The Livingston Family

Daniel Livingston was born in Scotland. Coming to America as a private in the Fraser Highlanders, he arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757. For this service he received a grant of land in what is now Vermont.

When the revolution began he joined General Burgoyne and was present at the defeat of his army. With the end of the war he came to Augusta and petitioned for land as a settler. Also coming to Canada were his nine sons.

One of those sons was Duncan, who had been born on 14th January 1773 in New York State. Along with his brothers, Duncan petitioned for land as a Loyalist, stating that he was "the son of Daniel Livingston who adhered to the British Standard in the year ‘‘77". Duncan appears to have many problems with his land grants but he settled in Kitley, west of what is now the village of Toledo, building mills along the creek which runs across the township linking Irish Lake and Bellamy's Lake which was formed when a dam was built on the creek farther west. He also cleared some land which he farmed.

Duncan was married first to Lydia White and after her death to Zetta Ketchum. There were three children in the first family - Sally, who married Benjamin Johnston; Chloe, who married Reuben Brown and William. The children in the second family were Duncan; Lydia (Aschel Stone); Alexander; Abigail (Henry E. Arnold); John and Jane Ann. The latter married Arvin Nichols, who died young and is buried on her father's farm.

Duncan served as a Captain in the Militia, took part in political activities and was involved in the formation of a Methodist Church congregation in Kitley. He died in August 1821 and is buried on his farm in a cemetery which holds many early settlers most of whom have no marker other than a field stone.

Duncan Livingston, Jr. was born in Kitley in 1808 and married Clarinda Eaton. He farmed his father's land but seems not to have run the mills. He was very involved in the Methodist Church. His children were Miles, Morton, Lawson, Lydia (Charles F. Cross) and William. Miles moved to Oklahoma while Morton and Lawson were Kitley farmers.

Morton was the grandfather of Edwin Livingston, a genealogist, former member and Past President of the Colonel Edward Jessup Branch UEL

Lawson was the grandfather of the late Everett Livingston, a member of the Colonel Edward Jessup Branch UEl, whose son, Grant and daughter Mary Covey have recently received their certificates as members of the branch.


Reference:

Jessup's Jottings, article by Myrtle Johnston