Excerpts From McDormand – Morse Genealogy, as prepared by Mary (Morse) Ditmars

(Handwritten note added to my copy: "First cousin of Charles McDormand") 

Francis Barclay LeCain came to Annapolis from the Island of Jersey as a "Master Artificer" or "Armourer", in the employ of the Board of Ordinance. The family were of gentry and their coat of arms carried motto: "Terris ducebus usque fidelis". The following obituary of him in the Minns Weekly, published in Halifax, as presumably from the pen of Rev. Jacob Bailey: 

"Died at Annapolis Royal, Francis Barclay Le Cain, aged 85 years. The oldest settler in this county, and who lived in this town sixty-four years. He was always an honest and worthy man and left 100 descendants. He was fifty-fives years a Freemason. He married (1st.) Alicia Maria, only daughter of Thomas Hyde who was a descendant of Annie Hyde, wife of King James II of England. She died September 23, 1758, he then married (2nd) Elizabeth, daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Woodward) Foster. Francis LeCain and his second wife had six children. Their fifth child, Mary, born June 21, 1754, married Abraham, son of Michael Spurr. 

Michael Spurr, who arrived in the "Charming Molly", May 17, 1760, brought with him his three sons and three daughters and settled at Round Hill, Anna. Co. He was born April 1, 1723, and married, Nov 24, 1746, Jane Shippey, daughter of Abraham and Eleanor (Brooker) Shippey. He was the sixth child and third son of Thomas Spurr. One of his ancestors was Captain in one of the Colonial Regiments that attacked Port Royal in 1707, his company being the first to land on the Granville shore at a place now called Weatherspoon's Point, but known as Spurr's Point from the circumstances of his landing down to 1770 – so the name had been known here a half century before the arrival of the "Planter" settlers. 

Michael Spurr's second son, Abraham, born 1749, married the daughter of Francis LeCain. Their third child, Elizabeth, married Christopher Prince Harris, born August 8, 1777 (the last two numbers have been typed over other numbers and as a consequence are unclear), on July 25, 1791 (He would have been not quite 14 if these dates are correct). They lived on the west side of Bear River. Their third child, Jane Elizabeth, born Dec 2 (or 3), 1796, married, Jan. 18, 1819, Captain Joel McDormand, son of Thomas McDormand. William McDormand, born May, 1739, descended from an ancient Ulster family of Scotch origin and of good repute. He came from Dumfries, Scotland, and settled in the Brandywine Valley (near Philadelphia) where he resided until 1763, when in the Company – with Mr. Fitzgerald, whose daughter he afterwards married – settled in Digby. After staying there some years he moved to Gulliver's Cove, then to Joggin, where he took up farming. He gave the farm to his son, Cormac, whose wife died in August, 1791, after which he sold the farm to his brother, Thomas, and removed to Upper Canada. 

Thomas McDormand, who, on November 15, 1790, married Louisa Webber, daughter of Joseph Webber (who was a descendant of William IV of Holland) is the ancestor of most, if not all, of the McDormands in Annapolis and Digby Counties. Thomas died before 1817 (again the last two numbers are typed over and therefore unclear, it looks like 1805 changed to 1817), his widow in that year opened her house for the first Baptist service held in Digby. They occupied the lot on which the Baptist Church now stands. (The word "Remarkable" is hand written in the margin) Their oldest son, Joel, was a seafaring man. He built the first vessel constructed at Bear River. He named it "The Wave" and wore it out in trade between Bear River, Halifax, and Boston. He then built the "James" which he also wore out. He then bought the "Paradom" which he captained until he retired from the sea. Joel and Elizabeth had ten children.  

It is reliably stated that Thomas McDormand was a prisoner of war in France for seven years. When freed he was landed in Yarmouth (Nova Scotia), walking to Digby begging food and shelter along the way. His health was undermined from prison life and he lived but three years. 

The McDormands are also descendants of Mary Chilton (through the Harris's) who came over on the Mayflower, the first woman to set foot on Plymouth Rock. Through her we are related to Governor Winslow, which entitles us to belong to the Daughters of the Empire, the most select Society in the United States. (Thomas McDormand was a great- grandfather of Rosamond Morse, and Mary Morse Ditmars) The sixth child, of Joel and Jane Elizabeth McDormand, Sarah Jane, married Dow I. Morse, son of Edward Morse of Annapolis Royal. Freeman McDormand, son of Joel, was born Apr 25, 1829. He married Cecilia Dunn, Born March 15, 1834.

(A hand written note in the left margin beside this paragraph reads: "Freeman was Govt. Indian Agent for the Micmac reserve in Bear R." The notation is signed with the letter T.) (Another hand written note appears below this paragraph which reads: "Freeman's son, Charles was my father.") 

I have a personal letter signed by "Tom" in which the "T" in Tom is identical to the one on this document. This is the Reverend Doctor Thomas Bruce McDormand who was the great-grandson of Joel McDormand.