Description Deed - Heirs of Nancy Fraser to Isabella Fraser. Dated February 16, 1893

Nancy Ann (McRae) Fraser died of pneumonia on February 9, 1893 at Providence, Rhode Island where she was residing with her daughter Isabella Fraser. Below is the transcript of the deed transferring the property of the deceased to her daughter Isabella as agreed with her siblings and fellow heirs-at-law. 

Nancy Ann (McRae) Fraser, Widow of James Fraser (deceased November 3, 1880) died on February 9, 1893. On February 16, 1893, the heirs of Nancy Fraser entered into the following agreement, that is, to exchange their share of the real property of Nancy Fraser at Toney River, consisting of "sixty five acres, more or less" and all the "houses, barns and buildings..." on the land in consideration of "$500 dollars lawful money" from Isabella Fraser "at present, in Providence in the County of Providence in the State of of Rhode Island, Spinster..."

Isabella apparently intended to leave Providence and return to Toney River after this agreement was completed. This is apparent from the phrase, ..."at present, of Providence..." Isabella died at Toney River on December 12, 1899 and is buried with her parents and brother Daniel at Riverbank Cemetery. 

On the 1879 Meacham Atlas for Toney River, the piece of land described in this agreement was labeled, "Widow Fraser." Now, Nancy Fraser did not become a widow until the death of her husband on November 3, 1880. Therefore, the Meacham Atlas must not have been printed until 1881 and the land of Nancy Fraser was changed and identified as belonging to "Widow Fraser."

Further, the land parcel in this agreement is described as "beginning at the mill pond at the the "south corner of the lands conveyed to James D. MacKay hence west until it reaches James D. MacKay's west corner..." James D. MacKay was married to the sister of Jessie (MacKenzie) Fraser, the wife of Simon Fraser (the son of Nancy Fraser). James MacKay took over the operation of the gristmill from John McRae and also purchased his "Sunny Summit" house when John McRae bid "Adieu, the winding Toney" in the fall of 1881. Therefore, the parcel described in this agreement was bounded by the land of John McRae as shown on the 1879 Meacham Atlas. 

This property described in this agreement was NOT the Fraser homestead and farm. This was a separate parcel of land that was likely given to and inherited by Nancy (McRae) Fraser when her father Alexander McRae died in 1876. From the 1879 Meacham Atlas it appears that this parcel included the land on which the gristmill and sawmill stood. 

The James Fraser farm was sold and deeded out of the Fraser family by Alexander and Simon Fraser and their mother Nancy Fraser to Alexander and Duncan Henderson on October 13, 1885. The house and 25 acres of remaining Fraser land was NOT deeded at this time. Nancy Fraser, Margaret Fraser, and Alex and Simon Fraser (and Simon's new bride, Jessie MacKenzie) were living at the family house at Toney River as of April 1891 when the census was taken that year.  The land with the house must have be sold after April 1891 but before 1893. As a sidenote, Duncan Henderson who purchased the land from Alex and Simon was the brother of Jessie Bell (Henderson) MacKenzie, the wife of Daniel W. MacKenzie. Daniel W. MacKenzie was the brother of Simon Fraser's wife, Jessie (MacKenzie) Fraser. 

The following is a partial transcript of the agreement:

This Indenture made the sixteeth day of February in the Year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety three between Simon R. Fraser of Stellerton in the County of Pictou in the Province of Nova Scotia, Laborer; Jessie Fraser, his wife; Roderick McDonald of Pictou Town in the County and Province aforesaid, Blacksmith; Abigail Jane McDonald, his wife; James Brougham of Peace Dale in the State of Rhode Island; Christy Brougham, his wife; Priscilla Fraser of the City of Providence in the County of Providence in the State of Rhode Island, Spinster; Margaret Catherine Fraser of Providence in the County and State aforesaid, Spinster; and Alexander Fraser of the City of Elma in the County of Chehalis in the State of Washington, Muler, being the heirs in law of the late Nancy Fraser of Toney River in the County of Pictou, Widow, deceased intestate, of the first part, and Isabella Fraser at present of Providence in the State of Rhode Island, Spinster, of the other or second part, [?] that for and in consideration of the sum of Five Hundred Dollars lawful money of the Domination of Canda paid by her, the said party of the second part at or before the sealing and delivery of these [?] the receipt whereis herby acknowledged by the said parties of the first part, have and each of them hath granted, bargaioned, sold, assigned and forever quitted claim to the following lot, piece or parcel of land situated upon and being at Toney River in the County of Pictou in the Province of Nova Scotia, bounded and described as follows: beginning at the Mill ponds at the south corner of lands conveyed to James D. McKay hence west until it reaches James D. McKay's west corner hence south along the lands of

** To Be Continued**