Malcolm Livingstone of Pictou County Nova Scotia 1791

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SusanJohnson
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2013 1:37 pm

Re: Malcolm Livingstone of Pictou County Nova Scotia 1791

Post by SusanJohnson »

HI Donald,

I'm planning a trip to Nova Scotia this summer and will be travelling all over. My first destination will be Halifax. Vital Records is there and I have a relative in Halifax who has a good collection of reference books on Nova Scotia, particularly on Pictou, Antigonish and Guysborough Counties. Can you recommend other places to look for genealogical information?

Thanks,
Susan
Canadian Livingstone
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Re: Malcolm Livingstone of Pictou County Nova Scotia 1791

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi Susan,
I will see what I can find out from my Nova Scotia contacts. I think the Nova Scotia Archives probably has most of the rare documents pertaining to Malcolm Livingston and his family. The Nova Scotia Archives has well organized collection of documents pertaining to old pioneer Argyll Scottish families that settled in the Counties throughout Nova Scotia in the late 1700's and early 1800's as many did. For starters it helps to have a sense of where to look in what County etc. as your Livingstons moved around a bit in the years following their arrival in 1791.

While the earliest record a petition of your pioneer ancestor as Malcolm Livingston Jr. in 1792 for land refers to him as Malcolm Livingston jr. with his family of Nine, I think he is father of all the Livingstons who came with him to Pictou County in 1791 including a son also Malcolm. I think he refers to himself as Malcolm Jr. only because he in turn was the son of a elder Malcolm Livingston who likely lived back in Argyll, Scotland. I suspect this because of the subsequent Poll Tax ledger page of 1794 which clearly refers to the two Malcolm Livingstons that ended up in Pictou County in the Merrygomish area as Malcolm Livingston Senior and Malcolm Livingston. Clearly this time the clerk has distinguished the two Malcolm Livingstons father and a son by their age. We know that there were only two Malcolm Livingstons father and son so one would be evitably referred to in the records where they both appeared as Malcolm Livingston Sr. and Malcolm Livingston Jr. or just plain Malcolm Livingston which they apparently did here. The fact that Malcolm Livingston Senior is referred to as Malcolm Livingston Jr. in his petition I think only can suggest that in context of his father also being named Malcolm Livingston back home in Scotland then he would be officially Malcolm Livingston Jr. over there if you follow my logic. In any event in Pictou County and later in Antigonish County there were two Malcolm Livingston a father and son .

The surviving early Livington record trail gives us some idea of where your Livingston kin resided in the early years. Your Livingston family started out in the Mergomish / Little Brook area of Pictou County in the 1790's with a 1794 Poll Tax list which includes residents of Merigomish? Merrygomish Eastward area from Little Harbour to Walker Murray? of Pictou County that includes interestingly two Livingston householders Malcolm Livingston Sr and another Malcolm Livingston presumingly his son, the one went back to Europe in the 1820's. To me this suggests that the Malcolm who left Nova Scotia in the 1820's was the eldest son but I have no proof of that. I think any birth record for him though is somewhat speculative in any event. The earliest records pertaining to your ancestor Malcolm Livingston is the 1792 Petition and the 1794 Poll Tax List are in the Nova Scotia Archives but can be accessed online to save you time looking for them when you go to Nova Scotia.

In 1809 Allan Livingston son of Malcolm Livingston acquired land at Merigomish, Pictou County. This is probably the last time the family receives land in Pictou County. Then that same year 1809 one son Duncan or Dougald Livington is granted land by a John Campbell in Cape George in Antigonish County and then in 1810 Malcolm Livingston Yeoman and Allan Livingston and his brother John acquire land in the Cape George area of Antgonish County. Then in 1814 following Malcolm Livingston Senior's death a widow Mary Livingston?, Allan Livingston, Angus Livingston, Colin Livingston and Duncan Livingston received land grants. The area where these Livingstons settled near Cape George became known as Livingstone Cove which was located on the South Side of Cape George. Their neighbour George Ballantyne lived at what became known as Ballantyne's Cove. Ballantyne eventually owned most of the south shore of the Cape George area including some land that had originally been owned by Allan Livingston. These are the only early land records I am aware of and all of the originals would be in the Nova Scotia Archives most likely.

