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The Chignecto Isthmus And Its First Settlers [62]

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business for the space of about twelve years with success. At the age of thirty-one I married Susanna Coates, by whom have had one son and four daughters." Three more children were added to Mr. Dixon's family, and in 1891 his descendants in America numbered 2,807, of whom 2,067 were living and 740 had died.

Charles Dixon settled in Sackville, N.B., and very soon became one of the leading men in that community. He was a zealous Methodist; his biographer says: "His house was a home for the early Methodist preachers, to whom he always gave a warm and hearty welcome." Mr. Dixon was one of the members who took an active part in the erection of the first Methodist church in Sackville, while he and his neighbor, William Cornforth, whose land adjoined, jointly set apart about four acres of land for a Methodist parsonage. One of the latest of his efforts at writing contained instructions to his executors to sell certain articles of his personal property to assist in furnishing the Methodist parsonage.

There are not many of the Dixon name now living in Sackville. The boys of the families have had a tendency to seek wider fields for the exercise of their energies. The late James Dixon, of Sackville, the historian of the family, was a man of strong character and more than ordinary ability.

William Coates Dixon married Mary J. Trueman in 1841, and resided in Sackville until the death of Mrs. Dixon, which took place in 1844. Subsequently he married Harriet E. Arnold and settled on a farm at Maidstone, Essex County, Ontario. James Dixon, in his "History of the Dixons," published in 1892, says of William Dixon: "He is still active and vigorous, capable of much physical exertion, and has an excellent memory, is a diligent reader, with a decided preference for poetical works, and employs some of his leisure hours in writing poetic effusions, a talent which only developed itself when its possessor had nearly reached his three score years and ten." We have not heard that Mr. Dixon has lost any of his vigor since the above was written, and understand he expects to round out the hundred.

PRESCOTT.

The Prescotts were originally from Lancashire, and descended from Sir James Prescott, of Derby, in Lincolnshire. John and his wife, Mary, came from England to Boston in the year 1640. Jonathan Prescott, their great-grandson, was a surgeon and captain of engineers at the siege of Louisbourg, in 1745. After the fall of Louisbourg he retired from the army and settled in Nova Scotia. He did a mercantile business in Halifax, and owned property in Chester and Lunenburg, where he built mills. "The Indians twice burnt his house in Lunenburg County.' Mr. Prescott died in Chester, in 1806, and his widow in Halifax, in 1810. His son, Hon. Charles Ramage Prescott, was a prominent merchant of Halifax, but on account of failing health and to get rid of the fog moved to King's County, N.S. He lived for years at Town Plot, where his beautiful place, called "Acadia Villa," was situated. He was twice married. His first wife was Hannah Widden. The late Charles T. Prescott, of Bay Verte, was his youngest son by his second wife, Maria Hammill. Mr. Charles Prescott married Matilda E. Madden, April 30. William, Robert and Joseph, of Bay Verte, are sons of Charles T. Prescott. William married Mary Trueman, of Point de Bute.

PRINCE*

[FOOTNOTE: *Rev. John Prince was a respected minister of the Methodist Church. He joined the Church in Point de Bute and commenced his ministry there. END OF FOOTNOTE]

"Moncton, March 9th, 1899.

"Dear Mr. Trueman:

"I have just received your card requesting information respecting my family. In answer I may say that my late father was a native of North Yarmouth, near the city of Portland, United States. He emigrated to this country in the year 1813, located in Moncton, and was engaged in mercantile pursuits until the time of his death in 1851, paying one hundred cents on the dollar. After taking the oath of allegiance he was appointed a magistrate, the duties of which he discharged with great fidelity until the time
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