the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers- 第31部分

Henry　Davis　was　a　miller；　and　settled　first　in　Amherst。　One　of　his　sons；　T。　T。　Davis；　is　a　professor　in　a　western　College。　The　other　sons　of　Daniel　Davis　were　farmers；　two　of　whom　remained　at　the　old　home　in　Shemogue；　where　some　of　their　descendants　still　live。

John　Woods　was　another　of　the　early　emigrants　who　found　his　way　to　Prospect。　He　was　a　Manxman。　After　a　time　he　bought　a　farm　at　Tidnish；　N。S。；　and　subsequently　moved　to　the　Gulf　Shore；　Wallace。　Mr。　Woods　visited　Prospect　Farm　in　the　seventies；　and　was　greatly　delighted　to　see　the　old　place　again。

Samson　Clark　was　also　a　member　of　the　family　for　a　time。　He　was　a　brother　of　the　late　Alexander　Clark；　D。D。　When　he　left　Prospect　he　located　on　a　farm　on　what　he　called　the　〃Roadside；〃　back　of　Amherst；　N。S。；　now　Salem。　Samson；　although　a　strong　man　physically；　and　with　plenty　of　brains；　did　not　make　life　a　success。　He　became　blind　in　his　later　years；　and　never　prospered　financially。　Politically　Mr。　Clark　would　stand　for　a　countryman　of　his　who；　when　asked　soon　after　landing　in　America　what　his　politics　were；　answered；　〃Is　there　a　government　here？〃　He　was　told　that　there　was。　〃Then；〃　said　he；　〃I'm　ag'in　the　government。〃

Isaac　Vandegrift　came　from　Halifax　to　Point　de　Bute。　His　mother　was　a　widow。　He　married　Miriam　Smith；　from　Sackville；　and　the　ceremony　took　place　at　the　〃Brick　House；〃　Prospect。　Isaac　settled　at　Hall's　Hill；　but　afterward　moved　back　to　Point　de　Bute。　He　was　an　excellent　ploughman；　and　was　one　of　the　drovers　north　when　the　Richibucto　and　Miramichi　markets　were　supplied　with　beef　from　the　Westmoreland　marshes。　He　contracted　consumption　and　died　comparatively　young。　Mrs。　Edward　Jones；　of　Point　de　Bute；　is　the　only　one　of　his　five　children　now　living。

A　family　named　Ireland　came　to　Prospect　early　in　the　centry；　and　Mr。　Trueman　took　some　trouble　in　assisting　Mr。　Ireland　to　locate。　These　entries　are　found　in　the　journal：　〃May；　1811Robert　goes　to　Amherst　for　Mr。　Ireland's　goods；〃　and；　later；　Mr。　Trueman　〃goes　with　Mr。　Ireland　and　Amos　Fowler　to　Westcock　for　advice。〃　Mr。　Ireland　moved　to　King's　County；　where　he　farmed　for　a　time。　Later　he　went　to　Ontario。　The　late　Hon。　George　Ryan；　when　at　Ottawa；　met　some　members　of　the　Ireland　family　and　renewed　old　acquaintanceship　after　a　separation　of　forty　years。

COLPITTS。

Extracts　from　the　historical　paper　read　at　the　re…union　of　the　Colpitts　family　in　Coverdale；　Albert　County；　Sept。　6th；　1900：

〃In　the　spring　of　1783；　immediately　after　the　close　of　the　Revolutionary　War；　there　came　to　Halifax；　from　Newcastle…on…Tyne；　England；　a　tall；　stalwart　Englishman　with　his　wife　and　family　of　seven　children。　The　name　of　the　man　was　Robert　Colpitts；　as　far　as　we　know　the　only　one　of　the　name　to　come　out　from　the　Mother　Country；　and　the　progenitor　of　all　on　this　side　of　the　Atlantic　who　bear　the　name。　What　his　occupation　or　position　in　society　was　before　his　emigration　we　can　only　conjecture。　Strange　to　say；　there　does　not　exist　a　scrap　of　writing　which　throws　any　light　on　these　questions；　and　tradition　is　almost　equally　at　fault。　Later　in　life　Robert　Colpitts　was　a　captain　of　militia；　and　it　is　thought　he　had　some　connection　with　the　army　before　his　emigration。　Whatever　his　occupation　was　he　must　have　been　possessed　of　some　means；　as　among　the　articles　brought　from　England　were　things　which　would　be　counted　as　luxuries　rather　than　necessities　for　a　new　settler　among　the　wilds　of　New　Brunswick。　For　instance；　among　these　articles　were　three　large　clocks。

