>Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2005 10:30:58 -0700 >From: "Ed McNeil" <[email protected]> (Maureen) >===================================================================== >Source: [email protected] >Subject: New Items from The Casket & Glace Bay Gazette > > >The Casket > ><snip Glace Bay articles> > > >The Casket ­ July 10,1890 ­ edition 26 page 2 > Janet McNeil daughter of John McNeil (Brown) and Mary > Grant and widow of >the late Angus McDonald (Malcolm) died at the rear of the Cove on the 2nd of >July. The deceased was a woman of strong and sterling character. Altough >she lived over one hundred years, she was never really sick until the end >came. The only failure of her faculties was a slight deafness that crept >upon her during the last years of her life, but strange to say she recovered >her hearing, during the last few days of her life. She raised a family of >seven boys and seven girls who are today with their descendants widely >scattered over Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the United States. On the 4th >of July her remains were brought to the parish church, Arisaig, where a >requiem Mass was song for the repose of her soul. In the absence of an >ordinary choir, Miss Maggie McAdam and Miss Maggie McLean sang the various >parts of the service with remarkable sweetness and expression. The Pie >Jesus was touching rendered. The Tantum Ergo sung to the plaintive air of >“The Last Rose of Summer” whether warranted by the Robrie or not, (it is >not commendable for one to publish one’s achievements in Contravention of >the Robrica) was under the circumstance quite appropiate. She was indeed >the last of our parish of the noble race that raised the first smoke over >their log huts in the primeval forest of our country. > The deceased was born at the Cove in June of 1790 and was > consequently in >the 101st year of her age. It was but 14 years before that the first white >settlers settled at “Town Point” near the present town of Antigonish in >1776, as the records testify as being the date of the first settlement of >Antigonish. About the same date one of the two families pitched their tents >in Arisaig as what is known now as the Glebe Farm. A few years afterwards >two families John McNeil (Brown) and John McNeil (Breac) penetrated the >forest and raised smoke in the fine locality now known as Malignant Cove. >The subject of our notice was the second white girl born at the Cove. At >the time of her birth from the Cove to Arigaig, there were none but the two >families already named. A protestant family by the name of Cameron predeced >the McNeils in the cove, but o.n the advent of the two Papist families, >Cameron fearing the too close proximity of the papist as a contagion, pulled >up his stakes and left the place. > I record the fact as illustrative of the spirit of the > times. The teaching >of Knox, of the Westminister Confession, and of Bunyan had inoculated the >minds of Protestants with fearful notions about Catholics as the spiritual >subjects of Antichrist. What a wonderful change in that respect has the >century brought about. The 18th century was indeed an iron age for the >Catholics of the world. Dark and lowering was the outlook for Catholics in >the Highland of Scotland, about one hundred years ago. How different is the >Scotland of today from the dark period when great Bishop Hays wandered up >and down the country about his weary work, “licker a thief than a bishop” a >quaint writer of the time described him. In false liberality about religion >I find no faith; hatred of hereay is one of the virtues of the saints. I >have often pondered with satisfaction how the fierce bigotry of the past has >subsided within my own recollection. Coming to this country and in many >instances driven away from their own misty shores and ancestral glens, by >persecuting spirit of worthless upstarts, our nobler and brave fathers >wisely clung together in the land of their exile. As a notable result of >this I may mention,that there is not today a single protestant family within >the bounds of her parish of Arisaig ­ a state of things somewhat rare at >least in our country. > The original home and habitat of the McNeils of the Cove was the > Isle of >Barra on the west coast of Scotland. I have always heard of the Barra men >spoken of as being noted for their faithful adherance to the faith of their >fathers and my own experience seems to confirm the tradition. Their >immediate occasion of coming to this country is thus told. When the >American War of Independence was in full blast, England sent her recuiting >sergents to the Western Isles. The eighty second regiment was then raised >in Barra and was largely composed of McNeils. An elder brother was drafted, >but John being in his twenty-second year of his age, offered himself as a >substituate and was accepted. In the Army he was called John McNeil (Brown) >as a distinction from John McNeil, (Breac), John McNeil (Ban) and John >McNeil (Black) etc. names so numerous in the regiment. In the regiment >John McNeil (Brown) came to the United States. At the close of the war, the >regiment came down to Halifax and was disbanded, each soldier being >presented with a document entitling him to 500 acres of crown land. Some of >them went to Canada, while others moved eastward to the county of Pictou. >Our Hero soujourned for some time at the middle river where he formed an >acquaintance of Mary Grant . After he made an opening in the forest and >raised his shanty at the Cove, John brought Mary to Arisaig where in the >presence of the late Rev. Alexander McDonald they were united in the >indisolvable bonds of matrimony. This John McNeil (Brown) and Mary Grant >were the parents of Janet McNeil whose remains were committed to mother >earth on last Friday. Arisaig ------- S.A. > >The Casket - Feb.27,1873 Married at Arisaig on the 16th inst. By Rev. >W.B.MacLeod, Mr. Donald MacNeil (Brown) of Malignant Cove to Miss Sarah >Grant , (Dougald’s daughter) of the same place. > >The Casket ­ Sept 4, 1873 ­ Death at Christmas Island on the 19th inst. >Catherine aged 80 widow of the late Archibald McDougall of that place. The >deceased was born at Cape George, Antigonish and leaves a large circle of >friends to mour her death. RIP > >Maureen

