voted L 40,000 sterling for the expense of this undertaking.
Colonel the Honorable Edward Cornwallis was gazetted Governor of Nova
Scotia, May 9th, 1749, and sailed for the Province in the sloop-of-war
SPHINX. On the 14th, of June, just a month after leaving home, the
SPHINX made the coast of Nova Scotia, but having no pilot on board,
cruised off the land until the 21st June. On that day they entered
Halifax Harbor.
Cornwallis writes, June 22nd: "The coasts are as rich as ever they
have been represented to be. We caught fish every day since we came
within forty leagues of the coast. The harbor itself is full of fish of
all kinds. All the officers agree the harbor is the finest they have
ever seen. The country is one continual wood, no clear spot is to be
seen or heard of."
Mr. Logan entered into the spirit of the first builders of the new
Province, and did his work to the best of his ability. His son, Hugh,
came to Chignecto early in the history of the country and settled at
Amherst Point. Hugh Logan was the founder of the family in Cumberland
and became one of the solid men of the place. He is said to have been
the owner of the first two-wheeled chaise in the district. Sheriff
Logan, of Amherst, and Hance Logan, M.P. for Cumberland County, N.S.,
are descendants of Hugh Logan.
ALLISON.
The Allisons came from the County of Londonderry, in Ireland, near the
waters of Lough Foyle. Joseph Allison was born about 1720, and when he
reached manhood's estate he rented a farm owned by a London
Corporation, paying yearly rates, which were collected by an agent in
Ireland. On the occasion of a visit from the agent to collect the rent
he was invited by Mr. Allison to dine with them. The best the house
afforded was given to him as an honored guest. On that day silver
spoons were used. Turning to Mr. Allison the agent said, "I see that
you can afford to have silver on your table. If you can afford this you
can pay more rent; your next year's rent will be increased." "I will
pay no more rent," said Mr. Allison, "I'll go to America first." The
agent increased the rent the next year, and Mr. Allison sold his
property and with his wife and six children, in 1769, left the home of
his fathers and embarked from Londonderry for the New World. He
intended to land at Philadelphia, having friends in Pennsylvania with
whom he had corresponded and who had urged him to come to that State to
settle. The passage was rough, and the vessel was wrecked on Sable
Island, and Mr. Allison and his family were taken to Halifax, N.S.
Through the influence of the British Admiral Cochrane, then on the
coast, Mr. Allison and the others that came with him were induced to
settle in Nova Scotia. Mr. Allison purchased a farm in Horton, King's
County, on the border of the historic Grand Pre, where he lived until
his death, in 1794. His wife was Mrs. Alice Polk, of Londonderry. She
survived him for several years, and gave the historic silver spoons to
her youngest child, Nancy (Mrs. Leonard), who lived to be ninety years
of age. They are now in the family of her great-grandson, the late
Hon. Samuel Leonard Shannon, of Halifax.
Mr. Joseph Allison was a farmer. Many of his descendants have been
prominent in the political, religious and commercial life of Nova
Scotia in the last hundred years. A goodly number of these have stood
by the fine old occupation of their ancestor.
Charles Allison (second), who married Milcah Trueman, was the founder
of Mount Allison Educational Institution, at Sackville, N.B. His
biographer says of him: "The name of no member of the Allison family
is so widely known throughout Eastern British America as his," and "in
him the noblest character was associated with the most unassuming
demeanor." Charles and Joseph, brothers, were the first of the name to
settle in Sackville. Dr. David Allison, President of Mount Allison
University, and J. F. Allison, Postmaster, represent the name now in
that place. The mother of the late Hon. William Crane, of Sackville,
was Rebecca Allison, daughter of the first Joseph Allison.
GALLAGHER.
The Gallaghers were a north of Ireland family. Hugh, who married Alice
Trueman, was a most enterprising and capable man. He was a successful
farmer and also a contractor. He built the last covered bridge over the
Tantramar, a structure that was burned in the summer of 1901. He was
also one of the contractors on the Eastern Extension Railway, from
Moncton to the Nova Scotia border, and lost heavily by the Saxby tide.
