Titus Knapp represented the county for some time in the Legislature of New Brunswick, and for many years did a large trading business at Westmoreland Point.
HARPER.
Christopher Harper was born in a small village near Hull, in Yorkshire.
He emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1774, bringing his family and his nephew, Thomas King, with him.He arrived at Fort Cumberland on a fine day in May, and his surprise was great the next morning to see the ground covered with snow.Mr.Harper bought a property to the south-east of the garrison lands, and moved his family into a house said to have been built by the Acadians; but this is very doubtful, as these people chose to burn their dwellings rather than let them fall into the hands of the English.Tradition says Mr.Harper brought stock, both horses and cattle, with him from Yorkshire.
In 1777 Mr.Harper's house and barn were burned by the Eddy rebels, and soon after the Loyalists came to Nova Scota he sold his property at the fort to his son-in-law, Gideon Palmer, and moved to Sackville, having purchased land near Morris's Mills.It is said he came into possession of this property through prosecuting one Ayer and others for setting fire to his buildings at Fort Cumberland.In 1809 he obtained a grant from the Government at Fredericton of the mill-pond, and some two hundred or three hundred acres of wilderness land in Sackville, including about forty acres of marsh on the east side of the Tantramar River, above Coles's Island.
Mr.Harper had three sons and four daughters.His son Christopher, who was a captain in the army in early life, left for Quebec, via Richibucto and Miramichi, and was not heard from after leaving Miramichi.John married Miss Thornton (whose father was a Loyalist), and after living at the mill for a time moved to Dorchester.William married Phoebe Haliday, from Cobequid, and built on the place where I.C.Harper, of Sackville, now lives; Catherine married Gideon Palmer;Annie married Major Richard Wilson, a north of Ireland man; Fannie married Thomas King, and Charlotte married Bedford Boultonhouse.
Christopher Harper owned the first two-wheeled chaise that was run in Westmoreland County.He was a magistrate and used to solemnize marriage, and sometimes officiated in the Church of England in the absence of the rector.
The Harpers of Sackville and Bay Verte are descendants of the two brothers, William and John.
ETTER--WETHERED.
The Etters and Wethereds were on the Isthmus very shortly after 1755.Ifind that Samuel Wethered was married to Dorothy Eager, Nov.26th, 1761, by license from the Government.Dorothy Eager was a Scotch lass from Dumfries.Mrs.Atkinson, a grand-daughter, has several pieces of fancy needlework done by Mrs.Wethered."Sarah Huston Wethered was born at Cumberland, in the Province of Nova Scotia, June 10th, 1763, at ten o'clock in the morning.Joshua Winslow Wethered was born at Cumberland, Nova Scotia, in September, 1764, at ten o'clock in the evening."Peter Etter was a jeweller and silversmith, and kept a shop near Fort Cumberland.He married Letitia Patton, daughter of Mark Patton, and was brother-in-law to Colonel John Allan.Peter Etter was twice married, his second wife being Sarah Wethered.He was lost at sea in coming from Boston to Cumberland.His widow became the second wife of Amos Fowler, of Fowler's HIll.Peter Etter (second) married Elizabeth Wethered, and settled at Westmoreland, and had a family of nine children, Bradley, Peter, Joshua, Letitia, George, Maria, Samuel, James, and Margaret.
The Etters are large marsh owners on the Aulac, and the aboideau across that river takes its name--the Etter Aboideau--from Peter Etter, who was one of the principal promoters of that work.
I find Jonathan Eddy's name among the customers of jeweller Etter.Mr.
Eddy's watch must have been like that of Artemus Ward's or he must have been agent for others, judging from the amount of money he annually paid for repairs.
The Etters were originally from Switzerland, and were engaged in making glass before coming to this country.
CAHILL.
John R.Cahill was born in London, England, in the year 1777.His father was a ship-owner, but decided to educate his son for the Church.
During a college vacation young Cahill was sent as supercargo in one of his father's ships bound for Halifax.On the return voyage the vessel was wrecked on the coast of Nova Scotia.All on board, however, were rescued and brought back to Halifax.For reasons not now known, Mr.
Cahill remained on this side of the Atlantic and engaged for a time in teaching school.He married Miss Lesdernier, a sister of Mrs.Richard John Uniacke, and settled in Sackville as a farmer.They had a family of eleven, and Mr.Cahill received regular remittances from his father's estate as long as he lived.Because of his superior education he was often called upon by his neighbors to assist in transacting business of various kinds.Mr.Cahill died in 1852.The late John E.
Cahill, of Westmoreland Point, was a son, and Walter Cahill, stipendiary magistrate of Sackville, a grandson, of John R.Cahill.
SMITH.
There were two John Smiths who came from Yorkshire and settled at Chignecto in the decade between 1770 and 1780.
One settled in Fort Lawrence and married Miss Chapman.The Smiths of Fort Lawrence and Shinemicas are descendants of this family.William Smith of Albert County, who married Parmelia Trueman, was of this family.
The other John Smith settled near Fort Cumberland, but remained only a short time.He incurred the enmity of some of the outlaws in the neighborhood, and as a result had his buildings burned, in one of which a large quantity of goods was stored that he had brought to the country.This so discouraged him that he left the place and settled at Newport, N.S.David Smith, of Amherst, belongs to this family.
OULTON.
