Who was Martha Morrison, my 4th Great Grandmother?
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| How Martha Morrison (1762 - 1829) is related to me. |
It is only recently that I was able to find a clue (other than online family trees) that indicated the maiden name of my 4th great grandmother, Martha who was married to Jacob "Whispering Jacob" Lynds (1751-1833). Thanks to FamilySearch, I was able to find a book titled "Historical and Genealogical Record of the First Settlers of Colchester County, Down to the Present Time, Compiled From the Most Authentic Sources" by Thomas Miller, published in 1873 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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| Book Cover of "Historical and Genealogical Record of the First Settlers of Colchester County, Down to the Present Time, Compiled From the Most Authentic Sources" |
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| Page 381, references Jacob Lynds marriage to Martha Morrison |
At the bottom of page 381, in a section regarding the family of Jacob Lynds Senior and Mary Guild, there is a reference to their son, Jacob Lynds and his marriage to Martha Morrison, November 13th, 1786.
With this information I went to the Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics site to search for their marriage record. Alas, even though their site states marriage records date back to 1763, I could find no record for Martha marrying a Lynds or vice versa.
From the web site: https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/
" As of July 2013, the following Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics are available at www.novascotiagenealogy.comMartha is a brick wall. Who were her parents?
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Why is there no marriage record in Nova Scotia?
What was the source of information for the Colchester County book?
I will research her children and their marriages and historical references to determine if additional information exists.
There is a reference in this same book to a Captain John Morrison. He has a daughter Martha, but she marries a man named Williamson and no reference is made to a marriage to a Lynd or Lynds.
I performed this google search:
~genealogy "mary morrison lynds" nova scotia and there were two results:
One for the history of the McNutt clan which included this listing of the children of Mary Morrison and Jacob Lynds:
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| Section of page from http://www.macnauchtan.com/saugus/Other_Direct_Families.html
The 2nd result was from a website I had not heard of: The Network of Founding Families Genealogy, which is described as ". . . simply the group of families, and the researchers of those families, which have specifically been researched here, as amongst the founding families of America or Canada. They deserve to be recognized as such. There are many founding families who are not yet part of NFFG. Openings are available."
Unfortunately, there was no additional information regarding Martha.
I searched for Onslow, Colchester, Nova Scotia cemeteries and found this site for the Colchester Historeum. They offer a free newsletter, for which I entered a subscription request. They also have a Facebook page which I have 'liked'. They have a search on their site and I found a Robert Morrison in Onslow along with Jacob Lynds senior as a "Planters Family" (Selected Heads of Families known to have settled in Cobequid, 1761 to 1780). I have sent a genealogy rersearch request to http://colchesterhistoreum.ca/contact-us/. I have searched FindAGrave.com for Jacob Lynds and wife Martha. It is my understanding they died in Onslow, Nova Scotia, Canada. The only reference to Jacob Lynds is for his parents in Onslow Island Cemetery. I also searched Nova Scotia CanadianHeadstones.com with no success. There is a nice page on the Municipality of Colchester website that gives a short description and history of their cemeteries and churches. It mentions that Onslow had Presbyterian and Baptist churches. I should attempt to find church records for this family as well. |
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| Section of page from http://www.colchester.ca/churches-a-cemeteries-cc regarding churches in Onslow
There was an article from August of 2013 about a funding approval for Onslow Cemetery celebrations honoring its 250th anniversary. Maybe they have published something about the original families for this anniversary celebration? http://www.trurodaily.com/News/Local/2013-08-19/article-3356929/Funding-approved-for-Onslow-Cemetery-anniversary-celebrations/1
UPDATE: Who her parents were NOT.
