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Donald and Euphemia McBeath of Mill Creek

Euphemia MacINTOSH was born about 1815 to Finlay MacINTOSH and Ann FRASER while they were living in the Canadas.^1-4 Effie married Donald McBEATH on 16 January 1833 at Bouctouche.⁵ Donald was born in Sutherland, Scotland, and baptised there on 2 October 1803, the son of William McBEATH and Elizabeth GUNN.⁶ The McBeaths emigrated from Scotland to Black River, Northumberland County, in 1819.⁷ Donald, along with his brother Alexander, was an entrepeneur in the Miramichi in his younger days, but he eventually moved to Mill Creek (or McNairn) near Bouctouche, and settled down to farming and raising a large family.

Donald and Euphemia had the following children:

Elizabeth G. was born about 1833.⁸ (The "G." almost certainly stands for "Gunn".) On 14 May 1861 Elizabeth married Archibald MATTHEWS,⁹ who was born on PEI about 1825. I find no evidence that they ever had any children.¹⁰ Archibald died 8 June 1876, and Elizabeth died 19 December 1899; both are buried in the Presbyterian cemetery in Bouctouche near Donald and Euphemia.¹¹
Ann Fraser, born about 1836, married James McNAIRN on 22 August 1853.^9,12
William Gunn, born in 1837, died 8 May 1840 at age 2 years 6 months.¹¹
Isabella Matilda Wathen, born 22 Dec 1839, married William McNAIRN the brother of James.¹²
Margaret, born about 1841, died 13 March 1858 according to the Donnahee transcription of the Buctouche cemetery.¹¹ On the other hand the Johnsons¹² seemed to be quite certain that Margaret, the second wife of James McNAIRN, was the daughter of Donald and Effie McBeath. Obviously these can't both be correct, but I haven't yet sorted this out. See the McNAIRN pages for more on these three (or two) sisters and their families.
Alexander, born 3 February 1843, married Jane JOHNSON. See below for more on them and their children.
Barbara, born 17 January 1845, married Charles MELLISH in 1867.⁹ Charles was born on PEI 21 February 1844, but the two of them moved to Moncton where he practised carpentry. Barbara and Charles had at least one son, Charles Moody, born 25 October 1881.¹³ Barbara probably died 10 February 1927, and Charles probably 30 August 1929, but the microfilms need to be consulted to confirm that these records pertain to the right people.¹⁴
Flora Ann, born 2 December 1846, married James MESHEAU of Richibucto. See below for more on them and their children.
Finlay, born 12 April 1849, married:
(1) Martha PRESTON sometime about 1880.^4,15 She bore him two children, Euphemia (4 July 1882) and Bessie (28 January 1885),¹⁶ and then died sometime before 1890.
(2) Margaret McLEAN on 2 July 1890.¹⁷ Margaret bore him two further children, Marinda Regina (12 September 1891)¹⁸ and Adam (18 September 1894).¹⁹
William John, born about 1852, married Marinda Regina MATTHEWS. See below for more on them and their children.
Fanny, born about 1855, married on 16 October 1877 her cousin William McBEATH of Richibucto Cape.⁹ William was born in 1833 to Alexander McBEATH and Isabella Matilda WATHEN. He had previously married Susan WRIGHT in 1858 and they had one child, Alexander before she died in 1861. Fanny bore William two children, Wesley (25 August 1878)²⁰ and Donald (1879),²¹ before she died on 23 March 1887.¹¹
Neil, born about 1858, died 10 December 1880 and is buried in the Bouctouche Presbyterian cemetery.²²

Donald died on 7 February 1878 and Euphemia died on 11 October 1889. Both are buried in the Bouctouche Presbyterian cemetery.¹¹

Euphemia's death notice says she left four daughters and three sons.^22a The sons surviving at the time were Alexander, Finlay, and William John, but I can only identify three surviving daughters: Elizabeth Matthews, Barbara Mellish and Flora Ann Mesheau. Even if we assume Margaret was James McNairn's wife, she still can't fill out the number since Maggie McNairn died in 1877. So either we're missing one surviving daughter or else the author of the death notice had his facts wrong.

