My mother, born February 11, 1824, was the fifth daughter of John and Margaret Stevenson. My father and my mother met when they were very young. His father sent him to New Glasgow to attend to some business with Mr. John Stevenson.He was shown into a room, perhaps the kitchen, where my mother was having her curls brushed by her grandmother, Mrs. Nisbet. At this time, my mother would be about 7 years of age, and my father 6 years older. She was wriggling and wouldn't keep still, and her grandmother said "Be still lassie, or I'll gi'e ye to that laddie", little thinking that ten years later that "laddie" would take the lassie "for keeps". They were married when they were 17 and 23 years old respectively in the year 1841, a double wedding, Mother's brother George being married on the same day. They both went to live in my father's house built on the south bank of the Clyde river. Father's older brother (William) lived on the opposite side of the river as well. Uncle William had married Jane Stevenson, my mother's older sister (several years before my parents were married), and their family consisted of eight daughters and two sons My parents had five sons before they had a daughter.

I think it will be well now to turn back and give you what I know of my mother's people. John Stevenson, her father, was born in the Kyles of Bute. His parents were fairly well to do, and he was sent to Edinburgh University to study and was a paying guest in the house of a Mrs. Nisbet, a widow with one son and one daughter who were wards in chancery. The daughter was only a little girl when grandfather lived with them . Mrs Nisbet was a baptist, and when she found her guest was a christian, she asked him to read the daily chapter and lead them in prayers. As time went on, she used to discuss the chapters with him; with the result that her reading of the word "baptism" as "immersion" set grandfather "searching the scripture" to see whether she were right; and soon he was convinced that adult immersion was the only valid baptism and he was immersed. He had , of course, discussed the matter with his father, a Presbyterian, but could not get his consent, so with a sad heart he did what he felt was his duty. His father was so angry that he refused to pay for his education any longer. So he had preforce to give it up without taking his degree.
He started to work in a Paisley shawl factory and earned his living. When Margaret Nisbet was 16, he and she were married. My mother told me that the first time her mother had a meal out of the nursery was on her wedding day. She was a beautiful girl and became a woman of character. When they had a family of five sons and four daughters, they, with a family of Houstons (the father a silk merchant) and many others left Scotland and went to P.E.I.. At that time there was plenty of land to be had in its primeval state and soon these Scottish folks had prosperous farms. They settled first at Rustico on the coast, but later took up land in New Glasgow, as they named it, and the river runnning through the settlement they named Clyde. Mrs Nisbet and her son accompanied the Stevensons into the new land and they all prospered and lived in happiness together

Grandfather Stevenson, who was a distant cousin of R.L. Stevenson, as soon as possible started services on Sunday in his barn, where the seats were formed by laying planks across barrels and blocks of wood. Here he used to preach to all who came and as it was the only religious service in the little village, all sects attended. Naturally, all did not agree with his teachings on baptism, and one old man used to get up and shout "Tw'll no do John", then sit down so heavily on the plank that he disturbed those sitting near, but he was the first person to be immersed by Grandfather, and was a most loyal member of the church there established, which is still a vigorous church today called the "Church of Christ", New Glasgow. At this time (1848) my grandfather did not know there were any others in the world who were worshipping in the same way as he and his family, but a man from up Tryone, P.E.I. came to New Glasgow, and hearing Grandfather preach, told him there was a Mr. Crawford in the neighbourhood from which he came, Tryone, who was also preaching the doctrine of "No creed but the Bible" and "No name but Christ's". This caused grandfather to start off with the intention seeing and talking with Mr. Crawford. The distance was great, but he walked it and these two godly men had a wonderful time together. Mr Crawford had been for years in correspondence with Alexander Campbell of United States and was subscribing for his monthly paper called "the Millenial Harbinger" He gave grandfather a bundle of these papers to carry back with him, quite a heavy load but treasure indeed to a man who trudged back to New Glasgow. The news of large numbers in the United States and England who were of like faith with them was encouragement and delight to the little church in New Glasgow, and several new names were added to the list of subscribers to "The Millenial Harbinger". This was the kind of man who was our maternal grandfather. We have just cause to rejoice and be thankful for our ancestors who were all godfearing Christians.

There were in 1828, 12 children in John and Margaret Stevenson's family, a son and two daughters having been born in New Glasgow. My mother, being the elder of these daughters, was born in 1824 and her sister Agnes in 1826. All these six sons and six daughters grew up and married and when John Stevenson died of typhoid fever in 1861, he had 132 grandchildren. His wife had passed away several years before. Mrs Nisbet and her son and daughter had been receiving sums of money all the years since her husband's death and when. at last, just before Grandfather Stevenson's death , the case was settled there was just 5 pounds for each of the wards left out of many thousands which had been eaten up by "Chancery Court" expenses. Moral: keep out of chancery!

In August of 1857 , Mother and Father went for at trip to Saint John and St. Andrews N.B., where they visited two brothers of John Stevenson's and their families (she often spoke to me of the fact that there were Robert Louis' among those cousins and that she felt sure that the Robert Louis Stevenson, whose writings were so popular, was a connection of her own. This has proved to be the case by C. Nelson Stevenson, a great grandson of John Stevenson's, who has been compiling a history of the Stevenson family, and while in California, I was told by my cousins that the great Robert Louis Stevenson himself found out the relationship.)

(Editor: The above is the only reference I have ever seen to more than one of Elder John's brothers coming to Canada. The remainder of Ms. Bagnall's narrative deals with the migration to and life in new Zealand . I can arrange for a copy for those interested)