My Family Tree

Helen STEWART was born about 1800, daughter of Charles and Barbara Stewart, died on 16 Oct 1889 aged 89, and was buried in Alberton, PE, CAN. Burial Notes: Old Dock Cemeter, newspaper death notices.

Helen married Archibald RAMSAY, son of Malcolm "Moccasin" RAMSAY and Margaret MURPHY in 1828. Archibald was said to be one of 17 children, 8 of whom died young. He died on 26 Oct 1886 aged about 82, and was buried in Alberton, PEI; however he said he was age 85 in the 1881 census, which would give him an earlier birth date.

Archibald and Helen were said to have had 12 children: Malcolm, Charles, Mary, Barbara, Ellen, June, Nellie, John, Donald, Margaret, Charles and James. Burial Notes: Old Dock Cemetery, undocumented family tree. In a letter cited in a local history, James, a younger brother of Archibald said their children were Malcolm, Barbara, Ellen, John and Charles - these may have been their surviving children.

With dates found in various records, their first four children were named after grandparents, Malcolm, born 1832, Mary, Charles and Barbara, and after Malcolm, Archibald and Helen had children every 2 years until 1841. Helen might have had children up until age 47, but she was unlikely to have been the mother of the very young children in the 1861 census.

The 1861 census entry for Archibald Ramsay, a farmer in Lot 4, included a married couple and five single people. There had been 2 births in the previous year (twins?), which seems unlikely for a woman of Helen's age.
1 boy and 1 girl under 5 ?
1 boy between 5-15
1 girl 15-21 (Ellen)
1 woman 21-45 (Mary)
1 woman 45-60 (Helen)
1 male over 60 (Archibald)

Malcolm had probably already left home - he married in the States in 1861. Charles was in New Brunswick in 1861, and if I have the right John Ramsay, he was in the States by 1871, but when he left the Island is unknown.

Archibald (age 85) and Ellen (age 80) were in Lot 4 in the 1881 census.

Royal Gazette Friday August 27, 1869
Note about seizing the property "of the said John Ramsay. All the right. title and interest of the said John Ramsay. in and to Fifty aerosol land. more or less. together with the buildings and improvements thereon, at present in the occupation of Archibald Ramsay. situate, lying and being in Lot or Township Number Four, in Prince County. and I hereby give Public Notice. that I will. on “rednesday, the First day of September..."

No will or estate papers found for Archibald or Helen. Summerside Journal, 4 Nov 1886 said Archibald Ramsay died in Alberton at age 92.