CHAPTER V.

Thomas Stocks Black was born in England and came with his father to America. At that time he was the youngest and fourth son of the first mentioned William Black. The maiden name of the wife of Thomas S. Black was Mary Freeze, whose father also came from England.

In the year 1804 Thomas S. Black purchased a farm at Amherst for 180 pounds, where he settled. The farm contained 540 acres, about 200 of which was marsh and bog. A large portion of this farm, both upland and marsh, was at the time uncultivated. About the year 1822, the proprietors of marsh lands in Amherst commenced digging a canal to drain the marshes. This canal crossed the marsh of Thomas S. Black and, after six years, when finished, it had cost him 200 pounds. Subsequent enlargements cost about 125 pounds more. The result of these expenditures is that nearly the whole is now valuable marsh. The upland has also by industry been proportionately improved, so that now it consists of four valuable farms and other smaller portions, all owned by the children and grand-children of Thomas S. Black.

In the year 1814 one Robert Berry sold at auction at Amherst Point several ten-acre lots of marsh, growing chiefly broadleaf grass. Richard and Thomas S. each purchased a lot for which the latter paid 15 pounds 1/6d per acre. It would now appear that the amount would have been more judiciously expended in clearing up the low lands of their farms.
It has been previously noticed that, four years after their arrival in Cumberland, there was a religious excitement in which the family experienced a change of principles. At that time William 2nd, at a prayer meeting, became very joyful in religion. After going home at midnight he conversed with his brother Richard, and they kneeled beside the bed and prayed. John and Thomas S. hearing from their bed, joined them, and at that time Thomas S. declared that his sins were blotted out.

About the year 1806 the views of Thomas S. Black in regard to baptism were changed and he united with the Baptist Church at Amherst. Soon after this he was set apart as deacon, which office he continued to fill to the close of his life, in the year 1850, aged 84 years.

Mrs. Black, his wife, died in 1842, aged 66 years.

They had seven sons and five daughters, named Elizabeth, Josiah, William Freeze, Almira, Joshua Freeman, Samuel Freeze, Mary, Cyrus, Charles Freeze, Jane Charlotte, Ruth Rebecca, and Alexander Barry. Ruth Rebecca died at the age of five years.

ELIZABETH, their eldest child, was married to Reuben Taylor, of Dorchester, where he owned a good farm on which they settled. They had five sons and four daughters, named, respectively, Mary, William, Lydia Ann, Jane, Thomas, Albert, John, Charles E., and Elizabeth.

Mary, the eldest child of Reuben Taylor, was married to J. Harvey Brownell, of Dorchester. They owned and lived on a farm there until a few years ago, when they sold it and removed to Nebraska, U.S. They had a large family, some of whom also removed to the United States. Two died when young. One is High Sheriff in Nebraska, and one is on Prince Edward Island. The names of some of them are William, who is a sea captain, Aaron, Henry, John, Rainsford, and Clara.

William, the eldest son of Reuben Taylor, married a Miss Baker, of Prince Edward Island. He died leaving three children, one of whom was named Josiah.

Lydia Ann, the second daughter of Reuben Taylor, was married to J. Weldon Chapman, son of Robert B. Chapman, Esq. She died not many years after, leaving one daughter, who was married to Ralph E. Colpitts, son of Robert Colpitts, Pleasant Vale, Albert County, a Justice of the Peace. Weldon Chapman was married again to a Miss Chapman, as will be noticed in next chapter.

Jane, daughter of Reuben Taylor, died when a young woman.

Thomas died when a young man, of consumption, as did the others of the family whose decease is mentioned.

Albert, the third son of Reuben Taylor, married Jane Wilbur, of Shediac, where they resided for several years and then went to Oregon, where they still reside. They have no children.

John and Charles E., the two youngest sons of Reuben Taylor, sold the homestead farm--possession of which they had been left by their father--went to St. John, and are large and prosperous shipowners. John married Miss McGivern, of St. John. She died leaving one son, named Frederick. Charles E. is not married.

