John Tye "Tighe" and Elizabeth "Betsy" Cathcart of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Hello everyone,
All of the Tighes of Cape Breton descend from James Tighe who was the son of John Tye and Elizabeth "Betsy" (Matthew, William) Cathcart. According to John and Elizabeth's marriage record at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Sydney John was from Dover, England.His parents' names were not listed.John died before 15 Nov 1866 when his third son John was born.I can't find his death record. John Jr. was raised by his grandparents and may have taken the name Cathcart.
Elizabeth Betsy Cathcart was the daughter of Matthew Cathcart and Catherine (Maurice) Doyle.Matthew was the son of William Cathcart who was a soldier from England who settled at Lingan.William married Bridget Lee who was likely the daughter of Thomas Lee and Anne Unknown of Lingan.Thomas was the son of Alexander Lee of Main-a-Dieu. Thomas was likely born in England. I have a copy of Alexander's will. All of the Cathcarts of Cape Breton descend from William through either his son Matthew or his son Michael.Maurice Doyle died in 1816 and his widow Bridget married Thomas Cashen. I have a copy of Maurice's will. Maurice was an early settler in the Low Point area along the Irish Grant.
James Tighe married Victoria (Henry, Zepheniah, Zepheniah) Williams.Henry was from South Bar but was born in the Antigonish area.His father Zepheniah ran a ship from the Victoria Pier in Sydney to Bermuda.Zepheniah married Jessie (Dougall) Campbell of Scotland. He was a soldier.Dougall Campbell was married to Isabella Gibson. I don't think that Dougall and Isabella came to Canada but a number of their children did.Zephaiah senior was a pioneer settler in Antigonish and William's Point is named after him.He was reportedly one of George Washington's bodyguards and he was a Loyalist.He was married to Jane Scott (daughter of George Scott who settled in Truro).When Zepheniah and Jane had their first child they became concerned that there was no school in Anigonish.Zepheniah hired an Indian guide to take him from Antigonish to his father-in-law's place at Truro.This trail became to main street of Antigonish.
There is a family legend that our John Tye changed his name from Clarke.I can find no eveidence of this.His marriage record, the baptism records for his three children and his widow's marriage record to her second husband all say John Tye.I think legend has developed around him because he is such a mystery.His age is based on the age of Elizabeth Cathcart's. I hope to soon find her death record so that I can find her obituary.This may give us some new information about John Tye.
There is a chance that John Tye will appear on the 1851 census for Dover, England.Tye or Tighe doesn't seem to have been a common name in Dover.
There is a chance that the George Tye who settled on the mainland of Nova Scotia wasa connected to our John.There weren't very many Tye settlers in Nova Scotia!
I have more information on the Tighe family if you are interested.I would also love to add you to the family tree if you wish to be included!!I would also like to hear about any legends you have heard about the first Tye John!
Cousin Vince MacNeil (great-grandson of Minnie Tighe Burke)
First Generation
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1. Elizabeth "Betsy" Cathcart. Bornabt 1841 in Lingan, Nova Scotia. Elizabeth "Betsy" diedaft 1917, she was 76. Religion: Roman Catholic.
On 25 Feb 1862 when Elizabeth "Betsy" was 21, she first married John Tye, in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Sydney. Bornabt 1840 in Dover, England. John died in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1866, he was 26.
They had the following children:
2 i. James "Jack" (1863-1946)
3 ii. Charlotte (1865-~1968)
iii. John. Born on 15 Nov 1866 in Lingan, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Occupation: driver. Religion: Roman Catholic.
On 21 Sep 1869 when Elizabeth "Betsy" was 28, she second married James MacLeod, son of Alex MacLeod & Jane Stubbard, in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Sydney. Bornabt 1846 in Margaree, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. James died in New Waterford, Cape Breton, Nova Scotiaaft 1917, he was 71.
