The granting of land from the Crown to community:
Pictou Island was granted to Alexander McNutt, William Caldwell, Richard Caldwell, and Arthur Vance.

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The Crown officially forfeits the ownership of Pictou Island.
 

A community known as the "Barra Settlement" is sent to Pictou Island from the Isle of Barra in Scotland. The Barra settlers were relocated for a short period by Governor Wentworth to the adjacent shores of Pictou, but they shortly relocated to Cape Breton and Antigonish. It is still sckeptisized whether the Barra Settlement actually formally established on the Island, as the landscape and lack of wild game on Pictou Island was incapable of supporting the estimated population of 370 at the suspected time of settlement.

The land of Pictou Island was granted to Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Cochrane, a British Naval hero and comanding officer. Sir Cochrane was granted the original land of Pictou Island as well as the land extending below the high water mark, approximately 300 feet underneath the sea. 


The first Irish settlers were sent by Sir Cochrane to Pictou Island and were composed of three families: "Boyd", "Hogan", and "Morris". Three years later, in 1817, three other families appeared on a Nova Scotian census. They included the family name "Cummings", along with second "Boyd" and "Morris" families.

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Scottish settlers came to Pictou Island and soon drove out the Irish settlers who had established the land. The two main settlers - John MacDonald, Donald MacDonald, and Charles Campbell - were members of Scottish Highlanders  and were followed by several relatives. 

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The settlement and colonization of Pictou Island continued for the next ten years with an influx of Scottish immigrants. Until 1840, the settlers were considered tenants of Sir Cochrane. After Pictou Island was granted to Sir Cochrane's son, Sir Thomas John Cochrane, residents were sold land in 100 acre lots, many of which still exist in whole to present day.

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