the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第37节

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ter　his　death　to　an　Englishman　named　Merrill。　From　this　union　came　the　Merrills　of　Sackville；　a　name　quite　common　in　that　parish　seventy…five　years　ago；　but　now　extinct。

Jonathan　Ward　married；　as　his　second　wife；　Tabitha　…；　a　young　woman　who　accompanied　his　first　wife　when　she　left　her　home　in　New　Haven。　They　settled　in　Upper　Point　de　Bute；　and　lived　to　a　great　age；　Mr。　Ward　being　ninety…six　at　his　death。　Stephen；　the　only　son；　inherited　the　home　place　and　married　a　Miss　Folsom。　The　Folsoms　were　from　New　York；　and　one　of　them　came　to　Prince　Edward　Island　to　attend　to　business　for　the　firm。　While　there　he　married。　Soon　after　this　event　Mr。　Folsom　seems　to　have　been　caught　by　the　land　craze　that　few　men　escaped　at　that　date；　and　got　a　large　grant　of　land　in　Antigonishe　County；　Nova　Scotia。　Before　they　got　fairly　settled　in　their　new　home；　Mrs。　Folsom　died；　leaving　a　daughter。　Mr。　Folsom　soon　after　left　his　grant　of　land　and　with　his　little　daughter　came　to　Fort　Cumberland。　Leaving　her　with　friends　he　went　away　and　was　never　heard　of　again。　It　was　supposed　he　was　lost　at　sea。

The　Wards　were　originally　from　Wales。　Of　Stephen　Ward's　family；　Henry　and　William　settled　at　Point　de　Bute；　and　Nathaniel　at　Wood　Point；　N。B。

DICKSON。

Major　Thomas　Dickson；　the　first　of　the　name　on　the　Isthmus；　was　one　of　the　New　England　soldiers　present　at　the　taking　of　Fort　Beausejour　in　1755。　The　family　were　originally　from　the　north　of　Ireland；　and　emigrated　to　the　old　colonies。

Major　Dickson　served　under　General　Amherst；　and　his　family　had　in　their　possession　up　to　a　few　years　ago　a　document　in　which　General　Amherst　commissioned　Major　Dickson　to　do　certain　work　that　necessitated　great　risk　and　skill　if　it　were　to　be　successful。

Thomas　Dickson's　name　is　on　the　list　of　the　first　grantees　of　Cumberland　Township；　and　he　received　a　grant　of　a　large　block　of　land　about　a　mile　above　Point　de　Bute　Corner；　on　which　he　afterward　settled。　He　married　a　Miss　Wethered；　and　had　a　family　of　ten　childrenJames；　Dalton；　Thomas；　Charles；　John；　Robert；　Nancy；　Mary；　Sarah；　and　Catherine。　Mary　married　a　Mr。　Harper；　Nancy　a　Mr。　Gleanie；　Sarah　a　brother　of　Col。　John　Allan；　and　after　his　death　Thomas　Roach；　Esq。；　of　Fort　Lawrence；　James　married　Susanna　Dickson；　and　remained　on　the　homestead。　Of　the　other　sons；　Thomas　Law　settled　in　Amherst　and　represented　the　county　for　some　years　in　the　Provincial　Legislature；　Robert；　Charles　and　John　entered　the　British　navy。　John　was　shot　in　an　engagement　in　the　English　Channel。　Robert　was　drowned　in　Shelburne　Harbor。　His　vessel　was　lying　in　the　stream；　and　he；　while　in　the　town；　laid　a　wager　that　he　could　swim　to　the　ship。　He　attempted　it；　but　lost　his　life　in　the　effort。　Charles　left　the　navy　and　settled　in　Machias；　where　he　left　a　large　family。