Elizabeth, the youngest daughter of Reuben Taylor, is living in St. John, and unmarried.
JOSIAH BLACK is the eldest son of Thomas S. Black. He settled on a portion of his father's property, which he converted into a good farm. Several years since he disposed of it to one of his sons, and purchased a smaller place. About seven years ago he had a sickness that so seriously affected him that he has ever since been an invalid. He is 87 years old and has arrived to a greater age than any of his grandfather's descendants. He has been twice married,--first to Hannah Embree, daughter of Elisha Embree, of Amherst. She died in 1842, aged 40 years. They had five sons and four daughters, named Robert E., Calvin, Almira, Ann Jael, Joseph Lawrence, Thomas Reuben, Mary Elizabeth, Lucy Victoria, and Burtram. The last named died when young.

Robert E., the eldest son, married Amelia, only surviving daughter of Elisha Embree, 2nd, of Amherst, where they live. They have no children.

Calvin, the second son of Josiah Black, married Rebecca Travis, daughter of Daniel Travis, of Amherst, where they are farming. They had three daughters and two sons. The eldest, named Hannah, died when young. The others are named Effa Loreen, Fred. S., James, and Florence Matilda.

Almira, the eldest daughter of Josiah Black, was married to George Lusby, of Amherst, where they farmed. Mrs. Lusby died in 1869, aged 44 years. They had three daughters and one son, whose names are Edith, Augusta, Annie, and Josiah Black. Edith was married to T. Ansley Black.

Ann Jael, the second daughter of Josiah Black, was married to John Bent, of Salem, where Mr. Bent owns a farm and a mill. They have no children.

Joseph L., the third son of Josiah Black, is a merchant doing a very large business in lumbering, merchandize, and farming, at Sackville, N.B. He is a Justice of the Peace, was once elected County Councillor, and is now a member of the House of Assembly of New Brunswick. He was first married to Jane Humphrey, of Sackville. She died in 1860, aged 26 years, leaving a daughter named Minnie, who was married to Edmund Burke, of Toronto, where they live. Joseph L. Black's second wife was Mary Snowball, daughter of Rev. John Snowball, who was a Methodist minister, well and favorably known in the lower provinces of Canada. The second family consists of two daughters and two sons, named Hattie, Jennie, Frank, and Walter.

Thomas R. Black, the fourth son of Josiah Black, married Eunice, daughter of W. W. Bent, Esq., who represented the township of Amherst in the Provincial Legislature for many years. Thomas R. Black owned and settled upon the farm his father owned. He afterwards sold it, and is now owner of valuable land and building properties in the town of Amherst. He is a Justice of the Peace. He had two sons and three daughters, named Willie, Charles, Mary, Emma, and Mira. Emma died in 1877, aged 10 years, and Mary died in 1881, aged 16 years.

Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Josiah Black, is not married.

Lucy V., the youngest daughter of Josiah Black, by his first marriage, was married to James R. Ayer, of Sackville, N.B. Mr. Ayer is doing a large business in tanning and in the making up of the leather manufactured into boots, shoes, Larigans, etc. They have two daughters, named Mabel and Emma.

The maiden name of Josiah Black's second wife was Elizabeth McCully (daughter of Rev. Samuel McCully, a much respected Baptist minister of Amherst.) Their family consisted of a son and daughter.

The son, whose name is Samuel McCully Black, is a Baptist minister, and is pastor of the church at Liverpool, N.S. He married Eva, the daughter of W. H. Rogers, Esq., of Amherst. They have one daughter named Margaret. One son died when young.

Eliza Bell, the youngest daughter of Josiah Black, was married to Isaac R. Skinner, of Kings County, N.S. They have one son named William Josiah. Mr. Skinner is a Baptist minister, and pastor of the church at River Hebert, Nova Scotia, also of the Beulah church, at Warren.

WILLIAM FREEZE BLACK was the second son of Thomas Stocks Black. He settled on a portion of his father's farm, which he left to his two youngest sons. He was for many of the last years of his life a deacon of the Baptist Church at Amherst. He was married twice,--first to Sophia Travis, of Amherst, daughter of Nathaniel Travis. They had four daughters. His second wife was Matilda Anderson, of Coles Island, New Brunswick (daughter of Thomas Anderson) who had five sons and a daughter.

