Prince Edward Island 1803 Livingston Found

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Barry, I have never heard of Lavingston before in the Inverness area and would suspect that it should be Livingston. However before I say this for certain I need to check it out with others. I promise I will check this out and get back to you on this. In mean time see what you can find. The fact that you could not find them in the 1881

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Barry, Something is weird about that spelling. I checked through the entire collection of British 19th century census records and that spelling occurs extremely rarely and I mean extremely rarely. Also checked the massive LDS collection also indicated it to be an extremely uncommon spelling with few individuals listed. I only found two entries in the British Census record in the Midlothian area. I strongly suspect that it is Livingston but again I could be wrong. In the 1500's and 1600's there was at least one family in Charlton, PEnsey, Wiltshire that spelled their name Lavingston, and a family in Missippi in the 1800's but not too many that I could find. regards, Donald regards, Donald

[Barry Judson]

In the 1863 census we have Alexander Livingston as the head of the household. He is between 16 and 45 at that time. We have one female over 60 years of age (Sarah his mother) and one male under 14 years of age which would be Joseph. Sarah also has another son Malcolm too, but I don't see him in the census. Now of the three there is one from the british isles, one from Scotland, and one native to PEI. So I'm speculating here that John Lavingston met Sarah in England while in the army, and he is the one from Scotland. I can't see it being the other way around because I can't see John meeting her in Scotland, because everyone was leaving there at the time. Although Lavingston is a strange name, I think he is still from Scotland. Searching the internet we have on the Island Register page, a Lavingston on PEI in 1768, and it said one of the first english speaking settlers on PEI. So if Lavingston is english, then while in England where he met Sarah, the Lavingston name was an english name, and he adopted the english translation. I think we need his military records if they exist, to prove this. Barry

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Barry, There was indeed a William Lavingston in that earliest PEI record from the 1700's. So it is looking like we may not have a Livingston but a Lavingston which apparently is a uncommon name of English origin. We need to be sure. Interesting to see if we can determine from later census records the ethnicity of Joseph Livingston to make certain

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Barry, Unless someone in PEI has info the best way to resolve I think is to go to the land registry or records office and get access to the land records index and trace the ownership of lot 53 from the time Joseph Livingston born abt. 1833 was on and then backtrack and then using this info verify that a John Livingston was the first Livingston on this lot and not Lavingston. I can tell you this. The Joseph Livingston who is living on Lot 53 in 1881 attends the Church of Scotland so I assume from that he is infact a Livingston of Scottish origin. But lets go right to the land records office and get them sort out whether Lavingston or Livingstons were on that Lot 53. It would funny if Lavingstons sold the lot to Livingstons but surely that cant be. I mean what are the odds of that. I would love the land office to find you the records to confirm who owned that lot prior to Joseph Livingston. If Joseph Livingston is not Joseph Livingston then why does he attend the CHurch of Scotland and call himself Livingston or Livingstone. If he is not a Livingston as it states in the 1881 Census then this would be an odd thing. That would be my suggestion. Your contacts at the Belfast historical society may also know something about this Joseph Livingston and be able to help you figure out whether or not he was a Livingston. I noticed that Joseph and Mary named their first daughter Sarah and eldest sons ALexander and Malcolm which is probably significant given the information you found out about Joseph's apparent family in Kings County. I wonder if the Church of Scotland records in Kings County are available. regards, DOnald

[Barry Judson]

FYI So far I can only find one John Levingston, who would have been born in 1768, which matches the birth of John Lavingston. He was the son of Angus Levingston and Janet McColl, born in Ledmore, Argylshire, Scotland. Barry

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Barry, I am inclined to think for the most part that Levingston is just a spelling variation at least that is what we have found. On my mother side her NY Livingstons often spelt their name Levingston or the census taker did. We come across this spelling from time to time and perhaps it will end up that this Lavingston is just a weird spelling of a Scottish Livingston family. I dont know anything certain as I have said but I am hanging on to belief that we can sort out the Livingston history on Lot 53 including this Lavingston. If nothing else this has produced some excitement in our research and certainly a challenge. If it were easy it probably would not be have as enjoyable. I know that not everyone has the patience for genealogy and I have watched people have temper tamtrums at the Archives. So I know that genealogy can be frustrating particularly when you hit a genealogical brick wall and are unable to find an ancestor or the information you want. Certainly in your case we have had some luck and hit a few brickwalls but we keep finding something interesting and a few clues as we move forward. regards, Donald