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James McNARINE (or McNARRINE) and his wife Mary McNARINE of Barbuchany in Galloway, Scotland, christened six children in the parish of Penninghame:1
In 1817 their son Anthony McNARIN set out for New Brunswick in the company of two other men, Samuel GIRVAN and James McCLELLAND, and their families. Oral tradition has it that they arrived on the ship The Dykes or Dickes on 26 May 1817.2 (The ship's captain, Simon GRAHAM, is said to have perished at sea and been buried in Rexton.3) Upon reaching the Richibucto area they built a settlement just outside of Rexton (then called Kingston) and named it Galloway after their Scottish home.
To His Excellency George Stracey Smyth Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the Province of New Brunswick &c &c &c
The Petition of Samuel Girvan, James McClellan and Anthony McNarran Most Humbly Sheweth
That your Petitioners emigrated to this Country this present year, your first Petitioner from Ireland and your Second and Third from North Britain, where they were Born, and have resided in Richibucto in the County of Northumberland for two months, and are Subject to the Crown of Great Britain. Your first Petitioner Samuel Girvan is Twenty-Eight years of age and has a Family. Your Second Petitioner James McClellan aged Thirty-Five years also has a Family. And Your third Petitioner Anthony McNarran aged Thirty Years single. Neither have had any allotment of Land from the Crown but are now desirous to settle on a tract of Wild or uncultivated land on the South Side of the River Richibucto in the County aforesaid being in the Rear of Lands Granted to Ronald McDonald and associates being Nos.12 -"- -"- on said Grant. Your Petitioners beg leave further to state that it is their intention to settle and improve the land applied for and that they are of sufficient ability to do so and that they have not either directly or indirectly Bargained or agreed for the Sale or transfer of Said Lands to any person or persons whatsoever. Your Petitioners therefore
Most Humbly Pray your Excellency may be pleased to grant each of them such a portion adjoining each other as will enable them to make suitable Farms and they as in duty bound shall ever pray
<signed>Samuel Girvan
James McClelland
Anthony Narin
On the 23rd Day of July 1817 before me Wm. Hannington Esq. one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Westmorland, personally appeared the above named Samuel Girvan, James McClellan, & Anthony McNarran, and made oath that the Several Matters, and things set forth in the Before Written Petition are just and true. Wm. Hannington J.P.
5th Aug 1817 the situation applied for above is vacant -- Geo. Sproule 4
The next summer Anthony's brother William also settled in the new Galloway.
The Petition of William McNarin most humbly sheweth, that your Petitioner was born in Scotland North Britain, has resided in Richibucto about four months, and is Subject to the Crown of Great Britain is thirty years of age, and has no family.
Your Petitioner begs leave to State, that he emigrated to this country for the sole purpose of procuring himself a Farm, where he might be settled hear his friends, who came ou previous, that he has never had and grant or allotment of Land from the Crown, and is now desirous to settle and improve vacant Lands Lying and Being on the South Side of the River Richibucto, Parish of Carleton, County of Northumberland and Province aforesaid, in the Rear of Lands Granted to Samuel McKean and associates, adjoining Lands on the West applied for by Samuel Girvan & associates, not [interfering] with previous applications...
10th October 1818 <signed> William McNarin 5
By 1820 Anthony married Jane McNEIL6 whom he had known in Scotland. Following his marriage he made an unsuccessful request for still more land.7 Anthony and Jane had six children who survived to adulthood. They are described on the next page.
1Jim McLay, "Old Parish Records, Penninghame Parish (1695-1820)" (transcription
and alphabetization),
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~leighann/parishes/penninghame/opr/intro.html
(last consulted 2003 May 28). Thanks to Judi McNairn for bringing this source
to my attention.
2Anthony & Sydney Johnson, "The McNairn, MacNarin, McNarin & MacNaran Family
in America" (photocopied typescript, 1975). Their source for details of the voyage
was Lou & Elva MacNarin.
3I notice a Simeon Graham, Ship Captain, age 75, in the 1871 census returns
for Richibucto parish. Is there a connection?
4Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB),
"RS108: Land Petitions, Original Series." Microfilm F4179.
The differences between the birthdates implied by the land petitions
and those from the OPRs and Anthony's and William's
gravestones are troublesome.
However, I find the coincidence between (i) the christening dates of two brothers
Anthony & William in the Scottish records and (ii) the ages on the gravestones
convincing. I suspect they may have misrepresented their ages on their land petitions.
At the same time it should also be noted that (according to the Johnsons [2])
Lou & Elva MacNarin understood Anthony's father to be William, not James,
and his siblings to be William, James, Mary, Martha, and Jane.
So there is still some uncertainty clinging to this history.
5PANB RS108, film F4181.
6Johnson, op cit.. Oral tradition seems to be the only evidence that Jane's
maiden name was McNeil.
7PANB RS108, film F4187.
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This page last updated 2003 July 29.