Earltown’s First Murderer – Domhnall Caimbeul

The scene above is from a view point on Campbell’s Hill, southeast of the village of Scotsburn. It is a spring day in which the leaves are just beginning pop out. In the near distance is the tower on Bethel Presbyterian Church. A bit further in the view is a ridge adorned with farms in the community of Heathbell. In the distance is the blue waters of the Northumberland Strait and, on the horizon, the eastern end of Prince Edward Island. It is a peaceful spot that gladdens the soul.

It was not always that way. In 1819, a few dozen feet from this viewpoint, the most horrendous murder in Pictou County, (at least up until 1877), was committed.

This farm was first settled by a Campbell family, probably around 1803¹. They were from Rogart in Sutherland. The next farm up the hill was also settled by a Campbell family², most likely a sibling or near relation. The names of the parents are presently unknown. Their graves, whether in Scotsburn or Durham, are unmarked. The mother died before 1819 after which the father took a second wife, also a Campbell, who was part of a Campbell clan on Scotch Hill. Of the first marriage, we only know of one son – Donald – the principal character in this story.

George Patterson in his 1877 publication The History of the County of Pictou, describes the events which I will paraphrase here.

Donald Campbell, then settled in the Earltown district, was returning from errands in Pictou and took the opportunity to stop at Campbell’s Hill to visit his father and stepmother. It is unknown whether something was said during the visit to upset Donald or if he was already angry when he stopped for a visit. It is believed that Donald resented the second wife of his father as he felt she was going to delay or diminish his eventual inheritance. The visit ended with Donald resuming his trip back to Earltown. He stopped at various farms between Campbell’s Hill and West Branch, giving the impression that he was trying to get home to Earltown before it became late.

However, Donald retraced his steps back to Campbell’s Hill after dark. He fastened the door of his father’s log cabin with withes attached to the latch handle to prevent the occupants’ escape and then set fire to the cabin while his father and stepmother were asleep. Awakened by the fire, the father managed to force the door open and started to remove the contents. Donald, lurking in the dark, struck the father with a stick and pushed him into the flaming house where the bones were found the next day. While this was unfolding, the stepmother managed to get out. She was a sturdy woman and would have won a fair fight, but was struck down by Donald’s weapon. He only partially succeeded in putting her into the flames, as she was “quite a load” to borrow an old phrase.

Hearing shouts and seeing the fire on the crest of the hill, a MacIntosh neighbour arrived to see a man fleeing whom he then believed to be a ghost. A small dog was also found at the scene which belonged to Donald and later aroused suspicion.

The remains were buried without an investigation. At the funeral, Mrs. Campbell’s brother, Angus Campbell, expressed his belief that there had been foul play. The authorities opened a case, exhumed the body of Mrs. Campbell, and determined she had been dealt a deadly blow. The scene of the crime was examined where a missing button from Donald’s coat was found as well as a flint that matched a gun Donald owned. It was suggested that Donald lost the flint, causing him to resort to using a bludgeon. Upon arrest in Earltown, it was noted that Donald had scorch marks on himself.

The subsequent trial received considerable attention. S.G.W. Archibald of Truro presented the case, which was adjudicated by a jury with Judges Haliburton and Wiswall presiding. Archibald presented a strong case after which the jury was quick to find Donald guilty. He was immediately sentenced “to be taken from where you now are to Prison whence you came and from thence to the place of execution and there hung up by the neck until your body is dead”. A clerk later noted: “Exactly a week later on the 22^nd September Campbell was executed at Rogers Hill within a few yards of the spot where the crime was committed, pursuant to a warrant from the Earl of Dalhousie, our Lieut. Governor”.

Executions were a spectator sport in those times, appealing to the darker side of the human spirit. On the appointed day, Donald was loaded on a cart and transported to the Kirk then located beside St. John’s Cemetery. This was the end of a proper road. Access to points beyond was by way of paths. Guarded by the militia and accompanied by a group of clergymen, the procession climbed the 3 km path to the remains of the incinerated cabin. Once at the scene of his crime, Donald confessed to his crime but showed no interest in repentance despite the efforts of Rev. Dr. James MacGregor and other clergy.

Acadian Recorder – October 9, 1819 – The paper didn’t report the proceedings but instead published a separate account. At least one copy survived into the 1960’s in Earltown.

The execution was supervised by the High Sheriff of Halifax County. The ineptitude of the chosen executioner added to the drama. Hanging, despite the image it conjures, was somewhat merciful. The process involved releasing a trap door or a push off the gallows platform. The sudden drop of the body would cause the noose to break the neck, thus bringing instant death. In this case, the bolt on the trap door didn’t release fully thus causing the rope to slowly tighten instead of snapping the neck. The result was death by a slow strangulation ³. So disturbing was the spectacle that many in attendance vowed never to view another hanging.

Patterson was silent on the particulars of Donald’s own family and life back in Earltown.

Two and one half kilometers east of Earltown Village on the Berichon Road, an old road branches to the north. This was once a listed shortcut between the Berichon and Clydesdale. (It is now gated by the owner of the surrounding woodland). About 250 meters in, a logging road branches northwest into a grown-over clearing. A few meters off this road is the cellar of Senoid Sutherland. Senoid is Gaelic for Janet and is pronounced Shawna, which morphs into Shawney, the equivalent of Jennie. This farm was once known as the Shawney place⁴.

The land grant map found online shows this to be the 150 acre grant to a Janet Campbell. Another version of the land grant maps show it to be the grant of Donald Campbell. Some deeds of surrounding properties reference the line of Janet Sutherland while others state Janet Campbell.

This confusion of names confirms the oral tradition around Earltown that this property was that of Donald Campbell, convicted killer. It also confirms another interesting story that Donald’s widow, in shame and horror, changed her surname and those of her children to Sutherland to distance themselves from the crime at Campbell’s Hill.

Sutherland was Janet’s maiden name. There is a tradition that she was connected to John Sutherland “Doula” who settled an adjoining farm but the connection has yet to be confirmed. She was born in Sutherland and came to Nova Scotia prior to 1815. She had at least one brother in the Scotsburn area who gave evidence at Donald Campbell’s trial.

Janet and Donald’s eldest son, John, was born at Rogers Hill in 1816 which would place their marriage around 1814-15. Janet’s eventual land grant was among those petitioned by a group of second generation immigrants living at Rogers Hill. These petitions were in 1817, suggesting that Donald and Janet may have begun clearing their farm that summer. The deeds would not be granted until later in the 1820’s hence Donald’s name is absent. A second son, George, was born in 1818 at Earltown.

It is hard to imagine the situation that Janet found herself in on that 22^nd day of September, 1819. Widowed, two children ages 3 and 1, a crude log cabin, a partially cleared farm, no immediate family in close proximity, and an epic scandal to overcome. Donald Campbell was characterized as an ignorant and unsavory character with obvious violent tendencies. The scandal may have been a blessing. Domestic abuse is as old as matrimony.

A return to the Rogers Hill area was not likely an option given the circumstances. Earltown was still in infancy and new settlers were arriving with no ties to the victims or accused. It would appear that Janet stayed on course and made the small farm work. Undoubtedly, there would be some assistance from siblings in Roger’s Hill, possibly a kind father was still living. The Highland culture ensured that widows had help. Hard labour, such as the annual threshing and wood cutting, was often a collective labour in the neighbourhood. It must be remembered that back in Scotland, the women were the gardeners and looked after the dairy livestock.

The 1838 census confirms that “Widow Sutherland” with two males over 14 were still living on the Berichon Cross Road. The next census in 1861 finds her son John as the head of household, which indicates that Janet had passed away in the intervening years. No tombstone marking the grave of either Janet Sutherland or Janet Campbell exists but she most certainly rests in the village cemetery.

