the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第32章

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in　1891　his　descendants　in　America　numbered　2；807；　of　whom　2；067　were　living　and　740　had　died。

Charles　Dixon　settled　in　Sackville；　N。B。；　and　very　soon　became　one　of　the　leading　men　in　that　community。　He　was　a　zealous　Methodist；　his　biographer　says：　　〃His　house　was　a　home　for　the　early　Methodist　preachers；　to　whom　he　always　gave　a　warm　and　hearty　welcome。〃　Mr。　Dixon　was　one　of　the　members　who　took　an　active　part　in　the　erection　of　the　first　Methodist　church　in　Sackville；　while　he　and　his　neighbor；　William　Cornforth；　whose　land　adjoined；　jointly　set　apart　about　four　acres　of　land　for　a　Methodist　parsonage。　One　of　the　latest　of　his　efforts　at　writing　contained　instructions　to　his　executors　to　sell　certain　articles　of　his　personal　property　to　assist　in　furnishing　the　Methodist　parsonage。

There　are　not　many　of　the　Dixon　name　now　living　in　Sackville。　The　boys　of　the　families　have　had　a　tendency　to　seek　wider　fields　for　the　exercise　of　their　energies。　The　late　James　Dixon；　of　Sackville；　the　historian　of　the　family；　was　a　man　of　strong　character　and　more　than　ordinary　ability。

William　Coates　Dixon　married　Mary　J。　Trueman　in　1841；　and　resided　in　Sackville　until　the　death　of　Mrs。　Dixon；　which　took　place　in　1844。　Subsequently　he　married　Harriet　E。　Arnold　and　settled　on　a　farm　at　Maidstone；　Essex　County；　Ontario。　James　Dixon；　in　his　〃History　of　the　Dixons；〃　published　in　1892；　says　of　William　Dixon：　〃He　is　still　active　and　vigorous；　capable　of　much　physical　exertion；　and　has　an　excellent　memory；　is　a　diligent　reader；　with　a　decided　preference　for　poetical　works；　and　employs　some　of　his　leisure　hours　in　writing　poetic　effusions；　a　talent　which　only　developed　itself　when　its　possessor　had　nearly　reached　his　three　score　years　and　ten。〃　　We　have　not　heard　that　Mr。　Dixon　has　lost　any　of　his　vigor　since　the　above　was　written；　and　understand　he　expects　to　round　out　the　hundred。

PRESCOTT。

The　Prescotts　were　originally　from　Lancashire；　and　descended　from　Sir　James　Prescott；　of　Derby；　in　Lincolnshire。　John　and　his　wife；　Mary；　came　from　England　to　Boston　in　the　year　1640。　Jonathan　Prescott；　their　great…grandson；　was　a　surgeon　and　captain　of　engineers　at　the　siege　of　Louisbourg；　in　1745。　After　the　fall　of　Louisbourg　he　retired　from　the　army　and　settled　in　Nova　Scotia。　He　did　a　mercantile　business　in　Halifax；　and　owned　property　in　Chester　and　Lunenburg；　where　he　built　mills。　〃The　Indians　twice　burnt　his　house　in　Lunenburg　County。'　Mr。　Prescott　died　in　Chester；　in　1806；　and　his　widow　in　Halifax；　in　1810。　His　son；　Hon。　Charles　Ramage　Prescott；　was　a　prominent　merchant　of　Halifax；　but　on　account　of　failing　health　and　to　get　rid　of　the　fog　moved　to　King's　County；　N。S。　He　lived　for　years　at　Town　Plot；　where　his　beautiful　place；　called　〃Acadia　Villa；〃　was　situated。　He　was　twice　married。　His　first　wife　was　Hannah　Widden。　The　late　Charles　T。　Prescott；　of　Bay　Verte；　was　his　youngest　son　by　his　second　wife；　Maria　Hammill。　Mr。　Charles　Prescott　married　Matilda　E。　Madden；　April　30。　William；　Robert　and　Joseph；　of　Bay　Verte；　are　sons　of　Charles　T。　Prescott。　William　married　Mary　Trueman；　of　Point　de　Bute。

PRINCE*

＇FOOTNOTE：　*Rev。　John　Prince　was　a　respected　minister　of　the　Methodist　Church。　He　joined　the　Church　in　Point　de　Bute　and　commenced　his　ministry　there。　END　OF　FOOTNOTE＇

〃Moncton；　March　9th；　1899。

〃Dear　Mr。　Trueman：

〃I　have　just　received　your　card　requesting　information　respecting　my　family。　In　answer　I　may　say　that　my　late　father　was　a　native　of　North　Yarmouth；　near　the　city　of　Portland；　United　States。　He　emigrated　to　this　country　in　the　year　1813；　located　in　Moncton；　and　was　engaged　in　mercantile　pursuits　until　the　time　of　his　death　in　1851；　paying　one　hundred　cents　on　the　dollar。　After　taking　the　oath　of　allegiance　he　was　appointed　a　magistrate；　the　duties　of　which　he　discharged　with　great　fidelity　until　the　time　of　his　removal　from　earth。

