William Huntington and Margaret Travers

[William Flowers]

I recently read an email where someone was wondering both about the origins of Margaret Travers, husband of William Huntington, and whether or not they had emigrated to Bonaventure Co., Quebec together. Because the records are so scarce, it is difficult to find anything that would shed light on that question.

Sarah Travers is said to have been born in the Province of New York ca 1774. It is unknown when the Travers family came to the New Carlisle area, although John Travers appears on a petition there in 1802.  The marriage between Sarah and William Huntington is said to have occurred in Bonaventure Co. ca 1794.

William Huntington first appears in what came to be known as New Carlisle in Aug. of 1784 where he drew for lots along with many others, most of whom came on the flotilla of ships that arrived in June of the same year. William was not listed on those ships, however. A reasonable guess would say that he arrived in the intervening weeks. John Travers was on neither the ship list or on the lot drawing list.

John Travers was dead by 3 Jan 1817, where son-in-law, William Huntington, petitioned for relief on behalf of his mother, the "Widow Travers." This petition also gives us some idea about the age of Sarah Townsend, John Traver's widow, and also about his origins. The text of the petition follows: 

"No. 59 Petition Widow Travers, by her son in law Wm Huntington:  The petitioner lives in East Nouvelle is aged 77 and is the widow of John Travers farmer, and formerly in His Majesty’s service for 36 years, and a soldier in the 26 & 44 Regiments of Foot that she is provided with meat and potatoes to pass the winter, but has no flour nor grain fit for use being spoiled by the frosts. Offers pine boards and planks for a barrel of flour. Prays relief accordingly.  3 January 1817"

So what we know is that Margaret Travers grew up in a British military family, and that family probably spent time in the Province of New York and came to the New Carlisle area sometime between 1784 and about 1795. William Huntington came at least ten years earlier and may have also been born in New York, but he could have been born somewhere else.

A Wiliam Huntington spent some time in a refugee camp near Sorel, Quebec, east of Montreal in the few years before arriving in the New Carlisle area in 1784, possibly with his mother, identified as a "Mrs. Huntington."

[HuntingtonGdaughter]

I did receive a response from pcusa.org but have not been to the Library to pull records from the First and Second Presbyterian Church of New York (church linked to Margaret's birth data) - looking perhaps for a connection to William there?
I'll let you know if I turn anything up.
TinaMarie

[HuntingtonGdaughter]

I checked many New York City registers - found Margaret's birth but no marriage for her...my guess is she and William married elsewhere...many people fled New York and perhaps during the north migration the two crossed paths : ) 
Still searching...

[William Flowers]

I checked many New York City registers - found Margaret's birth but no marriage for her...my guess is she and William married elsewhere...many people fled New York and perhaps during the north migration the two crossed paths : )  
Still searching...

What did you find for Margaret's birthdate?

Wiliam was not married when he drew his 50 acre lot in Aug of 1784. He was listed alone, without wife or family, and he received the allotment for single men, 50 acres. He was still in New Carlisle in 1786 and still unmarried.

It's good you're searching; William Huntington is a very difficult genealogical problem. Researchers have been looking for many years and have never found him.

[HuntingtonGdaughter]

It reads:
First and Second Presbyterian Church, New York, New York, New York
Births or Christenings  (1722-1787)  Batch# C50798-1  page 193
Surname/Dates/Given/Rel/Parents and other data/Ser Number
*TRAVER
TRAVERS         BRN   3 APR 1772      MARGARET       D   JOHN TRAVERS AND SARAH TOWNSEND   01601-7
                      CHR  12 APR 1772   
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By the way, I also ran across this:

Name: Margaret Travers
Event: Baptized 1792
Province: Nova Scotia
Source: William Inglis Morse, Gravestones of Acadie, A. Smith & Company, London, England, 1929.
Volume/Page: 55
Note: The province and county are associated with the location of the record source and in some cases may not be the same as the place where the event occured.

Found it curious because I have seen mates marriage to another from a different religion getting 're-baptised' just prior to marriage.

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However I am curious of the connection between this Margaret and our William - it is posted as such every where you look but exactly who and when made this connection since no marriage document has come to light?