DNA Project

Ralph Livingstone · Post by **Ralph Livingstone** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:44 am

Hi Jewel - I'm certainly no expert on religious diversity in historic Scotland - but I limited my church queries for years, based on the fact that I was raised Catholic, and that I assumed the family had always been Catholic. It was only after we found the (Presbyterian) baptismal record of my great-grandfather, that I could accept the premise that the family could have changed religions at some point. A quick call to my father solved the mystery - my grandfather married a devout Irish Catholic; being seriously occupied as a coal miner feeding his family, he left the churching of the children entirely up to his wife. I achieved another level of humility after having traced a branch of my Mother's line back to my 11x Great-Grandfather, born in 1510 (13 generations). After congratulating myself for the effort, I thought to apply a little math to the situation: in the 13th generation, I have discovered only one of my 4096 pairs of 11X Great-Grandparents!

Roberta Ann · Post by **Roberta Ann** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:27 pm

Jewel, thanks for the info.

Roberta Ann · Post by **Roberta Ann** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:13 pm

My Dad was buried in 1981 at St. Anns Cemetary in Glace Bay.

Canadian Livingstone · Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:09 pm

Hi Roberta, Well I am working on my Ontario and Manitoba families so I thought might as well work on Atlantic Canada because so many Livingstones/Livingstons in North America have a family origin there. It just seem to a part of the puzzle that needed to worked on. I have working on a list of pioneer Canadian Livingstones and so far people are matching up well to it. Then from there the next part of the process is to try get people connected with other researchers and research material. Anyways I think that is where I am trying to go with this. I did some homework today on the Catholic Livingstones and from looking closely at the listing in the 1881 Census in Nova Scotia some 75 years or so after your ancestors came to Atlantic Canada, I was able to clearly identify the principal Catholic Livingstone communities as they existed in the year 1881. By 1881 your family was residing at Lingan a coal mining area on the shore of the Cabot Straight on the north east coast of Cape Breton Island. All of the Livingstones I found in the census record here are Roman Catholic and there are large number of them. The other location in Cape Breton in which I found Roman Catholic Livingstones was sure enough Judique. Nearby Port Hood also had Catholic Livingstone families. Judique is near Mabou and Port Hood are all on the West side of Cape Breton Island. With few exceptions all of the Catholic Livingstones were located at (1)Lingan (2)Judique and (Port Hood) some 75 years after your ancestor first arrived in Cape Breton. It is interesting that the Catholic Livingstones did not disperse throughout Nova Scotia at this time, but were located in specific areas, all of them being in Cape Breton. I also took the time to identify all the communities where by 1881 Presbyterian, Church of Scotland, Baptist and Methodist Livingstones or Livingstons had settled. The Boularderie Victoria County, Cape Breton Livingstones that is those descendants of Angus Livingstone, the Napoleonic War Veteran are on the hand almost entirely Presbyterian in the 1881 Census as are those in Cape George where it is said one of the two brothers of Angus Livingstone settled in the early 1800's Hope this helps to clarify things for your research and that of your cousin Jewel's regards, Donald

Andrew Lancaster4 · Post by **Andrew Lancaster4** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:13 pm

Hi Jewel I don;t know of any accurate statistics for Argyll that early, but I think presbyterianism, or the Church (Kerk) of Scotland as it was known, was certainly the normal religion at least in public. I see that you have replies from two other families in a similar situation. Interesting! It would be interesting to know whether you all come from one original family though! Best Regards Andrew

Andrew Lancaster4 · Post by **Andrew Lancaster4** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:15 pm

Well, yes. There is of course a big gap in time, and of course Mary was basically a foreigner and not your typical Scot, let alone typical highlander -- but there certainly were Catholics who stayed Catholic. I did not mean to imply otherwise. One problem for genealogists is of course that these Catholics often had to keep a low profile. Best Regards Andrew

Canadian Livingstone · Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:54 pm

Hi Ralph, Based on the 1881 Census Livingstones/Livingstons in PEI by this time almost all are Presbyterians except for your branch on Lot 65 which are recorded as being members of the Church of Scotland. There are two oldtimers at this time in your family worth noting a Donald Livingston b.1811 and a Allan Livingston b. 1816 listed in the 1881 Census. regards, Donald

Canadian Livingstone · Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:11 am

Hi Kyle, THe Catholic Livingstones were located almost exclusively in Cape Breton according the 1881 Census at Lingan on the north east coast near where John Livingston and Christy McPhee (Low POINT) Livingstone settled. A Low Point Lighthouse is nearby. The other location of Livingstone Catholic families was Judique and Port Hood on the West coast of Cape Breton. The Boularderie Livingstones of Cape Breton,descendants of Angus Livingstone a napoleonic war veteran are Presbyterians according to the 1881 census. Keith Livingstone of Australia believed he was related to Angus Livingstone.

Canadian Livingstone · Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:23 am

HI Ralph, You are quite right about that. Based upon the 1881 Census those on Lot 65 are listed as Church of Scotland and the rest of the Livingstones/Livingstons on PEI aat this time are mostly Presbyterian. It is in Cape Breton at this time that you have Livingstones of the Catholic faith. regards, Donald

Roberta Ann · Post by **Roberta Ann** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:43 am

Was there a Post Office in Low Point, Donald?