The Experimental Farm, Nappan
A hand-drawn map by Ernest Coates, provided courtesy of Gordon Ripley, suggests that the Thomas Coates homestead was the site of the present Experimental Farm which is located on the east side of the railroad tracks and road on Hwy 302 in Nappan at 4016 S. Hampton Rd. (Hwy 302). There is a Government Test Station on the west side of the road a little to the north which may also be part of the Experimental Farm holdings. The 551 acre Experimental Farm was established in 1887. The photos of the Nappan Experimental Farm below were taken during a July 2014 visit.
DesBarres to Coats and McCully
In 1780, Thomas Coates leased 625 acres from J.F.W. DesBarres for a term of 990 years at a yearly rent of 14 pounds, 6 shillings, 5 pence (Deed Book C, p. 258, Document #503706194). The property boundaries are not described in the deed. Thomas Coates was living on the property when Captain John MacDonald visited the DesBarres leases on the Maccan and Nappan Rivers in 1795. MacDonald reported that Tenant #1, Thomas Coates, "is upon a promising farm and does well." MacDonald also reported that Thomas Coates and his neighbour to the north, William Pipes, had collaborated to build a Bridge over the River Nappan.
In a McCully family history prepared for a 1995 family reunion, Bob McCully writes of his ancestor, the Reverend Samuel McCully (p. 24), "In 1799 Samuel purchased from Thomas Coates fifteen hundred acres of land, including houses and mill at Southampton in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. Later he purchased from Thomas Coates, the land which has become part of the Experimental Station at Nappan." Incidentally, Samuel's wife Esther was the daughter of William Pipes Jr..
On 1 February 1804, Thomas Coates sublet to Samuel McCully the 625 acres which he had formerly leased from J.F.W. DesBarres (Deed Book E, P. 78, Document #503707649). In the same year, Thomas Coates relocated to a property on Smiths Creek in New Brunswick that he had purchased from Samuel McCully.
In 1817, McCulley purchased the property of about 620 acres in Nappan from DesBarres for 1450 pounds. The boundaries are described as follows: "beginning at the mouth of a small creek which empties into the Nappan River, then up the said creek til it comes near the edge of the upland now in the possession of the heirs of the late William Pipes thence across the highway along a ditch and fence adjoining marshland in possession of the heirs of the later William Pipes thence under the uplands until it comes to a certain small brook, thence from the Marsh at the said brook south south 53 degrees east east seventy three chains then south fifty two degrees west fifty one chains or until it meets the line of lands laid out assigned (?) by Robert Read and William Blinkhorn thence down the said line fifty three degrees til it meets the River Maccan..." (DesBarres Papers, Series 5 (M.G. 23, F1-5, Vols 22-23). Land correspondence, 1813-1824, Document 5313-5314. Reel C-1460, image 361-362.
McCully to Roach to Experimental Farm
In an online list of 142 McCully References, reference #68 is a long quote from the diary of Gilbert Seaman. According to this very amusing passage, the Reverend Samuel McCully ran into financial difficulty after some high-seas tobacco running and part of his property was acquired by Thomas Roach.
On 9 April 1818, Samuel McCully sold to Thomas Roach for 3,250 pounds 625 acres of land in Nappan. (Deed Book G, p. 251). The property was described as follows: "beginning at the mouth of a small creek which empties into the Napan River, thence up the said creek til it comes near the edge of the upland now in possession of the heirs of the late William Pipes thence across the highway along a ditch and fence adjoining marshland also in possession of the heirs of the later William Pipes thence under the upland until it comes to a certain small Creek thence from the marsh at the Creek South forty three degrees East seventy three Chains thence South fifty two degrees West fifty one chains or until it meets the line of lands laid out and by Robert Read and William Blinkhorn thence down said line North forty three Degrees West till it comes to the Marsh near the head of a Creek by its several courses adjoining the Marsh occupied by the heirs of William Blinkhorn deceased till it meets the River Maccan."
Mike and Sari Stiles, who own the excellent B&B, which is the very next property south of the Experimental Farm, purchased their property from the Roach family. In 2014 they confirmed that the Roach family originally owned the land where the Experimental Farm is located. Their B&B at 3936 Hwy 302 is located just before the road bends to the west; on the 1873 map, the property of J. Roach is located on this bend. A brief note on a Roach family website says that Thomas Roach, born 15 June 1830 and married to Susan Bishop of Onslow, was a farmer on his father's homestead which he sold to the government for the experimental farm. The 1888 transaction between Thomas Roach and the Queen is recorded in Deed Book 19, p. 427 but the document is very difficult to read and I have not yet been able to decipher the boundaries or number of acres. On 26 May 1888 a request was made for a voucher #24 for $15, 079.30 for the sale of the land by Thomas Roach for the experimental farm (Record in Sessional Papers of the Dominion of Canada, Volume 24, Issue 3, p. 52). Further down the page we also learn that the size of the Roach farm was 202 acres. In an 1888 report, the size of the farm is given as 300 acres. The current size of the Experimental Farm is 551 acres.
In 1780, Thomas Coates leased 625 acres from J.F.W. DesBarres for a term of 990 years at a yearly rent of 14 pounds, 6 shillings, 5 pence (Deed Book C, p. 258, Document #503706194). The property boundaries are not described in the deed. Thomas Coates was living on the property when Captain John MacDonald visited the DesBarres leases on the Maccan and Nappan Rivers in 1795. MacDonald reported that Tenant #1, Thomas Coates, "is upon a promising farm and does well." MacDonald also reported that Thomas Coates and his neighbour to the north, William Pipes, had collaborated to build a Bridge over the River Nappan.