The eldest son John took over the homestead. In 1857 he married Catherine, daughter of “Laughing” Sandy Sutherland and Christy Baillie of The Falls. They had one daughter Betsy. John’s brother George is absent from the farm in 1871 but returned in 1881. When John died in 1885, he left the farm to George with the stipulation that Catherine be provided a living for as long as she would live. By 1911, both George and Catherine are absent from the census. As for John and Catherine’s daughter Betsy, we have no further information.

The property was later purchased by George MacIntosh. It is a short distance through the woods to the main MacIntosh farm on the Denmark Road. The Shawney place continued to used for pasture and crops by the MacIntoshes and later the Van Veld family.

Sources:

Patterson, George “Old Court Records of Pictou County, Nova Scotia published by The Canadian Bar Review, Vol13 No 3 1935

Patterson, Rev. George A History of the County of Pictou, Nova Scotia Dawson Bros, Montreal 1877

Gladys Sutherland MacDonald – Interview – 1978

A. Howard Murray and Mary Douglas Murray – Interview – 1978

Layton Lynch – assistance in locating the Campbell – Sutherland homestead in the Berichon.

The Dunwoodie family were the next to occupy this farm for a couple of generations. After the farm was vacated, James and Harold Forbes of Lyon’s Brook farmed it for many years. ↩︎
The farm owned by Hugh and Stanley Campbell in the mid 20th century. ↩︎
The executioner was brought by the Sheriff from Halifax. Pictou had its own executioner at the time who served the courts in Prince Edward Island as nobody on the Island would accept the responsibility. ↩︎
The current owner has it gated to keep out traffic. His number is posted on a sign for people to call for permission to enter. ↩︎

The Kildonan Riots (The Earltown Connection)

May12

Kildonan Parish is located in the north-east of Sutherland along the Caithness border. It begins in the high country on the watershed between Strath Halladale and Strath Ullie and follows the latter southeasterly down the Helmsdale River towards the sea. In the early 19^th century, it was home to at least 1,500 souls, predominantly Gunn, MacKay, Polson, Sutherland, Matheson, and a handful of other Highland names. The valley floor had abundant land suitable for grains and the surrounding hills afforded thousands of acres of grazing for cattle and sheep.

Helmsdale River near Kildonan Farm – Julian Paren Photo

In 1807-1808, the Sutherland Estate created a farm in Kildonan out of three townships and leased it to an outsider. The collection of small tenants cleared out in making this farm, offered no resistance. In all likelihood, they were not expecting such a move nor were they organized or prepared to mitigate the situation.

On January 5^th, 1813, farmers “from away” were seen exploring and surveying other parts of the parish, which raised alarm among the traditional tenants. In the lead was the proposed new tenant for another extensive farm which would precipitate another clearance. Major William Clunes, who already had a farm on the coast, would have been recognized by former soldiers in the parish from their days in the Peninsular War. That evening, it was learned that Clunes had settled for the night in the manse of Rev. Alexander Sage.

A delegation was appointed by the local tenants to confront Clunes at the manse. They summoned Clunes to the yard for a conversation and learned that Clunes was doing due diligence on a lease near Torrish. The delegation appealed to Clunes to abandon the plan and let them continue to farm in peace. The conversation became heated and ended with threats.

This was reported back to the leaders of the protest, who were awaiting word at a nearby mill. The protests were being organized, allegedly, by the local schoolmaster, George MacLeod, and an influential catechist by the name of George MacKay. While they all realized that their actions were against the law, the catechist was able to assure them they had the moral high ground. Overnight, tempers flared, adrenaline flowed, and the protest took on a momentum that was hard to contain.

The following morning, as Clunes was saddling his horse, he was confronted with a mob of fifty men bearing sticks and cudgels. He was warned to take leave of the strath before blood would be shed. Realizing there would be nothing productive happening that day, Clunes saddled up and went home.

Meanwhile, other southerners in the same party were housed with a Turnbull family further up the Strath in Suisgill. Another party of 50 concealed themselves in the thickets and gullies surrounding the Turnbull farm. A couple of shepherds/farmers, managed to escape on horseback across the hills into Caithness, but others were trapped in the house. The scene became quite ugly with threats of violence. One of the tenants, a pragmatist by the name of Alex Fraser, entered the house and suggested that the party mount up and leave. They were advised to tell the mob what they wanted to hear and not engage in any conversation that would make matters worse. If they obeyed Fraser’s instructions, they would likely get away unscathed. As predicted, the men safely departed, although they continued to be threatened with harm should they ever be found in the parish again.[1]

Suisgill,- Approximate locale of second mob Julian Paren Photo

This so unsettled the southern farmers that they avoided the parish in the weeks that followed.

Complaints were presented to Sheriff Substitute MacKid by the Estate. Sheriff MacKid attempted to get peace bonds served but was unsuccessful. The Estate then called a meeting whereby they promised crofts on the North Coast or smaller ones within Kildonan in exchange for their current leases. These offers were rejected. The tenants decided they needed to counteroffer to move things along and proposed to match whatever terms Clunes had negotiated for his lease. The bearer of this counteroffer was arrested and jailed in Dornoch which only served to raise the temperature once again.

Over time, the Sheriff learned the names of some likely ringleaders. Summons were issued to appear at court in Golspie to give evidence. When one of the constables, Donald Bannerman, arrived in the Strath, he discovered those named were nowhere to be found and were believed to have been hiding in Caithness. Bannerman, later to be labeled a brutal thug in later clearances, returned to Golspie empty-handed. Nevertheless, he posted the names of the men expected to appear for discovery on February 10^th at the Golspie Inn.[2]

Once bitten, twice shy. There was no doubt in Kildonan that the discovery was an ambush to arrest the alleged ringleaders. Once again, the men of the Strath congregated in the mill of John Gordon to develop a plan. It was quickly decided that all that were able would accompany the named men to Golspie to ensure their protection. Two men were dispatched to Caithness to hopefully raise upwards of a hundred men. Another two men, George MacDonald and John MacKay were sent south to recruit in Strathbrora.

Strathbrora (home of many of the Earltown settlers) could be expected to be sympathetic with the Kildonan tenants. Like Kildonan, much of Strathbrora was leased by the Sutherland Estate to small tenants. It was equally suitable for large scale sheep farming. One of the gentleman farmers present at the Kildonan Riot was Gabriel Reid, the owner of Carrol on Loch Brora, who had ambitions to expand up Strathbrora.

The two emissaries, George MacDonald and John MacKay, crossed from Kildonan into the upper settlements of the Skinsdale and Blackwater valleys which they followed down into Strathbrora. They had instructions to go west to Braegrudy at the entrance to Rogart where John Sutherland, Tacksman of Scibberscross, was known to be opposed to the “improvements”. The two proceeded from township to township, tapping on windows and entering wherever they were welcome. After explaining their mission, the Strathbrora men were asked to meet the Kildonan men at the bridge in Brora and proceed together to the outskirts of Golspie. They would then be instructed to enter the village in small parties and pretend to be on business until proceedings started at the Inn.

Reports vary as to how many showed up. There was likely a full contingent from Kildonan. They may have been 50 to 100 from Caithness and a similar number from Strathbrora. The appointed time the mob assembled in front of the Inn. The Sheriff and Clerk came forward and read the names of those to appear. Two started forward but the crowd became agitated and unruly. The discovery was called off and the officers retired to Dunrobin Castle for safety.

The next move was to employ the military. Infantry was dispatched from Fort George near Inverness to bring order to Kildonan. This seemed to bring the temperature down while the Kildonan tenants sought out alternatives to the proposed small crofts offered by the Estate. The only violence reported was the flogging of a soldier for unwanted advances on a local woman.

Hearings, known as precognitions, were held in Golspie in March. These proceedings would be similar to what is known as a discovery in our current justice system. This becomes interesting from an Earltown perspective as familiar names appear among the witnesses.

