Abbreviations used
Date February 21 1890
County Saint John
Place Saint John
Newspaper The Evening Gazette
The language of the text is the original used in the newspaper entry and as transcribed by Daniel F. Johnson. Records acquired by the Provincial Archives are not translated from the language in which they originate.
The late James NELSON of Old Barns, Colchester Co., N.S. raised a large family of sons and daughters of whom, until very recently, it was thought that Alexander NELSON of Upper Brookfield, age 83 and Robert NELSON of South Branch, Upper Stewiacke, some eight years younger, were the only survivors. Half a century ago, says the Colchester 'Sun', or better, William NELSON, a son of James Nelson, left the province to seek his fortune. Eight years afterwards he enclosed his father, from California, a draft for $100. This is the last that was ever heard of William Nelson till very recently. For forty years he has been considered dead. About three weeks ago, a member of the family took a letter out of the post office addressed to his father which proved to be a communication from his brother William. The letter was headed British Columbia where the writer is now ebgaged farming. The records of the family show that William Nelson is 71 years of age.