the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第42章

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zing　diet；　but　the　major　found　it　kept　away　hunger；　and　that　was　no　small　consideration　in　a　journey　of　five　hundred　miles　without　a　commissariat　department。

The　prisoner　had　not　been　many　days　at　Three　Rivers　when　he　received　word　that　Quebec　had　been　taken　by　the　English；　and　he　was　again　a　free　man。　He　soon　made　his　way　back　to　Fort　Cumberland；　and　was　present　at　the　defence　of　the　fort　during　the　attack　of　the　Eddy　rebels　and　did　good　service　on　that　day。

The　Dicksons　were　men　who　thought　for　themselves。　James；　a　son　of　the　first　James；　was　a　teacher　for　a　time；　and　in　his　later　years　did　all　the　conveyancing　in　the　neighborhood；　such　as　the　writing　of　deeds　and　wills。　He　was　an　omnivorous　reader；　and；　like　Silas　Wegg；　was　inclined　to　〃drop　into　poetry。〃　Some　of　his　efforts　in　this　direction　on　local　happening　caught　the　ear　and　had　the　ring　that　stirred　the　emotions。　Titus；　the　only　grandson　of　the　major；　lives　on　the　old　farm；　and　though　eighty…three　years　of　age；　is　still　vigorous　in　mind。　The　writer　is　indebted　to　him　for　some　of　the　facts　given　in　this　sketch。

ATKINSON。

There　were　two　Atkinson　families　that　came　to　Nova　Scotia　about　the　year　1774；　one　from　Middlesex；　the　other　from　Yorkshire。

The　Middlesex　family　settled　in　Fort　Lawrence。　Capt。　S。　B。　Atkinson；　a　descendant　of　this　family；　writes：　〃My　great…grandfather　was　a　man　of　considerable　substance　in　the　County　of　Middlesex；　England；　known　as　gentleman　farmer；　and　dubbed　〃Esquire。〃　The　tradition　is　he　married　a　Lord's　daughter；　whose　title　would　be　Lady　…；　and　as　her　family　would　not　recognize　either　her　or　her　husband；　they　left　the　country　in　disgust。〃

Mr。　Atkinson　came　to　Nova　Scotia　alone　in　1774；　and　prospected　the　province。　It　was　a　beautiful　summer　and　autumn；　and　he　was　delighted　with　the　country。　After　securing　a　grant　of　land　in　Fort　Lawrence；　in　the　old　Township　of　Cumberland；　he　returned　to　England　and　made　arrangements　to　move　his　family　to　his　new　domain　the　following　spring。　To　accomplish　this　he　chartered　the　good　ship　ARETHUSA；　and　put　on　board　of　her　his　family　and　farm　tenants；　all　of　his　belongings；　household　goods；　and　farming　utensils；　and　after　his　safe　arrival　in　Nova　Scotia；　located　on　what　is　now　known　as　the　Torry　Bent　farm。

Capt。　Atkinson；　in　his　letter；　gives　some　interesting　information　relative　to　the　family　after　settling　in　this　country。　He　says：　〃My　grand…father's　name　was　Robert。　He　was　the　sailor　of　the　family。　He　served　his　apprenticeship　to　the　sea　out　of　England；　and　followed　his　father　to　America；　sailing　as　master　prior　to　1800。〃　His　wife　was　Sarah；　daughter　of　Obediah　Ayer；　generally　known　as　Commodore　Ayer；　noted　Yankee　rebel；　one　of　two　brothers　from　Massachusetts。

Mr。　Ayer　held　an　officer's　commission　in　Washington's　army　in　1776　and　was　also　Commodore　of　a　privateer　out　of　Boston　in　1812。　In　consideration　of　his　service　in　the　war　of　1776；　the　United　States　Government　gave　him　a　grant　of　land　in　Ohio；　at　that　time　one　of　the　territories。　Some　years　ago　his　heirs　undertook　to　look　up　the　records；　but　found　they　had　been　burned　in　the　Capitol　during　the　War　of　1812。　〃Only　for　that　little　incident；〃　Capt。　Atkinson　says；　〃I　might　have　owned　the　site　where　Cleveland　now　stands　or　otherwiseprobably　otherwise。〃

For　services　in　1812　Commodore　Ayer　was　granted　a　pension；　but　died　before　any　payments　were　made　to　him。　His　nearest　connections；　however；　received　two　hundred　dollars　a　year　as　long　they　lived　（sic）。

Capt。　Robert　Atkinson　sailed　his　last　voyage；　from　Kingston　to　Jamaica；　in　1804；　and　died　at　that　port　of　yellow　fever。　His　widow　returned　to　Sackville；　leaving　her　son　Edwin；　their　only　child；　with　his　grandfather　in　Fort　Lawrence；　where　he　remained　until　he　was　twenty…one　years　of　age。

Mr。　Atkinson　had　three　sons　besides　Robert；　who　lived　with　him　in　Fort　Lawrence。　Thomas　moved　to　Kent　County；　where　his　descendants　still　live。　William　and　John　remained　in　Fort　Lawrence；　and　the　Atkinsons　there　now　are　descended　from　these　brothers。　Capt。　Stephen　Atkinson；　from　whom　most　of　the　information　about　the　family　has　been　obtained；　is　a　master　mariner；　and　has　commanded　some　fine　ships　in　his　day。　He　has　now　given　up　the　sea　and　spends　a　part　of　his　time　in　Sackville。

