Late in the summer of 1819, Robert Sutherland “Lubeag”, his second wife Eliza MacKay as well as the sons to his first wife, found themselves on a Pictou wharf beginning a new chapter in their lives.  They were collateral damage in an agricultural and social experiment beyond their control.  Their arrival in Pictou was within their control. While they had the option of remaining in their native shire, Northern Nova Scotia offered more opportunity – or so they hoped.   

Lubeag comes from the Gaelic lub, which means a loop or curve, and beag, which means little. In this case, it perfectly describes the geographic setting where this family lived prior to the clearances.  It is the name of a pre-clearance farming hamlet on the Skinsdale River in the back country of Clyne Parish in Sutherland.   It is over a dozen miles from the parish center near Brora and was home to six or seven families.  One of those families was that of Robert Sutherland (1779-1861).

The aerial photo shows the pronounced curve in the river, giving the area its name.  Lubeag is located on the far side of the river.  Arable land for crops is found along the river, while the homes and animal enclosures are located on a terrace above the fields.  Beyond is an expanse of rough grazing land on Cnoc na Lubeag and beyond.  In the foreground is another pre-clearance settlement known as Muiemore. 

Wild and remote today, that was not always the case in those times.  It was located along a droving route through the centre of Sutherland.  The route commenced near Kinbrace in Kildonan where cattle were aggregated from various routes coming out of Caithness and the northern valleys of Sutherland.  The cattle were driven down this trail collecting more cattle from communities along the way.  It passed through Lubeag and continued on to Sciberscross, then crossed into Rogart and ultimately crossed into Easter Ross at Invershin. The cattle would end up at livestock markets in the south of Scotland.  Cattle were the primary cash income for farmers before the influx of sheep.

Strath Skinsdale was originally not part of the Sutherland Estate.  It was owned at the beginning of the 19^th century by William Munro of Uppat.  His leases with his tenants were due for renewal in 1819.  In 1812, Munro sold Strath Skinsdale to the Sutherland Estate with the existing leases being assumed.  After 1812, Widow Sutherland appears as the sole tenant of Lubeag¹. That doesn’t mean that her family was the sole occupant.  Tenants would usually sublet portions of their lease to a secondary class of farmers and labourers.   

Small and targeted evictions had been occurring in Clyne for several years as leases expired or opportunities arose.  Most of Clyne was slated for removal in 1819 however most of the downstream communities were spared that year for a variety of reasons.  Skinsdale was not.  It was cleared in May along with parts of Kildonan and Strath Naver.  There is no indication that violence was employed in the Skinsdale communities however the constables did set fire to the dwellings to prevent re-occupation by the evicted².

This was not unexpected.  Those with means likely had an exit strategy in place as would appear to be the case with Robert.  He was among a boatload that left Sutherland that May for Pictou and beyond.  This passage was known about the previous year when Donald Ross of Earltown reported to the Court of Sessions in Truro that twenty-five families from the highlands were expected in Earltown the following year.  Most of these families were from Rogart and most of those had ties to the upper settlements of Strath Brora within the Rogart boundaries. 

From the obituary of Angus Graham, Plainfield, we learn that he was a passenger on the ship Diana in 1819 that brought many of the first settlers to Earltown³.  Robert and his family were most likely on this passage as well as future next door neighbour, Alex Sutherland “Ballem”. 

We know that Alex Sutherland “Ballem” left his wife with relatives or former Rogart neighbours in Scotsburn while he went ahead to construct a crude cabin and start a clearing.  There is no narrative as to how Robert handled this first step but he likely left Eliza with connections in the Caribou-Toney River area⁴.  That area has been receiving Sutherland immigrants since 1813.  One of those families, also a Robert Sutherland family, was said to have been closely related.

Roads in Earltown in 1819 were still rough trails through the forest marked with blazes on trees.  Their guide would have been Donald Ross, an early settler at Rossville, who seemed to working in tandem with Donald Logan of Lyon’s Brook.  Logan, a native of Creich, was an active recruiter in Ross and Sutherland.   Robert’s ticket of location was a 200 acre parcel of land which began at the junction of Highway 311 and Kemptown Road and then extended along the left side of the road leading up Gunn’s Hill.  The parcel extended southerly almost to Earltown Lake.   His fellow passenger, Alex Sutherland, settled on the right of the road leading up Gunn’s Hill.   The cabin and eventual house were located over a ridge from the current 311 highway.

