Hi Fletch. This is the message the did not make it through. ------ Subject: Nicholas Blanchard (Blancher) of 1770 Onslow, Nova Scotia; age unknown; assumed bca. 1740. Query? - Did he come from Massachusetts area? In researching Col. Jotham Blanchard, who came to Truro, N.S. in 1785 from N.H., I have come across references to a Nicholas Blanchard who was in the neighbouring settlement of Onslow at least fifteen years prior. Nicholas appears among the listing of Onslow Grantees, dated February 23rd,1769, and in the 1770 census of the Township of Onslow, which shows the size of the early families, and what families remained for at least ten years in the township. He is listed as follows: Blancher, Nicholas 1 person In the book "Planters and Pioneers - Nova Scotia, 1749 to 1775" by Esther Clark Wright, he is listed as follows: Blanchard, Nicholas Onslow 176- Charlestown, Mass. Ch.: Rebecca ? In checking over some of my files, as it states below "Most, however, came from Massachusetts", the earliest Nicholas I came across so far is: Nicholas, b. 1694. [Abraham3, George2, Thomas1] Nicholas, bapt. 1707, MA., d. 1733, MA. [John3, Nathaniel2, Thomas1] Nicholas, b. 1736, MA, d. 1801, MA. [John4, John3, Nathaniel2, Thomas1] It has been noted in earlier messages that because of being a Loyalist, records of a person were discarded. Since Nicholas was without family at the time I assume he either moved or had no family as I have not found any references re. Blanchards of his lineage. ------------------------------------- I have pgs. 221 - 243 of "The Settling of Colchester County, Nova Scotia, by New England Purtians and Ulster Scotsmen" (1912) by Rev. Arthur Wentworth Hamilton EATON, M.A., D.C.L. On pgs 228-229, it states: "By far the larger number of the men who are mentioned in the great Onslow grant, with their families actually settled in Colchester. Unlike the eastern Connecticut men who settled in King's County, the genealogies of few of these have been compiled, consequently in many cases we do not know precisely from what towns they came. Most, however, came from Massachusetts towns like Brookfield, Dudley, Spencer, Western (now Warren), and perhaps Worcester,[1] in Worcester County; Brimfield and Palmer in Hampden County; Medfield in Norfolk; Malden, Reading, and Woburn in Middlesex; and North Bridgewater in Plymouth. A certain number like William Blair, William McNutt, Isaac Farrell or Ferrell, and James Tackles, were of Ulster-Scottish descent; but most were members of English Puritan families that had been in New England since before the middle of the 17th century." ------------------------------------- Reference [1] in above paragraph - " Soon after its organization as a town, Palmer was called upon to furnish its proportions of men to meet the emergencies of another war between the mother country and France. ( The last French and Indian war, 1754-1763 ). The citizens responded with alacrity, and out of its sparse population furnished no less than 76 men during the continuance of the war ", Copeland's " Hampshire County, Mass.,", Vol.3, pp.134-135. Then follows in this work a list of the men furnished as soldiers, among them being several of the Onslow grantees and their relatives. Among the names given are: Isaac Farell, James McNitt, Hugh Tackles, and Captain John Thomson. ----------------------------- RNBU Nicholas. 1770. Onslow,NS. 1998. 12. 15.