The　Atkinson　family　from　Yorkshire　settled　first　at　River　Hebert；　Cumberland　County；　N。S。　Robert　was　the　founder　of　the　family。　He　did　not　remain　in　River　Hebert　for　any　length　of　time；　but　purchased　a　farm　in　Sackville；　and　moved　his　family　there。　This　farm　was　afterwards　sold　by　his　son　Christopher；　and　is　now　the　site　of　the　Mount　Allison　educational　institutions。

Robert　was　married　and　had　three　children　when　he　came　to　Nova　Scotia。　He　was　twice　married；　and　was　the　father　of　fourteen　children。　Thomas；　Christopher；　Elizabeth；　Sallie；　Joseph；　Robert；　William；　John　and　Stephen　were　the　names　of　the　first　family。　Several　of　the　sons　settled　in　Sackville。　Christopher；　after　selling　his　property　in　Sackville；　purchased　a　farm　in　Point　de　Bute；　and　moved　to　that　place。　He　had　a　large　family　of　boys。　Robert　（second）　moved　to　Shediac。　One　brother　went　to　the　United　States　and　joined　the　Latter…Day　Saints。　Joseph　married　Ann　Campbell；　the　daughter　of　Lieutenant　Campbell；　a　Waterloo　soldier；　and　settled　at　Wood　Point。　They　had　ten　children；　six　sons　and　four　daughters。　Isaac；　Nelson；　Hance；　William　and　Joseph　all　became　master　mariners；　and　were　fine　navigators。　Woe　be　to　the　sailor　who　fell　into　their　hands　and　did　not　know　his　duty　or　refused　to　perform　it！

The　family　still　have　in　their　possession　their　ancestor　Campbell's　sword　and　some　other　relics　belonging　to　the　old　soldier。

The　Atkinsons　have　always　been　a　strong；　vigorous　and　self…reliant　family；　and　have　made　a　good　record　in　this　new　country。

LOWERISON。

The　following　information　regarding　the　Lowerisons　was　secured　chiefly　from　Robert　Lowerison；　of　Sackville；　a　great…grandson　of　the　first　Richard　Lowerison。

Richard　Lowerison；　the　first　to　come　to　America；　was　born　in　Yorkshire；　England；　in　the　year　1741；　and　married　Mary　Grey　in　1762。　Ten　years　later　Mr。　Lowerison　sailed　from　Liverpool；　Eng。；　bound　for　Halifax；　where　he　landed　on　the　1st　of　May。　He　settled　on　the　Petitcodiac　River；　in　Westmoreland　County；　N。B。；　but　the　frequent　raids　made　by　the　Eddy　rebels　in　that　district　caused　him　to　purchase　and　remove　to　a　farm　adjoining　the　western　bounds　of　the　Garrison　lands　of　Fort　Cumberland。　The　buildings　first　erected　by　him　have　long　since　disappeared。　The　farm　has　been　occupied　by　his　son　Thomas；　by　his　grandson　James；　and　at　present　by　William　Miner。

Six　children　survived　Richard　and　Mary　Grey　LowerisonElizabeth；　who　married　William　Doncaster；　and　settled　at　Amherst　Point；　Anne；　who　married　John　Carter；　and　settled　east　of　Fort　Cumberland；　Thomas；　who　married　Hannah　Carter；　and　occupied　the　homestead；　Richard；　who　married　Abigail　Merrill；　and　after　spending　twelve　years　between　the　old　home；　Amherst　Point；　and　Mapleton；　moved　to　Frosty　Hollow；　Sackville；　on　September　18th；　1817；　on　the　farm　now　occupied　by　his　son；　Thomas　Lowerison；　and　his　grandson；　Bradford　Carter；　Joseph；　the　third　son　of　Richard；　married　Mary　Siddall　and　settled　near　Mount　Whatley；　about　two　miles　from　the　homestead。　Mary　married　James　Carter；　who　for　a　time　kept　a　public　house　in　Dorchester；　but　afterwards　moved　to　Amherst；　Nova　Scotia。

Richard　Lowerison　and　his　wife　attended　the　Methodist　church　in　Point　de　Bute；　as　may　be　seen　in　the　deed　given　by　William　Chapman　to　John　Wesley。　He　acted　as　precentor　in　the　old　stone　〃Meeting　House。〃　He　died　February　24th；　1825；　and　was　buried　in　the　Point　de　Bute　Cemetery。　Mary　Grey　Lowerison；　born　in　the　East　Riding　of　Yorkshire；　England；　died　September　16th；　1834；　and　lies　beside　her　husband。

Mr。　Lowerison　must　have　had　some　means　when　he　came　to　the　country；　for　while　living　near　Fort　Cumberland　he　did　an　extensive　business　in　sending　beef　cattle　to　Halifax。　His　partner　for　a　time　was　a　man　named　Rice。　He　seems　first　to　have　deceived　Mr。　Lowerison；　and　then　robbed　him　by　running　away　with　the　proceeds　of　three　droves　of　cattle；　leaving　Mr。　Lowerison　accountable　for　the　cattle；　with　no　cash　on　hand　to　meet　the　bills。　The　worry　from　this　affec