Musquodoboit Pioneers a record of Seventy Families, Their Homesteads and Genealogies

Musquodoboit Pioneers
A Record of Seventy Families, Their Homesteads
and
Genealogies
1780 - 1980
Volumes I & II
original text by
Jennie Reid
Statement from Jim Reid, son of the late author, Jennie
Reid
pertaining to this online edition of the book:
It is with a great sense of pride that Dan, Carolyn and I
make our Mother, Jennie Reid's, work of love, "A Record of
Seventy Musquodoboit Families", available for publication on the
Internet through the Nova Scotia GenWeb site. It was her fondest
dream to ensure the information, history and genealogy of the
Musquodoboit Valley become available to anyone who was interested
in her work.
I can remember the many summer afternoons our family
spent searching through the woods and brush; cleaning off old
tombstones buried in moss; and reciting the valuable information
contained on those stones to Mum who meticulously recorded it. I
can remember the many evenings sitting around the dining room
table as Dad revealed the great wealth of stories and knowledge
he had retained from living his full 80 years in the Valley. I
can remember the many interesting people who came to visit
looking for information on their forefathers; they picked Mum's
brain for knowledge as she did likewise to them. But most of
all, I remember the great sense of satisfaction she so often
expressed when she was able to see someone walk out our door with
a much keener awareness of their family background.
Our family would like to express our sincere gratitude to
Carroll Armstrong who encouraged us to put the information
online, and also for her work with Lark Szick, Volunteer
Co-Ordinator for The Nova Scotia GenWeb Project, in co-ordinating
the many volunteers who have given so freely of their time to
prepare the book for publication on the Internet.
I can see the smile of satisfaction on Mum's face expressing
the accomplishment of her fondest dream.
Jim
About This Online Edition of the Book:
Musquodoboit Pioneers
Thank you to the Reid family for allowing us to do this project.
When I began this project it was my intent that the online edition
of the book would remain true to their mother, Jennie Reid's,
original text.
Disclaimer:
This is a transcription of Jennie Reid's original work and any
typographical errors were done without intent. An occasional
typist's note has been added enclosed within [ ] and
initialed by me: "cja", simply to alert the reader that there may
be an error or the data could be confusing.
IMPORTANT EXCEPTION Regarding Personal Data: Some dates after
the early 1900's, and exact addresses that were published in the
original text have been removed from this online edition in order
that we might protect the privacy of persons who may still be
living. No names have been removed.
Changes from the original will be evident in some pages by the
way the material appears on the page - some line breaks and page
breaks may vary slightly from the original; this was done to
make it easier for the reader to follow the text, or to keep
family groups closer together on one page.
ORIGINAL PAGE NUMBERS have been indicated at the END of each
page, as in the original.
IMAGES FROM THE BOOK have been scanned and placed on the Halifax
County GenWeb site and may be accessed via the following URL:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~nshalifa/MusquodoboitPioneers.html
Carroll
Armstrong
-----------------------------------------------------------------
MUSQUODOBOIT PIONEERS
VOLUME 1
DEDICATION
In loving memory of my grandparents,
Charles Henry Morris, M.D., his wife Jane,
and my husband, Kenneth Reid.
J.R.
" ...... and Time, that grows old itself, bids us hope for no
long duration".
Sir Thomas Browne,
M.D. ( 1605 -1682)
II
Genealogical Key
The number one (1) stands for the Pioneer settler (male) in the
Musquodoboit Valley. The inside numbers indicate the number of
children in his family. The outside numbers include him and show
the number of his descendants given in the tables.
Example: 1. John Doe md. Mary Smith, they had 2 daus. , 1 son
2-1 Ann
3-2 Mary
4-3 James
Whereas most books are closely restricted as to the use of
contents, we prefer to be generously different. The material in
these volumes is offered freely to anyone interested in history.