As already indicated, Robert was married twice.  His first wife, Elspeth, died in Clyne.   She was the mother of two sons,  Donald (Big Donald, and  Alexander (Alex Lubeag).  Before leaving Scotland, Robert married a second time.  His new wife was Eliza MacKay, daughter of Donald.   She was the mother of Betsy, James, John, Annie, William, Isabel and Donald M.⁵.  

“Big Donald”  (1811-1881) married Catherine Sutherland “Ballem”, the girl next door.  She was born near Scotsburn in 1819 shortly after her parents arrived in Pictou.  Donald and Catherine lived on the north branch of the Alex MacDonald Road.  They had no family.

Alex “Lubeag” (1813-1866) married Marion Baillie, daughter of Marion Baillie (later married to Donald MacKay “MacComish”).  Alex and Marion lived at Central Earltown on what is now the Alex and Linda McNutt farm.  They had six children:

1. Robert on the home place and was married to Annie Sutherland “Mighty”;
2. Christy, unmarried;  
3. Nancy, unmarried;
4. Donald “Little Donald”  was a carpenter and coffin maker in Earltown Village. He was married to 1. Christena Matheson and 2. Isabel Lynch;
5. Isabel married 1. William Matheson, Matheson Corner and 2. Alex Graham of Graham Settlement;
6. William who died young.

Betsy (1820-1892), never married and lived on the home place.

James (1823-1878), remained on the original farm.  He married Christy MacKay “MacComish” of West Earltown, daughter of Donald MacKay and Marion Baillie⁶.  This branch of the family was more commonly known by the descriptor “Lake” due to their proximity to Earltown Lake.  Their issue:

1. Elspy 1848-1932  unmarried
2. Donald 1850-1858
3. Marion 1851-1931  married Alex MacKay “Tailor” who lived further up Gunn’s Hill on the left.  After his parents died, they moved to Boston.
4. Ann  1853-1907  married William Ferguson, Rossville
5. Margaret 1855-1931 unmarried
6. Elizabeth  1856-1932 unmarried
7. Dolina  1858-1938  married Dan Munro of Upper Kemptown and lived on the College Grant Road.
8. Robert  1862-1945  went to Boston as a young man and married Martha Sanborn.  They lived in Plymouth, NH.
9. Alexander 1863-1947  went to Boston as a young man and married Clista Sherburne of New Hampshire.  He died in Boston.
10. John William 1865-1944   aka  Johnny Lake.  He remained on the home farm unmarried with his sisters. 
11. Jennie Bell 1869-1898  married Dan MacKay “Ross” of Rossville. 

Johnny Lake worked at carpentry for a brief period in Halifax and was employed by Strachan Matheson of Upper Kemptown.  Johnny observed the importance of family devotions until death.  Ruth Sutherland Chisholm of Bible Hill recalls his evening visits to her family’s home on Sutherland Road and he would conclude visits by asking that the “books be brought down” and prayers be said kneeling by the kitchen table.

After Johnny’s death, Finley and Jessie MacDonald lived in the house briefly, as did their son, Willard Kitchener MacDonald, who would later become well known as the Hermit of Gully Lake.

Annie  1827- 1870’s married Alexander MacKay “MacComish”.  They lived on Cnoc Na Goidthe, West Earltown where they raised twelve children.  Many of them left home young for unknown destinations.

William 1828-1862  unmarried

Isabel 1831-1864   married William MacKay “MacComish”, brother of Alexander and Christy noted above and a half brother of Marion Baillie, wife of Alex Lubeag.   They had six children.  Isabel died relatively young after which Will married Ellen MacKay “Hector” of West Earltown⁷.  They removed to New Truro Road.