The first of interest is Alexander Sutherland of Balnakyle. Unfortunately, Sheriff Depute Cranston and his interpreter, Alexander Anderson, didn’t use descriptor names which were then prevalent, so we have no idea if this Alex Sutherland was a future emigrant to Nova Scotia. He describes visiting at the home of Widow MacPherson, Faissalach, along with his Uncle Donald MacLeod of Achrimisdale and John Bruce of Baddenbeg. Also present were Robert Bruce of Ardachu, William Gilcrest of Wilkhouse, John MacLeod of Gartymore and Hugh Ferguson of Rhives. He declared that George MacDonald and John MacKay of Kildonan came into the house and said that they had come down from Kildonan to go down Strathbrora and afterwards westward to Braegruidy to invite men in those parts to come to Glasslochan to meet the Kildonan people and fifty men from Caithness who were all going to Golspie to prevent the persons cited there by the Sheriff from being committed to jail

Mid Strathbrora Jonathan Billenger Photo

Alex further declared that “… the men about Clyne had been told by Major Houston to be quiet and that they might be needed to help peace officers.” He also mentioned that “… the men of Kildonan and their assistants were determined to take John Bannerman … out of the Dornoch jail.”

The next witness of interest is Adam MacDonald. Adam MacDonald of Aschoilmore was the father of Alexander MacDonald “Macadie”, and early settler at The Falls and ancestor of the MacDonalds who operated the Balmoral Grist Mill and a large branch who later settled in California[3].

Adam’s testimony was very similar to that of Alex Sutherland. He declared that George Clyne, Tailor, of Gobernausgach and his apprentices were also in the house and would have understood more of what was said as he, Adam, was sick in bed at the time. It was noted that he was still in a very infirm state. His testimony was read back in Gaelic as he declared that he never learned to write.

Adam recovered from his malady and was still alive when the Estate turned their attention to the clearing of Strathbrora. As reported elsewhere, he and his brother-in-law, Mad Donald MacKay, attempted to renegotiate their leases at terms matching those of Gabriel Reid. They successfully orchestrated resistance to the clearance in 1820 but were finally removed in 1821 with the military present.

The next precognition was that of George Ferguson. Many in Northern Nova Scotia, myself included, descend from this man. He was the miller of Kilpheddermore in mid Strathbrora. His testimony is a bit longer than those preceding him, as he admitted to being at the Golspie Inn disturbance.

George “declared that he remembered when the Kildonan men were to be examined at Golspy and thinks it was about the beginning of February last but he cannot specify the day of the month; that William Sutherland “Merchant” in Ellan told the declarant upon the day before that intended examination that the Kildonan men were to go to Golspy the next day and the declarant thereafter being solemnly sworn and interrogated if William Sutherland wanted him to attend at Golspy. Deponed that he did not but that William Sutherland informed him that the Strath Brora people had been invited to attend by two men from Kildonan but he did not mention their names and that the purpose of their attendance was to see what would become of the persons who were cited for examination; that Sutherland said nothing of preventing those men from being apprehended or of rescuing any person from Dornoch jail Depones that the deponent himself went to Golspy on the day of examination, and his purpose in doing so was to get payment of a debt which a man in Kildonan owed him; That he was present when the Officer called over the names at the door of the Inn, but he was a good way down the road and only heard the last of them; That he does not recollect to have seen the Sheriff Substitute on that occasion but he saw Mr. Taylor, Sheriff Clerk, and Mr. Leslie the Procurator Fiscal. Being interrogated how he could see these two Gentlemen at the door of the Inn when he was a good way down the road and the crowd between him and them, depones that there was a considerable interval between them and the crowd which enabled him to see them. Deponed that he saw some of the people whose names were called come in front of the crowd, but he did not see an Officer attempt to apprehend them or the crowd close in about them. Deponed that the deponent expressed his sorrow for having gone to Golspy that day to Adam Sutherland in Kilfeddermore and Alexander McLeod in Torrisellar both in Strathbrora – Being interrogated what the cause of his sorrow since he only went to crave payment of a debt. Depones that it was because he saw the people were likely to make a disturbance and he was afraid of being implicated. Deponed that he saw some Strath Brora men at Golspy on that occasion in particular Donald Sutherland in Kilfeddermore, Donald MacKay, Tailor in Strath Roy, John Sutherland, Pentioner, in Duchal, Alexander Sutherland in Achnamean, the said William Sutherland, Merchant, who informed him that the Strath Brora men had been invited to attend, Donald Grant, son to Donald Grant, Tenant in Ellan, Robert Sutherland, son of Donald Sutherland, Tenant, in Kilfedderbeg, Donald and William Grant, Tenants in Urachcall, William Sutherland, Stone Dyker in Scottary, Donald Murray, Alexander MacKay and Norman Douglas all in Ballenleden, Donald MacDonald, Donald Baillie and Robert MacKay, Tenant’s sons in Aschoilmore; Alexander Sutherland, James MacLeod and Robert Baillie in Oldtown of Carrol. Alexander Sutherland, Weaver, and John Sutherland, Tenant in Brachary, Robert Bruce and John Sutherland in Aultsmerrel; Deponed that he returned home that evening in company with some of the Strath Brora men who were saying in conversation that the Kildonan men who had been cited were prevented from being taken into custody, but he did not hear them say there were determined to prevent all arrests for the future. Depones that he was informed the day before the said William Sutherland that Strath Brora men were meet the Kildonan men on the day of examination at the Bridge of Brora and to proceed together to Golspy, but the deponent did not fall in with the party till they reached Strath Stephen. That William Sutherland informed him that they were to be joined by men from other parishes in Sutherland and also from the County of Caithness – that William Sutherland did not mention the number of men expected but said they were to get as many men as they wanted – all which is Truth as he shall to God and depones he can not write – the foregoing Oath being administered and the Deponent interrogated through the medium of Alexander Anderson, Wright in Brora sworn Interpreter, signed Geo. Cranstoun Rob MacKid “

Aside from actual ringleaders from Kildonan, this discovery was unusually lengthy and detailed as to those present at the Inn. Reading between the lines, the interrogators seemed to be doubting George’s reason for being in Golspie on that particular day and this descendant is not entirely convinced, although the opportunity to collect a debt is plausible.

Towards the end he was quite forthcoming with a list of attendees, which likely didn’t please his neighbours back in Strathbrora if they learned the content of his testimony.

Some of the names are of interest. William Sutherland, Merchant, lived in Ellan, the township where the Sutherlands of MacLeod Road were born. William Sutherland of Scottary was likely William Sutherland “Ruidh” of The Falls. Alexander MacKay, Ballenledan, is undoubtedly Alex MacKay ‘Caribou’ who emigrated to Pictou in 1815 and later settled in the Berichon.

Donald MacDonald of Aschoilmore would be a brother to Alex MacDonald, The Falls. Donald became an employee of the Hudson Bay Company at Fort Edmonton. Norman Douglas settled in Loganville.

George Ferguson returned to his labours at his grist mill. Having an inkling of what would likely happen in Stathbrora in the not-too-distant future, he began to mull over the merits of emigrating to Nova Scotia. Before that dream became a reality, he developed cancer and died around 1817. His widow, Catherine Graham, left with six young children. She was among a group in Scottary[4] that petitioned the estate to let them occupy their leases until they departed for Pictou in May of 1820. Patrick Sellar, the Estate factor and ruthless promoter of the clearances, was happy to see them go believing them to be better suited to the wilds of Nova Scotia.

As for the Kildonan people, Thomas Douglas, Earl of Selkirk, had plans for them. He needed settlers for his proposed settlement on the Red River and the hardy people of Kildonan fit the bill. In June of 1813, 90 of them sailed from Stromness to Churchill on Hudson Bay, arriving in September and overwintering in that frozen land. The following spring they were confronted by an 800 km trek through the wilderness to their new home. By 1820, the Strath of Kildonan was empty but for a few farmers, shepherds and their families.

