Livingstones of Nova Scotia

[Roberta Ann]

Do you know when and where John Livingstone and Christy McPhee were married. Roberta

[Jewel Brown1]

I wish I new the answer to that Roberta. I had inquired through the PEI website and was told nothing was found for a marriage between John & Christie Livingstone. I don't know for sure but I don't think there were any Catholic churches on PEI in 1806 when they were married. So I am assumeing they must have married in Nova Scotia. Maybe someone else might know more about this than I

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi ROberta, Yes they could have been married in PEI or Nova Scotia shortly after John arrived and then Christy very soon after gave birth to John Jr.

[Roberta Ann]

Donald when John Livingstone applied for a land grant in 1818; he stated he was a resident of Cape Breton for 10 years.

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Roberta, Interesting that his land grant at Low Point was named "Staffa". That was the name of the Schooner that my ancestor Miles Livingstone travelled on to reach a boat at Sligo Ireland to take him in 1812 to the first British settlement in Western Canada. I assumed the boat was named after "Staffa" an Island about 6 miles of Mull. Tobermory at Mull would have the major port in the area and a collection point for settlers living in Mull or Movern area. Perhaps then your ancestor had origins in the Mull area at Staffa. The only info I have on Staffa is that it was an inhospitable spot, difficult to farm and that almost all the inhabitants left it by the end of the eighteenth century. Still it makes you wonder why John named his land grant after the island. One would think he had then a family connection to either Staffa or Mull. Most of these Livingstones I am coming across in recent weeks who settled in PEI or Nova Scotia almost all seem to have roots in the Mull area or perhaps Movern. Have you contacted historian and family researchers with genealogical societies based in Cape Breton and if so was there response to your enquiries? As so many folks coming to the forum recently have an interest in maritime Livingstone settlers, I have started to work on making contact with Cape Breton researchers and hope to do the same with PEI. I have ordered a book by a renowned expert on PEI settlement hoping that it might be helpfull. My experience having researched so many families over the years, is that some times you get incredibly lucky and find an amazing treasure trove of rare records on your ancestor, but unfortunately the reverse often also holds true. There are these frustrating dead ends when no matter how hard you persevere you cant get any further. Fortunately with luck most of time your inbetween these two extremes in the research. It does not look promising but before I draw a definite conclusion I would like to hear from some family history folks in Cape Breton and PEI as to their assessment of your research situation with John and Christy. I feel that I am getting a good sense of where in Western Argyll they possibly came from, but we need to get beyond that to something more tangible. Certainly the fact that he named his land holding "Staffa' is interesting. The man that owned the schooner in 1812 that ferried my ancestor also named his ship "Staffa" so Staffa obviously had sentimental meaning to people who had lived there or who lived nearby in the Mull area. The fact that it was apparently abandoned by tenants long before John and Christy came to Atlantic Canada though does not help clarify things. I would like to confer with others on John Livingstone -Staffa question and get back to you at some point in the future. Perhaps someone who has more knowledge of the Mull area and its people could help us out here. regards, Donald

[Bachuil]

As a side issue Staffa is famous for Fingal's cave - and the famous Overture by Felix Mendelssohn composed in 1830[/i]The Hebrides Overture (German: Die Hebriden), opus 26, also known as Fingal's Cave[/i] . I intend to visit there two days before St Moluags day with my daughters.

[Roberta Ann]

Good evening Donald, I'm the romantic in the family.

[Roberta Ann]

Bachil, Sir; I am on page 58 of the Staffa site but, alas I am to old for such an adventure.

[Roberta Ann]

Hi Jewel, I wouldn't be surprised if Roman Catholics were not allowed to own land on PEI.

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Roberta, Ok this reference to Staffa area could very well be a clue as to where in the Mull he came from. Was that information in the obituary of Johns son? Your right I cant see that he lived on Staffa as well before 1806 it was uninhabited. I think as you are probably thinking that he lived close by. I definitely think of all the Parishes in the Mull area you should probably focus your research with the Kilninian and Kilmore Parish, Mull District, Argyllshire. This included Tobermory, parts of Mull Island and the Islands of Ulva, Gometra, Calve,Little Colonsay, Treshinish and includes Staffa. I presume that somehow a branch of our Livingston family did not convert to the Episcopalian or Presbyterian faith in the 16th or 17th centuries and endured the persecutions of the 18th century. I am starting to make some enquiries of my own and have left a message with the Ross of Mull Historical Society. Will see where that goes. As there are basically old catholic parish records to be sure, the only thing I can think of to identify your Livingstones and McPhees is to find a much later census 1841 or 1851 and get a sense where your Livingstone relatives lived. Of course maybe your family group all imigrated to the colonies. This is what I really want to find out. That is say do any of your Livingstones show up in Kilninian and Kilmore Parish in 1841 or 1851 according to that census. In the mean time one of the historians in the Mull area may be able shed some light on your Livingstones and McPhees. regards, Donald