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Moffitt Family Page 1 << 2 >> 3, 4, 5,
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Descendents of John Moffitt (28 Jun 1791 - 8 Aug 1859)
and Ellen "Nellie" Davidson (1792 - 12 Nov 1879)

Second Immigrant Generation
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2. Agnes Moffitt . Daughter of John Moffitt & Ellen "Nellie" Davidson. Born 19 Oct 1815 in Lanton, Scotland. Died 17 Apr 1886 in Comox, BC. Buried in Courtenay Civic Cemetery, Section A. Religion Presbyterian.

 

    She married Matthew Piercy, son of Thomas Piercy & Mary Henderson, 30 Apr 1837 in Coldstream, England. Born 15 Jul 1814 in Thornington, Eng. Died 28 Feb 1889 in Comox, BC. Buried 1 Mar 1889 in Courtenay Civic Cemetery, Section A. Occupation Farmer. Religion Presbyterian.

 

1880-1884 cabinet card photograph of Agnes Moffitt (b. 19 Oct 1815, Lanton, Northumberland, UK, d. 7 Apr 1886, Comox, BC). Source: Jocelean Swan Hall, 27 Jul 2006.

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1880-1884 cabinet card photograph above "From Judkins Floating Sunbeam Gallery, Puget Sound and British Columbia. Source: Jocelean Swan Hall, 27 Jul 2006.

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PHOTORAPHER: Judkins, David Roby.
VARIANT: Judkins' Floating Sunbeam Gallery.
LIFE DATES: 1836 01 17-1909 12 11.
BIRTHPLACE: Chesterville, ME.
PLACE OF DEATH: Santa Maria, CA.
WHERE ACTIVE: Puget Sound, WA Seattle, WA New Westminster Skagway, AK BC.
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: He operated between about 1880-1884 out of Seattle and through Puget Sound on a barge which was towed from location to location. He called his gallery Judkins' Floating Sunbeam Gallery. Judkins photographed in New Westminster and up the Fraser River in June 1882.
COLLECTIONS: BNCM BVA BVIPA.
IDENTIFYING MARKS: " Judkins Floating Sunbeam Gallery, Puget Sound and British Columbia" on verso of print mount. " Cor. 2nd & Columbia Streets Judkins Seattle, W.T." on front of print mount. " D. R. Judkins, Photo. Stereographs of British Columbia" on front of stereograph (orange) mount.

 

 

    Matthew Piercy of Thornington, England, and Agnes Moffitt of Preston were married in Coldstream on 30 Apr 1837 by the Rev. M. Taylor.   Witnesses were Thomas Smith and Isabella Moffitt.

 

Undated photograph of Matthew Piercy (b.15 Jul 1814, Thornington, England, d. 28 Feb, 1889, Comox, BC). Source: David M. Swan, 15 Mar 2007.

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    They came to New Brunswick with Matthew's parents, sisters and brother on the brig "Cornelius of Sunderland", which sailed from Berwick-upon-Tweed on 28 May 1837 and arrived in Saint John, NB on Wednesday, 12 Jul 1837, and were among the pioneer settlers of Harvey Settlement.

 

    They received Land Grant Lot #14 West, 100 acres is Harvey Settlement.   Their twelve children were born in Harvey.   After 38 years of living in New Brunswick, the Piercys moved to British Columbia in 1875 and settled on Vancouver Island, and again were pioneer settlers.   Their sons Thomas, John, Matt, Sam and Walt, and youngest daughters Agnes and Isabella moved to British Columbia with their parents.   Elizabeth died at an early age in Harvey.   The four oldest daughters married and remained in New Brunswick.

 

    Matthew was very active in the Presbyterian church and the second church built in Harvey Settlement was on his land.   In the Comox, BC the Presbyterian Church and cemetery   was built on land donated by Matthew Piercy and Samuel Crawford.   Matthew and Agnes are buried in that cemetery.

  

    As printed in the Comox Valley circulating newspaper (1889)

    The Late Matthew Piercy

    The remains of the late Matthew Piercy of Comox, were laid to rest in the Presbyterian graveyard at Comox on March 1st.   The funeral was one of the largest ever held in Comox.   The pallbearers were S. F. Crawford, Robert Duncan, Oliver Duncan, Alex Urquhart, A. Milligan and Henry Grieve.   The deceased was a native of Northumberland, England, aged 74 years and emigrated to New Brunswick in 1837.   He was one of the pioneers of Harvey Settlement and came to British Columbia in 1875, with his wife and part of his family.   He survived his wife three years and leaves five sons, six daughters, sixty-five grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren to mourn his demise.   He was an elder of the Presbyterian Church for 35 years previous to his death in 1889.