The names of the children of W. F. Black's first wife are Susanna, Elizabeth, Mary Deborah, and Sophia. Those of the second wife were named Thomas Anderson, Gaius Lewis, Cyrus, Titus Ansley, Hilbert, and Augusta.

Susanna, the eldest daughter, was married to Jesse Bent, of Leicester, where Mr. Bent owned a good farm. They had five children, three of whom died when young. Those living are named Bedford and William. Mrs. Bent died in 1864, aged 41 years.
Mr. Bent married a second and a third time.

Elizabeth, the second daughter, was married to John Glendenning, son of George Glendenning, Esq., of Warren, Cumberland Co., where they reside and are farming. They have two sons and two daughters, named Caroline, Ella, George W. F., and Hiram Alexander.

Caroline is at home, and unmarried.

Ella, the second daughter of John Glendenning, was married to John W. Shepherdson, a Methodist minister. They have one son named George Arthur.

George W. F. Glendenning is a young Methodist minister, has been on a circuit one year, and is now studying in the Mount Allison College.

Mary D., the third daughter of William F. Black, was married to Isaac Trueman, son of William Trueman, of Point de Bute. They live at Sackville, N.B. They have two children, named Laura and Eva. Two others died when young.

Laura, the eldest daughter, was married to Ansley Anderson, a dentist. They lived in Halifax where he died in 1879. Their children are named Harold Ernest, Charles Beverly, and Mary Allinise. One other died an infant. The widow was again married to James Findley, a carpenter. They live at Sackville, N.B.

Eva, the other daughter of Isaac Trueman, was married to J. Hiram Davis. He is a young Methodist minister. They have two daughters, named Hattie Flos, and Mary Tryphena.

Sophia, the fourth daughter of William F. Black, was married to James A. Elliott, of Pugwash, who is a Justice of the Peace, and a County Councillor. He is engaged in mercantile pursuits at Pugwash. They had seven children, named Edgar, Herbert, Manetta, Annie Maria, Mary Emma, Eveline Amelia, and Frank. Manetta died in 1874, aged 17 years.

Edgar married Cyrella, daughter of Dr. Clarke of Pugwash. They have two children, named Daisy and Pearl.

Mrs. Elliott died in 1873, aged 41 years.

Mr. Elliott married, as his second wife, Caroline Bennett.

Thomas A. Black, the eldest son of William F. Black, and the eldest child of his second wife, lives at Hastings. He married Martha Elliott, sister of the above J. A. Elliott. They had seven children, named Clara, Charles Freeze, Judson, Edgar, Laura, Alfred Loring W., and Ruby W. The two youngest died in 1881.

Clara, the eldest daughter, was married to Edwin McCullum, of Hastings, where they live.
Gaius L. Black, the second son of W. F. Black, lives at Westmorland, N.B., and owns a large house at Amherst. He was twice married,--first to Martha Miner, of Amherst. They had one son, named Hibbert. His second wife's name was Amelia Sharp (daughter of John Sharp, of Sackville, N.B.). They have four children, named Bernard Botsford, Ada May, Annie Matilda, and Hattie Amelia.

Cyrus, the third son of W. F. Black, owns part of the farm his father left to him and his younger brother, and is unmarried.

T. Ansley, the fourth and youngest living son of W. F. Black, owns and lives on part of the farm his father left. He married Edith, daughter of George Lusby, of Amherst. They have one daughter, named Ethel.

Hilbert, the youngest son of W. F. Black, was preparing for the Baptist ministry, when he died in the year 1865, aged 22 years.

Augusta, the youngest child, died in 1880, aged 31 years.

William Freeze Black died in the year 1872, aged 74 years. His first wife--Sophia Travis--died in 1883*, aged 30 years. His second wife died in 1871, aged 60 years.
[*Ed. Note: The date 1883 is exactly as it is in the original. Someone had placed a question mark in the margin.]

