The Nova Scotia Knowltons – Pioneer Families of Acadia 1760
Wendy Mulligan
Sarah Knowlton (300) of Manchester, Massachusetts
Mary Knowlton (304) of Manchester, Massachusetts
The Stocking History of the Knowltons has a very interesting and detailed Chapter IV entitled “The Knowltons of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick”. That chapter, page 547 of the History, is a fine biographical piece on Daniel (232) Knowlton of Ashford, Connecticut who served with the Connecticut militia in Nova Scotia at the Siege of Louisbourg in 1745, became attracted to the area and settled there in 1760 when land grants became available.
But Stocking's chapter on the Knowltons of Nova Scotia leaves out a large Knowlton family group who also settled in Nova Scotia in 1760. Sarah (300) Knowlton and her sister Mary (304) and their families left the comfort and security of Manchester, Massachusetts to carve out farms under rigorous conditions in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia, the heart of Acadia, had been an English possession since 1713 when the French ceded it to the British at the end of Queen Anne's War. The British required the Nova Scotia Acadians to take a loyalty oath or leave. Most Acadians, who were descendants of French peasants who had intermarried with the local Mi'kmaq people, had been on their land for several generations and were fiercely loyal to France and the French Jesuit priests among them. Some refused to take the oath while many that did take the oath didn't take it seriously. The Acadians and their Mi'kmaq allies began to wage a deadly guerrilla war against the British authorities and the few English settlers who had ventured into the area. Anticipating another war with the French, the British constructed more fortifications in key areas of Nova Scotia and garrisoned them with soldiers. But the Acadians still refused to recognize British authority and the attacks on the British continued. In 1755, with the French and Indian War raging in North America, the British began forcibly removing the Acadians and relocating them to various places around the colonies. [1] [2]
By 1760 the French and Indian War had effectively been won by the British and the authorities were anxious to populate Nova Scotia, which was now vacant, with Protestant English settlers. Generous land grants were offered and potential settlers were promised protection, freedom from impressment for ten years and supplies to get them started. In addition, the Nova Scotia governor's proclamation guaranteed “full liberty of conscience” and freedom from tithes. In other words, there would be no state religion that would be supported by compulsory taxes and residents were free to practice whatever faith they chose as long as it wasn't Catholicism. While most of the early settlers were certainly there for economic reasons, a fair number of them were Baptists and Quakers who wanted an escape from being forced to support the Congregational Church of the standing order in Massachusetts and Connecticut. [3] [4]
Although religious freedom was the driving force for some to leave New England for Nova Scotia, the vast majority of those who came were a fairly well off group (not poor) - just hungry to better themselves and acquire enough decent farm land to support a family into the future. New England had become overcrowded and expensive. Take Connecticut, for instance. In 1637 Connecticut had 800 people. By 1760 it had grown to 141,000. [3] Immigration had very little to do with the population growth – it was all in the birth rate. Large families meant that when the family land was divided among the children, each got very little and not enough to support a family. And in the original settlement areas there was no good farm land to be had at almost any price. In addition, for most of it's existence, New England had faced the threat of Indian attacks upon settlers who ventured too far inland. This factor had severely restricted the settlement of new land which added to the overcrowding along the coast. [5]
In 1760, with the French and their Indian allies ready to capitulate, many New Englanders were looking for opportunities to break out into new settlements. Nova Scotia was one of the first good opportunities that came along. The land was fertile and a family group could get as much as 1000 acres. Their safety was guaranteed and in good weather it was an easy sail up the coast rather than some dangerous overland trek. Between 1759 and 1768 approximately 8,000 New Englanders would settle in Nova Scotia. [5]
Since Daniel (232), Sarah (300) and Mary (300) all arrived in Nova Scotia with their families in May-June of 1760 we have to call it a tie as to who was the first Knowlton to settle in Nova Scotia. And they may be the first Knowltons in all of Canada, for that matter, because I'm not aware of anyone before this date.[6] The two groups, Daniel from Ashford, CT. and Sarah and Mary from Manchester, MA. did not travel there together, settled in areas 30-40 miles from one another, and possibly never met. Since the Stocking History devoted many pages to Daniel (232) and his descendants, and left out Sarah (300) and Mary (304), this post is mainly about the sisters and their families.
