Looking back over the decades and, indeed, centuries, it is amazing to observe the numerous family names that once were common in this area.
One of those names that no longer holds a place here is Horne. The first Horne on record is John born around 1819. He was wed to Elizabeth Strong and they had a son, George Aaron born September 3, 1840.
Around 1841, Joseph Horne and Elizabeth Croft had a son named Henry who married Sabine Poirier on November 25, 1861 at Arichat. Michael Horne, born circa 1871, married Louise Forgeron at West Arichat. This was probably around 1890-91. They had a daughter, Rose Anne, born in 1892.
Marie Alma Samson, daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth, was born in 1902 in Petit de Grat and lived to be 100 years old. Her husband was Joseph S. Horne.
Estelle Mary (Bunny) Fougere was born in 1914 and died on April 28, 1999. She was the daughter of Capt. Raymond A. and Juliette Fougere. She married Roy Patrick Horne and they had the following children: Bernard, Kenneth, Daniel, Joan, Wendy, and Shirley.
Sophie Mae Boudreau, the daughter of Wilfred and Ellen Jane, was born in 1915 and died in 2006. She married Gerald Horne.
The last Horne of record is Susanne, who died in 2007 at the age of 20 in Halifax. She was the daughter of Kevin Horne and Susanne Gordon and granddaughter of Bernie Horne.
Another name lost to time is Howell. A telegraph operator by the name of Edwin Frederick Howell was married at St. John’s Anglican Church in Arichat to Sophia HC. There were two children: Edwin Frederick, born in 1879 in Brooklyn, New York, and Henry Cline Fixott Howell born in 1877.
Jimmy Howell, born in 1990 in Petit de Grat, married Cheryl Fougere, the daughter of Arthur Fougere and Viola Samson.
Huskilson is another surname that has left us. Elsie D.G. Edwards, daughter of Phillip Edwards and Maude Burton of Arichat, married Harold M. Huskilson.
The name Holmes also does not appear in local phone books. Samuel Holmes was born in 1800 and died 62 years later. He married Mary and they had six children: Mary Anne born in 1836; Elizabeth Sarah born 1834 died at four months at Arichat; Edward born in 1840, died at age seven months at Arichat; Thomas was born January 1825; Peter, born September 27, 1828 married Mary MacDonald; and Matthew born 1829 married Margaret McDonald.
The sixth child, Samuel, married Flora Urquhart in 1852 and they had four children: Catherine Elizabeth, Samuel John, Charles, and Marion E. born 1852. Marion married John Brown and they had Cassie who was born in 1878 and married George McMullen. Another child Florence married J.A. McDonald and Joseph E. born in 1895, died in Dominion.
Peter Holmes was born September 27, 1828 and he died in Loch Lomond. On May 1, 1850 at St. John’s Anglican Church he married Mary McDonald.
Matthew Holmes – son of Samuel and Mary and brother to Marion, and Peter – married Margaret MacDonald and there ensued six offspring: George, Angus, Mary Anne, Sara, James born 1866, and Christina. She married Solomon Latimer of Arichat.
The above mentioned James, son of Matthew, married Mary E. MacDonald at Loch Lomond in 1891. They brought forth six children: Matthew George, George John, Delima Margaret, Margaret Tina, Nellie Sara, and Mary Christie.
Samuel John Holmes was born in 1857 and died in 1941. In 1885 at Grand River, he married Annie MacLeod. There were eight children: Mary M., George, John, Jessie, Florence, Rachel married G. Morrison; died at St. Peter’s, William died at Grand River, Roderick.
James Holmes married Nancy Briand and they produced a son, Andrew who wed Sabine Richard on October 22, 1877 at Arichat.
Peter Holmes and Mary had a son, Peter who died in 1887. Anne Holmes died in Arichat in 1891.