A History of Abercrombie
County of Pictou, Nova Scotia
By An Old Resident
Undated unidentified newspaper disjointed proof sheet – photocopy – Transcribed
[1956/1957?]
What is history? Surely it is an account of the struggle of Man; of the forces that urged him onward: of his thoughts in the process; and of his final failure or achievement. No life is all success or all failure, but a mixture of both, and the study of a small community often brings out the lessons of history to better advantage than the recorded annals of a mighty nation. If you go up and down our fair Province today you will see numerous communities like this one, made up of good people of varied ancestry, and mainly tilling the soil as a means of livelihood. Few districts, however, have such a dramatic story of human, endeavor in the past as ours. That we have such a story to tell is a source of inspiration; that what has happened once can happen again, though perhaps in a different fashion.
Abercrombie is the district laying on the south side of Pictou Harbour, beginning at Abercrombie Point at the junction of the East and Middle Rivers, and extending along the estuary of the East River to the western limits of the Town of New Glasgow. The Point gave its name to the entire district about 1884. It was originally known as Fraser’s Point, not from an original settler, but from a Fraser family who succeeded the original grantee, Colin MacDonald, in that locality. It seems to have succeeded to the name of Abercrombie Point about 1840 the name itself and the reason it was bestowed being today matters of speculation.
First Recorded Visit
Those who choose to believe Phol’s fanciful account of the Sinclair Expedition can think that a thousand years ago blue eyes in white faces gazed at the virgin forest that clothed our shores. To those more devoted to historic fact the first recorded visit is of Nicholas Denys, French Governor of the Gulf of St. Lawrence area, who in 1672 rounding Cap St. Louis, as Cape George was then known, explored the coastline to the westward. Included in the account of his expedition is a description of Pictou Harbour and he particularly notes the large oysters found there. Long before this the Micmac Indians had discovered a huge bed of these in the East River, and were accustomed to feast upon them from time to time. When the land was being cleared by Robert Dunbar, one of the first settlers in Abercrombie he found large [heaps?] of oyster shells left by the Indians. Almost across the East River from his farm was an Indian cemetery, where a large iron crucifix had been erected before the first permanent settlement of the white race was made. This spot was for many years called Indian Cross though the cross itself has long since vanished. If the Indians regarded the eastside of the river as a place or mourning, they evidently considered our side as a place of recreation and work. They met at Fraser’s Point for sports and games of skill, and within the memory of those living, there was a summer encampment at the Cove Brook, towards the eastern end of our community for the purpose of making and selling baskets and kindred articles.
In 1761 an Irish speculator, Alexander McNutt, was given a grant of 100,000 acres of land in the district of Pictou, Abercrombie was part of that grant. Others were associated with McNutt in the venture which was referred to as the Irish grant. They were to pay a small rental to the Crown, place settlers in proportion of one for every 200 acres, and undertake additional minor obligations. It is a matter of record that they made no attempt to fulfil any of these and the grant was accordingly forfeited and returned to the Crown in 1770. Meanwhile another company, The Philadelphia Company, had started the first settlement at Pictou on its own grant in 1767. This was not on the site of the present town, but westward between Haliburton Brook and Lyon’s Brook.
The second considerable group of settlers came on the ship Hector to Pictou from Scotland in 1773. Although they landed on the site of the earlier settlement, their allotments were farther inland, especially along the West River. In 1783 various portions of the McNutt grant were parcelled out to officers and men of the 82 Highland Regiment, and one of these of 500 acres went to Colin MacDonald, at what is now known as Abercrombie Point. Other grants were made to men of the same regiment in the following year in the same district. We can therefore trace our origin back 173 years. Beginning at Abercrombie Point and proceeding towards what is now New Glasgow we find the following original grants:
Colin MacDonald …… 500 acres
Robert Chisholm ……..200 “
Thomas Cameron ……. 64 “
Donald Cameron ……..100 “
Robert Dunbar ………. 200 “
Roderick McKay, Jr. … 100 “
William McKay ………. 400 “
Secured Title
In order to secure a title to these grants the grantees had to clear a certain amount of land each year, erect buildings, and stock it according to the acreage. These conditions took several years to fulfill. In the light of what followed it is impossible to say who cleared the first acre and built the first house in our district. In Pictou County many of the soldiers of the 82nd and other Highland Regiments, sold their grants soon after they assumed ownership, and this seems to have followed in Abercrombie, or South Pictou, as it was to be known for many years. As far as we can learn the only families now living here continuously since 1784 on part at least of their original grant are the descendants of Robert Dunbar. The entire Colin MacDonald lot went to several Fraser families, and in 1801 the Robert Chisholm lot was transferred to two brothers by the name of Matheson. Mr. and Mrs. Fraser Matheson are living on one of these which has been continuously in the family for over 150 years.