He was one of the pioneers in getting steamers to run to Sackville,
before the railway was built, and part owner of the old steamer
"PRINCESS ROYAL," that ran on this route.
SMITH.
Captain Smith came from Ireland to America at the beginning of the last
century. He married a Miss Shipley. He was master of a schooner that
ran between St. John and the ports at the head of the Bay. On his last
trip the schooner took plaster at Nappan Bridge for St. John and was
lost with all on board.
Francis Smith, son of Capt. Smith, married Mary Trueman, and had a
large family. Mr. Smith was an honest and most industrious man. He left
a large property at Nappan, N.S., to his sons, who inherited their
father's virtues.
COATES.
Thomas Coates emigrated from Yorkshire, England, to Nova Scotia in the
year, 1774, and settled at Nappan, Cumberland County. His son, Robert,
by his second wife, married Jane Ripley, and inherited the homestead.
This property is now owned by his grandson, Rupert Coates. Joseph
Coates, a son of Robert, married Mary Lawrence. They had a family of
ten children.
Mr. Coates was a successful farmer and amassed a large property. His
sons, Thompson and Rupert, are at the present time prominent men and
leading farmers of Nappan, N.S. Another branch of the Coates' family
removed to King's County, N.B., and planted the name there.
FULLERTON.
James Fullerton was from the Highlands of Scotland. He came to Nova
Scotia in 1790, and settled at Halfway River, Cumberland County. His
wife was a Miss McIntosh. The eldest son, Alexander, was born before
they left Scotland; and one son and three daughters were born in this
country. Alexander had a family of three sons and five daughters. James
married Jane Lawrence, and Jesse married Eunice Lawrence. The eldest
daughter, Anna, married Amos Lawrence, and the youngest, Lavina,
married Douglas Pugsley, of Nappan, whose first wife was Caroline
Lawrence. James Fullerton (second) took an active interest in politics,
and was a prominent man in the county for many years. He was one of the
men that supplied the Halifax market with Cumberland beef. Although a
stout man in late years, he was very active on his feet, and few men
could out-walk him, even after he was seventy years old.
EMBREE.
Samuel Embree was a Loyalist from White Haven, New York. He commanded
the Light Horse Dragoons during the Revolutionary War, and at its close
his landed estate was confiscated. He then left the country and settled
in Amherst, N.S. The British Government did not forget his services for
the lost cause, and he drew a pension to the end of his life.
Cyrus Black says, in his "History of the Blacks," that Mrs. Embree once
distinguished herself on a trip from Eastport to the Isthmus. The
captain was incapable of managing the boat through drink, and there was
no man to take his place. Mrs. Embree took the helm and brought the
schooner safe to Aulac."
Thomas and Israel, Mr. Embree's sons, remained on the homestead at
Amherst. Elisha, a third son, settled at Amherst Head, now called
Warren. A daughter married Luther Lusby. A grand-daughter of Israel
married William L. Trueman.
RIPLEY.
Six brothers came to America from Yorkshire. Henry, John and William
Ripley came in 1774; Joseph, Robert, and Thomas, later. Henry settled
in Nappan, and his wife was Mary Fawcett, daughter of John Fawcett, of
Lower Sackville, N.B. Henry and Mary Ripley had a family of sixteen
children. Henry Ripley occupied a rented farm the first years in this
country, but later purchased a farm from the DeBarres estate, 600 acres
of marsh and upland, for L 600, and became a very prosperous farmer.
The name is pretty well scattered, but there are Ripleys still in
Nappan who, like their ancestors, are men of integrity.
PUGSLEY.
The Pugsleys were Loyalists. David Pugsley came from White Plains, New
York, to Nova Scotia, when a young man, and settled in Amherst. The one
hundred acres of land given him by the Government was at Wallace. He
was twice married. His first wife, by whom he had one son, was a
Miss Horton. His second wife was a Miss Ripley, and had twelve
children, seven daughters and five sons.
