Thomas Huestis (1759 - 1851)
in Nova Scotia

Thomas Huestis was born in White Plains, NY and moved to Wallace, Nova Scotia after the American Revolution (known to our patriot cousins as "The War of Independence"). Thomas had 11 children and many grandchildren, and most of the Huestis' in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are his descendants. In addition, there has been a steady stream of Huestis emigration back to the USA in the last 150 years, with the result that Thomas's descendants are spread all over the continent.

The principal focus of this website is to document the Huestis family from Thomas Huestis on down to present day. I am also documenting the Huestis connection to Wallace, so you will find pictures and maps of Wallace here, as well as archival writings on life in Wallace over the past 200 years.

Thomas Huestis had brothers and cousins who stayed in New York and raised their families and got on with their lives. Those American cousins are not my principal focus but I am providing links to information on them where I can.

There are at least two other Huestis families in Atlantic Canada that I know of, and curiously, they seem to be orphan lines. A William Huestis moved from Staten Island to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1798. My contacts are unsure of who his parents were and how he fits into the New York family. And a Philip Huestis moved to Saint John, New Brunswick as a Loyalist, and his antecedents are not well established. I have links to some information on these lines.

• Thomas Huestis page
• Names List all the names and dates that I have
• Recent Images from Wallace, NS
  • at St John's United
  • significant buildings
• The Generations before Thomas Huestis from Dorset, England to White Plains, NY
• A Clash of Patriotisms The Loyalist troubles of Thomas and Phoebe Huestis
• Archival Newspaper Articles (1927) on Wallace and the Huestis Connection. Be sure to read these!

The principal goal of this website is to get past the dry recitation of names and dates of ancestors and relatives. I want to present these Huestis' as people, with short biographical sketches of them, and perhaps a photo or two. Photography was not common much before 1870 or so, so we won't have pictures of many of the early ancestors. I have managed to work up some details on some of the Huestis', in part from obituaries and newspaper articles, and in part from essays contributed from members of our family who share what they remember of their relatives. And some folks only have little snippets of information, like the one small reminiscence I can document for John, Jasper and Abigail Huestis, the youngest of Thomas' children.

Here's a list of the essays that are ready so far.

• Thomas Huestis [H1], The man himself
• his son, Joshua Huestis [H12], postmaster in Wallace
• his son, James Huestis [H13], who farmed in Wallace
• another son, Nathaniel Huestis [H14], A PEI Huestis patriarch

Third Generation

• Edward Huestis [H122] farmer turned innkeeper in mid-life
• Richard B. Huestis [H123] merchant and boatbuilder
• William B. Huestis [H126] merchant in Wallace and Londonderry
• Rev. Dr. Stephen F. Huestis [H127] prominent clergyman
• Martin B. Huestis [H12-11] businessman and essayist
• Rev. George Oxley Huestis [H134] another prominent clergyman
• Jacob Langille Huestis [H139] master mariner, turned cabinetmaker
• Joseph Bigney Huestis [H13-11] farmer, moved to Massachusetts

Fourth Generation

• Sidney O. Huestis [H1232] quarry manager
• Rev. Charles H. Huestis [H1271] scholar and social reformer
• Arthur Edward Huestis [H1272] an insurance man
• Ralph Ruskin Huestis [H12712] (1892-1969) geneticist, researcher and professor

Fifth Generation

• Roy Huestis [H1232] banker in New Brunswick
• R. Douglas Huestis [H12723] soldier and Bell Canada man
• Wylie M. Huestis [H13811] he hated the farm
• George Oxley Huestis [H13817] farmboy to fire chief

Thomas Huestis' original house in Wallace still stands, although it has been expanded somewhat. It is in North Wallace, just across the Wallace Bay from the present town of Wallace. This picture was taken in 1991, on the occasion of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the first Methodist service in Wallace (detailed on Thomas' page).

Much of the initial information in this website was compiled by Mr Harvey Gullon, formerly of Wallace and now of Truro, NS. Harvey compiled a great deal of information on the families who were prominent in the affairs of the Methodist church in Wallace (now St John's United) and I owe him a great deal of thanks. There are others who are contributing as well and I credit them on the pages containing the information they provide.

Please see the weblog for recent changes and record of updates.