The Chignecto Isthmus and its first settlers Part 10

[FOOTNOTE: *This, I suppose, was the aboideau that had to be abandoned, to which reference has been made. END OF FOOTNOTE]

On the 8th of that month "William Black preached at Sackville, and on the 11th at Mr. Roach's in Lawrence; on the 16th William Black started for Halifax."

"Feb. 23rd, 1809--Went to the Supreme Court.

"Feb. 29th, 1810--Mrs. Roach, of Fort Lawrence, died to-day after a short sickness. Rev. Mr. Knowlton preached the funeral sermon from Psalms; a very solemn time; about five hundred people present.

"In June, 1811, Robert Bryce purchased a lot of cattle and some b.u.t.ter in c.u.mberland.

"June 28th--Went to Bay Verte with a drove of cattle and some sheep, put 32 cattle and 116 sheep on board vessel for Newfoundland.

"July 8th--Started ten oxen for Halifax. John Trueman raising his house and barn, July 6th, 1811.

"July 24th--Pulled the old mill down. A son of John Harper's was badly hurt at the mill brook."

I notice in the journal that "muster day" was in Sackville this year.

It seems to have been a very prosperous year for the farmers of c.u.mberland. Shipments of cattle and sheep were made to Newfoundland and the usual supply sent to Halifax. The price paid must have been satisfactory; it would, at any rate, be so considered by our farmers now.

The following letter sent to Messrs. Reed and Albro, dated Sept. 6th, 1811, gives one an idea of the condition of the cattle trade at that time:

"WESTMORELAND, Sept. 6th, 1811.

"MESS. REED & ALBRO.

"Sir,--Recd. Your letter by Thomas Roach, Esq., respecting cattle; have been looking around for some cattle, cannot buy for less than 6d.

(10c.). Mr. -----, of Westmoreland, has some good cattle unsold at present. If you wish me to purchase you some cattle you may depend on my doing the best in my power for you. Wishing your answer as soon as possible, as the good cattle may be picked up. I wish you would send me the weights of the different lots of Beeves. I cannot settle with the people I purchased from for want of the weights. Have given two drafts on you, one on Saml. Holsted for L200, payable on the 20th July, and one on A. Fowler for L100, payable on the 28th July.

"You will oblige me much by calling on Wm. Allan and take up a mortgage deed belonging to Thomas King, of Westmoreland.

"There is, he thinks, about L50 or a little more due on it. Send it to me and I shall get the money paid me on sight, as I want a letter. And in so doing you will much "Oblige your well wisher, "WM. TRUEMAN.

"P.S.--Thomas Roach, Esq., will furnish you with ten cattle at 6d, delivered in Halifax. If you accept his offer, send a boy to Windsor to meet the cattle. Please to write the first opportunity and inform me what I shall do. Do you want a few firkins of b.u.t.ter this fall? I have given Harmon Trueman an order on you bearing date of 7th Sept.

"I am your humble servant, "WM. TRUEMAN."

The following letter, a copy of which is among the papers at Prospect, also adds some information about trade at that time:

"WESTMORELAND, March 7th, 1812.

"MR. JOHN ALBRO: "Dear Sir,--I hope these lines will find you and Mrs. Albro and family enjoying health and every other blessing. I take this opportunity to inform you that I expect to have 12 or 14 oxen to dispose of this summer. I wish you to have the preference. If you wish to have them shall be glad to have a line from you by Mr. Gore, as also what you think the price will be.

"I want no more than the market price.

"Remain your humble servant, "WM. TRUEMAN.

"N.B.--John Keillor, Esq., hath four good oxen he wishes you to have with mine. They are four fine oxen. They are likely to be good by July 15th."

In addition to the buyers from Halifax, Newfoundland was this year sending to Westmoreland for a part of its beef supply. The letter below refers to the trade with that colony:

"WESTMORELAND, 30 Oct., 1811.

"MESSRS. JOHN & ROBERT BRYNE,-- "I sent you a few lines Sept. 4th. Thinking it a chance whether you received it or no, I take the liberty to send you a second. I think it will be a great advantage to you to have some hay purchased and drawn to the place in winter.

"If you wish to have any purchased I will do it for you, only let me know the quant.i.ty you wish to have. Cattle have been as low as 4 pence or 5 pence in the spring. It is uncertain what the price may be, but I see no prospect of them being very high, as there is great plenty of cattle in the country. Should you want any in the spring you can rely on my doing the best in my power to serve you.

"Remain your most humble servant, "WM. TRUEMAN."

Mr. Bryne had been in Westmoreland that summer and purchased a drove of cattle and sheep, which were shipped on June 28th, as noted previously.

On April 25th, 1811, Mrs. Keillor, Mrs. Trueman's mother, who had been living at Prospect since 1806, died. Her husband, Thomas Keillor, a stonemason by trade, died some years earlier. There is at Prospect a copy of a power of attorney given by Mrs. Keillor to her "trusty friend," Stephen Emmerson, to act for her in collecting rents and selling claims in Skelton, England, in connection with the property owned by her late husband.

