My Family Tree

Alexander McArthur was born on Prince Edward Island around 1819, according to census records and his gravestone. The book Climbing the Hill says he was the eldest son of Hugh McArthur, who settled in the Port Hill area in 1811, and his wife Margaret, but if he was from this family, he would have been the son of Hugh and his first wife, Nancy Ramsay. One source has Alexander with the middle name Hugh, but there was no middle name - or date of birth - on the baptism record in the Richmond Presbyterian Church in 1820.

There was another Alexander McArthur born around this time, who married Ellen Lee. My reason for placing this Alexander in Hugh's family was based on the obituary of William McArthur, which said that William had bought a property in Enmore, Lot 10, from his half-brother Alexander. The other Alexander McArthur was not in Lot 10. In addition, Alexander and hs wife Elizabeth, not Alexander and Ellen, signed a land agreement with William and his other brothers and sisters, and his step-mother Margaret in 1859.

Nancy Ramsay died when Alexander was very young, and his father had remarried by 1823.

There was considerable traffic between the west coast of the Island and the Miramichi area of New Brunswick when Alexander was growing up, and some members of the McArthur family moved to New Brunswick. Alexander followed them.

An Alexander McArthur from PEI met and married Elizabeth Abbott, daughter of Thomas Abbott and Jane Crawford, in New Brunswick in 1847. (February 2 1847 County Northumberland Place Chatham Newspaper The Gleaner and Northumberland: m. Thursday, by Rev. John McCurdy, Alexander McCARTHUR / Miss Elizabeth ABBOTT both of Newcastle parish.) I was unable to find them in the 1852 New Brunswick census, which is incomplete, and from the places of birth given by their children on later records, Alexander and Elizabeth were living in Prince Edward Island by the early 1850s - their son Alexander said by 1848.

In 1855, Alexander McArthur purchased or leased land from the landlord Seymour in Lot 13, near the Trout River.

In the 1861 census, there were 7 Presbyterians living in lot 13 in the household of Alexander McArthur. Two were born in another British Province (wife Elizabeth Abbott and their son Alex) and 5 on the Island, which means they had returned to the Island by the time of the birth of their daughter Jane Ann in 1854. There had been one birth in the previous year, probably Flora.
One boy under 5 - Albert
One boy between 6-15 Alex
one male between 21-45 Alex Sr.
2 girls under 5 (Elizabeth, Flora)
1 girl 6-15 (Catherine?)
One female between 21-45 - Elizabeth

The name of the daughter born around 1850 is given as Catherine on some family trees, but no records have been found to support this. She did not appear with the family in the 1881 census. However, there was a girl of that age in the 1861 census. Given the gap between the birth of their son Alexander and daughter Jane Ann, I am assuming that there could have been another child who died before 1861. Jane Ann would have been named after her two grandmothers.

1867, 3rd Prince Regiment of Militia, Company No - could be this Alexander McArthur, Lieut, Egmont Bay?

This Alexander McArthur, or his son Alexander, purchased land in Lot 10, on the banks of the Percival River, in 1872. This is the land that was later sold to William McArthur.

The family was living in Lot 13 in 1881, according to the census of that year. Household members were: Alex McArthur 62, Elisabeth McArthur 53, Albert McArthur 25, Margaret McArthur 18, Laura Bell McArthur 16.

Alexander died in 1885: d. Victoria West, P.E.I., 4th inst., Alexander McARTHUR, age 65. Daniel F. Johnson : Volume 62 Number 3218 Rank 152, Date April 13 1885 Saint John Newspaper The Daily Telegraph, from NB Archives website; Alex McArthur April 11 1885 Daily Examiner. "At Victoria West April 4 of inflammation of the lungs Mr. Alex McArthur aged 65."

"Inflamation of the lungs would almost appear to be an epidemic in the country at present...Mr Alexander McArthur of Victoria West also died of the same disease on Saturday after a few day's illness. Shortly after his death, Mrs McArthur was taken ill with the same disease and at the time of writing she lies in a critical condition. Mr McArthur was over 65 years of age and will long be missed in the community". Examiner Wednesday April 8, 1885

Alexander did not leave a will. His widow Elizabeth, with sons Alexander C. and Albert E., petitioned the courts to administer the estate. Children listed were Alexander C., Lot 10; Albert E., Lot 13; Jane Ann Campbell, wife of John Campbell, Lot 14; Elizabeth McKenzie, wife of Donald McKenzie, Lot 13; Flora McLeod, wife of Malcolm McLeod, Lot 13 and Maggie, spinster.

Land Conveyance for 100 acres in Lot 10, in 1872, in PEI Land Conveyance records, vol 96 (932).

Lot 13 to purchase 120 acres in 1879; Deed A7/86, 15/12/85 - Alexander McArthur, now Elizabeth McArthur
Lot 13, to purchase 100 acres in 1877; Deed A7/97 - Alexander McArthur, now Albert E. McArthur

See also the McArthur family trees on the Island Register.