Nova Scotia Scott #9, 2c violet (2c was the county letter rate) on 2 May 1865 cover from Canso to Guysborough, Nova Scotia with backstamps Canso MA 2 1865, and Guysborough MA 2 1865. Addressed to Miss Lititia Hart, Guysborough, Nova Scotia.
Letitia Ann Hart was born on February 12th, 1843, in Guysborough, Nova Scotia, the daughter of Letitia Ann Whitman and William Hart, a successful merchant. This letter was written to her from Canso (where she had many relatives) when she was 22 years old, about a year prior to her marriage to William Frederick DesBarres another successful Guysborough merchant, farmer, and a future Sherriff of Guysborough County. He was the scion of a distinguished Nova Scotia family and son of Nova Scotia Supreme Court Judge William DesBarres. Letitia and William were married in the Wesley Methodist Church (newly built in 1858) in Guysborough on May 24, 1866.
Together they had four children: Frederick William Mallett, Ernest Rupert, Maria "Minnie" Letitia, Aubry Henry Hart, and Harriet Augusta "Gussie".
In 1871, their Guysborough household consisted of: William (44, farmer), Letitia (27), Frederick (4), Ernest (2) and Maria (6/12, born in Sept).
William F DesBarres (55, Sheriff) is on the 1881 census with wife Letitita A (35) and their children; Frederick W (14), Ernest R (12), Maria L (10), and Aubry W (2).
In 1901, their Guysborough household consisted of: William F (75, farmer), Letitita A (58), Maria L (29), Audrey H H (22) and Harriet G (16).
Letitia died, Jan 13, 1915, age 72, in Guysborough town of acute heart failure and acute bronchitis, after a two-week illness. She is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Guysborough.
Letitia's father, William Hart, was the second son of Tyrus Hart and the grandson of Josiah Hart of Wallingford, Connecticut. Among the "Associated Loyalists of Connecticut", Josiah Hart was awarded a grant of land to settle at Manchester Township, Nova Scotia, arriving with his wife and eight children in 1786. Tyrus was one of those young children, having been born in 1773 in Connecticut. Tyrus and his wife, Martha (Ingraham) Hart had 14 children. (Tyrus and his two brothers, Jarius and Irad, had 38 children between them.) Tyrus moved his family to Guysborough and he and his son William went into business. After his father's death in 1828, William and his younger brother Tyrus established a partnership. They carried on a brisk trade in beef to Newfoundland and built a tannery, managed by their brother Joseph, to cure the hides. This led to the establishment of a shoe factory in town. After the firm of William and Tyrus Hart was dissolved, William took up shipbuilding. The brigs Triumph and Superb and the barques Helena and Caroline were launched from his shipyard in Guysborough. William held the offices of Judge of Probate, Registrar of Probate, and Collector of Customs. He was also Justice of the Peace. It is recorded that William and his wife, Letitia Ann Whitman, were always interested and helpful in whatever benefitted their church or the town. He is described as "diligent in business, just and honorable." Hart, Harriet Cunningham, History of the County of Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Mika Pub. Co., Belleville, Ont. 1975.
Letitia's mother was the daughter of, Abraham Whitman of Canso, son of "Deacon" John Whitman, a New England Planter who emigrated to Annapolis Township, Nova Scotia on May 17th, 1760, on the sloop "Charming Molly" with his wife Mercy Foster and their children. They brought 2 oxen, 10 sheep, 1 pig, 4 calves, and 6 lambs with them on the rough journey. They settled on a tract of land at Saw Mill Creek, south of Annapolis and extending to the boundary of Wilmot Township. He died on September 12th, 1763, in Annapolis, and his land was divided among his children.
