Archibald Family of New Hampshire and Nova Scotia

This web page is part of A Family Reunion of Douglas J. Graham. There is a search page for finding specific information. This page has also been indexed in the Place Name Index. Last update of page: 22 August 2005.

The Archibald family was originally from northern Ireland and came to the Truro area of Nova Scotia through New England. Three generations of Archibalds are recorded here:

David Archibald, b. 1717 (from Ireland to NH to Truro) --- m. --- Elizabeth Elliott (8 children)

Robert Archibald, b. 1745 (in Truro) --- m. --- Hannah Blair (9 children)

Elizabeth Archibald, b. 1768 (in Truro) --- m. --- Samuel Tupper (2 children)

William Creelman, b. 1787--- m. --- Hannah Tupper (8 children)

James Graham, b. 1808 --- m. --- Rachel Creelman (7 children)

A great deal of information is available on the early Archibalds in Nova Scotia (see Sources below). The seven Archibald siblings included four boys, listed chronologically below, and three daughters (birth dates unknown; considered after their brothers).

David Archibald, b. 1717, and Siblings

David Archibald and his six brothers and sisters were all born in Ireland. They all emigrated to New England from Londonderry, most in 1743, and perhaps with their parents, but nothing is recorded of the latter. At least one of the oldest children, David, was already married and came with his own wife and one child in 1743. The second oldest son, Samuel, did not leave Ireland until 1757. They all married in New Hampshire (except for David) and the seven families all moved together to Truro, Nova Scotia, arriving on 13 December 1762.

Many of the early inhabitants of Truro such as the Archibalds, and many of the other families that crop up repeatedly in this Family Reunion, were of Irish protestant families who had emigrated initially from Londonderry, Ireland. Some historical notes are provided in Miller's Colchester County book (2). On 26 March 1718 a petition was signed by 319 protestants of (primarily Catholic?) Londonderry, Ireland and addressed to Samuel Suitte, Governor of New England, asking him to protect them and their families. Sixteen families arrived that same year in the New World and founded the town of Londonderry, New Hampshire.

David Archibald and siblings arrived in 1743, several decades later. The Archibalds, and others, then moved again to Nova Scotia for unknown reasons, but obviously profiting from the opportunities created by the recent expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia. Some of the men had been involved in the military campaigns and became familiar firsthand with Nova Scotia.

1) David, was b. in Londonderry, Ireland on 20 Sept. 1717. He is my great-(6 times)-grandfather. On 19 May 1741, still in Ireland, he married Elizabeth Elliott, b. 10 June, 1720. In 1743 they emigrated to New Hampshire with one child and nineteen years later, with a then completed family of eight children, moved to Truro, Nova Scotia.

David Archibald was an important man in Truro. He was the first Justice of the Peace, the first to represent Truro Township in Parliament (he first took his seat on 5 June 1766) and his name stands first in the list of Grantees of Truro Township. On 13 Sept. 1770 his name headed a petition calling for a reverend (who was eventually to be the Rev. Daniel Cock) and he was also at the head of the list of Elders, chosen in 1770, of the Presbyterian Congregation. His lands were on the north side of the Salmon River and his house near Bible Hill.

He was certainly not a lenient man, as evidenced by the following story. A thief was brought before him for trial and the sentence he gave was: "that the thief should be tied to a cart and driven from the hill across the river, down round the Parade, and back to the hill again; and that the driver should use the whip more freely on the thief than on the horse".

His wife, Elizabeth Elliott, died 19 Oct. 1791, aged 71. Nothing is known about her or her family. David died in 1795, aged 78. Their eight children, including Robert Archibald, are discussed after the texts on David's siblings.

2) Samuel, b. 1719, m. in 1743 in Ireland to Eleanor Taylor, b. 1724. It is not clear whether or not Eleanor would have been related to her brother-in-law Samuel Taylor (but note that Samuel Taylor was born in 1727 in NH and married there whereas Eleanor supposedly married in Ireland). He apparently did not leave Ireland with all his siblings but did move to New England in 1757. By the time they moved to Truro in 1762, they had six sons and four daughters and they later added two more daughters. He was a Grantee of Truro Township and one of the first elders of the Presbyterian Church. He built his own house in Truro in which he lived for the rest of his life. He died on 15 July 1774 (confirmed by 4; his age given as 55), the first Church member to do so. We found the graves of he and his wife in August 2005 (4), both in quite good condition. His wife's gravestone reads: "Here lies the body of Eloner [sic] Archibald wife to Samuel Archibald who departed this life on the first day of May 1781 aged 57 years".

Briefly, their 12 children were the following:

