John Neily (1745 - 1821)

Born 1745 in Kingdom of Ireland

Husband of Jane (Clark) Neily — married 1765 in Nova Scotia

Descendants

Died Oct 1821 at about age 76 in Middleton, Annapolis Co. Nova Scotia

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Biography

John was born in the northern part of the island of Ireland in1745. He was the son of Joseph Neily and [Mary Neily]. He passed away in 1821. These are the ancestors of nearly all Neilys and Neileys known from subsequent generations (about 1900 descendants and spouses known). Although he received only ten shillings from his father's will, the property being divided between Robert and Joseph, he somehow ended up with the land and home.

John married Jane, daughter of of John and Lydia (Green) Clark(e), pioneer settlers of the Windsor, N. S., area, who reportedly came to that area from the north of Ireland with one of Alexander McNutt's settlement expeditions about 1761. Jane's brother John Clark came to own extensive properties in what is now Hants County, and, judging from the records pertaining to him in the land registry, must have acted something like a modern real estate agent, as well as being involved in the gypsum trade.

John and Jane Neily lived on his father's land grant in Brooklyn (Lower Middleton), Annapolis Co. (Wilmot Township), where they continued the work of developing a farm from the wilderness. Calnek notes that he was "a most valuable pioneer in the work of cultivation in this region", (although he may have been referring to John's father Joseph).

Again, most of the information that we have for this generation comes from their estate documents. John's will, dated 29 March 1817, provided that all his personal property go to his "dearly beloved wife Jane Neily", as well as the "sole use and occupation of all and every part of my landed estate" for the rest of her life. On her death, the southern part of the property, (apparently all the cleared portion) from the Annapolis River north to "the rear boundary of the clear field on the plain", and the full width of the grant, was to go to Peter, with the rest of the property to be sold with the proceeds divided equally among the other children, including a share for "Jane Neily, the daughter of my deceased son William Neily". An inventory of the late John Neily's property was made on 10 November 1821 and it gives some insight into what their life was like. It included the following: 1 pair of oxen, 11 cows, "the half of 21 head of cattle undivided", 17 tons of hay, 10 bushels of oats, 4 bushels of peas, flax, 1 plough, 1 ox-cart, 1 ox yoke, 1 draught chain, half of 9 hogs undivided, 1 grindstone, 150 lb. cheese, 125 bushels of potatoes; 3 beds and bedding, 1 "burrow" (?barrow), 6 Windsor chairs, 6 common chairs, 1 round table, 1 candle stand, 2 table "linnings", 1 copper kettle old, 1 small tea kettle, 1 grid iron, tea ware, cheese tub 2 parts, 1 tray, 1 tin pan, 30 lb. wool, 15 lb. woolen yarn, "linning" yarn, 1 tub, 1 old casket, 1 barrel, 60 sheep, 18 lambs, 1 colt, 1 mare. Jane, who was born 10 Dec. 1776 (fide S. Benoit), lived only about one more year, dying before June 1822. Her property, when inventoried 19 July 1823, was valued at over 808£. Their place of burial is unknown.

Children of John & Jane Neily^[1]

1. Margaret m. (1795) 1) Robert MOUNTFORD; m. 2) (1800) John TRUESDELL
2. Jane m. (1802) John WEST
3. Mary m. (1804) Joab BAKER
4. Joseph, b. 1778/9, m. (1805) Catharine DURLAND (ancestors of "Middleton Neilys")
5. John "Jack", b. 1779/80, m. (1803) Elizabeth DURLAND (ancestors of "Kingston & Tremont Neilys")
6. William b. 178?, m. (18??) Rachel FALES
7. Robert, b. 1784, Oct. m. (1807) 1) Sophia MORSE; m. 2) (1851) Elizabeth (GOUCHER) GATES (ancestors of "Nictaux Neilys")
8. Peter m. (1811) Ann WILSON (to New Brunswick?)
9. George, b.1786? m. (1812) 1) Elizabeth GATES; m. 2) (18??) Catherine WALKER (ancestors of "Aylesford Neilys")
10. Frances m. (1812) Zebina ROACH

Sources

• First-hand information as remembered by Brian Gushulak, Tuesday, February 25, 2014.

History of the County of Annapolis Including Old Port Royal and Acadia: With Memoirs of Its Representation in the Provincial Parliament, and Biographical and Genealogical Sketches of Its Early English Settlers and Their Families. by Calnek, William Arthur, and Alfred William Savary. Toronto: William Briggs, 1897

History of the County of Annapolis, Including Old Port Royal and Acadia Originally published in 1897 by W. Briggs, Toronto,by W. A. CALNEK, A. W. SAVARY, Ed.Facsimile edition by Global Heritage Press, Milton, Ontario 1999. p. 229

http://www.hhennigar.ca/index.php

http://www.neilyworld.com/neilyworld/famhist.htm "Unfortunately, Calnek and Savary rather badly mixed up the Joseph and John Neilys, and it was not until the wills were found in the N. S. Archives, that we were able to correct this (Neily, 1986). That of Joseph, Sr., (1777) appears to be the oldest surviving will from the Wilmot Township. A clarification of the first two generations follows. This is based mainly on the wills of Joseph, Sr. (1777) and John (1821), land grants and some information from Calnek and Savary".

1. ↑ Annapolis County Probate Acts Books, Volume 3 3875. Estate Folio N8 (1821): LWT of John NEILY of Wilmot dated 29 Mar 1817 and filed for probate 2 Nov 1821. Wife: Jane NEILY. Children: Peter, Joseph, John, Robert, George, Margaret TRUSDALL, Jane WEST, Mary BAKER, Frances ROACH. Granddaughter Jane NEILY daughter of deceased son William NEILY.