Nicholas Austin and his descendants

The township was created by letters patent on August 18, 1797, in favor of Nicholas Austin and his partners.

NAMES OF THE GRANTEES.

Nicholas Austin, Silas Peaslee, Mark Randall, Joel Eraser, Jacob Place, Joshua Pecvy, Peter Dils, Simon D. Wadleigh, Alexander Thompson, James Taylor, Jeremiah Page, Joseph Buzzell, Jeremiah Page, Jun., John Eastman, Joseph Chandler, Samuel Page, Jonathan F. Kelly, Jonathan GriflBth, Andrew Clow, John Moore, Nicholas Austin, Jun., Wilder Page, Jacob Rosenbergh, Stuffle Katsabach, Helmas Strangling, Ezra Freeman, Henry Grout, John Brill, Caleb Grout, David Grout, Joseph Brill, John Grout, William Grout, Jonas Hunt, Joseph Rickart, George Hayner, David Brill, Benjamin Brill, William Brill, Peter Yates, Robert Manson, William Manson, Henry Ber- hart, Ernest Kisman, Peter Rosenbergh, jun., Balmsly Lord, Richard Adams, Benjamin Page, David Brill, Peter Weare, Tho- mai Shepard, Daniel Taylor, Moses Copps, and Roger Hibbard.

But in 1849, Parliament decided to create Magog Township with part of Bolton Township and part of Hatley Township. While the partners usually handed over their portion of the concession to the leader, except for a few acres, according to the prior agreement, in Bolton, most of the partners did not honor their commitment to Nicholas Austin and resold their concession to a third party, which subsequently caused several misunderstandings with the inhabitants of the township. Since no partition had been established, the settlers settled here and there wherever they saw fit. The partners who sold their concession to third parties defined it as one fiftieth of the total 57 acres in common. Over time, as the land increased in value, this caused great confusion, especially since a large portion of the land belonged to absentee speculators who intended to profit from the clearing work of the owner-occupiers.

Around 1847, Parliament made a first attempt to regularize the situation, but without much success. In 1857, the government decided to buy back the rights of absentee landlords and appointed commissioners to hear the occupants' claims and attempt to resolve disputes. The commissioners sat at the McMannis Hotel in South Bolton and the McNamara Hotel in Magog. The commissioners submitted their report adjusting the titles in 1863.

Nicholas Austin, originally from Somersworth, New Hampshire, had remained loyal to the British government and disliked the republican system. He had incurred the enmity of his fellow citizens, making it no longer livable for him there. In the winter of 1793, he decided to settle in Canada with his family and a few men (someone said "about fifty men"). The journey consisted of three sleds pulled by oxen. He settled at Point Gibraltar, overlooking Lake Memphremagog, and cleared about 100 acres. However, due to the confusion created by his partners who had not respected their commitments, he ended up losing his property and lived in poverty until his death in 1821.

Nicholas Austin junior, a nephew of the leader and a partner, worked for his uncle for a few months. He returned to New Hampshire to marry, returning in 1794. He obtained two plots of land at Peasley's Corner, where he lived for 26 years. He occasionally hosted Indians who came from the Saint-François River and visited him. He was a skilled hunter and killed a large number of wild animals, including bears, which populated the region in large numbers. It is said (C. Thomas, A contribution to the history...), that one winter, while he was returning from Montreal, the "French country," where he had gone to buy some cows, while he was near Bolton (Willard's Mill), he was advised not to continue his journey because a cougar (panther, according to the story) was prowling in the area. It was thought he would be lucky if he could stay alive, but that he would lose at least one cow in the process. But Nicholas decided to continue on his way. He did indeed see the cougar, but instead of running away, he decided to confront the animal in its hiding place, armed with an axe and a pick. He rushed toward the cougar and threw the pick. The animal fled with a 22-foot leap. Nicholas continued on home. He eventually returned with other men to shoot the animal. Mr. Austin died on October 18, 1853, at the age of eighty-four.

His son and grandson, James and James Jr., were prominent citizens in the region who held positions in public affairs. Another grandson, Amos Austin, was postmaster of East Bolton.

Jeremia Page settled near the lake in 1796 and became a prosperous farmer. Simon Wadleigh also settled near the lake in 1796. He operated the ferry between Bolton and Hatley for over twenty years.