III
INDEX
Volume I
Edward Annand 1
The Archibald Family 16
Adam Archibald 18
John Archibald 20
Jonathan Archibald 50
Matthew Taylor Archibald 52
Robert Archibald 67
Samuel Burke Archibald 75
Samuel Fisher Archibald 103
William Archibald 129
John Bates 152
Henry Behrendt 165
John Braden 168
The Brown Family 175
George Bell 180
James Benvie 184
Adam Bryson 187
James Bryson 195
Robert Bryson 202
William Bryson 210
James Bruce 214
William Butcher 218
William Henry Cumminger 225
James Cruickshank 226
David Dickie 231
George Scott Dickie 246
James Drady 260
John Dunbrack 262
Robert Ervin 278
Alexander McNutt Fisher 292
John Fox 295
Alexander Fraser 301
William Guild (Gould) 304
Colonel Henry Arthur
Gladwin 326
Hugh Hanna 337
William Hay 344
John Higgins 351
(Owen) Edward Hogan 400
Henry Hollingsworth 405
Johnson Kaulback 417
James Kent 426
John Layton 432
Henry Leck 441
Volume II
John Lindsay 462
Joseph Miller 473
Henry Gloud Morris 478
James Muir 483
James Murchy 485
James Murphy 489
Edward McCabe 495
Thomas McCallum 500
James McCurdy 504
Alexander McCurdy 512
Sarah McCurdy 519
Matthew Archibald McCurdy 520
James MacDonald 523
Alexander MacDougall 531
John McFetridge 533
George McLeod 560
Peter Ogilvie 566
John Ogilvie 578
Samuel Pearson 583
James Reid 584
Robert Rhodes 645
William Scott 647
Rev. Robert Sedgewick 654
Alexander Shaw 662
Henry Sibley 673
Rev. John Sprott 693
James Sprott 698
Captain George Taylor 701
James White 716
John White 722
A Musquodoboit Miscellany 730
Agriculture in The
Musquodoboit Valley 731
The Musquodoboit Creamery 744
Cemeteries, Pioneer and
Hillside 747
Church Buildings 754
History of Presbyterianism
in Musquodoboit Valley 765
The Anglican Church 792
The Congregational Church 797
The Methodist Church 806
Early Settlers in Meagher's
Grant A. B. Lay, 1922 814
(updated to 1980)
Early Settlers in
Musquodoboit 817
Early Land Grants in
Musquodoboit 824
The Medical Profession in
the Musquodoboit Valley
(doctors, midwives, 830
hospital, clinic)
Musquodoboit Railway 839
Temperance Divisions in the
Musquodoboit Valley 841
Women's Organizations 847
Bibliography 852
PAGES IV; V; VI
Introduction
History is like a continued story of which the beginning is
lost in unrecorded time and many chapters are missing when we try
to read it. This seems to apply particularly to local village
histories where so many things which are considered of no
importance at the moment they occur, assume a large significance
as time goes by. The whole story can never be told. Professor
Garnet Sedgewick, one of the more illustrious sons of this
valley, said once that he would like to write all he knew of
Musquodoboit and them take the train out next morning!
Consequently, he just gave a little slice; a teasing taste as it
were, and these volumes about seventy Pioneer families will
endeavour to do the same.
Daniel Reid, my father-in-law started it all. He was born
here in 1860, lived in the district all his life, and for many
years owned and operated a General Store in Middle Musquodoboit.
Keenly interested in everything that went on in the small world
of the valley, Mr. Reid's position as storekeeper enabled him to
discuss with everyone the affairs of the day and of yesterday.
Admitting to a great curiosity about local history, his own mind
replete with memories, he daily extracted stories and information
from his older friends and neighbours, happy to idle away an hour
chatting in the shop. Daniel had known many of the Pioneer men
and women, intimately. As a child, he had
VII
probably stood beside his grandfather, James, and watched the
first church taken down; the very building which the old man
helped to build when he was young.
As Bobby Burns remarked in one of his poems, "A chiel's amang
us takin' notes and fain will prent 'em," so eventually, Daniel
Reid gathered up the historical material garnered over the years
and wrote a series of articles which appeared in the Truro Daily
News during 1935-36. These little accounts of Musquodoboit
families, their arrivals in the valley and their Settlings, met
with great public favour and are still treasured in numerous
scrapbooks.
Kenneth Reid, my husband, Daniel's son, took over the family
business and he, too, with an interest in history and very
retentive memory, enjoyed talking to people about old days and
old ways. Kenneth was of great assistance to me when the
formidable task, of putting Daniel Reid's work, together with my
genealogical tables, into possible book form, was undertaken.
The genealogical research for these seventy families has
occupied all my leisure time for twenty years. My stepfather,
the late T. H. Lodge, a very enthusiastic genealogist, gave me
much help and encouragement in this gigantic project. The work
has been a labour of love, perhaps needless to say, and it was
always my hope that upon completion, a private printing would be
possible. When this could not be arranged, it
VIII
seemed I must be resigned to let the manuscript gather dust on
archival shelves forever more!
