1. NEIL1 MCKINNON was born possibly in the Isle of Barra, Scotland, and died Abt. Dec 1875 in Brae, P.E.I., Canada1. He married (1) HANNAH MCDONALD, daughter of JOHN MCDONALD and MARIE MCDONALD. She died Bet. 14 Feb 1850 - 06 Oct 1854 in Brae, P.E.I., Canada2. He married (2) AGNES MACISAAC 22 Jan 1858 in Tignish, P.E.I., Canada3, daughter of ANGUS MACISAAC and MARY MCDONALD. She was born Abt. 1831.
The following provides some background for Neil and a glimpse into his early days in the Brae.
"Neil McKinnon, who came with his parents from Scotland to Prince Edward Island, lived elsewhere before he settled in Brae. He married Hannah McDonald, daughter of John McDonald Sr. after he settled in Lot 9."
"Little is known concerning the circumstances of the arrival of these pioneer settlers. However, some mention has been made of certain supplies and provisions they brought with them. For instance, Neil McKinnon who was a bachelor when he arrived on the scene, had an anvil and a fiddle but he did not have a churn or a spinning wheel. He married Hannah McDonald and his bonnie bride used her mother's churn and wheel for several years."
Excerpts from Past and Present: A History of Brae Page 12.
Neil settled in the Brae in 1827 on land owned by the absentee landlord Lawrence Sullivan. The 1841 Census lists him as having occupied the farm for 14 years. According to this and the above information then, Neil and Hannah were married about that time. However, it is possible that they were married earlier since, in the 1901 Census, their daughter Nancy Ann (Mrs. Donald McIntyre) lists her birth date as 4 Mar 1824. At any rate, by 1841 Neil and Hannah had ten people living in their household. The 1841 Census itemized Neil's family as follows:
Males: Under 16 years of age. 4 Females: Under 16 years of age. 2
Males: From 16 to 45. 2 Females: From 16 to 45. 1
Males: From 45 to 60. 1 Females: From 45 to 60. 0
Males: Upwards of 60. 0 Females: Upwards of 60. 0
Number of Deaf and Dumb in each family. 0
Number of Blind in each family. 0 Number of Insane in each family. 0
Total Number in each family (including Servants and Apprentices). 10
Of the ten household members, I can account only for seven. There would be Neil and Hannah, of course, and their children Nancy Ann, James, Mary, Felix, and John. It's possible that Neil had another son which I have not accounted for yet and that the other males were his or Hannah's relatives. They may have been just visiting, perhaps over to test the latest batch of home made jam or the like, but, it is more probable that they were permanent residents. Maybe they were hired farm hands since Neil had 300 acres of land, a much larger 'operation' than he could have managed on his own. Also, if Ann was born in 1824, why aren't there two females aged 16 to 45? Perhaps Ann was away. If the only female at home was Hannah and we allow her the maximum age of 45 then she may have been born as early as 1796. This would compute well with a theory that their son John was possibly born in 1818. If this were the case, John would be the right age to be one of the males aged 16 to 45. What is certain is that all in the household were Roman Catholics, one of them was born in Scotland and the rest were ". . . natives of this Island." The 1841 Census also includes data on the farm's production:
PRODUCE RAISED BY EACH FAMILY DURING THE LAST YEAR
Number of Bushels of Wheat. 40 Number of Bushels Barley. 20
Number of Bushels Oats. 50 Number of Bushels Potatoes. 307
Number of Horses owned by each family. 1 Number of Neat Cattle owned by each family. 15
Number of Sheep owned by each family. 24 Number of Hogs owned by each family. 10
Hannah's birth year was probably between 1790 and 1800. Her parents were John and Marie McDonald originally of West Point and later, the Brae. John was an avid fiddler who converted to Roman Catholicism because fiddle playing on Sunday was frowned upon by the Presbyterian religion. Hannah's siblings were James, John, Elizabeth, Archibald, and possibly Isabella (Belle) and Mary. Hannah is variously listed in church records from Rustico to Tignish as Ann, Hannah, Janne, and Winnifred. Hannah died between 14 Feb. 1850 and 6 Oct. 1854.
Neil's second wife was Agnes MacIsaac, born 1831, the daughter of Angus MacIsaac and Mary McDonald of Brae. They were married 22 January 1858, the witnesses were Neil McIsaac and Catherine McGilvary and the priest was Father Peter McIntyre. I have not found evidence of any children from this union. At the time of the 1881 Census, Agnes was working as a servant (probably cook and housekeeper) for the elderly Peter and Margaret Guard at Alberton Creek, Lot 5. She was a widow.
