Papers : 1766-1925 ; (predominant 1788-1887).

            Michael Lynch and his brother Thomas Lynch trace their descent from George and Susanna Nichols of Waterbury, Connecticut. Two of their daughters, Mary and Ann, married into prominent Loyalist families after the end of the American Revolution. Ann Nichols married Rev. James Scovil, Anglican rector at Kingston, New Brunswick, and Mary Nichols married Peleg Wiswall, a judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. A grandson, George Kimberley Nichols, married Mary Budd, the daughter of Elisha Budd, a Loyalist who settled at Digby, Nova Scotia. George K. Nichols established a business in Digby, and his Day Books have been microfilmed on Reel 1 of the Papers.            

            The Papers pertain mainly to the Digby, Nova Scotia area beginning after the American Revolution (1775-1783) and into the first half of the nineteenth century. Prominent among the contents are the correspondence of the Wiswall family; personal and official records of Peleg Wiswall; records of the courts, customs house and naval office; George Nichols' business daybook; published material; family property documents from Ireland and Halifax, Nova Scotia; Trinity Anglican Church accounts pertaining to organisations affiliated with the church in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; lists of vessels entering and clearing Digby; and genealogical material, as well as other types of miscellaneous documents. General topics for research include: justice, law, and the courts; family history and personal finance; local commerce; military (army, navy, militia); local history; maritime matters; and to a lesser extent, religion, education, black history and slavery.

Arrangement

Reel 1
(Box 1 and part of  Box 2)

Note: Each box of documents on microfilm has its own numbering set, ie. begins again at no. 1.

1. Register of Cases, Digby, 1803. Sessions and Common Pleas, Register, Digby, 1800-1802.
2. Accounts, Peleg Wiswall, Digby, 1802-1807.
3. Court Accounts, Peleg Wiswall, Digby, 1803-1806.
4. Account Book, Peleg Wiswall, Digby, 1804-1809.
5. Court of Chancery Records, Digby, Peleg Wiswall, 1813-1823.
6. Correspondence, Wiswall Family, 1794-1825; also undated.
7. Small letter book, probably belonging to Peleg Wiswall, c. 1828.
8. Memoranda and taxable costs for court cases at Digby, 1808-1810. Indexed.
9. Notary Office journal, 1810.
10. Customs House, Digby. Accounts received, 1788-1803. Expenses for court cases, 1807. Additional customs returns.
11. A list of foreign ships  and vessels that have entered inward at this port, 1812-1824. Second half contains list of vessels clearing Digby, 1812-1824.
12. Accounts of rations and lists of soldier's names for the 42nd, 43rd, 61st, 71st, 82nd, and 84th Regiments. No date; no place.
13. Memoranda and court cases, Digby, 1804-1808. (*Box 2  begins.)
14. Summary of court cases, Digby, 1809-1811.
15. Account book, 1816-1820. Probably belonged to Peleg Wiswall.
16. George Nichols, Digby, merchant, daybook, 1813-1815.
17. George Nichols, Digby, merchant, daybook, 2 May 1816-20 December 1822.
18. George Nichols,Digby, merchant, daybook,10 January 1823-September 1825.

Reel 2
(Box 2 continued to Box 4.)

1. (Continuation of reel 1) George Nichols, Digby, merchant, daybook, 7 September 1825-31 December 1825.
2. Naval Office, Memoranda, Digby, 1816-1821.
3. Court and financial records, miscellaneous, 1808-1820.
4. Miscellaneous materials.
5. The True and Surprising Adventures, voyages, Shipwreck and Distresses of M. Pierre Viaud, 1766 (*Box 3 begins.)
6. The Pleader's Guide, A didactic Poem, in Two Books, containing The conduct of a Suit at Law, with the arguments of Counsellor Bore'um and Counsellor Bore'um, etc., London, 1796.
7. Opinions of several gentlemen of the law, on the subject of negro servitude in the province  of Nova Scotia, St. John, N.B., 1802.
8. Atcheson, Nathaniel, A compressed view of the points to be discussed in treating with the United States of America, London, 1814.
9. Letters of the Local Agricultural Societies in response to a Circular of the Central Board, Halifax, 1826.
10. Reports of the Provincial Agricultural Society of Nova Scotia, Halifax, 1826.
11. The British Colonist, October 6, 1848 (incomplete)
12. James Lynch, property transactions, Carnamoyle, County Donegal, Ireland, 1814-1868.
13. Mortgage, 1860. Dr. Andrew Thompson, Londonderry, and Thomas Edwards, Three Trees, County of Donegal, for lands in Carnamoyle, Ireland.
14. Mortgage, 1864. Dr. Andrew and Margaret (Coulter) Thompson, Londonderry, to John Lendrum, Broomhill, Fivemiletown, County of Tyrone, Ireland.
15. Deed, 1874. Timothy and Martha Archibald, Halifax, stage coach proprietor, to William B. Spencer, merchant, for property on east side of Argyle Street.
16. Deed, 1886. Millidge H. and Clare Ruggles, Halifax, merchant to William B. Spencer, grocer, land of Barrington Street.
17. Deed, 1886. Diocesan Synod of Nova Scotia to William B. Spencer, Halifax, grocer, land and dwelling on Argyle Street.
18. Letter concerning Nichols estate, 1902.
19. Wetmore-Robinson Correspondence. The correspondence concerns genealogical material and the acquisition by Mr. Wetmore of Pichman heirlooms.
20. Grace E. (Robertson) Nichols, daughter of David d. and Martha S. Robertson, born Rothesay, NB, 12 August 1877. Birth Certificate. Trust fund.
21. Grace E. Nichols. Income tax returns.
22. Scribbler with genealogical notations on the Nichols, Scovill, Collins, Budd, and Seely families. (Box 4 begins.
23. Loose papers, notations and clippings plus original letters removed from #1.
24. Mary Wiswall, school exercise book, 1804.
25. Cedar Lake, Digby County, return of scholars, 1842.
26. Cornwallis, plan of glebe lands, n.d.
27. Roll of Capt. Budd's Company, 1st Battalion, Digby County Militia, 1846.
28. Plan. J.F. Smith lot, Digby? n.d.
29. Trinity Anglican Church, 1846-1887. Accounts for various church groups such as Sunday school, book fund, parsonage, parochial endowment fund, etc., Liverpool.
30. Electors of Digby County, 1855. Broadsheet.
31. Papers relating to the dismissal of Samuel Hood, teacher, Westport Academy, 1846. Includes list of scholars, Brier Island, 1847.
32. King's College, Windsor. Fund raising subscription list, c. 1840s.
33. Edward Elisha Budd Nichols, admission to Holy Orders, 21 September 1845.
34. Edward Elisha Budd Nichols, will, 1905.
35. Letter. Alexander James to Charles Budd, 1849. Applies for office of assistant clerk to the House of Assembly.

            

            
The List of Contents, microfilm shelf list and genealogical notes have been microfilmed at the beginning of the first reel and as a PDF in the electronic finding aids section.

Online: Opinions of several gentlemen of the law, on the subject of Negro servitude in Nova Scotia (1802) is available via Archive.org.
            

Researchers may wish to consult related material in the Thomas Lynch Papers, which were loaned to the Public Archives of Nova Scotia for microfilming by the brother of Michael Lynch ( MIC-Loyalist FC LFR .L9T4P3).