〃Tradition　says　that　this　was　not　his　first　visit　to　Canada。　Before　the　outbreak　of　the　American　Revolution　he　had　been　over；　it　is　believed；　in　connection　with　a　survey　of　the　Bay　of　Fundy。　At　this　time　he　had　made　a　small　clearing　on　what　is　now　the　Charles　Trites'　farm；　in　Coverdale；　and　put　up　a　small　cabin　on　the　place。　He　then　returned　to　Newcastle…on…Tyne；　and　closed　up　his　business　with　the　expectation　of　returning　with　his　family。　In　the　meantime　the　war　between　England　and　her　American　colonies　had　broken　out；　and　he　could　not　reach　Nova　Scotia　until　the　trouble　was　settled；　which　was　not　for　seven　years。　For　a　part　of　this　time　the　family　had　charge　of　a　toll　bridge　near　Newcastle。　The　following　incident　is　declared　to　have　actually　occurred　while　they　were　keeping　the　toll　bridge。　A　large　man；　riding　a　very　small　donkey；　one　day　came　up　to　the　bridge　and　asked　the　amount　of　the　toll。　The　charge　was　more　than　he　felt　inclined　to　pay；　so　he　asked　what　would　it　be　for　a　man　with　a　load。　Finding　that　it　was　considerably　less　he　at　once　laid　down　the　smaller　sum；　picked　up　the　donkey　in　his　arms；　and　walked　over　the　bridge。　From　Halifax　Mr。　Colpitts　and　the　two　oldest　boys　made　their　way　overland；　walking　the　most　of　the　way　from　there　to　Moncton；　while　the　others　came　in　a　vessel　soon　afterwards。　When　they　reached　Coverdale　the　land　he　had　improved　had　been　pre…empted；　and　Mr。　Colpitts　had　to　push　on。　He　settled　at　Little　River；　five　miles　from　its　mouth。〃

The　writer；　after　giving　a　fuller　account　of　the　family；　says：　〃It　is；　we　freely　confess；　the　history　of　a　race　of　humble　farmers；　and　such；　for　the　most　part；　have　been　their　descendants；　no　one　of　the　name　has　yet　occupied　a　prominent　place　in　the　public　life　of　our　country。　But　the　name　has　always　been　an　honorable　one；　and　those　who　have　borne　it　have　been；　with　few　exceptions；　honest；　God…fearing；　God…honoring　men　and　women。〃

Mr。　James　Colpitts；　of　Point　de　Bute；　is　a　great…grandson　of　Mr。　Robert　Colpitts。

MONRO。

Alexander　Monro　was　born　in　Banff；　Scotland。　His　father；　John　Monro；　and　family　came　from　Aberdeen　to　Miramichi；　New　Brunswick；　in　1815。　He　remained　in　Miramichi　three　years　and　then　moved　to　Bay　Verte。　The　next　move　was　to　Mount　Whatley；　and；　after　a　few　years　stay　there；　Mr。　Monro　purchased　a　wilderness　lot　on　Bay　Verte　Road；　to　which　they　removed；　and　after　years　of　strenuous　labor　made　for　themselves　a　comfortable　home。

It　was　from　Mr。　Robert　King；　school　masterreferred　to　in　another　part　of　this　bookthat　the　son；　Alexander　Monro；　received　the　inspiration　and　training　that　started　him　on　the　road　to　success　in　life。　His　biographer　says：　〃When　he　was　twenty…one　years　of　age　a　Mr。　Robert　King　came　into　the　district　to　take　charge　of　the　school；　and　under　his　care　young　Monro　studied　in　the　winter　evenings　geometry；　algebra　and　land　surveying。　Mr。　King　possessed　a　surveying　compass；　and　gave　him　practical　instruction　in　land　surveying；　leading　him　to　decide　to　follow　that　business。

