HAGGIS THE MCCULLOCH HERITAGE CENTRE

Robert Stoddard   

My Scottish ancestor clan names were Fraser, MacKenzie, MacRae and MacDonald. Alexander McRae arrived from Dingwall, Ross Shire (Highlands), Scotland prior to 1818. He married Isabella Fraser, of West River, daughter of John Fraser (from Inverness, Scotland) and Margaret Fraser. The Alexander McRae family initially settled along the West River at Watervale but removed to Toney River circa 1855. James Fraser, who arrived from Scotland in year unknown, married Nancy Ann McRae there circa 1848. The MacDonald and the MacKenzie families arrived aboard the ship "Sarah" in 1801. They settled at MacLellan's Mountain. Donald MacKenzie married Christena MacDonald there in November 1948. They removed to the Toney River circa 1850. Ultimately, three families, Alexander and Isabella McRae, James and Nancy (McRae) Fraser, and Donald and Christena (MacDonald) MacKenzie settled at the Toney River area between 1850 and 1855. Alexander McRae started a gristmill and sawmill that came to be known as "Toney Mills" and gave the area its name today. His sons John McRae and Roderick McRae ran the mills until their departure between 1881 and 1885. The James Fraser farm, located just downstream from the two mills, was deeded to his two sons, Alexander and Simon Fraser, just weeks before their father’s death on November 3, 1880. That farm was later largely sold to Alexander and Duncan Henderson in October 1885. The Frasers continued to live at their dwelling house on 25 acres at Toney River until the death of Nancy (McRae) Fraser in February 1894. The nearby Donald and Christena MacKenzie farm is still owned and occupied today by relative descendant Robert and Elizabeth MacKenzie. My maternal great-grandparents are the son of James and Nancy Fraser, Simon Roderick Fraser, and the daughter of Donald and Christena MacKenzie, Jessie Ann MacKenzie, who were both born and later married at Toney River. In addition, I have Irish ancestry through John and Eleanor Mockler. Information on the Mockler family has been uploaded to this website. John Mockler started building sailing ships at River John circa 1836, the last being the barque “Banshee” launched in 1854. He then left River John in 1855 and built ships at Pugwash and Brule. He built a total of 22 ships in all - making him one of the largest ship builders in Nova Scotia in his time. All five of his sons were ship captains and master mariners. His son, Patrick Mockler, a beautiful photograph of whom is uploaded to this website, also built ships at Port Phillip and Brule. He retired from sailing in the mid-1890s and built a spectacular house at Brule Corner circa 1900. It was restored by John and Connie McNutt and is currently owned and occupied by their son, John Daniel McNutt and his wife Terri Lynn McNutt and family. John and Eleanor Mockler's daughter, Margaret Jane Mockler, the younger sister of the aforesaid Patrick Mockler, married an Irishman from Memramcook, N.B. by the name of Patrick H. McGowan. Patrick and Margaret McGowan are my paternal great-grandparents. Patrick was a successful merchant and later built ships on the Memramcook River, one ship, the “Eleanor,” named after his mother-in-law, being built for his father-in-law John Mockler. Patrick ran into financial problems completing the “Eleanor.” He then took a job at the Dorchester Penitentiary the year it opened (1880). The family removed to Manitoba in 1886 where Patrick worked at Stony Mountain Penitentiary. Patrick died in a tragic carriage accident in downtown Winnipeg in 1894 while on prison business. Margaret (Mockler) McGowan died at New Westminster, B.C. in 1936. Margaret’s parents, John and Eleanor Mockler, removed to San Francisco cica 1870 and lived there for over 25 years. The both died at San Francisco on the same day, just hours apart, on May 11, 1897. Margaret’s brother, Capt. Patrick Mockler, died at his home in Brule on February 18, 1930. Besides donating a considerable sum of money to build a dormitory at the Catholic St. Francis Xavier College in 1903, Patrick Mockler was extremely generous to his surviving siblings and nephews and nieces in his Will at the time of his death. The executor of his Will was his childhood friend and traveling companion, Daniel Sutherland, a former mayor of Pictou.
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Crown Land Grant Map #87 - Watervale - Alexander McRae Land Along West River

Crown Land Grant map #87 showing the 50 acre land plot at Watervale granted to Alexander McRae and recorded in 1832.

Photograph: Simon Roderick Fraser of Toney River, circa 1876

Photograph of Simon Roderick Fraser, son of James and Nancy (McRae) Fraser of Toney River. The photo comes from the archives of Ethel Drummond. Ethel identified this photo as being Simon Fraser, the cousin of her mother Christine Fraser (McRae) Lawrence.