What I am not quite clear about and you may able to find this out is the later information that Allan Livingston and the later Livingstons of this family resided in Arisaig Township in Sydney County. Is Livingstone Cove and Cape George in Arisaig Township in Sydney County or in Antigonish County? Or was there a County border change? I have been confused by this for a few years now. Anyways someone who is familiar with Nova Scotia can probably set me straight on this. Anyways the next records then would seem be the Livingstons found in the early Census records of Nova Scotia at Arisaig Township in Sydney County?

1817 Nova Scotia Census
Allan Livingstone and Duncan Livingstone Cape George, Sydney County

John Livingstone Morristown, Sydney County
Angus Livingstone
Allan Livingstone
John Campbell
Widow McPhee?
David Ballantyne (neighbour of the Livingstones owned most of the land south of Cape George)

1827 Nova Scotia Census
Arisaig Township, Sydney County
David Ballantyne
John Campbell
Allan Livingston
Duncan Livingston
Zera Livingston widow?

Arisaig Township, Sydney County (may be from same family)
Allan Livingston
Dougald Livingston
Duncan Livingston


1838 Nova Scotia Census
Arisaig Township
Allan Livingston
John Campbell
Duncan Livingston
Dougald Livingston
Widow Livingston
David Ballantyne
John Campbell

This is really as far as I progressed with Malcolm Livingstone's family in terms of the records. I was wondering if one of those John Campbells is your ancestor Janet Livingston's husband? Anyways if were not aware of some of these records this may be of help to you before you go on your trek to Nova Scotia.

I have been to Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick years ago and more recently Newfoundland, but never Nova Scotia sad to say. Loved Newfoundland. The people are amazingly nice there and the coastal scenery is outstanding. My wife and I have already made our holiday plans this year, but next year I may discuss with her the notion of visiting Nova Scotia in the Summer. I have an old family friend and her husband that lives somewhere in Cape Breton and I think my wife would enjoy the scenic Cape Breton Trail. (The Livingston family history perhaps not so much.) I don't have any Nova Scotia Livingston ancestry. My ancestor Miles Livingston b.1775 was a boatbuilder and Cooper and native of Morvern Parish, Argyllshire who was recruited by one of Lord Selkirk's Highland agents to be a settler at Lord Selkirk's Red River Colony in 1812. Miles Livingston's log cabin home was constructed in 1814 from logs brought down river and was located on a lot along the forks of the Red river where the present day City of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada is now located. Morvern Parish is not far at all from Ardgour, Argyll where your Malcolm Livingston and Catharine McPhee probably originated.

Looking at the oldest parish records which mention Livingstons in Ardgour area I have found them at Garvan and neighbouring Duisky by Loch Eil and south of that at Corran all in the area that was referred as being in Ardgour District. There is a chance that the Livingston in this Ardgour area were related, but who really knows for certain.Here is a map of the area minus Garvan and Duisky but you can see Blaich the place east of Garvan and Duisky by Loch Eil and father south a bit Corran where I found a few more Livingstons residing there in the late 1700's in the old Kilmalllie Parish records. I think we just have to assume that they could be related, but can't really prove it.

http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/17023

regards,

Donald
SusanJohnson
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2013 1:37 pm

Re: Malcolm Livingstone of Pictou County Nova Scotia 1791

Post by SusanJohnson »

Hi Donald,

I was wondering about the "Jr." reference in the Memorial of Malcolm Livingstone, Jr. of Merigomish and suspected that my Malcolm may have been a Jr. After spending more time researching, I found an on-line book called, A History of Antigonish by D.J. Rankin published in 1929. The Livingstone's are featured on pages 161-162, and the Campbell's (i.e., Janet Livingstone) are featured on Pages 89-90.