Mrs. Pugsley had a brother John, who was a half-pay officer in the
British army. This brother lived a short time at Fort Lawrence, and had
one son, named Daniel. John Pugsley and his wife left this son with
friends in Petitcodiac, and returned either to the States or to Great
Britain. They were not heard from afterward. The Pugsleys of King's
County and St. John are descendants of this Daniel. Those in Cumberland
are descended from David. The Pugsleys are good citizens, and generally
have the means and the disposition to help a neighbor in need.
FINLAY--MITCHELL--PATTERSON--DOYLE.
The Finlays came from the north of Ireland about the year 1820. Jane
Finlay, who married John Trueman, was born on the banks of
Newfoundland, on the voyage out, and only just escaped being called
Nancy, after the ship. David and Margaret Mitchell came from the
neighborhood of Londonderry, in Ireland to Nova Scotia, in 1829. David
Patterson came from Maghera, Culnady County Antrim, Ireland, in June,
1839. These families all settled in Cumberland County, bordering on the
Straits of Northumberland. The Doyles emigrated to Nova Scotia, about
1790, and settled at Five Islands, Parrsboro.
It is said David Patterson studied for the church, and perhaps that, in
part, accounts for the fact that four of his children are, or have
been, teachers. A daughter has just offered and been accepted for the
foreign missions. Mrs. Patterson writes: "Daisy has offered herself as
a medical missionary and been accepted. She will leave for China next
September, via San Francisco. It is something I can hardly talk about,
yet I would rather she would go there than marry the richest man in the
United States, for it is a grand thing to work for the Lord Jesus. I
remember," she goes on to say, "of being told that grandmother Trueman
had faith to believe God would save all her children and grandchildren
down to the fourth generation, and don't you think we are reaping the
fruit of grandmother's faith and prayers to the present day?"
Two sons of Thomas Mitchell are in the Presbyterian ministry.
Of this Scotch-Irish stock Hon. Charles Bell says: "The Scotch-Irish
were people of Scottish lineage who dwelt upon Irish soil. They stuck
together and kept aloof from the native Celtic race." Macaulay says:
"They sprang from different stocks. They spoke different languages.
They had different national characteristics as strongly opposed as any
two national characters in Europe. Between two such populations there
could be little sympathy, and centuries of calamities and wrongs had
generated a strong antipathy. The Scotch planted upon Irish soil were
Scotch still, and the Irish were Irish still." One of their own
writers says: "If we be not the very peculiar people, we Scotch-Irish
are a most peculiar people, who have ever left our own broad distinct
mark wherever we have come, and have it in us still to do the same,
even our critics being the judges. These racial marks are birth-marks,
and birth-marks are indelible. They are principles. The principles are
the same everywhere, and these principles are of four classes:
religious, moral, intellectual and political."
I have been led to make these quotations referring to the Scotch-Irish
because I have found so many of them among the early settlers of this
country, and wherever they are found they have proved true to their
lineage.
Others embraced in this emigration are: Clark, Moffat, Logan, Dickey,
McElmon, McClennen, Allison, and Dickson or Dixon.
FAWCETT.
Three brothers name Fawcett--William, John and Robert--came to Nova
Scotia from Hovingham, Yorkshire, in the spring of 1774. William, with
his and three children, settled in Upper Sackville, on the farm now
owned by Charles George. John settled in Lower Sackville, near present
Mount Allison Academy, and built a mill on the brook that runs through
the farm. The Fawcett foundry stands on what was the bed of the old
mill-pond. Robert was a sea captain. He removed his family to the
United States and was afterwards lost at sea. One of his sons lost his
life in the same way.
William's children were: John, William and Polly. John married
Mrs. Eleanor Colpitts, nee Eleanor Forster, of Amherst, and had four
children, George, Ann, William and Eleanor.
William (second) married Sarah Holmes. Their children were Rufus and
Betsy.
Polly married John Dobson, who afterwards moved to Sussex. The Dobsons
of Sussex and Upper Dorchester belong to this family.
John Fawcett (first), Lower Sackville, had four children--two sons,
Robert and John, and two daughters, Mary and Nancy. Of these, Robert
married ----- Seaman; John married Jane Black; Mary married Henry
Ripley, and Nancy married John Ogden. Robert, a son of the second
Robert, married Jane Trueman, daughter of William Trueman.
