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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: RedMystic on Thursday 24 February 11 21:27 GMT (UK)
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This is my first foray into trying to find out the story behind my grandfather's mother's family. I had assumed Angus Graham & Mary Alexandria "Mae" McPherson were Lady Cathcart settlers from Benbecula (like my many McDonald/McRury ancestors), however I have recently learned that they were from Glasgow.
My questions are:
- what were the occupations of the Peter Graham, Neil McPerson, and Angus Graham (before he immigrated to Canada)?
- are there identifiable houses or business locations for Peter Graham & wife and/or Neil McPherson & wife. (I'm coming to Scotland this summer and would like to visit that if possible.)
- where might I look to determine if there are gravestones for Peter Graham & wife / Neil McPherson & wife. (I would like to visit them if possible.)
- The Wapella history book noted later in this message indicates that Angus Graham & his wife Mae McPherson arrived in Saskatchewan in 1884, but I can find no record of their sailing. Can someone who knows the family or who is better at searching than I am help to determine that?
This is what I have so far.
- Peter Graham (b1881 - ?)
- his wife Ann Nicholson (1822 - 1887)
- Neil McPherson (b1828 - ?)
- his wife ? McLeod (b1832 - ?)
According to Mingling Memories, a History of Wapella & Districts, Angus, the son of Peter & Ann & Mae, the daughter of Neil & ? came to Canada in 1884 and settled in Fairmead (in the same area as Wapella, Sask) and homesteaded on E1/2 26-13-1-W2. Their particulars are shown below & both died very soon after arrival.
- Angus Graham (1844 - 21 Feb., 1889)
- married his wife 16 June, 1876 Mary Alexandria "Mae" McPherson (1854 - 1 Jan, 1887)
They had the following children:
Marian Graham (1878 - 1909) married James Morrow
Peter Graham (1880 - 1908)
Annie (1880 - 1918); married Norman McDonald (a Lady Cathcart Settler) in 1898 (Annie was 17) and had 13 children; she died at age 30; they are my g grandparents
Neil Graham (1883 - 1884)
Neil Graham (1884 - 1956) married Minnie Hamilton, took over the family homestead & had 7 children
Hugh Graham (1886 - 1886)
I'd greatly appreciate if anyone can shed some light.
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1881 census
Augus Grahame 37 born: Parton, Inverness-Shire Occ Coachman
Mary Grahame 29 born: So Uist, Inverness-Shire
Marion Mc L Grahame 3 born: Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Peter C Grahame 1 born: Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Ann Grahame 1 MONTH born: Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Address 7 Doncaster St Kelvin Glasgow
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1871 census
edited
Name: Angus Grahame
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841
Visitor
born: Portree, Inverness Sh
Address: 3 Mugarry Portree Invernessshire
Occupation: Labourer
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1851 census
Peter Grahame 40 born: Portree, Invernessshire occ Cottar and labourer
Anne Grahame 30 born: Snizort, Invernessshire
Angus Grahame 10 born: Portree, Invernessshire occ Cottar's son
Mary Grahame 7
Catharine Grahame 2
Address: Upper Ollach Portree
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Possible for the McPherson family 1861
Neil Mcpherson 38 born: Duirinish, Invernessshire occ Crofter
Ann Mcpherson 35 born: Bracadale, Invernessshire
Catherine Mcpherson 15
Marion Mcpherson 10
Alexr Mcpherson 8
Ann Mcpherson 2
Address: Teorlick Duirinish Invernesshire
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1871
Neil Mcpherson 56 born: Duirinish, Invss Occupation: Tailor
Anne Mcpherson 48 born: Bracadale, Invss
Cathrine Mcpherson 24
Mary Mcpherson 8
Address: Feorlick
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:D That's amazing sancti! I can't thank you enough.
I'm not familiar with all of the communities you've cited from the various census, but I'll be getting on Google maps to check them out.
I can't believe I walked away from the computer for an hour or so and came back to this. Hearty thanks again.
