McPherson (nee Chisholm), Catherine
In memory of /
Catherine /
Wife of Kenneth McPherson /
Died /
December 16 1871 /
Aged 63 /
A partial inscription of this heavily worn stone was recorded in the 1980s and helped guide the interpretation of this marker. We locate a death record for Catherine McPherson on the NS Historical vital Statistics; she dies Dec 15, 1871.[1] A cause of death for Catherine is recorded as Palsy, a form of paralysis or stoke; a condition characterized by lack of sensation, weakness, and uncontrolled body movements. Catherine predeceased her husband by two years.
An estimate of Catherine (nee Chisholm’s) birthdate would be approximately 1808 at Prince Edward Island, the daughter of Alexander and Catherine Chisholm. In looking at PEI records we find Alexander Chisholm taking up land on Lot #50 in 1813.
1860 sees the marriage of Mary McPherson to Alexander Chisholm taking place; a second marriage in the family between Eunice McPherson and Ronald McDonald occurs in 1878.
Catherine’s family, the Chisholms maintain strong family connections between NS and PEI over different census years and we find cousins located in PEI in 1881 living adjacent the Neil McPherson Family (son of Kenneth and Catherine).
Prince Edward Island’s 1881 Census – Township #50, Household #41 record
The 1871 census finds some of the PEI cousins living in Antigonish County District #2 Household # 92. The pattern of naming children remains strong over the years with names such as Eunice and Kenneth appearing across the generations.
Cross reference with Kenneth McPherson bio for additional information.
[1] NS Vitals – Death – Year: 1871; Book: 1802; Page: 56; No: 164.
[2] St. Ninian Parish Records – Marriage – 1860.
[3] St. Ninian Parish Records – Marriage – 1878.