Nathan Kenney (Kinney) & Sarah Nickerson

Meeting house in Barrington (1765)

Nathan Kenney, my 5th great grandfather and father of Nathan, was born in Chatham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts in 1741.  He and several family members moved to Barrington, Nova Scotia as one of the town's original grantees.  He sold his land in Barrington in 1770.  The sales deed stated he was a fisherman.  In 1787 he bought land near Little River, NS and relocated there.

Here is an except from the Yarmouth Herald August 17, 1909:

Hemman Kenney and Nathan Kenney, brothers, went to Harrington, with the first settlers, from Chatham or Harwich, Massachusetts, about 1761. Probably they were sons of Nathan and Mercy (Smith) Kenney, of Chatham. They had two sisters, Sarah Kenney, who married March 10, 1759, Thomas Crowell, and Miriam Kenney, who married 1st, Thomas Hamilton and 21, Edmund Doane 2d, son of Edmund 1st. At the age of 19 Nathan enlisted from Harwich in Capt. Thomas West's Company on an expedition against the French in Nova Scotia. From Barrington he removed his family to Little River, Argyle township, where in March, 1787, Nathan Kinney, Daniel Nickerson, Israel Doane, John Heater [possibly John Barter](my comment) and Joshua Tiefry [possibly Trefry](my comment) purchased 1250 acres of Crown lands, " situated on the eastern side of Little River."

Hemman, Nathan's oldest brother was named the first justice of the peace in Barrington and was a community leader for many years.

Nathan joined the British army in NS and fought in the French and Indian wars (Seven Years War) in Nova Scotia.  This was a protracted war between the French and British (and other countries).  The French in Canada (Acadians) fought on the French side.  The British colonists fought on the British side (they were British at that time).  Indian nations fought on either.  British land grants in Nova Scotia (which Nathan benefited from) were made possible by the war and the expulsion of large numbers of Acadians from the area.  From 1755 to 1764, 12,000 Acadians were removed from Nova Scotia.

This is from the Massachusetts archives:

Nathan Kinney on Muster Roll, Dated Boston, Feb. 10, 1761, of a Company in His Majesty's Service under the command of Captain Thomas West; ........ residence Eastham; entered service March 18, 1760 and served until Dec 6, 1760; reported servant. -- Mass. Archives, Vol. 98 p.305.

And:

Nathan Kinney on Return of Men enlisted for the total Reduction of Canada, 17--.  Enlisted by Capt. Thomas West, Feb. 26, age 19; birthplace Harwich; res. Harwich; certificate on Reverse, dated Harwich, Mar. 18, 1760, signed by Thomas Winslow, Commissary of Muster and Justice of Peace, stating that said Kinney and others were attested and delivered to Thomas West, a recruiting officer. Reported servant.— Mass. Archives, Vol. 97

Nathan married Sarah Nickerson in June of 1764.  She was born in Harwich, Barnstable Co, Mass. in 1744.

Their children were:

Elizabeth, Lydia, John, Phoebe, Mercy, Nathan, Tamasine, and Thomas.

They sold out their land in Barrington in 1770 to Daniel Vinson and moved to Arcadia (upper Chebogue), NS

The following is from "the History of Barrington Township" pubished in 1913:

NATHAN KENNEY lot No. 3, Sherose Id. He sold out to

Daniel Vinson in 1770 his complete share or lot, or two two hundred

and ninths of all the lands, beaches and meadows that now lie undivided

or in proprietorship on the Great Cape Id., etc for 4.

He is called a fisherman in this Deed. (See also Deeds, Ch. XIII;

deed to Heman Kenney and Thomas Crowell of land at Sherose Id.)

He removed to Little River, Yarmouth County where his descendants

abound; they spell the name Kinney.

Nathan died April 24, 1827 (age 86), and Sarah on March 25, 1847 (age 103)

Nathan Kinney & Hannah Durkee

Nathan Kinney, Father of Wentworth Kinney, and my 4th Great Grandfather was born in Barrington, Nova Scotia on Christmas day 1778. His family lived in Chebogue, Nova Scotia.  Chebogue was settled in the 16th century by the French (Acadians).  About 20 years before Nathan's birth, Britain deported the Acadians and resettled the area in the early 1760's.  The Kinney's came from Connecticut a few years later.  Nathan, his father, and several of his children worked in shipping.  They owned and "Mastered" several ships.  One of his sons, Nathan, was killed in an accident at sea while mastered by another son, Robert.  A "swivel burst" and hit him in the head.

In 1801 Nathan married Hannah Durkee, also born in Nova Scotia and whose family also came from Connecticut.  She was born June 27, 1781.  Their children were:  Pearl, Nathan, Lydia, David, Prince, William, Hannah, Robert, Wentworth, Eleanor, and Louise.

Nathan died on Feb 13, 1862, and Hannah on May 10, 1857

Much of this information is from the book "Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Genealogy" by George Brown