Sarah (300) and Mary (304), daughters of Robert (145) and Lydia Bishop of Manchester, Massachusetts
( See page 43 of the Stocking History and page 27 of the Errata)
The sisters married brothers, something which was very common in our history until relatively recently, and the Knowlton sisters and Masters brothers were also first cousins. Sarah married Abraham Masters on April 14, 1754 in Manchester, MA. and her younger sister Mary married Jonathan Masters on June 14, 1756, same place. A word about the Masters family is appropriate here to try to maintain some clarity. The Masters brothers were the fourth generation of Masters in Manchester, MA. Over the four generations in Manchester this family name, Masters, had more creative spelling variations in the records than any simple name I think I've ever seen. Here are just a few: Marsteyrs, Mastes, Mastus, Marstisters, etc. It goes on and on. Descendants of this family who remained in the United States seem to have evolved into “Masters” over time. However, when the “Masters” brothers settled in Nova Scotia, they settled as “Marsters” and that they remained. All the records are in “Marsters” and their descendants, of which there are many, were Marsters well into the 1800's, and are probably still Marsters to this day.
The Masters/Marsters issue is also a possible, although probably weak, explanation for the erroneous information on page 27 Errata which claims that Sarah and Abraham settled in Northwood, New Hampshire. In fact, about May of 1760, the family group set out for Nova Scotia on the Masters (Marsters) family sloop. The group consisted of:
Sarah, husband Abraham, and their four young children, Mary, Abraham Jr., Ezekiel and John who ranged in age from 6 years to 6 months.
Mary, husband Jonathan who was the sailor in the family and master of the ship, and their son 1 year old son Nathaniel.
Moses Masters (Marsters), an unmarried brother.
Locating in Falmouth, Nova Scotia the family group probably spent the summer in one of the British forts. Records show that the Knowlton-Marsters family group had formalized land grants by November 1760.[7] By all accounts the Falmouth settlers were able to construct houses and had adequate food and supplies to weather the first winter in Nova Scotia without a great deal of hardship (although this was not the story only 40 miles away in Onslow where Daniel (232) had chosen to settle). [8]
By 1763 their were 80 families in Falmouth, almost all of them from Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The New England town meeting system of local governance had come with them to Nova Scotia which added to their piece of mind in their new homes. Because of the ease of travel up and down the coast, it is known that many of the families had pretty regular visits to family back in New England and the Knowlton-Marsters family was probably no exception. In many ways the maritime/farming community of Manchester, MA. might not have been all that different from the maritime/farming community of Falmouth, N.S.
Only 5 years into the new settlements in Nova Scotia, all hell broke loose in New England when the London parliament passed the Stamp Act in a clumsy attempt to get the colonists to pay their fair share of the French and Indian War that had just ended. While riots and various and sundry acts of civil disobedience went on in New England, the New Englanders in Nova Scotia had no such rebellious feelings toward the government and just quietly paid the tax. Their opinion of their government was totally different because the New Englanders in Nova Scotia were grateful for all the support the government had given them as new settlers and was continuing to give them even five years later. While all agreed the Stamp Act was not well thought out, the general feeling in Nova Scotia was that it was a small price to pay for all they had received.[9]
When the Stamp Act was repealed the next year in 1766 most Nova Scotians were hopeful London would resolve matters fairly and peacefully with the colonies. But instead the heavy handed approach prevailed which culminated in Boston citizens clashing with British troops at Lexington and Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston. At this point in time the Nova Scotia New Englanders could be said to be wavering in their support for the crown and leaning a little for the rebels. As loyalists to the crown start departing Boston and Philadelphia for Nova Scotia, a few Nova Scotians head the other way and join the rebels in Boston.
But then the tide of sympathy turned. Beginning in 1775, American privateers began attacks on Nova Scotia ships, villages and forts. While the loss of life among private citizens was not great, the economic loss to many of the New Englanders from Nova Scotia was severe and they felt their families and homes threatened. All sympathy for the rebels almost evaporated overnight. Nova Scotians can be said to have been solidly loyal to the crown from that point forward, their loyalty only solidified by the American privateer attacks that continued throughout the war. [10] [11]
Since no one in the Knowlton-Marsters family left Nova Scotia for New England during this period, it's fair to say they likely shared the sentiments of the majority of their fellow transplants from New England, were angered by the American privateer attacks on their property, and stayed loyal to the crown.
