Walter Scott

     Walter Scott was born circa 1735 at Ireland. He married Mary (?) before 1756. Walter Scott died on 9 August 1815 at Noyan, Missisquoi Co, Quebec.¹ He was buried on 11 August 1815; The burial record for him, located within Rev. Stewart's Anglican records for Caldwell's and Christie's Manors indicates he was "late of Swanton, VT". It is possible he died at Swanton, and his daughter Jane Scott Mansfield, and her husband, Theophilus Mansfield, brought him back to the Manors for burial. No known gravestone in Swanton or in Clarenceville or Noyan.^1,2
     Walter Scott arrived from Ireland "2 yrs after the French War". If we are to calculate this following the "end" of the War in 1763, we assume he arrived about 1765. Given that at least one son was old enough to be married before they left Stillwater in 1777, this writer assumes Walter was married in Ireland, and his eldest children may have been born there.
After settling in Stillwater, New York, Walter leased land from Peter Schuyler - for one term in 1768, and another in 1772. According to the indenture made on the 5th of April 1768 Walter Scott was living on 198 acres on Lot #41, Farm #3 - the first rent was to be four pounds nineteen shillings and three pence Sterling to be paid on the 29th September 1772.
From June to December 1776, he was kept in different jails in Connecticut, one of which was in Hartford where he was imprisoned with Philip Skene. He was then released on parole and returned to his own farm in Stillwater, but was still tormented by the British troops almost daily. He says his sons joined the British troops and when Burgoyne traveled through Stillwater, he and two sons and their families joined them for safety. By his account, he had 200 acres where he built a house, 2 barns, 2 stables and had other out buildings. When the property was confiscated, he had cleared 130 acres and had 2 orchards, and had lost 7 horses, 15 cows, in addition to steer, hogs, sheep bushels of wheat, and all furniture and clothing. The family arrived at Laprairie 7 Nov 1777 as 3 males, 2 females, and 4 children. On a Return of Families for the district of Montreal dated June 1778, Walter Scott's family consisted of 3 men, 2 women, 3 children over 10 and 1 child under 10 and noted as being "in great distress" with a large family. On a Loyalist list dated 1781 Walter Scott was noted to be "an old sick man", quartered at Montreal with a family of 2 males, 1 female, 1 male child over 6, 2 female children over 6. It may have been his son John considered separately, also noted as "sick".
A document dated 25 May 1790 lists the present inhabitants of Christies Manor...#7 Walter Scott Sr, #8 Walter Scott Jr, #9 Thomas Scott. As of Sept 1989 there is no clue to Walter Jr. His name is listed frequently in the Lower Canada Land Records, but have found no further reference to him in other records, unless he was also known as James. On 31 Jan 1795, there was a petition made for land in Hemmingford by Walter Scott as well as James, Thomas, John, the Carrigan brothers and others. In a petition dated the 16th Sept 1795, Walter Scott, once again, gives an account of his troubles while in Stillwater, adding he settled in Christie's Manor after the War and now had cleared a farm. Now, having such a large family he felt that since none of his family had applied for Waste Lands of the Crown (excepting lots given him and his sons in Hemmingford, which they found to be unfit for cultivation), he hopes that he and his family might obtain land in Clifton. He continues by naming all in his family which serves as proof to his descendants...Mary his wife, John, Thomas and James his sons, as well as Mary Carrigan, Easter(sic) Lucus, Jeannie Scott, his daughters..John Flemming, also of his family and a Loyalist...
As of this writing, nothing is known of John Fleming and his relationship to the Scotts. Walter Scott and wife Mary received 1200 acres, his sons 600 acres each and his daughters 200 acres each. John Fleming also received 200 acres. There is a slight chance, I suppose, that John Fleming might be a brother to Walter's wife Mary, and therefore, "of his family".²