James Gourley was another of the first settlers of Truro, and a Grantee of the Township. He resided on his front lands in the Lower Village, where he spent the remainder of his life. He died there about the year 1790. His wife, Catherine Stevenson, died July 5th, 1804, aged 90 years. He was married and had several children before they came to Nova Scotia. John Gourley, their eldest son, was born in 1751. He was brought by his parents to Truro. He was a Grantee of the Township, although he was but fourteen years old at the date of the grant. He was lost at sea when he was a young man.
Thomas, the second son of James and Catherine Gourley, was born in New England, in 1752. He came with the family to Truro in 1761. His name is among the Grantees for the Township, being but twelve years old at the date of the grant. He was married to Jane, the only daughter of James Yuill, Esq., and Jane Bailey, in 1779. He inherited a large part of his father's property in the Lower Village, where he spent the remainder of his life. On April 14th, 1821, he was engaged building a breakwater to secure the bank of the marsh above the Board-landing, when he fell and was taken up dead, being 68 years old at the time. His widow died February 15th, 1828, aged 71 years. Thomas Gourley, their eldest son, was born in Truro, in 1780. He was married to Mehitable, daughter of William and Dorothy Putnam, of Stewiacke, July 19th, 1809. They resided for a short time in a house which stood at the Board-landing. They removed and lived a short time in a house that stood where James N. Crow, Esq., now resides. They removed again, in the year 1814, to the South Branch of Stewiacke, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They had three sons and five daughters. He died November 8th, 1843, aged 63 years. His widow died in September, 1869. James, the second son of Thomas and Jane Gourley, was born in 1782. He was married to Elizabeth Totton, of Chiganoise, in 1810. They removed to Pictou town, and kept a house of entertainment. They had one son and two daughters. He died in 1832, aged 50 years. His widow was married again. She died in 1860. Susan, the eldest daughter of Thomas and Jane Gourley, was born January 2nd, 1784. She was married to Hugh Dunlap, January 24th, 1805. They had two sons and six daughters. She died at Stewiacke, November 22nd, 1857, in the 74th year of her age. Her husband died September 6th, 1852, aged 79 years.
John, the third son of Thomas and Jane Gourley, was born December 30th, 1784. He was married to Sarah, the eldest daughter of Dumb John Johnson and Margaret Davison, February 2nd, 1815. He inherited the half of his father's farm. He died August 9th, 1836, aged 51 years. Robert, the eldest son of John and Sarah Gourley, was born November 12th, 1815. He removed to the State of Illinois. He was married there, and had one son and one daughter. He died there December 18th, 1849, aged 34 years. John Gourley, their second son, was born March 5th, 1817. He removed to Shepody, where he died December 10th, 1841, aged 24 years. Mary Gourley, their eldest daughter, was born February 17th, 1819. She was married to Joseph Peppard, of Londonderry. They had five sons and four daughters. Mr. Peppard died April, 1866. Thomas Gourley, their third son, was born July 10th, 1821. He learned the blacksmith trade with Mr. William McLeod. He was married Margaret Hamilton, of Onslow. Mrs. Gourley died October, 1868. He was married again to Mary Hutchison, recently from England, July 20th, 1870. James Gourley, their fourth son, was born February 2nd, 1823. He learned the carpenter trade with Samuel J. Blair, of Truro. He was married to Mary Ann Bentley, of Stewiacke, June, 1856. They had two sons and two daughters. He and his brother Thomas settled at Great Village, Londonderry, where they carry on a considerable business as merchants and shipowners. George Gourley, their fifth son, was born April 10th, 1825. He learned the tanning business, and carried it on for a while at Great Village. He died there January 12th, 1856, aged 30 years. William Gourley, their sixth son, was born March 17th, 1827. He died September, 1828. Rachel Gourley, their second daughter, was born April 20th, 1829. She removed to the Untied States, and was married there to Augustus F. Garland, October, 1856. They had one son. He died in 1859. Margaret Gourley, their third daughter, was born July 20th, 1831. She was married to Isaiah Peppard, May 4th, 1854. She died May, 1855. Hannah Gourley, their fourth daughter, was born September 1st, 1833. She was married to James Bland, of Wallace, in the United States in 1853. They have four sons. Sarah Gourley, their fifth daughter, was born August 29th, 1835. Sarah Johnson, widow of John Gourley, was married to William Soley, November, 1837. William Lawson Soley, their eldest son, was born March 12th, 1838. He was married to Sarah, daughter of George S. and Esther Dickey, April 1865. They have one son. They have removed to the United States. John Soley, their second son, was born April 29th, 1841. He was married to Margaret Cormick, of Chatham, New Brunswick, May, 1869. They have one son and one daughter.