The children of Sarah (300) Knowlton and Abraham Masters (Marsters)
(None of the children are shown in the Stocking History and all were born in Manchester, MA.)
Mary, born Apr. 14, 1754, was part of the family group who left Manchester in 1760 but there is no record of her after that. She undoubtedly died young in Falmouth, Nova Scotia.
Abraham, Jr. was born Dec. 26, 1755. He married Elizabeth Seaborn Wolfe Woodworth on March 2, 1778 in Nova Scotia. If you guess his wife was born at sea, bound for Nova Scotia on the ship “Wolfe” you would be correct. Abraham and Elizabeth had 14 children by most accounts – most of the children lived to adulthood and raised large families themselves. To this day, almost everyone in Nova Scotia with the family name Marsters (and there are a lot of them) is descended from Abraham and Elizabeth's six sons. Abraham died May 28, 1846 in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. Elizabeth died August 9, 1851, same place.
Ezekiel was baptized March 19, 1758. He married Alice Anthony possibly about 1790 in Nova Scotia. All accounts of how many and who their children were are without documentation and have conflicting information. Frankly it appears some of the children attributed to them are fictitious but time did not permit my digging further into the puzzle. Ezekiel and Alice lived in Newport, Nova Scotia where he died in 1839.
John was baptized Jan 20, 1760. He married his step-sister Tryphena Dimock about 1785. John and Tryphena lived in Newport, Nova Scotia and had four known children: John, Abram, Ezekiel and Shubael. Their son John Jr. became a noted Baptist minister of Canning and St. Martin's, New Brunswick.
Abraham Sr. died sometime before 1768 as in that year Sarah (300) married widower Shubael Dimock on Oct 22, 1768 in Newport, Nova Scotia. Shubael was a religious rebel from Mansfield, CT. From a respectable, prosperous family, he was in almost constant trouble with the authorities in Mansfield because of his refusal to pay tithes and his determined evangelizing against the standing religious order. In 1759, as Shubael spent yet another stint in the Ashford jail, his adult son Daniel traveled to check out Nova Scotia, then came back to Mansfield and persuaded his father he would be better off in Nova Scotia than spending most of his time in jail. So Shubael, his second wife Eunice, and their ten children were some of the first settlers in Nova Scotia in 1759. [12]
Sarah (300) and Shubael Dimock had one known child:
Timothy was born about 1769 in Newport, Nova Scotia. He married Mary Parker and they are said to have had eight children. Timothy is purported to have died in Rawdon, Nova Scotia in 1838. [12]
After Shubael Dimock broke ranks with the Congregational church in Mansfield, CT., he might be termed a religious independent in that he did not immediately align himself with any particular denomination. Once in Nova Scotia, however, he officially became a Baptist preacher and the Dictionary of Canadian Biography has this to say of him “A pioneer among the Baptists of Nova Scotia, he was a firm believer in the right of the individual to make his own decisions about his religion. Three generations of his family carried on missionary work for the expansion of the Baptist denomination. “ Shubael died May 24, 1781 in Newport Corner, Nova Scotia. Sarah is said to have died in 1794, same place.
The children of Mary (304) Knowlton and Jonathan Masters (Marsters)
( Their first child Nathaniel was born in Manchester, MA. All the rest were born in Falmouth, Nova Scotia. None are found in the Stocking History)
Nathaniel was born June 6, 1759 and baptized June 10, 1759. He married 1st Sarah Upham July 5, 1787 and they are said to have had 2 children. He married 2nd Lydia Lynds on Nov. 5, 1798 and they are said to have had 3 children. Nathaniel, an active magistrate for over 30 years, held a seat in the legislature for 12 years, was coroner for the District of Colchester and Registrar of Deeds. He died July 19, 1843 in Onslow, Nova Scotia.
Jonathan Jr. was born Aug. 19, 1761. He was not known to have married and died Oct. 24, 1829 In Falmouth, Nova Scotia.
Mary was born May 2, 1763 and married Louis Shey (Shea).
Deborah was born about 1764 and
married William Brown about 1782. There is an oft repeated story
that Deborah and her father Jonathan both died in a house fire in
1804. The source of this information may be "Township of Falmouth, Nova Scotia" a book by John V. Duncanson that I did not have an opportunity to view.
Ann was born March 31, 1765. She married William McCurdy about 1790.