Sources:

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

National Records of Scotland, High Courts AD14-13/9 Precognitions, Kildonan 1813

Credit to Joyce Ferguson, The Falls, for noticing George Ferguson’s name in the High Court Index.

For more information on George Ferguson’s mill site and the township of Kilfeddermore, see this video by Nick Lindsay of Brora

[1] There was only one Kildonan immigrant to Earltown, John MacLeod, who later removed to North River. He would be in his late teens during this period. James Murray, North River, and a member of the Earltown congregation, was also from Kildonan. The Polsons of North River also had roots there. Alexander Murray “Corrigan” was operating a mill at Aultandon in a remote part of Kildonan at this time and was later cleared. Thomas MacKay, grantee of the eastern end of the Berichon Road in West Branch was also from Kildonan.

[2] The Kildonan Riots is a complicated story that is well presented in James Hunter’s “Set Adrift Upon the World, The Sutherland Clearances”. The story has been heavily condensed to give context to the Strathbrora portion of events.

[3] The writer’s Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather.

[4] The mill lease was likely given up when George took ill, necessitating the move to a holding in Scottary down stream.

The Lubeag Sutherlands

Apr20

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).

Lubeag from the air. (Crown Copyright- Canmore)

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.

Lubeag to the right with Cnoc na Lubeag in the background (George Brown Photo)

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.

Grazing land near Lubeag (Andrew Tryon Photo)

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.

The site of the Lubeag Sutherland farm on Gunn’s Hill. (David Heatley site confirmation and photo)

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:

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

Elspy 1848-1932 unmarried
Donald 1850-1858
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.
Ann 1853-1907 married William Ferguson, Rossville
Margaret 1855-1931 unmarried
Elizabeth 1856-1932 unmarried
Dolina 1858-1938 married Dan Munro of Upper Kemptown and lived on the College Grant Road.
Robert 1862-1945 went to Boston as a young man and married Martha Sanborn. They lived in Plymouth, NH.
Alexander 1863-1947 went to Boston as a young man and married Clista Sherburne of New Hampshire. He died in Boston.
John William 1865-1944 aka Johnny Lake. He remained on the home farm unmarried with his sisters.
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:

Robert William 1865-1874
Janie 1866-1927
Alex MacKay 1869- before 1893
Lila 1872-1973 married John Baillie, East Earltown
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:

Daniel G. 1881-1941 married Georgie Matheson and operated a mill at Balmoral.
James A. 1880-1976 married Sadie MacLean and lived in Roxbury, Ma.
Robert 1878-1947 married Minnie Myers. He lived in Winnipeg for many years but returned to Nova Scotia and died in Bible Hill.
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.
Isabel 1883-1924 married John Blakely, Brookside, Colchester County
John J. “Johnnie M” 1885-1980 married Christena Matheson and farmed on Sutherland Road, Nuttby. They retired to Balmoral.
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:

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. ↩︎
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 ! ↩︎
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. ↩︎
Maria Sutherland, wife of John Ferguson, Matheson Brook, had a blood connection to Lubeags. Her father, also Robert Sutherland, settled in the Caribou district. ↩︎
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. ↩︎
This family lived at Dalvait, Strath Brora. They were cleared out in 1821 and came directly to West Earltown. ↩︎
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.

The Reay Immigrants

Feb15

For the most part, Earltown was overwhelmingly settled by families from the Parishes of Rogart and Clyne in Eastern Sutherlandshire with some from townships lying across their borders in Lairg and Dornoch. There were some exceptions. A notable one would be the Parish of Reay families who settled at West Earltown between 1832 and 1845.

Reay is a parish on the northern coast of Scotland. It straddles the boundary between the old shires of Sutherland and Caithness. The parish church is in the village of Reay within Caithness and therefore most families identified themselves in documents, obituaries and on monuments as “Native of Caithness-shire” regardless of which side of the county border they came from. All of those arriving in Earltown were residents of Strath Halladale within the bounds of Sutherlandshire.

Strath Halladale is a strath, or broad river valley, commencing on the heights near the border with Kildonan and runs northward for 22 miles to Melvich Bay on the north coast. The surrounding hills are of a height similar to the Cobequid Hills around Earltown and are interspersed by huge areas of blanket bog.¹ Arable land is found along the course of the Halladale River which is backed by grazing lands on the surrounding hills.

Halladale River near Trantlemore (D. Bremner photo)

Unlike Kildonan and Strathbrora to the south, Strath Halladale, as a whole, was not subject to the widescale clearances of the early 19^th century. Parts of Upper Strath Halladale were cleared in the early 19^th century with further minor clearances in the 1830’s. Over time it was subject to the normal regression of small holdings or crofts with families migrating to urban settings or overseas.

This was an area of Scotland with a strong Norse presence prior to the 13^th century. During the 12^th century, a tribe known as MacEth or MacIye migrated north from Moray and spread across the north coast with Reay being the eastern reaches of the clan’s influence. Without going into the politics, feuding and strategic marriages of medieval times, suffice it to say that the MacKays eventually gained legitimate but fragile superiority. The chieftain was known as Lord Reay and the northwest of Sutherlandshire became unofficially known as Lord Reay’s Country.

Strath Halladale was under the leadership of a cadet family of MacKays who styled themselves as the MacKays of Bighouse. Bighouse is the name of a community at the mouth of the Halladale, the name of an estate and predictably the name of the mansion that once housed the gentry. Despite the obvious, its origin is the Norse bygdh-hus meaning village house.

The MacKays of Bighouse retained their lands and estate, (albeit with some genealogical diversions), until 1830. At that time the estate was sold to the Marquis of Stafford, (later the Duke of Sutherland), who was married to the Countess of Sutherland.

A fascinating aspect of migration into Earltown, or any Scottish settlement in Nova Scotia, is how incoming families would seek out and find ways to settle near former neighbours or relatives. In some cases, a generation would have passed.

The root of the Reay migration goes back to approximately 1816 when a newly wed couple, Alexander MacKay ² and Elspie Murray, arrived in Scotsburn from the Parish of Reay. While Alex, a tailor, had ancient ties to Reay, Elspie, was a native of Sciberscross in the Parish of Rogart. Her father and uncle, William and Alex Murray respectively, moved their families to Autanduin in Kildonan prior to 1810. In 1814, they were cleared from Altanduin and fled north to Strath Halladale. They found temporary shelter on Sletill Hill but were eventually warned off. They found a permanent home in the community of Craigton.

Shortly thereafter, in 1819, one of Elspie’s cousins, daughter of Alex, arrived at Scotsburn with her husband’s family and “great with child”. Nancy Murray and her Rogart husband Alexander “Ballem” Sutherland settled at the foot of Gunn’s Hill. In 1822, her sister Eliza and her Rogart husband, Peter Murray “Bonesetter”, arrived in Earltown and settled next to Nancy on what is now the Alex Macdonald Road.

We often discount transatlantic correspondence. While the evidence is scant, messages and letters did cross the Atlantic both ways. Before the days of formal postal service, the immigration agents, such as Donald Logan and Hugh Denoon, were back and forth to the Highlands and were likely happy to report that earlier migrants were succeeding in their new homes. In 1831/1832, a significant number from Sutherlandshire arrived in Pictou and many proceeded to Earltown to join relations and former neighbours. Among them was Jane Murray, sister of Nancy and Eliza Murray, and her husband, Robert MacDonald “MacClaharn”.

Robert was the son of Donald MacDonald, alias MacClaharn, and his wife Ann Sutherland. Donald and Ann lived in Achoultivillin in Strath Halladale. (The location seems to be an earlier rendition of the present-day Allt a’ Mhullin, which translates into Nova Scotian English as Millbrook.)

Allt a’Mhullin in the distance (Mackenzie photo)

Robert and Jane cleared a farm at West Earltown to the east of Ferguson Brook and south of the Waugh River. The land in this area had been granted to individuals from the North River area who never attempted settlement. The MacDonalds did not get title until later but they most certainly settled there shortly after their arrival. This was common among the families arriving in the 1830’s leading us to believe that the Onslow farmers accepted unregistered promissory notes and retained title until the debt was extinguished.