Abraham was the youngest son of "Deacon" Whitman, born at Annapolis Royal September 10, 1761. The early death of his father and the family's comparatively limited means compelled him to seek his fortune elsewhere. Abraham was of an active and energetic disposition and at an early age started out to make his own living. He first went to Halifax, then to Liverpool, Nova Scotia and finally settled in Chester. There, on March 1st, 1793, he married Hannah Webber, born March 19th, 1769, whose family had recently come from Connecticut. Her father was a mill owner. Abraham worked for a time in shipbuilding, assisted by some Halifax merchants, notably Forman and Grazsie. Looking about for new opportunities, he turned his sights toward Canso, Nova Scotia, through which he had often passed on his voyages on business with trading and lumbering. He was impressed by the facilities of Canso and its opportune location for trade and fishing, and in 1810 he took up large land grants and built for himself a house and store there. He lived at Canso in the summer and returned to Chester in the winter. His business consisted of fitting out vessels and selling the cargoes brought home from the Banks. The War of 1812 brought with it an abundance of privateers, threatening his business and establishments at Canso, and rendering communications extremely dangerous. Abraham decided to move his family to Canso permanently and in December of 1812, he hired a teacher for the children and relocated to this sparsely populated place. At the time, there were only five families in the area. Abraham employed them in his business and as it thrived, so did the town. His business was passed on through his family for over a hundred years, and the population of the town grew to well over a thousand souls during that time.
Abraham died March 14, 1854, at the advanced age of 94, leaving his legacy to his nine children, all but the youngest of whom had been born at Chester: James, Isaac, John, Dorcas, Mercy, Hannah, Letitia, Sarah, and Abraham (Abram).
Abraham followed in the pious footsteps of his father, the Congregationalist "Deacon" John. Despite the general irreligiosity of Canso's settlers, Abraham made sure his family strictly observed "the Sabbath". Since there was no ordained clergyman within thirty miles, he took Saturday evenings off from work to prepare for Sunday services. He set aside a room in his house and invited the whole community to attend worship there. Many did. Soon Mr. David Barss, a Methodist who lived at the Tittle (opposite Durrell's Island) offered his house for a second service on Sunday afternoons. On alternate Sundays the service was in the Tittle in the morning and Canso in the afternoon. Apparently, Mr. Whitman used Watts hymns and Mr. Barss preferred those of Wesley, but the relationship between them was amicable. Published sermons from Congregationalist and Methodist preachers were read aloud. They organized a Sunday School and, since Abraham was musically inclined, a singing school as well. In 1824, A congregational church building was completed between Canso town and the Tittle. Sunday School and worship services were transferred there. Any evangelical preacher visiting Canso was invited to speak.
After the Treaty of Ghent ending the War of 1812, Abraham Whitman ventured into the West Indies trade. After a disastrous first voyage, he met success with the ship The Alligator built in Guysborough by Jairus Hart and commanded by Abraham's son Isaac Whitman. The Alligator made many successful trips to the West Indies and the Azores. Sadly, the ship left St John's, Newfoundland in 1831 with Isaac as captain. He and all the crew were lost on the voyage home.
In the 1830's temperance reform reached Guysborough County and its claims were presented to Abraham Whitman. Like many merchants, importing liquors was a significant part of his trade. Nevertheless, after due consideration, he took the Total Abstinence Pledge and never dealt in liquor again. He died in 1854 at 94 years of age. His business was carried on by his youngest son, Abram N. Whitman.
Hart, Harriet Cunningham, History of the County of Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Mika Pub. Co., Belleville, Ont. 1975.
The DesBarres Family of Nova Scotia
As respectable as Letitia's family of origin was, she was about to marry into an even more prestigious (and sometimes scandalous) Nova Scotia line. The following is an excellent biography of Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres, the great-grandfather of Letitia's future husband, William DesBarres.