As typical of the first settlers, and perhaps the first to hew himself a home from the virgin forest, was Robert Dunbar he was a native of Invernesshire, Scotland and was a Sergeant in the “74th Regiment of Foot”. He was about 25 years of age when he took up his 200 acres in 1784. In the succeeding twelve years he acquired a wife and family, cleared, several acres of land, erected the required buildings, and secured the necessary cattle. He thereupon petitioned the Governor for a title. Many others were now doing the same. For some unknown reason the grants were delayed so far as confirmation was concerned. Robert encountered an additional difficulty. In many of the original large grants, portions had been reserved to the Crown as “School grants”. As the smallest of these was 100 acres it is more likely that they were thought of as sources of capital for education rather than as building sites. When Robert sought a final survey of his land one of these lots was found to occupy part of it, with the result that miles of red tape had to be unravelled and his title was not confirmed unit 1808. Meanwhile he had acquired another 160 acre lot west of his original lot, making a total of 360 acres. As many of the subsequent events of importance in our history happened on this property and were shared in by him and his descendants, it seems but fair to give some further account of him.
Twice Married
He was twice married. Of his first marriage one son Hugh, was in the first class in theology to graduate from the College in Pictou. He spent the greater part of his life in Prince Edward Island. Another son, William, afterwards known as “The Squire” was one of the pioneers of the Miramichi district in New Brunswick. As his father advanced in years he returned home to participate in the great events which were to follow. Robert Dunbar’s second wife was Mary Matheson. The story is told that he determined to return to Scotland to secure his second bride and was on his way to Halifax for that purpose. Having to spend the night with an old friend in Truro he was introduced to a young relative just out from Scotland who so captivated Robert that he was saved his original planned journey, and they returned man and wife. He was then some sixty years of age, but over the succeeding fourteen years they had six children, three boys and three girls. Two of the girls Jessie and Elizabeth married and went to Pennsylvania. The third, Isabel, married John MacDonald, and lived on the property now occupied by William Dunbar. The eldest son, William, known later as ”The Gauger”, was given the farm now occupied by his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Jane Dunbar. Robert, “the Deacon”, had as his portion the farm where his grandson, Bernard Dunbar lives. The youngest son, Alexander, nicknamed “the Doctor”, who was born in 1834, had the farm where William Fraser now lives. Robert, his son William,” the Squire”, and his son Robert, often referred to as “Robbie”, lived on the original homestead now occupied by Mr. J. M. Johnston who purchased it from Dr. William R. Dunbar deceased, eldest son of “Robbie”. The majority of the above named sleep in Abercrombie Cemetery, one [on?] part of the farm of” Deacon” Robert Dunbar.
We have mentioned the requirements to obtain a title to the original grants. Few people today can understand the unremitting toil necessary to clear even one acre of virgin forest. It could only be accomplished by community effort, and this in the first instance joined the settlers together by bond of mutual regard and dependence. In time the forest which they first regarded as an enemy became a friend. The trade in lumber with Britain grew apace. Methods of preparing were primitive according to our ideas, but timber squared with broad axe, or lumber manufactured with the whip-saw in the saw pit filled many vessels each year that sailed from the Harbour. In this measure of prosperity South Pictou shared, but in the close of the Napoleonic wars this source of revenue practically vanished. It was not nearly time for the curtain to rise on the Golden Age of Abercrombie.
Coal Discovered
As early as 1798 coal had been discovered at what is now the Town of Stellarton. In 1818 Edward Mortimer, then known as the “King of Pictou”, was developing a mine in this area. This ceased with his death a little later. In 1825 the Government of Britain, leased all the coal mining areas not already leased in British America to His Royal Highness the Duke of York. He in turn leased his holdings to Messrs. Rundell, Bridge and Rundell, of London, England. They later turned them over to a company known as The General Mining Association in which they, especially the Rundell family, jewellers of London, had large holdings. (It is worth remarking that the house in Stellarton known as Mount Rundell, the home of the manager of the General Mining Association, got its name from this source).
