The three James Forsyths of Horton Township, Kings, NS

Date: 3 Jan 1778 to 29 Jun 1867
Location: Horton Township, Kings, Nova Scotia
Surnames/tags: forsyth nova_scotia horton_township

The births of three boys named James Forsyth─all grandsons of Gilbert Forsyth (1716-1802) and Mary (Bishop) Forsyth (abt.1722-1796)─are recorded in the Horton Township record book (1761-1826)^[1] of Kings County, Nova Scotia.

Contents 1 James Forsyth (1778-1867) 2 James Forsyth (1781-bef.1861) 3 James Forsyth (abt.1799-1867) 4 Sources

James Forsyth (1778-1867)

• son of Gilbert Forsyth (1744-1830) and Ruth (Kinne) Forsyth (1757-abt.1787)
• brother of Nancy (Forsythe) Rand (abt.1779-abt.1862) and Ruth (Forsyth) Reid (1782-)
• wife and children not yet known

James Forsyth (1781-bef.1861)

• son of Jason Forsyth (1742-1825) and Mary (Anderson) Forsyth (1752-1830)
• brother of Enoch F. Forsyth (1774-1853), Mary Forsyth (1776─), Elijah Forsyth (1778─), Caleb Forsyth (1783-), Gilbert Forsyth (1786─), Jason Forsyth (1788-1865), Rebekah Forsyth (1791─) and John Forsyth (1793-)
• husband of Hannah (Gould) Forsyth (abt.1814-aft.1881)^[2][3]
• father of James Edward Forsyth (1840-1930), Rebecca Forsyth (ca 1845─), Lewis Forsyth (1849-1931) and (speculatively) Harris Forsyth (ca 1842─)

James Forsyth (abt.1799-1867)

Note: The Horton Township record book lists James's name after those of his siblings John, Elizabeth, Eunice and Andrew, but gives no DOB for him (nor for Eunice). As the book consistently lists children in birth order, though, James can be assumed to have been born after 1795. The 1867 death certificate of a 68-year-old James Forsyth lines up with this dating, so must be his.

• son of Caleb Forsyth (abt.1756-1816) and Eunice (DeWolf) Forsyth (abt.1763-1819)
• brother of John Harvey Forsyth (1785-1875), Elizabeth Forsyth (1787-1788), Eunice Forsyth (ca 1787-95─) and Andrew Forsyth (1795-1867)
• husband of Jemima Ann (Fitch) Forsyth (1801-1888)^[4]
• father of Eunice A Forsyth (abt.1825-1841), Frederick J Forsyth (abt.1828-1847) and George Edward Forsyth (abt.1831-1910)

1838 Horton Township census returns for two of these James Forsyths (both farmers) can be viewed in the Nova Scotia Archives.^[5]

• One is the head of a family of 5 (himself, plus 1 male and 1 female > 14 and 2 males 6─14)
• One is the head of a family of 3 (himself, plus 1 female > 14 and 1 male < 6)

A James Forsyth in the 1851 census has a household of 6: 1 male > 50 (James), 1 female 30─40, 1 male 10─20, and 2 males & 1 female < 10.

A James Forsyth in the 1861 census has a household of 7, 2 males & 5 females, comprising:

• a married man and woman in their 60's (presumably James & wife)
• a married man in his 30's and a married woman in her 20's (presumably James's child & spouse)
• and 1 girl 5─10, 1 girl 3─4 and 1 girl < 1 (presumably James's granddaughters)

Sources

1. ↑ Acadia University - Acadia Archives - Township of Horton collection (accessed 21 Jul 2023)
2. ↑ "The Eaton family of Nova Scotia : 1760-1929", Chapter VI, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 18 July 2023)
3. ↑ "Genealogical sketch of the Nova Scotia Eatons", THE NOVA SCOTIA EATONS, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 18 July 2023)
4. ↑ Widowed 80-year-old "Jama" (i.e., Jemima) is living with George E. Forsyth (who reported James's 1867 death) in the 1881 census. James and Jemima are both buried in Canaan Cemetery in Kings, NS.
5. ↑ Nova Scotia Archives > Census Returns, Assessment and Poll Tax Records 1767-1838 (accessed 28 July 2023)