Lögberg-Heimskringla - 08.10.1999, Blaðsíða 3

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 8. október 1999 • 3
Markland Icelanders
Eleanor M.(Dolly) Belmore
Halifax, NS
Recently, a walk was planned
through the original Markland
settlement to locate and identify
the foundations of houses once built
there.
One of the basements located and
identified was that of Brynjólfur
Brynjólfsson and family, who had lived
in the settlement for six years (1875-
1881).
Brynjólfur Brynjólfsson left
Skeggstaðir in Húnavatnssýsla in 1874,
aboard the St. Patrick, bound for
America, with his wife, his children,
and his mother. The ship (St. Patrick)
came to Quebec. From there the passen-
gers were taken to a settlement at
Kinmount, Ontario. They spent a des-
perate winter there. The settlement at
Kinmount, expecting only men, had not
provided adequate housing or provi-
sions to include women and children.
With their health already weakened
by this long journey from Iceland, they
were susceptible to disease and sickness
and many children died.
In the spring of 1875, they heard of
the new settlement at Markland, Nova
Scotia. Brynjólfur Brynjólfsson and his
family were among the first to leave
Kinmount. In May 1875, with
Brynjólfsson as leader, seventeen fami-
lies arrived by train at Shubenacadie,
Nova Scotia. From there they travelled
by horse and wagon the remaining
twenty miles to Markland.
The settlement was not yet devel-
oped and the settlers were housed tem-
porarily in one building called
“Icelandic House” situated approxi-
mately seven miles from proposed set-
tlement.
Each family was granted 100 acres
of land and was allowed to choose their
homestead site. The men found
employment building a road to the set-
tlement. (The pay was $2.00 per day).
The men were unaccustomed to the
hardships of the dense forest, dark
nights, and hordes of flies. As the road
progressed they encountered sand,
rocky ground, and swamps, not the fer-
tile land they had been promised. The
government had houses build on each
lot (28 x 20), provided necessities and
cleared one acre.
Brynjólfur Brynjólfsson claimed
#27 and named his lot “Vatnsdalur”
translated to be “Lake Dale” or “Water
Dale.” He settled there with his wife,
Þórunn Olafsdóttir and children, Ólafur,
Jónas, Skapti, Björn, Magnús, Sigrídur
and his mother Sigridur Hendriksdóttir.
The settlers came to rely on
Brynjólfsson as a leader in the commu-
nity. He was described as being
extremely well educated, although he
never went to school, and learned the
English language more quickly than
others. He had brought many educa-
tional books from Iceland including
famous works of fiction. He presided
over most of the affairs of Markland,
leading the worship services each
Sunday in the school house and holding
council meetings in his own home.
Although they were poor and bare-
ly eking out a living from the soil,
Brynjólfsson managed to bring his own
style to his home, so that it resembled a
distinguished Icelandic farm.
The four oldest sons found employ-
ment in the nearby gold mines at
Caribou. The two youngest children
attended school in Markland when it
was in session. They were all hard
workers and spent what time they could
cleaiáng their land. This was a great
boon for Brynjólfsson as his property
was possibly the most attractive. On
leaving Markland he was the only one
to get a reasonable price for his land,
receiving $300.00 paid in full.
After struggling for six years to eke
out a living it became apparent there
was no future in Markland. Word had
been received of land available in
Western Canada and in North Dakota,
U.S.A.
In 1880, preparations were made to
leave Nova Scotia. Deeds were granted
and farms were sold.
ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE HEART-
renching decision by Brynjólfs-
son and family to uproot once more and
walk away from what was by now a
beautiful homestead. His family was
among the fortunate few that had not
suífered serious illness or death while in
Markland.
In August 1881, the families loaded
down the wagons with their belongings
and made their way over the rough road
that led out of the settlement, through
the Musquodoboit valley and on to the
railway station at Shubenacadie, NS.
Front there they left for points west,
Brynjólfsson and family went to
Duluth, but moved to North Dakota in
1882.
The good qualities of his home in
Nova Scotia were also true for his home
in Dakota.
His family continued to play an
important part in the community.
Son Skapti was the only Icelander
who ever took a seat as a member of
parliament in North Dakota. Son Björn
was a lawyer and mayor of Grand
Forks, ND. Son Magnús, a prosecutor
for the state in Pembina County.
Brynjólfur Brynjólfsson spent his
last years with his family. He passed
away in 1917 at the age of eighty-eight
years.
Where are the descendants of this
remarkable family who provided such
leadership to the Markland settlement
and continued to assist and help others
in North Dakota? It is the goal of our
Icelandic Society of Nova Scotia to
locate descendants and to uncover pic-
tures, diaries, and other accounts relat-
ing to the courageous pioneers who set-
tled in Nova Scotia, and to preserve
their stories.
Our Icelandic Society of Nova
Scotia is grateful for grants provided by
the Halifax Regional Municipality 2000
Committee and the Millennium 125
Commission (Winnipeg) for projects
being undertaken.
Please contact the undersigned if
your relatives passed through Nova
Scotia.
Eleanor (Dolly) Belmore is Chairman
of the Icelandic Memorial Society of
Nova Scotia, RR #2, Upper
Musquodoboit, NS, BON 2M0
Stefan ia Svein b jamardóttir
YEOMAN
FARM
Parham, Ontario
K0H 2K0
'I elephone & Fax:
613 / 373—6308
Breeders of lcelandic sheep
and lcelandic sheepdogs
<m ii^ Rint mv 'n&'wiM u r*mRr HíirrRihm n nn{ \ rin 'nR'wi&iMh