Supposed to be John McKenzie (born 1803) and wife Janet Harris (born circa 1818)
Courtesy of Butziger-Green-Wallace Family
The evidence
suggests that my great-great-great grandfather, John McKenzie, was born
about 1765 on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. His wife was Helen
“Nelly” Ross. When and where they were married is unknown.
It is reasonably clear, however, that they had at least eight
children: John (1803); Isabella (circa 1805); George Ross
(circa 1811); Barbara; Roderick; Mary; Elizabeth; and Jane. My
theory is that the latter five were born before the first three, but I
have no hard proof.
Precisely when John McKenzie emigrated to Nova Scotia is also unclear. He had certainly settled in the Pictou area by 1803. In August of that year, John McKenzie purchased 100 acres of land on the north side of Pictou Harbor (the West River side of the harbor) from Thomas Harris of Pictou. John appears to have had two partners in this transaction: Hector McKenzie and Duncan Urquhart. The deed refers to all three men as being “from the Island of Lewis North Britain,” suggesting they were recent arrivals. The property is described as having once been “occupied” by a William Aikens and a Barnibus McGee. The tract fronted on the harbor and abutted land owned by John Harris and Isaiah Norton (possibly Horton).
It appears that John McKenzie first settled on what was then called “Great Carriboo Island” in 1811, as part of a land swap. On January 2, 1811, John and Hector McKenzie sold their 100-acre harbor side property to Thomas Davison, merchant of Pictou, for 400 pounds. (It is unclear what happened to Urquhart.) In turn, on the same day and for the same sum of money, Davison sold John and Hector 380 acres of land on “Great Carriboo Island.” Davison, who seems to have been a land speculator, had purchased the same island tract from William Rogers of Londonderry only a few months before. The plot in question occupied a large chunk of the mid-section of the island, running from the harbor side to the Northumberland Strait side and including a “great marsh.” To the east lay Thomas Patterson’s lands, which seem to have extended to the very end of the island. It is not clear who then owned the abutting land to the west, which connected to the mainland at low tide. The deed stipulated that Hector would own the western part of the 380-acre tract and John the eastern part of the tract. Although the “great marsh” was “within the limits” of John’s property, the two men were to divide the marsh between them. There was also a provision for a common road.
The story told by the 1811 deed is confirmed by the following passage on page 239 of the 1877 history of Pictou County by Rev. George Patterson: “A short time before, Thomas Patterson, son of the Squire, and one of the Rogers, made the first settlement on Carriboo Island, the former on the place afterward purchased by Donald McKenzie, and now occupied by his son Roderick, and the latter on the place since occupied by Hector and John McKenzie.”
John McKenzie must have died in the late 1820s. His wife Helen may have predeceased him. It appears that he may have died without a will. His property was disposed of as follows: Between 1830 and 1833, four of John’s daughters, Elizabeth, Isabella, Jane, and Barbara (who were all married by then, except Barbara), sold their interest in the family’s land to their two brothers, John (born 1803) and George Ross (born circa 1811) for the nominal sum of five shillings. The deeds describe the land as being “about two hundred acres” on the “Big Island of Carriboo.”
The two McKenzie sons, John and George, farmed the land and eventually raised families of their own. Though younger, George was first to tie the knot. He married a widow named Mary McKenzie (nee Bann) in the early-mid 1840s. They had eight children: John (circa 1846); Daniel (circa 1847); Annie (circa 1850); George Ross (May 23, 1851); Helen (circa 1852, died young); Catherine (circa ?, died young); Mary Catherine (circa 1856); and Helen (circa 1859).
The elder son, John McKenzie (from whom I descend), waited until he was about 47 before he married. On November 19, 1850, the Rev. Charles Elliot of the St. James Anglican Church in Pictou performed the ceremony for John McKenzie and his bride, Janet Harris, who was also from “Cariboo Island.” They appear in the photo shown above. Though as yet unproven, it is highly likely that Janet (born circa 1818) was a daughter of James Anderson Harris (circa 1776-1860) and Janet Bohn or Bone (circa 1786-1855), who are both buried on the island. The witnesses to the event were George McKenzie (likely John’s younger brother) and G.P. Harris, perhaps a brother or uncle of Janet.
