Mary "Mhor" MacNeil (MacLean)

The church records for Barra start in 1805. The family of Charles MacNeil was in Barra between 1805 and 1821 so it is reasonable to assume that they should appear in the church records there. As you pointed out Charles was not that common a name among the MacNeils. Death registrations were kept for Cape Breton from about 1864 to 1877 for all counties of Nova Scotia. Many of the children of Charles and Mary died during this period of time and so their deaths were recorded.

From these records it would seem that Charles' wife was also a MacNeil as she is only referred to as Mary MacNeil in these records.

On Barra there was an Ann MacNeil born to a Charles MacNeil and a Mary MacNeil (See below). The Barra records give the wife's maiden name.I think that she was a daughter of your Charles MacNeil. Charles and Mary had a daughter Christie who married Neil MacInnis on Barra and at the time of this marriage Charles was listed as deceased.

More detailed family breakdown/info via this link: https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/macneil/67/

GEDCOM Note

Mary MacPherson left Barra on the Harmony and landed in Sydney Nova Scotia in 1821.

The earliest record of the MacPherson's settlement at Big Pond was in 1822. In the year Mary MacPherson, age 50, widow, and native of Scotland requested a land grant along St. Andrew's Channel which included the area now known as Big Pond. It appears that Mary arrived in Big Pond with her children Catherine, Angus, John, Mary, Michael, Murdock and Christine. Catherine, was married to Donald Currie before leaving Scotland and settled in Boisdale. From the information that has been available it seems that Mary was formerly a MacNeil from the Isle of Barra who had been married to Neil MacPherson, also of the Isle of Barra.

Five land grants were requested in common at this time and all were granted by 1836. In their petitions Mary MacPherson was granted 200 acres, Roderick MacNeil was granted 184 acres, John MacKinnon was granted 202 acres, John Currie, age 30, native of Scotland was granted 184 acres and Donald MacNeil, age 21 and native of Nova Scotia who had lived in Cape Breton for eight years was granted 208 acres.(These would be the surrounding land grants)

In 1821 land was purchased under the name of John MacNeil, John, No. 32 on the south shore of St. Andrew's Channel, 200 acres. The note on the grant was that he was applying for his mother who was a widow with several small children. Thus connecting Mary MacNeil MacPherson related to Roderick, John and Angus. Catherine was found later. They were all MacNeils.

May 2010
Notes this information was sent to Junior from John Hugh MacNeil (Great grandson of Alex MacNeil) that was sent to him by Debbie MacLean (Middle River)

Alexander (Alex) MacNeil - born 1797 in Barra, Scotland. He died 13th December 1867, at 70 years of age.

(John Hugh MacNeil - notes) - I need to check these connections out closely. There are more children mentioned and this would be the MacNeil side also mentioning a few MacLeans.

My great-grandfather, Alex MacNeil, b. 1797 to Charles MacNeil and Mary (MacLean) MacNeil. Charles died before 1810 in Barra, Scotland. I have a copy of a tax receipt where Charles' widow paid tax on the land she had in 1810 - 1811. Charles' children Alex, John, James, Catherine and Christie moved to CB, NS in 1821. Two of the family stayed in Barra. They were Neil and Murdock.

I was over in Barra last September 2004 and I met Rhoda Campbell, wife of Calum MacNeil. She is a direct Descendant of Neil MacNeil, my great grand uncle. She is my cousin. I am sending some pictures. (I will need to contact Junior for these).

I was born in the house (in the picture). The house was built by John Angus and Alex. They cut the wood with a broadaxe. All the framework, sills, joist posts and rafters were hewed with the axe. All the buildings around this are were built the same way. It was framed around 1895 and two years later it was boarded in and shingled by John R MacLean. My father, John Hector was 12 years old at the time. It burned down in 1978.

Should Junior Alberto MacNeil ever visit CB, he will have many cousins to meet.

John Angus was born in 1874, died 1926 or 1927. He suffered dyspepsia. He was about 52 or 53 years of age.

My daughter is Florence Chaisson. her email address is faschiasson@yahoo.ca.

Alexander married Catherine MacVarish. Born East Bay (CB), NS or PEI. The MacVarish's came to PEI and then moved to East Bay.
Their Children:
John (1833)
Mary (1834)
Elizabeth "Betsy" 1841
Stephen (1841)
Angus (died young)
Michael (died young)
Charles (<1871)

Debbie MacLean is a descendant from John. Flo is a descendant from Stephen.

Stephen MacNeil, born 1841 in Shenacadie, CB, NS on January 23, 1872. Stephen (age 31) married Catherine MacLean, daughter of Hector MacLean (1813) and Flora MacLean (1821), in Boisdale, CB, NS. Catherine MacLean born about 1849 in Boisdale, CB, NS.

They had the following children
Alexander (1873)
John Angus (1874)
Catherine (Katie) (1877)
Flora (March 2, 1879) died in infancy
Charles (April 14, 1876) died in infancy
Mary Ann (1880)
Ellen (1884)
Flora (1887)
John Hector

When Flora (1887) was born, the mother Catherine died during childbirth.

Stephen MacNeil remarried to Margaret (Peggy) MacKinnon. They had more children, but I only found 1 Baptismal Record, James Joseph, born Oct. 1894.

Notes on the Children...

Alexander (Alex) (1873) lived in Wintrop, Mass, he was married and had no children. he died in the US.

John Angus married Mary MacInnis of Castle Bay, CB, NS. Their children were; Frank, Stephen, George, Margaret, Catherine and Eleanor.

Catherine married Angus MacPhee. Their children were; Michael Stephen and Catherine.

Mary Ann Married Dan MacMullin. Their children were; Allen Steve, Joe, Johnnie, Alex, Margaret and Catherine.

Ellen married Rod MacDonald from Castle Bay, CB, NS. They had one adopted son Joe Wise.

Flora married Joe MacMullin (Joe and Dan MacMullin were brothers, and they married 2 sisters) Flora and Joe had 12 children; Catherine, Elizabeth, Margaret, Christie May, Theresa, Mary Ann, Stephanie, Rita, Eileen, Johanna, Michael and Josephine. When Josephine was born Flora died in childbirth in March 1928.

John Hector, b. 4 July 1885, d. 20 March 1078 at 92 yrs. John Hector married Rachael Ann (MacKinnon). They had 8 children; Stephen Joseph, John Hugh, Christina Mary, Margaret Ann, Catherine Rose, Allen Pius, John Alex and Neil Angus. Allen Pius died in infancy; Stephen Joseph was killed in car accident 1965; Margaret died age 61.