They had the following children:
i. Alexander. Born on 11 Mar 1870 in Lingan, Nova Scotia. Alexander died in Lingan, Nova Scotia on 15 Jan 1873, he was 2. Religion: Roman Catholic.
4 ii. Matthew (1872-)
5 iii. Alexander (~1874-)
6 iv. Caroline (1877-)
7 v. Thomas F. (1880-)
vi. Mary. Born in 1881. Religion: Roman Catholic.
Mary married Prescot Kendall.
Second Generation
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2. James "Jack" Tighe. Born on 22 Feb 1863 in Lingan, Nova Scotia. James "Jack" died in New Victoria, Nova Scotia on 23 Jul 1946, he was 83. Religion: Roman Catholic. Occupation: miner.
On 15 Feb 1887 when James "Jack" was 23, he married Victoria Regina Williams, daughter of Henry Williams & Lucy Eleanor Brown, in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Born on 19 Jun 1868 in South Bar, Nova Scotia. Victoria Regina died in New Waterford General Hospital, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia on 5 Nov 1925, she was 57.
They had the following children:
i. Mary Ethel "Minnie" (1887-1983)
ii. Elizabeth (Bessie) (1888-)
iii. Thomas "Tom" (1890-1964)
iv. Ida Arlene Joan Angolina (1892-1977)
v. Lucille "Lucy" (1893-)
vi. Eliza "Love" (1895-~1896)
vii. Mildred Eliza "Love" (1897-1991)
viii. John (Jack) Freeman (1902-1989)
ix. Charlotte (1906-)
x. Harold "Harry" (~1910-1971)
xi. TheresaLoretta "Tessie" (1911-1998)
xii. Emma
xiii. Victoria
3. Charlotte Tighe. Born on 5 Jan 1865 in Lingan, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Charlotte died in New Waterford, Cape Breton, Nova Scotiaabt 1968, she was 102. Religion: Roman Catholic.
On 26 May 1889 when Charlotte was 24, she married John D. MacIsaac, in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Born on 17 Mar 1870 in Nova Scotia.
They had the following children:
i. Archibald D (1889-)
ii. John (~1891-)
iii. Mary E. "Mamie" (1893-)
iv. Sally (1894-)
v. Sarah J. (1896-)
vi. Thomas "Tom" (1898-)
vii. Victoria "Vicky" (1900-)
4. Matthew MacLeod. Born on 8 Feb 1872. Religion: Roman Catholic.
abt 1894 when Matthew was 21, he married Christy Ann Nearing.
They had the following children:
i. David (1895-)
ii. Sarah Jane (1897-)
iii. Clara (1901-)
iv. Joseph (1903-)
v. Mary (1905-)
vi. Matilda (1906-)
5. Alexander MacLeod. Bornabt 1874. Religion: Roman Catholic.
abt 1895 when Alexander was 21, he married Sarah Sullivan, in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
They had the following children:
i. Ellen (1896-)
ii. James (1898-)
iii. Mary Beatrice (1900-)
iv. Thomas (1902-)
v. Dan (1903-)
vi. Ethel Pearl (1904-)
vii. Anastasia (1905-)
viii. Edward Alfrida (1906-)
6. Caroline MacLeod. Born on 28 Sep 1877 in Lingan, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Religion: Roman Catholic.
abt 1896 when Caroline was 18, she married Henry Nearing, in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Born on 3 Nov 1877.
They had the following children:
i. James (1898-)
ii. Sarah Jane "Sadie" (1896-)
iii. Charles (1901-)
iv. Elizabeth (1902-)
v. Mary Margaret (1905-)
7. Thomas F. MacLeod. Born on 15 Apr 1880 in Lingan, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Religion: Roman Catholic.
Thomas F. married Margaret Anne Bennett.
They had the following children:
i. Caroline (1904-)
ii. Margaret (1906-)
iii. Elizabeth (1908-)
iv. Unknown
v. Unknown