Will of Donald Nicholson of Prince Edward Island of Flodigarry Skye and Orwell Bay, Lot 57
I Donald Nicolson of Flodigarry on Lot Fifty-seven
Prince Edward Island. In the view considering death as certain but the
time uncertain do make this my hand Will and Testament in order to prevent
dispute among my children after my death that I give grant and Devise unto
my youngest son Charles Nicolson all and my messuages lands Tenements and
Hereditaments with the appurtenances whereof I am possess which lands I
purchased from the Right Honorable the Earl of Selkirk by his attorney
James Williams, and is situated lying and being in Queens County Lot Fifty
seven upon Orwell Bay to Have and Hold all and every the said lands and
Tenements and Hereditaments with the appurtenances to him the said Charles
Nicolson and the Heirs of his body whom ? to the Heirs of my body according
to the practice of the Island .
Secondly In the event of the recovery of his judgment
to my oldest son Malcolm I reserve to him one half of the above specified
land relates but as in all probability my said beloved son Malcolm shall
not recover I leave as his use and ? during his life time one hundred acres
as specified in a Deed executed formerly to that Dispose which Deed lies
now in Charlotte Town but this hundred acres in produce of which is during
his Existence to be for the use of my son Malcolm is to have the rest to
come into my youngest son Charles.
Thirdly I hereby require my said son Charles to
see me decently buried along side of my beloved wife in the burying ground
in Point Prim and again and command the said Charles my son to pay any
legal debts.
Fourthly I reserve to myself the power of altering
any part of this my latter will on making such allowances to any other
of my children or grandchildren as I may set proper and I reserve to myself
the disposal afterwards of all my honorable property as I please-
In Witness where of I have here unto set my hand
and seal the twenty seventh day of March in the Year of ourLord 1819.
His
Donald X Nicolson
Mark
This Latter Will and Testament wrote by Angus Macaulay
J.P. was read ? in April
Many thanks for this will, to Arlene Marshall
arlene@kos.net Arlene Marshall
There is one thing puzzling about this will - he states he wishes to be buried beside his beloved wife in Point Prim, but according to my family records, his wife Catherine Macarthur died on Skye. Perhaps he married again after coming to Prince Edward Island? And what had happened to his son Malcolm? Puzzling questions I hope one day to answer! * Update - I visited PEI last week and went to the Polly cemetery. I found Old Donald's tombstone, and he is buried next to his son Charles and his wife Mary. There is no sign of Catherine MacArthur. (Could she have been in an unmarked grave beside him?) And where is Malcolm? (sigh...only more questions to answer!!)
Mary Macdonald
Charles Nicholson
Old Donald Nicholson
Donald Nicholson and Catherine Macarthur had children;
(1.) CATHERINE NICHOLSON born circa 1778 Skye married JOHN GILLIS and emigrated on the Polly in 1803. For their family see John Gillis of Orwell Cove.
(2.) FLORA NICHOLSON JR born Skye, married MURDOCH MACLEOD of the Kendrom Macleods and emigrated on the Polly in 1803. For their family, see Donald Macleod of the Kendrom Macleods.
(3) FLORA NICHOLSON SR born in Skye, married in Skye, Hector Macdonald,
a veteran of the Battle of Waterloo. They emigrated to PEI in 1829 on the
Mary Kennedy. Hector's sword hung in the Uigg Orange Lodge for many years.
Hector was related to John Kinloch Macdonald, and also Donald Horo Macleod.
Children of Flora and Hector Macdonald;
A1.John Hector Macdonald
A2.Alexander Hector Macdonald
A3.Allan Hector Macdonald settled West River PEI then moved to Whim
road. According to local legends, he had the "second sight". He married
Miss Munro, an emigrant of 1825.
A4.Donald Hector Macdonald of Orwell Head and Murray Harbour Road,
married Flora Gillis d/o Malcolm Gillis and Christina Macleod. Donald Hector
died when his horses went through the ice on his way home from C'town.
(Flora and Donald shared a common descent through the Nicholsonson side)
They had children;
B1.Malcolm Donald Macdonald b. 1870 Murray Harbour
Road, died 1962, married his cousin Catherine Gillis, d/o
William Gillis and Elizabeth Duncan. With children;
C1.Lloyd Macdonald who is
farming on the old homestead, settled first by his great grandfather Hector
Macdonald who was married in Skye to a daughter of Old Donald Nicholson
of Orwell Cove. Hector and his family were 1829 emigrants. Lloyd married
Jean Macphee with children;
D1.David Macdonald.