They had a family of ten. Betsy was married to William Morrison³ and they first lived on Cnoc Na Gaoidthe before moving to Ardoch, North Dakota; Donald married Mary Elizabeth MacDonald “Macadie” of The Falls and lived at Balmoral; Alexander, possibly died in infancy in Scotland; Peter married Christena Munro “Captain” and lived at Tatamagouche Mountain; William died young; Alexander emigrated to Massachusetts where he enlisted in the 18^th Regiment in 1861 and was discharged due to wounds received in the Civil War in 1862; Christy was the second wife of Robert Aikenhead, East New Annan; William who studied for the ministry but had to return to the farm for health reasons; Robert, unmarried, remained on the home farm and Rev. Angus who married Flora MacLeod of Wallace and served as an Anglican minister in New York state.

The MacDonalds were accompanied by Robert’s sister, Elizabeth, (aka Betty), and her husband John MacKay “Strathy”. They lived in the Strath Halladale hamlet of Nahar near Croick. This family had two descriptors. The name “Strathy” appears in early Earltown records and would seem to indicate that John’s people had their origins in the Strathy area to the west of Strath Halladale. Later this family was known as the “Gouda” MacKays.

Nahar looking across to Croick area (Alan Reid photo)

John and Betty settled a farm to the East of Robert and Jane MacDonald. This is on an old road that would once have been an extension of the current Campbell Road and connected up with the Alex MacDonald Road.

Their family included Christy, wife of Hugh MacDonald “Paulie”; William who married Janet Ferguson and lived on Ferguson Brook Road; Donald, NFI; Catherine wife of Donald MacKay “Uhr”, West Earltown; Nancy, unmarried; Hugh married 1. Margaret Mackay and 2. Annie Ferguson and lived at Tatamagouche Mountain; and Angus born in 1830, NFI.

The aforementioned William “Gouda” who lived on the late Harold Ferguson’s farm, left Earltown after the death of his wife and settled at Grand Forks, North Dakota. Most of the sons went west leaving only his son Joseph at West Earltown. Both of his daughters remained in the area. Elizabeth married Sandy Ferguson and took over the home farm. Mary married Albert Drysdale of Tatamagouche Mountain.

Another family coming from Strath Halladale in the early 1830’s was that of William and Dorothy Gunn. William was from the community of Achintoul located in the upper reaches of the Parish of Kildonan. In 1800 William married Dorothy MacKay of Dalhalvaig, Strath Halladale. The family moved about and eventually put down roots in Achiemore.

Achiemore in the distance (Rupert Fleetingly photo)

William and Dorothy are believed to have lived briefly in Pictou County before arriving in Earltown. In 1838 they are listed in the Kemptown census as living on or near Boodle Hill⁴ although he had already purchased what is now Sweet Earth Farm⁵ on the South Spiddle Hill Road in 1837. This would suggest he was clearing the West Earltown property while living at Boodle Hill.

Their family: Donald, the eldest, married and remained in Strath Halladale; Jane married Hugh Campbell in Strath Halladale⁶; Catherine, NFI; Hugh married Janet MacKay prior to emigrating to Pictou around 1831. They lived for a few years at Middle River before moving to Clydesdale in 1841. William married Catherine MacKenzie and lived in Stellarton; John married Barbara MacKay at MacLellan’s Mountain and moved to Red Oak, Illinois; Barbara married Donald MacLeod of The Falls shortly after arriving in Earltown; and Alexander took over the property near Boodle Hill. Alexander married Eleanor Sutherland of Middle River. In the 1870’s, he moved his large family to a farm known to many as the Geordie Fraser farm on Brule Point.

William died at West Earltown in 1850 after which the farm was placed with the Sheriff and later sold to a MacKenzie from Stellarton⁷.

In 1837 Earltown received the Joseph MacKenzie family. Joseph was born to Alexander MacKe⁸nzie and Ann MacKay in Coul, Parish of Reay. In 1833 he married Esther Bruce of the Parish of Latheron⁹, Caithness. The couple settled at Croick where their eldest two children were born. Joseph’s brother Hector came to Nova Scotia at the same time and settled near Stellarton where he was a schoolmaster. Another brother, Angus, remained at Croick on the original holding and his grandchildren were still in the area in the 1950’s. Kenneth MacKenzie, grandson of Joseph, in his personal memoir, Sabots and Slippers, claims that most of the MacKenzies in the northeast sector of MacKay Country descended from Joseph’s great grandfather, Hector MacKenzie of Gairloch. The move to Strath Halladale, and Croick in particular, was around 1730 at the behest of a MacKay chieftain, likely the local laird at Bighouse.

After a brief sojourn in Pictou County, Joseph and Esther acquired a property at Central Earltown which was roughly across from the end of the Matheson Corner Road¹⁰. Joseph was one of the early Catechists in the area as reported in this blog post. Joseph died of pneumonia on July 1^st, 1848, a short time before his youngest daughter was born.

Their family were: Alexander, died unmarried in 1871; Elizabeth unmarried; Janet, unmarried; Hector Munro, a schoolmaster and unmarried; Annie, unmarried; William, married to 1) Christy Sutherland, Croucher and 2) Barbara MacKenzie; Hugh, a lawyer in Truro and Josephine Margaret, unmarried. Many of this family, including Widow Esther, died of TB.

The son William eventually took over the farm that was the home base for his door to door general merchandise business. He later acquired what is the current general store in Earltown which he operated in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

1845 marked the last of the migrations from Strath Halladale to Earltown and involved two family groups.

We return to Alexander Murray. The twice-removed miller of Altanduin, finally made the move to rejoin his three daughters who were well-established and matriarchs of large families. One can imagine the novelty of meeting approximately 30 grandchildren for the first time within the span of a couple of days!

The journey was not without drama. Alex,was up on the ship’s deck for fresh air. A gust of wind blew his cap into the ocean. The cap had been handmade by his mother and prized as a remembrance of her. He pled the captain to turn the ship around to retrieve his beloved ‘corrigan’ but to no avail and he wept as his cap bobbed out of sight. The family has since been known by the descriptor “Corrigan”.

Alex was about 84 years old at this point. His wife, Christy Sutherland, was about 76. However Alex was still in his middle age as he lived to be 102.

Along with Alex and Christy came their sons Donald and Robert as well as their unmarried daughters, Ellen, Catherine and Isabel. They settled atop Spiddle Hill. Shortly thereafter Robert acquired the MacLeod farm on the South Spiddle Hill Road.

The family has extensive tentacles throughout the genealogies of North Colchester. In summary, the family were:

Eliza, wife of Peter Murray, Bonesetter. She lived to be 103 years old.
Christy, died in Scotland
Jane, wife of Robert MacDonald, West Earltown
Nancy, wife of Alex Sutherland “Ballem” Gunn’s Hill
Angus married Janet MacKay and remained in Craigton. Angus was willing to emigrate but not Janet.
Donald married Nancy Murray, Inchure of Clydesdale. They lived on Alex’s farm on Spiddle Hill.
Ellen, unmarried
Catherine, unmarried
Isabel married John Graham shortly after arrival
William, nfi
Robert married Ellen Murray, Valley. In the 1880’s they and five of their children moved to Maple Plain, Minnesota. After they were first married, they lived on a farm on the South Spiddle Hill Road, originally granted to Hugh MacLeod. After they left for Minnesota, the property was acquired by Joe MacKay “Gouda”. He retired in the 1920’s to Balfron after which the farm went vacant.

“Uhr” is Gaelic for late. It is the descriptor put on this last family of MacKays to arrive from the old country.

