The Farm on Smith Road (Joseph, Rupert, Otto Coates)
The Chignecto Isthmus and its First Settlers (1902) provides the following information about Thomas Coates:
"Thomas Coates emigrated from Yorkshire, England, to Nova Scotia in the year, 1774, and settled at Nappan, Cumberland County. His son, Robert, by his second wife, married Jane Ripley, and inherited the homestead. This property is now owned by his grandson, Rupert Coates. Joseph Coates, a son of Robert, married Mary Lawrence. They had a family of ten children. Mr. Coates was a successful farmer and amassed a large property. His sons, Thompson and Rupert, are at the present time prominent men and leading farmers of Nappan, N.S. Another branch of the Coates' family removed to King's County, N.B., and planted the name there."
This is not entirely correct. Robert was a son of Thomas Coates and his first wife and received only 10 shillings in Thomas's will while Thomas's other sons divided the real estate. However, Thomas Coates may have transferred property to Robert before his death as it appears Robert did own considerable property. Thomas Coates arrived in 1772 and did not lease his land in Nappan until 1782 so perhaps he did first live at elsewhere. The homestead of Thomas Coates included the modern Experimental Farm and was sublet to Samuel McCully when Thomas Coates moved to New Brunswick in 1804. According to the 27 Jan 1817 will of Robert Coates (Will Book A), Robert's land was divided among 5 of his sons. However, Robert didn’t have a son named Rupert, so the Rupert mentioned in The Chignecto Isthmus and its First Settlers is likely Robert’s grandson Joseph Rupert Coates (1848-1929) son of Joseph Coates (1808-1873) and Mary Elizabeth Lawrence. Joseph Rupert Coates had a son named Otto Coates (1889). On the Property Plan of 20 Jan 1825, Robert's son Joseph received share number 2.
The Ernest Coates hand-drawn map location #15 indicates a farm owned by Joseph, Rupert, Otto at a location just west of the railroad tracks on Smith Road north of the Nappan Bridge. The Chignecto Isthmus and its First Settlers, reports that in 1902 the current owner of the farm was [Thomas Coates's great grandson] Rupert.
On the 1873 A. F. Church Map there is a J. Coates and possibly an R. Coates just west of the railroad tracks on the north side of Smith Road. A large number of Smith families lived on the east side of the tracks where the Sifto Salt plant is located today at 327 Smith Road. On the 1871 census there are a Joseph Coates and his wife Mary E. with unmarried son Rupert (b ca 1850) living near a Robert Coates with wife Mary and many Smith neighbours. There are also a Job and James Coates living nearby.
A descendant identified the Rupert Wylie Coates Farm 1931 in one of the aerial photographs of the Amherst area in the Richard McCulley aerial photograph collection at the Nova Scotia Archives.
"Thomas Coates emigrated from Yorkshire, England, to Nova Scotia in the year, 1774, and settled at Nappan, Cumberland County. His son, Robert, by his second wife, married Jane Ripley, and inherited the homestead. This property is now owned by his grandson, Rupert Coates. Joseph Coates, a son of Robert, married Mary Lawrence. They had a family of ten children. Mr. Coates was a successful farmer and amassed a large property. His sons, Thompson and Rupert, are at the present time prominent men and leading farmers of Nappan, N.S. Another branch of the Coates' family removed to King's County, N.B., and planted the name there."
This is not entirely correct. Robert was a son of Thomas Coates and his first wife and received only 10 shillings in Thomas's will while Thomas's other sons divided the real estate. However, Thomas Coates may have transferred property to Robert before his death as it appears Robert did own considerable property. Thomas Coates arrived in 1772 and did not lease his land in Nappan until 1782 so perhaps he did first live at elsewhere. The homestead of Thomas Coates included the modern Experimental Farm and was sublet to Samuel McCully when Thomas Coates moved to New Brunswick in 1804. According to the 27 Jan 1817 will of Robert Coates (Will Book A), Robert's land was divided among 5 of his sons. However, Robert didn’t have a son named Rupert, so the Rupert mentioned in The Chignecto Isthmus and its First Settlers is likely Robert’s grandson Joseph Rupert Coates (1848-1929) son of Joseph Coates (1808-1873) and Mary Elizabeth Lawrence. Joseph Rupert Coates had a son named Otto Coates (1889). On the Property Plan of 20 Jan 1825, Robert's son Joseph received share number 2.
The Ernest Coates hand-drawn map location #15 indicates a farm owned by Joseph, Rupert, Otto at a location just west of the railroad tracks on Smith Road north of the Nappan Bridge. The Chignecto Isthmus and its First Settlers, reports that in 1902 the current owner of the farm was [Thomas Coates's great grandson] Rupert.
On the 1873 A. F. Church Map there is a J. Coates and possibly an R. Coates just west of the railroad tracks on the north side of Smith Road. A large number of Smith families lived on the east side of the tracks where the Sifto Salt plant is located today at 327 Smith Road. On the 1871 census there are a Joseph Coates and his wife Mary E. with unmarried son Rupert (b ca 1850) living near a Robert Coates with wife Mary and many Smith neighbours. There are also a Job and James Coates living nearby.
A descendant identified the Rupert Wylie Coates Farm 1931 in one of the aerial photographs of the Amherst area in the Richard McCulley aerial photograph collection at the Nova Scotia Archives.