CHAPTER II.

John Black, as before noticed, was the eldest son of William Black. He married Barbara Donkin, and settled at River Philip. He was a Methodist local preacher, and was always ready to every good work. He secured the assistance of others, and was principal himself, in procuring a grave-yard and a site on which a church was built, mainly by means furnished directly by himself. In this church he used to preach to the inhabitants on Sundays, and industriously worked on his farm during the week. He succeeded in clearing up a large area of intervale and upland, which became, in time, a very valuable farm. He was a Justice of the Peace for Cumberland.

John Black had six sons and five daughters, whose names were Elizabeth Stocks, James, Joseph, William Donkin, Nancy, Margaret, Matilda, John, Mary, Amos, and Horatio Nelson.
ELIZABETH STOCKS, the eldest daughter of John Black, was married to Joseph Oxley. They settled on the River Philip. Mr. Oxley was a Justice of the Peace, and was several times elected a member for Cumberland of the Nova Scotia Assembly. He was a man of few words, yet he discharged his public duties with credit to himself and honor to the public.

Their children consisted of five sons and four daughters. Two sons and three daughters died when young. Those remaining were Cuthbert Collingwood, George Provost, Mary, and James Black. Mrs. Oxley died in the year 1866, aged 79 years. Her husband, Joseph Oxley, died in 1868, aged 90 yearS.

Cuthbert Collingwood, eldest son of Joseph Oxley, married Olevia Schurman, of River Philip, in which place they were comfortably settled. Mr. O. died in 1859, aged 61 years, leaving a wife and one son, named Leander. Mrs. Oxley and son now live at Oxford.

George Provost Oxley was named for the Lieut.-Governor of Nova Scotia. He for several years was engaged in shipbuilding at Pugwash and removed thence to Halifax, where he opened a store and was for several years engaged in mercantile pursuits, after which he moved to Liverpool, England, and was engaged there in a shipping office. His wife, Eliza Ann, died in 1857, aged 43 years, leaving one son and one daughter named Martin Gay Black and Mary Elizabeth. He, George P. Oxley, returned to Pugwash, bringing his daughter with him. He died in 1875, aged 65 years.

His son remained in Liverpool, England, where he is the principal physician in a hospital. He married Emmie Lloyd and has one son named George Provost.

Mary Elizabeth, the only daughter of George P. Oxley, was married to Rev. Alexander S. Tuttle, a Methodist minister. They have three children named George R. Martin, and Emmie Lloyd.

James Black Oxley, the youngest son of Joseph Oxley, entered into business as a merchant in Halifax where he conducted a large and prosperous trade for many years. He died in 1876 aged 58 years. His wife's maiden name was Helen Macdonald, of Halifax. Their children's names are Frederick Henry, James McDonald, Rufus Black, Harold, and Affie Morrison. Five others died when young.

Frederick Henry married Elizabeth Wilmot Black, daughter of Samuel G. Black of Windsor.

James Macdonald Oxley married Mary, daughter of J. B. Morrow, who possessed abundant means and was always ready to do good. Mr. Oxley is a lawyer.

Rufus B. Oxley married Maria Keith, of St. John, N.B. The above three live in Halifax.
Mary, the only surviving daughter of Joseph Oxley, was married to Cyrus Bent of Pugwash, where they settled and still live. Mr. Bent is engaged in trade. He is a Justice of the Peace and much respected. They have one son and three daughters, named Edgar, Matilda C., Bessie, and Lillie.

Edgar, the only son of Cyrus Bent, is Post Office Inspector. He married Emma McNutt. They have five children named Maude, Fred, Annie, Charles and Greta.

Matilda C., the eldest daughter of Cyrus Bent, was married to John Cooper. Mr. Cooper died in 1881, leaving a widow and four children. Their children's names are Edgar, Carl, Mary, and William, and reside at Spring Hill, where Mr. Cooper had lived for several years previous to his death.

Bessie, another daughter of Cyrus Bent, was married to Rev. Robert A. Daniel, a Methodist minister. They have four children named Lillian, Mary, Jane, and Henry.
JAMES BLACK was the eldest son of John Black. When young men, he and his brother William D. engaged in mercantile pursuits in Halifax. Several years after this William D. left the business with his brother and opened a store in Amherst and James continued the business in Halifax for many years.

When somewhat advanced in life he removed to Pugwash where he owned very valuable real estate in the business portion of the village. He married Sarah Hare of Halifax. He died in 1875, aged 76 years, leaving a wife and two children.