Despite the late start, John and Janet McKenzie also had eight children (yes, the number eight seems to have run in this family): Ellen, sometimes referred to as Helen or Nellie (September 12, 1851) (Photo of Ellen); Barbara Jane (April 14, 1852) (Photo of Barbara); Janet Gertrude, also known as Jeanette or Nettie (November 18, 1854) (Photo of Janet); Elizabeth Ann, also known as Lizzie (September 19, 1856) (Photo of Elizabeth); Robina, sometimes referred to as Robertina or Tina (August 21, 1858) (Photo of Robina); John George (June 10, 1860); Isabelle Ross, also known as Isabella or Belle, my great-grandmother (June 11, 1863) (Photo of Isabelle); and Roderick (circa 1865).
It seems that until 1856, John and George shared the land that they had acquired from their siblings on an undivided basis. On March 31st of that year, however, they filed a set of deeds by which George became owner of an 80-acre plot on the western side of the family tract, and John became owner of a 50-acre plot on the eastern side and a 30-acre plot on the southern side. George died a few years later, in 1861, and his land ultimately came to be owned by his son and namesake, George Ross McKenzie (born May 23, 1851).
Local lore and family tradition have it that the original John McKenzie (born circa 1765) built the first stone house on the island, thus earning the moniker John McKenzie of Stonehouse. A.C. Harris's 1910 History of Caribou Island, however, states that the house was actually built by John's sons, John and George, and that it was constructed in 1845, well after the elder John had died. So it appears that the two brothers were the first Stonehouse McKenzies. The stonehouse title ultimately passed to John George McKenzie (born June 10, 1860, died 1942), who is still referred to as “Stonehouse Johnny.” Apparently a fire gutted the house and made it uninhabitable. The stones were later carted away for other purposes. When I visited the area in the mid 1990s I could not find any trace of a foundation. When my father visited about 1946-47, he took this photograph: Stone House Photo
The 1879 Meacham Atlas shows the 50- and 30-acre plots owned by John McKenzie (born 1803). Both plots abut what appears to be a large tidal pond or marshy cove that is fed by the waters of Caribou Harbor. The old cemetery lies near the same body of water. The atlas depicts a structure in the 30-acre plot. Could this be the famed stone house? Nearby John’s two plots is the 80-acre plot owned by John’s nephew George Ross McKenzie (born May 23, 1851). A structure appears in this plot as well.
By the 1870s, the six daughters of John McKenzie (born 1803) began emigrating to the United States. Ellen/Helen married John Reid Wallace on November 7, 1872 in Providence, Rhode Island. Barbara Jane married his younger brother James Wallace in Providence on December 14, 1876. Janet/Jeanette/Nettie married Thomas Robinson in Providence on December 16, 1886. Patterson soon died, and thereafter she married steamboat Captain John H. Hewitt in Providence on October 9, 1893. My great-grandmother, Isabella/Isabelle/Belle, married John McDiarmid Lockhart in Providence on April 10, 1895. The story of the other two daughters, Elizabeth/Lizzie and Robertina/Robina/Tina, is less well known, but it seems that the former married a Hugh Sutherland and the latter married a James D. Clarke. The 1911 Canada Census shows a Hugh D. and Elizabeth Sutherland living on Patterson Street in Pictou, with their seven-year old son James O. Sutherland. Five of the sisters (all but Elizabeth) were photographed together as elderly ladies, probably in the 1930s. It is a remarkable photo. (Photo of Five Sisters)
John McKenzie (born 1803) died on April 29, 1881. His wife Janet followed on December 31, 1883. They are both buried on the island. Their son John George McKenzie married Annabell Davidson and lived on the island until his death in 1942. He is also buried there. John and Janet’s youngest son, Roderick, is rumored to have gone to Australia or New Zealand. Descendants of John George and Annabell McKenzie are still to be found in the area.