William's grandfather, John Frederick William DesBarres was the son of J. F. W. DesBarres and his mistress, Mary Cannon. William married Hélène Melanson.[1]
In 1779, William's sister Amelia, the eldest daughter of DesBarres and Cannon, was boarding in Halifax at Mrs. Deborah Cottnam's school for young ladies, at a guinea per week. This establishment catered to the children of the colonial gentry, and provided an excellent education in everything genteel, from embroidery and French, to "Locke upon inate [sic] ideas". During the same period, William was boarding with the Gibbons family in Halifax, and at school was learning reading, writing, arithmetic and Latin.[2]
Despite the obvious tension created by his father's mistress and wife; Amelia and William joined their father in Cape Breton and remained there until 1787. Where presumably they met DesBarres' wife Martha Williams.[2]
In 1795 DesBarres' agent Captain John MacDonald was told by young William DesBarres that his mother was involved in a flagrant liaison with an Irish labourer who had been employed at Castle Frederick. On at least one occasion, William had fought with the newcomer, whose position nevertheless remained firm in Mary's affections. In disgust and humiliation, her children had either left home or had been forced out, and were then residing at Minudie.[2] MacDonald, on reporting back to the elder DesBarres, stated that William was "very moderate in his expressions...Mary's liaison must be painful to him. He has had little opportunity to be anything of a Scholar. He says the thing he knows best...is farming and is not afraid, if he had a proper farm, of making out as well as any in the Country. Your son says he has no Jealousy: will be Satisfied with whatever you may be pleased to allot to him."[3]
In 1797, J. F. W. DesBarres wrote his daughter Amelia that, until his return to Nova Scotia, she and her brother William were to continue rent collection. The funds were to be forwarded, with regular reports concerning the estates, to Captain MacDonald, who was residing in Prince Edward Island. It seems that instead MacDonald granted Amelia and William full power of attorney, authorizing them to forward all collected rent, as well as bi-annual property reports, directly to DesBarres.[4] Upon William's death in 1800 the full responsibility seems to have fallen to Amelia.[5]
William's father, William Frederick DesBarres, was born about 1800 in Elysian, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. He married Maria Sophia Cutler July 19th, 1825, in Guysborough, Nova Scotia. They had a son, William Frederick, Letitia's future husband, in 1826, a daughter Elisabeth in 1828, a son Lewis Wilkins in 1830, a son Thomas Cutler in 1832, a daughter Maria in 1834, a daughter Caroline in 1836, a daughter Augusta in 1838, a daughter Harriet in 1840. The family's home in Guysborough is now the DesBarres Manor Inn. William Frederick studied law with Lewis Morris Wilkins and Hiram Blanchard, was admitted to the Nova Scotia bar in 1822 and set up practice in Guysborough. In 1830, he was named probate judge for Sydney County. He represented Guysborough County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1836 to 1848 as a Reformer. He served in the province's Executive Council as Solicitor General. He was named to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in 1848 and served until 1881. He died in Halifax.
In the 1838 census is William F. DesBarres, Barrister, was head of a 10 person household counted in the 1838 census in Guysborough Township.
William Des Barres (71) appears on the 1871 census listed as a Judge Sup Court with his wife Maria (71) and daughters; Harriet A (30) and Agusta (28). There are also servants present; Teresa Carson (30) and Kate Cameron (18).
William DesBarres (81) is on the 1881 census listed again as Judge Sup Court with wife Maria (82) and daughters; Harriet (40) and Agusta (38). Two other servants appear; Kate Kelly (19) and Ann Campbell (19).
Sources
↑ Marble, Allan E. Nova Scotians at home and abroad: biographical sketches of over six hundred native born Nova Scotians. Windsor, N.S.: Lancelot Press, 1977
↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Kernaghan, Lois. “A Man and His Mistress: J.F.W. DesBarres and Mary Cannon.” Acadiensis, p. 25 https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/Acadiensis/article/viewFile/11188/11924
↑ MacDonald to DesBarres, 15 November 1795, ibid., pp. 3922-3.
↑ Power of Attorney, MacDonald to Amelia and William DesBarres, Registry of Deeds, vol. D, p. 39, Cumberland County
↑ The Life of Joseph Frederick Wallet Des Barres, John Clarence Webster, privately published, Shediac, 1933 accessed via archive.org
R. J. Morgan, “DesBARRES, JOSEPH FREDERICK WALLET,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 6, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed April 13, 2016, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/desbarres_joseph_frederick_wallet_6E.html
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