C2.Flora Macdonald a nurse,
lived in Boston USA
C3.Anne Macdonald lived
Boston USA
C4.Alexander Macdonald lived
Boston USA
C5.Norman Macdonald, accidently
killed out west.
C6.Donaldina Macdonald,
known as "Dolly". she was born posthumously. She married James Matheson
of Uigg, Ch'town, s/o Roderick Matheson of Uigg, with 3 sons. Some of this
family moved to Vancouver BC. Roderick was s/o John Donald Matheson and
Isabella Nicholson of Uigg.
(4). CHARLES NICHOLSON born 1796 Flodigarry, died May 20 1864
age 68 years, buried in the Polly Cemetery. He married MARY MACDONALD born
1800 Isle of Skye, died May 23 1880 age 80 years, d/o John Kinloch Macdonald
and his wife Margaret Macdonald also emigrants on the Polly in 1803. See
the Kinloch Macdonalds of Orwell Cove. If my theory is correct, this
son Charles would have been named for his maternal grandfather, the Piper
Charles MacArthur of Skye. In 1822, Charles Nicholson was appointed
a Constable for Orwell Bay, according to the Prince Edward Island Royal
Gazette of 1822. Children of Charles Nicholson and Mary Macdonald;
A1.Angus Nicholson, Blacksmith of Orwell Cove, married Miss McCrea of
Point Prim with children;
B1.Charles Nicholson b. 1846 died 1901 buried St.
John's Presbyterian in Belfast, married his cousin Flora Macleod b.
1856 died April 27 1895 age 39 years, buried St.
John's Presbyterian. She was d/o Malcolm Macleod of Kendrom
Macleods and his wife Flora Gillis.
B2.Donald John Nicholson married Christina MacKenzie
with children;
C1.Anne Nicholson married
her cousin Angus Joseph Nicholson born c1875, s/o Charles Nicholson and
Flora Macleod.
With children;
D1.Christina Nicholson
D2.Donald Nicholson
D3.Muriel Nicholson
D4.Frederick Nicholson died in Alaska
D5.Ezra Nicholson of Orwell Cove.
C2.Mary Nicholson married
Donald John Gillis s/o John Alexander Gillis and Elizabeth Penelope Macleod.With
children;
D1.Elizabeth Gillis married Arnold Maclean
D2.Flora Gillis married Tracy Sweeny.
D3.Roger Gillis married Elizabeth Howlett
A2.Elizabeth Nicholson born c1842, married cousin Charles Macdonald
b. July 23 1839 s/o Donald Kinloch Macdonald
and Elizabeth Nicholson.
A3.Margaret Nicholson.
A4.Jane Nicholson b. May 14 1835 Orwell died June 30 1917 buried Orwell
Corner Churchyard, m. James Neil Macleod b. 1834 died March 18 1924 s/o
Neil Macleod and Sarah Gillis. With children;
B1.Mary Isabella Macleod b. c1866 Orwell Bridge
B2.John Alexander Macleod b. 1872 died June 29 1891
age 19 years, he was a school teacher, unmarried.
B3.Charles W. Macleod b. c1873 went to Cuba, unmarried.
B4.Theophilus Macleod b. c1875 went to Cuba, unmarried.
B5.Captain Neil J. Macleod b. c1862 was a deep sea
captain, died at sea, Pacific ocean, married Marion Campbell of
Pictou Nova Scotia with children;
C1.Orwell Macleod.
A5.John Nicholson born oct 4 1832 Orwell.
A6.Alexander Nicholson born June 28 1828 died 1880, m. Barbara Irving
/ Irvine b. 1832 died 1918. With children;
B1.Charles Nicholson born may 2 1867 Orwell Cove.
B2.James William Nicholson born sept 18 1868 Orwell
Cove.
B3.John Thomas Nicholson born july 30 1872 Orwell
Cove.
B4.Mary Ellen Nicholson born march 18 1874 Orwell
Cove.
B5.Albert Nicholson born dec 27 1875 Orwell Cove.