Widow Anne MacKay “Uhr” was the daughter of Donald MacDonald “MacClarharn” and Ann Sutherland, Achoultivillin, Strath Halladale. She was married to Robert Coupar MacKay of Bighouse. He died around 1835.

Upper Bighouse showing deserted croft houses (Chris Heaton Photo)

The family’s home base before dispersing was the farm behind the Brown School at West Earltown¹¹. This became the permanent home of Donald Coupar MacKay, the second eldest son.

The family:

James 1815-1873 did not stay long in Earltown if he even came to Earltown. He settled in Halifax where he was a trader and also spent time in Boston. He was married to Sarah Anderson. An unmarried daughter, Bell, lived in Dartmouth and a son, Rupert Coupar MacKay, was an engineer on steamers between Halifax and Boston.
Isabel was the second wife of Robert Baillie, West Earltown and they were married shortly after her arrival. Her last years were spent with her son Robert in Malagash.
Donald Couper was married to Catherine MacKay “Gouda”. They had two daughters: Annabell married to Dan MacDonald and Libbie, unmarried.
Jane – NFI
Hugh, known as Hugh Uhr, married Margaret Baillie, his sister Isabel’s stepdaughter. They lived near the Earl McNutt farm on Tatamagouche Mountain when first married but later settled atop MacKay Hill on the Corktown Road. They had nine children.
Anne Coupar MacKay married Hiram Downing Jr. of Tatamagouche Mountain. They had seven children. They emigrated to Oregon around 1872 and acquired a farm near Portland, Oregon.

Widow Anne was living with her son Hugh at Tatamagouche Mountain when she died in 1863.

This family was closely connected to another MacKay clan who arrived in Earltown in this same period in the 1840’s. Three siblings, Angus, William and Jane, settled next to the Gunn property and off the Kemptown Road. This group were known as the “Boodles”. (Boodle was a liquid or monetary incentive given out by candidates in an election). William and Jane never married, but Angus married Jane MacKay in Strath Halladale. Angus and Jane had three known children all born in Corkall in Strath Halladale:

Margaret, unmarried
Angus married to Annie Lynch of Nuttby
Jane married to Charles Lynch of Gunn’s Hill

Kirkton Cemetery with Corkall in the distance (Alan Reid photo)

Angus and Annie lived on his parent’s farm along with his single sister and father’s siblings. Their daughter, Bella, was married to Hughie “Kemptown” Sutherland, Jane married Woodbury Moore and lived in Washington State, Dannie and Angus remained on the home place unmarried.

This is a very broad exploration of the origins and early family ties and a topic that could use some additional study.

Map of properties mentioned https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1KhIphCm-6aEyFf6oKMX7izjLa0RNomw&usp=sharing

Sources:

Baldwin, John (Ed) The Province of Strathnaver, The Scottish Society for Northern Studies, 2000 – In particular the chapter From Clanship to Crofting: Landownership, Economy and the Church in the Province of Strathnaver by Malcolm Bangor-Jones

Baldwin, John (Ed) The Province of Strathnaver, The Scottish Society for Northern Studies, 2000 – In particular the chapter Bighouse and Strath Halladale, Sutherland by Elizabeth Beaton

MacKenzie, Kenneth, Sabots and Slippers, Ross & Main Press Limited, 1954

Sage, Donald Memorabilia Domestica W. Rae, Wick 1899

Old Parish Register, Reay, Caithness (online via Scotland’s People)

Beeler, Donald The Descendants of John and Elizabeth MacKay unpublished

Whiston, Norris The History of Nuttby and Nuttby Summit unpublished

Bighouse Estate Population List from Sutherland Papers, (Courtesy of M. Bangor-Jones)

Alice Manchester – Correspondence on Gunn family 1979

James R. MacKay, late of New Annan – Various interviews on the Uhr MacKays

Mary Douglas Murray, late of Earltown – Various discussions on the MacClarharn MacDonalds

Mary MacDonald MacArthur, late of Woburn, Ma. – Correspondence on the MacClarharn MacDonalds 1980

Colchester County Land Deeds, microfilm, Provincial Archives of Nova Scotia

1838, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 Census of Earltown

Free Church Records, Congregation of Earltown

Malcolm Bangor-Jones, direct correspondence and helpful suggestions on the lay of the land.

This is now part of a World Heritage site and the first peatland world heritage site. ↩︎
Alex, a tailor, always referred to his native homeland as “Lord Reay’s Country”, which is what his family put on his death certificate. This family lived in Millsville near Scotsburn. ↩︎
William Morrison, born in 1820 in Scotland, has been a genealogical brick wall. He came to Earltown as a single man. There are Morrisons on the north coast of Scotland so one wonders if there was a connection with MacDonald family back in Scotland. William died in Ardoch, ND, in 1886. Betsy died in Lordsbury, California in 1915. The Morrison sons were heavily involved in citrus farming. ↩︎
Boodle Hill is the area between the John Sutherland and Kemptown Roads located within the old boundaries of the Kemptown district. The name came from a nickname applied to a MacKay family featured later in this post. ↩︎
Otherwise known locally as the Charles McGill farm. ↩︎
Hugh and Jane Campbell had at least two daughters born in Strath Halladale. They are gone from the area by 1841. A Hugh Campbell settled on the first farm near the bridge on Campbell Road, Central Earltown. He appears with family in the 1838 census and the 1861 census but gone by 1871. The late Gladys Sutherland MacDonald, who grew up near the Campbell farm, heard as a child that the family mysteriously disappeared without telling anyone. To add to the mystery, a peddler working the area abruptly disappeared the same day and he was seen heading to the Campbell home. ↩︎
The property became the home of Angus Baillie of Spiddle Hill. Angus left it to his daughter Maggie, wife of Jimmie Stewart. The Stewarts had no children. It later became the home of the McGill family. ↩︎
Latheron borders on Reay in the back country. Rev. Donald Sage in Memorabilia Domestica notes that there was a mission in the back country that served those in remote parts of Latheron and Reay. ↩︎
Latheron is southeast of Reay in Caithness. While is it a considerable distance from Strath Halladale by today’s roads, in times past it was not far as the crow flies. The church had a mission in the back country that served people living in the remoter parts of Reay, Latheron and Kildonan. ↩︎
An old house was still standing on this property in the 1960’s which people referred to as the Nicky Baillie place. Nicky was the grandson of Nicholas Sutherland who annexed the MacKenzie property to his own to the east. ↩︎
This property was granted to a John Murray. Donald Uhr purchased the property in 1846 from John Murray and wife. To date, I have not been able to identify John Murray but it is believed he never attempted to settle the property. ↩︎

Rev. Donald Sutherland

Jan26

It was often said that Earltown contributed, proportional to its population, more than its share to the ranks of Presbyterian clergy in Atlantic Canada. Some were influential clerics in the church’s courts, some were prominent in the cities of North America, some selflessly went to foreign lands as missionaries, and a few quietly went about their duties in the rural countryside.

The subject of this post, a son of Earltown, is seldom, if ever, remembered in his home community and perhaps in the communities he served. However, his story is worth telling in terms of the hardships endured by clergy who brought the message of hope and encouragement to isolated settlements.

Donald Sutherland was born on Christmas Day in 1835 at Central Earltown. His parents were Nicholas Sutherland and Christiana MacKay. With the uncommon forename of Nicholas, it is not surprising that their progeny had the descriptor “Nicky” attached to their names. Nicholas was born in 1798 in Golspie, Sutherland. In 1824 he married Christiana MacKay, daughter of James MacKay, miller of Rossal in the Parish of Rogart. The couple settled at Little Torboll in the Parish of Dornoch near the mouth of Strath Fleet where their eldest four children were born. In 1831/32, they were part of a substantial migration from Eastern Sutherland to Pictou.

Christiana’s two brothers were already established in Earltown – John MacKay the miller and Neil MacKay the tailor. Nicholas and Christiana acquired the farm west of Neil about one kilometre from the village. In total, the Sutherlands had eight children ¹.