Matthew (1745-1820), returned to New England in 1767, perhaps for a bride, marrying Janet Fisher (1750-1843) that same year (17 at the time), daughter of Deacon Samuel Fisher (3) and Sarah Taylor. Janet may have been related to Matthew's uncle, William Fisher (see discussion below under Eleanor Archibald). When they returned to Truro in 1767, Janet came with a 9 year-old half brother, Samuel A. Fisher who would later marry Mary Tupper (see that chapter for more details). Matthew was a very pious man and Bible Hill in Truro takes its name from him. He represented Truro in Parliament for 14 years from 1785 to 1799 and was also Justice of the Peace and Coroner of the District of Colchester for a number of years. When his wife Janet died in 1843, aged 93, she had 12 children, 100 grandchildren, 250 great-grandchildren, and 23 great-great-grandchildren (in total, about 385 descendents!).
A very few of the more interesting of their children can be mentioned. A daughter Agnes (1770-1851) had a family of fourteen children that was remarkable for the times in that there was not a single death in the famiy till all 14 children were married and had families. A son Ebenezer (1779-1829) had a notable funeral. Miller writes that "the first funeral that was held in Truro (except it might have been at the very early settlement of the place) without the use of spirituous liquor, was the funeral of Ebenezer Archibald, which took place, August 10, 1829". Another son, Alexander (1788-1859), represented Truro in the house of Assembly from 1830 to 1842 and again from 1847 to 1851. He was a farmer, tanner, and a Major of the Militia. Finally, another son, John James (1790-1864), was on the "Committee of Management" of the first Temperance Society of Truro which was formed early in 1831; he perhaps had something to do with his brother's funeral?! Finally, the eldest son, Samuel Fisher Archibald, married Olive Scott, the niece of Mary (Scott) Widsom; see the Scott chapter for more information.
John (1747-1813), was also a Grantee of Truro Township. In 1772 he married his cousin Margaret (1747-1809), daughter of William Fisher and Eleanor Archibald. He constructed his own house, the local mill, and a half-mile long water canal on his property. They had nine children and he remarried later in life to yet another cousin, Hannah Archibald, daughter of James Archibald, and widow of John Cummings. One of his daughters, Susannah, b. 1783, married Edward Brydon but she died of tuberculosis while her husband was in debtor's jail. The authorities allowed the body to be taken into the jail for Edward to have a last look at his wife! In August 2005 we found the graves of "Lieutenant Colonel John Archibald" and his wife Margaret (4).
Janet (1750-1811), m. John Hingley and had seven sons and four daughters. They eventually moved to Salmon River (now Kemptown) where they farmed.
David (1752-1818), m. in 1778 to Jane (ca. 1758-1824), eldest daughter of Alexander Miller and Nancy Anderson. He was known as David Archibald, 2nd. He was a Grantee of Truro Township and they settled on a farm on the south side of the Salmon River where they lived for 11 years, till 1789. He then sold his farm and they moved ten miles upstream to Kemptown where he built some mills. In 1793 the family moved to the Middle River of Pictou where be built another set of mills. In 1802 he returned to Kemptown for the rest of his life. In Sept. 1818 doctors in Truro amputated his leg, he having suffered for some time from a sore leg, but he died several days later. They had seven sons and two daughters.
James (1754-1828), m. in 1779 to Rebecca (1763-1818), daughter of John Barnhill and Letitia Deyarmond of Chiganoise. James inherited a part of his father's property. He was a Justice of the Peace for many years and was an Elder of the Presbyterian Church from 1799 till his death. They had seven sons and five daughters. Two of their children married children of John Blair: a daughter, Nancy, married Samuel Barns Blair and Matthew m. Susannah Blair. In August 2005 we found the graves of both James and Rebecca in the Truro graveyard (4).
Nancy, b. 1756, married her cousin John Taylor, the son of Matthew Taylor.
Robert (1758-1794), died a bachelor. He was deaf and lived with his brother David at the Middle River of Pictou.
Margaret, b. 1759, m. David Nelson in 1775 when she was 16. They lived on the interval of the Salmon River and had four sons and two daughters. He died in 1788 and she remarried to Jeremiah Murphy in 1789 and had two more sons.
Martha, b. 1760, m. John Pratt and moved to Stewiacke where they died. They had five sons and three daughters.
Samuel (1762-1833), was known as "Lame Samuel". His first marriage was to his cousin, Margaret Archibald, daughter of Thomas Archibald, in 1790. They lived on the east side of the Salmon River Road and had three sons and three daughters. Margaret died in 1809 and he remarried to Nancy Clayton in 1810. They moved to St. Mary's and had seven sons and one daughter.
Elizabeth, the first child born in Truro, was b. in 1764 and died unmarried.
Eleanor, b. 1768, m. Robert Morrison and moved to the United States. They had two sons and three daughters.

3) James, was married and had some children when he arrived in Truro. He was one of the Grantees of Truro Township and his land was on the north side of the Salmon River. He was one of the first settlers of Middle Stewiacke where he later had 500 acres on the east side of Simeon Whidden's land. They had one son and six daughters:

Rebecca, b. 1761, m. her cousin Matthew Taylor, son of Elizabeth Archibald.
Hannah, m. John Cummings and has six sons and five daughters. After her husband died, she remarried to her cousin John Archibald, son of Samuel Archibald.
Elizabeth, m. a Mr. McElhenney.
A daughter, m. William Long and moved to "Ohio".
A daughter, m. Richard Sudicks and moved to "Ohio".
A daughter, m. Adam Boyd. She died in 1790 and he remarried to Mary Johnson.
David Morris, also known as David Archibald, the Sixth. In 1798 he m. his cousin's daughter, Rachel, daughter of John Archibald and granddaughter of Samuel Archibald. They had three daughters but both David and his wife died while their children were young.

4) Thomas, b. 1733. In 1757 he m. Janet Orr (1733-1784). After they moved to Nova Scotia, they settled on a farm on the north side of the Salmon River where he spent the rest of his days. After Janet died in March, 1784, he remarried on 15 July 1785 to Elizabeth Long, widow of James Faulkner of the Lower Village of Truro. They had no children. He died 27 June 1796 and his widow d. about 1822. In August 2005 we found the graves of Thomas and his first wife in the Truro Cemetery. The grave of Thomas is badly damaged and mostly unreadable. His wife's gravestone reads: "Here lies the body of Jennet [sic] Archibald wife to Thomas Archibald who died March 13 1784 in the 51st year of her age".

