John McKay/MacKay in Cape Breton

[Gene-ee-us]

Does anybody know where I might find the marriage record of John MacKay and Flora McLean, who seem to have been married somewhere in Inverness County, Cape Breton, around 1830? Both born in Scotland (probably Isle of Rum) and seem to have come to Canada as children. Flora's father was Hector McLean, and her brother was known as John the Banker.

The first I find of them is in the 1861 census, but they had sons at home who were around thirty, so they must have been married quite a while by 1861. I know lots about them after 1861, but not before. Any information appreciated.

[waiteohman]

Hello

You could try searching some of these vital statistics sites for Cape Breton Island.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nscpbret/cbbmdndx.html

Linda

[waiteohman]

This looks interesting

History of Inverness County, Nova Scotia / J.L. MacDougall. 1922
http://www.electricscotland.com/canada/inverness/index.htm

Many marriages are mentioned in the District Sketches. If you know the area they resided in the better.

Linda

[Gene-ee-us]

Thanks Linda. They lived at Chimney corner. I've looked in McDougall's book: All he says is that he doesn't know anything about the family. Their kids included Donald, Hector (our g-grandfather), William, Mary, & Flora. May also have been Ann, but not sure of her. Nova Scotia marriage & birth registers don't seem to go that far back. I'll give Ancestry another try. Maybe they've added something since I was there last.
Myrna

[waiteohman]

Hello Myrna

Your most welcome.

Found someone referencing from a book titled Place names and places of Nova Scotia:

Arriving in Cape Breton Island in 1811, Hector MacKay applied for land
at Chimney Corner in July of that year. A warrant of survey was issued
for him in 1815 when John MacKay applied for adjacent land.
... The first Presbyterian minister who gave continuous time to
preaching at Broad Cove made visits to Chimney Corner, Whale Cove,
Margaree Harbour, right down to Lake Ainslie. This was Rev. Aeneas
McLean, from 1831 to 1832.
CHIMNEY CORNER, Inverness County - p. 127
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/NS-CAPE-BRETON/2001-08/0998585308

Wonder if Rev. Aeneas might be a relation to Flora. You might want to buy or borrow this book. Details for the book:
TITLE: Place-names and places of Nova Scotia
PUBLISHER: Belleville, Ont. : Mika Pub. Co., 1982.
DESCRIPTION: vi, 751 p. : fold. maps ; 24 cm.
NOTES: Photoreprint of the Halifax, 1967 ed., issued as v. 3 of Nova Scotia series.
NUMBERS: ISBN:  0919302904
http://amicus.collectionscanada.ca/aaweb-bin/aamain/basic_search?sessionKey=1223079232009_216_106_110_9&l=0

Land Petitions: Nova Scotia petitions 1769-1799 ~ Cape Breton Island petitions 1787-1843
1811
McKay, Hector
Petition to Nepean: Petitioner has recently arrived from Scotland. He asks a lot between Broad Cove and Margaree, known as Chimney Corner. Warrant issued.
Cape Breton no.: 728
NSARM microfilm: 15790
http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/databases/land/Results.asp?Search=margaree&SearchList1=all&Start=31

1825
McKay, John
Petition to Wallace: Petitioner is a native of Scotland, age 26, single. He asks a grant of loot 46, at Chimney Corner, Broad Cove. The lot, which adjoins his fathers's land, was laid off for him six years before. Note: There is no proof of statement. Petitioner's father has 400 acres. Note: approved for 100 acres.
Cape Breton no.: 3061
NSARM microfilm: 15799
http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/databases/land/Results.asp?Search=petit&SearchList1=all&Start=646

Linda

[waiteohman]

This is interesting, there is someone referencing Flora Maclean, of Whale Cove, daughter of Hector who originated from Isle of Rum marrying Alexander MacIntosh
http://www.littlemac2.com/MacLean.html

[waiteohman]

Hello

Appears Flora MacLean married Alexander MacIntosh.

See: THE MacLEANS OF WHALE COVE
http://www.electricscotland.com/canada/inverness/chapter27.htm

The daughter Flora married Alexander McIntosh, lived at Rear Chimney Corner, had a family of four, all of whom are dead, except Kenneth, who lives at Chimney Corner

Are you sure of the John MaKay connection you mention. From the other www.littlemac2.com site Flora and Alexander were alive in 1881. Interestingly, John MacKay's father's name being Hector.