Here is the link: http://www.ourroots.ca/e/page.aspx?id=1073378

Here is what is says in the Livingstone section (pp 161-162):
(Noticeably absent is a mention of Malcolm, son of Malcolm or Colin, son of Malcolm. However, Malcolm's brother, John, had a son Malcolm and a son, Colin; and Malcolm's son, Dougald, has a son, Malcolm). This story is interesting because it links the Livingstone's of PEI with the Livingstone's of Antoginosh and Inverness Co. And the plot thickens ...

Susan

LIVINGSTONE
This family came from Lochaber, Scotland and settled at what is now called Livingstone Cove. MALCOLM LIVINGSTONE was the original of this family. A brother of his went to Prince Edward Island and another brother, John, went to Inverness where he was married to Isabella MacDonald of Eigg. He had two sons: Angus who died young and Malcolm who was married to Sarah Cameron, with issue: Allan (Captain); Alexander (Captain); Donald died unmarried; Angus and Colin not married; John; Ann married to Alex MacIsaac; and Mary married to John MacDonald.

MALCOLM LIVINGSTONE, married to KATE MACPHEE, had issue: DUNCAN, married to Christina Robertson, had issue (John married (1) to Ann Taylor, with issue: George, James, William, John, Mary, married to Mr. Condon, Lightkeeper, Cape George; Margaret married to Mr. Hannigan, and Janet married to James Gordon); John married (2) to Christina Livingstone with no issue.

Duncan, son of Duncan, son of Malcolm married to Janet Livingstone, has issue: John not married; Henry not married; Mary not married; Janet married.

Donald, son of Duncan, not married. Alex and Colin not married. Catherine married to James Hull of Guysboro. Janet married to Allan Cumming, Upper Springfield. Elizabeth married to Captain MacEachern. Mary married to Mr. Hull. Jane not married.

ALLAN, son of Malcolm, married to Esther Gordon, had issue: Angus married Miss Livingstone; Alex not married; Lewis and William left home when young; Malcolm married (1) to Miss Hunter and (2) to Miss Cummings; Kate married Donald MacAulay; Janet not married; Maggie not married and Ann not married.

DOUGALD, son of Malcolm, married to Kate MacPhee had issue: John married to Mary Arbuckles; Malcolm not married (these two brothers built a vessel, but lost their property in endeavouring to fulfill their contract, and were obliged to retrieve their fortunes in another land); Ann married to Sam Grant of Pictou, carpenter; Mary married to Allan MacEachern; Catherine married to James Adams, Hillsboro, Mabou, as his first wife; Janet married to Edmund MacPhee, Barney’s River.

JOHN, son of Malcolm, lived in Prince Edward Island and was married there. MARY married to John Chisholm; JANET married to John Campbell; JESSIE married to John MacMillan.
Canadian Livingstone
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Re: Malcolm Livingstone of Pictou County Nova Scotia 1791

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi Susan,

Sorry about that. I got a Cape Breton Livington family mixed up with your family of Malcolm Livingstone. There was no land transfer in 1825 from Malcolm son of Malcolm to a brother another son of Malcolm Livingston Sr. That was another land record from another Livingston family.

Regarding whether or not Malcolm the elder had a son named Malcolma your quite right there does not seem to be any published histories of Malcolm who settled at Cape George in the early 1800's having a son named Malcolm. One of the earliest of Malcolm Livingston related records the 1794 Poll Tax record however lists two Malcolm Livingston householders are residing in the Merigomish area of Pictou County and recorded together on the list as Malcolm Livingston Snr. and Malcolm Livingston. I think that some researchers may make the assumption that they were father and son. I don't know but it looks like a father and son to me, though it is weird as I said that presumingly the elder Malcolm Livingston of the two a few years earlier in 1792 petitions the Crown for land and is referred to as Malcolm Livingston Junior. Perhaps a clerical error or quite simply there Malcolm Livingston Jr. had himself a son named Malcolm that came with him to Nova Scotia and a father back home in Argyll also named Malcolm. I don't know the 1794 Poll Tax ledger page seems to indicate what looks like a father and son named Malcolm Livingston with one referred to Malcolm Livingston with the abreviation Senr. at the end.

