Here is an old school photo courtesy of Ian MacLean. It was among the personal effects of his step-grandfather, John D. “Long Jack” MacKay, who is one of the pupils. The teacher standing in the doorway is Jack’s big sister, Marion A. MacKay, age 19 at the time.

Scholars in the area surrounding MacBain’s Corner, (colloquial name for East Earltown), first attended the North Earltown school conducted by George Ross near his home at Rossville. At that time families paid a tuition to the schoolmaster although records show that a blind eye was cast on those families who couldn’t afford the tuition or were blessed with a surplus of children. As the surrounding settlements grew, North Earltown was split into three school districts: Rossville, Clydesdale and East Earltown.

It is not known exactly when the East Earltown district constructed its first school. It was likely long before free education was legislated in 1864. School was conducted in the community until 1968 after which elementary pupils were transported to Tatamagouche. Towards the end of its tenure, children inside the Pictou County line also attended this school. The last teacher was Christene Murray MacDonald of Balmoral.

Marion A. MacKay was a local girl. She was the daughter of Big Jim MacKay and Annie Murray, born in Clydesdale and raised near the Squire MacKay Road. She may seem young to be teaching by today’s standards but the trustees of the day would hire young people who had completed a grade higher than who she or he had to teach. The main qualifier was the ability to maintain order. If the teacher hadn’t gone straight to Normal College from school, they usually received their training after earning sufficient funds to attend college. Marion appears two years later teaching at Loganville and living with the family of her uncle, Andrew Murray. By 1911 it appears she had given up teaching to look after her aging parents. By 1931 she was being looked after by Bella Sutherland in Denmark and she died in 1943 at Balfron in the care of her sister Margaret.

Here are the names attached to the picture. The commentary is mine:

Isaac Murray                 Plainfield name.  Likely a foster child of a local family

Alex H Sutherland         Son of James and Jessie (MacPherson) “Croucher”¹.   Lived

in vicinity of John Matheson’s place on Back Mountain Road. He was a homesteader in Michici, Alberta

John J. MacBain              Isaac MacBain’s son.  Lived in the New Glasgow area

Neil Sutherland               Son of James and Jessie (MacPherson)   Lived in Winnipeg

John D. MacKay              Jack went to Hanna, Alberta. He retired to Nova Scotia and

was the 2^nd husband of Georgie Matheson Sutherland

Libbie Baillie                    Daughter of Alex Baillie & Johanna Sutherland “Croucher” 

The Baillies lived on the Manning place.  Libbie married Robert Whigham,

Beverly, Ma.

Janie Gratto                      Daughter of Peter Gratto and Christy MacKay, south of MacBain’s Corner

Bessie Ross                       Younger sister of Sandy Ross on Russel MacKay’s place.  Daughter of John Ross and Christy Sutherland “Croucher”

Laura Munro                     Possibly niece of Angus MacBain

Marion Murray                 Daughter of Adam and Christy Murray, first clearing in Denmark area after leaving East Earltown. She married George Chandler, Lowell, Ma.

Ena Baillie                         Hughena, daughter of Alex and Johanna above, married Sam Cinnamond, Beverly, Ma.

Janie MacBain                 Possibly Mary Jane MacBain who married William Stewart, Scotsburn and daughter of Alex and Annie (Murray) MacBain

Robert Murray                  Unknown

Alex Murray                       Unknown

John A. MacBain             Son of Alex and Annie (Murray) MacBain. Lived at MacBain’s Corner all his life

Dan Munro                        Possibly nephew of Angus MacBain

John A. Murray                 Son of Adam and Christy who lived in Lethbridge

John Pacey                        Foster son of  “Mountain” Jim Langille

George Murray                 Son of Adam and Christy, Vancouver

Willie K. Sutherland      Son of James and Jessie (MacPherson) Sutherland

Janie Matheson               Daughter of John and Annie (Murray) Matheson, Back Mountain

Bessie Sutherland         Daughter of James and Jessie, married James Lane, Bashaw, Ab

Christy Baillie                  Daughter of Alex and Johanna (Sutherland) married Allister Hamilton, Brule Point.

Jessie MacKay                 Possibly daughter of Joe and Margaret MacKay, West Earltown, a niece of the teacher

Lena MacBain                  Daughter of Alex and Annie, married Danny Ross, Balmoral

1. Croucher was a Gaelic term for fool’s gold. Traces of the deceptive mineral were to be found on the family leasehold in Sutherlandshire. The name followed them to Nova Scotia. ↩︎