The Sederquist Family of Granville Township
In information published by Rev. GW Sederquist in the early 20th century, he wrote that his grandfather, John Sederquist, born in Stockholm, Sweden c. 1754 had been forced aboard a British man-o’-war by a “press gang” sometime around 1776. With several others he escaped and took refuge on a merchant ship bound for America. Arriving as the American Revolution broke out, John Sederquist sided with the British. He joined the Queen’s Rangers, a battalion raised from Loyalists living in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The Queen’s Rangers participated in a number of conflicts during the war and were included in the surrender of British forces at Yorktown in 1781. Disbanded following the Revolution, many of the former Queen’s Rangers, including Sederquist, settled as Loyalists in the Saint John River Valley in New Brunswick. Either in New Brunswick or in Granville, Nova Scotia, John Sederquist married Anne Harvey, a widow born in Paisley, Scotland, with two young sons, George Harvey and Norman Lamont Harvey. The youngest children of John and Anne Sederquist were baptized in Granville.
Children:
- James Sederquist, b. c. 1788. James Sederquist was in New Brunswick by 2 March 1812 when he m. at Hamilton, King’s Co., NB Elizabeth Pickel, d/o Nicholas and Rachael (Inscoe) Pickel. On 8 May 1815 James Sederquist received a grant of 300 acres near his brother William at Cassidy Lake, south of Norton Nb. He did not remain there long, and settled with his family near Hampton Ferry, King’s Co. on the Kennebecassis River. Elizabeth Sederquist d. 12 Apr. 1834 age 40 and James Sederquist m. (2) 6 Dec. 1835 Mary Wiggins of Saint John Nb. James Sederquist d. Hampton NB 22 March 1870 age 84 (Daily Telegraph Wed. 23 March 1870). Mary Sederquist d. 16 Nov. 1852 age 57. Children: (by 1st wife, Elizabeth Pickel)a. Elizabeth Sederquist, m. July 1841 George Crawford; b. William T. Sederquist;c. Joseph Pickel Sederquist, b. c. 1823, m. 16 Dec. 1845 Sarah Eagles; d. Charles Francis Sederquist; e. John Harvey Sederquist, b. 4 May 1826, m. 1853 Calais ME Amanda Jane Emerson Keene; f. Sarah Catherine Sederquist, m. 11 Oct. 1851 Henry b. Fowler; g. Rachel Sederquist, d. 1834; h. George N. Sederquist, b. 1834, d. 2 June 1836; (by 2 <span=”mysup”>ndwife, Mary Wiggins) i. George Sederquist, b. c. 1838, m. Hannah Ellen Prince; j. Henrietta Sederquist.
- William Sederquist, b. c. 1790. William, son of John and Anna Sedderquist, bpt. Middle District, Granville 24 June 1792 age 2 (Baptisms: Granville Anglican). William Sederquist was in New Brunswick by 8 May 1815 when he received a grant of 210 acres near his brother James at Cassidy Lake, south of Norton Nb. He did not remain there long and returned to Granville NS. William Sidequist m. Margaret Anthony by licence with parental consent 4 March 1819 by Rev. George Best. Witnesses: Joseph Anthony and Enoch Merritt. (Marriages: Granville Anglican, #57). Letters of administration were granted 18 Apr. 1825 to Joseph Anthony, Enoch Merritt and Joseph Anthony jr., all of Granville, for the estate of William Sederquist, yeoman, late of Granville. (Annapolis Co. Wills- Estate Folio S36 (1825). There was apparently no issue from the marriage. Margaret Seduquest, widow, m. William Fleet by banns with parental consent 13 Dec. 1820 by Rev. George Best. Witnesses: John Covert and John Johnson. (Marriages: Granville Anglican, #86).