Mr。　Monro　obtained　a　recommendation　from　Dr。　Smith；　of　Fort　Cumberland；　and　others；　and　in　the　year　1837　went　to　Fredericton　to　obtain　an　appointment　from　the　Hon。　Thomas　Baillie；　then　Surveyor…General　of　the　Province。　Mr。　Baillie　complimented　him　on　his　attainments；　but　refused　to　appoint　him　to　the　office。　When　Mr。　Monro　got　back　to　St。　John　he　had　but　two　shillings　in　his　pocket；　and　with　this　meagre　sum　he　started　on　foot　for　home。　Before　he　had　gone　far　he　found　a　job　of　masonry　work　and　earned　fifteen　shillings。　With　this　money　he　returned　to　St。　John；　and　purchased　Gibson's　〃Land　Surveying〃　and　some　cakes　for　lunch；　and　set　out　again　for　Westmoreland。　On　the　way　he　worked　a　day　at　digging　potatoes；　for　which　he　received　two　shillings；　and　later　on　built　a　chimney　and　was　paid　two　pounds。

The　next　year　Mr。　Monro　received　the　appointment　of　Deputy　Crown　Land　Surveyor。　In　1848　he　was　made　a　Justice　of　the　Peace；　and　was　the　surveyor　to　run　the　boundary　line　between　Nova　Scotia　and　New　Brunswick。　He　was　the　author　of　a　number　of　works；　one　on　Land　Surveying；　also　one　on　the　〃History；　Geography　and　Productions　of　New　Brunswick；　Nova　Scotia　and　Prince　Edward　Island。〃　For　a　number　of　years　he　edited　an　educational　monthly　magazine　called　the　PARISH　SCHOOL　ADVOCATE。　His　biographer　adds：　〃Such　is　the　life　and　labors　of　one　of　our　foremost　and　most　useful　citizens；　and　if　there　is　a　moral　to　be　read　from　it；　it　is　this；　that　to　make　a　man　of　cultured　tastes；　a　student；　a　scholar　and　a　publicist　of　acknowledged　rank　and　value　in　the　country；　universities　with　their　libraries　and　endowments　are　not　absolutely　necessary；　social　position；　influential　connection　and　wealth　are　not　necessary。　Without　such　adventitious　aids；　what　is　wanted　is　a　native　taste　for　research　and　inquiry；　and　a　determination　of　character　superior　to　environment。〃

PALMERKNAPP。

The　Palmers　and　Knapps　were　Loyalists。　C。　E。　Knapp；　a　grandson　of　Loyalist　Knapp；　writes：　〃The　largest　part　of　Staten　Island；　New　York；　should　have　been　the　possession　of　the　Palmers　of　Westmoreland。　Their　ancestor；　John　Palmer；　who　was　by　profession　a　lawyer；　moved　from　New　York　to　Staten　Island。　He　had　been　appointed　one　of　the　first　judges　of　the　New　York　Court　of　Oyer　and　Terminer。　He　was　also　a　member　of　the　Governor's　Council；　and　afterwards　Sheriff。　When　the　Revolutionary　War　broke　out　his　son　Gideon　held　the　commission　of　captain　in　Delancy's　Rangers；　and　when　the　war　terminated　he；　in　common　with　the　other　Loyalists；　had　to　leave　the　country。〃

Together　with　his　brother…in…arms；　Titus　Knapp；　John　Palmer　found　a　new　home　at　Old　Fort　Cumberland；　where　they　commenced　business　as　general　traders。　They　purchased　adjoining　farms；　and　these　still　go　by　the　name　of　the　〃Knapp　and　Palmer　farms。〃　Mr。　Palmer　afterwards　moved　to　Dorchester　Cape；　induced　to　do　so　because　it　reminded　him　of　his　old　home　in　New　York。　Palmer　and　Knapp　must　have　found　their　loyalty　expensive；　as　their　confiscated　property　is　now　worth　untold　millions。　In　Mr。　Knapp's　case　it　was　not　so　bad；　as　his　property　went　to　his　half…brother；　who；　fortunately　for　him；　was　a　Quaker　and　did　not　〃fight。〃

The　Palmers　have　taken　a　prominent　place　in　the　history　of　New　Brunswick。　Mr。　Gideon　Palmer；　a　son　of　Gideon　（first）；　was　one　of　the　successful　shipbuilders　of　Dorchester　in　the　fifties；　and　Philip；　another　son；　was　for　some　years　a　member　of　the　New　Brunswick　Legislature。　The　late　Judge　Palmer；　of　St。　John；　was　a　son　of　Philip　Palmer。

Charles　E。　Knapp；　barrister；　of　Dorchester；　is　clerk　of　the　Probate　Courty；　and　one　of　the　oldest　practising　lawyers　of　Westmoreland。　Mr。　Titus　Knapp　represented　the　county　for　some　time　in　the　Legislature　of　New　Brunswick；　and　for　many　years　did　a　large　trading　busin