Donald MacKay 1833-1921 was better known as Donald M and gave rise to another descriptor – the M’s.  Although Robert already had a Donald to the first wife, this Donald was named for Eliza’s father. It was rare not to have a child named for a particular grandparent.   Donald M. first married Mary MacKay “Judge” from Rossville.  They appear in the 1871 census as living near her parents on Stewart Road.   Donald was a lumberman so this may have been a temporary home while working in the woods nearby.   Mary died in in 1873.  They had the following issue:

1. Robert William  1865-1874  
2. Janie                       1866-1927 
3. Alex MacKay        1869- before 1893
4. Lila                          1872-1973   married John Baillie, East Earltown
5. Thomas                   1872-1907   in Plymouth, NH.

Donald M’s second wife was Catherine Graham of Graham Settlement.  They were married in River John in 1877.  By this time, the family had moved to a farm at Nuttby which is still in the family.  He continued in the lumber business.   Donald and Catherine’s family:

1. Daniel G.          1881-1941   married Georgie Matheson and operated a mill at Balmoral.
2. James A.           1880-1976  married Sadie MacLean and lived in Roxbury, Ma.
3. Robert              1878-1947  married Minnie Myers. He lived in Winnipeg for many years but returned to Nova Scotia and died in Bible Hill.
4. Hugh Finley “Hughie M” 1887-1976  lived on the home place at Nuttby. He was married to Mildred Purdy. He continued his father’s sawmill and lumbering business.
5. Isabel                1883-1924  married John Blakely, Brookside, Colchester County
6. John J.  “Johnnie M”  1885-1980  married Christena Matheson and farmed on Sutherland Road, Nuttby.  They retired to Balmoral.
7. Alexander Murdoch “A.M.” 1893-1943 married Catherine MacKenzie.  He took over the Earltown general store from his mother in law.  He was the local county councillor for twelve years and the Warden of Colchester County for six years.  The family moved to Bible Hill where he operated a store before his death.

John 1837-1928    married Jessie Sutherland “Ballem” from next door.  They lived in Bigney near River John where John was a tailor.  They had no natural family but brought up at least one girl.  John died at her home in Trenton in 1928.

There is a local tradition that Robert Lubeag had at least one brother who emigrated to Ontario and settled in the predominantly Sutherlandshire settlements of Zorra and Nissouri.  A descendant, Donald Sutherland, was a senator. 

Final resting place of Robert Lubeag – Earltown Village Cemetery

Footnotes:

1. We can only speculate that the Widow Sutherland was Robert’s mother. Based on naming patterns of his children, Robert’s father was likely a Donald Sutherland. ↩︎
2. These areas were hard to police. The estate learned from previous evictions that former tenants would return to the area and reoccupy the houses. Therefore the estate field officers, much to the dissatisfaction of the administration, sensitive to bad press, burned the dwellings. Some of the roof timbers belonged to the tenants. These were assessed and paid for by the estate but not before deducting eviction costs ! ↩︎
3. Angus Graham received a grant at Earltown Village. He quickly lost interest in favour of Plainfield and sold the property to John MacKay “Miller” and Neil MacKay “Tailor” who made permanent homes thereon. ↩︎
4. Maria Sutherland, wife of John Ferguson, Matheson Brook, had a blood connection to Lubeags. Her father, also Robert Sutherland, settled in the Caribou district. ↩︎
5. The genealogy which follows is bare bones to give a sense of how the family spread out in the community and beyond. More precise details are available from the author of this post. ↩︎
6. This family lived at Dalvait, Strath Brora. They were cleared out in 1821 and came directly to West Earltown. ↩︎
7. Ellen’s father Hector and her grandmother Eleanor emigrated to West Earltown from Muiemore, across the river from Lubeag. ↩︎

Sources:

Adamson, Donald Beck Commercialisation, Change and Continuity: an archaeological study of rural commercial practice in the Scottish Highlands 2014

Hunter, James Set Adrift Upon the World , The Sutherland Clearances Birlinn Limited, 2015

MacDonald, Gladys The Lake Sutherlands unpublished manuscript

WIlson, Margaret The Lake Sutherlands unpublished genealogy

Sutherland Estate Records – Rent Rolls

Nova Scotia Crown Land Grant Map 79

1871 Canada Census, Earltown, Colchester County

Special thanks to David Heatley of Nuttby for the generous sharing of geophysical data in locating old homesteads.