My Family Tree

Angus was born in Scotland in 1800, and according to his obituary, emigrated to Canada in 1808. I believe he was the son of John McFadyen, one of two brothers who arrived on the Island that year from Argyll, Scotland.

However, note that I do not have proof of this.

A possible Angus is the Angus McPhaden, son of John and Mary, born in Tiree, Argyllshire, Scotland around 1798.

Most of what we do know about Angus came from his entries in the 1841, 1848 and 1881 census, his death notice in the newspaper, and his will, written in 1886. An Angus McFadyen was involved in land transactions in Lot 31 in 1832 and 1852. One map indicates that the land was sold to Angus by the landlord Selkirk in 1847 (lib 57, folio 241).

Angus settled on the Bannockburn Road in Lot 31, and his farm was on a map of Lot 31 dated around 1819.

There is a marriage license dated 7 March 1826 for Angus McFadyen (B) of West River and Margaret McDonald of North River. Neil McFadyen's death record said his parents were Angus and Margaret McKinnon. Based on this and census records, as well as the gaps between Angus' children, I have assumed three wives, although it is possible that Margaret McDonald and Margaret McKinnon were the same woman.

The 1841 census of PEI had two men named Angus McFadyen in Lot 31, both farmers with 100 acres, and both of whom had an older man and woman who were born in Scotland. Both households were members of the Church of Scotland. I assume from this that Angus' wife was alive in 1841.

The household of Angus McFadern near Thomas Beer is probably the right one, even though it isn't a perfect fit. Perhaps the date of birth for Neil, in 1839, was out by a couple of years. there were 2 males & 2 females under 16, 1 male, 2 females from 16-45

The 1848 census of Lot 31 was transcribed and published on the Island Register website. Angus 2 was a carpenter/shipwright on the Tryon Road, and this Angus, Angus 1, was a farmer in Bannockburn.

Angus MacFadyen the farmer in Bannockburn in 1848 had 2 boys under 16 (Neil and Charles), one male from 16-44 (Archibald), and 1 from 45-60 (Angus); three girls under 16 (Flora?, Mary and Catherine), and one female between 16-44 (daughter Sarah). Angus, b. around 1800, would be the male between 45-60. The wife from the 1841 census seems to have died by 1848.

There are no 1861 census records for Lot 31 remaining. He had to have re-married by 1853, but was again a widower in 1881.

In 1862, a Donald McFadyen provided land for a church for the Reverend Donald McDonald on the West River (later called Churchill) and Angus McFadyen from Dog River was one of the building superintendents. Angus was an elder in this MacDonaldite church, an offshoot of the Church of Scotland. In his article about Donald McDonald in The Island magazine, David Weale noted that the minister chose his elders carefully, entrusting them with church matters in his absence.

Angus McFadyen was described in Meacham's Patron's Directory as a farmer. Resided Bannockburn, Lot 31 in 1880. A native of Scotland. Date of settlement, 1808.

In the 1881 census, Angus was living with daughters Catherine (age 40), Annie and son Donald (b. 1858). The 30 year spread in ages, from Archibald in 1828 to Donald in 1858 would also support the supposition that Angus had at least two wives.

Angus' will named his surviving children:
-the farm to son Donald; $20 to daughter Catherine & use of the room with the loom; $20 each to dau. Mary and Annie; $1.00 each to children Archibald, Neil, Charles, Flora, & Sarah

Here are two possibilities: One, that the children who got the lesser amount were from his first marriage, and the younger children from the second family got the larger amounts. However, perhaps the unmarried children got the larger amount, and the married children the smaller amount, because they had already received a share of the estate when they married. I'm also assuming that the names were given in order of birth for each family group, although with the males first and the females second. It wasn't unusual for the youngest son to be the last child at home, and therefore, the one who took over the father's farm.

Summerside Journal: At Bannockburn 31 January 1886 Angus McFadyen in his 87th year. Emigrated from Scotland in 1808. He was an elder under the ministry of the late Rev. Donald MacDonald (PEI Master Name Index).

The broken gravestone for the children of Angus and Margaret in Lot 65 might be from this family. Margaret died at age 2 years and 4 months, Sept 4 1847; Ann died Sept 8 1847 at 3 months
Another child died at 8 years, perhaps also in 1847.