INTRODUCTION

The Sparling and Musgrave families were living in New York in 1783 at the time of the American Revolution. 

With the anticipated evacuation of New York Peter William Sparling (1732-1821) and his sons-in-law Bartholomew Musgrave and Joseph Ristine who were loyal to the British crown, as were many others, added their names to the Evacuation list. Hoping to find a more peaceful life for themselves and their descendants. 

Port Roseway was chosen for settlement on account of its easy access to all the trade routes on the River St John and the Bay of Fundy, and open to European trade wich would make their life in the area very pleasant. 

 From viewing the list of names on the list of loyalists going to Port Roseway it seemed to be the place to be at the time and every sort of commodity could be had. Many of the loyalist names on the list were blacksmiths, bookbinders, bricklayers, carpenters, engravers, glaziers, goldsmiths, joiners, merchants, millwrights, tailors, tinsmiths, wheelwrights, farmers and fishermen. Life would be much as it was at home in New York. 

Upon arriving in Port Roseway, some were so discouraged with what they saw that they 

soon after continued on their way, to find a better place to make a home for themselves and their 

families. The families that did stay knew that they must achieve or perish. 

 The Sparlings, Musgraves, Ristine realized that to succeed in Nova Scotia, they would have to relocate. 

 By 1785 we find the families living in North Sydney and surrounding areas along with other loyalist families.  

The Allans, Balls, Brunettes, Daisleys, Grandmeyers, Grants, Grays, Hawleys, Ingrahams, Jeffersons, Leavers, Lewis, Maloneys, Martins, Moffats, Moores, Peters, Roberts, Ross, Spencers, Stouts, Wilhausens and other loyalist families that settled in Cape Breton. Many of their descendants married into the Sparling and Musgrave families.

This work is dedicated to these brave men and women whose names were listed as being part of this family. 

These pages could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors and omissions, but none intentional.