Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of William McDormand

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Descendants of William McDormand

Generation No. 2

2. ROBERT² MCDORMAND (WILLIAM¹) was born Abt. 1733 in Near Philadelphia, PA, and died October 07, 1802 in Gullivers Cove, Annapolis Co., NS. He married MARY CORMAC Abt. 1750 in Philadelphia, PA. She was born Abt. 1733 in Philadelphia, PA, and died August 07, 1817 in Digby, NS.

Notes for ROBERT MCDORMAND:
Robert & Mary together with his parents and brother William emigrated to Annapolis Co., NS from Chester Co., PA. This area has commonly been referred to as the Valley of the Brandywine River and is situated outside Philadelphia. On page 37 of the book Geography & History of County of Digby the author Isaiah Wilson states that on 23 April 1766 Messrs. Wm. McDormand, Robert McDormand, William Fitzgerald, Joseph Webber, John Lawson, Joel Webber and William Barbancks removed from Annapolis to Conway (now Digby) under the auspices of James Boutineau Francklin.
Two of Robert & Mary's children Robert & James moved to Ontario (Upper Canada) from which point they appeared to change the spelling of their last name to "McDermand". The rest of the children appear to have remained in the Digby area and left their last name unchanged.
The burial of both Robert & Mary are found in the records of the Trinity Anglican Church records but no specific grave site or tombstones have been found.

Children of ROBERT MCDORMAND and MARY CORMAC are:

CORMAC³ MCDORMAND, b. Abt. 1755, Near Philadelphia, PA; d. Bef. August 15, 1839, Digby Co., NS; m. UNKNOWN; d. August 25, 1791, Digby Co., NS.

Notes for CORMAC MCDORMAND:
From the 1770 census at Granville, NS the following can be found:
Cormac MacDermor: 2 men, 3 boys, 1 woman, 0 girls, total 6, six Protestants, four American, two Irish.
From census 5 January 1771 at Granville, NS the following:
Cormak McDormint: No. of men and boys illegible, 1 woman, 0 girls. Total of 6 Protestants of Irish ancestry.
Cormac McDormand was included in tax assessment rolls in Clements in 1791. At that time Clements embraced Hillsburg (now Bear River) and was all part of Annapolis County.

Notes for UNKNOWN:
The burial records of the Trinity Anglican Church on August 25, 1791 refer to her simply as W/O (wife of) Cormick McDormand, Dropsy (cause of death).

4.	ii.	ROBERT MCDORMAND, b. Abt. 1756, Near Philadelphia, PA; d. September 22, 1840, Walsingham, Norfolk Co., ON.
5.	iii.	JAMES MCDORMAND, b. Abt. 1757, Near Philadelphia, PA; d. Aft. 1830, Port Burwell, Elgin Co., ON.
6.	iv.	THOMAS MCDORMAND, b. Abt. 1762, Annapolis Co., NS; d. June 1816, Digby, NS.
7.	v.	JANE MCDORMAND, b. Abt. 1766, Annapolis Co., NS; d. January 19, 1856, Smiths Cove, Digby Co., NS.
	vi.	UNKNOWN MCDORMAND, b. Abt. 1768, Annapolis Co., NS; d. Unknown; m. ROBERT ROBINSON, Abt. 1788, Digby Co., NS; b. Abt. 1765, Rappahannock Co., Virginia; d. Unknown.

3. WILLIAM² MCDORMAND (WILLIAM¹) was born May 1739 in Near Philadelphia, PA, and died Bet. July 15, 1835 - November 17, 1837 in Digby, NS. He married (1) MERIBAH FITZGERALD Abt. 1765 in Nova Scotia, daughter of WILLIAM FITZGERALD, SR.. She was born Abt. 1750 in Philadelphia, PA, and died Abt. 1796 in Digby, NS. He married (2) TABITHA WEBBER May 25, 1802 in Digby, NS, daughter of CAPTAIN JOSEPH WEBBER. She was born Abt. 1770 in Digby, NS, and died December 25, 1842 in Digby, NS.

Notes for WILLIAM MCDORMAND:
About 1761 William and his parents together with his brother Robert and his wife Mary Cormac removed from Pennsylvania to Annapolis Co., NS. On April 23, 1766 William and his brother Robert removed to Conway later know as Digby, NS. Gulliver's Hole (or Cove) was honored by having William McDormand as its first resident. He removed thither from Conway in 1780. From the book "Geography and History of the County of Digby" by Isaiah W. Wilson. During the Revolutionary War, Privateers frequently harassed Conway (now known as Digby), in common with other settlements. One day in summer of 1777, a cruiser anchored at Privateer Cove; some of the crew seized Mr. William McDormand when he was accompanying his partner from the Milk House to their dwelling, and insisted he should pilot the privateer to Annapolis. He promptly replied: " I cannot, I will not, violate in such a manner the laws of my beloved country!" They, however, forced their prisoner on board, probably hoping he would be constrained by fear to obey their vile mandate. Fortunately, the British man-of-war Buckram just then entered the Basin. Discomfited the privateer attempted to sail out of the harbour. McDormand promptly told the captain that "The Buckram is coming!" The pirate replied, "We will take her along with us!" "Yes," rejoined our Hero, "You will take her along with you!" "She will capture you instead!" As the Buckram was in close pursuit, the privateer hastened to St. George's Channel, but was promptly driven ashore at Baxter's Point. The soldiers, aided by Conway people, strove to capture the pirates, who ran into the woods. After a desultory chase towards Gulliver's Hole, the three were captured and placed on board the Buckram, the others escaped, and probably returned to their countrymen in the revolted colonies.
William's date of death was later than previously thought, it has been estimated by taking the date of his Last Will & Testament, July 15, 1835 and the date the Will was Probated, November 17, 1837.

Children of WILLIAM MCDORMAND and MERIBAH FITZGERALD are:

	i.	JANE³ MCDORMAND, b. Abt. 1765, Annapolis Co., NS; d. Aft. 1825.
	ii.	WILLIAM MCDORMAND, b. Aft. 1765, Conway, Digby Co., NS; d. Aft. 1825.
8.	iii.	CHARLES MCDORMAND, b. October 01, 1769, Conway, Annapolis Co., NS; d. Abt. 1848, Digby Co., NS.
9.	iv.	MARGARET MCDORMAND, b. October 01, 1769, Conway, Annapolis Co., NS; d. Unknown.
10.	v.	MARY MCDORMAND, b. Abt. 1770, Conway, Annapolis Co., NS; d. Abt. 1861, Digby Co., NS.
11.	vi.	SARAH MCDORMAND, b. September 12, 1773, Conway, Annapolis Co., NS; d. April 01, 1863, Tiverton, Digby Co., NS.
	vii.	JOHN MCDORMAND, b. Abt. 1775, Conway, Annapolis Co., NS; d. Unknown; m. ROSETTA MARINER, Abt. 1805, NS; b. Abt. 1785, NS; d. Unknown.
12.	viii.	SUSANNAH MCDORMAND, b. Abt. 1775, Conway, Annapolis Co., NS; d. Bef. 1851, Rossway, Digby Co., NS.
	ix.	JAMES MCDORMAND, b. Abt. 1784, Gullivers Hole, Digby Co., NS; d. Aft. 1825, Gullivers Cove, Digby Co., NS.

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