Most happily however, this was not to be. In 1979, the
Musquodoboit Enterprisers Historical Committee applied for a New
Horizon Grant to publish the book. This was received, and a
donation from the Nova Scotia Department of Culture paid for the
typing. The balance had been raised by pre-publication orders.
All the work of preparing the material for the printer was
undertaken by the voluntary Committee; as is usually the case,
the Secretary, of the group has "borne the burden in the heat of
the day." It is impossible to express my gratitude to Mabel
Smythe who has been largely responsible for this production. It
was she who, with the inception of the idea, prepared the Brief,
which obtained the Grant, and has assisted in pruning, revising,
and editing an unwieldy mass of manuscript into manageable form.
Mrs. Smythe has contributed the "History of Presbyterianism in
the Musquodoboit Valley", as well as much of the complied
material in the latter part of Volume Two.
It is a great joy to me that at last my book, long known as
"Jennie Reid's History" is being published. It deals with
seventy Pioneer Families, their genealogies and homesteads, and
is offered to everyone with an interest in the Musquodoboit
Valley. In so far as it has been possible to ascertain, the
information in these pages is as correct
IX
as human fallibility will permit. In any work comprising eight
hundred and fifty pages of fine print, errors may be found, but
they must be put down to accident and not intention.
In gathering this data over the years, it has been our
experience that even within families, members often disagree as
to events, the people concerned and applicable dates. Births,
marriages, and deaths are always kept with great care, but even
these may be wrong, "chance times", as we say in this valley.
Almost all my genealogical information has been taken down from
Family Bibles, Church records and cemetery tombstones.
Sometimes, no doubt, the dates had been inscribed in the
"Good Book: by the shaky hand of a dim-eyed grandfather, and the
figures are not easily decipherable. Perhaps at times, a
stonecutter was absentminded, or the chisel slipped and the
gravestone tells the wrong story. In a few cases, where no
records exist, a family has given me an approximate date, which
must serve until amended. Over the past year, great publicity
has been given to the publication of this book, and everyone
concerned invited to bring or send corrections and revisions.
Many of these have come in and have been scrupulously
incorporated, where appropriate.
X
In coming years, we hope this book, which is being published
in a limited edition of only five hundred copies, will prove to
be a well-read treasure for succeeding generations of men and
women. May they seek and find their roots in its pages, and
proudly proclaim themselves descendants of these Musquodoboit
Pioneers.
Jennie Reid
October, 1980
Middle Musquodoboit
Forward
In 1979, When Jennie Reid presented this Committee with her
manuscript as a free gift, the publication of it seemed an
insurmountable task. However, as the result of much volunteer
labour, the only expenditure being for typing and printing, you
now hold the book in your hands.
Our warmest gratitude is expressed for a New Horizon Grant,
and the contribution from the Nova Scotia Dept. of Culture, which
enabled us to publish this historic document.
It is our hope that these volumes will inspire much future
exciting research in the Musquodoboit Valley.
Executive: Margaret Jones, Mabel Smythe, and Gordon Dechman
Directors: Emma Gladwin, Jessie Higgins, Ruth Higgins, Mildred
Holman, Muriel Kaulback, Marilyn MacDonald, and Michael
McFetridge
Enterprisers Historical Committee
XI
[Image of William Harrison, M.D. may be viewed at the URL below:]
http://www.rootsweb.com/~nshalifa/MusquodoboitPioneers.html
Edward Annand
Edward Annand and his wife Euphemia came from Scotland. The
date of Arrival is unknown. Edward and his wife are both buried
in the Gays River Cemetery.
1. Edward died April 4, 1822 at 62 yrs. (born 1760)
Euphemia, wife of Edward
They had 4 sons and 3 daughters.
*2-1 John
*3-2 William born 1793 (died April 18, 1880, age 87 yrs.)
*4-3 David 1808-1883
*5-4 James
*6-5 Elizabeth
*7-6 Ann 1763 died 1837
*8-7 Jean
These children were first cousins of Hon. William Annand,
remembered in the history of Nova Scotia as Premier 1867-1873,
Hon. Joseph Howe spent a few years at the William Annand farm in
Upper Musquodoboit.
2-1 John (1st son of Edward and Euphemia Annand) lived at
Gays River. He married Helen (dau. Of Capt. George & Helen
Simpson Taylor) of Chaswood. They had 4 sons, 1 dau.
