My Family Tree

NO PROOF THAT HE BELONGS WITH THIS FAMILY

There were two possible Neil Ramsays.

First Neil was the son of John and Mary (McGougan), born in Lot 18 in August 1805. The History of Hamilton said that he never married and died before 1881 - an assumption that the Ramsay family researcher for this book may have been made because Neil was not in Lot 18 in the 1881 census, and no marriage record was found in the PEI Marriage Registers.

There was also Neil Ramsay, blacksmith, who was born on the Island around 1806, according to the Nova Scotia census of 1871. Because of his date of birth, his occupation, and the fact that he and his wife Barbara later sold a pasture lot in Lot 18, I am placing the Neil Ramsay who married Barbara Patriquin with the family of John and Mary.

One undocumented family tree says that this Neil was the son of Donald Ramsay and Mary McMillan - this seems less likely. He could also be the son of John Ramsay and Margaret Penman - but his location in Lot 18 is problematic.

Neil, age 23 from Lot 18, was a blacksmith, and single, when he petitioned for land in Lot 18, note pasture lot 64.

Media Type Textual item
Item Number RG5/S4/40/725
File Year 1828
Name Neil Ramsay
Address Prince Town Royalty
Occupation Blacksmith
Marital Status Single
Description The petitioner, age 23, requests a Grant of Town Lot No. 7 and 8, Letter R, Merchants Row, and Pasture Lot No. 64 in the Town and Royalty of Prince Town
Governor John Ready
Date Petition Considered by Council 5 November 1828
Council's Decision Ordered that a License of Occupation be issued; Issued 12 February 1829
Other Names Mentioned in the Petition W. Pleace Geo. Wright

Neil Ramsay, blacksmith, was in Nova Scotia in 1838, when he was in the Nova Scotia Census of 1838 with a household of 3. The History of Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia says ..."About the same time [about 1840] came Neil Ramsay from Prince Edward Island. He was a blacksmth by trade and had his house and forge in what is now the garden of the Misses Blackwood, close to the church lot and near the Back Street. He did a great deal of the iron work for the ships and subsequently went, in a small measure, into shipbuilding. He afterwards removed to the Island. James Ramsey, the present Collector of Customs, Tatamagouche, is a son." The same source lists Neil Ramsay, a private in the 1st Company, 3rd Battalion, Colchester Militia, on a Militia Roll dated 1841.

In March 1855, Neil Ramsay of Tatamagouch, Nova Scotia and lately of Prince Edward Island and his wife Barbara sold land on the Island, pasture lot 64 in Princetown, to George Ellison the younger. Neil was a blacksmith. Robert Stewart and Archibald McGougan were witnesses. PEI Land Conveyance records vol 69 pg 561

Unfortunately, Neil's marriage to Barbara Patriquin has not turned up in a number of sources that cover marriages in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Massachusetts or Maine, from 1835-1860.

Neil was not found in the 1851 census of Nova Scotia. He was "Noel" Ramsay in Colchester, Nova Scotia in 1861, with 5 males and 7 females in the household.

Seven children of Neil Ramsay were baptized in St. James Anglican Church, Pictou on 21 Feb 1861:

James William born 8th of September 1844, Emiline born 16th June 1846, children of Neil and Barbara Ramsay of Tatamagouche, Blacksmith, were baptized this 21st of February 1861
Charles Elliott A.B. Rector

Elizabeth born 10th June 1849, Mary Jane born 15th June 1850, children of Neil and Barbara Ramsay of Tatamagouche, Blacksmith, were baptized this 21st day of February 1861
Charles Elliott A.B. Rector

Annie born 22nd March 1852, Archibald 5th of May 1854, Howard 18th [sic] 22nd of September 1857, children of Neil and Barbara Ramsay of Tatamagouche, Blacksmith, were baptized this 21st day of February 1861
Charles Elliott A.B. Rector”

The household of Neil (65) and Barbara (50) in Tatamagouche, NS in 1871 included Jessie (28); Martha B. (26); James (24); Libbie (20); Mary Jane (18); Annie (16); Archibald (14); Howard (11). James and his father were blacksmiths, and Archibald was a clerk.

Not long after this census, the family moved to Charlottetown, where Jessie, daughter of Neil - not the Late Neil Ramsay - died in 1871. In 1881, Barbara was a widow living in Charlottetown.