In 1817 (March 22nd) Thomas Fawcett, of Stockton Forest, Yorkshire,
sailed from Hull on the ship VALIANT, bound for Charlottetown, P. E.
Island. The voyage lasted seventy-three days. About the middle of the
voyage the VALIANT came across a Scotch brig in a sinking condition and
took on board her sixty passengers and crew. There were one hundred and
ninety-three immigrants on the ship when she arrived at her
destination.
Thomas Fawcett settled first at Cove Head, P.E.I. He afterward moved to
Sackville, and finally located at Salisbury. He had three sons, one now
living in Carleton County, N.B., one in Salisbury, and John is one of
the solid men to Tidnish.
Other passengers on the VALIANT were: John Milner, settled in
Sackville; John Towse, settled in Dorchester; Robert Morrison, settled
in Sussex; Robert Mitten and family, settled in Coverdale.
EVANS.
Isaac Evans came to this country, probably from the United States,
shortly after the close of the Revolutionary war. The family was
originally from Wales. He was married to Miss Lydia Jenks, and settled
within a few rods of the old Botsford place at Westcock. They had seven
children, all born in this country--James, Isaac, William, Lydia, Mary,
Ann and Beriah. James married Miss Barnes, and Mr. Isaac N. Evans, the
only man of the name now living in the parish, is a son of theirs. His
name and his brother William's are to be found in the list of students
attending Mount Allison Academy in 1843. Isaac drowned off Grindstone
Island when twenty-four years old, in 1819. William married a
Miss Estabrooks, and they had ten children--James Isaac, who died
recently at Shediac, where his family still live; Evander Valentine,
who lived in Sackville and was well known as Captain Evans; Jane, who
married Marcus Trueman, and now lives in California; William Murray
Stuart, who at one time had charge of the Westmoreland Bank in Moncton;
George Edwin, a mechanic, who moved early in life to the United States;
Henry, who served on the side of the North in the War of Secession;
Charles, who married a daughter of the late John Fawcett, but died
young. Lydia married Lewis Jenks; Mary never married, but lived to be
old, and was known by her friends as "Aunt Polly"; Ann married John
Boultonhouse, and Beriah married John Stuart. Isaac Evans, the original
settler, was drowned off Partridge Island, St. John, June, 1798, aged
thirty-four. Lydia, his wife, died November 11th, 1842, in her seventy-
fourth year.
WOOD.
William Wood was from Buriston, near Bedale, in the West Riding of
Yorkshire. His wife was Elizabeth Clarkson. They emigrated to America
with the first Yorkshire contingent (1772-3). Shortly after coming to
this country Mrs. Wood died, leaving three children--a son and two
daughters. The son was born on St. Valentine's Day, and was named
Valentine. Mr. Wood's second wife was the widow of an officer who had
served at Fort Cumberland. Mr. Wood was at the "Fort" when the Eddy
rebels attacked that place, and distinguished himself by his bravery.
He was drowned in the Bay of Fundy.
Valentine Wood married and settled in Point de Bute. His family
consisted of eleven children: William, who died in boyhood; Edward,
Rufus, Joshua, Cyrus, Thomas, Albert, Mary Ann, Cynthia, Amelia, and
the youngest, Rebecca (Mrs. Thompson Trueman, of Sackville, N.B.)
Edward was named for an uncle in England. He made his home in Bay
Verte, N.B., and became a most useful and acceptable Methodist local
preacher. Two of the Wood family were teachers. Thomas W. was a
prominent and successful educationalist. The Wood family were more than
ordinarily gifted intellectually. Albert, the youngest son, became
celebrated as a skilful and successful sea captain. He published a
book, entitled "Great Circle Sailing," that quite changed the methods,
in some particulars, from which ships had been navigated previously.
Captain Wood finally settled in California, where he now lives, and is
an enthusiastic temperance worker and writer. Joshua was musically
inclined, and taught the old fashioned singing school. He possessed
characteristics that made him quite a hero with many of his friends.
Most of the descendants of William Wood bearing the name have removed
from the country.
HARRIS.