- John Sederquist, b. c. 1791. John, son of John and Anna Sedderquist, bpt. Middle District, Granville 20 Aug. 1791 age 1 (Baptisms: Granville Anglican), d. 7 Aug. 1857 age 67. John Sederquist m. (1) 17 Dec. 1811 Granville NS Elizabeth Johnson (Granville Township Book, p. 11), d/o Capt. John and Peggy (Grant) Johnson. She d. 22 Nov. 1823. John Sederquist m. (2) 28 Aug. 1824 Granville NS Hannah McGregor (Granville Township Book, p. 11). Hannah McGregor b. 1 June 1795 Granville NS d/o James and Hannah (Wade) McGregor. (Granville Township Book, p.82). Hannah Sederquist d. 23 Aug. 1887 Lynn MA (MA Vital Stats- Lynn Deaths: Vol. 382 p.224 #(2)06). Children: (by 1st wife Elizabeth Johnson)a. Margaret Sederquist, b. 1 Oct. 1812 (Granville Township Book, p.11), m. (1) William Mussels, b. 22 May 1807, s/o Thomas and Mary (Webber) Mussels; m. (2) by licence 7 Dec. 1876 Charles Chute, widower (Marriages: Granville Anglican, #575). b. John Sederquist, b. 20 Sept. 1814 (Granville Township Book, p. 11). Likely the son who drowned c. 1844. The notice of the drowning deaths of James and William Sederquist in Dec. 1844 noted that a brother had drowned a few months previous. c. William Sederquist, b. 4 Dec. 1816, d. 10 Feb. 1821 (Granville Township Book, p. 11). d. James Sederquist, b. 23 Dec. 1818 (Granville Township Book, p. 11). Capt. James Sederquist and his half-brother, William, were drowned 23 Dec. 1844 when their schooner was lost on the return trip from Boston to Granville where they had taken a load of pulpwood. The following is from The New Brunswick Chronicle 22 Feb. 1845: “The masts reported in the Yarmouth paper as having been driven ashore at Chegoggin Point a few weeks since were examined by Capt. Mussels of Granville NS on the 7th inst. who recognized the main mast as that of schr. Pearl which left Boston 7th Dec. and has not been heard of. The persons who sailed in her from Boston were James Sederquist, of Digby, Capt., William Sederquist (Capt.’s brother) and John Papoon, French”. e. Abigail Ann Sederquist, b. 31 July 1821 (Granville Township Book, p. 11), m. by licence 3 July 1842 William R. Matthews. Witnesses: Phebe Ann Weatherspoon and Samuel McCormick jr. (Marriages: Granville Anglican, #322). (by 2nd wife, Hannah McGregor) f. William Sederquist, b. 30 May 1825 (Granville Township Book, p. 11). William Sederquist and his half-brother, Capt. James, were drowned 23 Dec. 1844 when their schooner was lost on the return trip from Boston to Granville where it had taken a load of pulpwood. See above. g. Henderson Sederquist, b. 3 Sept. 1826, d. 8 Sept. 1829 (Granville Township Book, p. 11).h. Elizabeth Sederquist, b. 28 July 1830 (Granville Township Book, p. 11).i. Christianna Sederquist, b. 17 Aug. 1832 (Granville Township Book, p. 11), m. 27 Dec. 1849 Michael Merritt, s/o Enoch and Magdalen (Anthony) Merritt.j. Henderson Sederquist, b. 25 Sept. 1834 (Granville Township Book, p. 11). Henderson Sederquist, a currier age 34, living Boston MA, b. NS s/o John and Hannah, m. 1 Apr. 1870 Boston MA Mary McGrath, age 19, living Chelsea MA, b. NS d/o Samuel and Ann (1st m. for both) (MA Vital Stats- Boston Marriages: Vol. 228 p. 45 #793). k. Rozolpha Sederquist, b. 1 May 1836 (Granville Township Book, p. 11). Rosaltha Sedequist, age 20, living Provincetown MA, b. NS d/o John Sedequist m. 24 Feb. 1857 Provincetown MA Richard Flood Smith, a mariner age 25, living Provincetown MA, b, there s/o Richard F. and Harriet Smith. (MA Vital Stats- Provincetown Marriages: Vol.108 p.20 #26). l. George Washington Sederquist, b. 10 Sept. 1838, m. Bethia (Litch) Johnson, b. 10 Dec. 1833 Granville NS, d/o John and Bethia (McKenzie) Litch. m. Maria Jane Sederquist, b. c. 1840 (40 in 1880 US Census). Maria Jane Sederquist m. 11 March 1861 Lower Granville NS James Miller of Saint John NB by Rev. James Spencer (Christian Messenger 20 March 1861). At the time of the 1880 US Census, James Miller, a fisherman age 46, was living in Orleans, Barnstable Co. MA, with wife Maria J. age 40, children John S., age 18 b. NS, and Bessie S., age 12 b. MA, and mother-in-law Hannah W. Sederquist, age 75, “quilting” b. NS (parents b. ME). n. Celinda Sederquist.o. Norman Harvey Sederquist, b. c. 1846. Norman Harvey Sederquist, a carpenter age 29, living Lowell MA, b. NS s/o John and Hannah, m. 13 Jan. 1875 Lowell MA Elmira m. Crow, age 25, living Colchester VT, b. Vermont d/o Thadeus and Philora (1st m. for both) (MA Vital Stats- Lowell Marriages: Vol.272 p.98). p. Emma Grace Sederquist.
- Catherine Judith Sederquist, b. c. 1792. Catherine Judith, daughter of John and Anna Sedderquist, bpt. Middle District, Granville 13 July 1794 age 3 (Baptisms: Granville Anglican).
