In 1765, a grant of 100,000 acres on the Miramichi was made out to William Davidson of Inverness and John Cort of Aberdeen, who were interested chiefly in fisheries. (Davidson expanded operations into timber and shipping.) The New Englanders Davidson brought up to settle the grant apparently returned to New England, but settlers from Scotland brought out by the partners remained on the river. Other Scottish families came on their own and settled on the river below the Davidson and Cort grant.
The first 7 families to settle - Stuart (1775), Gillis (1775), Munro (1775), Markmen (1773), More (1769), Davidson (1765), Cort (1765) - all arrived before 1776.
Their activities were shut down by the American Revolution: Davidson left in 1777 for Maugerville; Cort remained behind and apparently died sometime after 1781. During the war, the Miramichi settlers were so often attacked and plundered by rebel American vessels, that many left. William Davidson went to Maugerville, but returned after the end of the war in 1783, and made a valiant attempt to rebuild his shattered settlement, which he found in ruins. He reestablished business, and brought settlers onto his land.
On his return, only three men were left on the Davidson/Cort Grant. Amongst Davidson's memorials is "An estimate of William Davidson's property advanced by him since 1st. June 1783, with a view to reestablish the settlement of his lands at Miramichi and the improvements made by him and the settlers on his grant, likewise the losses sustained by the war and in consequence of the war". About the settlers, the following: "Building improvements and stock on the settlement by the Settlers - John Stewart, Angus Gillies, William Markmen, an average of 400 pounds each = 1200". Can these settlers have been the three that Davidson mentioned as being the only ones left on his grant when he returned to the Miramichi in 1783? Following this is the name of "John Willson 300 pounds".
In any event, settlement began again in November 1783 with the arrival of George Brown.
Five families appear in May 1784. The majority of families on this list arrived that year. In 1785, an additional 8 families arrived. Cort is shown as having settled three of the families who arrived in 1784 and 1785. John Cort had, however, died during the revolutionary era. We can only assume that either: (1) Cort had made some prior arrangement with them (They may even have been on the Mirimichi at an earlier date); or (2) it wasn't John Cort, but rather his son William who settled them.)
However, with the Loyalist influx into the province, the British government was seeking new lands for settlement and large holdings (like Davidson's) were no longer looked upon with favour. In 1785 an enquiry was held to determine whether Davidson and Cort had fulfilled their obligations to settle their grant. All of the settlers on the Davidson/Cort grant were listed. Thus, this list. As regards the inquiry - Davidson's grant was escheated, and a smaller one of 14,540 acres -which included the old stores, shipyard and milllsite - was given to him.
| Location | | Names of Settlers | Year | of Year | Family or Single | Settled by | Comment2 |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (11) | Mr Wm Davidson | 1765 | Oct 1765 | Family & Workers? (incl 50in No.) | (12 acres under cultivation) | |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (34) | Mr John Cort | 1765 | Oct 1765 | 4 in family | Davidson | (deceased - a house at present occupied by his children, also a Store) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (11) | Mr Wm Davidson | 1765 | Oct 1765 | (Blank) | (a store) | |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (8) | Willm More | 1769 | 1769 | (Blank) | (a house) | |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (8) | Willm More | 1769 | June 1769 | 4 in family | Davidson | (1 acre clear) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (4) | Willm Markmen | 1773 | Nov 1773 | 4 in family | Davidson | (10 and half acres under good cultivation) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (1) | John Stuart | 1775 | May 1775 | 5 in family | Davidson | (15 acres under cultivation) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (2) | Angus Gillis | 1775 | Sept 1775 | 6 in family | Davidson | (9? acres) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (3) | Donald Monro | 1775 | Sept 1775 | Single | Davidson | (1 and half acres clear) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (19) | George Brown | 1783 | Nov 1783 | 4 in family | Davidson | (4 acres clear) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (16) | Joseph Bigg | 1784 | Aug 1784 | 3 in family | Davidson | (1 acre clear) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (17) | James Anderson | 1784 | Aug 1784 | 5 in family | Davidson | (three quarters acre clear) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (23) | Joseph Dunfy? | 1784 | Aug 1784 | 6 in family | Davidson | (3 and half acres clear) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (15) | James McComb | 1784 | Dec 1784 | Single | Davidson | (2 acres clear) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (5) | James Welsh | 1784 | July 1784 | 3 in family | Davidson | (1 and half acres under cultivation) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (7) | James Barnett | 1784 | June 1784 | Single | Davidson | (2 acres clear) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (24) | James Clark | 1784 | June 1784 | 5 in family | Davidson | (1 and half acres clear) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (26) | Alex? Hay | 1784 | June 1784 | Single | Davidson | (3 acres cleared) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (27) | Peter Long | 1784 | June 1784 | 4 in family | Davidson | (2 acres cleared) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (32) | Willm Gillis | 1784 | June 1784 | 6 in family | Davidson | (4 acres cleared) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (12) | Benjn Stimmeist | 1784 | May 1784 | 5 in family | Davidson | (2 acres under proper cultivation) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (13) | Peter Bonamy | 1784 | May 1784 | 9 in family | Cort | (1 acre clear) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (14) | Jonathan Lubfberry | 1784 | May 1784 | Single | Cort | (1 acre clear) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (25) | Alex? Goadsman | 1784 | May 1784 | Single | Davidson | (1 acre clear) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (33) | John Wilson Esq | 1784 | May 1784 | 8 in family | Davidson | (a house, and 2 acres cleared) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (9) | John Bigg | 1784 | Nov 1784 | 2 in family | Davidson | (blank) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (20) | George Sutherland | 1784 | Sept 1784 | 8 in family | Davidson | (5 acres clear) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (31) | Stephen Shearwood | 1784 | Sept 1784 | 7 in family | Davidson | (2 acres cleared) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (11) | Mr Wm Davidson | 1785 | 1785 | (blank) | (Erecting a Saw Mill) | |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (6) | Daniel Dunn | 1785 | July 1785 | 3 in family | Davidson | (beginning to improve) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (10) | Robt Cram | 1785 | June 1785 | 9 in family | Davidson | (1 acre clear) |
| North West Branch, Miramichi River: | (18) | James McCullum | 1785 | June 1785 | (Blank) | Cort | (1 and half acres cleared and drained) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (22) | Thos Yeoman | 1785 | June 1785 | (Blank) | Davidson | (half acre clear) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (28) | Alex Allen | 1785 | June 1785 | Single | Davidson | (one half acre cleared) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (21) | Donald Fraser? | 1785 | May 1785 | Single | Davidson | (1 and half acres clear) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (29) | John Noble | 1785 | May 1785 | Single | Davidson | (2 acres cleared - The (Ship?), the houses at present in Ruins; being burnt by the Indians about 1779.) |
| South West Branch, Miramichi River: | (30) | Hason Sweezey | 1785 | May 1785 | 3 in family | Davidson | (2 acres cleared) |