My Family Tree

Robert's younger children said he was born in Tyne Valley or Port Hill, which could mean he was a son of Neil McArthur, although the dates are tight. He could be Neil's brother, the Robert named in Alexander McArthur's will.

I think the two Robert McArthurs from the same area, who both left next to no trace, are the same man. Could be wrong - there could be two separate Robert McArthurs. One story talks about Big Robert and Little Robert McArthur, cousins (?) who originally went to New Brunswick, left after the fire of 1825, and then returned to PEI. No further record of either Robert.

There was a Robert McArthur next to the widow McArthur in Lot 13, on Seymour's rent roll of 1844/46.

Catherine McKay McArthur's gravestone said she was survived by 9 children. Gravestone in Oyster Point - "Sacred to the memory of Catherine McArthur, wife of Alexander McArthur, who departed this life 27th of December 1807, age 37 years. Leaving a husband and 9 children."

There was a will for an Alexander McArthur, Lot 14, signed on 9 July 1839 but proved in 1870 - it seemed to be attached to the will of a younger Alexander McArthur, also of Lot 14. Named in this will, in this order, were Dugald, Hugh, James, Alexander, Archibald, Robert, Mary, Jane, Flora, Elizabeth, and Neil. Most of the children received one shilling, and Neil (Neile) inherited the farm. George and Thomas Lee were executors. PEI Probate Records, Wills not recorded," A-M, McA (misc. dates between 1786?-1930?), on familysearch.org.

Assuming the sons were named in order, Robert was born after Archibald (b. about 1802).

Robert McArthur married Maria McArthur on 4 Feb 1835. Both bride and groom were from Lot 14. There were 4 children for them in the PEI Baptismal Index: Ann (1837), Neil (1839), Margaret (1841), and George (1843). These were the only baptismal records found for Robert and Maria.

Margaret married in 1861, and Annie in 1867.

If these two Robert McArthurs are the same peron, then he went to New Brunswick. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find him in Hutchinson's New Brunswick directories in 1865 or 1867, or the NB census in 1851, 1861, or 1871. He wasn't on the Island either, in 1861 (although the census for Lot 14 is missing).

There's quite a gap between George's birth in 1843 and Jemima McArthur's birth in 1858 - although with the missing census records for Robert, we don't know if there were other children. But the gap does argue for two separate Robert McArthurs. It is also possible that Maria died, and Robert remarried - note, no documents to prove any of this. (Maria might not have been expected to have children after 1855)

Robert said he was a widower when he married Sarah Alward in 1876.

Name Robert McArthur, widower
Event Type Marriage
Event Date 20 Apr 1876
Event Place Salisbury, Westmorland, New Brunswick, Canada
Spouse's Name Sarah Thompson Alward, spinster
Certificate Number 6650
Page 65
Citing this Record "New Brunswick Provincial Marriages 1789-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBF-K3HQ : 13 March 2018), Robert McArthur and Sarah Thompson Alward, 20 Apr 1876; citing Salisbury, Westmorland, New Brunswick, Canada, p. 65, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Fredericton; FHL microfilm 846,411.

Robert died sometime between 1876-1881. Sarah was a widow in Summerside PEI in 1881 and 1891. In the 1891 census, the children all said their father was born on the Island.

In 1881:
Name: Sarah T. McArthur
Age: 39y
Birth Year: 1842
Birthplace: New Brunswick
Marital Status: Widowed
Ethnicity: English
Religion: C. Presb.
Head of Household Name: Sarah T. Mcarthur
Event Place: Summerside, Prince, Prince Edward Island, Canada
District Number: 1
Sub-District: Q
Family Number: 493
Affiliate Film Number: C-13162
Sarah T. McArthur 39y New Brunswick
Jimima McArthur 18y New Brunswick (Jemima)
Armino McArthur 16y New Brunswick (Armina Jane)
Harriet McArthur 14y New Brunswick (Hattie)
Mary J. McArthur 13y New Brunswick
Lyddia M. McArthur 10y New Brunswick
Clara B. McArthur 9y New Brunswick
Loise McArthur 7y New Brunswick (Florence?)
James R. McArthur 4y New Brunswick - only child born after their marriage.

Sarah went to Massachusetts, and most of the McArthur children said that Sarah was their mother on marriage records. Perhaps Sarah was the only mother they knew - Sarah was living with her parents in 1861, a single woman of 19, so she was definitely not Jemima's mother.