The Lunenburg Connection
The town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia was founded in 1753 mostly by German and French families called the Foreign Protestants. They were sent over by Edward Cornwallis to settle and farm Nova Scotia. In 1754 Prospect was founded just west of Halifax Harbour. The village of Prospect would go from being mostly Irish and English settlers to having the German and French families of Lunenburg coming up and settling. This page examines the families and how they relate to Lunenburgers.
Selig
John Francis Selig was born in Lunenburg approximately 1813. He was the son of John Valentine Selig and Hannah Judith Tanner. He came to Halifax and married Rebecca Duggan on 28 September 1839 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church. She was the daughter of John Duggan and Elizabeth Coolen. They had six children. John and Rebecca both died sometime before 1891. They lived at Selig's landing and John was the ferry man from Prospect to Dover. Today the road to their house is called Selig's Road. John Francis Selig was a 4th Generation Selig in Nova Scotia.
Beck
Michael Beck was born approximately 1793 in Lunenburg and was the son of Johannes Martin Beck and Anna Maria Maragretha Lohnes. He married Catherine Barbara Knickle, daughter of John George Knickle and Anna Maria Schupe on 29 May 1814 in Lunenburg. Over the next twenty years they had eight children all of which at one point or another ended up in Prospect. Michael Beck was a 3rd generation Beck in Nova Scotia.
Wagner
Christopher Wagner was born on 4 April 1808 in Lunenburg. He was the son of Johann Nicholas Wagner and Anna Baraba Frail. He married Joanna Barbara Spindler daughter of John Rudolph Spindler and Mary Barbara Speiler on 16 November 1837 in Lunenburg. They lived in a part of Prospect now called Wogners Beach. The surname of Wagner is pronounced as Wogner in Prospect. All of their children, with the exception of two, were born in Prospect, and they all married into Prospect families. The family was an isolated family from the rest of the village. Christopher's brother Christian Wagner died in Prospect. Christopher Wagner was a 3rd generation Wagner in Nova Scotia.
Cole
Sophia Mary Cole was born in Chester on 30 November 1793 . She was the daughter of William Cole and Mary Hatt. She married James Duggan of Prospect, son of John Duggan and Elizabeth Norris in about 1816.
Longard
George Jeremiah Longard was born on 4 November 1818 in Lunenburg to Jeremiah Longard and Mary Sutton. He married 4 times and settled in Bayside, which is between Shad Bay and East Dover. He died in Bayside and is buried there. His descendents are still living the in Prospect and Bayside. Jeremiah was a 3rd generation Longard in Nova Scotia.
Mason
Joseph Mason was born in Lunenburg on 24 March 1817 , the son of George Frederick Mason and Maria Barbara Knickle. He came to Prospect and married Johanna White d/o Samuel White and Johanna Whalen on 21 December 1841 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church. With Johanna they produced five children. Sometime before 1858, but after 1855 Johanna died. Joseph then married Margaret Merlin d/o Daniel Merlin and Amelia Emma Murphy on 17 February 1858 at OLMC . With Margaret they produced four more children. Joseph died on 6 February 1896 in Prospect. Joseph was a 3rd generation Mason in Nova Scotia.
Hamm
Peter Hamm was born on 8 April 1829 , in Mahone Bay. He was the son of Valentine Hamm and Mary Sophia Lohnes. He married Margaret Noonan d/o Dennis Noonan and Mary Fagan on 14 April 1856 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church. They had 5 children. Margaret died in 1901. Peter was a 3rd Generation Hamm in Nova Scotia.