This doc.u.ment was copied by Amos Botsford and witnessed by Wm. Botsford and Henry Chapman, jun., and dated Oct. 30th, 1810.

Mrs. Keillor was buried on the old farm at Fowler's Hill beside her husband in a small burying-ground that was formerly surrounded by a stone wall, part of which is still standing.

Mrs. Keillor's maiden name was Mary Thomson. She and two other married sisters--Jane, the wife of John Carter, and Ann, the wife of William Trueman--came with the Yorkshire emigration. These sisters left one brother at least in England, as the letter following, in reply to one received from George Thomson, will show:

"PROSPECT, March 29th, 1811.

"DEAR UNCLE AND AUNT,--Received your welcome letter of March 29th, and was glad to hear from you and of your wellfare, and hoping these lines will find you and yours enjoying the same blessings of health and happiness.

"I have to tell you of the death of my mother-in-law. She departed this life April 22nd. Your sister Jane is very well at present.

"The rest of your family are all well. If you see fit to come out in the spring your friends will be glad to see you. It will be best for you to get a lumber vessel if you can. There hath been two vessels from Hull and one from Newcastle this summer. Respecting goods and merchandise, lay in well for common clothing. Bring some home-made linens and checks. Ox-chains and horse-traces and bridles. Everything in wood will be expensive.

"You ask what bills I propose. Good bills on Halifax answer, but nothing will answer like cash here, as it may be some trouble to get them cashed. Mechanics of all kinds are wanted. Carpenters, 7 shillings 6 pence per day. We pay 4s. and 4s. 6d. for making a pair of shoes. A good tailor is much wanted. We pay 6s. for shoeing a horse. Bring a few scythes of the best quality. Baie Verte is the best place to land at; if you cannot make that out, St. John or Halifax. There may be some difficulty in getting a pa.s.sage from Halifax by water. Shall look out for a place for you with a house on it.

"May the Lord direct you and prosper your undertaking. Give my best respects to George Swinburne and wife. Let him know my wife and my ten children and myself are well.

"I have nothing more at present to write. May the Lord direct you in all your ways, so prays your affectionate nephew and niece, "WM. AND ELIZABETH TRUEMAN."

Mr. George Thompson did not emigrate to Nova Scotia as he expected when he wrote to his uncle and aunt. The following letter, written by his son five years later, explains why:

"DURHAM, Sept., 1816.

"DEAR COUSINS,--You probably would think it very strange our not writing to you for so long a time, but I can a.s.sure you it was not for want of affection or respect, but merely inadvertence; and no doubt you would think it strange, after my father wrote to inform you he intended setting out for America, that he never went, but the princ.i.p.al reason was that on second consideration he thought himself too far advanced in years to undertake so long a voyage, and the rest of the family except myself were not very willing. Consequently he immediately after that took a large farm, which I had princ.i.p.ally to manage, otherwise I would have gone at that time. However, it is my wish to set out next spring, and have not written to inform you it, in order that I may have your answer before that, stating all particulars of the country, and if there be a good prospect for me. There is also an acquaintance of mine, a threshing machine maker and cartwright, has a desire to accompany me; therefore be so good as to say what prospect there is for such a man as he is.

"All my brothers and sisters are married and settled, and my father and mother are very well and now live by themselves, retired from farming.

"Hoping you and all friends are well, I shall conclude with kindest love to all, "And remain, dear cousin, "Yours affectionately, "GEORGE THOMPSON.

"P.S.--Have the goodness to write the first opportunity, and direct to me at "Harbour House, "Durham."

It is quite possible the above letter did not receive a reply. A good deal of trouble had been taken to send full information to the father, and five years were allowed to pa.s.s before any acknowledgement was made. At all events, there is no record of a letter being sent to the son, and it is certain he did not come to this country.

The subjoined communication helps to show the depressed condition in England at that period, and that many were looking to America in the hope of bettering their condition:

"May 14th, 1819.

"DEAR COUSIN,--I hope these lines will find you all well, as they us at present. We thank G.o.d for it.

"I intend to come over to America this spring If it should please G.o.d, For the state of England are very bad, Land has got so very dear that a livelihood cannot be got in England, and the taxes that Government lays on are very heavy, till they reduce so many to a lower cla.s.s that the land will hardly support the poor. I hope you are in a better situation in America.

"We understand in England that the States of America are very flourishing at present. I intend to set off to America the first of June. If it should please G.o.d that I should get over safe, I hope to get to your house as soon as I can. All your cousins are in good health at present. Thank G.o.d for it, and they wish to be remembered to you and all your family.

"So I remain your most obedient cousin, "JAMES BOYES, "of Bilsdale.

"N.B.--By the wishes of one of your cousins, of the name of Harman Wedgwood, a son of Benjamin Wedgwood, a tailor, he would like to hear from you. He thinks you will give him some information of your country.

