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Family lore said Robert Placeway lived in Nova Scotia and owned a shipping company, that his ships were confiscated by the Americans during the Revolutionary War. To date there has been no documentation to prove this story. The records obtained from the Queens County Museum in Liverpool, Nova Scotia do not indicate that he actually owned any ships, but confirmed he was a fisherman. Robert was also a respected proprietor in Liverpool, owning a cooper shop. His busy life took him to many ports and included trading goods with the Indians. By writing the Queens County Museum, I was able to get documented information that depicted the life of Robert Placiseway and proved beyond any doubt that our ancestor, William Placeway, was indeed the son of Robert and Mehitable Placeway. Documents received were copies from the Diary Of Simeon Perkins of Liverpool, Nova Scotia written 1766-1812 and copies from the T. B. Smith Collection of Families of Queens County, Nova Scotia. Perkins wrote in his diary the following about Robert Placeway, the spelling recorded below as he wrote it.: - Saturday, June 7th (1766) - "Liverpool Packet" sails at evening. Henry Stewart is master, Plaiceway
goes to trade with the Indians. The vessel is 22 tons and built for this trade. - Friday, June 20th (1766) - Schr. "Humming Bird" arrives from Halifax. Plaiceway left Halifax for the
Quebec voyage, the Tuesday after he left here. - Saturday, July 26th (1766) - Robert Plaiceway buys a 1/5 lot containing 2 acres, with a small house
from Mrs. Young. - Wednesday, Oct 8th (1766) - "Liverpool Packet" sails, Mr. Placeway goes passenger.
- Wednesday, Oct 29th (1766) - Arrived Headley's pinky. I hear tha Plaiceway was at Chebucto last
Sunday, and good prospects of fish. - Friday, April 3rd (1767) - Sloop "Liberty", Howes Stewart master, sails for trading with the Indians.
Robert Plaiceway goes. He has L360 in cargo and will try for L50 more of necessary articles at
Halifax. - Thursday, May 14th (1767) - Stephen Morine is married to Miss Susannah Patterson, at Plaiceway's.
- Sunday, June 21st (1767) - Plaiceway sold the chief of his cargo, and got a quantity of beaver, etc.
- Wednesday, Aug. 12th (1767) - I send Plaiceway to collect fish along the shore, and ship to Thomas
Russell of Boston. If he gets 140 qtls. to ship 40 qtls, to Jonathan Mason. - Wednesday, Aug. 19th (1767) - Snow arrives from Ragged Island. Plaiceway writes of poor luck
collecting fish to the westward. - Friday, Nov. 20th (1767) - I empower Robert Millard and Robert Plaiceway to act for me collecting
debts. Leaves notes with Millard, books with Plaiceway, and sell small articles to Plaiceway. - [On Nov 30th 1767 Perkins left Liverpool and resided in Norwich, CT. He kept a regular diary, but
nothing pertaining to Liverpool. He returned to Liverpool, Jun 16th 1769 and resumed his entries on
the events thereof.] - Thursday, Aug. 2nd (1770) - I dine at Plaiceway's with Colonel Jay and Capt. Bradford from Quebec.
- Monday, Nov 6th (1770) - Capt. Banjah Collins, Joseph Tinkham & Mr. Hucking Crosby Apprize (sic
appraise) the house now used for a barrack. It belongs to the heirs of Robert Plaiseway, or creditors of
Mr. Benj. Leigh. It is wanted to Build a Barrack within the pickets & Strands endangered of being
destroyed by the Soldiers, So I concent to have it taken down. - Friday, Nov. 19th (1773) - Mrs. Plaiseway and family, take passage with Capt. Issac Buck for
Philadelphia. Hugh Gordon's millwright also goes. - Tuesday, Jan 18th (1774) - Nearly burndt up my old building that was blown down near my store, and
began upon the shop of Plaiceway. Probably done by sailors about the yard. - Wednesday, April 13th (1774) We settle with the overseers of the poor, with Jonathan Crowell for
keeping William Plaiseway, allowing him L6.12, giving my note. - Thursday, Sep 15th (1774) - Robert, son of the late Robert Plaiseway, died last night of Quincy.
- Monday, April 26th - (1790) - Yesterday William Plaiseway, son of the late Robert Plaiseway made his
apperance here. He has Served an apprenticement to a Comb maker in Philadelphia., and says he
has had a severe master. - Wednesday, Nov 30th (1791) - Capt. James Gorham has brought from the children of John Young the
Right of Land belonging to the heirs of John Young, amoung which is the Fish Lot B, No. 7, part of
which I bought from Robert Plaiseway, 24 years ago and runs thro my home lots.