The MacKay side of the house greatly emphasized education with offspring entering medicine, ministry and politics. In the Sutherland household, young Donald Nicky showed promise as a serious scholar and was sent to the Pictou Academy. Upon graduation from the Academy, he entered the Truro Seminary and finished his theological instruction at the Free Church College in Halifax.

It would appear that he was first dispatched to Cape Breton Island as a student minister by the Home Mission, assisting settled ministers in covering their extensive pastorates. While in Cape Breton, he qualified and was ordained in June of 1860 at Baddeck. He was immediately sent to Aspy Bay to become their first settled minister.

Sunrise Valley with Aspy Bay in the distance — Sunrise Valley and Aspy Bay – Cousins Photo

The Aspy Bay pastoral charge was headquartered in what is now the community of Cape North. For the first thirty or so years of its existence, the Presbyterians were occasionally visited by a minister from other parts of Cape Breton. In 1860, Rev. Donald was responsible for the Presbyterian population extending from the top of Cape Smokey, around the tip of Cape Breton Island and down the western shore to Fishing Cove. This area included the settlements of Ingonish, Neil’s Harbour, New Haven, White Point, Dingwall, Cape North, Sugarloaf, Bay St.Lawrence, Pleasant Bay and Fishing Cove to the north of Cheticamp.

Around Aspy Bay, the settlements and farms could be reached by boat or canoe in the summer months. In some cases, the minister might catch a ride on a schooner heading to the next village. To reach his flock in Pleasant Bay, Rev. Donald had to traverse a ten mile obstacle called North Mountain. Today, a two lane highway clings to the side of the mountain making it a tense driving experience. One can only imagine carefully guiding a horse along a narrow path above a sheer drop. In winter the trip had to be undertaken on snowshoes over snow several feet deep in the uplands. If a ten-mile hike in snowshoes weren’t a challenge, the unpredictable weather at higher elevations would be.

North Mountain between Cape North and Pleasant Bay – *Tourism Stock*

While attending to the spiritual needs of Pleasant Bay, the minister would be expected to make a pastoral visit to a small outport called Fishing Cove. This would require a climb up MacKenzie Mountain, crossing the bogs and barrens at the top and descending through a deep gorge to the fishing hamlet.

Fishing Cove, Inverness County – Currently a remote campsite

Rev. John Murray, in his The History of the Presbyterian Church in Cape Breton, describes Donald as having an uncommonly fine physique. He was tall, stout and handsome. He was considered “eccentric at times but had a tender and sympathetic heart”. In addition to being a theologian and preacher, he was a linguist and mineralogist.

In 1863 Rev Donald resigned his position after which he was sent by the Free Church Presbytery of Halifax as a missionary to the Labrador Coast. This, by necessity, was a summer posting involving visits to many seasonal fishing ports along the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Labrador Sea. These ports, and the mission, were serviced out of Harbour Grace where there was an established Free Church congregation. Whether by coincidence or design, Donald would have reported to Rev. Alexander Ross, a native of Earltown and long time minister at Harbour Grace.

Donald Sutherland reported to Presbytery that future work should center around the Bay of Islands on Newfoundland’s west coast where he found a robust population of Highlanders, many of whom migrated from Cape Breton. The following summer he was posted to that region.

In 1867, Donald moved on to Ontario where Gaelic ministers were in great demand. His tenure there was short and he moved on to Kansas and Nebraska² for a couple of years. By 1870 he was back in Aspy Bay tending to a portion of his former flock at Pleasant Bay. Rev. John Murray of Scotsburn was serving the Cape North area at that time³. In addition to his preaching duties, Rev. Donald was also teaching some of the older students. He devoted some time to transcribing various Gaelic poems and songs unique to the area.

Rev. Donald’s return to Pleasant Bay may have been a calling other than theological. On July 27^th of 1870 he married Christena MacLean, daughter of one of the original permanent settlers of the community.

Probably one of Rev. Donald’s most enduring contributions to the community was its current name. Prior to the 1870’s, Pleasant Bay was known as Grand Anse. There was also a community of the same name in Richmond County which was resulting in mail being sent to the wrong community. To rectify the situation, Rev. Donald put forth the name Pleasant Bay which has survived to the present day.

In 1875 Rev. Donald was called to the Charge of Gabarus which comprised the communities of Gabarus, Kennington Cove and Forchu in Cape Breton County. It would be a successful and uneventful pastorate of 28 years.

The Sutherlands had three daughters. Sarah died at the age of 4, Christena died unmarried in Gabarus in 1904 and Jessie married Donald MacLean of Gabarus Lake⁴.

On July 29, 1903 Rev. Donald Sutherland “Nicky” died sitting on the veranda of his manse.

Sources:

Murray, Rev. John History of the Presbyterian Church in Cape Breton, 1921 New Publishing Co., Truro

MacDougall, John L History of Inverness County Nova Scotia 1922

Moncrieff, Wilfred M. A History of the Presbyterian Church in Newfoundland 1842-1967 MS

1871 Census of Canada, Inverness County

Murray, Rev. John, The Story of My Life, with Several Reminiscences Edited version by Eric Wilson and William Collett

Other children of Nicholas and Christy Sutherland were: James, a merchant in Halifax; Catherine at home; Janet (David) Murray of Clydesdale; John, a merchant in River John; Annie (Dan) Baillie of Balfron; Marion (Kenneth) MacLean of West Branch and Hugh, mail carrier between Truro and Earltown. ↩︎
Several families migrated from West Pictou to Kansas and Nebraska. Rev. Alexander Sutherland of Earltown briefly served them before returning to Canada. Rev. Donald was undoubtedly familiar with their settlements and may have been invited to serve. ↩︎
This is the same John Murray who wrote the History of the Presbyterian Church in Cape Breton. Murray was from Scotsburn and he was related to many of the families in Earltown. In addition to their overlapping service to Pleasant Bay, they were co-presbyters in Cape Breton County for the whole of Rev. Donald’s tenure in Gabarus. ↩︎
Mr. MacLean died young. Jessie lived much of her remaining life in Sydney and died at the age of 90. ↩︎

Distinct Society Issues in 1857

Oct8

There is a saying that all politics are local. That was certainly the case in 19th-century rural Nova Scotia.

Today, the municipality or province funds and manages local public services. While a municipal district had representation on the county council or a group of municipal districts had a member of the provincial legislature, rural districts had very little control over local public works.

Communities along the north shore of the Minas Basin adopted the New England model of townships. This enabled the residents of each township to appoint their own officers, levy rates, maintain records and deal with petty offenses and petitions. The Court of Sessions[i] governed the remaining communities and was based in Truro and later assumed jurisdiction over the old townships. This arrangement continued after the formation of Colchester County in 1835 and was replaced by the Municipality of Colchester County in 1879.

In 1841 the districts in North Colchester presented petitions to the colonial assembly asking to be granted township status. Earltown, Tatamagouche, and New Annan each wanted more control over local spending priorities. This was never granted.

In 1857 another petition[ii] materialized. This time, the residents of the western communities of the Earltown district requested that they be annexed to New Annan. The primary reason stated was “as the business of Earltown is generally done in “Galick” which they do not understand”.

Most of us think of Earltown’s boundaries as that portrayed on A.F. Church’s Map of Colchester County (1874). It shows the western boundary starting at the northwest corner of The Falls, (near Drysdale Falls), and following Baillie’s Brook south towards Kavanagh’s Mills. It then branches easterly and follows the Baillie Brook to its source near the Nuttby towers and then on to the southwest corner of the community of Nuttby.

However, the original western boundary was approximately 2.25 km. west of the revised boundary, roughly where the Four Mile Brook crosses the New Annan – Balmoral Road. It went in a southerly direction across the ridge between Tatamagouche Mountain and East New Annan and on to Nuttby. It encompassed the communities of Tatamagouche Mountain, Kavanagh’s Mills and Corktown.

