History of the Black's.

Newspaper
Year
1886
Month
7
Day
1
Article Title
History of the Black's.
Author
----
Page Number
1
Article Type
Language
Article Contents
History of the Black's. The public is indebted to Cyrus Black, Esq., of Amherst, for a welcome and valuable addition to local history—a carefully compiled record of the posterity of William Black, who settled in this country in 1775, and also a sketch of 23 English families and some early settlers from New England, who settled at the head of the Bay of Fundy about the same time. From it we learn: William Black was born in Paisley, Scotland, in the year 1727. His father was a public officer, and possessed and independent fortune. His leisure was largely employed in the chase, and he kept a good pick of hounds. Until William was twenty-one years of age he had turned his attention to little else than the recreation of following the hounds. Soon after this he engaged as travelling salesman for a large manufacturing concern. In one of his tours he met an English lady in Huddersfield, England—Elizabeth Stocks—whom he married. About the same time he engaged in the linen and woollen drapery business. By the spelling of the name Stocks, in the will of Thomas Stocks, STOKKS, his sister—Mrs. Black—and her heirs were deprived of twenty thousand pounds of the properly which went to a maiden lady named Stokes, who was a connection of Mrs. Stocks. Mrs. Black's portion was thus reduced to fifteen hundred pounds. Mrs. Black, as well as her husband, moved in the higher circles of fashion and refinement. She was accustomed, to follow the hounds. When she came to Nova Scotia, she brought the scarlet riding habit and the cap the used to wear when engaged in the chase; also dresses of embroidered white satin and other rich and costly materials for which she found but little use in the new country. A few years after his marriage, William Black's mind was drawn toward Nova Scotia, as a most desirable country. Mr. Black (then of Huddersfield, England,) after some careful reflection respecting a removal to America, prudently concluded to see the country before removing his family thither. In accordance with these views he reached Halifax May, 1774, thence came to Cumberland. Here he saw those who had emigrated from New England residing at Amherst, where he purchased an estate, a part of which are the farms now owned by Mr. George Black, his sons, and Mr. Rupert Black. William Black returned to England in the autumn of 1774 and in the following April chartered a vessel in which he brought his family, consisting of his wife, four sons and a daughter. He also brought a nurse girl who married one of the emigrants. He also brought some stock of improved breeds. He was detained at Halifax two weeks when he again embarked for Cumberland. Mrs. Black received some injuries while getting on board the vessel at Hull which are supposed to have hastened her death, which took place about a year after their arrival in America. She was highly esteemed as possessed of an elevated mind and many Christian virtues. Their eldest son, John, was sixteen years old when they arrived in their new home in America. The names of the children of William and Elizabeth Black, who came with their parents from England, are John, William. Richard, Thomas Stocks and Sarah. Mr. Black married a second wife, Elizabeth Abber, by whom he had seven children, namely, Elizabeth, Mary, Nancy, Jane, James, Alexander, Joseph A., and George Mason. After his second marriage he purchased a large estate in Dorchester, New Brunswick, where he lived the latter part of his life with his son Joseph, and where he died in the year 1820 at the advanced age of 93 years. Some of his grand-children now live on portions of the same farm, other portions of it have been sold and gone out of the name. Mr. Black held the Commission of Justice of the Peace for Cumberland, and in 1779 was appointed Judge of the Common Pleas. William Black, Esq., survived his wife several years. He at the age of 88 years, rode on horseback from Dorchester to Amherst, then thirty miles, to visit his sons residing there. He was a remarkably well proportioned man, and retained an erect and dignified bearing to old age. The work is published at the Amherst Gazette office and in typography and binding presents an excellent appearance.