Keirstead

Howard Henry Keirstead, was born in Alma in 1885, his father, Henry Nathan Wright Keirstead, was also born in Alma in 1845.   Henry's father, George Keirstead, was born at Kingston, Kings County, NB, son of the Loyalists Luke and Elizabeth (Drew) Keirstead.

George must have decided that farming was not for him because he headed out to Charlottetown, PEI where he worked as a shoemaker. He had been briefly married to Dorcas Johnson in Kingston but although we have no death date for her, he married Marianne Jackson in Charlottetown in 1831. She died in childbirth in January 1832 although her infant daughter survived. In October 1832 George married Jane Wright, d/o Nathan Wright, master carpenter (he did much of the fine woodwork in both Province House and Government House in Charlottetown). George and Jane and his infant daughter went to Halifax where their son George jr was born and from there to Alma. He kept his shoemaking business but was also the Post Master at Salmon River (Alma). George died in 1888 in Alma I have a letter from there great aunt, Ella (Keirstead) Cleveland, wife of Judson A. Cleveland, describing him.

His son Henry married Mary Jane Fletcher (she was from St Martins - d/o John Fletcher who had come to NB from County Leitrim Ireland in the 1830s - his first wife died in Saint John and he moved to St Martins where he married Anne Eliza Floyd. Mary Jane and her brother, John Fletcher, both came, married and lived in Alma. Henry was also a shoemaker and in the early part of the 20th century kept a store in Alma. My late father, Paul Keirstead, could remember being allowed to choose whatever penny candy he wanted from the store on a visit to his grandparents.

George, Jane, Henry, Mary Jane and several young children plus Henry's two daughters, Annie Love (Keirstead) Marvin and Ella Jane (Keirstead) Cleveland are all buried in the Baptist Cemetery in Alma. The latter's home, Cleveland Place, is still standing on the main street.