Evidence of Neil's passing in the winter of 1875 is the fact that his will was proved 24 March, 1876. This death date also corresponds to information given by his grandson Raymond who stated that he (Raymond) was not born in the house that he eventually grew up in but that he moved there when he was about a year old. In fact, Neil sold the homestead lease to his son James for 100 pounds in 1870 and then willed it to his wife Agnes in 1873. Felix initially lived about half a mile west but he bought the homestead from James for $600.00 in 1879. If Felix moved there in 1879, Raymond would have been about two years old.
Children of NEIL MCKINNON and HANNAH MCDONALD are:
i. JOHN MCKINNON.
ii. NANCY ANN MCKINNON, b. 04 Mar 1824, P.E.I. Canada.
iii. JAMES MCKINNON, b. 04 Dec 1830, Brae, P.E.I., Canada4; d. 28 Apr 1907, Brae, P.E.I., Canada5.
iv. MARY MCKINNON, b. 09 Mar 1833, Brae, P.E.I., Canada6.
v. FELIX MCKINNON, b. 29 Apr 1836, Brae, P.E.I., Canada7; d. 08 Aug 1908, Brae, P.E.I., Canada8.
religion: Roman Catholic. According to the Brae history, the first Mass celebrated in the Brae was celebrated by Rev. Peter McIntyre at the home of Neil McKinnon.
immigration: Family documents indicate that Neil may have arrived on P.E.I. aboard the Ark or the Dove. There were many vessels by these names dating back to the settlement of Maryland, U.S.A. in 1625 - the only record I can find of two ships called the Ark and Dove sailing together. Ships named Dove were built on P.E.I. and Nova Scotia and many voyages were made back to Scotland by Island captains. It is possible that Neil went to P.E.I. on one of those voyages or aboard a ship called Dove which sailed to P.E.I. from Pictou, N.S.
occupation: Pioneer farmer.
location: unknown year possibly the Isle of Barra, Invernesshire, Scotland; unknown year to about 1826 possibly Grand River, West Point, or Canoe Cove; about 1827 to 1875 Brae, Lot 9, P.E.I.
ancestry: It's possible that Neil's father was Alexander McKinnon, "The Wooden Priest".
Endnotes
1. Ref: Neil McKinnon's Will, Signed 13th Feb, 1873, proved 24 Mar 1876.
2. Ref: Email Peg Gillis Fiertag 16 May, 2007., Listed as 'late' in the record of her son John McKinnon's marriage of 6 Oct, 1854.
3. Ref: St. Simon & St. Jude Roman Catholic Church Baptismal Register, Tignish, P.E.I. Canada, Sponsors were Neil McIsaac and Catherine McGilvary and the priest was Father Peter McIntyre.
4. Ref: PEIGS Cemetery Transcript, Pp 3, James McKinnon b. Dec. 4, 1830; d. Apr. 28, 1907 buried cemetery #2 Stone #86 Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Cemetery, Brae, Lot 9, P.E.I.
5. Ref: Felix McKinnon's grave monument.
6. Ref: St. Jacques' Roman Catholic Church Baptismal Register, Egmont Bay, P.E.I., Canada, Baptized 25 March 1833. Identifying Mary's birth date was difficult due to the incorrect first name entered in the Brae church register for her mother. In St Jacques Roman Catholic Church, Egmont Bay, P.E.I. Mary's baptism was registered as follows: "Bapt de Marie McKinnon Lot 9. Le vingt cinq Mars mil huit cent trente trois nous pretre sauvigne avons supplee les ceremonis du baptisme a Marie nee depuis le neuf du present au legitime marriage de Nill McKinnon et de Ann McDonald parrain Calude Arseneau marraine Isabelle McDonald tous au Bre Lot 9." (Signed) S.E. Perry. When Father Perry transcribed the same baptism in English to St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Brae, P.E.I., he entered it as B2, Page 1, 1833 as follows: "On the twenty fifth of March one thousand eight hundred and thirty three we the undersigned curate of this parish have baptized Mary born on the ninth Instant of the lawful marriage of Neil McKinnon and Winnifred McDonald. Sponsors Pasedo Arseneau and Isabella McDonald." (Signed) S.E. Perry.
7. Ref: St. Augustin's Roman Catholic Church, South Rustico Register, Book 5, Page 98, "On the 8th of March 1837 I baptized Felix born on the 29th of April last of the lawful marriage of Neil McKinnon and Ann McDonald. Sponsors Laughlin McIntyre and Elizabeth McKinnon." (Signed) B. D. McDonald. Birth date given as May 27, 1836 on his grave marker.
8. Ref: Certificate of Death D005905, P.E.I. Health and Social Services - Vital Statistics, Registration No. 08-01-003214, Name of Deceased: Felix McKinnon. Date of Death: August 8, 1908. 72 years. Death date given as Aug 30, 1908 in McAllar Family Register and on grave marker.
Home About the Brae Family Index Photos Documents etc
Updated by Larry MacDonald, 17 December 2007