By Ted Brassard at Nottingham, N.H. 27 July 1998
The name Robert Harold first appears in the 1790 U.S. census for Portsmouth town, New Hampshire. He is listed as Head of Household along with 2 free white males of 16 years and upward,1 free white male under 16 and three free white females. We can make the assumption that one of the females is his spouse. It is not illogical, in consideration of the 3 males 16 years and and upwards, that the Robert Harold in this census, is at least 40 years old and possibly older. In a recent study of the indexes of the 1800 census records for all the New England states not a single Harold as Head of Household can be found. It is my belief that Robert went to New Brunswick and that his oldest son, also named Robert appears in the land petition of Robert Hamilton in 1819. This petition states they are both natives of Ireland and they ask for 300 acres each along the Oromocto River. This land was a parcel south of the north branch of the Oromocto about ten miles from present day Tracy. This area later became known as the Peltoma Settlement and surveyed as such in 1854. In the following 50 years it developed into a busy and thriving community. However, the railways and main roads passed it by and within a generation it became mostly a place of summer camps and tourist cottages around a lake of the same name. The Robert Harold in this petition is surely the same man who married Mary Nason on 18 November 1818 in Sunbury County, New Brunswick. Robert Hamilton was one of the witnesses at their marriage. The other witness was William Boone. Robert Harold and Mary Nason were both said to be from Lincoln, New Brunswick. Did Robert Harold know the Nason and Tracy families prior to his journey to New Brunswick? The Nason family can be traced back to origins in Kittery, Maine which is just across the river from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Kittery itself is the earliest town established in Maine and was settled in 1623. Mary Nason, one of 15 children, was born in 1795. She was the daughter of Lemuel Nason and Mary Tracy. Lemuel's father, John Nason came from Kittery and was one of the first settlers in the region. Mary's father, Jeremiah Tracy built the first saw mill and grist mill at what later became known as Tracy Mills which today is the town of Tracy. Both Lemuel and John Nason made several petitions for land, the earliest being in 1802. Jeremiah had petitioned as early as 1795 and petitioned in 1822 for the area of the saw mill. It is my understanding at this time that the Nason and Tracy families were here prior to the end of the Revolutionary War and possibly before Sunbury County was established in 1785. It would seem that with the information of the land petition discussed above and the 1818 marriage the development of the family lines of Robert and Mary would be simple to trace. However, in the ensuing 42 years between the 1819 petition and the first major census of 1851 something happened to make them virtually disappear from New Brunswick. A study of the 1851,1861, and 1871 census records for Sunbury County reveals not a single Harold family. York, Kings, Queens, and several others were studied in the same manner and no Harold members were revealed. It is only in Carleton County that clues begin to appear. The first in 1851 when a George Harold is found as a domestic servant. He is then 28 years old and thus born about 1823. In 1861 we find George again listed in the household of one Andrew Beckwith in Carleton County. A new Harold is added to the Carleton County census records in 1871 when John Harold and his family appear. Then in 1891 Everet Harold is shown with his family. I have yet to prove or deduce that Robert Harold and Mary Nason are the grandparents of my great grandmother Clara A. Harold, but it seems most likely that they are since it was said that she came from Tracy Mills which is only about ten miles from Lincoln. In any case, Robert and Mary more than likely were the parents of four brothers: Robert, Everet, John, and George. It is my present belief that Everet was her father. However, recent inputs claim that her father was a John Harold who was married to a woman whose maiden surname was MILLS. Robert Harold (the son): I know nothing about Robert except that he was born about 1826 and died on 14 June 1887 at the age of 61 years as this is stated on his burial