B6.Alexander Nicholson born feb 14 1878 Newtown
A7.Donald Charles Nicholson born oct 28 1830 Orwell died Oct 24 1901
m. Euphemia Murchison b. 1857 died Oct
13 1934 d/o John Malcolm Murchison and Isabella
Macdonald. With children;
B1.Mary Nicholson born 1885
B2.Charles Nicholson born 1887 married Mabel Jane
Gillis R.N. with at least one daughter.
B3.Isabella Nicholson born 1889
B4.Angus A. Nicholson born 1891 died 1973 married
Mary Mackinnon born march 8 1897 died nov 12 1973.
(5). MARY NICHOLSON born circa 1778 died 1813, married in August of
1803 apparently on board the
Polly, John Ross, s/o Ewen Ross and Nancy Gillis of Kilmuir Skye. Ewen
Ross had died on Skye, and his widow Nancy Gillis came on the Polly with
her son John. They settled at Flat River lot 60 PEI. Children of John Ross
and Mary Nicholson;
A1.Ewen Ross b. 1807 Flat River died 1861 married Frances Fanny Macdonald
in 1831. She was born 1793 Skye, and came to PEI on Aug 5, 1830 aboard
the Mary Kennedy. According to "PEI Past and Present", # 16, she was d/o
Magnus Macdonald b. Isle of Mull who came to PEI as one of a party aboard
a survey ship and he himself helped to survey part of the maritime provinces,
but according to Lamont papers, she was d/o Angus Macdonald, a piper from
the East side of Skye, and sister to Ishbell Macdonald, wife of Malcolm
Lamont, emigrants on the Mary Kennedy in 1829. It does however, seem likely
that there was a Magnus in the family somewhere, since John H. Ross named
his first born son Magnus) Children of Mary Nicholson and John Ross:
A1.John H. Ross b. May 7 1833 Flat River PEI died 1884, married Elizabeth
Macdonald b. sept 25 1833 Little Sands, died 1884. With children;
B1.Magnus Ross b. sept 13 1861 Flat River, farmer,
lot 60 Queens
B2.Ewen Ross
B3.Sarah C. Ross in Mass, USA
B4.Donald J. Ross a farmer in Flat River
B5.Hector Ross
B6.Frances Ross
B7.Alexander Ross, a carpenter in Flat River
B8.Flora Ross, lived in California
(6). MALCOLM NICHOLSON, this son was unmarried. He would have been named for his paternal grandfather, Malcolm Nicholson, father of Old Donald. His father's will indicates that something had happened to Malcolm, but we don't know what it was.
(7) DAUGHTER (ISABELLA?) NICHOLSON m. Mr. (Charles?) Gillis of Newtown
PEI. of "Norman the undertaker's family". If this is the same family, then
Charles Gillis was born 1790 on Skye, and died Dec 15 1868 in Newtown,
buried St. John's Presbyterian in Belfast. He was s/o Hugh Gillis (brother
of John Gillis) and Anne Nicholson (sister to Catherine Nicholson, wife
of John Gillis) Hugh died on Skye, but his wife Anne came to PEI with her
grown children in 1819, probably on the "Morning Star", apparently this
was the only ship to come from Scotland to PEI in 1819. If same family,
then Isabella Nicholson died in 1862, and was buried July 2 1862 in St.
John's Belfast. On October 19, 1819 Charles and his brother Alexander bought
a 150 acre farm from the Earl of Selkirk. In his weill dated Jan 3 1868,
Charles left his 50 acre farm to his unmarried son Donald. Children of
Charles Gillis and Isabella Nicholson;
A1.Hugh Gillis b. c1819 Orwell. Not found at home in the 1881 census.
A2.Anne M. Gillis b. july 31 1821 Orwell, died 1903 PEI buried St. John's
Presbyterian, married on Jan 18 1844 in PEI, Donald Macdougal age 72 in
1881 census lot 57, born Scotland. With children;
B1.Mary MacDougal
B2.John MacDougal listed as being "at sea" in 1881
census.
B3.Alexander MacDougal age 30 in 1881 census
B4.Captain Duncan Macdougal age 27 in 1881. He was
a deep sea captain. He married on Jan 10, 1887, Margaret Isabel
Munn of Orwell with children;
C1.Marion Macdougal born
may 11 1891 Newtown PEI.