ALMIRA, the second daughter of the before mentioned Thomas S. Black, was married to Daniel Travis, son of Nathaniel Travis, of Amherst. They settled at Amherst, on a part of his father's farm. They had six sons and five daughters named Mary D., Rebecca, George, Matilda, William, Cyrus, Charles Howard, Sarah Jane, Thomas Albert, Gilbert, and Julia. Julia died when young. Matilda died in 1877, aged 47 years. She was never married.

Mary D., their eldest daughter, was married to Jonas Taylor, of Rockland, Westmorland Co., where they live. Mr. Taylor is a Justice of the Peace and postmaster. They have no children.

Rebecca, the second daughter, was married to Calvin Black (son of Josiah Black) before mentioned in this chapter, where will be found the record of the family.

George, the eldest son of Daniel Travis, is a carriage maker. He first settled at Sackville, N.B., and now lives at Leicester. He married Sarah Weldon, of Dorchester, daughter of William Weldon. They have one daughter named Mary.

William and Sarah J. live on the farm their father left, and are not married.

Cyrus, Charles Howard, and Thomas Albert live at Hastings, Cumberland Co. When they were quite young their father and uncles made a clearing and built a saw-mill on this place, which was then a dense forest, three miles in the interior. Year after year the clearing has been enlarged until now the three brothers are comfortably settled and surrounded by quite a neighborhood.

The above named Cyrus Travis married Nancy, daughter of Samuel Embree, of Salem. They have no children.

Charles H. is deacon of the Warren Baptist Church. He married Caroline Taylor, of Rockland. They have no children.

Thomas married Mary, daughter of Asa Read, of Shemogue, Westmorland Co., N.B.
Gilbert, the youngest son of Daniel Travis, married Carrie Dernier, of Dover, Westmorland Co. They have three children, named Walter Henry, Herbert Arthur, and Annie Blanche. They live at Salem, and are farming.

Daniel Travis died in 1861, aged 63 years; Mrs. Travis in 1865, aged 65 years.

JOSHUA F., the third son of the aforementioned Thomas S. Black, was for many years a member and warm supporter of the Methodist denomination, and was much esteemed for his many christian virtues. His wife' maiden name was Amy Bent, daughter of Vose Bent, of Fort Lawrence. They settled on a part of his father's property, which of itself is now a good farm, in the hands of his son.

He died in the year 1879, aged 76 years, after six months' severe suffering.
His wife died in 1874, aged 71 years.

They had one son and three daughters, named J. Hiram, Emma Selina, Mary Eliza, and Fannie.

J. Hiram, the only son, is a Justice of the Peace and was four years a member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. He is now a member of the Legislative Council of the province. He owns the farm just mentioned, which was left him by his father. He married Elizabeth, daughter of George H. Smith, of Maitland, Hants Co. They have three sons, named Seymour, Percy, and Norman.

Emma S., the eldest daughter of Joshua Black, was married to Alfred E. Chapman, of Moncton. They have no children. Mr. Chapman owned one of the most valuable farms on the Petitcodiac River, which he sold, and purchased property at Moncton, where he built an excellent residence and lives in very easy circumstances. He is the owner of valuable real estate.

Mary Eliza, the second daughter of Joshua Black, was married to Harvey O. Black, son of Cyrus Black, of Amherst. They had no children. For further reference see following part of this chapter.

Fannie, the youngest child of Joshua Black, is not married.

SAMUEL F. BLACK, the fourth son of Thomas S. Black, opened a store at Sackville, N.B., when a young man. He continued in the mercantile business until near the close of his life, which occurred in 1880, at the age of 74 years. He had also stores in other parts of the County of Westmorland, and was for a short time engaged in shipbuilding. He was a Justice of the Peace, and was a Judge of the Inferior Court of Westmorland some years previous to and at the time that court was abolished. At one time he sustained serious loss by the burning of his residence. He, however, erected another house that far exceeded the former. He married Sarah Berry of Sackville. They had two sons and four daughters. One of the daughters died when young. The names of the survivors are, Mary Jane, Charles Augustus, Arabella, Laura, and Clarence E.