The next record of 1810 a land record I have not seen as a original copy or the full document and all I know is that refers to Malcolm Livingston Yeoman. So I think that one pertains to your ancestor Malcolm Livingston and not to any possible son. So the evidence is very slim that there was a son of Malcolm Livingston Sr. then because I don' think there is land petition or land record refering to a Malcolm Livingston son of Malcolm Livingston Sr. So in I guess for me and perhaps some other researcher in the past, the only notion that your ancestor Malcolm Livingston had a son also named Malcolm is that Poll Tax page for the Merogomish area which records what appears to Malcolm Livingston Sr and a son Malcolm Livingston.

Here is the original 1794 Poll Tax document with the two Malcolm Livingstons to take a look at:

http://novascotia.ca/archives/census/re ... sp?ID=1891

You have to enlarge the page to see the second entry for a Malcolm Livingston Sr. at the very bottom of the page, otherwise you just will probably see only one for some reason when I tried it. Definitely two Malcolm Livingston householders listed there for 1794 in the Merigomish area.
So far this is the only document that I have seen so far which suggests that there was a father and son. There may not be any others. You want to look the original copy of the land record from 1810 to confirm that it refers only to one Malcolm Livingston yeoman which I assume was your ancestor. I have no info for a land record in 1810 of a second Malcolm Livingston so that is probably the case. But the question still remains why would they indicate there were two Malcolm Livingstons apparently as father and son if there were not two Malcolm Livingstons. Maybe there was a son Malcolm and he died sometime between 1794 and 1810 and that would explain why he did not receive land in 1810 and thereafter when other family members did. Anyways a study of the original land records of the family when you go to Nova Scotia Archives may help to prove that this second Malcolm Livingston if he existed at all did not petition or receive land in 1810 or thereafter. I do know that he is not listed in the 1818, 1824 or 1838 Census with the other sons of your ancestor Malcolm Sr. And Malcolm Sr. himself is not listed in any of those census records so the information I am seeing that he died about 1814 is probably correct. It is all a bit confusing don't you think. Whatever the scenario regarding the two Malcolm Livingston in the 1794 Poll Tax record that resided apparently together in the Merigomish area of Pictou County it looks to me like there may be no further mention in the surviving records of a second Malcolm Livingston I think. Anyways something that can be verified in the future.

I am not certain about Colin. That was a name that was included with the others who received a land grant in 1810 or 1814 I was told but as I have not actually seen the document or a copy of it, I don't want to say with any certainty that there was a son Colin son of Malcolm who received a grant at Cape George. I will have see if I can sort that out and if any one else that I worked with on the Nova Scotia Livingston research several years can knows anything about that information regarding a Colin Livingston receiving land in the early 1800's at Cape George. Colin is another one whom does not appear in the early census records in the Cape George area so it does make you wonder.

regards,

Donald
Canadian Livingstone
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Re: Malcolm Livingstone of Pictou County Nova Scotia 1791

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi Susan,

This wikipedia information I think is the best I have seen so far that clarifies at least where Malcolm Livingston and his wife Catharine McPhee were residing in the 1780's in terms of their location a that time at the tenant settlement at Garvan along Loch Eil and Garvan's connection to Kilmallie Parish, Ardgour a District of Lochaber and the Ardnamurchan Peninsula which I have been finding somewhat confusing. Although I can't be certain where precisely Malcolm Livingston was born it may have been in this general area of Argyll, not far from the town of Fort William in neighbouring Inverness-shire I would think quite likely though probably not at Garvan.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardgour

