From: Chris Robbins [mailto:chris.robbins@bellaliant.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2015 2:59 PM
To: MacIsaacClan@comcast.net
Subject: MacIsaacs Who Migrated to the Codroy Valley
I am wondering whether anyone has been making progress on the MacIsaac links between Inverness and the Codroy. There seems to be a marriage record missing (never recorded in the first place?) in either the Inverness or Codroy that could definitively relate some Codroy MacIsaacs to Inverness.
My 2 research problems: - linking a Codroy married couple named Angus MacIsaac and Jessie Sophie MacDonald. They could have been married in either Inverness, before migrating, or in the Codroy - is the Angus, husband of Jessie Sophie MacDonald, a Generation 5 son of Archibald MacIssac and Margaret, or a Gen 5 son of Angus (Og) MacIsaac? (Well, in the Codroy there is also a story that some MacIsaacs came directly from Scotland!)
- Chris Robbins in fredericton, NB
Background -
As MacDougall recorded in the History of Inverness, Chapter XIV: “About five years before Allan McIsaac mentioned above came from P. E. I. to Broad Cove shore, his brother Angus (Aonghnas MacNeil) had settled at the head of the Pond, (now Inverness Harbour) and was the first man to settle there. He had five boys, namely Archibald, Donald, Roderick, Angus, Og and James. They took up a large tract of land consisting of six hundred acres running from the Pond westwardly along the Banks of Broad Cove. This lot was divided and set apart in four equal shares for the four sons Archibald, Donald, Roderick and Angus Og.
“Archibald held the moiety at the head of the Pond. He was married to Miss McIsaac, daughter of Neil McIsaac, Foot Cape, and had a large family. After his death the widow sold the farm to Donald Beaton, and moved with all her children to Codroy, on the West coast of Newfoundland. Donald Beaton conveyed this lot to his son John E. who is now the owner and occupant thereof.” and later in MacDougall: “The next lot to the West was that of Angus McIsaac, Og. He had quite a family of able boys. After some years on this farm he decided to move, with his family to Codroy, Nfld. He therefore sold his farm property to the late George Cameron, Mason, who went into possession, was married twice and died there. His two respectable sons, Hugh and George, now own the estate in severalty.”
For both migrants, there are deeds at the Inverness Registry :
For Margaret, possibly the widow of Archibald: Book L, pages 38-39 - Executed 5 April 1860, Registered 13 April 1860 : Margaret McIsaac , widow, and Roderick McIsaac deeded 100 acres out of Lot No. 1, Broad Cove to Donald Beaton of Port Ban.
For Angus (Og) Book S, page 492 - Executed 22 September 1876, Registered 20 March 1877 : Angus McIsaac (Ogg) of Cod Roy Little River, Newfoundland, farmer, formerly of Broad Cove, deeded 84 acres out of Lot No. 1, Broad Cove, to Alexander McIsaac of Port Hood, his son, fisherman
chris.robbins@bellaliant.net
I hope you will forgive my informality, but I have recently discovered that we are not only cousins, but also fellow researchers into the history of the MacIsaacs! I am likewise descended from Allan MacIsaac (b. 1796) son of Neil. My line goes through Allan's son Donald, then Allan MacIsaac (husband of Margaret MacEachen of Judique) and then Dr. John Alexander MacIsaac who moved to the United States to attend Harvard later settling in New York where he married Alice Green of Lincolnshire, UK.
I was excited to see on your wonderful little site, the MacIsaac Journal, all the information you had about Neil MacIsaac (1751) and Donald MacIsaac (1685). I have been trying for some time unsuccessfully on my own to find more about MacIsaacs and MacEachen in Scotland and yours is the first good information I've seen. I was curious to know what you have found since your last posting. I assume the 1764 census you mention was the census of the Parish of Small Isles (the Eigg Roll). I have been looking to access the parish records and see how far back I could go. My grandmother (daughter of John Alexander) obtained a book many years ago called Mabou Pioneers by A. D. Macdonald which does have a lot of excellent information on the genealogies of Inverness County though it lacks dates for many entrants.
I look forward to hearing from you and to a fruitful collaboration for both of us.
Sincerely,
--
Jonathan F. Barney