〃My　father　was　a　sincere　Christian　and　a　deacon　in　the　Baptist　Church；　and　died　much　lamented。　His　family　consisted　of　twelve　children；　six　sons　and　six　daughters。　May；　the　eldest；　married　a　Mr。　Gallagher　and　had　several　children；　most　of　whom　are　dead。　Emily；　second　daughter；　married　Mr。　John　Newcomb；　father　of　the　distinguished　astronomer；　Prof。　Newcomb；　of　world…wide　reputation。　Joseph　married　Miss　Harris。　Harriet　married　Mr。　Thos。　Trueman。　William　has　been　an　accountant　in　the　railway　offices　of　this　city。　John's　wife　was　Miss　Embree；　of　Amherst；　and　his　second　wife　is　Mrs。　Cynthia；　formerly　Mrs。　Mariner　Wood。　James　resided　in　St。　John；　George　and　Henry；　both　dead。　George　never　married；　Henry　resided　in　Truro　at　the　time　of　his　death　and　married　to　Miss　Raine；　daughter　of　Capt。　Raine；　a　retired　naval　officer。　Rebecca；　Sarah　and　Ruth　never　married。

〃As　a　family　we　were　all　as　well　educated　as　the　circumstances　would　admit。　My　father's　people　in　the　United　States　were　nearly　all　Congregationalists；　and　my　great…grandfather　　Prince　was　a　minister　of　that　body。　He　was　pastor　of　a　church　in　Newburyport；　and　is　buried　in　a　vault　under　his　pulpit。　A　few　years　ago　I　visited　that　place；　partly　to　see　the　church；　which　was　built　by　my　great…grandfather。　When　Sabbath　morning　came　I　went　to　the　church；　reached　it　just　a　little　after　the　minister　in　charge　had　commenced　the　service。　Seeing　that　I　was　a　stranger；　with　somewhat　of　a　clerical　appearance；　he　came　out　of　the　pulpit　to　the　pew　where　I　was　sitting；　and　said；　among　other　things；　'We　are　going　to　have　the　Sacrament　of　the　Lord's　Supper　to…day；　and　I　would　be　glad　to　have　you　stay　and　assist；'　which　I　did。　At　the　close　of　the　service　I　remarked　to　the　minister　that　I　was　very　much　interested　in　being　present；　as　I　was　informed　that　the　remains　of　my　ancestor　were　in　the　vault　under　the　pulpit；　and　that　I　was　his　great…　grandson。　He　seemed　much　surprised　and　announced　the　fact　to　the　congregation；　and　further　said　that　I　would　preach　in　the　afternoon；　which　I　did。　He　then　directed　the　sexton　to　show　me　down　into　the　vault。　In　this　vault　there　were　the　remains　of　three　ministers　in　their　separate　coffins。　One　was　a　coffin　containing　the　remains　of　the　immortal　Whitfield。　In　the　coffin　just　opposite　was　the　remains　of　the　Rev。　Joseph　Prince；　and　in　another　the　remains　of　another　former　pastor　of　the　church；　Rev。　Mr。　Parsons。　I　certainly　was　very　much　impressed　by　my　surroundings；　for　it　was　a　scene　the　like　of　which　I　never　hoped　to　look　upon　again。　This　vault；　I　was　told；　had　been　visited　by　thousands；　who　came　to　look　upon　George　Whitfield's　bones；　for　there　was　nothing　but　bones。　Whitfield　died　a　very　short　distance　from　the　church；　and　the　window　of　the　house　where　he　breathed　his　last　was　pointed　out　to　me。　I　remember　with　what　strange　feelings　I　lad　my　hand　on　the　shade　of　my　ancestor。　This　man　had　twelve　sons；　and　there　was　one　thing　about　them　the　pastor　said　he　knew；　and　that　was　'that　they　were　all　Princes。'

〃We　can　trace　our　ancestry　back　three　hundred　years；　and　the　head　of　the　family　was　Rev。　John　Prince；　Rector　of　a　parish　in　Berkshire；　Eng。　I　have　a　photograph　of　the　stone　church　where　he　ministered。　His　sons　were　Nonconformists；　and　John　Prince；　the　first　to　come　to　this　country；　was　persecuted　and　driven　out　of　his　country　by　the　cruelty　of　Archbishop　Laud。。

〃Yours　very　truly；

〃JOHN　PRINCE。〃

CHAPMAN。

William　Chapman　was　one　of　the　Yorkshire　emigrants　that　came　to　Nova　Scotia　in　the　spring　of　1775。　He　brought　with　him　his　wife　and　family　of　eight　children；　four　sons　and　four　daughters。　He　purchased　a　large　block　of　land　near　Point　de　Bute　corner；　with　the　marsh　adjoining；　and　on　this　property　at　once　settled。

William　Chapman　was　one　of　the　early　Methodists；　and　it　was　in　1788；　on　an　acre　of　land　given　by　Mr。　Chapman；　and　deeded　to　John　Wesley；　that　the　first　Methodist　church　was　built　in　Point　de　Bute。　Later；　Joseph　Chapman；　Esq。；　a　grandson　of　William；　gave　an　additional　piece　of　land；　and　the　whole　at　the　present　time　comprises　the　cemetery　at　Point　de　Bute。

The　following　letter　from　James　Chapman；　in　Yorkshire；　to　William　Trueman；　at　Prospect；　will　perhaps　be　interesting　to　some　of　the　descendants。　It　was　written　in　1789：

〃Dear　Friends；What　shall　I　say　to　you？　　How　shall　I　be　thankful　enough　for　that　I　have