Charles A. is a physician. He resides at Bay Verte, where he has an extensive practice. He has been twice elected County Councillor and is now the Warden of Westmorland. He married Elizabeth Silliker, daughter of Jacob Silliker, of Bay Verte. They have one daughter, named Florence.

Mary Jane and Arabella, daughters of Samuel F. Black, have not been married.

Laura, the youngest daughter of Samuel F. Black, was married to David G. Dixon, of Truro. He is in mercantile business at Sackville, N.B.

Clarence, the youngest son, is a surgeon in the United States Navy, his skill and attention to duty having secured the several promotions up to that position.

MARY, the third daughter of Thomas S. Black, was married to Samuel Holsted, of St. John. Mr. Holsted had been previously married and had a family of children, all of whom except his youngest daughter, had died prior to his second marriage. Mr. Holsted's native place was Amherst. He removed to Petitcodiac, thence to Sussex, and then to St. John.
Mrs. Holsted died in 1868, aged 61 years.

Mr. Holsted survived her a few years and was married the third time. He died in 1875, aged 75 years.

CYRUS, the fifth son of Thomas S. Black, settled at Moncton, where he owned 100 acres of land which is now in the centre of the town, and contains three large churches and a large number of dwellings of a good class. It would be difficult to exaggerate the contrast between that place at the present time and when Mr. Black sold it forty-two years ago.

He removed from Moncton to Sackville where he was in the mercantile business. Several years after, he bought his father's homestead at Amherst, part of which he still owns. Another portion he let his son have. He also owns other property in the town of Amherst where he lives.

Cyrus Black has for many years been Justice of the Peace and for eleven years was Stipendiary Magistrate, which office he resigned in 1880. He has been a life-long advocate of temperance. In flagrant violation of the customs of the day, while living at Moncton in 1838, he determined to have the frame of a two-story house raised without the aid of intoxicants, and to the astonishment of the people succeeded. At Sackville and Amherst he was among the organizers of temperance institutions. He has issued writs against liquor sellers when a second Justice could not be found to add his name. On one occasion after issuing such writ his office was broken open on the night before the trial and despoiled of legal records and valuable papers, but he renewed the writs next day.

His wife's maiden name was Elizabeth Bowser, daughter of Richard S. Bowser, of Sackville. Their family consisted of four sons and one daughter, named Josiah Albert, Harvey Olinthus, Lucy Amelia, Clement Cyrus, and Burton Eugene.

J. Albert, the eldest son, after being four years in a wholesale dry goods house in St. John, was engaged in merchandize for a few years with his father, at Amherst, under the firm of C. Black & Son. He then entered the ranks of journalism, as being more congenial to his tastes, and in 1866 commenced the publication of the "Amherst Gazette," the pioneer newspaper of Cumberland County, of which he is still editor and proprietor. He has been Adjutant of the Cumberland Battalion of Militia since 1871, and was lately advanced to the rank of major. He married Sarah S., daughter of Peter Etter, of Amherst. They have three children, named Claude DeLisle, Lorene, and Alberta.

Harvey O., the second son of Cyrus Black, married Mary Eliza, daughter of Joshua Black, as before mentioned in this chapter. They had no children. Harvey O. Black was engaged in mercantile affairs. He owned a valuable property in the centre of the town of Amherst and a farm that he procured from his father. A large portion of his property he left to his widow.

He died in 1881, aged 40 years, highly esteemed for his civil deportment and for his upright principles.

Lucy Amelia, the only daughter of Cyrus Black, was married to D. W. C. Dimock Archibald, son of Daniel Archibald, of Stewiacke. He has been for some years engaged in the sale of books. They now live in Halifax where he is employed by the three Baptist churches of that city as city missionary--a work which he finds congenial to himself and, he hopes, profitable to others.

Clement Cyrus, the third son of Cyrus Black, when quite young went as clerk in the store of Joseph L. Black, at Sackville, N.B., where he remained seven years. He then was for a year in Chicago, and afterwards a few years in Ontario. He was much esteemed by his many friends for his upright and christian principles as well as for his business qualifications. He died in 1877, aged 30 years; was never married.

