Person:Joshua Nickerson (1)

Joshua Nickerson, grantee, first div., lot No.23 came in one of the firstvessels. His reputation stands chiefly as a builder, for he framed theold meeting house, built the first decked vessel and the first gristmill. His six sons were active in local enterprise and extended theborders of the townwhip; Levi and Zenas at Shag Harbor, and Simeon at OakPark. Levi built vessels for the coasting and foreign trade. One ofthese, a brig, made a record voyage from Cape Sable to Cape Clear in 14days. Simeon after living at Shag Harbor proposed to settle at theforks of the Pubnico and Barrington (River) road. He was advised to goup further where the oaks were. This was partly back on the townshipline. He took out a grant for five persons at "Provost Town", now OakPark where many of his descendants live.

The olde Meeting House in Barrington is the oldest non-conformist houseof worship extant in Canada-and remains an excellent example of early NewEngland meeting houses. It was erected in 1765 on a share-holding basisby Cape Cod families which had founded Barrington Township in 1761 JoshuaNickerson the "undertaker" for the structure was assissted by carpenterElijah Swaine one of the Nantucket Quakers who helped to foundBarrington. Almost from the first the meeting house was declared opento "all preachers of the gospel." Rude benches served as seats; nowindows graced the plain structure nor were they to do so for many years,for growing discord between New England and the mother country culminatedin the hardships and privateer raids which the War brought toBarrington... The church records of its first 50 years have been lost.Over the years some alterations and repairs have been made anddelapidated structure in 1889 was saved from demolition and preserved bya few "friends of the relic". A curator is in attendance duaring Julyand August when the Cape Sable Historical Society opens to the public.

Corrections and or additions accompanied with sources are appreciated.

1. ↑ The Nickerson Family, Descendants of William Nickerson, Part II, 1980
   pg 146.

   Warren Sears Nickerson Genealogy Book
   1880-1966

2. ↑ The Nickerson Family, Descendants of William Nickerson, Part II, 1980
   pg 146.

   Nickerson Family Genealogy, Part II by The Nickerson Family Asso., Inc. 1980