As parts of old Kilmallie parish were both in Northern Argyll and in neighbouring Inverness-shire around the Ft. William area the old Parish church and cemetery are at Copach just a short distance from Fort William which is also in Inverness-shire. Gavan and Loch Eil if understand correct were in the part of Kilmallie parish that was considered in Argyll. All a bit confusing if you ask me. There is Lochaber Historical Society which includes both Northern Argyll and the Fort William Inverness-shire area apparently. The old parish cemetery of Kilmallie might be one place where your Livingston kin were buried and they may transcribed the gravestones from that old cemetery.

regards,

Donald
Canadian Livingstone
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Re: Malcolm Livingstone of Pictou County Nova Scotia 1791

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi Susan,

We discussed here several years ago the theory that John Livingston b. abt. 1773 who settled at Judique, Inverness County in 1803 according to his 1818 Census, said to be of the Fort William area might be related to Malcolm Livington and the Cape George Livingstons but as there was no parish records linking them I think for most the sense was that there could be a family connection but we were not 100 certain of it. Certainly what we now know of Malcolm's apparent close proximity at least in the 1780's if not before to the area a little bit west of Fort William a family connection of some sort if John is indeed from Fort William area as was said then it could well be the case. I myself am not certain one way or another. Of interest is the fact as you have mentioned that John's son born in 1803 in Nova Scotia was named Malcolm. And Judique's geographic location on the west coast of Cape Breton in relatively close relation to where Malcolm Livingston and family settled at Cape George/Livingston cove area in Antigonish County. I like this map because you can adjust the size and reduce the size to include both Livingstone Cove and Judique in nearby Inverness County.

http://roadsidethoughts.com/ns/arisaig-map.htm

regards,

Donald
Canadian Livingstone
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Re: Malcolm Livingstone of Pictou County Nova Scotia 1791

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi Susan,

I wonder if this other Malcolm Livingston husband of a Catharine Livingston of Antigonish County who died in 1866 is somehow related to you? Interesting story in the news from a while back of the discovery of a Catharine LIvingston's tombstone in a familie's garden in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia.

http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/n-s-family-d ... -1.2086485

regards,

Donald
Canadian Livingstone
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Re: Malcolm Livingstone of Pictou County Nova Scotia 1791

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi Susan,

It has been while since Nova Scotia and PEI Livingstones have visited this forum, but with the recent activity someone out there possibly related to you or to another branch of a Atlantic Canada Livingston family may see the discussions here. I very much appreciate your recent contributions to the discussions here.

If you find yourself wanting to know more about the more ancient origins of the our Maclea/Maconlea clan which later by the second half of the 18 century fully adopted the name Livingstone, you can take a look at the interesting information on the the main web page. In the 1745 Rebellion our Clan along with the Stewarts of Appin, clan Cameron, Mcinnes, Mclean Carmichaels, McColls and others in our neighbourhood of Western Argyll were ardent supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie during that 1745 Jacobite rebellion and the other previous Jacobite rebellions attempting to restore the exiled Stuarts back on the throne.

There is also info on the clan website regarding membership in our Clan Maclea Livingstone Clan Society should you be interested and about our ongoing genealogical DNA project with Familytreedna in the states and their Y Chromosome test of large number of Livingstones/Livingstons from Canada, the U.S., Australia, Scotland etc. The Y chromosome test utilizes the male Y chromosome through which one Livingstone male carries genetic information from his father and so on an so forth from generation to generation.

Several men of Nova Scotia Livingston descent have been tested over the last several years including a direct descendant of the John Livingstone who settled at Judique in 1803 according to his 1818 Census and whose family lived at Judique and nearby Port Hood. So far no descendant of Malcolm Livingston has been tested, but such a test would certainly aid in helping to verify the possible family connection between John Livingston born abt. 1773 near Fort William, Scotland and your ancestor Malcolm Livingston that you pointed out to me. I have asked and sponsored a third cousin who is a Livingston by birth some years ago to participate in the Maclea Livingstone Society DNA project and he did so as my father was not a Livingston nor am I though my father and I are descended from the eldest daughter of highland Livingstone boatbuilder Miles Livingston of Morvern Parish, Argyll.