1. Elizabeth Meservey, manuscript ca.1950
2. 1861 Census, NB/Kent/Wellington p.96 (household 622 in the PANB transcription, ISBN 1-55048-992-5)
3. 1871 Census, NB/Kent/Wellington e-1 hh.66
4. 1881 Census, NB/Kent/Wellington f-1 p.24 hh.93. Finlay is the nominal head of this household, which includes also his mother Euphemia, his wife Martha, his brother William, and William's wife Miranda and son Donald.
5. Daniel F. Johnson, Vital Statistics from New Brunswick Newspapers vol.5 no.664 citing Weekly Observer (Saint John) 5 Feb 1833. "m. 16th ult. Buctouche by John Bowser Esq., Donald McBEATH to Euphemia youngest dau. of Finlay McINTOSH of Kent Co."
6. International Genealogical Index Source Call No. 1058108, Batch No. 7535743: Index into Scottish Old Parish Records. http://www.familysearch.org
7. Vital Statistics vol.9 no.12 citing Gleaner and Northumberland Schediasma 18 Aug 1840. "d. Black River (North. Co.) 13th inst., William McBEATH, age 73, native of Sutherlandshire, Scotland. Emigrated here in 1819 where he made a comfortable living for himself and family. He was elder of St. Stephen's Church, Glenelg."
8. 1861 Census, NB/Kent/Wellington p.96 (hh.623 in the PANB transcription)
9. Kent County Marriage Registers, PANB microfilm F15483, indexed at http://www.rootsweb.com/~nbken/MarrWife.html. Last consulted Sept 2005.
10. I am unable to locate the Matthews in the 1871 census.
11. Deborah MacDonald Hale, Cemeteries of Kent County. Transcribed at http://www.rootsweb.com/~nbken/CemStJohnsPresBuct.html; last consulted 2006 Oct 17.
12. Anthony & Sydney Johnson, "The McNairn, MacNarin, McNarin, MacNaran Family in America." Unpublished typescript, 1975.
13. 1901 Census, NB/Westmorland/Moncton c-4 p.31 hh.278.
14. Index to Death Certificates, PANB RS141C5, indexed at http://archives.gnb.ca/APPS/GovRecs/VISSE/?L=EN
15. Martha's surname is given in the Late Registration of Birth for her daughter Euphemia. In the 1881 Martha (spelled "Marta" by the enumerator) is 16 years of age. By 1890 she's apparently dead, and Finlay remarries that year. Finlay's children in the 1901 census include Euphemia and Bessie F. born before 1890, so I infer they are Martha's children. The surname "Preston" appears in the Miramichi, especially in Hardwicke parish.
16. Index to Late Registrations of Births, PANB RS141A1b, indexed at http://archives.gnb.ca/APPS/GovRecs/VISSE/?L=EN
17. Jack Godfrey's website, citing G.J. Garner and Mabel McKnight, gives her full name as "Margaret McBeath McLean". I can find no independent evidence for the middle name. She probably died 25 June 1926 but the microfilm must be consulted as the index only has the name "Mrs Finley McBeath".
18. Index to County Birth Registers, PANB RS141A2/2, indexed at http://archives.gnb.ca/APPS/GovRecs/VISSE/?L=EN
19. 1901 Census, NB/Kent/Wellington j-2 p.13 hh.125
20. 1901 Census, NB/Kent/Richibucto e-3 pp.25-26, hh.220
21. 1881 Census, NB/Kent/Richibucto d-1 p.3 hh.16
22. See ref. 11 above. His gravestone reads in part, "erected by his sister E. G. Matthews"
22a. Vital Statistics vol.75 no.138 citing Moncton Times of 12 Oct 1889; also vol.74 no.821 citing Saint John Daily Telegraph of 15 Oct.

Alex and Jane McBeath

Alexander McBEATH, eldest surviving son of Donald McBEATH, married Jane JOHNSON. Jane may have been the daughter of Thomas JOHNSON of Mill Creek. Alex and Jane remained at Mill Creek until sometime in the 1890s, when they moved to Moncton. Alex and Jane had the following children:^23-25

Fanny, born 25 December 1873
Thomas William, born 13 August 1875, married Hannah Grace BRIEN and had at least two children, Mary Frances (18 October 1906) and Jean Louis (2 April 1908)²⁶
Margaret Jane, born 14 April 1876, married Andrew J. COOK or COOKE^27,28
Effie Fraser, born 23 February 1878, married David C. POTTER²⁷
Mary, born 25 June 1880
Donald, born 14 April 1882, married Nellie B. EDGETT²⁷
John, born 23 September 1885
Elizabeth, born 23 February 1887

