Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: User Home Page Genealogy Report: Descendants of Peter MacDonald

[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]

Descendants of Peter MacDonald

Generation No. 1

1. PETER³ MACDONALD (JOHN², PETER¹) was born 1802 in Canada, and died Abt. 1890 in Creignish Rear, Cape Breton, N.S.. He married MARGARET. She was born 1803 in Canada, and died Aft. 1871 in Creignish Rear, N.S..

Notes for PETER MACDONALD:
      It was our ancestor, Peter MacDonald, who was the first of our family to settle the land on Creignish Mountain and to begin farming there. Tradition tells us that Peter was the son of John, son of Peter, and he probably arrived from Troy to Creignish Rear sometime between 1820 and 1825. Later, perhaps around 1855/56, he divided his land north to south (original land grants usually ran east to west) and gave the eastern half to his son John who was by this time married. John's first son Alexander was born about 1857, and so, John's father Peter ceded to him the land on which to raise his newly begun family. Apparently, he left the western half to his son Dougald while he, Peter, continued to live there in the original dwelling with Dougald and his family.

      A surveyor's map of 1861 shows that this entire property was still listed in Peter's name and at that time was "ungranted". It wasn't until 1890, that John's half of the land was officially "granted". We are at present investigating the records to find out when and whether Dougald's piece was ever granted. See attached copy of John's grant, exhibit C and maps, exhibits A & B. We do know that Dougald's land was finally inherited by his son, Dan Hughie.

      The earliest settlers to Cape Breton were conceded land by the Crown and these first concession people settled the shoreline. It is believed, and there is strong evidence to support this belief, that the Peter MacDonalds first settled in Troy, a village just south of Creignish and just north of the Strait of Canso Causeway. But whence they came and when they arrived is still uncertain. According to Joe Partick, son of Dan Hughie MacDonald, it is thought that the Peter MaDonalds originated in South Uist, Scotland and a good guess would put their arrival in Canada with the great immigration which occurred around 1795. They would have landed probably in Pictou, Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island and later made their way to Troy on Cape Breton Island just below Creignish.

      When their children came of age and were ready to marry and to start their own farm, they had no place to go but up on the mountain. Thus, the settlers of Creignish Rear were "second concession" people. We are not certain when Peter arrived in the Rear but we do know that he was born in 1802 so he probably sought new land by the time he was in his twenties and we suspect he came to the Rear about 1825 which would coincide with the time in which other properties in the area were being settled and this would also coincide with the birth of John whom we believe to be his first son.

      When Peter divided his land, John built a house just to the east of the dividing line and the house where Peter and his other son Dougald lived (which was probably the original dwelling on the property), lay just to the west of the line. The houses were not much more than two hundred yards from each other. At this writing, September, 1993, the ruins of John's house are still to be found but all that remains of Dougald's is the stone foundation. It is said that Dougald's house was burnt to the ground about 1895 and that the original house was never re-built. At some point in time, the land was transferred to Dan Hughie who built his home at the crossroads which are located at the extreme southwestern corner of the property. In fact, later on, a part of Dan Hughie's property included land which he had obtained from the Camerons.

      Peter's wife was Margaret. According to the Census of 1871, she was born about 1803 but we do not know her family of origin other than the fact that her father was born in Scotland, her mother in Canada, and that she was Catholic. She does not appear on the census 10 years later so we can assume she died during the period 1871-1881. It is probable that she came from Troy and upon marrying Peter, set off with him to claim the property which was eventually theirs in the backlands of Creignish. Peter is believed to have died in 1890 but his has not been confirmed. Peter had at least two sons and a daughter.


Children of PETER MACDONALD and MARGARET are:

2.	i.	JOHN⁴ MACDONALD, b. Abt. 1826, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia; d. Aft. 1891, Creignish Rear, Cape Breton, NS.
3.	ii.	DOUGALD MACDONALD, b. Abt. 1836, Creignish Rear, CB, NS; d. Abt. 1890, Creignish Rear, CB, NS.
4.	iii.	CATHERINE MACDONALD, b. Unknown; d. Unknown.

[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]