Fox Harbour

 

Fox Harbour was first mentioned as Shoal Bay on old maps.  There are many stories of how it got its name of Fox Harbour.  One of the more popular ones is recounted by John MacIvor in his book The MacIvor Clan.  He states that it was said that part of the French fleet wintered in this harbour, and in the spring when the ice melted, the ships were so waterlogged that to get out of the harbour, anchors and everything that could be spared were dropped to lighten the ships.  When they got out and well down the strait, they sighted the British warships coming, and the admiral whose name was Fox or Faux, realizing that all was lost took some small cannon balls in his pockets and jumped overboard.  He told them to name the place after him.

 

Fox Harbour was first settled by the French.  When the Scottish settlers came, they found dykes, wells, and many remains of houses and apple orchards.  And they found salt marsh.

 

South Side

 

In the 1780’s, on the tip of the southern peninsula of Fox Harbour, a town was laid out by Charles Baker, surveyor, called Fanningsborough after Edmund Fanning, lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia. It had 239 lots of 3 acres each.  It was a plan that would make a modern town available for the inevitable arrival of the Westchester Loyalists. All they would have to do is draw for a numbered lot and build a house.   These were their town lots.  They were also granted farm and wood lots.

 

However, when they arrived in 1784 after spending a terrible winter near Amherst N.S., they looked at the site and decided that the Remsheg River was too much of a barrier between them and the town of Wallace which was beginning to thrive. Dangerous ice conditions in early winter and in spring meant that they would have to travel 12 miles around the head of the Bay for about four months of the year.

 

Some of their farm and wood lots were 100, 200, and 300 and one of them got 1800 acres.  Many of them decided to build on the large grants where they would be closer to where they worked. Only a few of the original arrivals stayed to build and live on the townsite.

 

Other Crown grants on the south side (nearer North Wallace) were to A. Roderick Morrison - 40 acres, Angus Morrison – 100 acres, Roderick Morrison – 60 acres, Moses Knapp – 627 acres, John Dotten – 100 acres, John Huestis – 100 acres and Donald McFarlane on Jerry Island.

 

North Side

 

Originally the land was held for Josiah Smith and his grant for Royal Fencible soldiers (see Gulf Shore).  However, settlers gradually moved in from Gulf Shore, Pugwash, Wallace or directly from Scotland. 

 

Kenneth Nicholson came from Stornoway, Hebrides, Scotland and brought with him his family and brother, the head of the Donald Nicholson family. About the same time that Kenneth Nicholson settled at Fox Harbor, there also settled from Scotland, Donald McFarland who had two sons, Donald and John McFarland.  The heads of the Munro and Colburne families were also immigrants with the Nicholsons.

 

Donald Robertson purchased from Fanning a part of the Fox Harbour grant in 1784 which was quite a large tract of land east of the Fox Harbour crossroad.  He built his home on the Fox Harbour side of his land and later gave farms to each of his three sons, Donald, John and Archie.  The three sons married three sisters, Nicholson girls.

 

Kenneth MacAuley came to Nova Scotia from Lewes Island in Scotland. 

 

By 1871, Lovell’s Dominion Directory listed a population of 150 at Fox Harbour.  The men were almost all farmers.  They were Hugh Bailey, Duncan Campbell, Frederick and Martin David, Julius Frohme, John and Norman Graham, Robert Harrison (miller), Donald Kennedy, William McAuley, John McDonald, C.J. and Peter McFarlane (Peter was a J.P.), George, John and Robert McIver, John Moodie, Angus and Kenneth Morrison, Hugh and Murdoch Munroe, Kenneth and Roderick Nicholson, Alexander Peers, Archibald Robinson (J. P. and way office), James A. Robertson (he was also known as Yankee Jamie), James and John Robinson, Robert Stewart and Daniel Stramberg with their families.

 

Mrs. Charles Robertson listed the residents of northern Fox Harbour from the  point to the crossroads in about 1900.  Not much had changed from Lovell’s except that Dan Moody occupied Oak Island and there was now M. MacIvor and  J. MacAuley.

 

In 1987, Ron Joyce of Tatamagouche bought 1100 acres of North Fox Harbour ocean-front property which included the remnants of a lobster-processing plant.  As a boy he had come to visit his Aunt Ena and Uncle Thorpe Moody – a descendent of William Moody (Mar. 10, 1781 - 1886) and was familiar with Fox Harbour. He built a resort which opened in 2000.  It includes a golf course, airport, spa, clay shooting and has hosted many heads of government.

 

Church

 

The history of the Fox Harbour United Church is closely related to that of St. Matthew’s Presbyterian Church in Wallace.  In 1843, the Presbyterian Church in Scotland suffered a great disruption, and many broke away to form the Free Church of Scotland.  One of those who left, Mr. James Munroe, took away a large part of the congregation and started Melville Church. Those left were too few to carry on and so it was decided to move the old church to Fox Harbour.  Forty yoke of oxen pulled the old church over.  It was a fine big building with a balcony, a steeple and a high closed pulpit. Clusters of coal oil lamps hung from the ceiling, and the pews had doors.

 

It was situated on land donated by Kenneth MacAuley who had come to Nova Scotia from Lewes Island in Scotland.  The cemetery land next door was given by Duncan Campbell.

 

By 1875, a union of all Presbyterians took place, and by 1877, the church had incorporated with St. Matthew’s in Wallace.  The minister lived in Wallace and came over each Sunday by ferry to a little wharf in Fox Harbour.  These ferries were sail boats which were gradually replaced by a motor boat and by steam.  A man was appointed to pick up the minister and deliver him back to the wharf.

 

The first secretary who kept the minutes book was James Robertson under Presidents John Stuart and Duncan Campbell in 1877.  In 1884, Murdoch MacDonald bought a new minute book and recorded the church doings for many years.

 

By 1898, the congregation had grown so large that a 12’ by 14’ extension had to be built on and new pews added.

 

In 1897, when neither St. Matthews nor Knox had a minister, they decided to unite.  In 1898, Rev. Frame became the minister to the united congregation.  By 1912, the old church was in such bad condition it was decided to meet in the hall for the winter months.  After union with St. John’s United Church in 1930, a decision was made to build a new church.  It was constructed by A. M. McNab of Malagash and built on land donated by Kenneth MacAulay, son of the Kenneth MacAulay who had donated the original land.

 

The first baby baptized in the new church was John Langille, great grandson of that same first Kenneth MacAulay.  The first marriage was that of Eva Morrison and Theodore Thompson.

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School

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Fox Harbour School has always been at the same location on the north side of North Fox Harbour Road and on the west side of David Creek. 

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It opened in 1829.  It was supported by a 25 pound subscription for the teacher's salary which was 11 - 5 pounds in cash and the rest in produce.  The teacher was Donald Cammeron and there were 18 students.  The numbers rose to as high as 25 students in 1916 when it went to Grade 10.  The school was closed at the end of the 1959 school year and torn down sometime around 1975.  Luckily the school registers were saved for the years August 1911 to June 1959.

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Excerpted from Fox Harbour School by Carl Francis Purdy

 

Fox Harbour Marriages

 

Here is a partial list of civil marriages in Fox Harbour or involving citizens of Fox Harbour from 1864 to 1913

 

01-12-1864       Fox Harbour Cum Co     Presbyterian     Rev George Law (of Richibucto NB)

BAILLIE              Hugh                    B             blacksmith         Wallace Cum Co              Earltown Col Co              Alexander & Nancy Murray

MCAULAY          Catherine             W           _              Wallace Cum Co              Wallace Cum Co              _

 

24-10-1865       Westchester Cum Co     Methodist           Rev James R Hart

MCGILLIVRAY  Kenneth  25          W           farmer                 Westchester Cum Co     Albion Mines Pic Co       John & Charlotte McKenzie

SCOTT  Margaret             22           S              _              Pugwash Cum Co            Fox Harbour Cum Co     James & Martha Nickerson

 

02-03-1868       Wallace Cum Co              Kirk       Rev James Anderson

NICOLSON         Kennet  48           W           farmer                 Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     William & Annabella

MCKENZIE         Ann        29           S              _              North Shore Cum Co      _              William & Isabella

 

27-03-1868       Wallace Cum Co              Kirk       Rev James Anderson

NICOLSON         Kenneth 48           W           farmer                 Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     William & Annabelle

MCKENZIE         Anne     29             S              _              North Shore Cum Co      _              William & Isabella

 

06-10-1868       Pugwash Cum Co            Methodist           Rev John J Colter

ROBERTSON     Charles 32             B             merchant            California USA  Fox Harbour Cum Co     Donald & _

BORDEN             Martha Amelia 18  S              _              Pugwash Cum Co            Pugwash Cum Co            Levi & _

 

14-09-1869       Fox Harbour Cum Co     Kirk       Rev James Anderson

MCLELLAN        George N  57           W           mariner               Londonderry Col Co      Londonderry Col Co      Samuel & Jemima

NICHOLSON      May Day McName  35    W           _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Wallace Cum Co              William & Isabella McKenzie

 

26-01-1870       Fox Harbour Cum Co     Kirk       Rev James Anderson

HARRISON         George A 25           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     Robert & Rebecca

PURDY                Bythia  24               S              _              Malagash Cum Co            _              Stephen & Isabella

 

12-04-1870       Wallace Cum Co              Kirk       Rev James Anderson

MCAULEY          William       27           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     John & A

MUNRO               Alexandrina 18        S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     _              Daniel & Catherine McKenzie

 

02-10-1871       Wallace Cum Co              Kirk       Rev James Anderson

MUNRO               Murdoch   42           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     John & Christy

MCPHERSON    Jessie                       S              _              Rogers Hill         _              William & Flora

 

12-10-1871       Six Mile Road    Kirk       Rev James Anderson

ROBERTSON     John      43              B             farmer Wallace Cum Co              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Donald & Christy A

HUESTIS             Sarah Jane 31        S              _              Wallace Cum Co              _              James & Melinda

 

21-12-1871       Wallace Cum Co              Kirk       Rev James Anderson

MCKIM Andrew               23                B             farmer Wallace Cum Co              Wallace Cum Co              Robert & Phoebe

GRAHAM             Isabella    22           S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     _              Norman & Isabella

 

25-04-1872       Fox Harbour Cum Co     Kirk       Rev James Anderson

NICHOLSON      George 48                B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     Will & Annabella

MORRISON        Margaret 50             S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     _              Roderick & Rachel

 

24-06-1872       Wallace Cum Co              Kirk       Rev James Anderson

MCIVOR            Alan       29                B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     John & _

TEED                 Margaret     24           S              _              _              _              Moses & _

 

25-07-1872       Wallace Cum Co              Kirk       Rev James Anderson

ELL                   William   21                 B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     Dougald & _

MCLEOD          Christy Ann  24           S              _              Gulf Shore Cum Co         _              Malcolm & _

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22-01-1874       Pugwash Cum Co            Presbyterian     Rev John McRae Sutherland

STUART              John      44               B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Pictou Pic Co    Robert & Ann

JAMIESON          Mary     43                S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     _              Thomas & Sarah

 

12-12-1878       Pugwash Cum Co            Methodist           Rev Thomas D Hart

MCIVER           James Stewart  22       B             blacksmith         Wallace Cum Co              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Murdoch & Christiana

STEWART       Maggie 18                    S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     John & Mary

 

 

31-01-1882       Fox Harbour Cum Co     Methodist           Rev John A Mosher

OXLEY             Herbert S        28           B             farmer Wallace Cum Co              Wallace Bay Cum Co     Charles & Priscilla

NICOLSON      Kate J    24                    S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     Kenneth & Ann

 

25-02-1882       Wallace Harbour Cum Co            Free Presbyterian           Rev Samuel Boyd

OLSON             Martin L           24           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Norway               Olson & Maria

ROBERTSON     Maggie         31            S              _              Gulf Shore Cum Co         Gulf Shore Cum Co         John & Christie

 

14-04-1884       Fox Harbour Cum Co     Presbyterian     Rev James A McKenzie

DAVID              James E            29           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     Martin & Rosy A

YOUNG             Sarah C           24           S              _              Kempton             Kempton             Daniel & Elizabeth

 

14-08-1884       Wallace River Cum Co  Free Presbyterian           Rev Samuel Boyd

STRUMBERT    Daniel R               31           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     River John Pic Co            James & Amelia

MCLEOD             Maria L                19           S              _              Gulf Shore Cum Co         Gulf Shore Cum Co         Malcolm & Annie

 

18-09-1884       Wallace Cum Co              Presbyterian     Rev Andrew Gray

RHINDRESS       Charles K             28           B             stone cutter       Wallace Cum Co              Wallace Cum Co              Isaac & Ellen

JAMIESON          Susan    27           S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     Thomas & Sarah

 

18-01-1886       Springhill Cum Co           Church of England          Rev C E McKenzie           (All Saints)

MARSHALL        John F   40           W           carpenter            Springhill Cum Co           Kings Co NS        Ebenezer & Rebecca

ROOD/REED    Isabella                41           W           _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Malagash Cum Co            Samuel & Mary

 

30-01-1886       Wentworth Cum Co       Presbyterian     Rev Hector B McKay

MCINTOSH        John P  62           W           farmer Wallace Cum Co              Tatamagouche Col Co   Donald & Catherine

MCINTOSH        Isabella                55           W           _              Great Village Col Co        Fox Harbour Cum Co     William & Annabel

 

22-05-1888       Pugwash Cum Co            Presbyterian     Rev James A McKenzie

MOODY               William H           27           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Wallace Cum Co              Roderick & Bella

MOODY               Bella      26           S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     William & Margaret

 

20-03-1889       Wallace Cum Co              Presbyterian     Rev Hector B McKay

ROBINSON         Stanley 25           B             farmer Gulf Shore Cum Co         Gulf Shore Cum Co         Donald & Christy

NICHOLSON      Maggie 28           S              _              Wallace Cum Co              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Roderick & Catherine

 

19-09-1889       Fox Harbour Cum Co     Free Presbyterian           Rev Samuel Boyd

CALKIN                A H         29           B             joiner    Moncton NB      Hopewell Cape NB          Harris & Augusta

MCFARLANE     Amelia M            29           S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     Peter & Susan

 

26-08-1890       Pugwash Cum Co            Presbyterian     Rev James A McKenzie

LEARD Jonah    24           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Tyron Lot 28 PEI            James & Rebecca

O’BRIEN              Flora     20           S              _              _              _              Robert & Alice

 

28-11-1891       Fox Harbour Cum Co     Presbyterian     Rev Andrew Gray

BRITTON            William               53           W           farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Oxford Cum Co                Henry & Matilda

MCPHERSON    Isabella                50           S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Pictou Pic Co    George & Marion

 

01-11-1893       Wallace Cum Co              Free Presbyterian           Rev Samuel Boyd

DAVID  William               29           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     Martin & Rosanna

MCLEAN             Mary D 25           S              _              Gulf Shore Cum Co         Gulf Shore Cum Co         Colin & Ann

 

07-01-1897       Pugwash Cum Co            Presbyterian     Rev A D McIntosh

MCDONALD      Alexander   47           W           blacksmith         Tatamagouche Col Co   W Tatamagouche Col Co                Donald & Ellen

MCAULAY          Mary Elsie  46           W           _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Kingston NB      David & Elizabeth

 

14-04-1897       Wallace Cum Co              Methodist           Rev John Astbury

HARRISON         Richard Palmer               22           B             farming               North Wallace Cum Co Fox Harbour Cum Co                George & Betiah

MCLEAN             Mary Elizabeth                21           S              _              Wallace Ridge Cum Co  Truro Col Co      Neill & Elizabeth

 

04-10-1897       Fox Harbour Cum Co     Presbyterian     Rev David Annand Frame

REID                  John William     35           B             farmer New York USA Gulf Shore Cum Co         Donald & Margaret

ROSS                Georgina             30           S              _              Gulf Shore Cum Co         Gulf Shore Cum Co         David & Joanna

 

20-06-1898       Pugwash Cum Co            Presbyterian     Rev A D McIntosh

MCINNIS             Allen     62           W           farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Glengarry Pic Co             Hector & Julia A

MATHESON       Margaret             43           S              _              Gulf Shore Cum Co         Gulf Shore Cum Co         Alexander & Ann

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26-10-1898       Pugwash Cum Co            Presbyterian     Rev A D McIntosh

ROBERTSON     James A               27           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     James & Christina

BAILEY                Annie B                26           S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     Hugh & Catherine

 

25-01-1899       Pugwash Cum Co            Methodist           Rev Richard Williams

GRAHAM             Kenneth               30           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     John & Jane

FAY       Anna     22           S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Diligent River Cum Co  James & Eliza

 

09-05-1899       Wallace Cum Co              Presbyterian     Rev David Annand Frame

JAMIESON          Weldon                25           B             farmer Gulf Shore Cum Co         North Wallace Cum Co Daniel & _

CAMPresbyterianELL   Rosie Ella            20           S              _              Gulf Shore Cum Co         Fox Harbour Cum Co     James & Charlotte

 

26-06-1899       Wallace Cum Co              Presbyterian     Rev David Annand Frame

MCLAUGHLIN  William               25           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Economy Col Co              Arthur & Annie

STEWART          Annie    19           S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     Charles & Jane

 

30-08-1899       Wallace Cum Co              Presbyterian     Rev David Annand Frame

MOODY               Murdoch             38           W           farmer North Wallace Cum Co North Wallace Cum Co William & Margaret

HARRISON         Tryphena            27           S              _              North Wallace Cum Co Fox Harbour Cum Co     John & Bythria

 

26-09-1900       Fox Harbour Cum Co     Presbyterian     Rev A D McIntosh

MCEACHERN    James A               28           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Tatamagouche Bay Cum Co       John & Ann A

MCAULEY          Annie May          21           S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Oak Island          Kenneth & Mary

 

26-06-1901       Wallace Cum Co              Presbyterian     Rev David Annand Frame

MCAULEY          Thomas F           23           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     Kenneth & Mary

MCEACHREN    Cassie   22           S              _              West Tatamagouche Col Co       West Tatamagouche Col Co       John

 

08-06-1903       Springhill Cum Co           Presbyterian     Rev Christopher Munro

STONEHOUSE  Charles L             28           B             miner   Springhill Cum Co           Lily Cum Co       William & Esther

PEERS  Mary E 22           S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Wallace Bay Cum Co     Rufus & Agnes

 

30-09-1903       Wallace Cum Co              Presbyterian     Rev John W McPhail

MCIVER               Dugald 34           B             farmer Fox River Cum Co           Fox River Cum Co           George A & Eliz CamPresbyterianell

MUNROE            Annie    31           S              _              Fox Harbour Cum Co     Fox Harbour Cum Co     Murdoch & Isaie McPherson

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05-09-1906       Fox Harbour Cum Co     Presbyterian     Rev A L McKay

REID     William               29           B             farmer Gulf Shore Cum Co         Gulf Shore Cum Co         Peter & Margaret

DAVID  Clara Louise       20           S              Presbyterian     Lower Gulf Shore Cum Co           Lower Gulf Shore Cum Co                James & Sarah

 

29-12-1909       Malagash Cum Co            Methodist           Rev Frederick J Pentelow

JAMIESON          Samuel Purdy   27           B             farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     North Wallace Cum Co John & Sabina J

STUDIVANT      Annabella           27           S              Presbyterian     Malagash Cum Co            Malagash Cum Co            Edward & Rebecca J

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04-08-1913       Amherst Cum Co             Methodist           Rev Douglas Chapman

MCNEILL            Frank Kempton               22           B             fireman               Wallace Harbour Cum Co            Six Mile Road                Robert & Mary

MOODY               Emma Janet      21           S              Presbyterian     Fox Harbour Cum Co     N Wallace Cum Co          William & Isabella

 

29-10-1913       Wallace Bridge Cum Co                Methodist           Rev William J Croft

RHUDE                Robert  36           W           farmer Fox Harbour Cum Co     N Wallace Cum Co          Robert & Isabel

HARPELL           Annie    38           W           Presbyterian     Wallace Bridge Cum Co                Wallace Bridge Cum Co                John & Amelia Baker

 

24-12-1913       Amherst Cum Co             Methodist           Rev Hamilton Wigle

PATTON             William Eaton  66           W           laborer Amherst Cum Co             Oxford Cum Co                Nelson & Pliny

PARKER              Nancy   61           W           Presbyterian     Amherst Cum Co             Fox Harbour Cum Co     William & Eliza