Cape Breton Genealogy & Historical Association

[Jewel]

Hello,

I have received notification of my membership to N.S.C.B. A. this evening. I'm not familiar with the site yet, but wanted to let you know that I 'm willing to make an attempt at helping other's.
Donald I know you had mentioned a need for information of a Colin Livingstone, but don't remember what records you were interested in. Let me know the specific's of your information and I will see what I can find. They have a great deal of files such as census starting in1817 for various areas, some very early parish records but not for all areas, maybe it would help if some of you would take a look on their site to see what their holdings are so you could be specific as to what area you are interested in. I don't think I can do a simple search for a surname for all of their records, so I will have to go through each database to find a particuliar name.

While browseing the parish records I did come across a couple of marriages of my GGGGrandmother's (Christie McPhee Livingstone) sisters which took place in 1808 and 1810 so that was fun.

Regards,
Jewel

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Jewel,
Happy to hear your now a member. Yes I will take another look at their website. Seeing as so many of us have Cape Breton roots I thought it wise that someone from the society with Cape Breton origins act as a liason person with the Society perhaps, letting them know we are interested in any Livingstone related information of contacts they may have in Cape Breton. Thank you for your kind assistance on this one. Perhaps if you wouldnt mind keeping us posted if you see anything of a Livingston nature worth noting.
For the moment we are looking for information on an entry which stated Colleen Livingston or Livingstone of Whycocomagh 1861 Census Whycocomagh, Cape Breton a page number in the census and the source of that information. Apparently Colin was mispelled by someone. I am not certain that Colin or Coleen Livingston is actually in the 1861 census so I am hoping to prove of disprove this. This would be Barry Judson's ancestor that purchased the land in Kings County PEI later in the 1860's. Apparently there is some mention of it in the Cape Breton Society records. I actually think I quickly looked through this census at our library and found the individual pages poorly indentified towns and villages so I could have missed any Livingstons that were listed in it. I will take a look again eventually just be sure, but in the mean time if you could sort out that Colleen or COleen Livingston entry for Whycocomagh that would be fantastic.

I guess the first thing would be cemetery info. As far as Barry and the families at Mull River and neighbouring Whycocomagh they are buried in the cemeteries listed at Mabou and at Whycocomagh. In particular I am looking for old Kate Catharine Livingston of Mull RIver b. abt. 1807 died 1912 or something like that and Alexander Livingston b. 1815 I think of Whycocmagh and his wife Annie. Make note of any pioneer Livingston tombstone for a John Livingstone Jr.born abt. 1800 or 1808 died abt. 1860 husband of old Kate. I am curious if old kate is buried by husband. Also John's father John Livingston sr. who died in 1840 or 1848 who married Catharine Campbell . THose latter stones are likely long gone in a Mabou area cemetery but thought I woul check anyways.
The cemetery at Whycocomagh is Stewartdale I believe. I did not notice info on Low Point area cemeteries for your kin but they could be there also if I knew where to look.
regards,

Donald

regards,

Donald

[Roberta Ann]

Hi Donald;

St. Alphonsus Cemetery -- Low Point, Cape Breton

Livingstone - Side 1 - Annie Marie - daughter of Daniel and Annie Livingstone - born Oct. 21, 1876 - died Dec. 21, 1878.

Side 2 - In memory of Daniel D. livingstone - born April 19, 1837 - died Feb. 23, 1906 - aged 71 years.*1

Levingston - In memory of Ann - beloved wife of John Levingstone - Died Mar 19, 1882 aged 73 years.*2

Ratchford - Annie - died sept 1898 aged 82 years - beloved wife of John.*3

Livingstone - in memory of Daniel Livingstone - 1821 - 1913 -- his wife Margaret Walsh - 1833 - 1908.*4

I will "note" the * later.

*1 2nd wife - Annie Carlin - of Donald/Daniel son of John Livingstone and Ann McGillivray.

*2 Ann McGillivray

*3 Daughter of John Livingstone and Ann McGillivray.

*4 Donald/Daniel son of John Livingstone and Christy McPhee.

All of the above are our ancestors.

Regards;

Roberta

[Jewel]

Hello Donald,

Well lets start with the 1861 census for Whycocomagh. This is a transcription of Head of households,taken from the National Archives Microfilm M876, no page #or district given.

Collen Livingston 4 males and 3 females

Alexander Livingstone 5 males and 2 females

Malcolm Livingstone 1 male and 5 females

For the Stewartdale Cemetery in Whycocomagh

Alex Livingstone b.1899 d. 1975 (330 C)
Aunt " no dates (330F)
Family " no info (330A)
Father " no info (330D)
J. Agnes " b. 1904 d.2001 (330B)
Mother " no info (330E)
There were pictures of the above headstones but dates were unreadable.

