Juanita MacDonald wrote: >You are welcome Bob; > >I hope you didn't miss this post by Ron McDougall < >ronaldmcdougall@prodigy.net> > >"If I was looking for a husband for Bessie Hunt, daughter of CAH & FG, >I'd start with Neil MacKeigan." >..................... > >I found no marriage record for this couple but did find with my sister's >help a Neil MacKeigan on the NSARMS site: > Neil Alexander MacKeigan, died 1952 in Glace Bay, Cape Breton County > > Item can be found in Registration Year: 1952 - Book: 1952 - Page: >4644 - Number > > His wife was listed a BESSIE MACKEIGAN, Louisbourg. I can't tell you >for sure if this Bessie signed by her married name instead of her maiden >name or not. Many records where it asks the spouces name, many women used >their married name instead of the maiden name. This maybe one of them. Nor >can I tell you if this is the "Bessie Hunt" you are looking for. > > Though we expect primary records to be 100 % accurate, they aren't >always. Many records, whether it is a birth, baptism, marriage or death are >not always so. It can take a lot of tracking when you suspect a primary >record is flawed. It can be done, and of course it can take time and help >from others researching the same family. > > Please don't assume that your "Bessie" died young, it would be far >better to note 'no further information' on her, until such time as something >becomes available to tell you exactly, when and where she died. > Juanita, Since you obviously have the ability to pick up on a tip, here is more for your edification. (And yes the above Neil MacKeigan is the one to whom I referred). I dug through some of my stuff and here is the story as I see it. Did Bessie Hunt die young? Given that Neil MacKeigan and Bessie Hunt had 6 children I am going to go out on a limb and say she did NOT die really young. Why to I think she had six children? Because of the obit for her son, Donald. Cape Breton Post March 4, 1992 page 23 Donald MacKeigan 57, Louisbourg Donald H. MacKeigan, 57, Louisbourg, died Monday, March 2, 1992, at his residence. Born in Louisbourg, he was the son of the late Neil and Bessie (Hunt) MacKeigan. He was employed with the maintenance department for the Town of Louisbourg. He is survived by two sisters, Isabel Kennedy, Louisbourg and Shirley Kavanaugh, Catalina, Nfld. and two brothers, John George and Seward, Louisbourg. He was predeceased by a sister, Florence, in infancy. The late Mr. MacKeigan will be in W. A. Chant Funeral Home, Louisbourg, today after 2 p.m. The funeral services will be held in Zion Presbyterian Church, Friday at 10:30 a.m. with rev. K. MacLeod officiating. Interment will be made in Loch End Cemetery. ~~~~ I like the name of Florence and especially like the name of Seward as children of Bessie Hunt MacKeigan. (Charles Alfred Hunt and Flora Gillis had a son Seward.) CB Post obit Jan 22, 2003 Seward Hunt 87, Marion Bridge Seward Thomas Hunt, 87, of Gabarus Highway, Marion Bridge, passed away at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney, Monday, Jan. 20, 2003. Born in Louisbourg, he was the son of the late Charles and Flora (Gillis) Hunt. Seward was an adherent of St. Columba Church, Marion Bridge. He was a veteran of the Second World War and a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 162. In 1981, Seward retired from the Devco International Pier after 40 years of service. Surviving are his daughters, Mary (Keith) Clarke and Chardonna, both of Marion Bridge; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Dolly (Morrison) in 1988, sisters, Gladys, Bessie, Julia, Reatha and Christina and brothers, Jim, John George, Alf, Alex and Trueman. There will be no visitation. A private interment service will be held at a later date in Riverview Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at sydmemchapel@ns.sympatico.ca. ~~~~~ Now lets throw in a kink. Is it "possible" that the Bessie Hunt wife of Neil MacKeigan (per Donald MacKeigan obit) and the Bessie Hunt, daughter of Flora Gillis, (per Seward Hunt obit) are two different Bessies? Yes. I find it highly unlikely though. My next step if I had access to the Halifax Herald microfilm would be to check the Feb 12, 1969 edition for the obit for Mrs. Bessie MacKeigan who died in Louisbourg and is purported to be in that edition. She may have had an obit in the Cape Breton Post also. (I would like to think that the UCCB library still has microfilm of both the Halifax Herald & Cape Breton Post as I have viewed such film there in the somewhat distant past.) -- Ron

Hi Ron; I wouldn't say you threw a kink in it. Its more like you opened a door and let a little fresh in for Bob. I noticed as I searched the archives, that Bob's 1st posting for this family was back I believe sometime in 2004. I would say you are right on the money, with this family. Lark seems to agree also that it is the "NEIL MACKEIGAN" we are looking for and I know Lark has done a lot of research on the "MacKeigans". Seward T. Hunt's wife Dolly d. Jan 30 1988. buried Riverview Cemetery. On the off chance there might be other members of Seward's family buried there, I used his sister Gladys name, and there was a woman named "Gladys Winnifred McCall b. 1915-1973, married to Rev. Harry McCall, further reseach revealed there were four children, 1. Christine, 2. Neil, 3 unnamed dau living in England, 4. unnamed dau. living in Scotland. Possibly Gladys maiden name may have been Hunt. I don't know. As for Bessie's obit for "Feb 12, 1869", I am no where near either the Beaton or NS archives, to do a look up for you. So hopefully some kind soul with a few minutes to spare, will do the look up for you and Bob. Or you can write directly to the Halifax Herald, the Beaton [UCB], or NS archives for a copy of the obit. Happy hunting Juanita MacDonald ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron McDougall" <ronaldmcdougall@prodigy.net> > Since you obviously have the ability to pick up on a tip, here is more for > your edification. (And yes the above Neil MacKeigan is the one to whom I > referred). I dug through some of my stuff and here is the story as I see > it. Did Bessie Hunt die young? Given that Neil MacKeigan and Bessie Hunt > had 6 children I am going to go out on a limb and say she did NOT die > really young. Why to I think she had six children? Because of the obit > for her son, Donald. Cape Breton Post March 4, 1992 page 23 Donald > MacKeigan 57, Louisbourg Donald H. MacKeigan, 57, Louisbourg, died Monday, > March 2, 1992, at his residence. Born in Louisbourg, he was the son of the > late Neil and Bessie (Hunt) MacKeigan. ~~~~ I like the name of Florence > and especially like the name of Seward as children of Bessie Hunt > MacKeigan. (Charles Alfred Hunt and Flora Gillis had a son Seward.) CB > Post obit Jan 22, 2003 Seward Hunt 87, Marion Bridge Seward Thomas Hunt, > 87, of Gabarus Highway, Marion Bridge, passed > away at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney, Monday, Jan. 20, > 2003. ~~~~~ Now lets throw in a kink. Is it "possible" that the Bessie > Hunt wife of Neil MacKeigan (per Donald MacKeigan obit) and the Bessie > Hunt, daughter of Flora Gillis, (per Seward Hunt obit) are two different > Bessies? Yes. I find it highly unlikely though. My next step if I had > access to the Halifax Herald microfilm would be to check the Feb 12, 1969 > edition for the obit for Mrs. Bessie MacKeigan who died in Louisbourg and > is purported to be in that edition. She may have had an obit in the Cape > Breton Post also. (I would like to think that the UCCB library still has > microfilm of both the Halifax Herald & Cape Breton Post as I have viewed > such film there in the somewhat distant past.) > Ron

Many thanks to all especially Anna Wilkie, Ron McDougall, Juanita MacDonald and Lark Szick who helped in finding descendants of this couple. bob gillis