Stephen, the fourth son of Thomas and Jane Gourley, was born in 1786. He died January, 1808, aged 21 years. Margaret Gourley, their second daughter, was born in 1789. She died of consumption in the fall of the year 1815. Jane Gourley, their third daughter, was born in 1791. She and her brother Stephen died of Typhus fever, January, 1808, and were both interred at one time. Jesse Gourley, their fifth son, was born November 15th, 1793. He was married to Mary, the second daughter of James and Jane Laughead, November 8th, 1819. Mary Jane, their only daughter, was born May 8th 1821. She was married to William P. Archibald, January 30th, 1838. They had five sons and four daughters. Mrs. Archibald died February 27th, 1857, aged 36 years. Mrs. Gourley died May 8th, 1821, the same day that her only daughter was born. He was married again to Eunice McNutt, June, 1825. Margaret Gourley, their only daughter, was born September 9th, 1827. She was married to James N. Crow, Esq., April 8th, 1845. They have four sons and one daughter. They inherit what was her father's property. Mr. Gourley, on the 27th day of March, 1871, was engaged chopping wood at his door. He fell, and when taken up a few minutes after, life had departed. He was in the 78th year of his age. Eunice, his second wife, died May 8th, 1862, aged 56 years. Catherine, the fourth daughter of Thomas and Jane Gourley, was born 1795. She was married to Mr. Casey, October, 1828. They had one daughter. Mr. Casey died, and she was married again to Mr. Wedgewood, April, 1838. She died November 3rd, 1867, aged 72 years. William Gourley, their sixth son, was born in 1796. He died when he was about six years old. Robert Gourley, their seventh son, was born 1797. In 1815 he was at Pictou attending the Academy, and he walked home to attend his brother's wedding. He returned to Pictou, and very shortly after took ill. He died there March 5th, 1815, aged 18 years. His body was brought home for interment. Eleanor Gourley, their fifth daughter, was born March 17th, 1799. She was married to William Yuill, of Great Village, Londonderry, February 11th, 1819. She had five sons and two daughters. Mr. Yuill died September 29th, 1863, aged 82 years. Hannah Gourley, their sixth daughter, was born March 11th, 1801. She was married to James Dunlap, March 16th, 1826. They had one son and one daughter. Mr. Dunlap died March 5th, 1856, aged 55 years.
William Gourley, the fourth son of James and Catherine Gourley, was born in New England in 1756, and brought by his parents to Truro when he was six years old. He was married to Lydia Hamilton in 1777. He resided in the Lower Village; his house stood beside the road south of the school house. He followed the sea, and was drowned in 1799. Catherine Gourley, their eldest daughter, was born in Truro, October 29th, 1779. She was married to Vinton Taylor. They had two sons and two daughters. They removed to Ohio, U.S. John, the second son of William and Lydia Gourley, was born August 22nd, 1781. He was married to Elizabeth, the second daughter of Samuel Tupper, Esq., and Hannah Archibald, in 1807. They had two sons and four daughters. He settled at the South Branch of Stewiacke. He died there. Hannah Gourley, their second daughter, was born in Truro, August 11th, 1783. She was married to Mr. McCabe, of River John. They had three sons and three daughters. She died in 1863. Elizabeth Gourley, their third daughter, was born October 30th, 1785. James, the eldest son of William and Lydia Gourley, was born November 7th, 1778. He was married to Susanna Carter, of Onslow, March 7th, 1799. They had five sons and one daughter. He was a sea Captain. He died at Brookfield, January, 1852. His widow died November, 1858. Samuel Gourley, their third son, was born in 1788. He was a carpenter by trade. He removed to Cumberland, and was married there to Isabell Copps, in 1815. They had two sons and three daughters. He died in 1856.
Peter, the fourth and youngest son of William and Lydia Gourley, was born in Truro in 1797. He was a mason by trade. He settled at the South Branch of Stewiacke. He was married there to Catherine McCulloch, about 1840. They had three sons and two daughters. He died December 18th, 1870, aged 73 years.
Susannah, the only daughter of James and Catherine Gourley, was born in New England in 1758. She was married to Robert Johnson, December 2nd, 1778. They had six sons and one daughter; these appear among the Johnsons. She died July, 1844, aged 86 years. Mr. Johnson died April 4th, 1815, aged 68 years.
Jesse Gourley, the third son of James and Catherine Gourley, was born in New England in 1754. He removed to Lower Stewiacke with his brother, Stephen, where he spent the remainder of his life. He died there a bachelor, May 20th, 1830, aged 76 years.
Stephen, the fifth and youngest son of James and Catherine Gourley, was born in 1760, and was brought by his parents to Truro in 1761. He built a house for an Inn at the Board-landing, where there was considerable shipbuilding carried on at the time. He was married to Hannah Swinburn, widow of the late Alexander Kent, in 1797. They removed then to Lower Stewiacke, and settle on the farm that his grandson, Robert J. Pollock, Esq.; now resides upon, where he kept an Inn. His house stood on the west side of the road leading from Truro to Halifax, where Mr. Pollock's barn now stands. He lost one of his hands by some means when he was a young man. He died February 15th, 1829, aged 68 years. His widow died January 31st, 1831, aged 75 years. Susannah, the only daughter of Stephen and Hannah Gourley, was born at Lower Stewiacke, November 27th, 1798. She was married to William Pollock, January, 1820. They had three sons and one daughter. Mr. Pollock died May 15th, 1827. She was married again to Robert Hill, July 3rd, 1828. They had three sons and five daughters. Mr. Hill died August 23rd, 1851, aged 56 years.
The above named Alexander Kent was brother of Jas. Kent, Esq., of the Lower Village of Truro. He was an officer in the British army, and had been some time in Fredericton, N. B., with his wife and family. He was about to leave the army, and went to the West Indies to secure his pension. He died there, leaving a widow and three sons in Fredericton. Mr. Kent, of the Lover Village, went and brought he and her family to the Lower Village. She lived in the house that James Kent, second, afterwards lived in, until she was married. Their son, James, settled in Musquodoboit. He was Colonel of the first battalion of Colchester Militia many years. He was married to Christiann Guild. They had four sons and five daughters. He died November, 1864. His wife died June, 1863. Their son, Alexander Kent, settled in Musquodoboit also. He was married to Elizabeth Horton. They had five sons and six daughters. He died November, 1871. Their son, Samuel Kent, settled in Lower Stewiacke. He was married to Mary Pollock in 1815. They had two sons and three daughters. Mrs. Kent died about 1864.
