ELDER JOHN'S FAMILY

Sub Libertate Quietem

"Rest under Liberty"

This site is dedicated to the memory of Elder John Stevenson , son of Charles and Margaret(nee Anderson) Stevenson of Renfrewshire, Scotland. In 1820, John and his wife Margaret(nee Nisbet), arrived in Prince Edward Island, with 9 of their children, and ,with other families from the Paisley area, established the village of New Glasgow. As you scroll down you can see who were John's parents, siblings, and offspring; then his picture and that of his monument, with the legend. Then it tells some of their story with the aid of some writings by some of their descendants and some dedicated research by others. Or you can fast forward to Contacts where you can link to our newsletter and our guestbook.

Elder John's parents , siblings, and offspring

1. CHARLES STEVENSON was christened circa 1745. He married Margaret ANDERSON, daughter of George ANDERSON and Margaret PAUL, on 4 Jan 1769. Children of Charles STEVENSON and Margaret ANDERSON were as follows:

i. WILLIAM was born on 29 Oct 1772 TOLMARTIN KILMALCOLM PARISH RENFREWSHIRE SCOTLAND. He was christened on 1 Nov 1772 Tolmartin, Renfrew, Scotland.

ii. WILLIAM was born on 20 Oct 1774 GREEN KILMALCOLM PARISH RENFREWSHIRE SCOTLAND. He was christened on 26 Oct 1774 Kilmalcolm Parish, Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He married Margaret GARDNER on 22 Jun 1797.

iii. MARGARET was born on 9 Jan 1777 GREEN KILMALCOLM PARISH RENFREWSHIRE SCOTLAND. She was christened on 12 Jan 1777 Green, Kilmalcolm Parish, Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

iv. JOHN was born on 18 Apr 1779 PARKE KILMALCOLM PARISH RENFREWSHIRE. He was christened on 21 Apr 1779 Kilmalcolm Parish, Kilmalcolm, Renfrew, Scotland. He married Margaret NISBET, daughter of Andrew NISBET and Catherine GUILD, on 9 Mar 1799 PAISLEY HIGH PARISH SCOT. He died on 9 May 1862 NEW GLASGOW P.E.I.CANADA at age 83.

v. JANE was born on 23 Jul 1781 LAWPARK KILMALCOLM PARISH RENFREWSHIRE SCOTLAND. She was christened on 24 Jul 1781 Kilmalcolm Parish, Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire, Scotland. More recent evidence indicates she married James Kirkwood in 1802 but is named Jean in the data we have on that connection

vi. ROBERT was born on 19 Jan 1786 LAWPARK KILMACOLM PARISH RENFREW SCOT. He was christened on 22 Jan 1786 Kilmalcolm Parish, Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He married Jannet CRAWFORD on 10 May 1804 RENFREW KILMACOLM SCOT. He died on 28 Jan 1829 ST. ANDREWS N.B. at age 43. He was buried GREENOCK CHURCH ST. ANDREWS N.B.

vii.JANET was born on 6 Dec 1788 LAWPARK KILMALCOLM PARISH RENFREWSHIRE SCOTLAND. She was christened on 21 Dec 1788 Kilmalcolm Parish, Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

viii. ALEXANDER was born on 8 Aug 1791 LAWPARK KILMALCOLM PARISH RENFREWSHIRE SCOTLAND. He was christened on 14 Aug 1791 Kilmalcolm Parish, Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

The offspring of Elder John and Margaret

i. CHARLES was born on 28 Jan 1802 PAISLEY SCOTLAND. He married Mary MACKAY. He married Mary Jane ORR, daughter of Robert ORR and Hardridge SCOT, in 1827. He died on 17 Jan 1890 at age 87. He was employed as FARMER & MINISTER.

ii. CATHERINE A. was born on 28 Feb 1804. She married James DICKIESON in 1820. She died on 6 Jan 1877 at age 72. She was buried NEW GLASGOW P.E.I.CEMETERY.

iii. JOHN was born in 1805. He married Margaret SIMPSON, daughter of William SIMPSON and Mary MILLAR SIMPSON. He married Elizabeth Jane HOUSTON, daughter of James HOUSTON and Janet MILLAR, circa 1828 P.E.I. He died in 1891 NEW GLASGOW P.E.I.CANADA. He was buried NEW GLASGOW CEMETERY. He was employed as FARMER.

iv. ANDREW was born in 1807 Scotland. He married Elizabeth CRAWFORD. He married Margaret HOUSTON, daughter of James HOUSTON and Janet MILLAR, on 24 Mar 1832 New Glasgow, PEI. He died on 3 Nov 1895 Fredericton, Queens, Prince Edward Island, Canada. He was buried in 1895 New Glasgow Cemetery, New Glasgow, Queens, Prince Edward Island, Canada. He was employed as FARMER.