Hello, Listers and my Ross & Burton cousin, Maureen McNeil in Cape Breton NS, [email protected] - Please reinstate my membership to the list. Thank you. Thanks for sending the account of the obituary on Janet McNeil to the list! What an absolutely fascinating insight it gives into the prejudicial and fearful minds of the Catholics and Protestants in 1790 Scotland and in 1890 Nova Scotia! Edmund Ross (1770 - 1855) born in Hants County (probably in Rawdon), Nova Scotia, was one of the 4 pioneer brothers who settled in "Rossville", Margaree, Inverness Co., Nova Scotia, in the early 1st decade of the 19th century (early 1800s). Edmund Ross (sometimes referred to as Edward) was my great-great-great grandfather. He was a Methodist lay minister, who, at the end of his life, converted to Catholicism, possibly encouraged by his Protestant-converted? sister-in-law, Henriette (Le Jeune) Ross, Mrs. James Ross. That's only my guess, because Henriette probably nursed and nurtured Edmund until his death. Henriette was quite renowned for her medicinal and nursing capabilities. Edmund had even named his daughter, Harriet Ross (Mrs. William Simpson Hart, latter also my ancestor) after Henriette Ross. Edmund was also extremely angry at his probably Protestant neighbors who opposed him about a road to be built across his property in Margaree. There is a monument to Edmund in the Methodist Church cemetery in Margaree, but he's not buried there, even though he donated the land for the Methodist Church and presumably its cemetery. Edmund is buried in St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church cemetery, Margaree Centre, with a second-in-the-town, beautiful monument to him in St. Patrick's cemetery. My notes tell me that the land for St. Patrick's was donated by Edmund's niece and her husband. Maybe the niece also helped him to convert to Catholicism, since she donated land for St. Patrick's, built in 1840, before Edmund's death in 1855. Edmund's wife, Ann, called "Nancy" (nee Lawrence or Laurence) supposed to be "Dutch", did not convert to Catholicism, and I forget where she is buried. Maybe on her farm, or possibly in the Methodist cemetery? I have seen some material which points to a supposition that the family of Ann Lawrence, daughter of John Lawrence of apparently Bedford outside Halifax, NS, originally came from the Staten Island or Long Island areas of New York State, USA. That would account for the claim that Ann Lawrence was "Dutch", i.e., Laurens or Laurensz. I.e., a New Amsterdam Colony descendant. To date, I have never pursued that supposition to my satisfaction, though I have tried at times on the internet. Maureen, is Edmund Ross also your ancestor, or are you descended from his brothers James, David, and William Ross? At the Ross Family reunion in Margaree Centre, at St. Patrick's R. C. Church in June-July 2000, I surely would have remembered which brother you're descended from, but going on 5 years now, it is a long time since, or "lang syne", to use the Scottish dialect. Grin! I've got MacNeil ancestors myself, but I remember that they were oodles of generations back. I do recall that the MacNeil chiefs have an incredibly high number of lineal chiefs over the centuries! Your Burton & Ross cousin, Jean (MacGregor) Simon State Deputy Chieftain, Alabama American Clan Gregor Society Huntsville, Alabama ----- Original Message ----- From: "Linda Darling" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 8:52 AM Subject: [Antigonish] Fwd: New Items from The Casket > > >Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2005 10:30:58 -0700 > >From: "Ed McNeil" <[email protected]> (Maureen) > >===================================================================== > >Source: [email protected] > >Subject: New Items from The Casket & Glace Bay Gazette > > > > > >The Casket > > > ><snip Glace Bay articles> > > > > > >The Casket ­ July 10,1890 ­ edition 26 page 2 > > Janet McNeil daughter of John McNeil (Brown) and Mary > > Grant and widow of > >the late Angus McDonald (Malcolm) died at the rear of the Cove on the 2nd of > >July. The deceased was a woman of strong and sterling character. Altough > >she lived over one hundred years, she was never really sick until the end > >came. The only failure of her faculties was a slight deafness that crept > >upon her during the last years of her life, but strange to say she recovered > >her hearing, during the last few days of her life. She raised a family of > >seven boys and seven girls who are today with their descendants widely > >scattered over Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the United States. On the 4th > >of July her remains were brought to the