 

    Descendants of Matthew Piercy and Agnes Moffitt hold a family reunion every five years in the area on Vancouver Island where the Piercy   family settled.  Three "Family Tree" books have been printed in British Columbia, the first was printed in 1967 with details on the family of Thomas Piercy and Jane Speedy; the second book printed in 1979 included all the Matthew Piercy decendants; and the third book was printed in 1998.   In 1989, a book "The Families of Eleanor Piercy Lister, Mary Ann Piercy Lister, Jane Piercy Swan and Margaret Piercy Wood, Daughters of Matthew Piercy (1814-1889) and Agnes Moffitt (1815-1886) was produced by Jocelean Swan Hall.

 

    Inscription on gravestone in Courtenay Civic Cemetery, Section A:   "Matthew Piercy, Born July 15, 1814, Died Feb 27, 1889; Agnes Piercy, Born Oct 19, 1815, Died April 7, 1886.   Gone to a fairer land of pleasure and love, To join the bright band of Angels above."

 

    They had the following children:

  4   i.   Thomas H. Piercy

  5   ii.   John Piercy

  6   iii.   Eleanor "Ellen" Piercy

  7   iv.   Mary Ann Piercy

  8   v.   Jane Piercy

  9   vi.   Margaret "Maggie" Piercy

  10   vii.   Matthew Henry Piercy

  11   viii.   Isabella "Bell" Piercy

  12   ix.   Samuel Johnson Piercy

  13   x.   Elizabeth "Lizzy" Piercy

  14   xi.   Walter Henderson Piercy

  15   xii.   Agnes Piercy

 

 

3. Andrew Moffitt . Son of John Moffitt & Ellen "Nellie" Davidson. Born 21 Apr 1823 in Lanton, Scotland. Died 25 Jun 1891 in Harvey. Buried in Harvey Settlement Cemetery. Occupation Farmer.

 

    From New Brunswick Reporter, Fredericton, 27 February 1846:   " Married Harvey Settlement, York County, 23rd ult., by Rev. McCurdy, Andrew Moffitt and Jane Piercy, both of Kingsclear parish."

 

    Andrew was a farmer and lived on Frog Lake Road.

 

    In the 1861 Census, Andrew owned or occupied 65 acres improved and 65 acres unimproved land; cash value of farm was 180 pounds; value of implements and machinery, 15 pounds.   Had 3 horses, 4 milch cows, 4 other neat cattle, 12 sheep, 4 swine, and slaughtered 400 lb. pork.   Produced 300 lb. butter, 50 lb. cheese, 40 lb. wool, 16 tons hay, 300 bu. oats, 100 bu. buckwheat, 1 bu. beans, 6 bu. peas, 12 bu. timothy, 150 bu. turnips, 150 bu. potatoes, 30 bu. carrots, 40 lb. flax scutched.

 

    For family details see book by   Emerson Moffitt, "The Moffitts of Harvey Settlement New Brunswick 1791-1991", 1992.

    He married Margaret "Jane" Piercy, daughter of George Piercy & Ann Winter, 23 Feb 1846 in Harvey Settlement By Daniel McCurdy, Presbyterian . Born 24 May 1826 in England. Died 31 May 1898. Buried in Harvey Settlement Cemetery. Religion Presbyterian.

 

   From York Co NB Marriage Register B 1837-1850 (PANB):   Witnesses to marriage were Robert Piercy and Thomas Piercy.

 

     They had the following children:

  16   i.   Mary Ann Moffitt

  17   ii.   John "Jack" Moffitt

  18   iii.   Eleanor "Ellen" Moffitt

  19   iv.   George Moffitt

  20   v.   Andrew "Dan" Moffitt

  21   vi.   Helena "Jane" Moffitt

  22   vii.   Elizabeth "Bess" Moffitt

  23   viii.   Thomas Moffitt

  24   ix.   Isabella S. "Bell" Moffitt

  25   x.   Robert Moffitt

  26   xi.   Margaret Agnes "Maggie" Moffitt