Rachel was born about 1767. She may have married John Augustine Smith but more research is required.
Lydia was born about 1769. Lydia may have married Henry Schneider but more research is required.
Olivia was born about 1771 and married Daniel Boyd as his 3rd wife. She died Jan. 18, 1831 in Falmouth, Nova Scotia.
Sarah was born about 1772.
Lavinia was born about 1774. She may have married 1st a Mr. Boyd and 2nd Patrick S. Carmody.
Catherine was born about 1778 and married John B. Layton. She died Feb 17, 1855 in Middle Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia.
Susan was born about 1781 and married James Higgins on March 3, 1812 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Susan died in 1814 same place.
Among the daughters, only Mary and Ann had birth records. The 1770 census shows the family with 5 daughters. Deborah is almost certainly one of the five born before 1770, but the birth years shown here for Rachel and Lydia are total speculation on my part that they are the other two of the five born before 1770. As to the five daughters born after 1770, the birth years for Olivia, Sarah and Lavinia are also speculative. But with Catherine and Susan there was something to go on and these two daughters were known to be the youngest. In Catherine's case, her gravestone states she was 76 years old at the time of her decease and her obituary in the local paper stated she was in her 77th year. Susan is know to be the youngest so the 1781 birth year shown in many trees may be close.
Jonathan Marsters Sr. died in Falmouth, N.S. in 1804. As was mentioned earlier, a story abounds that he died in a house fire that also took his daughter Deborah. If the house fire story is true, Mary (304) escaped or was not at home as her decease is documented in December 1819 in Falmouth, N.S.
Wendy Mulligan
References and Some Additional Comments
[1] Acadia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acadia
[2] A History of Nova-Scotia or Acadie, Volume 2, Chapter XX https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/34691/40617_108246-00079?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d34691%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=40617_108246-00310
[3] The Coming of the New England Planters to the Annapolis Valley https://journals.lib.unb.ca/static_content/ACAD/acadpress/theyplantedwell/014-028Longley.pdf
[4] The History of Kings County, Nova Scotia https://archive.org/details/historykingscou00eatogoog/page/n84
[5] The Forgotten Immigrants https://pier21.ca/research/immigration-history/the-forgotten-immigrants-the-journey-of-the-new-england-planters-to-nova-scotia-1759-1768
[6] I haven't studied it and am just guessing that the Nova Scotia Knowltons may be the first Knowltons to settle in Canada. I hope someone will correct me if they have other information.
[7] The Rhode Island Emmigration to Nova Scotia https://archive.org/details/rhodeislandemigr00huli/page/36
[8] The Stocking History of the Knowltons, like many genealogies of that era, can sometimes be a little over the top in it's descriptions of someone's heroics or hardships. But the chapter on Daniel (232) beginning on page 547 is quite accurate. For some reason, in Onslow township where Daniel settled, the New Englanders initially had a much tougher time of it than the Knowlton-Marsters in Falmouth. See "A Chapter In The History of Onslow Nova Scotia" https://archive.org/details/cihm_35290/page/n6
[9] A History of Nova-Scotia or Acadie, Volume 2, Chapter XXXII
[10] Nova Scotia in the American Revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_Scotia_in_the_American_Revolution
[11] A History of Nova-Scotia or Acadie, Volume 2, Chapter XXXVIII – XL
[12] The Dimock Genealogy https://archive.org/details/cihm_34965/page/n5
Canada Find A Grave Index, 1600's – Current
U.S. and Canada Passengers and Immigration Lists Index, 1500's – 1900's
Massachusetts Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
A Genealogy and History of the Chute Family in America (Elizabeth Seaborn Wolfe Woodworth)
Nova Scotia, Canada Census, Assessment and Poll Tax Records, 1770-1795, 1827, 1838
Canada Seafarers of the Atlantic Provinces, 1789- 1935 (Ezekiel Marsters)
Canadian Genealogy Index, 1600's – 1900's
Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867, Volume 1
Nova Scotia 1770 Census
Historical and Genealogical Record of the First Settlers of Colchester County Down to the Present
Canada Births and Baptisms on Family Search
Nova Scotia, Canada Marriages 1763-1940
Photo of a fort where the Knowlton-Marsters families may have lived while they built their houses https://westhantshistoricalsociety.ca/history/
Link to my tree on Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/89316435/person/432068323911/facts