There are now hundreds (if not thousands) of descendants of the original John and Helen McKenzie of Caribou Island. Two enormous charts have been prepared concerning this family. One was compiled by Norval A. MacKenzie of Ancaster, Ontario in June of 1981. The other seems to have been compiled by a J.F.F. Mackenzie of Amherst, NS on January 20, 1940. The following link abstracts some of this information: Stonehouse McKenzie Tree
Precisely when John McKenzie emigrated to Nova Scotia is also unclear. He had certainly settled in the Pictou area by 1803. In August of that year, John McKenzie purchased 100 acres of land on the north side of Pictou Harbor (the West River side of the harbor) from Thomas Harris of Pictou. John appears to have had two partners in this transaction: Hector McKenzie and Duncan Urquhart. The deed refers to all three men as being “from the Island of Lewis North Britain,” suggesting they were recent arrivals. The property is described as having once been “occupied” by a William Aikens and a Barnibus McGee. The tract fronted on the harbor and abutted land owned by John Harris and Isaiah Norton (possibly Horton).
It appears that John McKenzie first settled on what was then called “Great Carriboo Island” in 1811, as part of a land swap. On January 2, 1811, John and Hector McKenzie sold their 100-acre harbor side property to Thomas Davison, merchant of Pictou, for 400 pounds. (It is unclear what happened to Urquhart.) In turn, on the same day and for the same sum of money, Davison sold John and Hector 380 acres of land on “Great Carriboo Island.” Davison, who seems to have been a land speculator, had purchased the same island tract from William Rogers of Londonderry only a few months before. The plot in question occupied a large chunk of the mid-section of the island, running from the harbor side to the Northumberland Strait side and including a “great marsh.” To the east lay Thomas Patterson’s lands, which seem to have extended to the very end of the island. It is not clear who then owned the abutting land to the west, which connected to the mainland at low tide. The deed stipulated that Hector would own the western part of the 380-acre tract and John the eastern part of the tract. Although the “great marsh” was “within the limits” of John’s property, the two men were to divide the marsh between them. There was also a provision for a common road.
The story told by the 1811 deed is confirmed by the following passage on page 239 of the 1877 history of Pictou County by Rev. George Patterson: “A short time before, Thomas Patterson, son of the Squire, and one of the Rogers, made the first settlement on Carriboo Island, the former on the place afterward purchased by Donald McKenzie, and now occupied by his son Roderick, and the latter on the place since occupied by Hector and John McKenzie.”
John McKenzie must have died in the late 1820s. His wife Helen may have predeceased him. It appears that he may have died without a will. His property was disposed of as follows: Between 1830 and 1833, four of John’s daughters, Elizabeth, Isabella, Jane, and Barbara (who were all married by then, except Barbara), sold their interest in the family’s land to their two brothers, John (born 1803) and George Ross (born circa 1811) for the nominal sum of five shillings. The deeds describe the land as being “about two hundred acres” on the “Big Island of Carriboo.”
The two McKenzie sons, John and George, farmed the land and eventually raised families of their own. Though younger, George was first to tie the knot. He married a widow named Mary McKenzie (nee Bann) in the early-mid 1840s. They had eight children: John (circa 1846); Daniel (circa 1847); Annie (circa 1850); George Ross (May 23, 1851); Helen (circa 1852, died young); Catherine (circa ?, died young); Mary Catherine (circa 1856); and Helen (circa 1859).
The elder son, John McKenzie (from whom I descend), waited until he was about 47 before he married. On November 19, 1850, the Rev. Charles Elliot of the St. James Anglican Church in Pictou performed the ceremony for John McKenzie and his bride, Janet Harris, who was also from “Cariboo Island.” They appear in the photo shown above. Though as yet unproven, it is highly likely that Janet (born circa 1818) was a daughter of James Anderson Harris (circa 1776-1860) and Janet Bohn or Bone (circa 1786-1855), who are both buried on the island. The witnesses to the event were George McKenzie (likely John’s younger brother) and G.P. Harris, perhaps a brother or uncle of Janet.
