The three sons; Robert (Family Number 12),
Hugh II (13) and John (14); decided to immigrate to America.
John and Hugh came first and continued to live the rest of their lives in close proximity. John tried his wings
later and remained somewhat independent of his brothers. The Table below displays the approximate emigration patterns
of the three brothers.
The American Migration of the Nichol Brothers
Location
| Robert & Hugh
| John
|
New York City
| -
| 1862-1864
|
Washington Co. (NY)
| 1860-1867
| 1864-1867
|
Lambton Co. (ON)
| -
| 1867-1873
|
Belmont (ON) Area
| 1867-1878
| 1873-1879
|
Portage la Prairie (MB)
| 1878-1880
| 1879-Life's End
|
Rapid City (MB)
| 1880-1885
| -
|
Bottineau (ND)
| 1885-Lifes' End
| -
|
By 1864 all three had settled near Salem and Cambridge in Washington County, N. Y. The sisters soon followed. Robert
and Hugh II operated a flax mill while John worked in dentistry and leather goods.
|
It is not known
whether their parents immigrated to New York or waited until the sons moved to Canada.
In 1867 the three Nichol brothers moved to Ontario. They ended up in Belmont, ON (about eight miles east of
London). There, they once again built a flax mill. It is assumed that
the parents, Hugh I and Mary Ann, joined their sons from Ireland sometime
between 1866 and 1871. All three brothers married and started families while in Ontario.
In 1878 the brother lost their flax mill by fire. Robert and Hugh then moved to Portage la Prairie,
Manitoba. John and his family followed a year later. As shown in the table, Robert, Hugh and their respective families later moved to
Rapid City, MB and Bottineau, ND.
Sarah (Family Number 11) married James RALSTON in Ahoghill (1848)
and settled in Salem, NY in 1866. James worked in the flax mill with the Nichol
brothers. He and Sarah later moved to North Adams, MA in 1892, where they lived out their lives.
The other four daughters were Mary (15),
Elizabeth (16),
Nancy (17),
and Rachel (18). Other than the fact that Elizabeth's baptism (on 4 April 1847) is recorded
at Ahoghill Presbyterian Church, very little is known about them or their offspring.
|