Our Genealogy - Person Sheet
Our Genealogy - Person Sheet
NameFrances (Fanny) Hamilton , GGG Grandmother, F
Birth1800, County Tyrone, Ireland
Memoson David’s 1900 U.S. census record confirms his mother was born in Ireland
Death28 Feb 1870, Harbourville (formerly Givan Wharf), Cornwallis Townhsip, Kings County, Nova Scotia53
MemoInformant: James Givan
Burialprobably Covenanter Cemetery, Grafton, Nova Scotia
Memono gravestone apparent
ReligionCovenanter54
FatherRobert Hamilton , M (1752-1839)
Spouses
1John Givan , GGG Grandfather, M
Birth1793, County Tyrone, Ulster, Ireland
Death10 Aug 1865, Harbourville (formerly Givan Wharf), Cornwallis Townhsip, Kings County, Nova Scotia53
MemoInformant: James Givan
BurialCovenanter Cemetery, Grafton, Nova Scotia
OccupationMerchant, Entrepreneur
ReligionCovenanter
FatherWilliam Givan Sr. , M (ca1769-1828)
MotherOlivia Unknown , F (1764-1838)
MarriageMay 1828, Omagh, Ireland (but possibly Waterville, NS?)
ChildrenOlivia Ann , F (1828-1862)
 John , M (ca1833-1850)
 Alexander H. , M (1834-1918)
 Henry Peel , M (1837-1918)
 David , M (1840-)
 William Roger , M (1841-1893)
 James , M (1842->1884)
 Mary Grear , F (1844-1939)
Notes for Frances (Fanny) Hamilton
Although we know she was a Hamilton, her parentage isn’t yet verified. Although there were many Hamiltons in Nova Scotia it’s unclear how or if she is related to them. The one clue we have is the handwritten notes with no stated source in the Harbourville file at Kings County Museum archives (which are annotated “Hope this helps [signed] Wallace Morton” and attributed to Marguerite Ayer):
“First settlers the Hamiltons, the Givans, the Ayers... Hamiltons and Givans were Brothers-in-laws. lived on an island in the Harbour. It’s the best sheltered harbour, one of the best in N.S.”
Combining this with the fact that James Hamilton was a contemporary of John Givan and that John sold land to him, I believe it likely that James was Fanny’s brother. Since we know James Hamilton was born in Ireland and oral family history says John brought Fanny from Ireland in 1828, circumstantial evidence strongly suggests she was born in County Tyrone, Ireland.

John or his son Alex Givan built an 86 ton Schooner called the “Fanny Givan” in Harbourville in 1862 which the Givans sailed to Boston on several occasions between 1862 and 1864. They sold it to a company in Annapolis, NS in 1864.12 The “Fanny Givan” was wrecked off the coast of MA Jan 23, 1881.44
Kings County Archives list her birth place as Ireland and the age at death as 70 (in 1870). The cause of death is “Inflammation of Lungs” and the Informant was James Givan.53
She is listed along with her daughter Mrs. (Olivia Ann) Charlton as a member of the Reformed Presbyterian (Covenanter) congregation at Cornwallis (in Grafton).54
When Harry Edward Givan and his wife Frances Cecil (Burt) Givan visited the Grafton Covenanter graveyard in 1937 they couldn’t find her gravestone. Ham’s records from a visit many years later say the stone reads “Hamilton” and was thrown in the woods to the right of John’s stone with the remaining pieces of the original wrought iron fence.12 This doesn’t seem right since the stone was not evident even in 1937 when the fence was still intact. At any rate, even without a stone it seems likely she is buried there since her husband lies there and she was an active member of that church when she died in 1870 (which is recorded in the Church register54).

(From Ham’s (John Hamilton Givan, Jr.) correspondence on December 15, 2002: Re: the gate, when I was in NS in 1963, the cemetery was in very good condition, but the Givan section was all overgrown, causing the stones to fall over. The cemetery guy asked for permission to take the fence down and then he would clean up the area. He also suggested I take the gate so it wouldn’t get lost. He also agreed to put the fence under the church. Unfortunately he took down the fence and never fixed the stones. He threw them in the woods. There was one for Fanny that might have information on it. If you ever go there, you should investigate this. The gate fell apart, but was restored and is no in CT with brother’s son. If you want to put it back, I will ask him for it back. It is very, very heavy...”)

From the Presbyterian Witness Sat. 12 Mar 1870 Vol XXIII No.11,p.88: Given, Francess [sic] D. 28 Feb at Harborville aged 70 yrs, wid/o late John Given, n/o Co. Tyrone, Ire.
Research notes for Frances (Fanny) Hamilton
Historical note regarding Covenanter Church at Cornwallis:
Built in 1842-3, the first pastor was Dr. William Sommerville who was born in County Down, Ireland in 1800. He was ordained by the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 1831 as a missionary to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and eventually arrived in Horton in 1832. Here he was pastor at the Grand Pre Presbyterian Church thus starting the Covenanter era for that church. He was strict about worship and was so inflexible on the matter of singing hymns (mere man-made creations) that he insisted that Psalms only should be used. Services lasted all day, generally including two sermons, with a break between and with a 15 minute reprieve for lunch.76 Microfilmed church records contain a “Catalogue of Books written out and Removed from Horton and Cornwallis October 1846 [signed] Wm. Sommerville”54 There follows a list of hundreds of scholarly books on theology, history, science, etc. It’s unclear whether these books were being simply moved or in fact removed as being inappropriate to the strict format of the Reformed Presbyterian Church.
Notes for John & Frances (Fanny) (Family)
Ham Givan believed they were married in Waterville, Nova Scotia (which is in Kings County) on Dec 28, 1828; however this is unverified. Family lore passed down through Nina Givan states the marriage was in May, 1828 in Omagh, Ireland.
Last Modified 24 Jul 2016Created 18 Feb 2019 using Reunion for Macintosh