v. WILLIAM was born in 1810. He married Grace HOUSTON, daughter of James HOUSTON and Janet MILLAR, circa 1830. He married Ann MACPHEE on 5 Apr 1851. He died 28 OCT.1900 AT 90 YRS. FREDERICTON P.E.I. He was buried NEW GLASGOW CEMETERY. He was employed as FARMER.

vi. MARGARET was born circa 1812 Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland. She married James HOUSTON, son of James HOUSTON and Janet MILLAR, before 1832 New Glasgow, Queens, P.E.I. She died on 29 Dec 1890 New Glasgow, Queens, P.E.I. She was buried NEW GLASGOW P.E.I.CEMETERY.

vii. GEORGE was born in 1815. He married Mary Jane PROCTOR, daughter of George PROCTOR and Mary Jane CANTELO, on 7 Dec 1841. He died in 1910 NEW GLASGOW P.E.I. He was buried NEW GLASGOW CEMETERY. He was employed as FARMER.

viii. JANE was born on 28 Aug 1816. She married William James Howard BAGNALL, son of John Richard BAGNALL and Elizabeth Ann CANTELO, on 31 May 1837. She died on 16 Jun 1872 at age 55. She was buried NEW GLASGOW P.E.I.CEMETERY.

ix. JANET was born in 1819. She married Henry B. SIMPSON on 21 Dec 1837. She died on 8 Mar 1880 LIVED AT CAVENDISH P.E.I. She was buried Malpeque/Princetown Cemetery.

x. ROBERT was born on 28 Jun 1821 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. He married Adelaide CRASWELL on 17 Jun 1849. He died on 7 Dec 1903 at age 82. He was buried NEW GLASGOW CEMETERY.

xi. MARTHA was born on 11 Feb 1824. She married George Samuel Whitehouse BAGNALL, son of John Richard BAGNALL and Elizabeth Ann CANTELO, on 7 Dec 1841. She died in 1907.

xii. AGNES was born in 1826 NEW GLASGOW P.E.I. She married Samuel WORTH in May 1844. She died on 15 Jul 1911 WORCHESTER MASS. She was buried on 18 Jul 1911 Hope Cemetery, Lot 6459, Section 51, Worchester, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

OTHER TIDBITS
Charles fathered at age 68 (2nd wife).
In the database, there are 33 Roberts, 27 Williams, 23 Johns, and 21 Margarets.
That there are so many of us can be attributed to the great start provided by the first two generations; John and Margaret's 12 children brought forth 129 offspring according to our database . It was also remarkable for that day and age that all 12 children survived to parenthood (one source reports a child died in infancy). The fact that 3 of the daughters had passed on by the time the picture of the 6 brothers was taken probably testifies to the effects of bearing so many children. The following shows the productivity of the children and their descendants::first figure is the number of children and second the number of pages of descendants in the database (too big a job to count the actual numbers of people ( a page =about 40-45 names)

Six Brothers
Many of the decendants of Elder John are familiar with the picture of the 6 sons.

The following legend appeared in The Weekly Examiner and Island Argus  Friday August 26, 1887   

                   A very remarkable group was yesterday photographed at Thomas Cook's Gallery, Queen St.  It consisted of six brothers, whose united ages amounted to 465 years, or an average of 77 ˝ years each, as follows:
 

JOHN, MARGARET, AND THEIR MONUMENT
This is a photo of Elder John, obtained from John Lawrence Stevenson.

And another of him obtained from Donald Stevenson

And a photo of Margaret, also from Donald Stevenson

Their tombstone, is one of the more prominent in the New Glasgow cemetery .

The following legend appears on the tombstone:
Sacred In the Memory of Elder John Stevenson Died May 9, 1862 AE.84
Margaret Nisbet His beloved Wife Died July 18, 1852 AET 71
They were natives of Scotland and emigrated to this Island and settled at New Glasgow in May 1820, after which he began to teach the people the word of God and preach the gospel which resulted in turning many precious to the Saviour and the formation of the Church of Christ in this place in which he was a faithful and efficient elder from 1837 until full of days and gradually ripening for the change he was peacefully called to be with Christ.

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth, yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them.

This monument has been erected by their descendants as a testimony of their remembrance of the kind words and loving precepts that they inculcated.

(Legends on side of stone)

Tossed no more on Life's rough billows
All the storms of sorrow fled
Death hath found a quiet pillow
For the aged christians' heads
Peaceful slumbers guarding now
Their lowly beds. O may we be reunited
To the spirits of the just
Leaving all that sin has blighted
With corruption in the dust
Hear us Jesus
Thou art our Lord, our life, our trust.

A photo of four generations starting with Elder John's son George.