Photograph: Simon Roderick Fraser of Toney River, seated, with Al McKay of Toney River, circa 1905

This photo was taken by Colin S. MacKenzie of MacKenzie Photo Co. at Aberdeen around the time Al McKay, at age 21, emigrated to Aberdeen from Toney River, N.S. in March 1904. Al's uncle, Simon Fraser, is about 45 years old in this photograph.

Photograph: Margaret Barbara MacKenzie of Toney River, 1869-1893

Photograph of Margaret Barbara MacKenzie of Toney River. The photograph was taken at Boston. Margaret died not long after she returned from her trip to Boston. She died in 1893 and is buried at Riverwalk Cemetery at Toney Mills.

Wreck of the Mattie T. Dyer, San Francisco Bee, March 17, 1896

Article on the wreck of the Mattie T. Dyer. Charles “Charlie” Mockler, native of River John, the youngest son of John and Eleanor Mockler and the brother of Capt. Patrick Mockler of Brule, Colchester County, was the captain of the sailing ship.

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Photograph Portrait: Alexander Hugh McQuarrie

Photograph of Alexander Hugh McQuarrie, son of Allan and Catherine (McRae) McQuarrie of Saskatchewan and formerly of Toney River. Alex used the initials "A.H. McQuarrie" for his name. He left us many poems and information on his uncle, John McRae.

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Land of Nancy Fraser at Toney River 1880

The 1879 Meacham Atlas, Section 3, for Toney River, shows land belonging to "Widow Fraser" encompassing the mill pond, grist mill and saw mill on the Toney River. It borders John McRae's land to the north and Donald MacKenzie's farm to the west.

Photograph: Isabella Fraser 1852-1899

Isabella Fraser was residing in Providence RI in Febraury 1893 at the time of he mother's passing. She must have decided to return to Toney River because she purchased a parcel of land from her siblings as part of the settlement of her mother's estate.

Poem: The Toney in December by John McRae

Poem written by John McRae of Toney River in year unknown. Typescript by Alexander Hugh McQuarrie, 1959.

Photograph: Isabella (McRae) McQuarrie of Toney River

Isabella (McRae) McQuarrie, daughter of Alexander and Isabella McRae of Toney River. Isabella married Daniel Lauchlin McQuarrie, son of Lauchlin and Nancy McQuarrie of Scotch Hill. I am interested in more information on Daniel and Isabella McQuarrie.

Article: "A man among men: Capt. Patrick Mockler"

Article about Capt. Patrick Mockler of Brule published in the "Shore" by Paul MacKinnon of the North Shore Archives - date unknown.

Image of Allan and Catherine (McRae) McQuarrie

Allan and Catherine (McRae) McQuarrie of Carnoustie, Saskatchewan and formerly of Toney River.

House of Capt. Patrick Mockler under construction at Brule Point circa 1900

House of Captain Patrick Mockler under construction circa 1900. This house is built on the hill overlooking Brule Point on land previously owned by his father, John Mockler.

Poem: My Fair Annabelle by John McRae

Poem written by John McRae of Toney River in year unknown. Typescript by Alexander Hugh McQuarrie, 1959.

Mockler Hall, St. Francis Xavier College, Fall 1915

Photograph of "Mockler Hall," the new college student residence building, named after benefactor Patrick Mockler. The photo was taken shortly after completion in the fall of 1915.

Letter: St. Francis Xavier College to Capt. Patrick Mockler, Aug. 19, 1914

A thank you letter to capt. Patrick Patrick Mockler for his generous donation to the college's residence fund.

Photograph: Alexander "Sandy" McRae, pioneer settler of Toney River and Watervale

Photograph of Alexander McRae from Dingwall, Ross Shire, Scotland who emigrated to Nova Scotia before 1818 and settled at West River in an area that later became named Watervale. The McRae family moved to Toney River circa 1855.

Poem: The Toney in October by John McRae

The poem, The Toney in October, was written by John McRae in a year unknown. It was transcribed by his nephew, Alexander Hugh McQuarrie, the son of Allan and Catherine (McRae) McQuarrie, in 1959.

Fraser, MacKenzie, McKay, and Henderson Families Reunite at Trail, B.C., Canada circa 1925

Three generations of the Simon Fraser family and Al McKay and his wife Lillian and drove from Aberdeen Washington to Trail, British Columbia, Canada to reunite with relatives Jack and Jessie May (McKay) Henderson .

Ship Arival Record: John Mockler, Hannah Mockler and Mary Ross as passengers on the Bark Banshee

This appears to be the maiden voyage of the barque "Banshee" built by John Mockler in 1854. How exciting for John Mockler's eldest child and daughter, Hannah, age 18, to join him on this trip to Boston! Capt. Ross' daughter Mary is also aboard.