The Harris name is one of the oldest in Canada. Arthur Harris came from
Plymouth, England, to Bridgewater, New England, in 1650. He removed
from there to Danby, and from Danby to Boston in 1696. His son, Samuel,
was with Captain Ben Church's expedition to Acadia in 1704, and shortly
after Acadia came into possession of the English he settled in
Annapolis. Michael Spurr Harris, a grandson of Samuel Harris, was born
at Annapolis Royal in 1804. His wife, Sarah Ann Troop, was born in
Aylesford in 1806. Michael Harris started in business in St. John in
1826; in 1837 he removed his family to Moncton and opened a general
store and carriage building establishment, and soon after added
shipbuilding to the business. After his death the business was very
successfully conducted for many years by his two sons, the late John
Harris and Christopher Harris.
This firm was always abreast of the times, and the city of Moncton owes
much to its enterprise and farsightedness. The late Mrs. John A.
Humphrey was a daughter of Michel Spurr Harris.
MAIN.
The Mains are Scotch. The family tree goes back to the beginning of the
fifteenth century, one branch including the present Lord Rosebery and
Sir William Alexander, who are one time owned Nova Scotia and gave the
Province its name. David Main with two of his sons, John and James,
emigrated from Dumfries. Scotland, to Richibucto, New Brunswick, in the
spring of 1821, and settled at Galloway, on the farm now owned by
Robert Main, a grandson of David, and son of James. James married Jane
Murray, of Shemogue. James Main, of Botsford, is also a son of theirs.
John married Jean Johnstone, and lived in Kingston, now called Rexton.
Mary Jean Main, wife of Howard Trueman, is his daughter. The late David
Main, of St. Stephen, was a son of John Main.
SHARP.
Four brothers named Sharp came to the Isthmus from Cornwallis, N.S.,
about the year 1812. Matthew settled in Nappan, William in Maccan,
Allan in Amherst, and John in Sackville. Samuel Sharp, who married
Fanny Trueman, was a son of William Sharp.
WELDON.
Two of William Trueman's sons married into the Weldon family. I am not
able to give any more information about the Weldons than is found in
the "History of the Blacks," which is as follows: "A Mr. Weldon left
London for Halifax in 1760. The vessel in which he sailed was wrecked
on the coast of Portugal. Returning to London, in 1761, he found that
his wife and family had sailed for Halifax, where he joined them in the
fall of the same year." Mr. Weldon settled first in Hillsboro and
later removed to Dorchester, where the name has remained ever since.
Dr. Weldon, Dean of the Halifax Law School, belongs to this family.
SCOTT.
Adam Scott was from Langholm, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. He emigrated to
New Brunswick with his wife and family in 1834, landing first at
Quebec. He settled in Shemogue, Westmoreland County. His wife's name
was Janet Amos. He had eight children. Two of the sons and the eldest
daughter, Janet, married into William Trueman's family. The daughter,
Mrs. Joseph Trueman, is still living, bright and cheerful, in the 84th
year of her age. Mr. Scott was one of the most prosperous farmers in
the district in which he settled, and lived to be ninety-nine years of
age.
BENT.
This name is believed to have come from bent grass, "a stiff, wiry
growth, little known in America." John Bent, the first of the name in
America, was born in Penton-Grafton, England, in November, 1596. He
came to America in his forty-second year, and settled in Sudbury, Mass.
The Bents came to Nova Scotia around 1760. The names of Jesse and John
Bent are found on the list of grantees for the township of Cumberland
in 1763, to which reference has previously been made. Sarah A. Bent,
daughter of Martin Bent, married Edward Trueman.
JEWETT--COY.
Mary Jewett, who married Alder Trueman, of Sackville, and Asa Coy, who
married Catherine Trueman, of Point de Bute, were of the New England
emigration that settled on the St. John River in 1762-3.
HARRISON.
John Harrison, of Rillington, Yorkshire, England, and his wife, Sarah
Lovell, of the same place with their family arrived in Cumberland
County, Nova Scotia, in the spring of 1774, and settled on the Maccan
River. They had family as follows: Luke, born August 25th, 1754,
married Tryphena Bent, November 22nd, 1789; John, married twice, first
wife Dinah Lumley, of Yorkshire, England, and second Charlotte Mills,
of the State of New York; Thomas born March 28th, 1762, married Mary
Henry; William, born March 25th, 1770, married Jane Coates; Mary,
married Matthew Lodge; Sarah, married James Brown; Nancy, married John
Lumley; Hannah, married John Lambert; Elizabeth, married Henry Furlong.
