Not many details on Joseph Ryan himself, but he did apply for land between Margaree and Chetican in 1805[1]. Sadly, unlike some petitions, there doesn't seem to be any details about his age of family at that time.
It does not appear he is on the 1818 census of Cape Breton, but 2 of his sons do appear; Joseph and Bazil Ryan.[2]
Joseph Ryan and Elizabeth Desraby are noted as parents of Charles Ryan born in 1813, and also upon the marriages of their children Brigitte, Catherine, Hélène, Louise, and Charles.[3]
When Rev. Father Le Jamtel visited Margaree and Cheticamp in 1809, he found between Cheticamp Parish and Margaree Parish, a family of Ryans, living in a small house by the sea shore on what later became Jim White's property. (The old cellar can still be found).
This man was Joseph Ryan, a disbanded British Army soldier who had been rewarded for his services to the crown by a large tract (640 acres) of land. To this day, the place where he built his house has always been known as "Betsy's Shore" or "La Cote a Betsy" (this is an obvious nod to Joseph's wife Elizabeth who outlived him by at least 20 years). Later the whole community became known as Terre Noire.
Joseph Ryan and his wife Elizabeth Derabois, came to Margaree in the year 1790. In 1809, they had the following children: Basil, Joseph, Brigette, Marie, Jean, Catherine, Thomas, Louise, all born before 1809. Charles born 1813 and Helen born 1814.[4]
↑ Cape Breton Island Petitions 1787-1843, Cape Breton no.: 215, Microfilm: 15789 https://novascotia.ca/archives/land/default.asp ↑ Holland's Description of Cape Breton Island and Other Documents, APPENDIX B : Census Rolls Cape Breton Island 1818, accessed via Ancestry.ca ↑ St. Michael's Parish records transcription via http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~tleblanc/genealogy/reports.html ↑ Book of Genealogy for the Parish of Margaree. Contents compiled by Margaree New Horizon Club.
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