The children of Thomas and Janet were:

John (1758-1832), m. in 1784 to Mary (1761-1847), daughter of Robert Hamilton and Agnes Ferguson. He was known by the name of "Long John". They made an attempt to settle at Brookfield but soon left and were one of the eight families who in 1784 were the first settlers of Stewiacke. They settled on a farm on the south side of the Stewiacke River where he died. Mary d. in Brookfield. They had six sons and four daughters.
Eleanor, b. 1760, m. her cousin David Taylor, son of Elizabeth Archibald.
David Archibald, the 4th, (1762-1830), was born on board the ship that brought the Archibald clan from New Hampshire to Nova Scotia. He m. in 1788 to Esther (1764-1837), daughter of Charles Cox and Eleanor Stewart. David inherited his father's farm. They had four sons and four daughters. We located his grave in the Truro Cemetery in August 2005 (4).
William (1765-1836), m. Martha Denny of Londonderry (Nova Scotia?) in 1791. She died in 1858. They had four sons and four daughters.
Margaret, b. 1767, m. her cousin, Samuel Archibald, son of Samuel Archibald.
Janet, b. 1769, m. Alexander Campbell of Pictou and they had six sons and one daughter.
Elizabeth (1771-1831), m. in 1796 to the Irish-born John (1768-1835), son of Robert Hamilton and Agnes Ferguson. They settled in Brookfield. Four years after their marriage, in Jan. 1800, John Hamilton became completely paralyzed, for the rest of his life. On this occasion, the Rev. John Waddell visited him and preached the first sermon ever to be held in Brookfield. Shortly after, they moved to Upper Stewiacke, where they resided for eight or nine years before returning to Brookfield. They were buried in Truro Cemetery. They had five sons and three daughters.
Martha, b. 1774, m. William Blackie of Green Hill of Pictou. She died shortly after the marriage.
Rachel (1777-1811), m. in 1804 to George Dill of Londonderry (Nova Scotia?) (1776-1854). They moved to Truro where he was a schoolteacher. He was also Registrar of Deeds and Prothonotary of the Supreme Court. They had two daughters before Rachel died. George remarried to Rosannah Tucker in 1813 and they had three sons and five daughters.

5) Elizabeth is the first of the three sisters of David Archibald; no birth dates are available for any of them and they are arbitrarily placed here after the boys. While in New Hampshire she married Matthew Taylor, Snr., b. 1727. Matthew was the second son of Matthew and Janet Taylor who had arrived at Londonderry, NH in 1722 (a daughter of Matthew and Janet, Sarah Taylor, married Deacon Samuel Fisher in 1747 in NH; their daughter Janet Fisher married Matthew Archibald, Elizabeth's nephew, as noted above). Matthew and Elizabeth moved to Truro with all her brothers where Matthew became one of the Grantees of Truro Township. He farmed there and raised a large family.

He died in 1796 while making a trip to Halifax. Elizabeth d. in 1810. The Taylor children were the following:

John Taylor, b. 1752, was one of the Grantees of Truro Township, although only 14 at the time. He married his cousin, Nancy Archibald, a daughter of Samuel Archibald. John's farm was next to his father's and he later inherited that farm. In about 1802, they sold their Truro farm and moved to Saint Mary's. Nancy died around that time. In 1812 he sold that farm, moved up the East River and died some time after. They had three sons and five daughters (or four sons and six daughters?).
James Taylor, b. 1754, m. Rebecca Bartlett and moved to Majorfield, New Brunswick, where he farmed. He had his barn so constructed, that he could unload a ton of hay from his cart into the mow (the hay pile in the barn) in a minute and a half, which apparently was quite a feat for those days.
Matthew Taylor, b. 1755, m. in 1783 to his cousin Rebecca Archibald, daughter of James Archibald. Matthew had a farm as well as a saw mill. In 1792 he and his family moved to Ohio. They had four sons and a daughter.
Robert Taylor, b. 1757, m. Mehetabel Wilson of Chiganoise in 1781. They had two sons and three daughters. He bought a mill but afterwards sold out and moved to Ohio.
David Taylor, b. 1760, settled on a farm and m. in 1783 his cousin Eleanor, daughter of Thomas Archibald. When he died aged 39, on 15 January 1799, he was chopping in the woods when a large limb fell on him and struck his head. They had two sons and three daughters. One of the sons, Thomas, also met a violent death. Five months after the birth of his first child, he and his brother were working in the woods when a tree fell on him and killed him. On his brother's bidding, Thomas' wife Lucy was first on the scene; Miller's book graphically notes that "she removed the hat, in which was the brains of her husband". She later remarried to a son of Ann Archibald, daughter of David Archibald.
Margaret Taylor, b. 1763, d. young. She was presumably the first of the children to be born in Nova Scotia.
Samuel Taylor, b. 1765, m. and had a family of children. He was one of the eight who were the first to settle in Upper Stewiacke in 1784. Shortly after this time he moved to Ohio.
Archibald Taylor, b. 1766, m. in 1797 to Jane, daughter of William and Mary Blair. They had one child but mother and baby died soon after the birth. Archibald moved to St. Mary's where he m. Mary McDonald of Pictou. They had three sons and two daughters. He died in about 1837.
Elizabeth Taylor, b. 1769, m. in 1764 to Gain, son of Richard Bartlett. They had a son and a daughter. When driving home with a load of wood on his sled, her husband died when he fell off and was run over by the sled.
William Taylor, b. 1771, m. Margaret, daughter of Alexander McCurdy of Onslow. They had one son and three daughters. Margaret died when the children were all young so William moved to St. Mary's where he m. again and had another family. About 1840 he was chopping in the woods at Sherbrooke when he was killed by a falling tree. The Taylors were certainly not very lucky in the woods! One of his daughters, Elizabeth, m. Robert Blair.

6) Eleanor, m. in Ireland to William Fisher in 1743. He was born in Londonderry in 1716. The year they were married, they moved to Londonderry, NH. This William Fisher is not known to be related to Janet Fisher who married Matthew Archibald, Eleanor's nephew (see above). However, Janet's father was Samuel Fisher and since he was a contemporary of William Fisher in Londonderry, NH, it is quite plausible that Samuel and William were brothers or at least related (Samuel however had arrived in New England three years before William). When Eleanor and William Fisher moved again to Truro in December 1762, he became one of the Grantees of Truro. He was the first Town Clerk of Truro after it was settled by the British, and was one of the original seven Elders of the Church which were elected in 1770. He also represented Truro in Parliament for five years from the time he first took his seat on 6 June 1770. He died at his house on the Salmon River on 6 June 1777. Their children were the following:

