Robert Vail (1761 - 1817)

Born 31 Mar 1761 in New Jersey

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Cougle) Vail — married 1 Apr 1783 in New York, U.S.A.

Descendants

Died 17 Nov 1817 at age 56 in Sussex Vale, N.B., Canada

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Biography

Robert was born in 1761. He is the son of Nathaniel Vail and Elizabeth Dennis. He married Mary Cogill in 1783. He became a wealthy merchant and mill owner. In his will, he left part of his land to be made into a cemetery and another part to be used for a school house. Robert and Mary had 3 children: Susanna, Anna, and John Cougle. He passed away in 1817.

Notes for Robert Vail: From "The Story of Sussex and Vicinity", From the chapter, "Biographical Notes on Pioneer Settlers": "Robert Vail - Descendant of English-born Vails who had settled on Long Island several generations earlier. He was a son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Dennis) Vail and was born at New Jersey in 1761. He was married at New York in 1783 to Mary, daughter of Captain John Cougle, of New Town, N.J., and settled at The Vale, where he became wealthy as a merchant and mill owner. He also was overseer of the poor. He died in 1817 and was buried on his own property in the plot known as Spencer's Field, which, according to his will, he "left to the Rector, Vestry and Church Wardens of the Parish of Sussex - and is now made use of for the burying of the corpses of my neighbours, for which I gave the said acre of land." During the ownership of the property by Ebenezer Spicer he permitted the dead to be buried in this plot, which eventually became the Sussex Corner cemetery. Robert Vail's will also stated - "And I give and bequeath to the Rector, Church Wardens and Vestry of the Parish of Sussex in trust one-quarter acre for the use and purpose of erecting a schoolhouse on the same, lying westerly of the Church and in the angle made by the roads leading from the Church to St. John and Church to McMonagle's Mill - the same to remain under the direction of the Rector, Church Wardens and Vestry." In 1819 a Madras school was built on this lot, the site of the present school at *Sussex Corner.

Sources

• Probate Record
• https://archives.gnb.ca/Search/MC3706/Details.aspx?culture=en-CA&abstract=9438&section=NameIndex

• http://www.uelac.org/Loyalist-Info/detail.php?letter=v&line=5

• https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/vail/1518/

• Descendants of Thomas Vail and Sarah Wentworth. Website written by Bill and Rita Stupak. Last Updated April 2015. See number 2976.1.3.1.

• Genealogy Report: Descendants of Thomas Vail and Page on Robert Vail--See number 137. Website written by Robert Simon Vail III. Last updated January 18, 2012.