C2.John Donald Macdougal
born may 7 1894 Newtown.
C3.Marion MacKenzie Macdougal
born sept 22 1898 Newtown.
B5.Charles Macdougal age 25 in 1881 census living
with brother Alexander. He married Christina Isabel MacEachern age
32 in 1881 census. With children;
C1.Anne Macdougal born april
14 1883 Newtown.
C2.Elizabeth Macdougal born
dec 17 1884 Newtown.
B6.Angus Macdougal age 23 living with brother Alexander.
He was a ship's mate. He married Elizabeth Jane Huntley with
children;
C1. Ellen Macdougal born
oct 15 1874 Newtown
C2.Jane Elizabeth Macdougal
C3.Laura Anne Macdougal
born dec 30 1878 Newtown
C4.Allan Herman Macdougal
born dec 5 1879 Newtown.
C5.Arthur Huntley Macdougal
born april 11 1881 Newtown
C6.John Angus Macdougal
born feb 16 1883 Newtown.
C7.Minnie Edith Macdougal
born june 22 1885 Newtown
C8.Henry Alfred Macdougal
born 1889 Newtown
C9.Minnie Bell Macdougal
born dec 24 1892 Newtown
B7.Neil Macdougal drowned at sea.
A3.Alexander Gillis b. june 20 1823, died Jan 24 1899 Newtown PEI, married
Catherine Smith b. c1828 died 1906, buried May 12 1906 St. John's. With
children;
B1.Margaret Isabella Gillis b. 1858 Newtown, a tailoress,
married Gil Smith.
B2.Sarah Jane Gillis b. april 26 1860 Newtown, died
april 19 1905 Newtown.
B3.Catherine E. Gillis b. 1871 died nov 16 1916
North Earltown Nova Scotia, m. D. G. Ross.
B4.Charles Alexander Gillis b. june 16 1862 Newtown,
died 1935 buried St. John's, m. Christina Nicholson.
B5.Norman A. Gillis b. may 30 1867 Newtown died
aug 2 1951 burried aug 4 1951 in Eldon PEI m. Anne Mackenzie.
B6.Donald Findlay Gillis b. oct 28 1864 Newtown
died march 30 1939 buried april 1 1939 St. John's, married Margaret Mactavish,
d/o Donald Mactavish and Catherine Macdonald, who was a d/o John Jock Kinloch
Macdonald and Margaret Macdonald.
source: Frank Maclean, frank_mclean@mindlink.bc.ca, Donald Mactavish
and Catherine Macdonald
A4.Angus Gillis b. sept 24 1833 Newtown baptised Nov 26 1833 St. John's,
died july 1 1895 in Brooklyn New York, buried in Greenwood cemetery, Brooklyn.
He was a ship's carpenter. He m. Mary or Margaret Mcfadden with children;
B1.Maude Gillis
B2.Frederick Gillis
Source: Barbara Fandrewy, wfndrey@gte.net, descendants of Charles Gillis
and Isabel Nicholson
(8) DAUGHTER NICHOLSON d/o Old Donald and Catherine Macarthur, married
Charles Macleod. Nothing further known.
(9) ELIZABETH NICHOLSON married in 1810 PETER VANIDERSTINE of Vernon
River PEI, born c1779 in the British Colonies, died 1839 Vernon River PEI,
s/o John Van Iderstine and Bridget Johnson who wer married May 16 1781.
According to "An Island Refuge" Elizabeth Nicholson was left "an orphan
in Skye. Her relative Donald Nicholson and his wife brought her to PEI
in 1805 at the age of 16 years. If my records are correct, then it is likely
that Old Donald Nicholson's wife Catherine Macarthur did die on Skye, and
when Old Donald and some of his children came to PEI in 1803, this young
daughter would have been left behind, most probably in the care of one
of her elder sisters, either Flora or Anne, who stayed behind on Skye as
well, until a much later date. Children of Elizabeth Nicholson and Peter
Vaniderstine, all born between 1811-1834);
A1.John Vaniderstine born 1811 Vernon River died April 4 1890 PEI,
married on Dec 24 1834 Mary Furness of Vernon River b. c1812 died Jan 8
1904 PEI. (she was probably sister to John Furness who married her sister
Catherine) children;
B1.Elizabeth Vaniderstine
b. 1853 Vernon River probably married George Fall in Crapaud in 1877.