Baby - Charles Stuart Stevenson - 1906-1974.
Sitting on ground, his father, James Henry Stevenson - 1876-1942.
Holding baby, his father, Charles Augustus Stevenson - 1851-1935.
To Charles Augustus' left, son of Elder John, George William Stevenson - 1815-1910

Life stories

(1) A letter from Elder John's mother, Margaret Anderson, written in Scotland to her son Robert, who had emigrated to New Brunswick.
Margaret Anderson Stevenson to son, Robert, 1823

(2) A story written by Margaret Gregor. This file also contains some obituaries and other items from the past of New Glasgow.
New Glasgow Bits and Pieces - Notes, Memoirs, and Diaries from New Glasgow

(3) Margaret Bagnall, Elder John's granddaughter, who went with her family to New Zealand, wrote an extensive memoir. Excerpts from that memoir that deal with the Stevensons can be seen in Margaret Bagnall's Memoirs.

(4) Robert Stevenson, brother of Elder John, emigrated to New Brunswick. His son Alexander wrote this account of the family's emigration.
The Emigration of Robert Stevenson

(5)This is a letter found in the Prince Edward Island archives by Dora Brown and passed onto John Lawrence Stevenson in 1984. It is from Richard Everett Stevenson to his cousin Louise on July 12, 1930. It was typed by J.L. Stevenson on August 23, 2000. It introduces a new idea:The French Connection
Letter from Richard Everett Stevenson

(6) Two books contain some family stories and data: INFO IN BOOKS

(7) I remember being at Charles Dickieson's 100th birthday party. In 1920, Mr. Dickieson wrote some memoirs of the early days in New Glasgow which can be viewed on the PEI Registry
New Glasgow as it was a Hundred Years Ago

COMMENTS
It is not surprising that there may be some conflicts between stories written down so long ago. Margaret Bagnall's writeup says John was born "in the Kyles of Bute", which, according to the map, is a strait between the Island of Bute and the mainland. A family group record on the family search web page shows John born in Paisley, but christened in Kilmalcolm. The remainder of his siblings are shown as born in Kilmalcolm.
Then there is the question, did they live at Rustico for 3 years, and if so, where? Perhaps someone among you may have more on that subject.
Note the tendency to name a child after one that died,e.g. John's brother William. Similarly, my grandfather George was the second of his name in the family.

Relevant Links

2. Alan and Norma Falconer's web site deals with the genealogy of several families with PEI links, and the Stevensons are there because Norma is a descendant of Margaret Nisbet's brother , George, who came to New Glasgow with John, Margaret, and her mother.

3.Bill and Margy Day's website is of interest as Bill is a descendant of Elder John by way of Edgar Stevenson who migrated to "the Boston states".

4. On Ancestry.com, a Stevenson message board

5. A Stevenson genealogical forum

6. This item about the origin of the Stevenson surname comes from a Stevenson website which is mainly about descendants of some Stevensons who came to the USA before our ancestors came to PEI. Although they came from Renfrewshire as well, I could see no connection with our line. You can view their website here.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The family information came from a database provided by John Lawrence Stevenson, and based on research by him , Dorothy MacDonald, and Dora Brown. The database contains almost 5000 descendants of John and Margaret and no doubt there are many of the younger generations who are not included.

The Stevenson coat of arms and motto were provided by Rev. Donald Stevenson

The picture of Elder John's tombstone was taken by Barry Dickieson. A Dickieson reunion is planned for PEI in July 2005. More information can be obtained at The Dickieson Reunionor email Barry Dickieson

The photo of 4 generations comes from Rev. James Stevenson.

The writeup by Robert Stevenson was furnished by his descendant George Stevenson of St. Stephen, N.B.

Lastly, if you want to know much more about PEI lineages and history , visit the excellent web site organized and run by David HunterThe PEI Registry
and thanks to Dave for letting us link to Life story items (1) , (2), and (7) and link #1 on the registry.

P.S: By way of identification, I am Allison Stevenson, (the male version), and my lineage is:
Elder John/George/George/Herbert/Allison,
as well as Elder John/John/Anne(Smith)/Maude/Herbert/Allison.

Contacts

We are developing a mailing list. Questions about the family genealogy, comments, news items, etc. can be sent to Elder John's List, (put "Elder John's List" or EJL in the subject line) , and it will be forwarded to all of the members on the list . From time to time, a newsletter may be sent. Anyone wishing to be included on the list can send a message to the list as described above. If you would like a list of those members , I can send it by email. Any of my contacts who do not wish to appear on such a list, please let me know.
Remember, not all of Elder John's decendants are Stevenson's and those by any other name are just as much a part of his family.
I do not intend to put the family tree on this site, but I can send a text file by email of the descendants of whichever of John's children the requester is descended from.
I would also be pleased if, after seeing your print out, you would be willing to add new information to fatten the databse
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