Is anyone familiar with the Tuppers of Kings County, Nova Scotia?

Question

I'm trying to connect Ansel Tupper (Tupper-647), the son, to Thomas Tupper (Tupper-325) the father, and Jerusha Schofield (Schofield-437), mother, but I can't find any proof. I've found the following information on quite a few trees on the web but haven't been able to verify any of it.

"Ansel Tupper was born on 03 Aug 1812 in Horton Corner, Nova Scotia. His parents were Thomas Tupper and Jerusha Schofield. He  married Jane Neily on 01 Dec 1830 in Auburn, Kings, Nova Scotia, Canada. He  served in the Mexican-American War and never returned home."

The obituaries from the Christian Messenger posted on Thomas' and Jerusha's Find-A-Grave sites mention six children but not their names. Does anyone know anything or have any suggestions that could help me? Thank you!

Answer 1

Hi L, 

I'm descended from another branch of this family.  Does that make us distant cousins?

Personally,  I do not use Ancestry family trees - I've learned the hard way that they can be based on wishful thinking, and hugely misleading. 

I had a look on American Ancestors for you, and I don't find any more than these two: Thomas Tupper and his descendants shows Thomas and Jerusha Schofield (or Scoville) on page 298, and traces his ancestors. They also appear in the History of Kings County  on page 846, though both of these secondary sources fall short of showing the children of Thomas and Jerusha. 

The Sprague Project lists all 6 children, including Ansel.  This is also a secondary source, so I would definitely keep looking but these three have been pretty reliable for other members of my family, and I do use them as an interim measure on WikiTree while research is underway. 

I agree with Stuart, the records are scant for a period between the American Revolution and the mid 1800s, even church records. I don't want to discourage you, I've been able to trace a lot through this period, but there was a shortage of clergy after the American Revolution and it got worse after the war of 1812. It quite simply took some time to develop the educational institutions and the infrastructure to ordain a minister. Many of the records that do exist may not be online, I was able to find sources for a number of these Nova Scotia brick walls in a trek to the Nova Scotia Archives in Halifax last spring,  I live on the West Coast, so I don't get there as often as I would like, but it was fun to stand on ground that my ancestors stood on.  

Comments

Thank you, Laurie, for explaining about the shortage of records, even church ones.

I saw the Sprague Project before but didn't know anything about them so wasn't sure if I should use them as a source to connect Ansel to Thomas. I wasn't sure what their information was based on. But maybe I should use them in the interim.

I did visit the Halifax archives once years ago, but I'd only just begun getting curious about my family and didn't really know what I should be looking for. I'd love to go back. Sounds as though that might be the best chance to dig up something. It's not next door, though. I'm on the West Coast too.

You helped me before with Harlow-1552. So thanks again, cousin!

Leslie

Answer 2

https://www.ancestry.ca/genealogy/records/ansel-tupper_1741678

 

4 children are listed there.  The 1851 census may have some of the children.

 

Edit, sorry, I thought you wanted the children of Ansel.  Records were spotty in Nova Scotia prior to the 1851 census.  There was an 1820 census but the children might not be listed. It was usually a head count.

Comments

No luck yet but maybe I can find some church records. Thank you for your help!

Answer 3

I looked up the Tuppers in the Horton, NS Township Book. The only Ansel I can find is an "Ansail" Tupper born 17 March 1771 to William and Margaret (Gates) Tupper in Horton.

They have only 3 children listed for Thomas and Jerusha (Schovil) Tupper: Charlotte (1801); William (1803); and Eunice (1805).

Sorry!  Let me know if you'd like me to look up any others.

Comments

Wow, thank you. That book sounds like a great resource! Too bad Ansel isn't listed, but maybe he was born later. I'll have to keep looking.

You've all been so helpful. Again, thank you!

Answer 4

The Kings County Courthouse Museum has compiled some Church records.  I see on the disc that Ansel Tupper m. 1 Dec 1830 Jane Neily in the St. Mary's Church of England, Aylesford Township (the church is in Auburn).  No parents given.

I also note that William N. Tupper, (son of Ansel and Jane) blacksmith, b. Granville, Annapolis Co., m. 9 Apr 1867 Janet Harlow in Pleasant River, Queens Co. (according to NS vital stats online).  He later was a widower aged 40, married 25 Sep 1883 in Milton, Queens Co., Hilda Whitman, he was living in Liverpool and given as having been born in Aylesford in that record.

I blame the lack of church records, not on the lack of ministers, but on the large percentage of the population who were Baptists and those records were kept by the ministers and not by the churches.  Also, without infant baptism, those Baptist baptismal records which do survive seldom give the parents names.

Comments

This is great. I especially value the church record of Ansel Tupper's marriage to Jane Neily as I've been looking for a primary source for that for a long while. Thanks so much for your help! Leslie Strum