B2.Laurine Vaniderstine
b. 1857 Vernon River.
B3.Sarah Jane Vaniderstine
b. 1849 Vernon River m. Alexander Robertson
source: http://members.aol.com/fkutch1959/dat35.html
B4.Daniel
Vaniderstine b. 1837 Vernon River probably married in 1860 Flora Campbell.
B5.John Vaniderstine b.
c1835 Vernon River
B6.David Vaniderstine b.
c1837 Vernon River possibly moved to San Francisco?
B7.Ebenezer Vaniderstine
b. c1859 Vernon River moved to California?
B8.James Hayden Vaniderstine
b. 1842 Vernon River probably married c1844 Elizabeth Jewel of Hunter River
with children;
C1.George Elliot Vaniderstine b. jan 20 1893 Hunter River
C2.Robert Ira Vaniderstine b. may 17 1894 Hunter River
C3.James Davis Vaniderstine b. may 18 1896 Hunter River
C4.Hazel Martha Vaniderstine b. feb 9 1898 Hunter River
C5.Beatrice Mary Vaniderstine b. jan 4 1900 Hunter River
C6.Roy Bell Vaniderstine b. nov 28 1901 Hunter River
B9. John Thomas Vaniderstine b. c1843 Vernon River
married oct 9 1871 in Georgetown, Fannie Macleod, possibly
married 2ndly Mary Kirwan b. june 28 1888 in Murray
Harbour. If so, children of Mary Kirwan;
C1.Edgar Hemmion Vaniderstine b. nov 8 1897 Peter's Road PEI.
C2.Pearl Vaniderstine b. march 30 1889 Peter's Road.
C3.James Hayden Vaniderstine b. aug 3 1891 Peter's Road.
C4.David Vaniderstine b. Jan 1 1895 Peter's Road.
C5.Henry Matthew Vaniderstine b. may 16 1894 Peter's Road
B10.Peter Vaniderstine b. c1841 Vernon River
B11.Samuel Vaniderstine b. c1839 Vernon River
A2.Donald Vaniderstine b. 1813
A3.Peter Vaniderstine b. 1815
A4.Charles Vaniderstine b. 1817
A5.Margaret Vaniderstine b. 1819
A6.Catherine Vaniderstine b. 1823 died 1900 m. John Furness and had
13 children, among others;
B1.Thomas J. Furness m.
his 2nd cousin Maria Jane Vaniderstine with children;
C1.Wilfred Laurier Furness m. Mary Macleod, a descendant of Isabella Gillis
of Orwell Cove d/o John Gillis and
Catherine Nicholson.
A6.Alexander Vaniderstine b. 1827
A7.David Vaniderstine b. 1829
A8.James Vaniderstine b. 1834
A9.Ebenezer Vaniderstine b. 1822 m. Martha Cassidy in N.B. d/o John
Cassidy and Lady Elizabeth Mackie of Scotland. They lived in Tabusintac,
Alnwick Parish, New Brunswick. Some of their children may have moved to
Michigan. With children;
B1.James Vaniderstine m. Mary Phelan of Ireland
B2.Peter Vaniderstine
B3.Mary Vaniderstine
B4.Elizabeth Vaniderstine
B5.Anne Vaniderstine
B6.John Vaniderstine
B7.Helen Vaniderstine
B8.Ebenezer Vaniderstine
B9.William Vaniderstine
B10.Donald or Daniel Vaniderstine
B11.Andrew Vaniderstine
B12.Alexander Vaniderstine
source: Gordon Furness, g.s.furness@pei.sympatico.ca
source: Margie Foley <glp@cybrzn.com
source: http://members.aol.com/fkutch1959/dat35/htm#19
Source: Nicholson family archives, culandera@hotmail.com
Source: Skye Pioneers and the Island, by Malcolm Macqueen page 155
Source: Selkirk Settlers by Mrs. B. Earle Macdonald page 38
Source: A Dictionary of Scottish Settlers to Canada before Confederation,
Whyte, ref #10158
Source: Hebridean Pioneers by Malcolm Macqueen page 27, 74, 91
Source: Harold S. Macleod, macleods@pei.sympatico.ca
Back
to Main