Mary Ann, one of the daughters, was married to John W. Webb, son of Rev. William Webb. Mrs. Webb died, leaving two children. One of them, a son, died when young. The daughter's name is Annie. Mr. Webb married his second wife, Rebecca Black, daughter of George M. Black, of Dorchester, by whom he had eight children. They live in Windsor. For further particulars see chapter 13. The other daughter of James Black was never married.
JOSEPH, second son of John Black, settled at Pugwash. At the age of 51 years he received injuries from a threshing machine, from the effects of which he died in the year 1849. His wife's name was Sarah Pineo, a sister of the late Hon. H. G. Pineo. He left three sons and four daughters. Their names are Rufus F., Henry, Martin, Caroline, Adelaide, Anna, and Loniza.

Rufus F., the eldest son of Joseph Black, married Harriet Parker, daughter of Rev. Maynard Parker, of Pugwash. They have eight children, named Amos, Rufus, Joseph, Peter, Cyrus, Annie, Mary, and Hattie; another died when young.

Amos married Mary Augusta Freeman, daughter of Daniel Freeman, of Amherst. They lived in Boston, where Mrs. Black died in 1881, aged 30 years.

Cyrus, son of Rufus F. Black, lives in the United States, where he married a Miss Bing.
Mary, daughter of Rufus F. Black, was married to a man by the name McCollum. They had two children. Mrs. McCollum died in 1881.

Caroline, daughter of Joseph Black, was married to Allan Dewar, of Pugwash. They had one child, who died while young.

Adelaide, daughter of Joseph Black, was married to Thomas Webster. They have three sons and one daughter, named Joseph, Telyson, Leonard, and Florence. Annie, daughter of Joseph Black, is married in the United StateS.

WILLIAM DONKIN BLACK, third son of John Black, when a young man, opened a store, in company with his brother James, at Halifax. After a few years he left this store with James, and opened one at Amherst. He also built the first part of what is now the Cumberland Hotel. His dwelling was a neat and commodious two-story house, equal, perhaps superior, to any dwelling-house in Amherst at that time.

Slightly digressing, it may be noticed that in the same year in which this house was built by W. D. Black, seven other young bachelors built comfortable dwelling houses at Amherst. The brick house now occupied by the Bank of Nova Scotia was built by Dr. Carritte, father of our esteemed townsman, Dr. T. W. Carritte. The first part of what is now Lamy's Hotel was built by Rufus Freeman. W. F. Black built on the farm now occupied by T. Ansley Black. Samuel Holsted built the house now occupied by John A.

Embree. William B. Embree built a house in what is now called Warren. Samuel Gourley built the house now occupied by A. S. Blenkhorn, Esq., and William Dickey built a portion of the house now occupied by Sheriff McLean. These were built about the year 1823 and were at that time quite a noteworthy acquisition to a small settlement like Amherst.
The same William Donkin Black married Olevia Freeman, daughter of William Freeman, of Amherst. They resided at Amherst several years, when Mr. Black purchased a farm at River Philip, whence he removed and where he resided until called away by death in 1846, aged 52 years.

Some years after, his widow was married to Joseph Avard, Esq., of Bristol, Westmorland, New Brunswick. Mr. Avard died some years after this, and Mrs. Avard died in 1881, aged 81 yearS.

The names of the children of the above William D. Black are Rufus Freeman, Horatio Nelson, Alexander Augustus, Hibbert Crane, Matilda, Josephine, Mary, and Eliza.
Rufus Freeman Black is a Justice of the Peace and has a store at River Philip. He has also an interest in a store at Truro, where he now lives. He married Amelia Trueman, daughter of the late Harmon Trueman, Esq., of Point de Bute, Westmorland. Their family consisted of four daughters and one son, named Ida, Louisa, Albert, Emeline, and Mary. Louisa died in 1882.

Horatio Nelson, another son of William D. Black, married in New Orleans, and had a small family. He died, leaving two children, named Matilda and William.

Alexander A., the third son of William D. Black, married Emeline Pineo, daughter of Hon. H. G. Pineo. He died in 1868, aged 40 years, leaving a widow and three sons--Ernest, Arthur, and Alexander. He was a Justice of the Peace. His widow was subsequently married to Alexander Wilson.