parish church, Arisaig, where a > >requiem Mass was song for the repose of her soul. In the absence of an > >ordinary choir, Miss Maggie McAdam and Miss Maggie McLean sang the various > >parts of the service with remarkable sweetness and expression. The Pie > >Jesus was touching rendered. The Tantum Ergo sung to the plaintive air of > >"The Last Rose of Summer" whether warranted by the Robrie or not, (it is > >not commendable for one to publish one's achievements in Contravention of > >the Robrica) was under the circumstance quite appropiate. She was indeed > >the last of our parish of the noble race that raised the first smoke over > >their log huts in the primeval forest of our country. > > The deceased was born at the Cove in June of 1790 and was > > consequently in > >the 101st year of her age. It was but 14 years before that the first white > >settlers settled at "Town Point" near the present town of Antigonish in > >1776, as the records testify as being the date of the first settlement of > >Antigonish. About the same date one of the two families pitched their tents > >in Arisaig as what is known now as the Glebe Farm. A few years afterwards > >two families John McNeil (Brown) and John McNeil (Breac) penetrated the > >forest and raised smoke in the fine locality now known as Malignant Cove. > >The subject of our notice was the second white girl born at the Cove. At > >the time of her birth from the Cove to Arigaig, there were none but the two > >families already named. A protestant family by the name of Cameron predeced > >the McNeils in the cove, but o.n the advent of the two Papist families, > >Cameron fearing the too close proximity of the papist as a contagion, pulled > >up his stakes and left the place. > > I record the fact as illustrative of the spirit of the > > times. The teaching > >of Knox, of the Westminister Confession, and of Bunyan had inoculated the > >minds of Protestants with fearful notions about Catholics as the spiritual > >subjects of Antichrist. What a wonderful change in that respect has the > >century brought about. The 18th century was indeed an iron age for the > >Catholics of the world. Dark and lowering was the outlook for Catholics in > >the Highland of Scotland, about one hundred years ago. How different is the > >Scotland of today from the dark period when great Bishop Hays wandered up > >and down the country about his weary work, "licker a thief than a bishop" a > >quaint writer of the time described him. In false liberality about religion > >I find no faith; hatred of hereay is one of the virtues of the saints. I > >have often pondered with satisfaction how the fierce bigotry of the past has > >subsided within my own recollection. Coming to this country and in many > >instances driven away from their own misty shores and ancestral glens, by > >persecuting spirit of worthless upstarts, our nobler and brave fathers > >wisely clung together in the land of their exile. As a notable result of > >this I may mention,that there is not today a single protestant family within > >the bounds of her parish of Arisaig ­ a state of things somewhat rare at > >least in our country. > > The original home and habitat of the McNeils of the Cove was the > > Isle of > >Barra on the west coast of Scotland. I have always heard of the Barra men > >spoken of as being noted for their faithful adherance to the faith of their > >fathers and my own experience seems to confirm the tradition. Their > >immediate occasion of coming to this country is thus told. When the > >American War of Independence was in full blast, England sent her recuiting > >sergents to the Western Isles. The eighty second regiment was then raised > >in Barra and was largely composed of McNeils. An elder brother was drafted, > >but John being in his twenty-second year of his age, offered himself as a > >substituate and was accepted. In the Army he was called John McNeil (Brown) > >as a distinction from John McNeil, (Breac), John McNeil (Ban) and John > >McNeil (Black) etc. names so numerous in the regiment. In the regiment > >John McNeil (Brown) came to the United States. At the close of the war, the > >regiment came down to Halifax and was disbanded, each soldier being > >presented with a document entitling him to 500 acres of crown land. Some of > >them went to Canada, while others moved eastward to the county of Pictou. > >Our Hero soujourned for some time at the middle river where he formed an > >acquaintance of Mary Grant . After he made an opening in the forest and > >raised his shanty at the Cove, John brought Mary to Arisaig where in the > >presence of the late Rev. Alexander McDonald they were united in the > >indisolvable bonds of matrimony. This John McNeil (Brown) and Mary Grant > >were the parents of Janet McNeil whose remains were committed to mother > >earth on last Friday. Arisaig ------- S.A. > > > >The Casket - Feb.27,1873 Married at Arisaig on the 16th inst. By Rev. > >W.B.MacLeod, Mr. Donald MacNeil (Brown) of Malignant Cove to Miss Sarah > >Grant , (Dougald's daughter) of the same place. > > > >The Casket ­ Sept 4, 1873 ­ Death at Christmas Island on the 19th inst. > >Catherine aged 80 widow of the late Archibald McDougall of that place. The > >deceased was born at Cape George, Antigonish and leaves a large circle of > >friends to mour her death. RIP > > > >Maureen > > > ==== CAN-NS-ANTIGONISH Mailing List ==== > Antigonish County GenWeb Site > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nsantigo/ > > >