Despite the late start, John and Janet McKenzie also had eight children (yes, the number eight seems to have run in this family): Ellen, sometimes referred to as Helen or Nellie (September 12, 1851) (Photo of Ellen); Barbara Jane (April 14, 1852) (Photo of Barbara); Janet Gertrude, also known as Jeanette or Nettie (November 18, 1854) (Photo of Janet); Elizabeth Ann, also known as Lizzie (September 19, 1856) (Photo of Elizabeth); Robina, sometimes referred to as Robertina or Tina (August 21, 1858) (Photo of Robina); John George (June 10, 1860); Isabelle Ross, also known as Isabella or Belle, my great-grandmother (June 11, 1863) (Photo of Isabelle); and Roderick (circa 1865).
It seems that until 1856, John and George shared the land that they had acquired from their siblings on an undivided basis. On March 31st of that year, however, they filed a set of deeds by which George became owner of an 80-acre plot on the western side of the family tract, and John became owner of a 50-acre plot on the eastern side and a 30-acre plot on the southern side. George died a few years later, in 1861, and his land ultimately came to be owned by his son and namesake, George Ross McKenzie (born May 23, 1851).
Local lore and family tradition have it that the original John McKenzie (born circa 1765) built the first stone house on the island, thus earning the moniker John McKenzie of Stonehouse. A.C. Harris's 1910 History of Caribou Island, however, states that the house was actually built by John's sons, John and George, and that it was constructed in 1845, well after the elder John had died. So it appears that the two brothers were the first Stonehouse McKenzies. The stonehouse title ultimately passed to John George McKenzie (born June 10, 1860, died 1942), who is still referred to as “Stonehouse Johnny.” Apparently a fire gutted the house and made it uninhabitable. The stones were later carted away for other purposes. When I visited the area in the mid 1990s I could not find any trace of a foundation. When my father visited about 1946-47, he took this photograph: Stone House Photo
The 1879 Meacham Atlas shows the 50- and 30-acre plots owned by John McKenzie (born 1803). Both plots abut what appears to be a large tidal pond or marshy cove that is fed by the waters of Caribou Harbor. The old cemetery lies near the same body of water. The atlas depicts a structure in the 30-acre plot. Could this be the famed stone house? Nearby John’s two plots is the 80-acre plot owned by John’s nephew George Ross McKenzie (born May 23, 1851). A structure appears in this plot as well.
By the 1870s, the six daughters of John McKenzie (born 1803) began emigrating to the United States. Ellen/Helen married John Reid Wallace on November 7, 1872 in Providence, Rhode Island. Barbara Jane married his younger brother James Wallace in Providence on December 14, 1876. Janet/Jeanette/Nettie married Thomas Robinson in Providence on December 16, 1886. Patterson soon died, and thereafter she married steamboat Captain John H. Hewitt in Providence on October 9, 1893. My great-grandmother, Isabella/Isabelle/Belle, married John McDiarmid Lockhart in Providence on April 10, 1895. The story of the other two daughters, Elizabeth/Lizzie and Robertina/Robina/Tina, is less well known, but it seems that the former married a Hugh Sutherland and the latter married a James D. Clarke. The 1911 Canada Census shows a Hugh D. and Elizabeth Sutherland living on Patterson Street in Pictou, with their seven-year old son James O. Sutherland. Five of the sisters (all but Elizabeth) were photographed together as elderly ladies, probably in the 1930s. It is a remarkable photo. (Photo of Five Sisters)
John McKenzie (born 1803) died on April 29, 1881. His wife Janet followed on December 31, 1883. They are both buried on the island. Their son John George McKenzie married Annabell Davidson and lived on the island until his death in 1942. He is also buried there. John and Janet’s youngest son, Roderick, is rumored to have gone to Australia or New Zealand. Descendants of John George and Annabell McKenzie are still to be found in the area.
There are now hundreds (if not thousands) of descendants of the original John and Helen McKenzie of Caribou Island. Two enormous charts have been prepared concerning this family. One was compiled by Norval A. MacKenzie of Ancaster, Ontario in June of 1981. The other seems to have been compiled by a J.F.F. Mackenzie of Amherst, NS on January 20, 1940. The following link abstracts some of this information: Stonehouse McKenzie Tree