Hibbert Crane, youngest son of William D. Black, married Margaret McLeod, daughter of Rev. A. McLeod, D.D., a Methodist minister, who was for some years editor of the "Provincial Wesleyan" newspaper, but who is now residing in the United States. Dr. McLeod was for many years a travelling minister in the lower provinces. Hibbert C. Black had five children. Two daughters died when young. The names of the survivors are Walter, Charles, and William. They reside at Pugwash, where Mr. Black carries on an extensive lumbering and general business.

Matilda, the eldest daughter of W. D. Black, was married to Thomas Thompson, of Oxford, Nova Scotia. Mr. Thompson was a Justice of the Peace. He died in 1881. They had two sons and four daughters, whose names are Stanley, Edith, Mary, Eliza, Arthur, and Margaret.
Josephine was married to Henry Cochrane, of Newport, where they reside. They have one son and one daughter, named Ernest and Bessie. Henry Cochran and his father are merchants and keep the post office.

Mary was married to Charles Avard, son of her mother's second husband. They reside at Bristol, N.B., and have two small children, a son and a daughter, named Francis Ivey and Josephine.

Eliza, the youngest daughter of W. D. Black, was married to George Hewson. They reside at Oxford and have four children whose names are Harvey, Edgar, Louise, and Maria Olivia. Mr. Hewson is one of the wealthiest men of his age in Cumberland County.

NANCY, second daughter of John Black (the eldest son of William Black), was married to Robert Colon Read. They settled at Pugwash. They had three sons and four daughters, named Mary Jane, who died at the age of 18 years, James Black, John, Stephen, Sarah, Margaret, and Leanora. Mr. Read was a Justice of the Peace.

Mr. Read was very ingenious in wood-work. He possessed a remarkably retentive memory. At one time he made a tour in the United States and Texas, and it was exceedingly interesting to hear his graphic description of his travels. He sometimes entered into particulars respecting the towns he passed through, the number and quality of the hotels in each, their cost, the number of rooms, etc. These statements were made with such precision that one could scarcely avoid envying him of his memory.

When viewing the Table Lands in Texas he imagined it to be the most desirable place under heaven in which to live, and some years after succeeded in persuading his wife, his son Stephen and wife, and his youngest daughter to remove thither, and accordingly took them and went in the second search of that happy land. He, however, searched in vain.

Places that he now visited presented to him a different appearance from that of the previous visit. In the few years that had elapsed since his first visit new settlers had come in, the lands being occupied by mixed races of people among whom Mr. Read and his family thought it far from desirable to locate, and apart from this he found it difficult to discern the place which he had so highly valued on his former visit. The result was, that, through the entreaty of his wife and family, he left those previously admired Table Lands, returned to Pugwash and settled himself comfortably upon a farm, having the satisfaction of knowing that not he alone but his wife and family had seen much to remember. After this last visit Mr. Read's references to the Table Lands of Texas were not in the glowing terms of former days.

Robert Colon Read died in 1875, aged 81 years.

James B., eldest son of R. C. Read, married Mary DeWolfe, of Pugwash. He died a few years ago. Their family consists of five children, named Caroline, Clarence, Hibbert, Annie, and Alice. Caroline was married to James Albert Brown, who is a prosperous farmer living at Pugwash. Their children's names are Stanley Read, Joseph Rupert, and Minnie DeWolfe. The latter two are twins. Annie was married to Thomas A. Moore. They live in Halifax and have two children named Louisa DeWolfe and William McCallum.
John, second son of R. C. Read, married Charlotte Hewson. They have one son and two daughters, named Joseph, Bessie, and Abey.

Stephen married a Miss Crowe, of Boston. They have one son, and live in Montana, U. S.
Sarah, daughter of R. C. Read, was married to Jesse, son of Joseph Black, of P.E. Island. The family own and reside on the farm in Pugwash that R. C. Read purchased on his return from Texas. They had three sons, named Albert, Edgar, and Rufus. Jesse Black died in 1881, aged 58 years.

Margaret was married to William DeWolfe, of Pugwash. Mr. DeWolfe died in 1870. Their family consisted of two sons and one daughter, named Barton, Minnie, and Allison. Minnie died while a youth.

Leanora, the youngest daughter of R. C. Read, was married to a Mr. Bateman, of Boston, who died in 1875, leaving one son.

MARGARET, the third daughter of John Black (son of William), was somewhat advanced in life when she was married to a Doctor Patterson. After a few years of married life she died, aged 55 years, leaving no offspring.