23. 1881 Census, NB/Kent/St Mary g-2, hh.281 (http://www.familysearch.org)
24. 1891 Census, NB/Kent/St Mary g-1, p.7, hh.27
25. 1901 Census, NB/Westmorland/Moncton (City) c-5, p.1, hh.1 (http://www.automatedgenealogy.com)
26. Index to Late Registrations of Births, PANB RS141A1b
27. Index to New Brunswick Marriages, PANB RS141B7, online at http://archives.gnb.ca/APPS/GovRecs/VISSE/?L=EN
28. 1901 Census, NB/Westmorland/Moncton c-5 p.1 hh.5 -- just down the street from Alex and Jane

Flora Ann and James Mesheau

Flora Ann McBEATH was the sixth daughter of Donald McBEATH. She married James Louis MESHEAU, who was born 29 March 1834 to Elizabeth and Louis A. MESHEAU (or MESSEAU, MECHAUD, or MICHAUD) of Richibucto. Louis père was a native of Toulon, France, but Elizabeth was English and the Mesheaus were Protestant.^29-33

James Louis Mesheau had twelve children. It would appear that he was married to Phoebe (probably HASKETT) before Flora Ann, and the first three children below are likely Phoebe's.³⁴

William, born about 1863.
James, born 9 April 1865
Elizabeth, born about 1867
Donald, born 15 August 1873
Effie, born about 1875
Archibald Alexander (Archie), born 30 August 1876
Sarah, born 7 August 1879
Charles, born 4 August 1880
Gordon Baxter, born 14 June 1883, married Rebecca (Becky) MacINTOSH daughter of Archibald and Isabella MacINTOSH. Follow the link for more on them.
Matilda, born probably in 1884, died 26 September 1888 at age 4
Margaret, born 1 November 1887
Robert McBeath, born 23 March 1890, married Beulah Emma STEEVES

James died in 1921 and Flora Ann in 1927. They are buried in Bouctouche.

29. 1861 Census, NB/Kent/Richibucto p.65; household 387 in PANB transcription. Louis and several of James' siblings can be found at household 394 on p.66. The surname is spelled "Messeau" here.
30. 1871 Census not yet consulted
31. 1881 Census St Mary Parish g-2, household 279
32. 1891 Census St Mary Parish g-1, family 24
33. 1901 Census NB/Kent/St Mary g-1 p.10 hh.72
34. The Mesheaus are described in greater detail by Floyd Mesheau in the OneWorldTree database at ancestry.com. A subscription is required to access this.

William John and Marinda McBeath

William John, son of Donald and Euphemia McBEATH, was born about 1852.^35,36 He married Marinda MATTHEWS, who was born about 1859 or 1860 to George and Ann MATTHEWS, probably of McKee's Mills.³⁷

William and Marinda had the following children:³⁶

Donald, born in 1880, died 2 January 1884 and is buried in Bouctouche³⁸
Neil F., born 13 August 1882, married Hazel LOCKHART on 9 May 1911.²⁷ Neil died on 10 January 1914³⁹ and Hazel later married Richard MITTON.
George Leslie, born 21 November 1884, married Nina Lula BLAKE on 30 June 1909²⁷
Isabella M., born 5 April 1886
William J., born 30 June 1888
Alexander Edward, born 9 November 1890,¹⁶ married Beulah Elizabeth MANN on 12 December 1926²⁷
Elizabeth G., born 10 May 1893

William and family moved to Moncton in 1881 or 1882. Marinda passed away sometime before 1901.

35. The 1861 census has him age 9, the 1871 has him 18, the 1881 age 28, and the 1901 reports his birthdate as 28 Dec 1848 and his age as 52. I'm inclined to lend more weight to the earlier sources, so I suspect he was probably born about 1852. If he was born in the summer of 1852 then all three earlier censuses could be correct.
36. 1901 Census, NB/Westmorland/Moncton c-3 p.2 hh.12
37. 1861 Census, NB/Kent/Wellington p.19 hh.114 (PANB transcr.)
38. The 1881 census seems to have him born in August, but his gravestone says "3 years 1 month" of age, implying a November birth.
39. Index to Provincial Returns of Deaths, PANB RS141C5

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This page last updated 2006 October 17.