James Lockhart, II

James Lockhart Senior -born early 1700's

Added by alockhart

James Lockhart was born in Northern Ireland some time around 1700 and grew to adulthood there.

How did a Scottish family end up in Northern Ireland?

In the early 1600’s the English encouraged Scottish Protestants (who were loyal to England) to immigrate to Northern Ireland. This was to dilute and replace the population of native Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland. This is when our branch of the Lockhart’s left Scotland for Ireland and things went very well until late into the 1600’s. Then fortune changed and Catholics and Protestants alike were denied religious freedom, ownership rights, voting rights, and access to educational opportunities. Protestants were particularly hard hit with an almost complete reversal of their fortunes in less than 100 years. By the early 1700’s the situation was so bad that both Protestants and Catholics began emigrating from Northern Ireland.

James Lockhart left Northern Ireland and settled in the New England Colonies in America, where he married Rebecca Michener. Several of his children were born in the Colonies. James and Rebecca had 10 children together.

On May 29th 1761 he moved his wife Rebecca and their children to Horton, Nova Scotia. It was a good time to immigrate. The Indians had signed a treaty in Halifax in 1760 and the threat of Indian raids on the English communities ended. Prior to 1760 Indian raids were common in and around Halifax, Dartmouth and Lunenburg. The Indians had sided with the French so the Acadian settlers were rarely victims of these attacks. After the British expelled the Acadians their lands became available for new immigrants loyal to the British crown. To help matters by 1760 the best farming lands in the New England Colonies had been taken up. In Nova Scotia after the French speaking populations had been expelled the British were eager to attract English-speaking settlers.  In 1758, Governor Charles Lawrence issued a proclamation to the people of the New England Colonies inviting them to settle the fertile Nova Scotia farmlands left vacant after the expulsion of the Acadians. This would be Canada’s first major group of English speaking immigrants. Between 1768-1800, approximately 8000 New Englanders, known as the ‘Planters” had made the move. This wave of Yankee citizens actually created a majority of Americans in Nova Scotia at the time of the American Revolution in 1776. Only the British Navel base in Halifax prevented Nova Scotia (known as America’s 14th state at the time) from signing the Declaration of Independence, which would have ended British rule in North America. Of coarse the raiding and burning of communities along the coast of Nova Scotia by American Privateers during the America Revolution didn’t do anything to endear the citizens of Nova Scotia to the American cause even though many of them had started out in the New England Colonies. In the first year immediately following the end of the American Revolution the population of Nova Scotia would double as a wave of Yankee citizens loyal to the British Crown moved North to Canada.

The agreement made with James Lockhart and the other settlers who came to the area to be known as Kings County around 1760 was as follows. Between 150-200 families would come to settle the area. The government would pay to transport them by ship (there were no roads). Each settler would be allowed to bring, at his expense, “stock tools, building materials, and household goods up to a weight of two tons”. These new settlers, except for the paid transportation and the free land, would cover all other costs. This free land was granted according to the grantee’s ability to enclose and cultivate it. Every head of a family was entitled to receive 100 acres of wild land for himself and an additional 50 acres for each member of his household. To prevent speculation, no person could receive more than 1000 acres. No quit rent (property tax) would be charged for the first 10 years: after that it would be one shilling for each fifty acres. The settler would be required to plant, cultivate, and improve one-third of his holdings each decade until all was under cultivation. James Lockhart was granted 500 acres of land and his oldest son John, who was aged 16 year, received a grant of 250 acres. The lots, as determined by ‘luck of the draw’ were scattered through out the township and an effort was made to divide up the different parcels of land according to land type. Therefore the grants were often made up of parcels of land located in different areas so that each settler was given a share of upland, meadow and marsh consequently their was an immediate selling-buying or trading of properties in order to consolidate one’s holdings within traveling distance. Deed records show that James Lockhart conducted several land transactions at this time. On July 2 1767, James sold 4 acres of dyke land; in 1768 he sold 20 acres of farmland on which his farmhouse stood as well as 10 acres on the Gaspereau.

James died in 1789 and his will of November 23, 1789 was probated on Dec 26, 1789 and is on file in the Kentville Court House. Rebecca predeceased him and he appears to have remarried (Abigail) as his last child Rebecca (born 1772) was from this union.

Besides his wife, all of his children received bequests; James 10 pounds, Daniel 200 acres of land, Alexander 10 pounds, David 50 acres, Mary 10 pounds, Grace 10 pounds, and Miriam 10 pounds. His second wife Abigail died in 1813 at the age of 65.

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Source: Vol. 9 #2251

James brought his wife, Rebecca, and five children to Horton. On May 29th 1761 he was granted 500 acres of land. His oldest son aged 16 received a grant of half this amount. The grants were made up of parcels in different areas. Deed records show that there were several transactions before he moved to Newport Township.

James Lockhart settled in Horton Township in 1760. He probably came from Ireland. This is based on the following information. In 1897 Annie Leake Tuttle wrote: "Aunt Bennet, who is probabley as old a member of the family as any now living, says she remembers hearing her grandparents, James and Margery, talk of the North of Ireland as being the place from which the Lockharts came to some part of the New England Colonies and from there to Horton". Quoted from "Lockhart Families of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick" by Douglas Eaton Eagles", Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, November 15th 1984.

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James Lockhart
BIRTH
1700
Northern Ireland
DEATH
1789 (aged 88–89)
Lockhartville, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada
BURIAL
Lockhartville Cemetery
Lockhartville, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada
MEMORIAL ID
203988173 · View Source
MEMORIAL
PHOTOS 0
FLOWERS 0
James brought his wife, Rebecca, and five children to Horton. On May 29th 1761 he was granted 500 acres of land. His oldest son aged 16 received a grant of half this amount. The grants were made up of parcels in different areas. Deed records show that there were several transactions before he moved to Newport Township.

James Lockhart settled in Horton Township in 1760. He probably came from Ireland. This is based on the following information. In 1897 Annie Leake Tuttle wrote: "Aunt Bennet, who is probabley as old a member of the family as any now living, says she remembers hearing her grandparents, James and Margery, talk of the North of Ireland as being the place from which the Lockharts came to some part of the New England Colonies and from there to Horton". Quoted from "Lockhart Families of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick" by Douglas Eaton Eagles", Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, November 15th 1984.

Death: Dec 1789 in Horton, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada 1
Name: James Lockhart
Sex: M
Birth: 1700 in Northern Ireland
Probate: 26 DEC 1789 Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada
Will: 23 Nov 1789 Newport, Nova Scotia, Canada
Occupation: Yeoman (weaver)
Birth: in Ireland

Probate: 26 DEC 1789 Kentville, NS
Note:
Executors: Jacob Bacon, son-in-law, and Daniel Lockhart.
Bequests to his wife, Abigail and children:
James £10; Daniel 200 acres of land; Alexander £10; David 50 acres;eldest daughter Mary Bacon £10; daughter Grace Upham £10; daughterMiriam Crane £10.
Will: 23 NOV 1789 Newport, NS

Family Members
Spouse
Rebecca Mitchener Lockhart
1705 – unknown

Children
James Lockhart
1751–1800

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/203988173/james-lockhart