Surnames found in the Earltown District from 1813 to 1945:
Baillie Langille McGill
Bruce Lynch McRae
Cameron MacBain Morrison
Campbell MacDonald Munro
Douglas MacIntosh Murdoch
Ferguson MacKay Payne
Forbes MacKenzie Polson
Fraser MacLean Ross
Graham MacLeod Stewart
Gunn Manning Sullivan
Hayman Marshall Sutherland
Henderson Matheson Taylor
Walker
Surnames found in Corktown – West Earltown subdistrict which was annexed to New Annan in 1840’s:
Conkey Hyslop Shearer
Crowe Kisslepaugh (Heinzelback)
Downing McKeen Studivan
Drysdale McNutt White
Fitzpatrick Porter Wortman
Hodge Ryan
earltown 
I stumbled across this today, and it brought back many memories. I am a McGill from Nuttby by birth, my mother was a Fowler from West Branch. Many a summer Saturday in August spent at the Piper’s Picnic started by my uncle Alex W. Sutherland. Ah the memories! No matter how far away I am Nova Scotia is still ‘home’.
I am researching Hugh Macdonald born 1838, I believe in Earl town, he married Marion Mackenzie born 1832 and they lived in the River John, Dalhousie and Loganville area. If any one has any info on who his parents were it would be much appreciated.
Thank you for this blog. MacKay, Kisselpaugh and Porter are my ancestors. Catherine MacKay and Jacob Kisselpaugh are 3rd great grandparents. Their daughter, Jane and George Carter are my 2nd ggps. Henry Porter married Charlotte Cock and they are my 2nd ggps. Their daughter, Letitia Anne Porter married James Carter, George and Jane’s son. You probably know that the several of this extended family wound up emigrating to the United States, to Wolf Creek, Montana. Floyd Carter, James and Letitia’s son, is my grandfather. Floyd married Viva Widner and had a son, Leslie, settling in Plains, Mt. for a while, before removing to Spokane, Washington, where Leslie married Ruth Ann Smith and I was born. I have settled in N. California, and have a daughter and grandson who live here. I’m looking hard to find George Carter’s origin. He came from England in around 1840, but I’ve yet to find much more that I can verify.
That is awesome I live in Nuttby 5 miles from Cork town and have always wondered where the people went. I snowmobiled through there today and could send you pictures if interested
Peter and Eliza Murray are my 5th great grandparents. I would be interested in knowing more about their life in Nova Scotia and their origins in Scotland.
Thank you for indicating your connection to Peter & Eliza “Bonesetter” Murray. I have a little more information as well as a fair amount of genealogical detail on this couple. If interested, you can reach me at gmmatheson@gmail.com
Thank you for your prompt reply. Yes, I would certainly be very interested in any information you could provide about Peter and Eliza. Their son Donald was my 4th great grandfather.
Also, my late mother visited her “cousin” Dr. William MacKay “Billy” NICHOLSON of Reserve Mines. He took over his grandfather’s (William MacKay) medical practice in 1945. I believe he died in 2000. If you know anything about my family’s connection to him, I would appreciate learning about him.
Tom,
Eliza’s sister Jane, was my 3rd great grandmother. I believe Eliza and Jane’s parents were Alex Murray and Christy Sutherland. That is as far back as I go on that side.
Does anyone remember a James Sutherland (b. 1807 Scotland and died 1884 either in Nova Scotia or Ontario). He was married to Barbra MacDonald. It is believed that James Sutherland lived on Berichon or Biorachan Road. He had a son William S. and a grandson James S.
Hello Brudena:
I believe you are referring to “Blind Jimmie” Sutherland who lived at East Branch, at least in his later years. He was son of Donald and Catherine Sutherland of Clyne. The family came to Nova Scotia in the clearances. I have no information as to where they first settled but it was not likely at East Branch as that area didn’t open up until a few years later. Blind Jimmie had a sister Marion, wife of John Campbell and mother of Dr. Duncan Campbell, Loganville. Jimmie and Barbara’s daughter, Catherine, was married Donald Murray “Craig” , Loganville. There were very close ties between the Berrichan and Loganville so it is possible that these Sutherland first settled in that general area. I would be interested in delving further if you could contact me direct at gmmatheson@gmail.com.
GMM
I am looking for a Hugh Munro who came to Earltown about 1830 to 1832. He and Annie Mckay were married in Sutherlandshire Scotland about 1830. Specifically I am trying to trace the ship they came on. They later moved to Albion Mines in Pictou
A shipload of immigrants arrived in Pictou in 1831/32 from the parishes of Eastern Sutherland, (Golspie, Rogart, Clyne and Dornoch). Most of them settled in Earltown and Kemptown and many had family who came over around 1820. Another boat load from the same area continued on to Lake Ontario and ended up settling in Oxford County. The names of the ships are unknown although there is likely a record of them in Aberdeen, Scotland, where most of the ships servicing the north east trade were registered. It would appear that a number of leases in eastern Sutherland expired in 1831.
I am descended from the “other” Graham family of Earltown, who later moved to Plainfield.
John Graham m. Mary MacKay in the early 1820s, probably in Earltown, with issue:
i) James Graham (c.1824 – after 1911 census), born in Earltown, died probably in Dalhousie district, Pictou county; m. firstly Catherine (c.1828-1861), daughter of John Graham and Catherine Sutherland, secondly Dorothy Sydney Bell Gunn (1836-1925) 28 August 1862 in Pictou, daughter of Hugh Gunn and Janet MacKay
ii) Charles Graham (c.1830 – after 1886 date of will), born in Earltown, died in Halifax; m. Christy MacKay (c.1829 – ?) December 1848 in Pictou
iii) Isobel Graham (c.1833 – 1920), born in Earltown, died in Montreal; m. Hugh Munro (1826-1884) 6 June 1854 in Truro
iv) Agnes Euphemia Graham (1842 – 1923), born in Plainfield, died in Toronto; m. Angus McLeod (1822-1891) 21 December 1861 in Earltown
It is believed that John Graham may be the one buried in Earltown Village Cemetery (c.1778-1854) with the following tombstone:
“In Memory of / John GRAHAM / Native of Scotland / Died / Dec. 14, 1854 / Aged 76 yrs. / Respected by his family and friends and died in peace with all men.”
I have not been able to connect this John Graham and Mary MacKay to other families of the same names in the Earltown area. However, DNA results suggest there were connections.
– James Reid