John Fisher (1774-1818), was a Grantee of Truro Township. In 1763, he m. Elizabeth Cowley (1743-1826). In 1784, John Fisher was one of the seven who moved to Upper Musquodoboit. Shortly after they were married, a moose crossed their field and Elizabeth shot and wounded it so severely that the men were able to catch it. They had nine daughters and four sons.
James Fisher (1746-1812), was also a Grantee of Truro Township. In 1772 he m. Margaret McKeen (1751-1817), daughter of John McKeen and Martha Cargill. He was with his brother John in the move to Upper Musquodoboit. He moved later to St. Mary's. They had two sons and three daughters. One daughter Jane m. James Whidden (1778-1852) and a son William married James' sister Mary Whidden, b. 1780.
Margaret Fisher (1747-1809), m. in 1772 to her cousin John, son of Samuel Archibald. They had five sons and five daughters.
Samuel Fisher, b. 1750, was a Grantee of Truro Township. In 1778 he m. Mary Langell. He also went to Upper Musquodoboit in the spring of 1784. They had three sons and five daughters.
David Fisher (1752-1834), was a Grantee of Truro Township although only 13 at the time. In 1776 he m. Martha Dickey (1756-1843), daughter of Robert Dickey. In 1782 they moved to Middle Stewiacke. They had eight sons and three daughters.
Elizabeth Fisher, b. 1754, m. James Hughes and had a son and a daughter.
William Fisher (1756-1811), m. in 1786 to Esther, b. 1766, daughter of John and Mary Logan. He inherited his father's farm on the Salmon River. They had four sons and five daughters. His widow remarried to a James Archibald (of unknown lineage).
Hannah Fisher, b. 1758, m. Stewly Horton and moved to Upper Musquodoboit in 1784 with her three brothers.
Sarah Fisher, b. 1760, m. Archibald Gammell (1760-1835), son of Andrew Gammell and Elizabeth Thomson. They first lived on the Salmon River and in about 1790 moved to Upper Stewiacke. They had one son and six daughters.
Ruth Fisher (1763-1825), m. in 1782 to Matthew Johnson (1756-1825). From the Lower Village of Truro, he was the son of James Johnson and Elizabeth Patterson. In the fall of 1783, Ruth and Matthew became the first people to settle in Middle Stewiacke. Their nearest neighbors were seven miles away in Upper Stewiacke. At one time, when Matthew was away and his wife was alone, a bear came and tried to get their sheep from a small pen built against their log house. She apparently went out with the dog and managed to scare the bear away. About 1792 they sold their farm to Eliakim Tupper [planned link when this family done] and moved to Musquodoboit. Matthew later changed farms with Thomas Ellis and moved to Pembroke where they both died. They had ten sons, two daughters, and 54 grandchildren.
Alexander McNutt Fisher, b. 1765, inherited a part of his father's farm but sold it and moved to Musquodoboit where he spent the rest of his life. In 1798 he m. his cousin's daughter, Janet Archibald, b. 1770, daughter of Robert Archibald and Hannah Blair. Janet was a widow of William Logan. Alexander and Janet had two sons and one daughter.
Eleanor Fisher (1767-1792), m. in 1788 to Robert Logan (1763-1833). They had one son and one daughter. After her early death, Robert remarried.

7) Martha, m. Samson Moore, was the last of David Archibald's sisters. Samson was born in Ireland in 1730. He emigrated to New England where he m. Martha in 1754 in New Hampshire. They came to Nova Scotia in 1762 with all the other Archibalds and he became one of the Grantees of Truro Township. They settled in the Lower Village. He was drowned in the bay near "Salter's Head" in 1782. They had seven children:

James Moore, b. 1755. He came with his parents to Truro in 1762 and was one of the Grantees, being ten at the time. He took land adjoining his father's property and in 1783 he m. Margaret Pollock. They settled near Shubenacadie at the "carrying place". The carrying place was where the people travelling the Shubenacadie in boats or canoes would take a short portage across a strip of land to save them going a mile by the river. They had one daughter but then Margaret died. James remarried in 1787 to Susan Teas, daughter of Samuel and Janet Teas of Stewiacke. By this second marriage he had eight daughters, six sons, and 63 grandchildren.
John Moore, b. 1757. He was drowned by the upsetting of a boat in 1782, aged 25.
Eleanor Moore (1761-1848), m. in 1779 to John McCabe. John's father James, had come from Philadelphia to Pictou in 1767. Eleanor and John settled at Loch Broom, Pictou and had six sons and seven daughters. John d. in 1838.
David Moore (1763-1849), moved to Cumberland Co. where he m. Catherine Taylor (1783-1851). They later returned to Truro where he died. They had ten sons, four daughters, and 66 grandchildren.
Alice Moore (1766-1815), m. in 1786 to William Philips. They settled beside the Shubenacadie River. Her husband remarried after her death. They had three sons and a daughter. The three sons married three sisters who were also their cousins (daughters of James Moore).
Samson Moore (1767-1818), m. in 1795 to Margaret Hunter (1769-1816), daughter of Robert Hunter and Esther Moore (presumably not related). Samson inherited his father's farm in the Lower Village of Truro. They had a son and a daughter. His wife died of tuberculosis.
Daniel Moore, b. 1770. He m. Jane Nelson, b. 1775, daughter of Alexander Nelson and Margaret Robertson. They had a son and two daughters. Daniel was lost at sea. His wife remarried and moved to Halifax.

Robert Archibald, b. 1745, and Siblings

David Archibald and his wife Elizabeth Elliott had eight children. The first child was born in Londonderry, Ireland, and all the others would have been born in Londonderry, New Hampshire after they emigrated in 1743. The children were the following:

1) Samuel, b. in Ireland on 11 November 1742. He m. Rachel Duncan, b. 1743, of Londonderry (New Hampshire I presume), daughter of John Duncan and Rachel Todd. He came with his father to Truro in 1762, when he was aged 19. He and his wife settled at Little Dyke and remained there till 1769 when they moved to Truro. He was an original Grantee of the Township of Londonderry, Nova Scotia. Samuel was an important man in his community. He was Town Clerk of Truro from 1771 till his death and he twice represented Truro in the house of Assembly (from 12 June 1775 and from 1777).