There is another Martha Morrison, daughter of Captain John Morrison and Mary/Martha Anderson. Many online trees have this Martha as the wife of Jacob Lynds. THIS IS INCORRECT. As you can see from the Historical and Genealogical Record of Colchester County by Thomas Millar (1803-): "CHAPTER XVIII Capt. John Morrison was another of the first settlers of Truro, and was a Grantee of the Township. His front land was adjoining the Parade, on the North side, and extending North to the interval. Also the interval adjoining it, which is owned by Mr. John McClure and Robert Chambers, Esq. He built on his house lot, and resided there about seven years. He exchanged farms with Robert Archibald, and removed to Little Dyke, Londonderry, where he spent the remainder of his life. On June 6th, 1770, he took his seat in the General Assembly of this Province, and was the representative of Londonderry until 1778. He having left the Province for a few years to look after his business in New Hampshire, James, son of the Rev. David Smith, took his seat in the House of Assembly, December 5th, 1785, as representative of Londonderry. Mr. Morrison was born in New Hampshire, in the year 1725. He was married to Martha Anderson, daughter of Mr. Anderson who was shot by the Indians, while engaged thrashing grain in his barn. Martha, having gone to the barn with a drink for her father, and seeing the Indians behind the barn, ran for the house, but before she reached the house the Indians fired after her, and when she got into the house she found that her dress had nine ball holes in it and she was unhurt. They were married about the year 1757. Eleanor, their eldest daughter, was born in New Hampshire, September 21st, 1758. She was married to Edward Faulkner. They had nine sons. They settled in Economy, where they spent their lives, and reared nine sons, and died. Mr. Morrison came with the first company that came to Truro in the Spring of the year 1760. His wife remained in New Hampshire until the Spring of the year 1761, and then came on with a number of more who came that Spring. Daniel, their eldest son, was born in New Hampshire, November 24th, 1760. He was married to Rachel McLennan about the year 1790. He inherited a part of his father's farm, and was a Justice of the Peace for the district of Colchester for a number of years before he died. They had five sons and five daughters. His house stood near the place on which his son Alexander D. Morrison, Esq., lived and his grandson, Joseph Howe Morrison now resides. Daniel Morrison died at Little Dyke, November 26th, 1832, aged 72 years, and his wife died December 21st, 1843. Hannah, the second daughter of Capt. John and Martha Morrison, was born in Truro, December 25th, 1762. She died unmarried, at Londonderry, December 25th, 1792. John, their second son, was born in Truro, October 25th, 1764. He perished, in the month of December, 1799, on board of a vessel that foundered in the Bay, near Londonderry. He died a bachelor. Jonathan, the third son of Capt. John and Martha Morrison, was born in Truro, October 24th 1766. He was married to Martha Faulkner in the year 1794. They had six sons and three daughters. They settled at Five Islands, where they reared their family and spent the remainder of their lives. He died there in the year 1843. Joseph A. Morrison, their fourth son, was born in Londonderry, July 13th, 1769. He was married to Isabella, the third daughter of Thomas Fletcher and Jane Vance, his wife, of Masstown in the year 1802. They have four sons and four daughters. (Their third son, Thomas F. Morrison, Esq., now represents the County of Colchester in the Local Parliament of Nova Scotia.) He inherited a part of his father's farm at Little Dyke, and had his house near the place that his son, Samuel, now resides, where they reared their family, spent the remainder of their lives and he died there in the year 1846, aged 77 years, and his wife died October, 1821, aged 43 years. Samuel, the fifth son of Capt. John and Martha Morrison, was born at Londonderry, August 19th, 1771. He was married to Frances Hays in the year 1801. They had two sons and four daughters. He died February 12th, 1820, aged 48 years, and his wife died February 11, 1828, aged 47 years. Martha, the third daughter of Capt. John and Martha Morrison, was born March 13th, 1774. She was married to John Williamson. They removed, and settled in the County of Pictou. They had two sons and six daughters. Margaret, their fourth daughter, was born in Londonderry, March 3rd, 1776. She was married to Edward Faulkner, second. They settled in Economy, and had three sons and five daughters. She died there in the year 1860, aged 84 years. Ezekiel, the sixth son of Capt. John and Martha Morrison, was born in New Hampshire, October 10th, 1780. He was married to Elizabeth McLellan. They settled in Londonderry for a time. They had five sons and two daughters. They removed to the County of Hants, and he died in St. John, N.B. As before mentioned, Capt. John Morrison having left property unsold in New Hampshire, returned there at the time of the rebellion. He sold his property, but could not get his pay for a length of time. He worked at his trade as a blacksmith, and had to remain there so long that his seat in the Assembly was declared vacant, June 25th, 1778, and his family went to him and remained there until peace was restored. He obtained payment for his property, and he and his family returned to Londonderry, where he spent the remainder of his life. He died there December 27th, 1816, aged 91 years, and his wife died March 31, 1811, aged 72 years." Here is how Martha fits into my Nova Scotia ancestors:  |
Hi, I am a descendent of the McNutts who settled in the town of Truro and Colchester Co. I have also been trying to find info on Martha Morrison, wife of Jacob Lynds, and I have come to the same conclusion that her father was not likely John Morrison given the dates of birth, etc. There was a Robert Morrison in the 1774 poll tax and Robert Morrison Jr in the 1791 poll tax. I am thinking that Martha may have been born in the US or just as her parents arrived in NS.
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