"He wants to come to live in your country, and if you please to give him some intelligence of tailors' wages in your country.

"So he remains your most obedient cousin.

"HARMAN WEDGWOOD, "Hawnby."

"N.B.--If you please to write to him you must direct as follows: "'HARMAN WEDGWOOD, "'Hawnby, "'Near Helmsley, Blackmoor, "'Yorkshire, England.'"

There was no change in the family at Prospect after Sallie's marriage in 1808 until 1817. On Jan. 17th of the latter year Robert married Eunice Bent, of Fort Lawrence, a sister of Harmon's wife, and in October Amos married Susanna Ripley, a sister of Willie's wife.

Robert settled on a farm adjoining the homestead. His house was not built until the summer following his marriage. James, his eldest child, was born 30th October, 1817, in the Brick House at Prospect Farm. Amos settled at the head of Amherst (now called Truemanville). The following letter, written by his youngest daughter, Mrs. Sarah Patterson, is very interesting, as giving some idea of the experiences of that time:

"When my father first came to live in the place now called Truemanville it was a dense forest. In summer the only road was a bridle path. In winter, when the snow was on the ground, they could drive a pair of oxen and a sled along the road.

"The winter my father was married, as soon as there was enough snow and frost, he and one of his brothers and another man set out to build a house.

"They loaded a sled with boards, doors and windows, and provided themselves with bedding and provisions to last till the house was finished. They then hitched the oxen to the sled and started on their twenty-mile journey and most of the way on a trackless path.

"When they arrived at their journey's end, they erected a rude hut to live in and commenced building a house. They did not have to go far for timber--it was standing all around the site chosen for the house.

"They built a very nice log house, 15 ft. by 18 ft. Their greatest trouble in building was, the stones were so frosty they could not split them. They had to kindle a huge fire of brushwood and warm the stones through, when they split finely.

"After they had built the house they returned home, having been absent about three weeks.

"My father and mother then moved to their new home, and father began to build a saw mill and grist mill.

"Their nearest neighbors were one and a half miles distant, unless we count the bears and foxes, and they were far too sociable for anything like comfort. Sheep and cattle had to be folded every night for some years.

"After father had built his grist mill he used to keep quite a number of hogs. In the fall of the year, when the beechnuts began to drop, the men used to drive them into the woods, where they would live and grow fat on the nuts. One evening when my mother was returning from a visit to one of the neighbors she heard a terrible squealing in the woods.

She at once suspected that bruin designed to dine off one of the hogs.

She hastened home to summon the men to the rescue, but darkness coming on they had to give up the chase. However, bruin did not get any pork that night; the music was too much for him, and piggie escaped with some bad scratches.

"A short time after this, ominous squeaks were heard from the woods.

The men armed themselves with pitchforks and ran to the rescue. What should they meet but one of my uncles coming with an ox-cart. The wooden axles had got very dry on the long, rough road, and as they neared my father's the sound as the wheels turned resembled very closely that made by a hog under the paws of bruin.

"Imagine the way of travelling in those days! I have heard my father say there were only two carriages between Point de Bute and Truemanville. Their princ.i.p.al mode of travel was on horseback. My father and mother visited Grandfather Trueman's with their three children. Mother took the youngest on one horse, and father took the two older ones on another horse; and yet we often hear people talk of the 'good old times.'

"My father was a man of generous disposition. The poor and needy always found him ready to sympathize and help them. He often supplied grain to them when there was no prospect of payment. He would say, 'A farmer can do without many things, but not without seed grain.' That reminds me of an incident I will tell you, of our Grandfather Trueman. About thirty- five years ago my mother was visiting at Stephen Oxley's, at Tidnish, where she met an old lady whose name I forget; but no matter. When she heard my mother's name she began talking about Grandfather Trueman. She said she would never forget his kindness to her in her younger days when she and her husband first came from the Old Country and began life among strangers in very straightened circ.u.mstances. After pa.s.sing through a hard winter in which food had been very scarce they found themselves in the spring without any seed wheat or the means of buying any.

"Her husband was almost in despair. She tried to cheer him up by telling him that if she went to Mr. Trueman she thought he would help them. So her husband agreed to let her try her chance, and she mounted a horse and set out for Prospect Farm. Just as she arrived there another woman came in and asked Mr. Trueman to sell her some wheat, telling him she had money to pay for it. Grandfather said he had very little wheat to sell but he could let her have a bushel or two. The old lady said her heart almost sank within her; she thought her case was hopeless. However, she told him she, too, had come for seed wheat, but she had no money nor the means of getting any at present, and they were entirely without seed. Grandfather turned to the other woman and said, 'You have money' go to Mr.----- (a neighbor), you can get as much as you want, and I will give this woman the grain.' Oh, how glad she felt! Words were too poor to express her thanks, and she went home rejoicing. In after years, when Providence had favored her with a goodly share of this world's goods, she could not tell this experience without the tears running down her cheeks. How true it is, 'The memory of the just is blessed.'"