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Note: HI31775
Note: (Research):About 1865, brother's Charles, James and Richard McMillan moved east from Dalhousie Township in Lanark County, Ontario to Lot 5, Prince County, Prince Edward Island. One of the things that I find puzzling is the direction they traveled from Ontario. At least for farmers, no one during that period in the United States moved east to start a new life, all opportunities were found in the west. I think some of the reasons for their decision to move east rather than west can be found in Duncan Campbell's History of Prince Edward Island.
Some of the original land grantees in Prince Edward island deliberately disregarded the conditions that allowed them to obtain the land. The conditions required that townships be settled. Because the proprietors could get what they pleased from the British government and because the representative government for the people was weak and ineffectual the terms of the grants were not complied with. Moreover, only 10 of 48 townships were settled during the first 10 years of the terms. This was a flagrant breach of faith with the settlers who were enticed to leave their mother countries never knowing that the guarantees made would be violated. This setup a leasehold tenure system rather than a freehold system of land ownership that existed on the island for nearly 100 years.
In 1860 a Commission was formed to investigate the grievances and settle the differences between the landlords and tenants. Legislation was proposed beginning in the middle 1860's by the Government of Prince Edward Island; however, the land question probably was not settled until the Land Purchase Act of 1875. These policies allowed tenants to purchase their lands and opened over a million new acres for settlement. It may have been this that attracted the sons of George and Margaret McMillan to PEI.
Source: History of Prince Edward Island, by Duncan Campbell, Bremner Brothers, Charlottetown, PEI, 1875.
"Prior to the erection of a church the people of this area were members of the Presbyterian congregation in Alberton. With the country in the early stages of development, and with primitive roads and means of transportation, it was no small undertaking for these people to travel so far each Sunday to attend divine worship, but difficulties did not keep them from the House of God.
About 1876 the people felt they could build a Church of their own and began to make plans for its erection. "On March 1, 1876 a committee met to consider the best way of getting material and to appoint officers."
Members of the area gave generously of their substance and their labor. The subscription list of July 4, 1882 contains the following names: . . .Mr. Charles McMillan. . .Mr. James McMillan. . ." Source: Pp. 13-14, The History of the Presbyterian-United Church in Bloomfield, P.E.I., 1883-1969, by Ruth McAusland
Charles McMillan is found on the subscription list for the building of the Manse at Bloomfield, P.E.I. Source: p. 20, The History of the Presbyterian-United Church in Bloomfield, P.E.I., 1883-1969, by Ruth McAusland
The Presbyterian Church at Bloomfield was torn down in 1974.
Grave marker shows that he was born in 1839.
Charles was a farmer in Bloomfield, a village located in Lot 5, Prince Co. on the PEI Directory for 1889 and on the 1901 Canadian Census. Source: p. 418, Frederick's Prince Edward Island directory and book of useful information for 1889-90, Charlottetown, P.E.I.: Frederick Pub. Co., 1889, 766 pgs.
From p. 195, Prince County, Prince Edward Island Index of Monumental Inscriptions, Published by the Prince Edward Island Genealogical Society, Inc., Prince Edward Island, Canada, 1998 we find the following McMillan's buried in Lot 6, Number 1, Bloomfield, Charles Fanny Jane John Margaret Ray These appear to be Charles and Jane and some of their children.
There is no microfilm copy of the 1871 Census for Prince Edward Island at the National Archives of Canada. I don't know if they have been destroyed or they just have not been imaged.
The 1891 Canadian Census shows that Charles, a farmer, was born in Ontario and that his parents were both born in Scotland. There is an 80 y.o. woman living in his home who is enumerated as Margaret. She was born in Scotland and is a widow. All family members are Presbyterian.
----- Original Message ----- From: geoffrey.thompson@sbcglobal.net To: rbond007@tnni.net Sent: Friday, June 18, 2004 11:06 PM Subject: Family tree Dear Mr. Bond, I was perusing the McMillan name on Ancestry.com and I came across your gedcom file. I was looking at the family of George and Margaret (Brown) McMillan. George is the son of William and Mary (Wauchope) McMillan. George and Margaret's children have very similar family names to the McMillans I descend from.
I descend from Charles McMillan who moved to PEI about 1866. He was born 9 Jul 1842 (1881 census shows that he was born in Quebec, but the 1901 census shows that he was born in Ontario). He is of Scottish origin and he is Presbyterian. He married Jane Anne of PEI and their children are:
Mary Jane (same name as one of George and Margaret's daughters) William (same name as one of George and Margaret's sons) Margaret Eunice Ann John Edward Susan Minnie Charles L. (same name as one of George and Margaret's sons) Fannie G. George R. Living in Charles' home on the 1881 Census is a Richard McMillan, b. abt 1855 in Quebec, is of Scottish origin and is Presbyterian.
Living next door to Charles on the 1881 Canadian Census is James McMellen (McMillan). He was born abt. 1845 also in Quebec, is of Scottish origin and is Presbyterian. He moved to PEI about 1870. He is married to Marian of PEI and their children are:
Christina (same name as one of George and Margaret's daughters) Margret George Hugh Maud Merriel These three gentlemen, who are probably brothers, Charles (b. 1842 vs. 1843), Richard (b. 1855 vs. 1854) and James (b. 1845 vs. 1846) have nearly identical dates of birth that you have for George and Margaret McMillan's children. Once more, both Charles and James have children named George and Margaret.
My grandmother's mother was a McMillan. My grandmother's name was Marion and I always thought Marion was unusual in that it is more frequently used for gentlemen. Your tree has a Marion (Minnie) McMillan with unknown parents-she may be the daughter of my Charles. Birthdates, again are remarkably similar (1883 vs. 1885).
I thought these similarities were compelling enough to write.
Anyway, I wanted to ask you how you have gone about your Canadian research as so little is available on the internet.
Thanks for your time. Geoffrey A. Thompson ************************************* From: "Elda Culbert" <emculbertsnobird@hotmail.com> To: geoffrey.thompson@sbcglobal.net Subject: Re: McMillan/Bloomfield Date: Tue, 02 May 2006 16:22:05 -0300
Hi Geoff: Just returned from Bloomfield and I have some information for you. The inscription on the monumentis as follows: In Loving Memory of Charles Mc Millan 1839-1925 His Wife Jane Ann McDonald 1846-1924 His Mother Margaret Brown Age 90 Peace perfect Peace On the left side of the monument it reads: Fanny G Aged 17 On the right side of the monument it reads: John Edward Aged 44 A small white stone to the left of the monument reads: Ray W. McMillan May 22-1910 Died Dec. 19, 1910 Child of Leslie & Elizabeth McMillan
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