Luke Harrison (son of John) and his wife Tryphena Bent, had family as
follows: Jane, married William Bostock; Margaret; George, married
Sarah Hodson; Hannah married George Boss; Amy, married Thos. Dodsworth;
Eunice, married Amos Boss; Elizabeth, married William Smith; Joseph;
Jesse, married Elizabeth Hoeg.
John Harrison (son of John), whose first wife was Dinah Lumley, and
second Charlotte Mills, had family as follows: Sarah, John, Maria,
Lovell, Mary, Charlotte, Rebecca; William, married Elizabeth Brown;
James.
Thomas Harrison (son of John) and his wife Mary Henry, had family as
follows: Luke, married Hannah Lodge; Sarah, married Martin Hoeg;
Clementina, married Joseph Moore; Harriet, married William Coates;
Thomas, married Clementina Stockton; Tillott, married Eunice Lockwood;
Mary, married Gideon Trueman; Ruth, married Hugh Fullerton; Henry,
first wife Phoebe Chipman, and second A. M. Randall.
William Harrison (son of John) and his wife, Jane Coates, had family as
follows: Sarah, married Robert Oldfield; Thomas, married Elizabeth
Shipley; Edward; William, married Mary Tait; John, married Jerusha
Lewis; Ann, married David Keiver; Joseph, married Jane Ripley; James,
married Mary Lewis; Robert, married Hannah Wood; Jane, married Nathan
Hoeg; Luke; Brown, married Mary Ann Coates; Hannah, married David Long.
Luke Harrison (son of Thomas and Mary), was born August 10th, 1787, and
died November 12th, 1865. He and his wife, Hannah Lodge, moved from
Maccan River, N.S., to Dutch Valley, near Sussex, N.B., and had family
as follows: William Henry, married three times, first wife was Sarah
Slocomb, second Rebecca Slocomb, and third Lavina M. Knight; Charles
Clement; Mary Ann, married J. Nelson Coates, of Smith's Creek, King's
County, N.B.; Thomas Albert, married Isabel Stevenson, of St. Andrew's,
N.B.; Joseph Lodge, married Charlotte Snider, of Dutch Valley, Sussex,
N.B.
William Henry Harrison (son of Luke Harrison and Hannah Lodge), was
born July 20th, 1813, at Sussex, N.B., and died May 2nd, 1901, at
Sackville, N.B. He had no family by his first and second wives. He and
his third wife, Lavina M. Knight, daughter of Rev. Richard Knight,
D.D., of Devonshire, England, had family as follows: Richard Knight,
married to Anne Graham, of Sussex, N.B., living at Colorado Springs,
Colorado, U.S.A.; Hannah Lovell, dead; William Henry, of Sackville,
N.B.; Charles Allison, dead; F. A. Lovell, of St. John, N.B.; Albert
Thornton, of New York City; Mary Louisa, married to T. Dwight Pickard,
of Sackville, N.B., living at Fairview, B.C.; Frank Allison, of
Sackville, N.B., married to Flora Anderson.
John Harrison, of Rillington, Yorkshire, England, who settled at Maccan
River, N.S., Canada, in 1774, was a relative of John Harrison, born at
Foulby, in the Parish of Wragley, near Pontrefact, Yorkshire, May,
1693. John Harrison, of Foulby, was the inventor of the chronometer,
for which he received from the British Government the sum of L 20,000.
He died at his home in Red Lion Square, London, in 1776. The
chronometer accepted by the Government from John Harrison was seen in
July, 1901, at Guildhall, London.
The following letters were written by members of the Harrison family to
friends in England.
