Transcribed from:
Pictonians at Home and Abroad
by Rev. James P. MacPhie, M.A.,
1914
Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada
I. The Pioneers of Pictou
THE EARLY SETTLERS OF THE EAST RIVER
The first settlers in Sunny Brae were: Robert McIntosh, Donald Kennedy, James Chisholm, John Grant, Duncan McDonald, John Thompson, John McDonald, Peter Cruikshank and John McGregor. They came to Pictou in 1801 and settled in Sunny Brae in 1802.
Peter Cruikshank was a native of Strathspey, and came to , Pictou in 1789. In 1792 he had two hundred acres of land and a cow. He was married and had Elizabeth, William, John, Alexander, Marjorie and Peter.
A son of Duncan Grant, William M., is a minister in Ontario. William, who settled in Providence, R. I., married Jessie McDougall, a sister of Roderick McDougall of Westville. One of his sons became a physician, another a lawyer, and two daughters are teachers in the Grammar schools, Providence. Marjorie, daughter, of Robert Grant, married Joseph McKay; two of their sons William R. and Robert G., are clergymen. Catherine, a sister of Finlay Grant, married Duncan McPhie, Springville. They had John, Christy, Alexander, Jessie, Margaret, Mary, Angus and Peter. Their youngest son, Peter McPhie, married Isabella Cruikshank. Their two sons, John P. and Duncan A., entered the ministry.
III. Pictonians in the Pulpit
EAST RIVER MINISTERS AND CHURCHES
The East River Congregation was formed into a separate charge, in 1824, with the Rev. Angus McGillivray as its first minister. The West Branch Section was connected with it. In 1853 the church at Springville was built. The Church at Sunny Brae was erected in 1854, and was supplied by Rev. Mr. Blair for several years. In 1866, Rev. A. Maclean Sinclair became pastor of the Springville and Sunny Brae Congregations, and served them for a period of twenty-two years. Rev. John Calder was pastor, 1889-1892. In 1892, James Sinclair was settled as minister. In 1894 the Congregation was divided, Springville and Bridgeville forming a separate charge under Rev. Mr. Sinclair. He resigned in 1910; and in 1911 Rev. E. A. Kirker, B. A. became minister. The Bridgeville Church was built in 1894.
The first regular minister of the Kirk at St. Paul's was Rev. John Macrae, 1827 to 1847. He was succeeded by his son, Rev. D. Macrae. Rev. Simon McGregor was the minister 1860-1869. He was succeeded by Rev. William McMillian in 1875. He continued pastor until 1888. The present St. Paul's church was built in 1855.
The Sunny Brae and St. Paul's congregations were formed into a separate charge in 1894. In 1895 they called Rev. W. P. Archibald who was pastor until 1904. He was followed by the Rev. George A. Sutherland 1904-1911. The present pastor, Rev. D. K. Ross, was inducted Sept. 1912. The first elders of Sunny Brae were Finlay Grant, James McDonald and Duncan McMillian. They had worthy successors in James Cumming, William Ross, John A. McDonald and John Cruikshank. A brother of the latter, D. B. Cruikshank, is now an elder and clerk of the Session.
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