Grant Nelly (nee Chisholm) | Student Researcher: Kate Carleton Public History
TO THE MEMORY /
OF NELLY WIFE OF /
DUNCAN GRANT ESQ /
WHO DEPARTED THIS /
LIFE THE 29 OF /
JANUARY 1845 /
AGED 34 YEARS /
The obituary for Nelly Grant was published in the Acadian Recorder February 8, 1845 and reads as follows… “At Antigonish, on Wednesday, the 29th December Nelley, wife of Duncan Grant Esq. in the 35th year of her age, leaving a husband and six children to mourn her loss—she was universally lamented.”
The given name Nelly is a diminutive form of the name Ellen or Helen among others.[1] An estimate of Nelly’s birthdate is 1811, but no records exist either in Church or Vital Records. Where was Nelly born? Nova Scotia or Scotland? Did Nelly attend school? Did Nelly have siblings? Who were Nelly’s parents? To date we have been unable to uncover evidence to give us answers to these questions.
A marriage between Nellie sic. Chisholm and Duncan Grant took place January 14 1834.[2] Baptismal records from St Ninian’s show two births taking place in 1835 and 1836 to Ellen / Helen and Duncan Grant. Roderick’s baptism took place in 1835.
Meanwhile, Rodrick’s sister Mary Grant’s baptism took place in 1836.
The 1838 Census confirms that the household of Duncan Grant does have one male and one female child under the age of 6 years living in the household.[3] Other children born to the couple are John, Nelly, Lydia, and Nelly Isabella.[4]
Nelly (Chisholm) Grant dies at the age of 34 on January 29 1845, just seven days after the birth of her last child Nelly Isabella. Nelly may have passed away due to complications from childbirth as these events fall so close together. No vital record exists for the time period – 1845.
Additional information from the NS Census 1838 Dorchester Township on Line 16:
- Head of Household – Duncan Grant
- Occupation – Merchant
- Male Under the age of 6 years – 1
- Females Under the age of 6 years – 1
- Males between the ages of 6 – 14 – 0
- Females between the ages of 6 – 14 – 0
- Males over 14 years of age not head of household – 2
- Females over 14 years of age not head of household – 2
- Total Number of the families – 8
- No of acres of Cleared Land – 1/8
- No of acres of wilderness land – 0
- No of cattle – 2
- No of horses – 2
- No of sheep – 15
- No of pigs – 1
[1] Wikipedia – Nelly (given name)
[2] The History of the Town of Antigonish – by D.G. Whidden – page 136
[3] NS Census 1838 – Dorchester Township – Line 16
[4] The History of the Town of Antigonish – by D.G. Whidden – Page 127