Interestingly you are I think the first person of Cape George/Livingston Cove ANtigonish County Livinsgton descent to visit the forum as far as I can recall or to at least enter into the discussions. I am hoping that your interesting information and valued contribution to this forum will attract the attention of others of your interesting Nova Scotia Livingston ancestral line and also be of interest to all of those out there of Nova Scotia Livingstone origin.

I have been in discussion with some Livingstons in the past about trying to make contact with even more Nova Scotia and PEI Livingstons who may not be aware of the Clan Maclea Livingstone Society, their genealogy research and this Forum. There have been a few good ideas discussed on how we could interest more persons of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island origin in our Clan Society and this Forum that I think should be considered in the future as I do think that like yourself there are others out there related to Malcolm Livingstone and the other original Nova Scotia and PEI Livingstone pioneers that established themselves in Atlantic Canada about 200 years ago or more. With the recent surge in interest I think it is something worth taking a second look at. Nothing would please me more than to see a group of dedicated Livingstone family researchers with Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island roots in discussions here at the Forum once again. I think there are signs that could happen.

regards,

Donald
Canadian Livingstone
Posts: 2770
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Re: Malcolm Livingstone of Pictou County Nova Scotia 1791

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hi Susan,

There are few clues to the actual age and approximate birth date of Malcolm Livingston Jr. from his 1792 Petition. He does however speak of arriving in 1791 with Nine of his family. There could be different ways of interpreting what he meant by that but if he arrived with his large family and they his children then I would assume that he probably was not in his 20's. More likely in his 30's or 40's. My hunch is that the Malcolm Livingston married to Catherine McPhee whether referred to as Malcolm Livingston Sr or Junior in some of the early records was in his forties by the time he arrived in the year 1791. From the Scottish Kilmallie parish birth or baptismal records we know that he was probably married before 1780, probably in the 1770's and the probability is great that he had a few children born in the 1770's that I was unable to find in the Church of Scotland Argyll County parish records. I agree with the author of that early account of Malcolm Livingston that there could have been a family connection with Malcolm Livingston who was married to Catherine McPhee but if there was I think it was they were father and son. The Scottish family naming system that Scottish family genealogists often refer to when studying their families may or may not always hold true, but using that system to explain why John Livingston of Little Judique, Inverness County named his first and only son Malcolm could suggest that Malcolm Livingston born 1803 at Little Judique was named after his father's father possibly Malcolm Livingston. But I could be completely wrong.

I agree with you that there is not a lot of proof, published family account's, local history books indicating that the Malcolm Livingston married to Catharine McPhee had an older son named Malcolm Livingston who came with him to Nova Scotia in 1791, except that officials three years later in 1794 recorded two householders in the Merigomish, Pictou County area and listed them together indicating one as Malcolm Livingston Sen. and Malcolm Livingston with information recorded in an entry for each one of them. You have to enlarge it a bit to make out the abreviated form of Senior but there definitely is abreviation scrawled in pen after the name of one of the Malcolm Livingstons indicating I would presume that they were father and son and that one of the Malcolm's is one his older sons. It is quite possible this son Malcolm died young and as this is possibly the only document mentioning him if so then there could be a very plausible reason why the later author of the History of Antigonish County who researched many Antigonish families to be sure as best he could, would not have mentioned a son named Malcolm. No doubt County historians doing short brief histories of many families in a County miss some aspect, some significant detail of a pioneer family. I wish that local history and family history books were free of such problems but it has been my experience that they aren't always perfect sources and it often difficult or impossible to get them updated or corrected when new information comes to light. That is one reason why I have been sitting on several family history manuscripts for more than 10 years. I keep finding new information and in some cases errors I have made in the past that need correcting. No doubt there are few of those over the years in my forum posts.