marker at the cemetery of the United Baptist church in Centrefield of Carleton County, N.B. Everet Harold: His grave is at the same cemetery as Robert and his marker gives the date of his birth as 4/1/1828 and his death as 24/3/1907. Buried with him is his wife, Mary, born in 1835 and having died in 1921. I was told by others years ago that her name was Mary Whitney, but I have no proof of this. I believe they were the parents of my great grandmother, Clara A. Harold who is discussed in this writing. According to the 1891 census both Everet and his wife, Mary, were born in Nova Scotia. John Harold: I know somewhat more about John as I found him and his family quite a few years ago in the 1871 and 1881 census records for Carleton County. Wilmot parish-1871-John, 41, Baptist, Irish, farmer, and his wife, Hannah,31. The children were: George, 12; Mary, 10 (see note #1); Hattie, 7 (see note #2); Ingals, 5 (see note #3); Maggie, 3; and Leo H. 9 months. Simonds parish-1881-John, 51 and his wife, Hannah, 40. The children were: Hannah, 17 (see note #2), Inglis, 15 (see note #3); Margarett, 12; Scott, 10; and Armond, 6. Note #1: Mary is most likely the Mary Louise Harold of Centreville who married in 1880 to Herbert W. Britton of Windsor, Brighton parish. The witnesses were: William A. Hayward and Ella P. Smith. Note#2: Hattie and Hannah are more than likely the same person and also the person shown in marriage records as Hattie Harold of Wicklow who married Winslow C. Lewis of Brighton on 19/9/1885. The witnesses were W. Duppa Smith and Annie Parker. Note #3: Inglis was J. Ingles Harold who is buried in the Centreville cemetery and who died in 1947. His wife was Ella L. (last name unknown). She was born in 1870 and died in 1958. It is said they had a daughter named Ruby who married Cecile MacKay. J. Ingles Harold was a cousin of Wilmot Harold. Wilmot Harold: We now know that Wilmot was a son of Everet Harold and Mary Whitney. It has been said by others that Wilmot had a brother named Whitney who died young and that he had three sisters, one of whom may have been Clara. But the census of 1891 lists four daughters of Everet and Mary, but there may have been others since Everet is 62 years of age in this census. Wilmot was married to Edith L. Johnston on 28/2/1888. She was born in 1865 and died in 1939. Wilmot died in 1935 and is buried at Centreville with his wife. George Harold: In the 1851 census a George Harold was listed as a servant in the household of James Stickney. He was 28 years old and, therefore, born about 1823. He may have been the same George Harold listed in the 1871 census of Wilmot parish, Carleton county as: 49 years old, Baptist, Scottish farmer, and born in Nova Scotia. CLARA A. HAROLD Lastly, we come to my great grandmother Clara A. Harold. She was born in 1860 and died on 22 June 1896. Although her name does not appear on Gideon's grave marker she is buried in the United Baptist Church cemetery with her husband. The record of her marriage is as follows: Clara A. Harold of Wilmington married Gideon E. Perkins of Wilmington on 11/8/1879. Witnesses: Mary M. Wassen and Caroline Mills. But the family Bible stated the following: "This certifies that the rite of Holy Matrimony was celebrated between: Gideon E. Perkins of Centreville, N.B. and Clara A. Harold of Tracy Mills, N.B. on the 11th day of August 1880 at Woodstock, N.B. by the Reverend G. W. McDonald. Witness: Mrs. James Mills, Miss Caroline Mills." The details are essentially the same, but the question remains of where Clara came from. Was it Tracy Mills or Wilmington? I believe the record was in error in that Gideon came from Wilmington, but not Clara. PLEASE HELP If you have ANY information about these Harold families or Harold families you think may be related, please drop me a note. If you have access to census records, please try to find a listing for Clara, Everet, or Robert. If you have ever seen the Harold name in records anywhere in these time periods please let me know. I am now also interested in information about this family in Nova Scotia since it looks like Robert Harold might have gone there with Mary Nason. You can send me E Mail at: tbrass@nh.ultranet.com or write me a note and send it to: Ted Brassard, 10 So. Summer St.,Nottingham, N.H. 03290
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Ties That Bind
Developed May 24, 1998 Revised 27 July 1998