Nova Scotia/PEI Livingstone Research

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Jewel and Roberta,

You may already know this but Mary Ann has birth and baptismal records linking her ancestor John Hugh Livingston as the son of Duncan Livingston and Mary McDonald. She says she is not connected to the East Boston Livingston that is as you have pointed out is one of the DNA project participants. Certainly the potential Boston connection has me curious.

regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Maryann,

Thanks for that valued information on your ancestors. Did you know that at your ancestors old kate \livingston's funeral they turned the mirrors in her house during the wake facing the walls because she was thought to have been a witch with strange powers? There was some interesting folklore about Old Kate apparently.

regards,

Donald

[Roberta Ann]

Hello Maryanne;

Is this the Aunt you mentioned.

1921 Book 90 Page 17 Nova Scotia Vital Statistics

Mary Livingstone, Mull River b. May 15, 1834, d. Oct. 7, 1921. Single. Age 87 years, 4 months and 22 days. Old Age.

Daughter of John Livingstone b. Scotland and Catherine Livingstone b. Scotland.

Informant; Dougald Adams, brother-in-law, Mull River.

Mary Livingstone is buried at Hillsboro, C.B.

You mentioned Adams so I thought you might not have this info.

Regards;

Roberta

[Roberta Ann]

Hello again;

October 25, 1878, Whycocomaugh, by license. Presby.

Dougald Adams age 22 son of James and Catherine, Mabou. Married Flora Livingstone age 23 daughter of John and Catherine of Mabou.

Witnesses: Charles Cox and Maria Stewart.

Roberta

[Canadian Livingstone]

hi roberta,

so it looks as if duncan and mary of boston were not born in nova scotia and this may not be old kate's duncan.
i wonder what the birth date for boston duncan was.
regards,

Donald

[Roberta Ann]

Yes Maryanne your right about a middle name because if he was Catholic he would have to have a Saints name to get baptised and Duncan was not a Saints name. Roberta

[Roberta Ann]

Me again Maryanne, Jewel is doing yeomans service trying to track down Duncan. If you have any clues, at all, it will be helpful. Roberta

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Mary Ann,
Some of this you would have heard from Dr. St. Clair and some not.
Your ancestor John Livingston Sr. was born abt. 1773 and died around 1840. I had one obscure record stating he was buried in Mabou cemetery but no one seems to know about stone if there was one. His wife was probably Catharine Campbell: others seem to think it was Mary Campbell. As Dr. St. Clair has mentioned the family of ALexander of Whycocomagh, Cape Breton had in their possession a document from Mull Scotland stating that John and Catharine Livingston of Mull were in 1821 departing Mull for Nova Scotia. Apparently by 1824 they had taken up settlement at Mull River with other highlanders. There is some info on this Campbell family I believe as well. There are parish records from one of the Mull parishes that lists the baptisms of most of the children of John Livingston and Catharine Campbell. Among the sons listed in the baptismal records are a John, Alexander and a Colin. Now oddly enough we at the forum have identified three possible sons of John Livingston and Catharine Campbell that resided in the Mull River and neighbouring Whycocomagh area on Cape Breton apparently and they were your ancestor John Livingston Jr.of Mull River b. abt. 1800 or more likely 1808 d. 1860 who married Catharine (old kate) Livington of PEI, Alexander Livingston b.1814 of neighbouring Skye Mt. Whycocomagh who was married old Kates younger sister Annie and most recently discovered by Barry his ancestor a Colin Livingston b.abt.1816 or 1818 also of Whycocomagh but who settled in the 1860's apparently with his sons in PEI. There were obviously other children in this family I believe and the LDS records mentions a Duncan Livingston b.1799 who died in 1855 from SE Mabou which is the Mull River area. Also LDS mentions a Mary and a Ann. Sorry I cant go any farther back that John Livingston Sr. in your family tree. We have some info on him around here somewhere and in my Nova Scotia Livingston family file. Please note that this family group as I have envisioned it for old John Sr. and Catharine Campbell has not been proven it is just my theory based upon the information that Dr. St. Clair and Barry Judson has kindly shared with me regarding their Cape Breton Livingston families.
It does seems highly unlikely that Alexander Livingstons family of Whycocomagh would have in thier possession an old docment from Mull regarding John Livingston and Catharine Campbell departure from Mull to Nova Scotia unless they Alexander was connected to this family. Dr. St. Clair I told me about this document and I have a typed copy of it . I think he may have the original or at least copied the original since I have a typed copy from the original.

You probably know that Dr. St. Clairs mother attended old Kate's wake in the early 1900's.I do not have much on your ancestor Duncan other that what i have mentioned. Dr. St. Clair talked more about the old kates sons Hugh whom remained with her on the farm. I think it was at Livingston Mountain, Mull River as I recollect.

regards.

Donald

[Roberta Ann]

Good morning Maryanne;

The Gage Canadian Dictionary: Yeomans service - "extremely valuable service or assistance" origin - unknown.

Regards;

Roberta

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Mary Ann,

well the fact that Mary Ann is listed as a widow with her son in the Nova Scotia in the census of 1881 strongly suggests that her husband simply died sometime between 1874 and 1881. Also while we have easy access to detailed census records family historians in years past may not have had and years after the death of Duncan simply were ignorant of the fact that Duncan had died shortly after his marriage and another more fanciful story eventually surfaced explaining a young woman with a son and no husband shortly after her marriage. Duncan did indeed disappear from the family story but not of his own choice but through his early death and this some how turned into a mysterious disappearance story. It is not likely that the source of this tale had access to Mary's census information to offer an alternative explanation such as an early death.

regards,

Donald