100 Acres in Lanark—Prologue

Hugh McMillan, a weaver, and his wife Ellen McLean lived in Glasgow during the Radical Uprising of 1820.

My American Cousin, Alfred Dorrance Cameron (1893-1936)

Alfred Dorrance Cameron (1893-1936), United States Army veteran WWI and Diplomatic Consul (1923-1936).

Kissin’ Cousins

The debate over first cousin marriages has been ongoing for a long time, with genetic and historical perspectives offering insights on both the risks and societal attitudes. While some argue that such unions lead to genetic defects, others point to cultural and historical acceptance within certain societies. The balance between risks and benefits warrants further scientific investigation.

Remember Those in Prison

W. Lindley, Etching of York Castle Prison, 1759[ii] Bette Smith>Mildred Cameron>Stella Knox>Wm Wallace Knox>Margaret Anderson>Ann Graves>Richard Darling Graves>Mary Wragg>Richard Wragg (my 6th great-grandfather) Research Findings Last year, my sister Dorothy and I commissioned a professional historical and legal researcher, Susan T. Moore, to find the original records related to Richard Wragg’s incarceration and trial on … Continue reading Remember Those in Prison →

The Thompson Connection

Robert Auchmuty Sproule (1799-1845) Saint-James Street, Montreal, 1830[i] Bette Smith>Mildred Cameron>Stella Knox>Agnes Thompson Dalrymple>John Harold Dalrymple>Elizabeth Wood>Elizabeth Allan (my fourth great grandmother) Why Thompson? Agnes Thompson Dalrymple (1862-1903) was the daughter of John Harold Dalrymple and Elizabeth Wood and the granddaughter of James Wood and Elizabeth Allan. I asked my sister Dorothy a few years … Continue reading The Thompson Connection →

1832 — Annus Horribilis

Ominous News and Worrying Rumours Montreal from St Helen's Island (1830)[i] The Quebec newspapers and provincial authorities had been following the progress of the Asiatic Cholera epidemic for some time as it moved from the Ganges in India through Europe and finally to Great Britain in the autumn of 1831. Some people reacted with panic. … Continue reading 1832 — Annus Horribilis →

Isabella Takes a (very) Big Step

Estuary of the Dee, Aberdeen (1838) Sooo – You are a respectable widow with, we guess, sixty-odd years of good sense behind you and now you are standing on an Aberdeen dock. What would you be thinking if it was the 1830s and you were about to spend five or six weeks crossing the ocean … Continue reading Isabella Takes a (very) Big Step →

Hard Times in Montreal

Robert Auchmuty Sproule "The Port of Montreal, 1830"[i] Bette Smith>Mildred Cameron>Stella Knox>Wm Wallace Knox>Margaret Anderson>Ann Graves> Richard Darling Graves>Mary Wragg>her brother William Wragg (my sixth great uncle) Those concerned in our story as it begins in Montreal 1819 The Graves Richard Graves, out-of-work Master Blacksmith, lately returned from New York CityJuliann Maville [Richard’s wife] and … Continue reading Hard Times in Montreal →

What Ann Saw on Mulberry Street

Bette Smith>Mildred Cameron>Stella Knox>Wm Wallace Knox>Margaret Anderson>Ann Graves (my third great grandmother) When I think of Ann Graves Anderson, I imagine her as a hardworking farm wife in rural Clarence Township, Russell County, Ontario. She lived in an area of bad roads, few neighbours, and even fewer amenities. In the 1860s, she and her husband, … Continue reading What Ann Saw on Mulberry Street →

The Andersons of Aberdeen

Bette Smith>Mildred Cameron>Stella Knox>Wm Wallace Knox>Margaret Anderson>George Anderson (my 3rd great grandfather) We know precious little about our Anderson ancestors. We do know that they were Baptists who followed their minister, John Gilmour, to Canada from Aberdeen, Scotland in 1832. George Anderson, his wife Elizabeth Philp, two children, William and Alexander, came first to Montréal … Continue reading The Andersons of Aberdeen →