Linda

[Gene-ee-us]

Linda,
Thanks for all that. I will have to look at the place names book. I think I remember seeing it on-line someplace. Flora is a pretty common name among the McLeans (and the McKays for that matter). The one who was married to Alexander McIntosh was the first cousin of the one who was married to John McKay. The father of Alex's wife was Alexander McLean; his brother Hector was the father of John McKay's wife.

I am fairly certain of our John and Flora McKay. McDougall doesn't mention Flora in his list of the children of Hector McLean & Mary McIntosh, but he does mention John "The Banker" as being their son, and his parents are otherwise well documented. I have a copy of a letter from John "the Banker" McLean, to his nephew in Australia, which lists John's sister Flora McKay and her children. The children in Flora's brother's letter exactly match the children in the family of my husband's great-great-grandparents, which makes it fairly clear whose daughter she was.

From what I can make out, there were two groups of McKays at Chimney corner. They were related to each other through their McLean wives: it's less clear how or if they were connected through the McKays. There is some doubt as to whether John McKay, aged 17 in 1818, was Hector's son or his nephew; it's also unclear whether the boy in the 1818 census was the same boy who was married to Flora McLean. I was hoping to find a marriage register of some sort, on the off chance that it might possibly have the name of at least John's father. I guess I'll keep looking.

Myrna

[waiteohman]

Your welcome Myrna. Those further details will help us for identifying your Flora.

It is possible that Hector & John may not be father & son, but I believe they most likely are.  Being that the names for Hector & John on the 1818 census both in Broad Cove and names listed one after the other would appear these two would reside beside each other, ennumerator going house to house in order of visitation. The land petitions mentioning a father son relationship with lots beside each other in Chimney Corner, Broad Cove looks to confirm this. Age off for John may be 1 and up to 2 years off dependant on when enumeration, birth and land petition dates fall. Considering the unreliability of  ages on census makes the father & son relationship a good possibity. There are no McKays/MacKays found in the NS 1811 District census, so looks to be that Hector was the first settler in Chimney Corner making his first petition in 1811.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nscpbret/1811cen1.html

Land Petitions: Nova Scotia petitions 1769-1799 ~ Cape Breton Island petitions 1787-1843
1811
McKay, Hector
Petition to Nepean: Petitioner has recently arrived from Scotland. He asks a lot between Broad Cove and Margaree, known as Chimney Corner. Warrant issued.
Cape Breton no.: 728
NSARM microfilm: 15790
http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/databases/land/Results.asp?Search=margaree&SearchList1=all&Start=31

1825
McKay, John
Petition to Wallace: Petitioner is a native of Scotland, age 26, single. He asks a grant of loot 46, at Chimney Corner, Broad Cove. The lot, which adjoins his fathers's land, was laid off for him six years before. Note: There is no proof of statement. Petitioner's father has 400 acres. Note: approved for 100 acres.
Cape Breton no.: 3061
NSARM microfilm: 15799

Also of note, I searched with Chimney Corner for John McKay/MacKay. There was this one. You may want to see what further details are on the petitions at the Archives to identify if this one could be the same John MacKay's early petition or another John MacKay. He mentioned an earlier petition; however, date seems to be 9-10 years. Could it be that the earlier one was under MacKay as below and was not matched with MacKay or does it take that long to get approval, one asks, so an 1815 petition date would get approval abt 1819 for a 6 year later date. Hopefully the quoted documents contain more information and can substantiate it. However, we do know his son acquired the next lot and in 1818 census there are no other MacKays in Chimney Corner, besides a Hector & John so it must be his son who has the 1815 petition and lot beside Hector.

1815
MacKay, John
Petition to Swayne: Petitioner was born in Scotland. He asks a lot at Broad Cove adjoining that occupied by Hector McKay. Note: recommended
Cape Breton no.: 1222
NSARM microfilm: 15792

1817
MacKay, Hector
Petition to Ainslie: Petitioner emigrated from Scotland seven years before. He is married and has two children. He asks a lot between Margaree and Broad Cove. Note: recommended.
Cape Breton no.: 1718
NSARM microfilm: 15794

1820
McKay, Hector
Petition to Stewart: Petitioner and Donald McKay passed council for lots 47 & 48 at Broad Cove. Donald has since died, and petitioner asks a grant of the two lots. Report of Crawley to Crowdy: Lots 47 & 48 at the eastern extremity of Broad Cove, near Chimney Corner, 416 acres. Plan.
Cape Breton no.: 2448
NSARM microfilm: 15797

Linda