Burton E. Black, the youngest son of Cyrus Black, is first clerk in the store of Joseph L. Black, where he has been for twelve years.

CHARLES F., the sixth son of Thomas S. Black, settled in Moncton where he married Margaret, daughter of William Steadman. He was a mechanic, but was in mercantile pursuits a part of his life. He died in the year 1860, aged 47 years. His wife died in 1847, aged 31 years. They had a family consisting of two daughters and three sons, named Mary Hannah, William Thomas, Alfred Charles, and Stephen Shaw. One daughter died when young.

Mary H. was married to William Banister Deacon, of Moncton. They reside at Shediac. Mr. Deacon is a Justice of the Peace and is in the drug business. They had ten children, named, respectively, Maggie Agnes, Alice Millard, Charles William, Clifford Banister, Lulie May, Edgar Harrie, Frank Edgar, Laurie Steadman, Clarence Royal, and Albert Black. Three of these--Edgar H., Frank E., and Clarence R.--died when young. Maggie A. died in 1872, aged 16 years.

William T., the eldest son of Charles F. Black, married Sarah White. They had two daughters and one son, named Gertrude Fredina, William Steadman, and Charlotte. One daughter died when young. Mr. Black died in 1868, aged 29 years. Mrs. Black, his widow, died in 1880.

Alfred Charles, the second son of Charles F. Black, married Sophia Vonte. They had five children, one of whom died when young. They reside in the United States.
Stephen S., the youngest son of Charles F. Black, is a medical doctor and resides at Fredericton. His wife is also a physician having a diploma. Her maiden name was Kate Shepherdson. They have no children.

JANE C., the fourth and only daughter now living of Thomas S. Black, was married to James Trueman, of Point de Bute, Westmorland, where they settled upon a farm, a portion of the old Trueman estate. This farm they sold, and entered into mercantile pursuits in St. John. Mr. Trueman owned a valuable dwelling house and two stores in the city, which all, together with some valuable contents, fell a prey to the GREAT FIRE of 1877. Even in this calamity the family of Mr. Trueman were much more fortunate than many of their neighbors, for they had a handsome summer residence just being completed at Hampton, where they also own a farm of considerable value, and where they now reside. They had one daughter and one son, named Augusta and Calvin Alexander. Calvin A. died when young.

Augusta was married to Henry Charles MacMonagle. Mr. MacMonagle was a prosperous lawyer doing business in St. John. He was also Clerk of the County Court. He died in 1881, aged 41 years, leaving an excellent record. He left to his widow a large portion of a considerable amount of property which he had acquired.

ALEXANDER BARRY BLACK, the youngest son of Thomas S. Black, had his father's homestead left to him, which he disposed of to his brother Cyrus, and entered the Methodist ministry, in which he continued for twenty years. When a young man he was appointed a Justice of the Peace. He now owns a valuable farm at Amherst, on which he lives, beside other lands. His wife's name was Caroline Croscombe, daughter of Rev. William Croscombe, a much esteemed Methodist minister. They have six sons. Their names are William Arthur, Albert Starr, Frederick, Frank Harold, Charles Howard, and Ernest Leslie. They had also a daughter who died when young.

W. Arthur, their eldest son, obtained a good education, and is a Methodist minister. He was for two years on circuits in Nova Scotia and is now in charge of a circuit in the State of New York. He married Louisa, daughter of James Dixon, Esq., of Sackville, N.B.
Albert Starr, the second son of Alexander B. Black, is also a Methodist minister, and is now on this third year of probation.

Frederic, the third son of Alexander B. Black, is also engaged in the ministry. He is now on his first Methodist circuit.

The remaining three sons are at home with their parents.

This closes the record of the descendants of Thomas Stocks Black.
POSTERITY OF THOMAS STOCKS BLACK.
Living. Dead. Total.
Children, 4 8 12
Grand Children, 51 19 70
Great Grand Children, 83 23 106
___ ___ ___
Descendants, 138 50 188