Malcolm Livingstone 1896-1935
Father " 1862-1939
Mother " no dates
Margaret " no dates
Mae " no dates


Thats all for now,
Jewel

[Roberta Ann]

Hi Donald;

I spoke with Jane Lindsay of California, I believe it was 2003. Jane visited St. Alphonsus Cemetery and told me she saw our Livingstone headstones leaning-up against the fence. She believed that the area was going to be developed - housing maybe.

Regards;

Roberta

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Jewel,
THank-you for that. I am going to check our library to confirm we have that census and will go through that census again, but I cant imagine they would conjure up a wierd spelling for Colin Livingstone like that if he was not in the census. Also only someone who had gone through the actuall census would find that there was ALexander and Colin at Whycocomagh. The Malcolm is John Livingston and Isabella MacDonald's son. He lived at Judique and later Port Hood and was born in the early 1800's. I found him in the 1871 Cape Breton Census. I think he died before the 1881 Census as I recall. It may be that the Malcolm Livingston error is right in the census itself. I wont know till I go through the original census on microfilm.

I could not figure out Malcolm in the 1861 Census for WHycocomagh so I think that is old Malcolm Livingston son of old John Livingston of Judique by mistake. If you were draw a map of the area you would Malcolm of Judique or Port Hood on the coast of iNverness county and farther inward at Whycocomagh Alexander and his brother COlin. THere was a John Livingston Jr husband of old Kate 1807-1912 but he apparently died in 1860 as I recall so that must be why he is not listed in 1861 Census. I am pretty sure I a m right about this Whycocomagh and Mull RIver are Cape Breton specialties.

regards.

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

HI Roberta,

Thanks for your Low Point Ancestors cemetery information. Sorry to hear about the unfortunate current situation of the cemetery stones. It is sad story of many old pioneer cemeteries that suffer years of neglect and abuse or are removed to make way for a parking lot.

regards,

Donald

[Jewel]

Hello Donald,

Just found this and thought it might be of help to you, as usual I don't understand very much about the different areas in Cape Breton, but I have come across a couple of Livingstone land grant indexes, and also a lengthy list of Squatters in Inverness County. There was a lengthy article explaining "Squatters" if you are interested. But one of the things stated is that it does not always have a negative meaning.

A transcription of a list of Squatters from the Colonial Government Journals for 1854.

In the year 1854 there was a very long list of Squatters compiled for the County of Inverness. For the area stated as "Both sides of the Head of the South East River, Mabou" there was a "John Levenston" listed. From a list of over 600 names this is the only one listed close to the name Livingstone.

As I said there was a lengthy article with this list explaining what squatters were and what took place in order to get grants to some of these squatters.


Found some index lists for victoria county in regards to land grants, and Crown Land. found a few Livingstones, but it gave no dates.

Jewel

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Jewel,
Thanks for that.
It is interesting that John Livingston Jr. of S.E Mabou seems to be listed as a squatter in 1854. His family had been on their since about 1824 according to Mabou history and before that Mull. S.E Mabou and Mull RIver are the same place according to Dr. St. CLair. It could be another John Livingston family but somehow I doubt it. I would not think there were too many other John Livingstons living at SE Mabou/Mull River area in 1854 only Old Kate's husband John Livingston jr as his father John Sr. had died around 1840. On the other hand Dr. St. Clair did seem to indicate that he could not find any deed or original Bill of sale to that property at Mull RIver for John Livingston Sr. if I understood him correctly ,so it may be that John Livingston Sr. and Jr. were in fact squatters. In todays vernacular that conjures up images of someone down on their luck living in squalid conditions but it I think it just means in this case that they settled on crown land they never officially received by a government grant for or never later paid the government and took out a formal land patent on. I will have to consult with Dr. St. Clair on this one.

regards,

Donald

[Jewel]

Hello Donald,

I went back to read a little more regarding these squatters. It stated that in some cases the petitioner for a land grant received his grant 15 to 20 years later and in many cases the original petitioner passed away and his wife or son had to go in after his death to petition once more. This maybe is the case with this John Livingstone.

In other cases the petitioner after clearing the land and makeing all of the necessary improvements fell into a legal loophole, after 20 to 39 years the government would buy them out and give them a grant to another property in the rear or what was termed the back lands. Only to give the cleared land to someone with more money, power and influence.
In 1853 the Government issued orders for every county to clear up the back-log of lands not surveyed and issue grants to those who qualified and had not received their grants. It would take them years to complete the work. Cape Breton Island was the biggest headache do to the fact that neary 20 years of records were lost or misplaced when Cape Breton was annexed once more to Nova Scotia. It wasn't until about 1833 or later that some of the land records were found. It would take another 20 years before a real serious effort was put forth to rectify the situation.


Jewel