Samuel was also a "sporting man". Once, when a number of men were dyking a marsh they took their noontime break for their "daily dram"and a little nap. While they were sleeping, Samuel took their shovels and pressed their hair into the ground, fastening them to the marsh. It is not recorded whether the men were amused or not...

In 1779 when he was preparing to go down to the West Indies with a cargo of boards and horses he stopped in an the shop of John Smith and said to him "Come, Smith, let us have a parting drop". At he last second he stopped the hapless Smith from drinking of his bottle of fish oil and rode off laughing at his good joke. In the West Indies he received "foul treatment" from a British officer and he died, leaving a widow and six children. Possibly he played one trick too many? His brother James later went down to the West Indies to reclaim the cargo (see below).

Samuel's widow Rachel remarried to Capt. John McKeen, had a son and died 20 January 1814. This is presumably the same John McKeen who was previously married to Martha Cargill and whose children married into various branches of the Archibald family. The seven children of Samuel Archibald, all born in Nova Scotia, were the following:

A first child, b. 1767, which died as a baby, and was buried on a small island off the shore.
John (1769-1792), moved to Upper Stewiacke and started farming but died as a young bachelor of 23.
Elizabeth Elliott, b. 1770, m. in 1793 or 1794 to Hugh Logan, b. 1763, son of William Logan and Janet Moor. They settled in Upper Stewiacke where they had three sons and four daughters.
David (1772-1814), was known as David Archibald the 7th or as Colonel David. He build a house in Onslow in which he lived and died. In 1801 he m. Olivia Dickson, b. 1785, of Onslow, one of the twin daughters of Charles Dickson and Amelia Bishop. David was an active businessman. His widow remarried in 1819 to John Henderson, Sheriff of Colchester Distict and they had one son. She died at Tatamagouche in 1872, aged 88. David and Olivia and four sons and two daughters.According to (1) the inscription on his monument reads: "Sacred to Memory of David Archibald 7th late Lieutenant Colonel of the 7th Battalion of the Nova Scotia Militia. He departed this life 25th Nov. 1814 Aged 42 years." One of their sons was Thomas Dickson Archibald, b. 1813. He moved to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia where he had a large business and was a member of the Legislative Council of Nova Scotia and later served in the Canadian Senate.
Rachel Todd (1775-1819), m. in 1799 to Charles Dickson (1775-1821) of Onslow, son of Charles Dickson and Amelia Bishop. Charles was a carpenter and he built their house in Onslow. They had five sons and six daughters.
Samuel George William, b. 5 February 1777, was brought up by his grandfather, David Archibald. He m. on 16 March 1802 to Elizabeth Dickson, b. 1786, yet another child of Charles Dickson. He must have known he was destined for other things as he was only a farmer for a short time, when he threw his tools down and took up the study of law. He soon became a member of the Bar, a Clerk of the Peace, and Judge of Probate. From 1806 to 1836 he represented the County of Halifax in the House of Assembly, in 1817 he was appointed King's Counsel, in 1825 he was unanimously chosen Speaker of the House of Assembly and in 1826 he was appointed Solicitor General of Nova Scotia. In 1830 his first wife died and he remarried to Mrs. Joanna Brodley in 1832. From 1836 to 1841 he represented the County of Colchester in the House of Assembly, in 1841 he was appointed to the Office of Master of the Rolls, and he was also Nova Scotia's Attorney General for a number of years. He died in Halifax in 1846 and his widow died in England.
Despite such a busy career, he managed to father 15 children. Several of his sons are worthy of note: Charles Dickson (1802-1868), m. the heiress of a large estate in Lancashire, England; Edward Mortimer, b. 1810, was British Consul in New York for several years; and Thomas Dickson, b. 1817, lived in England, practised law, and in 1872 was appointed Baron of the Exchequer.
Margaret (1779-1811), d. unmarried.

2) Robert, b. in Londonderry, New Hampshire on 22 January 1745. Robert's daughter Elizabeth became the wife of Samuel Tupper and grandmother of Rachel Creelman, who married James Graham. Robert and his elder brother were both Grantees of the Township of Londonderry, Nova Scotia but later they both exchanged their farms with others and moved to Truro. On 2 April 1767 he m. Hannah Blair, b. 1747, of Onslow, daughter of William Blair and Jane Barns. Robert and Hannah had nine children who are considered in the section on Elizabeth Archibald and her siblings.

Robert's house in Truro was used for the town meetings. He was Town Clerk of Truro for a number of years and on 16 September 1780 he was appointed Justice of the Peace for Colchester and Pictou Counties. Robert was a Colonel of the Militia and a land surveyor. In this latter capacity he surveyed and divided a large part of Truro and all of the Township of Onslow. See the chapter for Joseph Scott for more background to the division of Onslow. He was also a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. In 1787 he moved to Musquodoboit but continued to travel to Onslow to attend court. He died at Musqudoboit in October 1812; his widow Hannah d. 4 November 1834 aged 87.

3) John, Snr., b. 18 August 1747, in Londonderry. He was one of the Grantees of Truro but he later moved to Musquodoboit. He was married on 2 June 1768 to Alice Moor, sister of Hugh Moor, Snr. of Truro. They had nine children:

