St. Margarets Pioneer Cemetery Restoration

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McDonald, Alexander Sandy the Squire (Letter)

The following is a letter written by Alexander (Sandy) McDonald Bear River, son of Donald McDonald, Tracadie.

St. Margaret's Sept 15th, 1840.

Dear Son and Daughters.

I would not trouble you with this Tirade just now until I would hear from you as we received no letters from you since the one you wrote me after your arrival home from the Island, and another letter Roderick got shortly afterward, only I know that you would be uneasy to hear of what success Roderick had in launching his new vessel. She was launched in stile( sic) last Friday morning, without any difficulty, only he had to wait several days for a suitable tide to launch her.

She was full rigged on the stocks and was under sail in about two hours after she was launched with a cant............at each topmost head. She is a beauty and she is 126 years old measurement Roderick refused £600 cash down for the hull of her about three weeks ago. She is at present in Rollo Bay harbour until she will be ready to load for N.F.L. I expect you have received your brother John's letter before now, in which you can see the sudden death of little Joe, Roderick's son

I expect you won't believe we had the pleasure of meeting Major-General Sir James McDonell at St Margaret's And Captain(sic) R.C. McDonald last week. They came on a visit to the Rev. John McDonald. All the old Hilanders (sic) from St. Peter's Bay met at St. Maragret's to see Sir James and his nice(sic), Roderick's lady. They were highly pleased. The General gave them plenty of brandy to drink, and Captin(sic) Roderick's Lady treated the old men with Tobacco out of her own hand and assured them that they aught to be very happy in this country.

A Highland piper attended and some of them danced out on the green at the end of the house, which gave the Visitors much pleasure. Next day (Friday) Sir James and his Nice returned And Rev. Mr .John and myself accompanied them as far as Mr. Worrell's house, when Captin(sic) R.C. McDonald was to meet them, also a number of the Kings County Regiment of Militia. Captin R.C. McDonald was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of that Regiment of Militia Since he came to the Island in place of the Honorable Charles Worrell, who resigned.

Captain McDonald seems to be proud of his new title, and made the Regiment a present of a splendit cullers( sic) Which was exhibited at the same time. He treated the people with as much spirits as they could drink. Captin McDonald is a very kind man. He inquired about all his friends. He told me to communicate his kind compliments to you and Mrs. McLellan. he and his lady is returning to Bermudas immediately. He expects that the Regiment will be moved to Halifax next summer, when he will have more time to spend to see his friends.

Ronald McDonald, Pisquet(sic ), Allan's son was here about two weeks ago. He desired to communicate his best respects to you all and particularly to Anny. My son John and John Ronald is getting on the new Barn. He gave Roderick a help to rigg(sic) the new vessel and is likely would go Captin of her only Roderick had engaged Frasor for the purpose before John came home. I know Roderick had a wish to write you when the vessel would be launched but he had but little time to do anything but the vessel itself.

I was told just now that old Mrs. McDonald, Ranald's wife, Big Cape, died last night She was very weak for some weeks past A message came to the Rev. John McDonald yesterday from Sir James McDonald requesting him to accompany...........to Halifax and to the United States...............here last evening for Charlottetown............He don't expect to be back before the fIrst of..........Your sister Mary is very anxious to hear..........James McDonald, Donald's son at the Lake went to Quebec to the colledge(sic ) last week.........I must stop giving you any farther news for want of space. Your mother, Mary, and Kitty, as also all your brothers, joins me in sending you and Mrs. McLellan our warmest love and respects, not forgetting Anny and our little grandson also to your brother and all other inquiring friends,

Your affectionate father,

Alexander McDonald

We are the chosen

This expresses what so many of us feel.

We are the chosen. In each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and approve. Doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the storytellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We have been called, as it were, by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us, "Tell our story!" So, we do.

In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told the ancestors, "You have a wonderful family; you would be proud of us." How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I cannot say.

It goes beyond just documenting facts. We do not judge our ancestors as we did not walk in their shoes, we are here to report facts and that is all. It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I do. It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and indifference and saying, "I can't let this happen." The bones here are bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish, how they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life fortheir family.

It goes to deep pride that the fathers fought and some died to make and keep us a Nation. It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us. It is of equal pride and love that our mothers struggled to give us birth. Without them we could not exist, and so we love each one, as far back as we can reach. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So, we do.

With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are they and they are the sum of who we are. So, as a scribe called, I tell the story of my family. It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take my place in the long line of family storytellers.

That is why I do my family genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and restore the memory or greet those whom we had never known before.