Nancy Hodges was born 16 Oct 1841, in Kings County, Nova Scotia, the seventh of eleven children of John Clear and Rachel (Parker) Hodges. Peter Lemuel Sleep was born 13 October 1823 in New Brunswick, son of Samuel and Elizabeth Sleep. Peter had a land grant in 1857 in Sunbury County, NB.
Kings Co Marriage records indicate: Peter L. Sleep, bachelor, Wolfville and Nancy Hodges, spinster, Morristown signed a marriage bond on 18 Dec, 1860 with Johnathan & Willard Hodges as witnesses, and Willard C. Hodges as suretor. (Jonathan C. Hodges and Willard Hodges are her brothers. She also has an Uncle Jonathan and a cousin Jonathan).
After Peter and Nancy married, he petitioned for land in Queens County. The 1861 census shows them living in Chipman, Queens Co, New Brunswick. In 1871, Peter was a shoemaker, living in Wolfville NS with his wife and first three children. I have not yet found the family in the 1880 or 1881 census.
In 1891, Peter and Nancy lived with their children in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. In 1892, PL Sleep (and Mrs.PL Sleep) shoemaker, traveled on the ship “Yarmouth”, from Yarmouth to Boston, arriving 14 Apr 1892.
The city directory of 1898 shows Peter L Sleep at #5 Glenwood, in Malden MA. Boston passenger lists show Mrs. Sleep arriving in Boston from Yarmouth NS, on 18 August 1899 on the ship Prince Arthur. She travelled on the same ship the next year, arriving 1 April 1900. The US 1900 census lists, Nancy and Peter in Spenser, MA with their son Lemuel and his family. Nancy was listed as a nurse. They census indicates 6 children born, 4 living, and married 41 years.
In the 1901 Canada census, Peter was living with his daughter Rachel Orde, and the extended Orde family in Milford, NS. The census indicates Peter was born in NB and immigrated to NS in 1859. It describes him as “married” although Nancy is not listed there. Nancy Sleep sailed on “Prince George”, from Yarmouth to Boston, arriving 17 Mar 1901. Later in 1901 P. L. Sleep, farmer, 77, sailed on the ship “Prince George” Yarmouth to Boston arriving 27 April, 1901.
Peter Sleep died 19 May 1902 at the county home in Bridgetown, NS, and is buried at the Avard Orde Cemetery, in Graywood, Annapolis County, NS. (Source: Denton Orde) The cemetery’s sign has fallen down. The cemetery is about 1/4 mile off the highway. There is only one stone. The cemetery is not maintained, but about 1999, someone marked the graves with unlabeled (or now unreadable) wooden crosses, which are succumbing to the elements. (May 2004).
Mrs. P. Sleep sailed on the “Boston”, from Yarmouth to Boston, arriving 13 Nov 1902. 1904 Boston MA directory – Sleep, Nancy wd bds 3 Faulkner Cir DOR (Dorchester?) Burt, machinist is there also. This is probably her son Bert.
The 1911 Canada census lists Nancy in Maitland, NS with daughter Rachel Orde and her family. Nancy was also listed in Springfield, NS, with son Lemuel Sleep and family. Lemuel’s family moved to Vermont, and Nancy went with them. She died of stomach cancer on 14 April, 1923, in West Burke. The local paper, The Monitor, had a brief death notice: West Burke Item – Mrs. Sleep, mother of Lemuel Sleep, of this place, died Saturday at the age of 80 years. She had been ill for some time.
Since Louis Labor and family lived in West Burke, it is likely that Nancy Hodges was acquainted with the Labor family, 50 years or so before Evelyn Hodges (Nancy’s first cousin three times removed) and Alfred Laber (grand nephew of Louis) crossed paths.
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