9-1 Edward
*10-2 Joseph
*11-3 William (1836-1924)
*12-4 Jane
*13-5 John
9-1 Edward (1st son of John & Helen Taylor Annand) was a
Presbyterian Minister. No further record.
PAGE 1.
10-2 Joseph (2nd son of John And Helen Taylor Annand) was a
Presbyterian Minister. He married Alice ________. They went to
the New Hebrides as missionaries for many years. After he
retired they returned to Hantsport where both died and are
buried, although there is a stone in Gay's River Cemetery.
11-3 William (3rd son of John & Helen Taylor Annand) of the
"Mills" Gay's River, married Ellen (dau. of William and Jane
Corbett Landells). Her brother, George Landells married Annie
Kerr, and sister, Isabelle was Mrs. George Etter. They had 1 son
and 4 daus.
*14-1 Josie
*15-2 Helen
*16-3 Susan 1869-1949
*17-4 Alice
*18-5 Arthur 1871-1919
*14-1 Josie married William McLeod of Gay's River. They live in
the west.
*15-2 Helen married Fred Gordon of Milford. They have 2 sons & 1
dau.
*19-1 Roy
*20-2 D. Winifred
*21-3 Harry H.
*19-1 Roy married Vera Harlow, they live in Milton, N.S. They
have 1 son.
*22-1 Fred is a Baptist minister.
*20-2 D. Winifred married Frank Hart. They live in Dartmouth.
They had 1 son who died in infancy and an adopted daughter, Jean.
PAGE 2.
21-3 Harry H. married Annie Thompson, dau. of Stewart Thompson
of Halifax, 1 son and 1 dau.
*23-1 Hazel Alice
*24-2 Stewart
23-1 Hazel Alice married George Willard Grant, son of Willard
Grant of Hardwood Lands. They live in Milford 1 son and 1 dau.
*25-1 Gordon
*26-2 Ruth
24-2 Stewart married Elizabeth Havy, dau. of D. Havy of
Stewiacke.
16-3 Susan (3rd dau. of William & Ellen Landells Annand) married
Rev. A.B. Dickie as his 3rd wife. No Issue.
17-4 Alice (4th dau. of William, Ellen Landells Annand) married
F.A. Marshall of Cornish, Me.
18-5 Arthur (1st son of William & Ellen Landells Annand) married
Sarah MacDonald Woodworth, (dau. of Stephen and Charlotte Andrews
Woodworth). They had the "Mills" in Gay's River. They had 6
sons.
PAGE 3.
*27-1 Clifford, Truro
*28-2 Chester, Truro
*29-3 Albert, Maitland
*30-4 Cecil, Truro
*31-5 Harold
*32-6 Carl, P.E.I.
12-4 Jane (1st dau. of John & Helen Taylor Annand) married Joel
Corbett (b. 1819). They had 1 son.
*33-1 Tom b. 1857 d. 1928. Tom was an ordained
Minister. He married Miss
Crowe (1857-1906) dau. of Smith Crowe of
Truro. 1 son.
*34-1 Edward A., author of "Father, God Bless
Him."
13-5 John (4th son of John & Helen Taylor Annand) married
Margaret Ann (dau. of David Annand), his cousin. 4 sons & 5
daus.
*35-1 Joseph
*36-2 Margaret Jane died young
*37-3 Melissa
*38-4 David
*39-5 Susanne
*40-6 Mary Ellen
*41-7 Ida
*42-8 John
*43-9 Edward was unmarried
35-1 Joseph of Cooks Brook, married Margaret McWilliams. 2 sons,
3 daus.
*44-1 John
*45-2 Albert
*46-3 Annie
*47-4 Florrie
*48-5 Clara
PAGE 4
44-1 John married Jennie Morrison. They live in Economy.
45-2 Albert married Ethel Dennis. They live in Gay's River and
have 1 child.
46-3 Annie married Murray Rankin of Milford. They have 1 son & 2
daus.
*49-1 Freda
*50-2 Helen
*51-3 Allen
47-4 Florrie married in U.S.
48-5 Clara married in Ontario
37-3 Melissa married Mr. MacDonald of Vancouver
38-4 David married Anne ___ from Newfoundland. They live in
Wellington.
39-5 Suzanne married Mr. Parks of Vancouver.