MATILDA, fourth daughter of John Black, was married to Rev. Robert H. Crane, a Methodist minister. Mr. Crane was highly esteemed both for his piety and zeal. He was stationed on several circuits in Nova Scotia and was finally appointed on circuits in Jamaica and St. Vincent. He died in St. Vincent in the year 1839, aged 45 years, leaving his widow a stranger in a strange land. She had, by universal reputation, been a helpmeet for a minister of the Gospel. Her sound mind and penetrating judgment were brought to the test in removing with her children to her native home; yet she vigorously surmounted the difficulties, and took up her abode at Halifax, where she remained several years, after which she purchased a residence at Pugwash, where she resided until removed by death in 1879, aged 79 years.

Mrs. Crane had three sons and four daughters, three of whom died when young. The names of the others are, Miriam Matilda, Rebecca Fisher, Mary Anna, and James Hibbert.
Miriam Matilda was married to Rev. William C. McKinnon, a Methodist minister of good ability. Mrs. McKinnon died in 1862, aged 33 years. She left two sons, named William Charles and John Robert. One of these died in 1876, from injuries received when coasting, while attending school at Sackville Academy. The other is with his grand-uncle, Amos Black, Esq., Horton.

Rebecca F., daughter of Rev. R. H. Crane, was never married. She died in 1851.
Mary Anna was married to Capt. George Eaton, of Pugwash, son of Levi Eaton, Esq. A few years after their marriage a company of persons embarked at Pugwash for Aukland, New Zealand. They consisted, in part, of Levi Eaton and his family, George Eaton and his wife, Rev. William Hobbs (a Baptist minister), and his wife, with others. Capt. Eaton, a few years after his arrival at Aukland, was lost at sea and his widow soon after removed to her mother's at Pugwash. They had a son, named Robert Crane, and a daughter who died when young.

Mrs. Eaton was subsequently married to Augustus, son of George Carter, of Pugwash, where they reside. They have one son and a daughter, named John W. and Nettie.
James Hibbert, only son of Rev. Robert H. and Matilda Crane, died in 1853, aged 25 years.

JOHN, the fourth son of John Black, died in 1824, aged 31 years. He was never married.
MARY, youngest daughter of John Black, was married to John Schurman. They lived at River Philip, where Mr. Schurman had previously settled. They had five sons and two daughters, whose names are John William, Sarah, Alexander, Amos Black, Matilda, Cuthbert Colby, and Samuel. Mrs. Schurman died at Oxford in 1877, aged 73 years. She had been a widow for several years.

John W., her son, married Olivia Donkin, of River Philip, where they reside. They have three sons and four daughters, named Frank, May, Alice, Eliza, George, Maggie Harrison, and Robert Donkin.
Alexander married Fannie Bulmer, daughter of Frederick Bulmer. They live at Truro; have four young children, named Richard Upham, Frederick, Alexander Morton, and Mary.

Sarah, daughter of John and Mary Schurman, was married to William Henry Donkin. They live at River Philip. They have three daughters and one son, named Annie, Walter, Maggie, and Effie.

Amos B. Schurman was never married.

Cuthbert Colby married Sarah Davison. They reside at Spring Hill, and have two children, named Rupert and Mary.

Samuel, the youngest son of the first named (John and Mary Schurman) married a Miss Shaw. They have seven children.

AMOS, the fifth son of John Black, married Charlotte Lusby, daughter of Luther Lusby, Esq., of Amherst. He lived on the homestead at River Philip for many years. Afterwards, he sold the farm, and removed to Grand Pre, Horton, having purchased a farm there, where he now lives. They have no children. Amos Black was, when in Cumberland, a Justice of the Peace, and in King's County he also received that commission.

HORATIO NELSON, the youngest son of John Black, when young, went as a clerk in a store at Halifax, where his health failed and he died in the year 1829, aged 19 years. He was possessed of natural ability of a superior order.

Rufus F. Black, of Truro, is prospering in his business there, principally in flour, West India produce, and groceries. He has closed his store at River Philip, where his principal business in that place is collecting accounts.

Thus is brought to a close the sketch of the descendants of John, son of William Black, who, at the age of 71 years, came from his home in River Philip to Amherst on business, where he became ill and died in the year 1830.

Posterity of John Black, 1st.
Living Dead Total
Children, 2 9 11
Grand Children, 28 19 47
Great Grand Children, 96 14 110
Great Great G. Children, 16 0 16
Descendants 142 42 184