In a McCully family history prepared for a 1995 family reunion, Bob McCully writes of his ancestor, the Reverend Samuel McCully (p. 24), "In 1799 Samuel purchased from Thomas Coates fifteen hundred acres of land, including houses and mill at Southampton in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. Later he purchased from Thomas Coates, the land which has become part of the Experimental Station at Nappan." Incidentally, Samuel's wife Esther was the daughter of William Pipes Jr..
On 1 February 1804, Thomas Coates sublet to Samuel McCully the 625 acres which he had formerly leased from J.F.W. DesBarres (Deed Book E, P. 78, Document #503707649). In the same year, Thomas Coates relocated to a property on Smiths Creek in New Brunswick that he had purchased from Samuel McCully.
In 1817, McCulley purchased the property of about 620 acres in Nappan from DesBarres for 1450 pounds. The boundaries are described as follows: "beginning at the mouth of a small creek which empties into the Nappan River, then up the said creek til it comes near the edge of the upland now in the possession of the heirs of the late William Pipes thence across the highway along a ditch and fence adjoining marshland in possession of the heirs of the later William Pipes thence under the uplands until it comes to a certain small brook, thence from the Marsh at the said brook south south 53 degrees east east seventy three chains then south fifty two degrees west fifty one chains or until it meets the line of lands laid out assigned (?) by Robert Read and William Blinkhorn thence down the said line fifty three degrees til it meets the River Maccan..." (DesBarres Papers, Series 5 (M.G. 23, F1-5, Vols 22-23). Land correspondence, 1813-1824, Document 5313-5314. Reel C-1460, image 361-362.
McCully to Roach to Experimental Farm
In an online list of 142 McCully References, reference #68 is a long quote from the diary of Gilbert Seaman. According to this very amusing passage, the Reverend Samuel McCully ran into financial difficulty after some high-seas tobacco running and part of his property was acquired by Thomas Roach.
On 9 April 1818, Samuel McCully sold to Thomas Roach for 3,250 pounds 625 acres of land in Nappan. (Deed Book G, p. 251). The property was described as follows: "beginning at the mouth of a small creek which empties into the Napan River, thence up the said creek til it comes near the edge of the upland now in possession of the heirs of the late William Pipes thence across the highway along a ditch and fence adjoining marshland also in possession of the heirs of the later William Pipes thence under the upland until it comes to a certain small Creek thence from the marsh at the Creek South forty three degrees East seventy three Chains thence South fifty two degrees West fifty one chains or until it meets the line of lands laid out and by Robert Read and William Blinkhorn thence down said line North forty three Degrees West till it comes to the Marsh near the head of a Creek by its several courses adjoining the Marsh occupied by the heirs of William Blinkhorn deceased till it meets the River Maccan."
Mike and Sari Stiles, who own the excellent B&B, which is the very next property south of the Experimental Farm, purchased their property from the Roach family. In 2014 they confirmed that the Roach family originally owned the land where the Experimental Farm is located. Their B&B at 3936 Hwy 302 is located just before the road bends to the west; on the 1873 map, the property of J. Roach is located on this bend. A brief note on a Roach family website says that Thomas Roach, born 15 June 1830 and married to Susan Bishop of Onslow, was a farmer on his father's homestead which he sold to the government for the experimental farm. The 1888 transaction between Thomas Roach and the Queen is recorded in Deed Book 19, p. 427 but the document is very difficult to read and I have not yet been able to decipher the boundaries or number of acres. On 26 May 1888 a request was made for a voucher #24 for $15, 079.30 for the sale of the land by Thomas Roach for the experimental farm (Record in Sessional Papers of the Dominion of Canada, Volume 24, Issue 3, p. 52). Further down the page we also learn that the size of the Roach farm was 202 acres. In an 1888 report, the size of the farm is given as 300 acres. The current size of the Experimental Farm is 551 acres.
Sources:
Bailyn, Bernard. Voyagers to the West: A Passage in the Peopling of America on the Eve of the American Revolution, Toronto, Random House, 1986. Winner of the Pulitzer prize in history 1987. Portions of this outstanding book are available for online viewing. An entire section is devoted to Francklin and Yorkshire. The information about Thomas Coates and William Pipes Jr. appears in a section called "Competence and Emergence."
McCully, Bob. McCully Family History 1746-1995. Booklet prepared for 1995 McCully family reunion sent to me by Sanford Wilbur. His Condortales website contains research on the McCully family.
Provincial Archives of New Brunswick website. This is an excellent website for researching family members who lived in what was formerly Nova Scotia but is now New Brunswick. Births, deaths, and wills are among the documents searchable online.
Trueman, Howard. The Chignecto Isthmus and its First Settlers, 1902. Online version at Project Gutenburg.
Bailyn, Bernard. Voyagers to the West: A Passage in the Peopling of America on the Eve of the American Revolution, Toronto, Random House, 1986. Winner of the Pulitzer prize in history 1987. Portions of this outstanding book are available for online viewing. An entire section is devoted to Francklin and Yorkshire. The information about Thomas Coates and William Pipes Jr. appears in a section called "Competence and Emergence."
McCully, Bob. McCully Family History 1746-1995. Booklet prepared for 1995 McCully family reunion sent to me by Sanford Wilbur. His Condortales website contains research on the McCully family.
Provincial Archives of New Brunswick website. This is an excellent website for researching family members who lived in what was formerly Nova Scotia but is now New Brunswick. Births, deaths, and wills are among the documents searchable online.
Trueman, Howard. The Chignecto Isthmus and its First Settlers, 1902. Online version at Project Gutenburg.