David, b. in Truro on 19 March 1769, was known as David Archibald the 5th or as David Barnhill. On 9 August 1792 he m. Letitia Barnhill, b. 1771, of Chiganoise, daughter of John Barnhill, Snr. and Letitita Deyarmond. They had five daughters and three sons, all of whom married.
Hugh, b. 24 October 1770, d. 7 January 1771.
Ann, b. 28 March 1772. In 1795 she m. John Kennedy, b. 1770, of Middle Stewiacke, son of William and Janet Kennedy. They had five sons and two daughters. After John died, she remarried, on 5 May 1817, at her son's house, to David Dickey (1763-1852), known as "Yankee David". David had nine children by a previous marriage. When Ann d. in October 1858 she was 86.
Hugh, b. 1 December 1773, went with his father and family to Musquodoboit where he lived the rest of his life. He was married in 1797 to his cousin, Margaret Price Archibald, daughter of Robert Archibald and Hannah Blair.
James, the 4th, b. 20 November 1775. He m. his second cousin, Mary Fisher, b. 1779, of Middle Stewiacke, daughter of David Fisher and Martha Dickey on 7 January 1802. After they were married they settled in Middle Stewiacke where James owned a grist mill. In 1823 he took up farming in Pleasant Valley. They had seven sons and one daughter. He d. 4 July 1834 and she d. 12 March 1854.
Elizabeth, b. 24 November 1777, m. Johnson Kaulback of Musquodobit. They had six sons and one daughter.
Mary, b. 10 December 1781. She m. in 1803 to David McCollum, Jnr. (1781-1858) of North River, Onslow, son of David McCollum, Snr. and Margaret Moor. They had six sons and six daughters. She d. in March 1866.
Alice, b. after her parents moved to Musquodoboit, m. John Nelson and had five sons and three daughters.
A daughter. John, Alice, and this baby daughter were crossing the Musquodoboit River on horseback when a piece of ice struck the horse's hind legs. In the resultant struggle, the baby was tragically dropped and it drowned.

4) Margaret, b. 15 December 1749 in Londonderry. She m. John Savage. John had been married previously to Jane, who had d. 3 April 1767. Her gravestone is apparently the oldest in Truro. John Savage was an active and important citizen of Truro. He was a Grantee of Truro Township, and was one of the seven Elders of the Presbyterian Church. He was a surveyor and in that capacity he once agreed to subdivide the back lands of Truro, for which he was supposed to receive 12,000 acres extending east from the Shubenacadie River. He died before carrying out this lucrative deal. He and his wife both died soon after the birth of their first son. This son was David Savage who was brought up by his grandfather, David Archibald. He m. Elizabeth Brydon and they kept an inn. In 1800 they moved to the States.

5) Ann, b. 12 March 1752. On 3 October 1771 she m. William McKeen., b. 1745, son of John McKeen and Martha Cargill. He was a Grantee of Truro Township but in 1780 he sold his property in the Village and took over the local mills. He carried on the milling trade till 1815 when he moved to Musquodoboit at the age of 70. William died in 1826. Ann died at the house of her son Samuel in Mabou, Cape Breton, in 1836 at the age of 84. For at least 25 years prior to her death she had been blind. They had ten children:

Martha McKeen, b. 26 September 1772, d. 5 February 1773.
John McKeen, b. 1774. As a young man he went to sea as a carpenter on board a ship of war. In 1811 he returned to Nova Scotia and the following year he m. Isabell Thomson. They kept an inn where they lived the remainder of their lives. They had four sons and five daughters. She d. in Halifax on 16 June 1834 and he d. in June 1857.
David McKeen, b. 31 July 1775. He m. Diana Huchinson in 1801. They moved to Musquodoboit where David was a miller. They had three sons and a daughter then Diana d. in February 1811. That same year he remarried to Susan Logan of Truro, daughter of John and Ann Logan. She d. of tuberculosis two years later. He m., a third time, in March 1818 to Lucy Hoar of Onslow, daughter of Ebenezer Hoar and Catherine Downing. Lucy was the widow of the unfortunate Thomas Taylor (see above). He and Lucy had two sons and a daughter. After he died in July 1824, his widow and children returned to Truro where they lived on the farm of Thomas Taylor, Lucy's first husband. In 1843 she moved to Pictou with her two sons, where she d. 4 October 1847.
Margaret McKeen, b. 18 September 1777, d. young.
James McKeen, b. 10 April 1779, moved to Cape Breton where he m. in August 1824 to Eliza Scott of Musquodoboit. They had four sons and two daughters. He died in 1847; his widow and family moved to the States where she died in 1853.
Elizabeth McKeen, d. unmarried in July 1851.
Margaret McKeen (1786-1860). She m. Robert Higgins of Musquodoboit. They had two sons and two daughters.
William McKeen, b. 18 August, 1789. As a young man he went to Pictou, where, at that time, a small lumber boom was in progress. He late returned to Musquodoboit where he m. Elizabeth McDougall in July 1811. Soon after the marriage they went to Mabou, Cape Breton, where William was a merchant and a farmer. They had five sons and six daughters. Elizabeth d. on 18 December 1834 so he remarried to Christiann Smith in April 1835. They had five sons and seven daughters (a total of 23 children for William!). William was a member of the Legislative Council of Nova Scotia for a number of years. He d. 17 May 1865.
Martha McKeen, b. 1792. She m. in 1820 to Samuel Benvey, b. 1791, of Musquodoboit. They had five sons and five daughters. A few years after her husband died, in March 1841, Martha and her family moved to Cape Breton.
Samuel McKeen, b. 25 August 1794. He m. in 1818, in Musquodoboit, to Jane Higgins. They had four sons and two daughters and moved to Cape Breton. Jane d. there 10 April 1865 and in March 1871 he remarried to Mrs. Mary Ross of Margaree.

6) James, b. 19 April 1754. As already mentioned, James went down to the West Indies in 1780 to reclaim his brother's cargo and perhaps to investigate the circumstances of his death. He never returned and was not heard from again. One might think at first that James had a fatal meeting with the same vindictive British Officer, but possibly there is another explanation, as evidenced by the following story from Miller's book. Some time in the mid-1800s, a sea captain named Archibald (not apparently related to the Archibalds here) sailed into a port in the West Indies. He struck up a conversation with the mulatto Customs officer who was of the same name and this officer told him that his grandfather was a white man who apparently resembled the Nova Scotian Archibalds. In regard to this man, Thomas Miller wrote that "his complexion was a little dark, but he was a smart man for business".

