Mathew Gavin was the first son and second child of Robert Gavin and Sarah Miller born about 1826 in Scotland. The exact location is unknown but the 1841 census states that he was born in Lanarkshire. His elder sister was born outside that county, indicating that the family moved to Lanarkshire before Matthew was born. He was 14 years old in the 1841 Census for Crossford, Lesmahagow Parish, Lanarkshire which is the area south of Glasgow. He doesn't appear again in census records with his parents, as he married Marion Park about 1848 in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County. Ontario.
Marion Park was the third child of Joseph Park and Agnes Sarah Duncan, both born in Lanarkshire, Scotland and both died in Lanark County, Ontario. She was born in Canada in 1829. Matthew and Marian appear in the 1851 Census on Concession IV, Lot W1 Dalhousie Township. This is south of Watson's Corners and close to Playfair Mills.
1851 Census - Dalhousie Twp, Lanark Co, Ontario
Con IV Lot W1
Mathew Givan, M.............. 26, b. Scotland, Presbyterian,
Marion Givan, F.................25, b. Canada
Robert Givan, M......................2, b. Canada
Agnes Givan, F.........................1, b. Canada
This seems to be the only census that includes Matthew with the family. In 1861, Marion is still in Dalhousie Township with six children. In April of 1857, they purchased the west half of Lot 4 on Concession VI of Dalhousie. It was 100 acres and there was a river running through it. See the April 15, 2010 post to view this document.
1861 Census - Dalhousie Twp, Lanark Co., Ontario
Marion Gavin, 34....................b. Upper Canada, Free Church
Robert Gavin, 11........................b. Upper Canada, in school
Agnes Gavin, 10.........................b. Upper Canada, in school
Joseph Gavin, 9.........................b. Upper Canada
Sarah Gavin, 6...........................b. Upper Canada
William Gavin, 4.......................b. Upper Canada
James Gavin, 1..........................b. Upper Canada b.1860
They are living in a log structure
Matthew is shown with Andrew and Rachel MacInnes, b. Scotland, Free Church and 35 years old.
According to anecdotal family history, Matthew Gavin was already in Prince Edward Island when his sister, Sarah who was married to Robert H. Horn, arrived in 1862. They went to Gavin's Corners (probably named later) close to Bloomfield. Robert H. Horn's actual land location date is 1863, but he could have arrived in 1862. Matthew has not been found in the 1871 census in Ontario which would confirm that the family had left.
The 1880 "Meacham's Illustrated Historical Atlas of Prince Edward Island
places Matthew on Lot 5 close to Bloomfield, PEI, located in 1862 and Robert Houstin Horn's location date as 1863. See an April 2010 post for a map of their land in Prince County, PEI.
1871 Census for PEI - This census doesn't seem to have survived.
1881 Census – Prince Edward Island, Prince County
Lot 5, Prince, PEI
Marian GAVIN, Mar............ Scottish, 54, b. Ontario, Presb.
William GAVIN, Mar..............Scottish, 23, b. Ontario, Farmer, Presb.
Agnes GAVIN, Mar..................Scottish, 22, b. Ontario, Presb.
(dau. of Robert H. Horne and Sarah Gavin)
James GAVIN, 1.......................Scottish, b.PEI, (son of above couple)
Jinnie GAVIN...........................Scottish 19, b. Ontario, Presb.
Hugh GAVIN........................... Scottish, 15, b. PEI abt 1865, Presb.
Ellen GAVIN............................ Scottish, 13, b. PEI, Presb.
Duncan GAVIN, 10..................Scottish, b.PEI, Presb.
Nearby, is Matthew and Marion's eldest son, Robert. I have not found their son, Joseph, in the 1881 census
1881 Census - Prince Edward Island , Prince County Twp 5
Robert Gaven, 30............................b. Ontario, Pres, Scotch, farmer
**Sarah Gaven, 26 .........................b. Ontario
Robert Gaven, 1 yr..........................b. PEI
Sarah ..............................................b. Feb 1881 PEI
(**Sarah Miller Horn, daughter of Robert Houstin Horn and Sarah Gavin; they were first cousins)
"....Matthew Gavin had, by 1873, obviously decided that PEI was not to his liking. That's evidenced by a 'For Sale' advertisement for his farm, building, and residence, placed in the Summerside paper and headed with "Westward Ho" . Real estate sales were obviously slow as it appears it took eight years to sell! " (Source: R.M. Bloomfield, PEI)
I have been unable to find Matthew in 1881, or Marion or Matthew in the 1891 census records in Canada. However, the North Dakota Land Patents Database (which is on-line) reveals that Matthew Gavin received a patent for land in Pembina County, North Dakota in October of 1884, followed by three sons Robert (Spring-1885), William (Spring-1885), and James (Fall-1886).
American census records record that they went to the US in 1881. Oral history from PEI Horn descendants marks the date as May, 1881. Apparently correspondence between subsequent generations of PEI Horns and the Gavins who went west does exist (R.M.)
See later posts about the family of Matthew and Marion in the American census records.
