THE STETSONS AND FERGUSONS OF HILLSIDE FARM: LOT 34

The Hillside branch of the Ferguson family settled in Marshfield in 1804. The story of the blending of the Stetson and Ferguson families had its beginning in Hull, England when 196 passengers boarded the brigantine Valiant on March 22, 1817 and set sail for the new world.

The voyage lasted seventy-three days, arriving in Charlottetown on June 3, 1817. About the middle of the journey, the ship came upon a sinking Scottish brigantine and rescued its sixty passengers and the crew. The Valiant was owned by Robert Saunders and was captained by John Ezard. Captain Ezard died on the next voyage of the Valiant which arrived in Charlottetown on June 7, 1818. He is buried in the old Protestant Cemetery on University Avenue.

Among the passengers aboard the 1817 passage were George Hardy (1781—1848), a widower with two small children and Mary Saunders (1789- 1856), the daughter of Robert Saunders, the ship’s owner. Following a shipboard romance, they were married later that same year and settled in York. There were eight children born to the couple and the youngest daughter Sarah (1835—1917) married John (Long Johnnie) Ferguson (1833—1897) on December 29, 1857 and lived on Hillside farm in Marshfield. They are buried in the Marshfield Community Cemetery.

From this union, there were eight of a family and the second oldest, Mary Elizabeth Ferguson (1860-1940) married John Stetson (1857-1948) in the year 1887. According to the Freetown history, John Stetson (1787-1873) arrived here on the same voyage as the Hardy- Saunders group. It has also been established that Vincent Bell (1776-1855) and his wife Jane (nee Waite circa 1780- 1855), with their family of four girls were also on the same crossing: Mary, who married John Stetson; Elizabeth, who married Robert Vessey; Jane, who married William Court; and Charity, who married Leonard Court. After coming

. .1904 to the Island, Vincent and Jane ca

-124—

had two sons, Thomas and William. Vincent owned several farms in the Black River area. John Stetson (1787—1873) married Mary Bell (1803—1896) about 1822 and they lived in North Bedeque near Reid’s Corner and finally settled in Freetown. Many relatives still live there today. They had a family of thirteen and the fourth oldest child, Thomas (1828— 1923) married Isabella MacGregor (1821—1903) and lived on the MacGregor farm on the Vickerson Road. They had a family of three sons: John (1857-1948); Archibald (1858—1959) who married Henrietta (Nettie) Howard (1867-1948); and a third son, Henry A. Stetson (1861-1927) who married Barbara Anne MacKay (1867-1948). Archibald and Nettie settled with their family in western Canada. Henry and Barbara lived in Charlottetown where Henry worked as a conductor on the Canadian National Railroad. They had no family.

As mentioned previously, my grandparents, John Stetson (1857-1948) and Mary Elizabeth Ferguson (1860-1940) were married and had four children. Twins were born to them named Henry (1888-1904) and Athol, who died in infancy. My father Alexander Gordon Stetson was born on November 12, 1890 (died December 12, 1986). He married my mother, Winnifred Isabel (Belle) Campbell (December 10, 1892-March 25, 1975). A younger son, Thomas Leslie Stetson (1897- 1975) married Mary C. Woolridge (1914-1960) and left no family. My grandparents and their family lived on three different farms in Marshfield,

Courtesy of Marguerite Godfrey

Farm residence in winter. Presently owned by Stetsons.