7) Thomas, b. 17 May 1756. He was a Grantee of Truro Township, being ten years old at the time. When he was 21 he left Truro and returned to New Hampshire. In 1783 he was among the graduates of Dartmouth College and on 11 November 1789 he was ordained over a Church of Congregationists in Acworth (location?). For some reason he was dismissed from this congregation on 14 June 1794.

8) David, b. 27 September 1758 in New Hampshire. He was known as either Clerk David or David Archibald the 3rd. On 29 January 1788 he m. his cousin's daughter, Sarah Archibald, b. 1769, daughter of Matthew and Janet Archibald. He build two houses, the second of which he sold in 1812. Later he built a third house in which he and his wife lived for three years. He and Sarah had one son and three daughters. He was a shipbuilder for a time but that was not very profitable. After his first wife d. in 1797 he remarried in 1799 to Hannah Blanchard, b. 1774, daughter of Col. Jotham and Elizabeth Blanchard. In July 1815 they moved to a tract of land on the St. Mary's River where the village of Sherbrooke now stands. There he carried on milling, lumbering, and farming. He and his second wife had eight children. She d. in 1830 and he d. in 1823. The children by his first wife were the following:

William Thompson, b. 12 December 1788. He built a house on the north side of the Salmon River, but on the night on 12 November 1813 a hurricane struck the Truro area and his house, among many others, was blown down. Shortly after this he moved to St. Mary's where he married Janet McDonald on 20 December 1814. They had three sons and nine daughters. He d. on 9 January 1841.
In the small isolated towns of Nova Scotia of that period almost everybody was related to everybody else. One of the best examples of this inbreeding involves two daughters of William T. Archibald (see a complete family tree diagram in my original book).They married two brothers who were simultaneously their first cousins (through their mother as they were sons of William T.'s sister Janet) and their third cousins (through their father Isaac Archibald, himself married to his cousin Janet).
Elizabeth Elliott, b. 8 November 1790. She m. Hugh McDonald of St. Mary's on 29 February 1816 and had four sons and three daughters. She d. on 20 November 1835.
Janet, b. 21 August 1792. She m. her second cousin, Isaac Archibald, b. 1785, a son of David and Jane Archibald. They had five sons, five daughters, and 63 grandchildren. He d. in 1853 and she d. on 19 January 1859.
Nancy, b. 1794, m. on 31 October 181l to her second cousin, David A. Archibald, b. 1789, another son of David Archibald. They had one son who d. young.

The eight children of David Archibald, 3rd, by his second wife, Hannah Blanchard, were the following:

Sarah, b. August 1800. She m. the Rev. Daniel McCurdy on 3 June 1870 and they had two sons and two daughters. Her husband d. in Halifax in January 1873 and she d. on 19 March 1870. The whole family is buried at Wallace in Cumberland County.
Rebecca, b. 3 March 1802. She m. in December 1822 to John McDonald of Stellarys (Nova Scotia?). They had two sons and five daughters. She d. in November 1840.
Edward, b. 1804. One day, when he was returning home from school at the age of seven or eight, he dropped his book in the Salmon River while crossing the bridge. In his efforts to recover the book he drowned.
John Waddell, b. 20 December 1806. On 16 January 1841 he m. Anne Hughes. They had four sons (one of whom died of croup) and three daughters.
Jotham, b. 28 December 1808. He remained in Sherbrooke after he moved there with his parents in July 1815. He m. Elizabeth McDaniel on 10 November 1838. They had two daughters and four sons.
Mary, b. 28 May 1812. She m. on 20 February 1832 to David McCurdy of Onslow and they had four sons and two daughters.
Jane, b. 31 August 1816. In 1838 she m. Edward Patten of New Brunswick. They had one daughter then Edward d. in California (where they were living?). Jane moved to Boston where she m. a Mr. Foster but he died and she remained a widow in Boston.
Harriet, b. 10 October 1819 in Sherbrooke. She was a matron in the insane asylum of Carleton, New Brunswick (not found on my map of New Brunswick).

Elizabeth Archibald, b. 1768, and Siblings

Robert Archibald and Hannah Blair had nine children, all born while they lived in Truro, Nova Scotia except perhaps for the last child, who was born the same year Robert moved to Musquodoboit. Their second child was Elizabeth, the link to my family tree. She and her siblings were the following:

1) A first child, d. young and was buried with its cousin on the small island off Londonderry, Nova Scotia.

2) Elizabeth, b. 2 November 1768 in Truro. Virtually nothing is known of her. In 1786 at the age of 18 she m. Samuel Tupper, [planned link when that family is done] b. 1764, of Upper Stewiacke, son of Eliakim and Elizabeth Tupper. They had two daughters before Elizabeth d. in January 1789 aged only 21. One of the daughters was Hannah Tupper, who m. William Creelman and was the mother of Rachel Creelman, to become the wife of James Graham. The widowed Samuel Tupper later remarried and had another 13 children.

3) Janet, b. 29 October 1770, m. William Logan, b. 23 November 1764, son of John and Mary Logan. For a time they settled at Pembroke, in Upper Stewiacke, but later moved to Middle Musquodoboit. William died in October 1796, aged 32, before his second child was born. After he died, she remarried to her father's cousin, Alexander McNutt Fisher, b. 1765, son of William Fisher and Eleanor Archibald. They had two sons and one daughter (no details available). The children of Janet and William were:

Robert A. Logan, b. 8 December 1794. He m. on 28 November 1814 to Janet McInnis and had nine children, all of whom married. He d. 22 August 1871. Robert A. Guild, son of Susan Archibald and William Guild, m. a daughter of Robert A. Logan (his cousin's daughter): Mary McInnis Logan, b. 1820. Robert and Mary had three sons and four daughters.
Mary Logan, b. 1797 (?), m. Samuel Bryden (possibly Brydon, as elsewhere in the Archibald family?) in April 1815. They had seven sons and three daughters. She d. in 1857.

4) William, b. 18 October 1772. In 1786, aged 16, he drowned while salmon fishing in the Salmon River.

