Canadians 1 - Immigrants of Early Maritime Provinces

  ONE

One--that's all you need sometimes to send one hint to set you one a genealogical discovery path. It was one middle name "McGee" that got me searching for my husband's ancestors. That one name, McGee was an inheritance of sorts from the Canadian settlers of Nova Scotia and it set me on this path to discovering their genealogy, along with a visit to the town of Pictou.
In another post I wrote of my husband's 5th great grandparents: Barnabas McGee, an Irish (Ballycastle, N. Ireland) immigrant to Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada. He settled Merigomish, "Barney’s River," Nova Scotia, with his wife Nancy Carroll.
And their son Charles McGee [b 1778] married into the Blackie family.
Charles McGee of Merigomish, NS married Charles Blackie & Jannet (Herries)'s daughter named Margaret Blackie. Charles McGee M. Margaret Blackie, they are my husband's 4th gr-grandparents.

What do I know nothing about most of the immigrants? Not much, but there is much out there about immigration woes.

Part of Pictou, NS, Canada  June 2015 -my photo

Here’s a bit of the story of Pictou's settlement by white Europeans. 

• 1767 - 1st permanent white settlers in Pictou County arrived in the ship Betsy on June 10, 1767, making a tiny settlement out of the forest about two miles from the present town of Pictou.  
• 1773 – 2nd The ship Hector arrived with 189 Scottish Highland immigrants on board.  
• The 3rd group of white Scottish settlers had not intended to settle in Pictou. 

“It’s all quite lovely -apart from the mice:” How families were driven out of Prince Edward Island and fled to Pictou, Nova Scotia 

Charles Blackie and Jannet Herries immigrated to Prince Edward Island on the ship the Lovely Nellie in 1773, sailing from Galloway and arriving 23 August 1773. They and their fellow settlers were from the south of Scotland. 

 

They planned to settle on Prince Edward Island. They had chartered their own vessel; sailed from the port of Annan, in Dumfriesshire, and arrived at Georgetown (on Prince Edward Island, Canada) in the spring of 1773. 

Although they arrived well-prepared, a plague of mice destroyed their first season's crop! 

They forged ahead, got see for the spring planting (1774) from Nova Scotia, and re-planted. But this time the mice ate the seed in the ground. 

Then, in the fall of 1774 compounding their problems, the supplies (from Scotland) were stored in the Georgetown Harbor, Prince Edward Island. 

One night, the precious stores were plundered by riotous sailors and fishermen from New England in a drunken orgy on the eve of their departure back to New England. 

Now the newly arrived settlers were almost without food and consequently suffered severely throughout that winter (1774-75). 

 

Prince Edward Island in summer--wasn't kind then either

They suffered so much that they gave up on Prince Edward Island all together. And in the spring of 1775 moved as a group to Pictou, Nova Scotia. 

Canadian Arrival records: Charles Blackie, Janet Herries (Blackie)wife; Sons & daughters: John, James, William, Ann (Margaret was born in Nova Scotia) 

There were thirteen families and a single man in the party, and with one exception, they settled permanently in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada. 

My husband's ancestors, Charles Blaikie (Blackie) and his wife Jannet, settled with six others families at West River (now Durham.

Durham (West River) in relation to Pictou

Remarks 

The settlers brought a valuable element to the early Pictou settlement: since they had come from one of the best agricultural districts in Scotland and had worked the land all their lives. Several of them were sons of landowners while others had been tenant farmers. As a result, most of them prospered from the beginning. This group seemed satisfied with their new home. 

Apparently from their letters back to Scotland, they boasted of their new properties. And, consequently, their relatives and acquaintances in the South of Scotland were began to arrive in Pictou; and continued coming for many years. These settlers imported valuable livestock, seeds and fruit trees from Scotland. 

 

Still at West River are found black cattle of Galloway (Scotland), and there is a breed of horse called Galloway, which is in the vicinity. 

 

[The story of the settlement is from: Pictonians at Home and Abroad, by John Peter MacPhie; Immigration records, Records: Government of Canada; Maps: Google Maps; Photos: ACJohnson collection]

Canadians 2 - Barnabas McGee and Nancy Carroll First Settlers of Merigomish, Nova Scotia, Canada

Barnabas McGee & Nancy Carroll of Merigomish, Nova Scotia, Canada

Birth

Barnabas McGee was born about 1742, believed to have been born in Northern Ireland (likely Ulster).

New World and Marriage

Barnabas immigrated to Pennsylvania where he married Ann (Nancy) Carroll of London, England.I'm fairly certain they departed for Canada from the port of Philadelphia.Prior to departing they lived in PA, New Jersey or nearby.