Shortly　before　the　capture　of　Quebec；　Major　Dickson　was　sent　out　from　Fort　Cumberland　to　disperse　a　band　of　Acadians　who　had　been　reported　by　one　of　their　number　as　camping　near　the　Jolicure　Lakes　with　the　object　of　raiding　the　settlers。　The　Major　with　his　men　started　out　in　pursuit；　the　Frenchman　acting　as　guide。　The　camp　was　found　deserted；　and　the　party　started　on　the　return　home。　When　they　reached　the　Le　Coup　stream；　an　affluent　of　the　Aulac；　they　found　the　tide　had　risen　so　much　that　they　were　unable　to　proceed　farther　in　that　direction；　so　turning　to　the　left；　they　followed　the　main　stream　to　where　there　was　a　crossing。　While　preparing　to　ford　the　stream　they　were　suddenly　fired　upon　by　the　Acadians；　who　were　in　hiding　behind　the　dyke。　All　the　party　were　killed　save　Major　Dickson　and　the　Acadian　guide。　Both　were　made　prisoners；　and　as　soon　as　the　woods　was　reached　the　Acadian　was　scalped　and　the　Englishman　was　told　that　he　〃must　walk　alone。〃

Then　starting　north　they　made　only　necessary　stops　until　they　reached　Three　Rivers；　in　Quebec。　Here　the　Major　was　handed　over　to　the　French　officer　in　charge　at　that　place；　and　was　put　under　guard；　but　treated　well；　as　had　been　the　case　on　the　journey　from　Nova　Scotia。　Possibly　roasted　muskrat　would　not　be　considered　an　appetizing　diet；　but　the　major　found　it　kept　away　hunger；　and　that　was　no　small　consideration　in　a　journey　of　five　hundred　miles　without　a　commissariat　department。

The　prisoner　had　not　been　many　days　at　Three　Rivers　when　he　received　word　that　Quebec　had　been　taken　by　the　English；　and　he　was　again　a　free　man。　He　soon　made　his　way　back　to　Fort　Cumberland；　and　was　present　at　the　defence　of　the　fort　during　the　attack　of　the　Eddy　rebels　and　did　good　service　on　that　day。

The　Dicksons　were　men　who　thought　for　themselves。　James；　a　son　of　the　first　James；　was　a　teacher　for　a　time；　and　in　his　later　years　did　all　the　conveyancing　in　the　neighborhood；　such　as　the　writing　of　deeds　and　wills。　He　was　an　omnivorous　reader；　and；　like　Silas　Wegg；　was　inclined　to　〃drop　into　poetry。〃　Some　of　his　efforts　in　this　direction　on　local　happening　caught　the　ear　and　had　the　ring　that　stirred　the　emotions。　Titus；　the　only　grandson　of　the　major；　lives　on　the　old　farm；　and　though　eighty…three　years　of　age；　is　still　vigorous　in　mind。　The　writer　is　indebted　to　him　for　some　of　the　facts　given　in　this　sketch。

ATKINSON。

There　were　two　Atkinson　families　that　came　to　Nova　Scotia　about　the　year　1774；　one　from　Middlesex；　the　other　from　Yorkshire。

The　Middlesex　family　settled　in　Fort　Lawrence。　Capt。　S。　B。　Atkinson；　a　descendant　of　this　family；　writes：　〃My　great…grandfather　was　a　man　of　considerable　substance　in　the　County　of　Middlesex；　England；　known　as　gentleman　farmer；　and　dubbed　〃Esquire。〃　The　tradition　is　he　married　a　Lord's　daughter；　whose　title　would　be　Lady　…；　and　as　her　family　would　not　recognize　either　her　or　her　husband；　they　left　the　country　in　disgust。〃

Mr。　Atkinson　came　to　Nova　Scotia　alone　in　1774；　and　prospected　the　province。　It　was　a　beautiful　summer　and　autumn；　and　he　was　delighted　with　the　country。　After　securing　a　grant　of　land　in　Fort　Lawrence；　in　the　old　Township　of　Cumberland；　he　returned　to　England　and　made　arrangements　to　move　his　family　to　his　new　domain　the　following　spring。　To　accomplish　this　he　chartered　the　good　ship　ARETHUSA；　and　put　on　board　of　her　his　family　and　farm　tenants；　all　of　his　belongings；　household　goods；　and　farming　utensils；　and　after　his　safe　arrival　in　Nova　Scotia；　located　on　what　is　now　known　as　the　Torry　Bent　farm。