The aforementioned communities were diverse when compared to the rest of Earltown. Several of the Tatamagouche Mountain families were Ulster Scots who relocated from Truro. There were Irish Catholics in the Corktown area as well as two German families – one Catholic and one Anabaptist. There was a Norwegian, a Swede, a Lowland Scot, a family from eastern Caithness with no Gaelic and a half dozen Highlanders.

The bulk of Earltown was inhabited by Gaelic-speaking Scots – the majority of whom had roots in the eastern parishes of Sutherlandshire. Layered on top of that, they were clannish to a fault with little appetite to mix genes with other European families. Religion also played a role. The Earltown folk were all attached to the Established Church of Scotland, a different breed of Presbyterian than those of Ulster background. Throw into that the unfortunate views held by Protestant Scots towards Catholics.

The annexation didn’t involve expenditure. The Earltown folk were silent on the matter as they had no intention of being more inclusive. The magistrates wisely decided to grant the request.

Below are the families involved in the annexation as per the 1838 census:

Jacob Kisselbach – German Catholic in Corktown[iii]

Jacob Wortman – German, Baptist; Family came to Onslow via New Brunswick; He settled in

Corktown

Richard Hyslop – Scot from Dumphries; lived at Kavanagh’s Mills

Stephen Fitzpatrick – Irish Catholic; Corktown.

John Ryan – Irish Catholic; Kavanagh’s Mills

George Crowe – Onslow native of an Ulster family

Alex Shearer – Scot from Caithness living at Tatamagouche Mountain

William Murray -Father came to Pictou on the Hector and settled in Merigomish. William

married into the Crowe family and came to Kavanagh’s Mills to upgrade theGrist mill; [iv]

John MacKean – Ulster and New England background; Kavanagh’s Mills

James Mullany – Irish Catholic

George Smith – Lived at Tatamagouche Mountain

William MacKean – Ulster and New England background; Lived near East New Annan

Hiram Downing – From Onslow; lived at Tatamagouche Mountain

Richard Wooden – Kavanagh’s Mills – Corktown area

Robert Miller – Remote farm off the Old Truro Road

John MacKean Sr. – Kavanagh’s Mills

David Aikenhead – Between Corktown and Old Truro Road

Michael Terry – Between Corktown and Old Truro Road

James Drysdale – Came from Truro area; Lived at Tatamagouche Mountain

Jerimiah McCarthy – Irish Catholic; Corktown

John McCarthy -Irish Catholic; Corktown[v]

Hector Sutherland -Property unidentified at the moment but possibly the Hector Sutherland who settled at Balfron in 1841

Hugh Tucker -Corktown

Edward Studivan – Swede; servant with the Denoon family; Lived first between

Kavanagh’s Mills and West Earltown, later on Studivan Mountain

From the 1861 Census we can add these families:

Robert Harris -Descendant of Dr. John Harris of Maryland, Pictou and Truro

Alexander Conkey – Relocated from Old Barns to Tatamagouche Mtn.

William Thompson – Native of Norway, married to Mary Hayman

William McNutt – Relocated from North River to Tatamagouche Mtn.

Robert Hodge – Studivan Mountain

Donald Henderson – From Scotland via Middle River to Studivan Mountain

Michael White – Irish Catholic in Corktown

David Canary – Irish Catholic in Corktown briefly before settling at South

Tatamagouche

Phillip Burke – Corktown

Henry Porter – Corktown

Peter MacDonald – One time miller at Kavanagh’s Mills later Tatamagouche Mtn.

George Carter – Corktown

Thomas Lynds – Corktown

Hugh MacKay – Hugh “Uhr” then living at Tatamagouche Mountain before moving to the

Corktown Road

William Kaulback – Tatamagouche Mtn. Removed to Truro

Robert Kent – Tatamagouche Mtn

Illustration of approximate boundaries here.https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1ol-7kuK8URtHSf-_0-coZ9AadPEVaSc&usp=sharing

[i] Nova Scotia. Court of General Sessions of the Peace (District of the County of Colchester) – MemoryNS

[ii] RG5 Series P Vol 16 #28 PANS Feb. 13, 1857

[iii] Patterson “History of Tatamagouche” relates that Kisselbach, (Kisslepaugh), fought on the opposite side of the Napoleonic Wars than his Earltown neighbours. The battles continued in Earltown.

[iv] The writer’s ancestor. He was likely fluent in both Gaelic and English. None of his children spoke Gaelic and reportedly were annoyed when neighbours would switch to Gaelic when conversations became juicy.

[v] Corktown did not have the most suitable land for farming. Supposedly a Priest counselled the Catholic families to vacate or starve. Several moved to Middleton while others moved to New England.

The Story of My Life, with Several Reminiscences by the Rev. John Murray, D.D.

Apr30

Eric Wilson and Bill Collett (of Scotsburn and Bettendorff, Iowa respectively) are third cousins and descendants of Alexander Murray, the patriarch of an extensive network of families in West Pictou and North Colchester. They are also descendants of William Murray “Catechist” of Dornoch, Sutherland which is another network scattered across the same area. Both are fifth cousins of my son, a sobering thought.

Together these gentlemen have compiled a book about their great grand uncle, Rev. John Murray DD. Those interested in local history, church history and genealogy will be quite familiar with Rev. Murray’s two published works: “History of the Presbyterian Church in Cape Breton” (1921) and “The Scotsburn Congregation of Pictou County” (1925). Rev. Murray grew up near Bethel Church in Scotsburn in an era when a few of the original adult settlers were still living along with many who came from Sutherlandshire as children.

Scotsburn, (better known as Roger’s Hill or Dalhousie in the mid 1800’s), had many ties to Earltown. The two communities shared common origins in the North of Scotland, the Gaelic, and the same brands of Presbyterianism. Many Earltown families had strong blood ties to Scotsburn and intermarriage between the two was common.

Consequently there are several ties between Rev. John and Earltown. Three of his sisters married Earltown men, (Janet Stewart, Annie MacBain and Margaret MacKay “Achany”); he was a second cousin to the Valley and Craig lines of Murrays; a first cousin of Margaret Sutherland “Mighty” and Adam Murray; a widespread family of Mathesons in Balfron and Tatamagouche and countless others such as the Prince Sutherlands, Gorm Murrays, Big Jim MacKay’s family and an extensive tribe of MacKenzies in nearby West Branch.

I’ll let editor Eric Wilson describe the contents:

The stories in his “Reminiscences” provide a window into this very interesting man’s personality and his time in history. He was a great and engaging preacher and writer and he had a roving and adventurous disposition. He traveled widely in Canada, the US and Scotland visiting relatives and friends and even shaking hands with both the Prime Minister of Canada (MacKenzie King I believe) and the President of the United States (Grover Cleveland). He was a mining recruiter, coal investor and an inspired preacher and converter of lost souls. He wasn’t averse to politics and was completely Zealous for the Lord! . His text (grammar, spelling, capitalization, etc. etc.) has been duplicated word for word to remain true to his writing style and nuances. The stories are personal, often comical, interesting, full of details and frequently inspiring.

Several very interesting Appendices have been written by the editors. Also, pictures have been added that help the appeal and flow of the book. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A COPY PLEASE CONTACT EDITOR ERIC MURRAY WILSON BY EMAIL AT ericnosliw1@gmail.com

The objective is to subscribe 100 interested parties; the printing cost drops down significantly at 100. It should be very close to $20/copy. Of that amount, $5 will be donated to St. John and Bethel Cemeteries for restoration of headstones in particular need of attention. If sales go well a second printing will occur. Thank You!
Eric Murray Wilson, Scotsburn

PS: St. John’s Cemetery is the final resting place of at least two of the first settlers of Earltown as well as the ancestors of others who once lived in Earltown. This is a great way to support the cemetery while brushing up on local history. GMM

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Heritage Tidbits from Earltown, Nova Scotia

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