Move to Canada, to Pictou, Nova Scotia

Originally Pictou, Nova Scotia was awarded by the King of England to a handful of subjects who agreed to settle it for England.

The King's permission contained a complex mandate about clearing the land and planting crops, and establishing a town all within certain time parameters. 

Eastern Canada today

The very best land was already held by the earliest settlers (all British subjects) before Barnabas and Nancy even left for Canada.
The map above of Eastern Canada will give you an idea where Nova Scotia is relative to other provinces of E. Canada.
The settlement they left for had been nicknamed Pictou "New Scotland" for the many settlers of Scottish descent.

 THE MOVE

It was 1767 or 1768 that Barnabas and Nancy McGee packed up and moved to Nova Scotia from PA. 
Once there, Barnabas was awarded a large grant of land at Roger's Hill in Pictou.  However, Rogers Hill is a good way from the seacoast.
Where is Pictou?
Today Pictou is a town in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. That may not be particularly enlightening. You may know of or visited Halifax, Nova Scotia, the capital of the Province of Nova Scotia. The map below shows Pictou's location relative to Halifax.

Province of Nova Scotia. Halifax in south, Pictou to north/east.

The McGees had a daughter they called Polly in Pictou and the family remained there about nine years.

First White Settlers of Merigomish, Nova Scotia, Canada
But Barnabas was not content with his location on Rogers Hill. Though he had a good amount of land, I would guess he -or they-wanted to be nearer the shore. And in the fall of 1776 or the spring of 1777 he moved to Merigomish, NS, and settled not far from the shore, but on the eastern side of a river. Oh happy day!

 

Merigomish Train Depot 1900s

Shore Rd, Merigomish, NS

 

Turn off to Barneys Road in Merigomish, NS

 

 

 

 

 

How far is Merigomish from Pictou? 

If you travel overland, it’s 23 miles (38 KMS) by today’s roads from Pictou to Mergomish. However, if you go by boat, (I don’t have the nautical miles), but it looks like it’s not more than 6 miles south from Pictou to what is Mergomish. 

Yes, the McGees now had land near the shore. And while Barnabas McGee and Nancy Carroll were officially the first white settlers of Merigomish which comes with its own bit of wondefulness, but it could be a bit lonely. 

Barnaby's River, Merigomish - The river they settled by was later called Barney's River after Barnabas, some time around or after his death. 

From The History of Barneys River—Early Days in East Pictou by HH Bruce for the Eastern Chronicle.  18 September 1886

From the book, Place Names of Nova Scotia

Barnabas and Nancy had four* more children, and they were the first white settlers born in the area.

Work and Staying Fed
Barnabas (“Barney”) was said to be a cooper by trade (cooper makes barrels, casks and the like). He would likely have searched the northern forests for oak.
Eventually however, he (possibly for financial reasons?) turned to shipbuilding and fishing.
    "A record from September 1788 says that he sold a good shallop [sloop] 'Nancy' about twenty-two tons, to Hugh Denoon of Merigomish, trader, for the sum of 45 pounds."

    Also, there are many records of sales of land by Barnabas McGee. One record of him says that he:

    "is still remembered for his hospitality to strangers and travellers."
Two Deaths & the Widow
Barney McGee and his son, Barnabas, set out one fall to sail to Newfoundland but never arrived.  
They were shipwrecked and drowned. Their bodies weren't found until spring -- on the shore of nearby Cape Breton.
His widow Nancy was then on her own. And she made a name for herself.
She always ministered to the medical needs of her neighbors. For example, there is one record where she removed frozen fingers from the survivors of a ship wreck.
Nancy was often called upon to help out at the most inconvenient times.
When there was too much snow, she'd don snowshoes to facilitate her trek to help those in need.
Land Granted to the Widow McGee
Nancy was given a grant of 500 acres of land for her "public services" (I'm not sure what that means). She sold the land for 250 pounds.
Barnabas McGee Facts
* Born in County Ulster, N. Ireland
* Emigrated to PA
* Married Ann (AKA Nancy) Carroll of London, England
* Moved to Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada 1767/1768
and received a land grant on Rogers Hill in Pictou.
* Remained there for almost a decade.
* Moved in 1776 to become the first white family settled in Merigomish, Nova Scotia
* Death by drowning (he and son Barnabas)

Family
They had five children, including but not limited to Barnabas McGee and Polly McGee, as well as my husband’s 4th gr-grandfather, Charles McGee
Charles M McGee
B 24 Nov 1778 Merigomish,Pictou Co, Nova Scotia, Canada                                          D. 28 Sep 1876 Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada