My Family Tree

THIS IS NOT A PROVEN CONNECTION.

Mary and Alexander McArthur were both from Lot 16, and both married into the Lee family of Lot 19; as well there was Effie McArthur from Lot 16 who married Walter Chappell from Lot 19.

Notes compiled by a daughter of Newton and Grace Lee:

Grandma Lee was Mary McARTHUR. Alex McARTHUR married Ellen LEE our grandfather’s sister, so the family were 1st double cousins. Her mother was a McLAUGHLIN.

Although this Alexander was born around the same time as the Lot 14 Hugh McArthur's son Alexander, the Alexander McArthur who signed a land conveyance with his step-mother, and Hugh's second wife Margaret and the six other children of Hugh McArthur had a wife named Elizabeth in 1859. (Hugh's son is therefore the Alex who married Elizabeth Abbott)

The other possibility is that Mary and Alexander were the children of Alexander McArthur and Nancy McLaughlin of Lot 14. There was a will for Alexander McArthur, Lot 14, undated but proved in 1870. Named in this will were Dugald, Hugh, James, Alexander, Archibald, Robert, Mary, Jane, Flora, Elizabeth, and Neil. These Lot 14 McArthurs were born earlier than the Lot 16 McArthurs.

However, the rest of Alexander's life has been documented.

Alex McArthur, from Lot 16, married Ellen Lee from Lot 19 in 1840. Thomas Lee was a witness.

They were in the Margate/New London area for the births of some children, and were in Lot 19 in the 1861 census.

From the 1861 census: Alex and Ellen would be the married couple, in the 22-45 year age group. Ellen would be the daughter 16-21 and Rebecca would be under 5, leaving one unnamed girl between 6-15. Similiarly, the two boys in the 6-15 category would be Newton and John, leaving one unidentified male, age 16-21. Certainly there was a large gap between the birth of Ellen in 1842 and the birth of Newton in 1853. There had been a death in the family in the previous year.

In 1867, Alexander conveyed land in Lot 19 to Newton McArthur. The conveyance doesn't say anything about the relationship between Alexander and Newton. Both parties signed with their mark.

In 1869, a young man named George McArthur, aged about 18, committed suicide. He was from Margate, near Kensington.

In 1881, Ellen, age 60, was living with her son Newton in Margate, Lot 19. She didn't give her marital status. Alexander, born 1817, was the head of household in Summerside, PEI; he was living with his daughter Rebecca McNeill; he said he was married. In 1891, Ellen was living with her son William in Lot 19, a widow, and Alexander, age 70, was in Summerside, a widower. Alexander said that both of his parents were born on the Island.

In 1901 the "widower" Alex McArthur was back in Margate, living with William.

From the History of Margate:
"Alexander MacArthur and his wife Ellen Lee lived here. They had a family of five boys and two girls. The farm was taken over by their son Newton and his wife Catherine MacArthur from Grand River. Newton and Catherine had seven daughters and one son. Their son John and his wife Edna Mill, farmed for some years before selling and moving to Western Canada. They had one son. Later three daughters were born."