Notes:

D.G. Widden, “History of The Town of Antigonish”, The Casket, Aug 10, 1934 states:Charles Skinner Bigelow, raised at Antigonish Harbour, where he farmed. The last few years of his life was spent in the town of Antigonish.

Charles married Tryphena MARSTERS on 12 Jun 1847 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Tryphena was born on 20 Feb 1832; died on 30 Mar 1862 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Reuben and Lavinia lived a few years in Cornwallis, then moved to Antigonish.

Reuben married Lavinia SKINNER on 9 Nov 1802. Lavinia (daughter of Charles SKINNER and Sarah OSBORN) was born on 27 Jan 1784 in Cornwallis, Kings, Nova Scotia; died on 9 May 1874 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Amasa married Roxanna CONE. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

“Sarah and Charles Skinner went to Maugerville, N.B. just before the Loyalists, and it is assumed they might have gotten a good price for their land and moved to Bass River, N.S., where Charles was a school teacher. They stayed there about five years before moving to Kings County. The school records in Bass River were burned in a fire.” (Source: Isabel Palmeter) This would suggest that the family came to Cornwallis Township just prior to the influx of Loyalists.

Charles Skinner was a grantee at Cornwallis township, that he was born 3 Jan 1748 in Colchester, Connecticut, son of Aaron Skinner. He married 24 Nov 1774 at Passamaquoddy, Sarah, daughter of Samuel and Sarah Osborn, perhaps from Martha’s Vinyard. She lists 15 children, including my Ann Skinner, who married 1802 Thomas Lyons. (Source: Esther Clark Wright in “Planters and Pioneers”)

The Skinners first came to Passamaquoddy, Campobello or Indian Island (all in Passamaquoddy Bay in Charlotte, New Brunswick), where Charles might have taught school from 1774 to 1778. They moved to St. John and Maugerville in 1778 where he taught school until 1780. The arrival of the Loyalists may have provided financial incentive to sell their lands profitably. They moved to Five Islands, Cumberland, N.S. (but I think then all part of Cornwallis Township) where the family lived for the first five years, before they settled in 1785 at Little Pereau, near Blomidon, in the Cornwallis area of present day Kings County. (Source: Rev. Davison in his book “Alice of Grand-Pré”)

Charles Skinner was a school teacher by profession, and one reference said he was a “refined gentleman”.

The father of Samuel Skinner (i.e., Charles Skinner) came from New England to the Maritimes just before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. (Source: The book “Biographical Review… Province of New Brunswick” published in Boston in 1900 page 97)

“Died 15 January 1848 in Cornwallis, Mrs. Sarah Skinner in 88th year, daughter of the late Samuel Osborne of Martha’s Vineyard, U.S. They removed to Casco, Maine, to New Brunswick, then to Nova Scotia. Born 22 July 1760, married in NB at age 16 to Charles Skinner, native of Connecticut. Leaves 8 sons, 7 daughters, 113 grandchildren, 60 great-grandchildren. Late W. A. Chipman was a brother-in-law. Edward Manning and George Dimock sons-in-law. Rev. I. E. Bill married a granddaughter.” (Source: The Christian Messenger an early Baptist magazine).

Charles married Sarah OSBORN on 24 Nov 1774 in Passamaquoddy, Nova Scotia. Sarah was born on 22 Jul 1760 in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts; died on 15 Jul 1848 in Cornwallis, Kings, Nova Scotia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From notes of A. Joanne (Irving) Hunt, Litchfield, NH:

From The Christian Messenger (an early Baptist magazine): “Died 15 January 1848 in Cornwallis, Mrs. Sarah Skinner in 88th year, daughter of the late Samuel Osborne of Martha’s Vineyard, U.S. They removed to Casco, Maine, to New Brunswick, then to Nova Scotia. Born 22 July 1760, married in NB at age 16 to Charles Skinner, native of Connecticut. Leaves 8 sons, 7 daughters, 113 grandchildren, 60 great-grandchildren. Late W. A. Chipman was a brother-in-law. Edward Manning and George Dimock sons-in-law. Rev. I. E. Bill married a granddaughter.”