40-6 Mary Ellen married Wallace Cole of Chester.
41-7 Ida married 1st A. Benjamin) 4 sons 2nd D. Elliott ) 3
daus.
42-8 John married Emma ___ of Vancouver.
3-2 William Annand 2nd son of Edward and Euphemia settled on a
farm in Chaswood. He married 1st Ellen Muir. 2 sons, 3 daus.
*52-1 William M. d June 9,1896 age 66 yrs.
*53-2 John
*54-3 Sarah Ann d June 21, 1904 age 72 yrs.
*55-4 Isabelle
*56-5 Barbara died young
PAGE 5.
William married 2nd Julia Cowan, widow of John Henderson. They
had 2 sons.
*57-6 James
*58-7 Joseph
William's 2nd wife Julia d May 3, 1871 age 68 yrs.
52-1 William (1st son of William & Ellen Muir Annand) lived on
the farm now owned by Dr. Belzer, 1980. He married Mary Jane
McNutt, sister of John and Ephraim McNutt of Stewiacke. They had
2 sons, 3 daus. Mary d Jan. 17, 1890 age 64 yrs.
*59-1 Henry was unmarried
*60-2 Ellen Jane (Mrs. Darius Crowe)
*61-3 Cassie (Mrs. Burton Lawson)
*62-4 Rachael died young, unmarried.
*63-5 Morris died young, unmarried
53-2 John (2nd son of William & Ellen Muir Annand) lived in
Chaswood. He married
Ellen Taylor. They had 2 sons & 2 daus.
*64-1 Leonard
*65-2 Fenwick
*66-3 Elizabeth
*67-4 Annie
54-3 Sarah Ann (1st dau. of William & Ellen Muir Annand) married
Isaac Bell, she was his second wife.
55-4 Isabelle (2nd dau. of William & Ellen Muir Annand) married
1st Samuel Wilson.
Married 2nd Richard Bennett of Amherst.
PAGE 6.
57-6 James (3rd son of William and 1st son of Julia Henderson
Annand) lived on the old homestead, and where his father William
died in 1880. He married Henrietta (dau. of John and Mary Layton
Bates) of Glenmore. 3 daus. 1 son.
*68-1 Lelia b 1869-Sept. 7, 1957
*69-2 Laura 1876 d Sept. 1963
*70-3 Jane Amelia 1866-
*71-4 Morton Layton 1877-May 29, 1963
68-1 Lelia (1st dau. of James & Henrietta Bates Annand) married
1st Abram Bayers of
Musquodoboit Harbour. He died 1894. They had 1 son.
*72-1 Granville of B.C.
Lelia married 2nd Richard Innis Dunbrack of Meaghers Grant. They
had 2 sons, 2 daus.
*73-2 Josephine married Dr. Donald Moore of Syracuse,
N.Y.
*74-3 Edson of Waltham, Mass.
-4 Stuart
-5 Belle
Lelia died at the home of her dau. Mrs. Moore in Syracuse, N.Y.
69-2 Laura Mary Lauretta (2nd dau. of James and Henrietta Bates
Annand) married George S. Dickey. (Her family is in the George
Dickey History.)
70-3 Jane (3rd dau. of James and Henrietta Bates Annand) married
Harry Johns. No issue.
PAGE 7.
71-4 Morton Layton (1st son of James & Henrietta Bates Annand).
He was known for his beautiful penmanship. He married Ethel Tays.
They had 5 sons, 5 daus.
*75-1 Elmer, Ontario
*76-2 Harold, Dartmouth
*77-3 William, Chaswood
*78-4 Edgar, Middle Musquodoboit
*79-5 Laura, Mrs. Layton Fisher in Mass.
*80-6 Merle, Mrs. Laurie Taylor of Chaswood
*81-7 Alice, Mrs. John Rogers, of Middle Musquodoboit
*82-8 Bertha, Mrs. Stanley Grant, Amherst
*83-9 Ira G., d 1910
*84-10 Jean E., d. 1919
58-7 Joseph (4th son of William, 2nd son of Julia Henderson
Annand) went to Washington, D. C. as a young man. He married
Alice MacKay, 1 son, 1 dau.
*85-1 Mary (Mrs. Armstrong of Washington)
*86-2 George lives in New York City
4-3 David (3rd son of Edward and Euphemia Annand) married
Margaret Taylor (dau. of Capt. George & Helen Simpson Taylor) of
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