The Chignecto Isthmus And Its First Settlers [36]
No mention is made of building a house for Willie, so probably there was one on the place. John and his wife lived for a time in the Scurr house, and for a time with Willie, before finally settling at Mount Whatley. Sallie married Gilbert Lawrence, of Westmoreland. It is said Sallie had an admirer who lived in Halifax, and occasionally visited Cumberland, and who in later years became a prominent official in the executive of that city.
In the early days and admirer a hundred miles distant was at a great disadvantage, and the "Fooler lad," as Sallie's mother called young Lawrence, won the prize.
Amos Fowler, of Westmoreland, or Fowler's Hill, married Miss Keillor, a sister of Mrs. Trueman. He was a Loyalist, and after living in this country some years, he visited the old home in New England, and on his return to New Brunswick brought with him his nephew, Gilbert Lawrence. After his marriage Gilbert settled at Amherst Point, and from there moved to Maccan, now called Southampton, where he was a very successful farmer for many years. He left the Maccan farm to a son a few years before his death, and bought a farm in Nappan. Here he spent the last years of his life, honored and respected for his sterling character.
CHAPTER VII
EXTRACTS FROM JOURNAL AND LETTERS.
Some extracts from the journal as a beginning to this chapter will, I hope, be interesting to some of the descendants:
"Aug. 2nd, 1802--Richard Lowerison's barn burned. "Aug. 7th--Mr. Milledge preached at church. Got upland hay all up. Have 60 tons good hay in barn and in stock. "Aug. 28th--Quarterly meeting at our house. "Sept. 10th--Mr. Albro dined at our house." (Mr. Albro was a Halifax man who traded in cattle.) "Dec. 28--John McCormick, apparently in good health, died instantly at night. "May 10th--Mr. Marsden started to-day for the Conference. "June 26th--Mr. Bent arrived at our house to-day and went over to Tantramar. "June 27th--Mr. Bent preached his first sermon in Tantramar. "May 3rd, 1803--William Bennet started for Conference. "Dec.--Mrs. McMonagle's house was drawn from the plain to Mount Whatley. "Jan. 9th, 1806--W. Wood Fillmore was married to Nancy Patterson, of Cole's Island. "April 5th, 1806--Tolar Thompson brought a large birch log across the marsh on the ice, and also a load of grain to the mill and returned the next day. "June 16th--Harmon had the old shop drawn to his house, had 17 yoke of oxen. "William Allen was buried at the churchyard at Camp Hill, attended by a large concourse of people. Mr. Mitchell preached the sermon. "Nov. 29th--Mr. Roach lost his vessel; the Capt. and two men were drowned; 515 firkins of butter saved. "Jan. 12th, 1806--This day Wm. McKenzie was found dead, sitting in his chair, supposed to be frozen to death. "June 3rd, 1808--Wm. Black came to our house and Mrs. Black and son, Martin Gay. Mr. Black preached at Stone Chapel.
In February of same year, "Mr. Foster came to mill in a cart and John Patterson from Cole's Island with a sled." "Jan. 19th, 1808--Mr. Bamford moved to our house. "Jan. 25th--A meeting to confer about the Byto*; nothing was done." "Jan. 3rd, 1809--Martin Black married to Fanny Smith."
[FOOTNOTE: *This, I suppose, was the aboideau that had to be abandoned, to which reference has been made. END OF FOOTNOTE]
On the 8th of that month "William Black preached at Sackville, and on the 11th at Mr. Roach's in Lawrence; on the 16th William Black started for Halifax." "Feb. 23rd, 1809--Went to the Supreme Court. "Feb. 29th, 1810--Mrs. Roach, of Fort Lawrence, died to-day after a short sickness. Rev. Mr. Knowlton preached the funeral sermon from Psalms; a very solemn time; about five hundred people present. "In June, 1811, Robert Bryce purchased a lot of cattle and some butter in Cumberland. "June 28th--Went to Bay Verte with a drove of cattle and some sheep, put 32 cattle and 116 sheep on board vessel for Newfoundland. "July 8th--Started ten oxen for Halifax. John Trueman raising his house and barn, July 6th, 1811. "July 24th--Pulled the old mill down. A son of John Harper's was badly