James Mckechnie Forsyth b1899 Shotts Lanarkshire Scotland to Laura near Adelaide

[1000xlch]

Trying to find the ship he sailed on from UK. Apparently a man from Adelaide bought Clydesdale horses for breeding in South Australia and James was charged with looking after them on the boat. Jame then bought a farm in Laura and kept dairy cows. He married in 1931 to Francis Edith Longbottom in Burra District. He died 1967 buried in Port Adelaide, she died 1988, buried in Laura. Cannot find any details of the farm in Laura. Suspect he sailed between 1915 to 1920? Any help appreciated.

Thanks John Rowley

[majm]

Hi there,

Some thoughts ...

I wonder if any horses were allowed to be imported .... aftterall our AIF personnel were not permitted to bring their horses home .... significant bio security issues, etc. 

Could the Clydesdales have been shipped from interstate rather than from Britain. If so your chap may have been quite young when migrating from Britain. 

 If you chap was in Britain 1915, and born 1899, would he have been called up by Britain to serve in WWI ?   Australia's AIF were all volunteers.

JM

[Neale1961]

James was with the Scots Guards during WW1, and was demobilised in mid 1919. He was described as a ploughman on his army attestation. So immigration would have to be after 1919.
As suggested above by JM, he possibly brought horses from another state in Australia. I would have thought that in the 1920s horses and cattle might be moved overland, rather than by ship.

[Neale1961]

Here is a newspaper article about clydesdale importation from Scotland to SA.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/137396789?searchTerm=Clydesdale
Did your James come with these horses?

[Neale1961]

Forsythe - Longbottom wedding
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/36052860

[majm]

Yes, possible  shipping from say  Bourke in NSW down the Darling - Murray River system....  Many a DROVER plant's boss was known as Captain.  Bourke was a significant inland port servicing inland Qld and NSW until the 1930s Great Depression.  The catchment for Lake EYRE extends way up into Qld,  horses need significant water daily and the Travelling Stock Routes had wells and tanks .... bores quite salty.  My DROVING forebears preferred to move herds of sheep and cattle.  Sorry for capitals .... predictative woteva is trying to take charge.  ONE FINGER JM

JM

[Neale1961]

This passenger list for PERSIC to Adelaide from Nov 1925 has a James Forsyth -mysteriously written in pencil but no other information.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSD2-S4DH-V?cc=2613135&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQPWX-6C4Q
The date might match with the importation of horses noted in above newspaper article?

PERSIC passenger list also available here:
https://archives.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/documentstore/passengerlists/1925/GRG_41_34_0_204-1925_Persic.pdf

[majm]

This passemger list to Adelaide from Nov 1925 has a James Forsyth -mysteriously written in pencil but no other information.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSD2-S4DH-V?cc=2613135&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQPWX-6C4Q
The date might match with the importation of horses noted in above newspaper article?

Same handwriting as those in blue ink.  But it has Melb for occupation....  what job description is a Melb .... a chef makes Peach Melba,   a Dame Melba sings at opening of Parliament House, so could Melb be abbreviation for Melbourne.... and is that his port of embarkation or dis-elaboration.... So many thoughts .   I just love these spelling over-rides. Errrer d'oh.  Dis-elaboration 

JM

[Neale1961]

Yes, horses were onboard that ship PERSIC
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20964434/1631768

Actually , along with the actors, a bit of a zoo onboard!