Jan
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Hmmm. TX again, but I don't thick this one can be the right family. There is less than 10 years between the couple, my Neil / Ann married in 1876 so wouldn't have been a married couple with children in 1871, and my Marian wasn't born until 1878 (so can't be a mix-up with Mary). Jan
1871
Neil Mcpherson 56 born: Duirinish, Invss Occupation: Tailor
Anne Mcpherson 48 born: Bracadale, Invss
Cathrine Mcpherson 24
Mary Mcpherson 8
Address: Feorlick
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Sorry. Now I'm mixing things up. The people who married in 1876 were Angus and Mae, so please skip the last comment.
I still think it's the wrong family however, as Neil was born about 1828, making him 43 in the 1871 census (as opposed to 56). Similarly, my Ann was born about 1832 so would be quite a bit younger than the woman shown in the 1871 census.
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Possible for the McPherson family 1861
Neil Mcpherson 38 born: Duirinish, Invernessshire occ Crofter
Ann Mcpherson 35 born: Bracadale, Invernessshire
Catherine Mcpherson 15
Marion Mcpherson 10
Alexr Mcpherson 8
Ann Mcpherson 2
Address: Teorlick Duirinish Invernesshire
I don't think this can be the right family either as Neil would have been 33 in 1861, and Ann 29. This seems lick too much discrepancy.
TX again for the look-ups. Jan
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1871 census
edited
Name: Angus Grahame
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841
Visitor
born: Portree, Inverness Sh
Address: 3 Mugarry Portree Invernessshire
Occupation: Labourer
This Angus is a possibility as my Angus was born 1844. What does the word "Visitor" mean in this context?
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1881 census
Augus Grahame 37 born: Parton, Inverness-Shire Occ Coachman
Mary Grahame 29 born: So Uist, Inverness-Shire
Marion Mc L Grahame 3 born: Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Peter C Grahame 1 born: Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Ann Grahame 1 MONTH born: Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Address 7 Doncaster St Kelvin Glasgow
This one looks like a very good fit right down to names and ages of the children. Fantastic! TX.
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1851 census
Peter Grahame 40 born: Portree, Invernessshire occ Cottar and labourer
Anne Grahame 30 born: Snizort, Invernessshire
Angus Grahame 10 born: Portree, Invernessshire occ Cottar's son
Mary Grahame 7
Catharine Grahame 2
Address: Upper Ollach Portree
I see I made a typo on Peter's birth year in my original message. It should have been 1818. That makes this Peter a very unlikely match for me as my Peter would have been 33 in 1851 (not 40). Ann's age is within reason. Angus' age looks similar to Angus the labourer in the 1871 census, but perhaps not mine with the three year difference between census birth date of 1841 and my Angus' birthdate of 1844. Unfortunately, I don't have the names of any other children to compare to.
Many TX again for all the look-ups. Jan
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Just to clear this up a little, the Angus and Mary identified in Glasgow in 1881 are the right couple. Angus was also the one in Portree as that was where his parents were based. Angus'wife Mary MacPherson though was from an Isle of Benbecula couple that crossed the South Ford to Iochdar South Uist. Her father was Neil MacPherson, son of Lachlan MacPherson in Lionacleit, Benbecula and her mother was Marion MacLeod, daughter of a Skyeman who had moved with his Skye born wife to 2 Griminish, Benbecula as Maor or Ground Officer. Neil and Marion settled at 81 Garryganichy, Iochdar. It is possible either that Mary Lexy MacPherson met her husband Angus in Glasgow or that there was a family connection via the Isle of Skye. The couple emigrated to the Wapella area of Saskatchewan at much the same time as the proprietor of Benbecula and South Uist, Lady Gordon Cathcart, facilitated the move of a considerable number of her island tenants to the same spot. Mary Lexy would have known of this move when it was being planned as her mother's sister, Catherine MacLeod, who had married the boy next door in Griminish, Donald MacRae, was one of the Cathcart emigrants.
