James Lockhart, III

James Lockhart Junior- 1751-1800

Added by alockhart

James Lockhart Junior was born in the New England Colonies, America in 1751. As already mentioned his father moved the family north to Horton, Nova Scotia in 1761, fifteen years before the start of the American Revolution. Young James was 10 years old at the time of the move. He grew to adulthood there and eventually met and married Miriam Marjorie Knowlton on Sept 5 1771 in Onslo, Nova Scotia. Our Knowlton ancestors were also part of the wave of New England settlers that were encouraged to move north to Nova Scotia around 1760. By 1780 James Lockhart was an Innkeeper in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Settlement of the area around Windsor, by settlers of British descent, began in 1749. Fort Edward was an area selected for English speaking immigrants and the Fort Edward Blockhouse was built in 1750 (this is the last original blockhouse in Canada that is still standing.) It was a main assembly point in the Acadian deportation of 1775. Windsor was known as Fort Edwards before it became an actual town. In 1764 the Township of Windsor was created and it was in Windsor that James Lockhart would open an Inn. It is most likely that up until his early thirties James made his living as an Innkeeper in Windsor. By 1884-85 he had turned his hand to farming. Settlers in the early days of Nova Scotia traveled between communities by boat: roads were almost unknown. There was a barely passable road from Halifax to Windsor that branched off to Truro, and Halifax to Annapolis, but that was it. It was along this road that James Lockhart purchased a 300-acre farm on June 10, 1784 from a Halifax merchant, George McCree. James resold the farm he purchased on the road to Windsor within two years of acquiring it. Perhaps because he found travel over land in Nova Scotia near to impossible as the few roads that did exist were barely passable unless by horse or the stoutest of wagons pulled by oxen. Most roads were little more than rutted muck tracts unsuitable for any four-wheeled carriages and scarcely passable for those with two wheels. All settlements except for those along these few roads were located on the edge of water. Eventually, there was a packet ship, which sailed between Windsor and Parrsboro twice a week. This vessel transported passengers, livestock and supplies. As previously mentioned it was James’ older brother John who would own and run this ferry in partnership with Jacob Bacon. Jacob Bacon was married to James and John’s sister Mary. In 1776 John Lockhart and his brother-in-law Jacob Bacon were granted 2000 acres of land on the Chignecto River to Messrs Avery, on the condition that they run a ferry with a craft capable of carrying passengers and cattle between Partridge Island (Parrsboro) and Windsor. This arrangement for a ferry was to meet the demands of a considerable settlement at Parrsboro and also made it possible for the Lockhart families to stay in close contact with one another. Our Great Great ++ Uncle John Lockhart also became a preacher of sorts and was known for his enthusiastic sermons. In the early 1800’s there was a Wesleyan revival in the Lakelands area, just north of Parrsboro and John was among the first converts. The revival resulted in the construction of a little chapel at Crossroads, about 2 miles from Parrsboro. John Lockhart was a trustee of this church and a stained glass memorial window was placed in his memory in 1897. The inscription reads ‘To the Glory of God and in Memory of John Lockhart who died Aug 7 1871, age of 84 years’. John Lockhart was killed when he was thrown from his carriage and hit his head on a rock. John was described as naturally even tempered, well balanced, a man of good common sense, he became a power for good in his day and generation. Cumberland County was his parish. While I was visiting my Levy relatives in Parrsboro this summer I also discovered a large stained glass window in the church in Parrsboro, which is also dedicated to John Lockhart. Incorporated into the window are the words “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever to the glory of god and in memory of John Lockhart who died Aug 7 1871-aged 84 yrs.” His children, grandchildren and his great grandchildren placed this window in the ‘New Church at Parrsboro Village’. The pastor of the church told the family ‘Even if your relatives do not get the window, I feel sure that I could collect enough to get it from people on the circuit who would be glad thus, to honour his memory.’

James and Miriam moved their family from the Windsor area to Parrsboro in 1786 where he joined his older brother John who was already well established there.

James bought 500 acres for 29 pounds from his father-in-law Captain Daniel Knowlton. Later that same year he sold some of this property. He then took up farming again and on July 12 1786 he was given a mark for his cattle, namely ‘a half crop off of the left ear with a slit in the same’. He was also appointed ‘fence viewer’ for Parrsboro.The children of James Lockhart who stayed in Horton and Newport were farmers and the children who moved to Parrsboro turned to lumber. The rapidly expanding communities needed lumber and the shipping industry was booming.

James died in Parrsboro in 1800 at the age of 49. His wife Miriam was left with six children between the ages of 5-13, and three grown children between the ages of 16-25. Timothy was the oldest at 25 but he had already been married for 7 years and had several children of his own and was living in Sackville. Eventually, one son and three daughters of James and Miriam married into the Edward Barker family. However, after James passed life must have been very hard for widowed Miriam Lockhart.

Source: Vol. 9 #2251

June 10 1784 James bought a 300 acre farm on the road between Windsor and Halifax which he sold Oct 10 1786. He and Margery then moved to Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. In 1786 he bought 500 acre farm from his father-in-law Captain Daniel Knowlton. Later that same year he sold part of the property and took up farming, he was given a mark for his cattle in July 12 1786. At the court of sessions held in Horton Oct 16th 1812 he was appointed "fence viewer" for Parrsboro (then a part of King's County). At least 5 children of James and Margery married into the Edward Barker Family. See parents of Mary Barker who married Thomas son of James and Margery. The Lockharts who moved to Parrsboro turned to lumbering. The rapidly expanding communities needed lumber and the shipbuilding industry was booming. Five of James' sons jointly owned a lumber mill and large tracts of woodlands near Crossroads.

Family Members
Parents
James Lockhart
1700–1789

Rebecca Mitchener Lockhart
1705 – unknown

Spouse
Miriam Margery Knowlton Lockhart
1750–1800

Children

Miriam Lockhart Tupper
1790–1851

Daniel Lockhart
1791–1853

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/203988232/james-lockhart