Item

Andrew Sampson

Beacon
Nov 7/1895
Denies He Was Dead
One Hundred Years of Age and Still Able to Hustle About
A rumor somehow got into circulation on Monday that Andrew Sampson, St. Andrews’ “oldest inhabitant,” was dead. But Dame Rumor for once was wrong, for, when the Beacon paid a visit to Mr Sampson’s domicile, he found the old gentleman, shovel in hand, “busy “banking” his house so as to protect it from the wintry blasts. He was told of the report of his death and in very vigorous language denied it. There was nothing for the reporter to do but believe it. The old man supposed the report had arisen because he had not been out of his home for two days.
            “But,” said he, “there was no reason why I should get up. The snow as on the ground, I had plenty to eat in the house, and so I laid in bed.”
            Asked how old he was, Mr. Sampson promptly replied “About a hundred.”
            And how do you know that?” queried the interviewer.
            “How do I know that! Well, I was born in Ireland about the time of the Rebellion, and that was in 1798. You can figure it out for yourself.”
            “It is not true then that you remember incident of the Rebellion?”
            “What queer questions people ask! How in --------- would I know anything about the Rebellion when I was only born that year!”
            [Mr. Sampson stated some years ago, that he was able to walk around holding his mother’s hand when the Irish Rebellion broke out, and that he remembered seeing a fight between the two factions. If that statement was true, then he must have passed the hundred mark two or three years ago.]
            Continuing is queries, the Beacon reporter learned that in 1816, Mr. Sampson immigrated to this country from Minnemore, in the North of Ireland, “where you can place your foot on three Counties.” He spent a short period in St. John, also at Vanceboro, and in upper Canada, and then drifted to St. Andrews. Almost everybody is dead who was alive when he came here. He said that there were good docks in St. Andrews at that time, but there were very few roads out into the country. Where the “commons lands” now are was a dense forest and he well remembers a law suit which arose between two men respecting ship timber cut on the “commons.”
            Mr. Sampson does not go behind the bush to tell people what his politics are. He is one of the grittiest of Grits. He opposed confederation tooth and nail and still thinks it was a great mistake. The old man has been living alone since the death of his partner a few years go. She was ell on to 100 years before the summons came.

Beacon
Jan 16/1896
One night last week, Andrews Sampson, centenarian, having occasion to go out of doors, stumbled over an obstruction in his doorway, and injured his arm so badly as to render him absolutely helpless. He has hitherto been able to look after his own wants, but this accident has deprived him of the ability to even dress himself, and he has been compelled to heave his home, where he hoped to spend the evening of his life.