William H. Harrison, a descendant of John Harrison, visited Yorkshire
about the year 1854, and received the letters from friends there,
bringing them back to Nova Scotia, where they were written so many
years before. They are interesting as giving the experience of the
emigrant in the new country. The first was written by Luke, a young man
twenty years old, who had come to Nova Scotia with his father and had
been in the country but three months. The second was written by John
Harrison, a brother of Luke's, in 1803, after they had tested the
country.
EXTRACTS FROM OLD LETTERS OF THE HARRISON FAMILY.
"TO MR. WILLIAM HARRISON,
"Rillington, Yorkshire,
"England.
"June 30th, 1774.
"DEAR COUSIN,--
"Hoping these lines will find you in good health, as we are at present,
bless God for it. We have all gotten safe to Nova Scotia, but do not
like it at all, and a great many besides us, and are coming back to
England again, all that can get back. We do not like the country, not
never shall. The mosquitos are a terrible plague in this country. You
may think that mosquitos cannot hurt, but if you do you are mistaken,
for they will swell you legs and hands so that some persons are both
blind and lame for some days. They grow worse every year and they bite
the English the worst. We have taken a farm of one Mr. Barron, for one
year, or longer if we like. The rent is L 20 a year. We have 10 cows,
4 oxen, 20 sheep, one sow, and one breeding mare. He will take the rent
in butter or cheese, or cattle. The country is very poor, and there is
very little money about Cumberland. The money is not like our English
money. An English guinea is L 1 3s. 4d. In Nova Scotia money a dollar
is equal to 5 shillings, and a pistereen is a shilling. In haying time
men have 3 shillings a day for mowing. The mosquitos will bite them
very often so that they will throw down their scythes and run home,
almost bitten to death, and there is a black fly worse than all the
rest. One is tormented all the summer with mosquitos, and almost frozen
to death in the winter. Last winter they had what was reckoned to be a
fine winter, and the frost was not out of the ground on the 20th day of
June, which I will affirm for truth. I shall let you know the affairs
of the country another year, if God spare life and health. Dear cousin,
remember me to my uncle and aunt and to all that ask after me.
"From your well wisher,
"LUKE HARRISON.
"Direct your letters to John Harrison or Luke Harrison, at the River a
Bare, nigh Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia."
"TO MR. JOHN HARRISON,
"Rillington, near Motton,
"Yorkshire, England.
"Maccan River, N.S.,
"June 24th, 1810.
"DEAR COUSIN,--
"Long ago I have had it in agitation of writing to you and now an
opportunity is just at hand, which I gladly now embrace, hoping these
lines will find you and your family all in good health, as me and my
family are the same, thanks be to him that ruleth over all. I am now
going to give you a little sketch of our country, of Bonny Nova Scotia,
and the advantages and disadvantages. I settled here on this river
about 23 years ago, upon lands that had never been cultivated, all a
wilderness. We cut down the wood of the land and burnt it off, and
sowed it with wheat and rye, so that we have made out a very good
living. Here we make our own sugar, our own soap and candles, and
likewise our own clothing. We spin and weave our own linen and wool,
and make the biggest part of it into garments within our own family.
This, I suppose, you will think strange, but it is merely for want of
settlers and more mechanics of different branches. There were twenty-
five petitioned to the Government for new lands when I settled here,
and we all drew 500 acres of land each. I bought 500 acres joining
mine, which cost me about eighteen pounds, and my part of the grant
cost eight pounds. I have lived on it ever since and make out a very
good living. We milk ten cows, keep one yoke of oxen, three horses,
betwixt twenty and thirty sheep. I do not doubt but that in the run of
ten years more I shall be able to milk twenty cows. We generally kill
every fall six or eight hogs. We use betwixt four hundred and five
hundred pounds of sugar every year for tea and other necessaries. The
disadvantage we have here is in the winters being so long. There is six
months to fodder our cattle, and what is worse than all the rest, the
snow falling so deep, sometimes four feet. The last three or four
winters have been very moderate, which we think is owing to the country
and woods being cleared more away. We have very much trouble with
bears, as they destroy our sheep and cattle so much.
"JOHN HARRISON.
"N.B.--I have two sons, up young men. Pray send them each a good,
industrious wife. Pray send out a ship-load of young women, for there
is a great call for them that can card and spin. The wages are from
five to six shillings a week."