William Fraser (1814 - 1877)

Born 1814 in Lower South River, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada

Husband of Ellen Fraser — married about 1847 in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 3 Oct 1877 at about age 63 in Lower South River, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Lorna Conway [send private message]

Biography

There was another Fraser family at Lower South River. Its pioneer was John Fraser who was married to Miss MacDonald with issue; 1. WILLIAM married to Miss Fraser (one son, John, and one daughter, Mary, married to John MacIntosh, brother of Dr. MacIntosh); 2. Archie, brother of William, was married to a daughter of John MacDonald, Ban, of the Beaver Meadow, who had nine sons and three girls.

^[1]

Inventory Site Form: Department of Tourism and Culture, Nova Scotia Street Address: P.I.D. 01248160 Lower South River District #6 Antigonish, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. Year built c. 1850. Original Owner: William Fraser, Farmer, builder (probably) Original Use: Residential Present Owner: Mr. Thomas W. Landry, R.R.#7, Lower South River, Antigonish Co., N.S. B2G 2L4 Present Use: Residential History of Building: Owner, From/To, Occupation, Book/Page; William Fraser, -/-, Farmer, -/-; Ann Ellen & John C. Fraser, -/1889, Caretaker/Meatcutter, -/-; Elizabeth & George Vinten, 1889/1904, Farmer, 44/295; William Vinten & Edith, 1904/1910, Miller, 63/548; George Landry (an earlier resident of Tracadie, Ant. Co.) & Amelia, 1910/1951, Farmer, 69/501; Thomas W. Landry, 1951/present, Farmer, 99:292. Architectural Comment: Vernacular in styling, this attractive one and one half story home has a gable roof with a full shed dormer. The three bay facade is symmetrical and ornate with an entablature and sidelights. The foundation is stone. Brown trim accentuates the light yellow clapboard siding. Historical Comment: Circa 1850, this house was probably built by William Fraser, son of John Fraser, the pioneer settler who came out from Strathglass and settled at the lower end of the river in 1805. John C. Fraser, who kept a meat store in Ant. years ago and who was the first caretaker of the Post Office bldg. in Ant. 1905 probably received the property from his father William in an unrecorded Will. In 1889 George Vinten purchased 150 acres and house for $1800., followed by his son William Vinten who operated a grist and carding mill at Sylvan Valley. The Vintens, it is claimed, also operated a cheese factory. George Landry was a progressive farmer, being one of the first farmers in the county to develop methods of pasture improvement in a mixed farming operation, he early ventured into grass silage and land. Contextual Comment: The full shed dormer would have been added later, otherwise the house seems to have retained the features of the era in which it was built. (See image - TO COME)

Nova Scotia Census Returns 1817, Sydney County, Antigonish

• John Fraser,
• 1M 16-50, [John b.~1768, age 49]
• 1F >16, [Christy b. 1775, age 42]
• 3M <16, [Archibald b. 1810, age 7, William b. 1814, age 3, Acadian boy]
• 4F <16, [Ann b. 1809, age 8, unknown female b.~1812, unknown female b.~1816, Acadian girl]
• 7 Scots, 2 Acadians.

^[2]

• St. Andrews, Sydney County — 1827
• Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. no. 446

• John Fraiser
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Males: 4 [John, Archibald, William, Acadian]
• Females: 4 [Christy, Ann, Unknown, Unknown and/or Acadian]
• Servants (males): 0
• Servants (females): 0
• Total: 8
• Births: 0
• Marriages: 0
• Deaths: 0
• Area of land cultivated: 50
• Bushels of Wheat: 25
• Bushels of other Grains: 40
• Tons of Hay: 25
• Number of horses: 1
• Number of horned cattle: 24
• Number of Sheep: 45
• Number of Swine: 2
• Bushels of Potatoes: 400

^[3]

• St. Andrews Township, Sydney County — 1838
• Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 449 no. 178

• John Fraser, head, farmer,
• [Wife Christy]
• 1M >14, [William]
• 1F >14, [unknown]
• Total: 4
• 60 acres clear land,
• 140 acres wild,
• 30 cattle,
• 2 horses,
• 40 sheep,
• 3 pigs.

[Note: Daughter Ann was married ~1833.]

• Archibald Fraser, head,
• [Wife Margaret]
• 1F < 6 [unknown daughter b. 1827-1831]
• no other assets

^[4]

Census Year: 1861 Item Number: 703942 Province: Nova Scotia District Name: Sydney Sub-District Name: St. Andrew's

• William Fraser
• Males:
• 1W 90-100 [father John b.~1768, age 93]
• 1M 40-50 [William b. 1814, age 47]
• 1S 10-15 [John b. 1848, age 13]
• Females:
• 1S 60-70 [?sister unknown b. 1801-1811]
• 1M 30-40 [wife Ellen b. 1827, age 34]
• 1S 10-15 [Jane b. 1851, age 10]
• Total: 6
• 1 Death since 30 March 1860 [mother Christy died 28 Sep 1860]

^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

Canada Census Year: 1871 Item Number: 2131458 Province: Nova Scotia District Name: Antigonish Sub-District Name: St. Andrews

• Fraser, William, M, 57, b. N.S., Catholic, Scotch, Farmer, M
• Fraser, Ellen, F, 44, b. N.S., Catholic, Scotch, M, unable to write
• Fraser, John, M, 23, Farmer
• Fraser, Jane, F, 20

^[10]

Lower South River Cemetary, Antigonish County Gravestone reads:

• In memory of
• William Fraser
• died
• Oct 3, 1877
• aged 63 years
• also his wife
• Ellan Fraser
• died
• Nov 11, 1901
• aged 74 years
• R.I.P.

^[11]

• P. 453
• Will: Sep. 27, 1877
• Probate: Oct. 15, 1877
• William Fraser
• L South River
• Ellen [wife]
• John, Jane (John) MacIntosh [children]

^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ A History of the County of Antigonish, Nova Scotia by the Reverand D.J. Rankin, Toronto: The MacMillan Company of Canada Ltd. 1929.
2. ↑ https://novascotia.ca/archives/census/returnsRG1v445.asp?ID=1959
3. ↑ https://archives.novascotia.ca/census/1827/results/?Search=john+fraiser&SearchList1=&SearchList2=&SearchList3=
4. ↑ https://archives.novascotia.ca/census/1838/returns/?ID=29710
5. ↑ https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1861&op=pdf&id=4108914_00330
6. ↑ https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1861&op=pdf&id=4108914_00331
7. ↑ https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1861&op=pdf&id=4108914_00332
8. ↑ https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1861&op=pdf&id=4108914_00333
9. ↑ https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1861&op=pdf&id=4108914_00334
10. ↑ http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/1871/pdf/4396739_00567.pdf
11. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/184453716/william-fraser
12. ↑ http://sites.rootsweb.com/~nsantigo/willbookc1867-1882.htm