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Stephen Seaman (abt. 1743 - 1820)

Stephen Seaman
Born about in Dutchess, New York Colonymap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of [uncertain] and [uncertain]
Brother of
Husband of — married about 1775 in Dutchess, New Yorkmap
Descendants descendants
Father of , , , and
Died at about age 77 in Wallace, Cumberland, Nova Scotia, Canadamap [uncertain]
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Profile last modified | Created 27 Jun 2011
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Biography

Stephen was born ca 1743 likely in Westchester Co, New York and possibly the son of Hezekiah Seaman and Mary Doty although there are no sources for this relationship.

He married Hannah (Smith) Seaman (1750-1828) and had six children when he came to Fort Cumberland as a Loyalist in 1783 [1]. Three more children were born after their arrival at Fort Cumberland/Fort Lawrence

In 1791 Stephen is included in the Poll Tax list for the District of Fort Lawrence which states that besides himself there are 3 underage females and 2 of age females[2], The 3 underage girls would appear to be Hannah Seaman (1785-) (age 6), Elizabeth Seaman (1788-) (3) and Sarah Seaman (1790-) (1). That would leave his wife Hannah (Smith) Seaman (1750-1828) and daughter Katherine Margaret (Seaman) Lane (1778-1852) as the 'of age' females. However, Katherine would only be 13 based on her generally agreed birth date of 1778, which would not appear to be 'of age'.

Stephen died 24 Jul 1820 and was buried in Wallace, Nova Scotia[3].

The story of the Pugwash settlement, Nova Scotia, involves the Seaman family of settlers who were among the influx of United Empire Loyalists who after the American Revolutionary War relocated to Pugwash between 1780 and 1800.[4] It appears that most of the following text refers to Stephen Seaman the son of Jacomiah Seaman and not this Stephen who may be Jacomiah's brother.

"Before the American Revolution the Seamans had been farmers in Westchester County, New York. Jacomiah Seaman, Sr. was the head of the family and when the war broke out his four sons, Hezekiah, Stephen, Abraham and Jacomiah Seaman, Jr. joined Col. Lowther Pennington's Regiment of Kings Guards a group being known as the 'Westchester Loyalists'. [Smith, pg.3: Petition, Abraham Seaman & others to Lt. Gov. Sir Colin Campbell, 20 Apr 1836, PANS.] At the conclusion of the war these Seaman brothers sailed from New York with the 'June Fleet' in 1783 (aboard ship 'Thetis'?) to Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia. [Smith, pg.3: Wright, Esther Clark "The Loyalists of New Brunswick"; pg.6; pub. 1955, Moncton Pub. Co.]

About 1785 Jacomiah Seaman, Sr. and his sons Hezekiah and Stephen received a land grant of 1,250 acres [Smith, pg. 4: "Loyalists & Land Settlement in Nova Scotia", PANS.] of Cumberland County land on the eastern side of Cobequid Rd. between Forts Cumberland and Belcher. [Smith, pg.4: Draft grant, Stephen Seaman and others, 1785, PANS.]. The Seamans also received land grants in township Fanningsborough (North Wallace) on the NE shore of Cumberland County. Township lots of 3 acres each were registered under Jacomiah Seaman, Sr., (lot #147) and Hezekiah (lot #149) [Smith, pg.4: Dutton, William L. "The Dotten Family in the U.S.A. and Canada" pub. 1970, D&G.]

Stephen Seaman was living at Fort Lawrence in 1790 [Smith, pg.5: "Fort Lawrence Township Book", PANS.] It was Stephen who led his brothers in their River Philip ventures and the founding of Pugwash, Nova Scotia. In 1795 from Fort Lawrence, Stephen moved to Amherst where he joined John Dickie, Robert Berry (Barry) and his brother Hezekiah Seaman in petitioning the Government for more land; requesting 500 acres ea. at Black River near Rockley [Smith, pg.5: "Fort Lawrence Town Book" PANS]

In 1797 Stephen and his brother Jacomiah Seaman, Jr., were granted warrant to survey for 750 acres at Goose Reier and 970 acres purchased from the Native Americans at the mouth of River Philip. [Smith, pg.5: "Fort Lawrence Township Book", PANS; Warrant to Survey, Jacomiah & Stephen Seaman, 1797, PANS.] Stephen was now "within walking distance of Pugwash Harbour" [Smith, pg.5.] In 1800 Stephen embarked upon trading adventures exploiting naturally occurring Nova Scotia resources such as timber and gold. [Smith, pg.5.]

Warrant to Survey, Surveyor's Report. Stephen Seaman and others, The Westchester Loyalists. The Surveyor's Certificate shows a Draft Grant: 31,750 acres. Cobequid Road, the road from Fort Cumberland to Fort Belcher, on the eastern side. Bounded in part by the northern boundary line of Londonderry, County of Cumberland. The following names appear on the Draft Grant: not all listed here, but do include Stephen Seaman, Ezekiah Seaman, John Crawford, Jacamiah Seaman and Gideon Palmer. in 1785

Sources

  1. ↑ The Civil Sword, Gerald Vincent, 1979
  2. ↑ Nova Scotia Poll Tax Record, 1771-1795, Nova Scotia Archives, image for Fort Lawrence, 1791, RG1, vol.444 no.10
  3. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #183205594
  4. ↑ Smith, James F. "The History of Pugwash (Nova Scotia)" pg. 3-6; pub. 1978, The North Cumberland Historical Society; Printed by the Oxford Journal. Available for digital library borrowing at: https://archive.org/details/historyofpugwash0000smit/page/3/mode/1up?q=early+Nova+Scotia+emigrants




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Stephen by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Stephen:

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Comments: 2

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Arthur Owen
I changed Stephen's birth date to 1743 based on the infor from his headstone which has him as aged 77 when he died in 1820. This also gives more room for his daughter Mary who married 1790, therefore b. ca 1772 (I also have a date for her as 1765, but no source). This gives problems for the birth dates for his parents(?), but that's another issue.
posted by Arthur Owen
edited by Arthur Owen
Goodwin-9850 Mark Goodwin
Seaman-186 and Seaman-2349 appear to represent the same person because: I believe these are the same person. I don't have a source on the birth date which is why I was unable to find this match when creating the new profile. Death dates/places are the same and each have a descendent belonging to Stephen.
posted on Seaman-2349 (merged) by Mark Goodwin

Featured National Park champion connections: Stephen is 13 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 18 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 11 degrees from George Catlin, 13 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 18 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 13 degrees from George Grinnell, 24 degrees from Anton Kröller, 15 degrees from Stephen Mather, 19 degrees from Kara McKean, 15 degrees from John Muir, 13 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 21 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.

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Categories: Saint John's United Church Cemetery, Wallace, Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia United Empire Loyalists