**Joseph Morrison Kennedy, anyone shed some light plz

[AndrewKen]

What a fantastic photo! Somthing I never expected to turn up. I've been researching the family tree for about the last 10 years. I started a few years after my father James Anderson Kennedy died. I have a letter from Frederisck Walter dated Aug 1985, in it he gives some information about his brothers and sisters, one of which would have been Elizabeth Jane Kennedy - definitely your grandmother. Crawford alexander dunseth (my grandfather) would have been her younger brother. He went on to have 5 sons and 2 daughters, one of which was my father. Most of the others stayed in Scotland, recently however most have passed away and I only have one uncle (Bob) remaining. The original James Kennedy was suppoedly from Scotland and married Mary Kyle to settle in co Antrim. All of the remaining  family as far as I can tell moved away between the 1890's to 1910 ish. John Alexanders brother Andrew Kyle eventaully moved to Larhall in Scotland to follow quite a few other family members. John Alexander and Elizabeth Maxwell had moved with the remainder of the family after about 1903/4. Mining in Antrim had just about dried up by then, which is why one of the brothers moved to N Zealand only to die in a mining accident. My grandfather grew up and had most of his family in Larkhall. John Alexander died in 1926 - I have his death certificate. He is burried with his wif somewhere in Larkhall cemetary only we couldn't find it when we went looking. I am enclosing a document which shouldn't need any explanation. I'll try and dig out other informatino if you are interested and at some point try and give you my entire database of family history.

[aghadowey]

Just for the record the minister was William Johnston Gilmore (1842-1933)- my great-grandmother's cousin.

[elderone1]

Wow!
My daughter has alerted the clan of your presence via our family reunion website. I have 345 entries on our family tree (of which 27 are Kennedys), and my daughter has merged other branches so her version is larger.
Please visit http://members.shaw.ca/kellyfamilyreunion/index.htm

It directly lists the decendents of Robert Kelly and Mary Jane Swann. The larger tree is on Ancestry.ca, but I haven't looked at that external file yet.
What continent are you on?
Margaret & I live in Courtenay, B.C. Canada, and I'm 67.
I have letters and addresses from family members on several continents.
Exciting stuff!
This time I did spell check!

[AndrewKen]

It may take a while to prepare a few documents and get everything together, I'll try and do this over the next week. I have alerted my cousin Gillan in Scotland who now has a copy of the photo. He will try and get my uncle Bob (Robert Kennedy) to identify Crawford from the picture you sent me.

[AndrewKen]

Sorry forgot to mention I live in Gloucester (UK). All of the Scottish clan live near Beith in Scotland, some are still in Larkhall. All of my immediate family live in Devon where my father was stationed after the war.

[elderone1]

Hi Andrew,
One of my first cousins, John Miller, and his wife Shirley, will be visiting Scotland this summer from the end of July to near the end of August. They have an itinerary and will be looking for the sites of our ancestors.
John is the youngest son of Maisie (Mary Jane Swann Kelly), the only daughter and eldest of Elizabeth Jane.
I have included this site for their interest, and perhaps they will add to this chat and you might direct them to additional sources, especially to living relatives in Larkhall and Westport.
Cheers,
 Dave Kelly

[elderone1]

From handwritten note of Frederic Walter Kennedy (1899 to ?), original with photocopy of Culzean Castle:                                       (Note F.W. Kennedy died in 1972)
“This is the Castle where my Grandfather was born, after Grandmother died he lived with my Father John & Mother Elizabeth: this is the story he told Mother. Big James, Grandpa, had six sisters all older than he was, they abused him continually as he was heir to the estates; at 14 fourteen years he ran away from home and went to Northern Ireland near Ballymena.  (sic) at age twenty one he returned to his parents home Culzean Castle to claim his estates. Three brothers-in-law met him, the three other brother-in-laws had met sudden deaths, the last one, one week previously, was found with a knife in his back in the sands of Ayr.(sic) asked him if he would like the same treatment he said No. Told to get out and never return. He got out and never returned. He married Mary Kyle a very tall red haired girl. Big James was 6’2”, they were a very distinguished couple. They had three sons Hugh, John, my Dad and Andrew. Hugh died age 23 from some sickness unknown. My Dad lived 73 years passed on in 1926. Big James, Grandpa, died age 83, I do not know the year but guess it was 1900. Nine years before I was born. Later reading the History of the Kennedy Clan I find mention of the six sisters.  It stated one was left in near poverty at the sudden death of her husband. One of the sisters...
I still try to research the records of the Kennedys, but in the takeover of the estates by the usurpers the history seems to fade away.
The Kennedy Clan was one of, if not the most powerful of all the Clans until after the 1800 era. The book I have all testify to these facts...
   Sir James Ferguson, the Kennedy historian..
Kennedy (the son of Kenneth) sometimes written Kennedis around the years 1005, 1004....became prominent in the year 1263 when they fought for Alexander III at the Battle of Largs but the Kennedys were prominent in 1243. At one time all the males of the Kennedys were killed in battle except two men. The Gaelic pronunciation of Kennedy was Caenaideach. Ken a day ugh.
Frederic Walter Kennedy 1899 to ?
(Note other research indicates “Big james” Kennedy was born in 1807 and died in 1890).

[elderone1]

I have a different middle name listed for Joseph Kennedy. I have it listed as "Maxwell" rather than "Morrison". I need to review which relative gave me this information. Anyway, this Joseph Kennedy, son of John Alexander Kennedy(b 1853, Ireland; d 1926 Scotland) and Elizabeth Maxwell (b 1853 Newtown Cromelin, County Antrim, Ireland, d ?), was born in 1885 and died in 1960 in Detroit, Michigan.

[AndrewKen]

My research has come up with a death in August 1900 in Parkmore for big James, he was living with his son Andrew Kyle at the time (I understand). Parkmore was an established mining area in Antrim. Not had time to get all my research into a new package so I can send it to you. I'll try and get it done before I leave for my holiday.