By 1827 the General Mining Association had determined to undertake operations on the East River. The first coal was mined not far from the present Allan Shaft, and transported in trucks drawn by horses to a point on the River below New Glasgow where vessels drawing not more than 6 feet of water could be loaded. To serve larger vessels they built lighters which took the coal to a point in the estuary of the East River near what eventually became Ballast Island. The formation of the Island was due to vessels unloading their ballast at this particular location before taking on their cargoes of coal. However, the demand for coal was so great that a better way was planned. It was decided to build a railroad, as had been done in England, to transport the coal from the pit of the mouth to a loading wharf at deep water. Starting at Albion Mines, now Stellarton, followed the East River westway to terminate at the Loading Ground in Abercrombie. Construction began in 1836, and the project was completed in 18 [??]. The right-of-way was not purchased by the Association but was leased from the owners of the farms through which it passed at an annual rental. The lone wharf, terminus of the six miles of railroad, was 1500 feet long and was built at a cost of $160,000 on the farm of Robert Dunbar. He was paid an annual rental £100 for which he had to maintain two bridges in good repair. The early railways in England had a variety of gauges, that [guaged?] the distance between the rails. The Albion Mines Railway gauge was later adopted as standard gauge both for England and America. Despite certain claim to the contrary, this was the first railway worthy of the name in British America. Other example had the same idea, and slight priority, but this railway was general purpose utility, constructed as are roads today with iron rails and wooden ties. While it was mainly used to carry coal it had a regular coach for passengers from the beginning. It was formally opened in 1839 with a huge celebration at Albion Mines. Its rolling stock today are museum pieces, but they were powerful for that day. One may be seen preserved at Stellarton another at New Glasgow. They all had names: “Sampson”, Ellot [?]” “Vulcan[?]” and “John Biddle [Buddle?] ”, being examples. To complete the record it may be said that the railway functioned for fifty years. About ten years later still, the rails were at last taken up. The remains of the long wharf may be still seen on Mr. Johnson’s farm, and the roadbed traces clearly to the Allan Shaft in Stellarton.
Tarred And Feathered
With the Loading Ground in action, the vicinity assumed an air of great activity. Seamen from the ships made merry ashore and not always in a thoroughly respectable fashion. In fact it is told that a young lady of the community caused such a scandal to the local folk, that during slack season when vessels were few and the changes of interference slight, they applied a generous coating of tar and feather to her person, road her on the fence rail, and expelled her from their midst.
The foreman at the wharf for many years was Alexander Fraser, known locally as “The King”. He lived on the west side of the Sluice, as the entrance to the gut west of the Loading Ground was called, and near the shore. There was a bridge across the sluice for the convenience of men living in that part of the community who worked at the wharf. So great was the demand for coal that it has been frequently said that the Harbour resembled a forest of masts and one could almost cross it by leaping from vessel to vessel.
At the head of the wharf, near Robert Dunbar’s house, a church was erected which was known as The Bethel or The Sailor’s Bethel, where regular services were held. There was also a Good Templar’s Hall just west of the present Abercrombie school but on the other side of the road. So far as we can learn only one store was kept, most of the ships securing their supplies in Pictou. This was near the Bethel and was owned by James Matheson. Alan Cameron was the local tailor.
Robert Dunbar was a very old man when the wharf was built, and died a few years later, but his son William (the Squire) carried on the tradition. The name William must have been a favorite as old Robert gave the eldest son of his second family the same name, and during the years when the wharf was in operation, he was in charge of the coal chutes and was therefore known as “The Gauger”. The community near the wharf became quite concentrated.
We do not know when the first school was erected but we know its site. You will recall that Robert Dunbar had some difficulty with a school-lot grant in connection with his title. Evidently the matter was compromised by the erection on his property of a school. If you travel westward on the highway from the present school you will soon cross a small brook flowing into the gut. On the right hand side of the road as you begin to ascend the hill, stood the school. Sometime in the 1870’s it was replaced by the building on the present site.