5) David, b. 2 April 1775, was known as Capt. David Archibald or as David Archibald, the 8th. He moved with his parents to Musquodoboit where he lived the rest of his life on his farm. He was m. to Elizabeth Kent on 25 February 1801. He d. in November 1843 and she d. in December 1841. They had eight children:

Alexander Kent, b. 1 January 1802. He m. Janet Harvey of Newport. They had four sons and three daughters. They moved away from Musquodoboit.
Hannah, b. 9 May 1805, m. William J. Lydiard and had three sons and four daughters They moved to the States where Hannah died in Minnesota on 11 February 1873.
Mary, b. 6 January 1807. She m. Dr. George Harvey and moved to Ohio. They had four sons and four daughters.
Susan, b. 6 September 1809, m. Angus McInnis but died leaving no family.
William, b. 26 August 1811. He m. Diana Hutchison and they had three sons and five daughters. They moved to Minnesota.
Robert, b. 6 June 1815, d. unmarried.
David, b. 27 May 1818, inherited his father's farm. On 31 October 1844 he m. his third cousin, Margaret Archibald, b. 5 January 1827, daughter of Jonathan Archibald and Margaret Talbot. They had five sons and one daughter.
Eliza M., b. 1 July 1821. On 10 November 1847, she m. Hugh Dunlap, b. 14 January 1819, son of Hugh Dunlap and Susannah Gourley of Stewiacke. Hugh held a Commission of the Peace and was an Elder of the Presbyterian Church. After Eliza's death on 26 April, 1854 (aged 33), Hugh remarried two more times.

6) Margaret Price, b. 18 September 1777. In 1797 she m. her cousin, Hugh Archibald, b. 1 December 1773, son of John Archibald and Alice Moor. They lived in Musquodoboit. Their eight children were:

David, b. 17 March 1798. He m. Mary Belyea of New Brunswick and they had seven children.
Janet, b. 4 February 1800. She m. in April 1830 to Frederick Hurley, b. 1802. They had four daughters and one son. He d. on 21 May 1849.
Alice, b. in February 1802, m. John Hurley and had four sons and one daughter. She d. on 14 July 1855.
Hannah, b. 1804.
Adams (1806-1831).
William, b. 1808, m. 1831 to Christy McDougal (or McDougall as elsewhere in the Archibald account?). They had two sons and three daughters.
Eliza, b. 1811, m. in 1838 to Samuel Taylor and had four sons and one daughter.
Margaret, b. 1813, m. Michael Maher and had four sons and two daughters.

7) Hannah, b. 2 February 1780. She m. on 22 January 1802 to her second cousin, Adams Archibald, b. 18 April 1777, son of Matthew Archibald and Janet Fisher. Adams was a prominent Nova Scotian. He was very religious and apart from being involved in Church affairs he was a member of the Board of Commissioners of Schools for the Eastern District of Halifax County. They had two daughters. She d. on 10 June 1854 and he d. on 24 April 1857. Their children were:

Eliza, b. 1 May 1803. She m. on 14 February 1822 to Angus McLeod. They had two sons and two daughters and she d. on 24 July 1827.
Janet, b. 14 November 1804, m. on 2 March 1830 to John Tupper, b. 1804, son of Samuel Tupper [planned link when that family done]. They had three sons and one daughter. She d. 18 February 1843 and he d. 26 July 1844.

8) Sarah, b. 22 February 1785. She m. William Logan, b. 15 August 1773, son of William Logan and Janet Moor. They first lived in Truro but then sold out and moved to Middle Musquodoboit. Their seven children were:

Robert Logan, d. unmarried in February 1871.
Janet Logan, m. Thomas Kaulback and had two sons and five daughters.
William Logan, b. 1813, d. unmarried in 1847 at the age of 34.
David Logan, b. 1815, also d. unmarried.
Mary Alice Logan, b. 1817, m. Joseph Bruce and had two sons and seven daughters.
Margaret Logan, b. 1819, moved to Porter's Lake (in Nova Scotia?), married, and had a family of children.
Elizabeth Logan, b. 1823, m. her cousin's son, Thomas Hurley, son of Frederick Hurley and Janet Archibald. They had one son but Elizabeth d. young. Her husband remarried and had a large family.

9) Susan, b. 17 February 1787. She m. William Guild, b. 1785, of Musquodoboit. She d. on 12 July 1854 and he d. 25 January 1862. They had at least one son, Robert A. Guild, who m. his cousin's daughter, Mary McInnis Logan, b. 1820, daughter of Robert A. Logan and Janet McInnis. Robert and Mary had three sons and four daughters.

Sources

Detailed information is available from Miller's book (2) on the families of all seven of the original Archibalds (David and his siblings) and their numerous descendents. Their genealogical records occupy 74 pages in this book! Unless otherwise noted, all my information comes from this source.

Footnotes

(1) Israel Longworth's History of Colchester County, Nova Scotia (circa 1886). Edited by Sandra Creighton and privately printed in Truro, 1989. Consulted by me in Boston in July 1999; I have a photocopy of the Onslow chapter. It would be very interesting to check out the Truro chapter which I did not have time to do.
(2) Miller, Thomas. 1873. Historical and Genealogical Record of the First Settlers of Colchester County. Halifax, N.S. Halifax, A. & W. MacKinlay (facsimile edition by Mika Studio,Belleville, Ontario, 1972).
(3) Composite Sprague Database of Dick Weber of Platteville, WI with some 110,000 individuals; consulted in Sept. 99. The database is quite carefully sourced and can be consulted for detailed information on sources.
(4) Personal visit of myself and William and Margaret Graham to the Truro Cemetery on 22 August 2005. A few more detailed notes in my own records. This was not a systematic visit but rather just a few quick observations.

Created by Douglas J. Graham. Comments or enquiries would be very welcome at: douglasjgraham@earthlink.net. The web address of the Family Reunion site is "http://home.earthlink.net/~douglasjgraham/DG_FM.htm".