• Born in Ireland of Scotch parentage. Was large landholder or renter from Lord Dufferin. Migrated to Nova Scotia in 1813 with family except two oldest children. Returned to Ireland on business in 1814 and died while there.95

• David Nelson’s wife was Elizabeth Hamilton Nelson.680, p 1

• Dear Carol –
We received your letter today, so I thought I would try and answer right away. We can help you a little further on the Nelson & Hamilton lines. Don’t know just how to start all this.
First I had better tell you just how my husband is related to the Nelson’s & Hamilton’s.
Ray’s great-great-grandmother is Mary Hamilton Nelson, who is Eleanor H. Nelson’s sister. Maybe you can figure out your relationship to Ray from that. I believe it would make you about 5th cousins. I may be wrong.
I will now put down what we found out about the Hamilton - Nelson line.
The following story was written by Mary Jane Read Chatterson. As far as I can figure out, this story was written between the years 1885 to 1890.
Hamilton – Nelson
In the early part of the 17th century David Hamilton, a resident of Scotland, loyal to the King, was ordered to take an active part in the quelling of the disturbance in Ireland and for his service rendered was given a large grant of land near Belfast, Ireland and created Earl of Clanbrassil. His son became Viscount of Clandeboye and in course of time the title became changed to Dufferin, but the estate still bears the name of Clandeboye.
The present owner, Frederick Hamilton, better known as Lord Dufferin, and his wife, Harriet Hamilton, are according to Grandmother Read’s story, not only cousins, but lineal descendants of the oldest son of Viscount Clandeboye and her grandfather whose name was Hans Hamilton was the son of 2nd son of Viscount Clandeboye, and therefore had no claims upon either title or estate.
Elizabeth Hamilton, daughter of Hans Hamilton, married David Nelson, who belonged to a very old and highly respected family, also of Scotch descent but Irish birth. David Nelson was a large landholder and also acted in the capacity of overseer for the old Earl of Dufferin, but becoming dissatisfied, he concluded to try his fortune in the then new world, and accordingly came over and settled with his family in Nova Scotia, in year 1813.
His family were all born in Ireland, and if I remember rightly, on the Dufferin Estate. Their names were:
1. Jennie Nelson, married to man by name of Summerside, and she remained in Ireland, lived and died there.
2. Ursula Nelson, aged 3 years, born and died in Ireland.
3. Eleanor Nelson, married in Nova Scotia, to James Lumley, who moved shortly after to Iona, near St. Thomas, Ontario, where they settled on a farm, lived and died there.
4. Elizabeth Nelson, married in Nova Scotia to J. Hoag and resided in Nova Scotia with her family until death.
5. Margaret Ann Nelson, married in Nova Scotia, to Barnabas Mills, moved from Nova Scotia to Iona, Ont. and from there to farm near Wardsville, Ont. where she resided at time of death.
6. Mary Hamilton Nelson, married in Nova Scotia to Robert Colin Read in 1821. In 1824 they moved to Iona, where they lived until 1831, when they moved to the Township of Zone, near village of Florence, Ont. and from there in 1846 to “Little Mill Farm,” River Road, Harwich Twp, near Chatham, Ont. where they resided up to time of their death.
7-8. Two sons, David and Hans Nelson, left Nova Scotia for the United States, but the mail system in those days being very imperfect, very little or nothing was ever heard of them.
David Nelson, the father, after getting his family fairly well settled in Nova Scotia, returned to Ireland to settle some business affairs in 1814 and while there was taken ill and died after a few weeks illness, at his daughter’s Jenny Summerside. The mother, Elizabeth Hamilton Nelson, moved from Nova Scotia, with her daughter, Eleanor Lumley, to Iona, where she resided until time of death and is buried near the little village of Iona, in Lumley Cemetery.1703, pp 2-4

• Died at the home of his daughter, Jenny Summerside, near Belfast, [County Down, Northern] Ireland.
Source: Pedigree chart of Carol Lumley Holstine, dated November, 1960, received by DWM by Carol Holstine, 22 Apr 1993.

• David Nelson belonged to a very old and highly respected family of Scotch descent but Irish birth. He was a large landholder and also acted in the capacity of overseer for the old Earl of Dufferin. Becoming dissatisfied, he decided to try his fortune in the New World, and came with his wife and family to Nova Scotia in 1813.
Children of David Nelson and Elizabeth Hamilton Nelson:
1. Jennie Nelson –– married man named Summerside and remained in Ireland, lived and died there.
2. Ursula Nelson –– aged 3 years, born and died in Ireland.
3. Eleanor Nelson –– married James Lumley and moved from Nova Scotia to Iona, Ontario, Canada.
4. Elizabeth Nelson –– married J. Hoag and lived and died in Nova Scotia.
5. Margaret Ann Nelson –– married Barnabas Mills, moved from Nova Scotia to Iona, Ontario and from there to Wardsville, Ontario where she died.
6. Mary Hamilton Nelson –– married Robert Colin Read in 1821, moved from Nova Scotia to Iona, Ont., and from there to Twp. of Zone near village of Florence, Ont., and from there to “Little Mill Farm”, River Rd., Harwich Twp., near Chatham, Ont. in 1846 where she died.
7. David Nelson
8. Hans Nelson –– these two sons left Nova Scotia for the United States and were never heard of again.
David Nelson, the father, after getting his family fairly well settled in Nova Scotia, returned to Ireland to settle some business affairs in 1814 and while there was taken ill and died after a few weeks illness at his daughter’s, Jenny Nelson Summersides, near Belfast.1703

• The Nelson family arrived in Nova Scotia from Ireland in 1813, after getting settled David Nelson returned to settle some business affairs in 1814 and while there died at the home of his daughter Jennie Summersides, who had remained in Ireland.1186, cover letter