Deborah (Spence) Pettigrew (abt. 1808 - 1870)

Born about 1808 in Halfway River, Cumberland County, NS, Canada

Wife of Matthew Pettigrew — married 21 Mar 1843 in Parrsboro, Cumberland, Nova Scotia, Canada

Descendants

Died 6 May 1870 at about age 62 in Halfway River, Cumberland County, N.S.Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Wanda Skidmore [send private message]

Biography

Deborah was born in 1808 in Halfway River, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. No records exist to show who her parents or siblings were. Other Spences can be found in the Halfway River/Parrsboro area. Other Spences her age are Samuel, Mary, Molly (may be same person as Mary), Thomas, and John F. It is more likely than not that some or all of them are siblings.

Deborah married Matthew Pettygrew on 26 March 1843 in Trinity/St. Stephen Church. It is now the United Church of Canada. Matthew was also in the Parrsboro area, but he was born in Ireland. Matthew was about 10 years older than Deborah. They married fairly late in life; she was 35 and he was 44 or 48. They were a very fertile couple and had 3 children right away followed by 2 more later on, for a total of 2 boys and 3 girls. The first two, Robert and Ann Elmira, were named for Matthew's parents. Maybe the next two, James and Maria, were named for Deborah's parents. Their youngest daughter, Priscilla, was nicknamed Zillah or Azillah; she was born when Deborah was 46 or 47 and Matthew was in his late 50s.

Due to their age, the children were still young when their parents died. Matthew died in 1864 when Priscilla was 9 and the oldest, Robert, was 20. Robert and his sister Ann Elmira married in a double wedding 3 months later. Matthew and Deborah bought and sold land several times. On 23 December 1846 as recorded in Amherst, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, they lived in Maccan and bought 100 acres property from Gaius and Mary Ann Lewis in Maccan south of the road to Amherst, west of the road to New Canaan, north of land previously owned by George Mennard Jr.

On 15 July 1848 as recorded in Parrsboro, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Matthew and Deborah, living in West Brook, sold a triangle piece of land, 1/10 of an acre, part of land where they were living, bought from Gaius Lewis, in West Brook, to Elisha D. W. Ratchford.

On 3 October 1848, as recorded in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Matthew and Deborah sold the land they bought from Gaius and Mary Ann Lewis to Josiah Ruscoe for 125 pounds.

In 1849 or 1854, they lived in Parrsboro. 200 acres property in Maccan went from Matthew and Deborah to Robert Pettigrew of Parrsboro in a very confusing transfer. The previous mortgage was with Charles Atkinson Butler and James Ratchford, who died.

Deborah died of inflammation of the bowels in 1870. The information on her death record was given by her son Robert and her death was registered on May 10 by George Fullerton. She and Matthew are both buried in Union Church cemetery in Halfway River N.S. Deborah's death record says she was 61, but her headstone says 62.

Priscilla was 15 when her mother died; she married the following year. A month later, Maria married the brother of Priscilla's husband.

Sources

Place of birth and Death as per: Registration Year: 1870 - Book: 1805 - Page: 51 - Number: 54

Headstone in Union Church Cemetery, Halfway River, NS.

Nova Scotia Births, Marriages, and Deaths; marriage number: 1809-00069; Maria Pettigrew and William King Rector, Priscilla Pettigrew and Robert M. Rector

1871 census of Canada for James, Maria, and Zilla Pettigrew, Residence Place Mill Village, Cumberland, Nova Scotia, District Number 198, Subdistrict l, Division 02

Marriage of Deborah and Matthew, Methodist Church records, Cumberland County Museum, Nova Scotia

1861 census of Canada for Matthew Pettigrew, District 11, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia

1871 census of Canada Mortality Schedule for Deborah Pettigrew, Death Date May 1870; Death Place Nova Scotia, Canada; Address 02, Mill Village l, Cumberland 198, Religion Wesleyan Methodist, Enumeration District 198, Sub-District l, Ward of City Mill Village, Line Number 2, Page number 1

Land Records of Cumberland County; Film # 008627740, book T page 479; familysearch.org; Film # 008627703 Book Y P 268-269; Film # 008627742 Book X p. 48; Film # 008627741 book U p. 653;