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The HENDERSON family of
Annapolis Royal
by Donna Lee Butler, genealogist, Clan
Henderson Society of Canada
In the spring of
1818, Andrew Henderson, his pregnant wife Susanna Slack and their two year old
son George landed in Saint John, New Brunswick. A short week later, Andrew
buried his newborn son in the Loyalist Burial Grounds in Saint John. For the
next two years he worked in various capacities in the communities along the
Saint John River. During this time the family grew to include a daughter, Susan
Ann.
In the autumn of 1820, he was
invited to come to Clarence, Annapolis County, to teach. Six years later he
moved to Bridgetown where he continued to work as a teacher. He was also
instrumental in building the local Methodist congregation as a Sunday School
teacher. During this time the family grew to include Eliza; Merribah, who died
an infant; and William Kerr.
About 1830 the family moved to
Annapolis Royal. Andrew was not enamoured of the curriculum being taught in the
schools here, so he opened his own, Albion Vale, on the present golf course
property. Today, if you look closely at the hole nearest the Dugway Road, you
can see the imprint of the foundation of one of the school's buildings. While
here, the family added Thomas DeBrisay, Sarah Jane, Richard Williams, Rebecca,
Fanny Lavinia, Mary Victoria and Martin Gay Black. His older children, George,
Susan, Eliza and William, helped him teach at the school.
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Andrew Henderson
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When Andrew gave up the school,
he moved into Annapolis Royal and operated a store. He was involved in the
community as a Post Master, Justice of the Peace and served on the Grand and
Petite Juries. He continued to be very involved with the Methodist Church,
acting as host to numerous circuit preachers.
His children married into several
of the area's families. George married Mary Ann Hardwick. Susan married George
Hardwick and their family includes members of the Pickup family of Granville
Ferry. Eliza married Thomas Holland of Wilmot, to whom were born seven
children. William Kerr's first wife was Sarah Ann Barteaux and they had two
children, George Andrew, who became a Judge in Saint John, New Brunswick, and
Sarah Annie. Kerr had four more children with his second wife, Jane Henderson
of Saint John. Thomas DeBrisay married Fannie Louise Weldon of Dorchester, New
Brunswick, and had a family of five. Sarah Jane married Robert Hannah. They had
seven children. Mary Victoire married Dr. Alfred Dean Smith and had four
children.
Andrew was a prolific writer,
keeping a daily journal of events throughout his life. In one of his remaining
journals he tells of reading every page of each journal, remembering the
occasion, and then carefully burning them. Fortunately for us, some twenty-six
journals remain in the family with his great-great-grandson, Rev. George
MacLean of Pleasantville, near Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. Andrew kept a daily
record of his health, his family, activities in and about Annapolis, and an
account of the Church happenings. From his journals we glean genealogical
information on his own family and other members of the community. Thanks to
these journals we can step back into the years 1850 to 1868 and envision Andrew
Henderson's daily life in Annapolis Royal. Copies of these journals are kept at
the AHS Genealogical Centre in the O'Dell House Museum.
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