First Generation
1. John McINTOSH. Born in 1813 in Springville (Irish Mountain), Nova Scotia, Canada. John died in Springville, Nova Scotia, Canada, on 26 JUN 1888; he was 75. Buried in Lot 64, Springville Cemetery, Nova Scotia, Canada. Occupation: Joiner, Mechanic and Farmer. Alias/AKA: John MacKintosh.
John McIntosh lived on Irish Mountain and Mary MacKenzie lived at Grant’s Lake when they were married on 9 February 1835 by the Rev. John McRae of West Branch, East River, Minister of the Kirk Church from 1827-1844.

Irish Mountain, Pictou County, Nova Scotia is situated between Churchville and McLellan’s Brook, back of Forbes Lake. Grant’s Lake, Pictou County, Nova Scotia is two miles north of Centredale. It was so named because it was located about half-way between East River at Bridgeville and West Branch, East River at Waterville (now Elgin).

The headstone of John MacKintosh reads: 1813-1888, June 26 (date of death), 75 (age). His wife, Mary McKenzie, is also buried with him. Others buried here are Angus McArthur, 1832-1899, January 7, Age 67 and his wife Elizabeth, 1836-1922, Age 86. Elizabeth was the first born child of John MacKintosh and Mary McKenzie.

The only instance of the spelling of the name as MacKintosh is on the headstone in the Springville, Nova Scotia cemetery. It is always spelled as MacIntosh, or, more often than not, as McIntosh in all of the census books. The children of John McIntosh and Mary MacKenzie who moved to Rhode Island in the 1860s always spelled the name as McIntosh.

I have kept the spelling as McIntosh throughout this genealogy.

John McIntosh appears in the 1851 Census of Pictou County in District 16 (East Branch, East River). There were living with him “5 males and 1 Female (under 10); 1 Male and 2 Females (10-20); 1 Male and 1 Feale (30-40); Number in School: 4; 2 Married; Births the Previous Year: 1; 1 Mechanic; Religion: 11 Kirk of Scotland”

John McIntosh appears in the 1871 Census of Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada as a married male, age 58 who was a joiner by occupation.

John McIntosh appears in the 1881 Census of Pictou County, East Branch, East River, p. 71:

John McIntosh M Male Scottish 67 Nova Scotia Farmer C. Presbyterian
Mary McIntosh F Female Scottish 65 Nova Scotia C. Presbyterian
Duncan McIntosh M Male Scottish 34 Nova Scotia Farmer C. Presbyterian
Jessie Bell McInosh M Female Scottish 32 Nova Scotia C. Presbyterian
Jeorgie M. McIntosh Male Scottish 5 Nova Scotia C. Presbyterian
Hannah McIntosh Female Scottish 27 Nova Scotia C. Presbyterian



Here are two excerpts from "The History of Springville", by Frank W. Calder:

page 166:

“The McIntosh house was up the Irish Mountain Road ... part way down the bank to the brook. Foundation still evident, house was gone in the 1920’s”

page 194:

"We will go up the Irish Mountain road now and then continue along the main road. Just up the Irish Mtn. road a few hundred yards on the right hand side, down by the brook was the John McIntosh home on a small piece of land in 1879. The foundation of the house is still there. This was part of the James McIntosh grant. John McIntosh, 1813-188, m. Mary McKenzie, 1813-1907. Mrs. McIntosh became very well known as the local mid-wife, as "Granny McIntosh". Their son Daniel was a graduate of Harvard Univ. in medicine and practised in Pugwash, N. S. The Doctor and four brothers visited here in 1925.

The Presbyterian Witness (Sat 7 Jul 1888, Vol. XLI, No. 27, p. 216) states:

"McIntosh, John d. 26th ult. at Springville, E. R. (East River) Pictou, aged 75 years."

The next property in 1870 was that of Donald McIntosh, 1819-1884 and his wife Lavinia McKenzie, 1819-1910, the lane to the buildings being about half a mile long (24). Five of their family remained at home unmarried; Lavinia, 1847-1927, Elizabeth, 1845-1928, Jessie, 1852-1928, Jane, 1850-1941, Alex J, 1857-1948. Other of the family were: Annie, Ruth and Hughena.
On 9 FEB 1835 when John was 22, he married Mary MACKENZIE, daughter of William MACKENZIE (1 APR 1770-11 MAR 1868) & Flora MACMILLAN (19 OCT 1769-15 MAY 1853). Minister: Rev. John McRae. Born on 15 SEP 1814 in Centredale (Grant’s Lake), Nova Scotia, Canada. Mary died in Springville, Nova Scotia, Canada, on 19 MAR 1907; she was 92. Buried in Springville Cemetery, Nova Scotia, Canada. Gravestone says aged 94 years. Was on the census for 1871, 1881 Census of Pictou Couunty, Nova Scotia, Canada. Occupation: Mid-Wife and Herbalist. in Rev. John McRae.
The headstone of Mary McKenzie reads: “In memory of John Mackintosh died June 26th, 1888 aged 75 years also his wife Mary McKenzie died March 19th, 1907 aged 94 years”

Here is an interesting story about Mary MacKenzie:

History of Springville, by Frank Calder, page 124.

One of the most necessary persons before and after the beginning of the century was Granny McIntosh. She lived a short distance up the Irish Mtn. road on the right hand side. The place is now so overgrown that you can't find where the house was. She is buried in the Springville Cemetery-the name; Mary, wife of John McIntosh. She raised a family of twelve children, who became prominent, well-to-do citizens of other places. After she had raised her family, she became a practical mid-wife. I'm quite sure, self trained. At first there was no doctor living nearer than New Glasgow or "the Mines" and Mrs. McIntosh with usually the help of the baby's grandmother delivered all the babies. Bridgeville was booming at that time. Many people lived there and of course, many babies were born. The mothers all liked the services of Mrs. McIntosh. She came and looked after the mother and baby for the time needed, usually a week, for $8.00. She was quite successful. I never heard of her losing a mother or a baby in nearly 300 cases. That was remarkable.

The above was written from the memories of Jessie MacLean Chisholm and was part of Frank Calder 's book, “History and Stories of Springville - Pictou County, Nova Scotia”.


The birth and baptismal certificates of Mary McKenzie and her children are located at St. Columba Church (United Church of Canada) in Hopewell, Nova Scotia.

Here is her obituary as found in the Presbyterian Witness:

"McIntosh, MARY MACKENZIE, relict of late John McIntosh in her 94th yr. d. 19 March 1907, at Springville, N.S., her husband predeceased her by 18 yrs. She was the mother of 12 children, 8 sons, 4 daus. all of whom she saw to adulthood. 3 of them are dead William, James, and Stephen. One dau., Elizabeth, lives on the homestead, another, Catherine, in Stellarton and 2 in Providence - Margaret and Hannah, .d., McIntosh M. D. in Pugwash, N.S., Duncan and Albert S. Druggists, in Oxford, N. S. and George & Alexander in Providence, R. I. (Obit) P. W. (Presbyterian Witness), Sat 13 Apr 1907, Vol. LX, No 15, p. 113.
They had the following children:
2i.
Elizabeth (1836-1922)
3ii.
William James (1838-1897)
4iii.
Catherine (1840-1935)
5iv.
James Robert (1841-1893)
6v.
Margaret A. (1843-1922)
7vi.
Duncan David (1845-1930)
8vii.
Dr. Donald (1846-1932)
9viii.
John George (1848-1930)
10ix.
Alexander Alfred (1850-1934)
11x.
Steptoe F. (1851-1904)
12xi.
Hannah (1853-1926)
13xii.
Albert Scott (1855-1926)
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