Your research has definitely made me consider the possibility that Malcolm Livingston who married Catherine Mcphee and settled at Pictou County in 1791 and later Antigonish County, Nova Scotia was related to John Livingston b. abt. 1773 of nearby Little Judique, Cape Breton who is said to have arrived there in 1803 but my feeling in closing is that the Malcolm Livngston who was married to Catharine Mcphee which we discussed if there is a family connection would probably have been a father. That being said if that 1794 Poll Tax info is correct and there was a father and son at Merigomish area Pictou County in 1794 named Malcolm Sr and Malcolm Jr. then indeed it is possible that John Livingston of little Judique Inverness County could have had both a father and brother named Malcolm. So in the end ,interestingly enough, we both could end up be correct.

regards,

Donald
SusanJohnson
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2013 1:37 pm

Re: Malcolm Livingstone of Pictou County Nova Scotia 1791

Post by SusanJohnson »

David,

Thank you so much. You and your colleagues have been wonderful, and the information you continue to provide is invaluable to my ancestral research. I am a “newbie” per se. Learning about the complexities of the Canadian Livingstone families has been challenging and my Malcolm and his family continue to remain somewhat elusive. So much so that I’ve developed a mild obsession with them and this has resulted in the planning of my Nova Scotia adventure! I don’t know what I’ll find along the way, but whatever I learn about this mysterious family I will share with you and your colleagues.

My Livingstone ancestry is: Malcolm Livingstone > Janet Livingstone Campbell > Janet Campbell Johnston > Christina Johnston Wells > Edward M. Wells > my Mother > me.

I am also a descendant of Janet’s husband, John Campbell. Janet and John are my great-great-great grandparents.

Tracking Their Movements
I’ve tracked my Livingstone ancestors mentioned above through Nova Scotia. Their point of origin in North America seems to be Merigomish, Pictou County, NS. From Pictou they moved first to Cape George (Livingstone Cove) in Antigonish County, and then over to Cape Breton, Inverness County, which includes the communities of Judique, Port Hood, Brook Village, and Mabou. John and Janet (Livingstone) Campbell settled in Inverness County. Their children were born in the aforementioned communities. Their daughter Janet (my great-great-grandmother), was born in Mabou, NS, as was her husband, Neil Johnston. My great-grandmother, Christina Johnston, was also born in Mabou, NS.

Christina met and married Michael Wells. I don’t know where they met or how their paths crossed. Michael was born Guysborough, NS. Records show that Christina and Michael married in Gloucester, MA. They had 8 children; the first 4 born in Gloucester, MA and the remaining 4 born in Guysborough, NS (including my grandfather, Edward M. Wells), so it seems they were back and forth between Gloucester, MA and Guysborough, NS. Michael died in 1899. He is buried at St. Ann’s Cemetery in Guysborough, NS. After Michael’s death, Christina moved to Boston, MA. Christina died in 1920 and is buried in Gloucester, MA.

I think I can clear up the Allan Livingstone/Arisaig Township in Sydney County confusion. A lot of county boundary changes took place in Nova Scotia between 1784 and 1863. In 1836 Sydney County was diminished in size when Guysborough County was established out of what had been part of it. And then in 1863, the name of Sydney County was changed to Antigonish County. So Arisaig Township may have been in Sydney County at one time, but then found itself in Antigonish County where is still is; it’s 18 miles south of Livingstone Cove.

I still have a lot of unanswered questions, unsolved mysteries and a lot of area to cover! I plan to visit all of the places mentioned above, but will likely begin my research in Halifax. Vital Records is there and I have a Halifax relative that I plan to visit. She has a good collection of reference books on Nova Scotia, particularly on Pictou, Antigonish and Guysborough Counties.

Regards,
Susan
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