Sea-Faring Men
The first Post Office was operated by Mrs. “granny” Munro opposite the present school. The mail was carried by her son William on horse-back. This gentleman operated a blacksmith shop on the property now owned by Mr. Campbell near The Gut. Abercrombie also had its share of sea faring men including such names as Capt. John Rule, Capt. Ingraham, Capt. Wm. Fraser, Capt. Forbes and Capt. George Rivers. A number of these Captains were deep-sea men while others owned and operated coastal trading vessels.
Other noted seamen were William Woodin, John Ingraham and Alex. Campbell who operated ferries to and from Pictou and the Loading Ground Wharf. The last named was a native of the Isle of Skye and lived on the Campbell homestead now occupied by his grand-daughter Mrs. Clyde Rivers.
The early settlers around Pictou Harbour buried their dead either at Durham Cemetery on the West River or at Laurel Hill Cemetery on the hill in Pictou. The first cemetery at Abercrombie was at the shore on the farm now owned by Sidney Fraser. About 1870 an acre of land was secured from Robert Dunbar (Deacon), and as many of the stones and coffins as possible were removed to the new site. One or two stones in memory of members of the Fraser family still stand in the old Cemetery. The first person to be buried in the new cemetery, was Margaret Fraser, wife of Alexander Dunbar, in 1874. A great deal of interest was awakened in the development of the new cemetery and it was incorporated by an Act of Legislature on March 23, 1885. In the course of time interest waned, but in the last few years has been greatly awakened. Today we have through our united efforts a cemetery to be proud of, and we propose to make it better still.
Days Numbered
It became apparent to all in the 1870’s that the days of the Loading Ground at Abercrombie were numbered. The sailing ship was being replaced by steamers drawing more water. Only the smaller ones could be accommodated at the Loading Ground. The river was silting up and growing shallower. The development of railways had opened up another means of shipping coal. The operations at Stellarton had increased and at that time even larger ones were being carried on at Westville. Under a series of companies, coal sought outlets to shipping in large steamers at Pictou Landing, Granton and later at the Intercolonial Coal Company’s pier at Abercrombie Point. There came a day when the last hopper of coal travelled the old road from Albion Mines. The busy wharf became silent and still, the store closed, the Bethel closed and church services were carried on in the school house. Many people moved away, the younger folk to the United States or the Canadian West. The older folk went back to farming and lingered on until they died with their memories of prosperity departed. In the course of time, however, these memories have largely vanished. A younger generation has sprung up which has accepted life as they find it and we live today in a progressive rural community. Some members of our families work in New Glasgow, Trenton or Stellarton every day, but here in Abercrombie their lot is cast and their livelihood secure. Never since the days of the pioneers has there been such a sense of community effort and solidarity. Long may it continue!
Apart from those who died in infancy or from the ravages of tuberculosis in youth, the pioneer families of Abercrombie were notable for the longevity of their members. At least one of these passed the century mark and many lived into the eighth and ninth decade.
It seemed that those who worked hardest lived longest, especially the womenfolk. They realized that they were witness to great events and until a few years ago it was possible to talk with those who had been present when the railway was built and had worked at the Loading Ground, as the long wharf, in fact its whole vicinity, was called.
They carried the events of this era in their memories in great detail and it is unfortunate that so few of these have been preserved. In their youth, they had conversed with men and women who had seen the first house built in Pictou, who had heard the first sermon preached in Pictou County, who had sat at the fireside of New Glasgow’s pioneer settler.
It is interesting to remember that Robert Dunbar, born in 1759 has a grandson living in British Columbia at the age of 90 years three lives spanning two centuries.
Living Today
There are also the following persons living today in the eighties or over: Mrs. James Robertson, Pictou; Grant Fraser, New Glasgow and Mrs. Christie Johnston (nee Cis Dunbar), U. S. A. Their memories go back to the heyday of Abercrombie as the site of the first railway and the busy Loading Ground where ships from foreign shores loaded their cargoes and sailed to many ports of the world.
Some quiet afternoon take a stroll out on the old wharf. Sit in the sun and try to catch a feeling of the past. Do not be afraid of ghosts for these will be friendly spirits. Half close your eyes and you will see “The Royal William” coming for coal in 1833 that will send her on the first voyage made by any vessel across the Atlantic from west to east all under steam. See the forest of towering masts, the clouds of snowy sails of the Clipper Ships. See these and dream of the men and women who saw them in reality, and who sowed the seeds of the quiet prosperity which is ours today.