In the T. B. Smith Collecting he compiled the records from Simeon Perkins Diary and added a Footnote at the bottom of a page that read - Robert Plaiseway or Plaiceway was one of the proprietors of Liverpool and on June 10 1761 he was petitioned for a meeting of the proprietors, On September 26, 1761, he married to Mehitable Kenny, widow of Joseph Godfrey. * Please note; Mehitable was never married to a Kenney, but Mehitable's daughter from her first marriage, Sarah Godfrey, had married Isaac Kenney and evidently T.B. Smith had somehow mixed up his information. He went on to say: Plaiceway and several other men had established a fishery on Bear Island, now known as Coffin's Island. He also traded with the Indians and was employed by Simeon Perkins in the collecting of fish and debts. Plaiseway also had a cooperage at Liverpool. In 1773 his wife and family went to Philadelphia, where a son served his apprenticeship to a comb-maker. This son, William, returned to Liverpool in 1790. The annals of Liverpool and Queen's County, Nova Scotia page 38-39 read... The men in whose names Gov. Lawrence made the grant of Township of Liverpool, were, John Dogget, Elisha Freeman, Samuel Doggett and Thomas Foster, "On behalf of themselves and others." We give the names of the early proprietors and settlers, besides the four above mentioned, arranging them alphabetically; this list included the name of Robery Placeway. On page 63 is read "Bear Island" One of the deeds is from Robert Plaiceway, Acus Tripp, William Annable, Isaac Cuffey and Jonathan Wood, conveying to Daniel Torrey "a certain island at the entrance of the harbor known as Bear Island." This is now Coffin's Island, but was earlier established by the aboved named as a fishery. On August 27, 1764, a memorial from Peleg Coffin was presented to the Council at Halifax, praying that "an island called by his name at the entrance of Liverpool, on which he has built and improved, might be granted to him under the restriction that any of the inhabitants may use it for fishing purposes. On page 117, The name of Plaiceway is found in several places in land transactions in Liverpool, but disappeared entirely in a few years. Robert Plaiceway, who married Mehitable Godfrey, evidently moved to Barrington, but Rev. Dr. Crowell says that about 1770 Sarah Godfrey of Liverpool married Isaac Kenny, when he died she married Robert Plaiceway, and had a daughter, the mother of Janet McLearn. Mrs. James Smith and Elizabeth McLearn, all of Barrington. [* Evidently there is confusion of names and dates.] But the Plaiceway name has now disappeared. Mehitable Placeway died in Liverpool January 26, 1777. November 9, 1846, Mary, wife of James McLearn, died at Kempt, age 86. Her maiden name was Mary Plaiceway. (* To clarify the information on page 117, it should be noted that the Sarah Godfrey mentioned was the daughter of Mehitable from her first marriage to Joseph Godfrey. Sarah did indeed marry an Isaac Kenney. The daughter, Janet McLearn mentioned above was in reality the daughter of Mary Placeway, who married James McLearn. These records were more than confusing.)
Sources:
01.) "Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867" by Col. Leonard H. Smith, Jr., and Norma H. Smith, Volume II,
page 192., page 456. [DAR Library, Wash., DC]
02.) Nova Scotia Settler from Chatham, Massachusetts, National Genealogical Society Quarterly,
Volume 62, 1974, page 103. [Dar Library, Wash., DC.]
03.) "Planters and Pioneers of Nova Scotia, 1749 to 1775" by E. C. Wright, rev. Ed, Hansport, Nova
Scotia 1978, page 244. [DAR Library, Wash., DC.]
04.) Copies from "The Diary of Simeon Perkins" and the T. B. Smith "Collection of Families of Queens
County, Nova Scotia" sent to the compiler of this family history, Dianne S. Stenzel, from Linda
Rafuse, director of the Queens County Museum, Liverpool, Nova Scotia 12 December 1997.
05.) Copies from the "Annals of Liverpool and Queens County", page 38, 39, 63, 117, sent to the
compiler of this family history, Dianne S. Stenzel, from Linda Rafuse, director of the Queens
County Museum, Liverpool, Nova Scotia.
06.) The death of Robert Plaiceway found in the Provincial Archives of Nova Scotia, Lunenburg, Nova
Scotia.
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