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TX as always angusm. You have an amazing grasp of the connections in the Western Isles. (BTW, if I haven't mentioned it before, I love your posts on the Western Isles blog too). Jan
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Hello,
I have information on Angus and Mary Alex. I believe we are related. My great-grandfather was William MacPherson, who was a Benbecula (Wapella) Cathcart-Gordon settler in 1883. MARY Alexanderina (b. 1953; d. 1887) was his younger sister, so he may have been her link to the settlement. In my notes (on family tree), it says that she died "aged 33, and asylum or Poorhouse attendant in Skye, m. in Glasgow 1876Angus Grahame (b. 1845. d. 1899) ca coachman, emigrated 1884 to Moosomin (Homestead 26-13-2, Fairmede), lived first winter in a sod house.
I've heard about your family and met your uncles when I was a young child.
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Hi from Canada! Great to meet you & welcome to RootsChat. :) :) :) :) :)
I've come sooooooooo far since I first made this post. ;)
Mae MacPherson definitely didn't die in Skye. She died in the Wapella area of Saskatchewan, Canada. She was a parallel traveler with the May 1884 Cathcart settlers (not funded, but on the same ship).
I haven't found husband Angus' passenger manifest, but he came too.
You are correct that she came to join her brother. She was travelling with her aunt's family (her mum's sister married to McRae.)
Angus Graham(e)
Birth about 1841 in Portree, Isle of Skye, Inverness-shire, Scotland
Death 21 Feb 1899 in Earlswood, Fairmede, Saskatchewan, Canada
m
Mary Alexandria "Mae" Mcpherson
Birth 1854 in Benbecula, Inverness-shire, Scotland
Death 1 Jan 1887 in Earlswood, Fairmede, Saskatchewan, Canada
Their children were:
Morag "Marion" McLeod Graham 1877 – 1909
Peter Charles Graham 1880 – 1908 (my grandfather was named for him)
Annie Graham 1881 – 1919 (my g grandmother)
Neil Graham 1883 – 1884
Neil Graham 1884 – 1956
Hugh Graham 1886 – 1886
Post another 2x on this wall & I can send you a personal message so we can share. :)
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Hi,
I didn't mean she died in Skye: It indicates that she worked there. I have been on the croft of Neil MacPherson, her father (where my great-grandfather was born)--Garrieganichy in Iodhar, S. Uist, which is still in the family. So, if she was William's sister, then I think she was probably born there, in S. Uist. Their mother was Marion McLeod, as you say. The couple was married in Benbecula, and Garreganichy is near the causeway to Benbecula, so perhaps for some reason she was born there, but I believe she lived in S. Uist before going to Skye to work (I gather from the entry.)
My aunt was Joanne MacPherson, who helped compile this and knew many of the people from the next generation who would have confirmed some of the details. Ian MacPherson of Edinburgh did some of the work as well.
Cheers,
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Hi again SeonaighMacPherson. (Did I mention that it's GREAT to hear from you? :) ;D)
I have the marriage cert. They married in Glasgow, rather than Benbecula. ;) The date was 16 Jun 1876, Kelvin Parish, Glasgow. It looks like they were living in the same tenement house. I surmise that she had moved to Glasgow for work, possibly going with brother John. She was an asylum attendant at the time.
They are buried in Earlswood Cemetery: Stone 48 transcript: Angus died Feb 25, 1889, aged 54 yrs. Mary A. McPherson, beloved wife of Angus Graham died Jan 1, 1887, aged 33 years. Their children Hugh, died Aug 4, 1886 aged 6 months, Neil died June 6, 1884 aged 1 year and 3 months.
Their daughter Marion (sister to my g grandmother Annie) married a Morrow. Like most in this family, she died very young.
Morag "Marion" McLeod Graham
Birth 20 Jun 1877 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Death 14 Mar 1909 in Fairmede, Saskatchewan, Canada
There is a Morrow remaining on the original homestead in the Wapella area. I have recently asked for an introduction through an intermediary on a neighboring farm.
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I meant to add that I haven't come across your Aunt or the fellow in Edinburgh, but I am thrilled to hear that someone else is working on this branch. Do they have any photos? I have one of Annie Graham(e) that I'm pleased to share.