John is likely right about 'Betts'. He may be related. The tricky thing is that in some places families become so interconnected that sorting them out means extensive knowledge of all of them. Added to that is that sometimes families that were related in the colonial period traveled together or followed each other. The Betts', for example, I recall as originating in Connecticut in the 1600's. According to the death registration of David Walls (1865-25MAY1853) his parents were John and Catherine (Betts) Walls. This according to his brother, Justus Walls.
I do not have immediate access to the 1861 census. In the 1871 census, in Blackville Parish, Northumberland Co., NB, were John (55) and Catherine (41) 'Wells' with children: Eliza A. (18), John J. (12), Mary Jane (5), David E. (3) and Sarah P. (1). I thought John, Jr. may have been John T. In 1881, in Blackville Parish, the family is John J. Wells (67), Catherine (49), Mary (16), David (14), George (8), Sarah (11) and Justy (5). Next door was Isaac Wells (29) with a wife, Dorothy (27), and children: Mary (5), John (3) and Martha (1). In 1871 Isaac Wells (17) was a brother? of Charles (35) wells, who had a wife, Mary (27), several children and presumably a mother, Sarah Ann (72). I assume that Isaac was Charles Wells' brother, but the relationship is not stated. He is listed as a farm labourer and could be a nephew as well. Next to Charles and his family was the family of George (37) and 'Phebe' (McKinnon) (31) Wells.
Isaac was Isaac James Walls and his wife was Dorothy Gibbons McKinnon.
By 1901 we are back to 'Walls' and the family in Blackville Parish was very large; at least 55 persons. Justus and his wife, Annie J. (17SEP1875) and children lived next to a family headed by George Walls (6SEP1872) and his siblings and which included their mother, Catherine (25MAR1832). Justus John Walls married Northumberland Co., NB 16OCT1894 Annie Elizabeth Astle b. Quarryville, Derby Parish ca. 1876, daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth Astle. Justus was a section man on the CNR. Annie Walls' death registration (1978-1JUL1922) states that she was the d/o Daniel and Elizabeth (McDougall) Astles. She apparently died as the result of childbirth. Catherine, Justus' mother, may have been the Mrs. John Walls b. ca. 1835, d. Blackville 7SEP1916 age 81 years. Her husband died Blackville 4SEP1897 age 80 years.
Thomas
See:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&d...http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&d...http://genforum.genealogy.com/astle/messages/121.htmlhttp://www.nbgs.ca/firstfamilies/FAMILY-A-2006.pdffor the Astle family. See:
http://www.nbgs.ca/firstfamilies/FAMILY-W-2006.pdfFor the Walls'.
For Catherine Betts' family, probably it was that of Ephraim Betts's family. See:
http://www.nbgs.ca/firstfamilies/FAMILY-B-2006.pdfOr even Jared Betts' family. By that time the family was enormous.