Capt。　Atkinson；　in　his　letter；　gives　some　interesting　information　relative　to　the　family　after　settling　in　this　country。　He　says：　〃My　grand…father's　name　was　Robert。　He　was　the　sailor　of　the　family。　He　served　his　apprenticeship　to　the　sea　out　of　England；　and　followed　his　father　to　America；　sailing　as　master　prior　to　1800。〃　His　wife　was　Sarah；　daughter　of　Obediah　Ayer；　generally　known　as　Commodore　Ayer；　noted　Yankee　rebel；　one　of　two　brothers　from　Massachusetts。

Mr。　Ayer　held　an　officer's　commission　in　Washington's　army　in　1776　and　was　also　Commodore　of　a　privateer　out　of　Boston　in　1812。　In　consideration　of　his　service　in　the　war　of　1776；　the　United　States　Government　gave　him　a　grant　of　land　in　Ohio；　at　that　time　one　of　the　territories。　Some　years　ago　his　heirs　undertook　to　look　up　the　records；　but　found　they　had　been　burned　in　the　Capitol　during　the　War　of　1812。　〃Only　for　that　little　incident；〃　Capt。　Atkinson　says；　〃I　might　have　owned　the　site　where　Cleveland　now　stands　or　otherwiseprobably　otherwise。〃

For　services　in　1812　Commodore　Ayer　was　granted　a　pension；　but　died　before　any　payments　were　made　to　him。　His　nearest　connections；　however；　received　two　hundred　dollars　a　year　as　long　they　lived　（sic）。

Capt。　Robert　Atkinson　sailed　his　last　voyage；　from　Kingston　to　Jamaica；　in　1804；　and　died　at　that　port　of　yellow　fever。　His　widow　returned　to　Sackville；　leaving　her　son　Edwin；　their　only　child；　with　his　grandfather　in　Fort　Lawrence；　where　he　remained　until　he　was　twenty…one　years　of　age。

Mr。　Atkinson　had　three　sons　besides　Robert；　who　lived　with　him　in　Fort　Lawrence。　Thomas　moved　to　Kent　County；　where　his　descendants　still　live。　William　and　John　remained　in　Fort　Lawrence；　and　the　Atkinsons　there　now　are　descended　from　these　brothers。　Capt。　Stephen　Atkinson；　from　whom　most　of　the　information　about　the　family　has　been　obtained；　is　a　master　mariner；　and　has　commanded　some　fine　ships　in　his　day。　He　has　now　given　up　the　sea　and　spends　a　part　of　his　time　in　Sackville。

The　Atkinson　family　from　Yorkshire　settled　first　at　River　Hebert；　Cumberland　County；　N。S。　Robert　was　the　founder　of　the　family。　He　did　not　remain　in　River　Hebert　for　any　length　of　time；　but　purchased　a　farm　in　Sackville；　and　moved　his　family　there。　This　farm　was　afterwards　sold　by　his　son　Christopher；　and　is　now　the　site　of　the　Mount　Allison　educational　institutions。

Robert　was　married　and　had　three　children　when　he　came　to　Nova　Scotia。　He　was　twice　married；　and　was　the　father　of　fourteen　children。　Thomas；　Christopher；　Elizabeth；　Sallie；　Joseph；　Robert；　William；　John　and　Stephen　were　the　names　of　the　first　family。　Several　of　the　sons　settled　in　Sackville。　Christopher；　after　selling　his　property　in　Sackville；　purchased　a　farm　in　Point　de　Bute；　and　moved　to　that　place。　He　had　a　large　family　of　boys。　Robert　（second）　moved　to　Shediac。　One　brother　went　to　the　United　States　and　joined　the　Latter…Day　Saints。　Joseph　married　An