Families of Lanark County, Ontario

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Comment by Alan Norman MacGregor on March 16, 2013 at 12:24pm

Hi Folks:

Just came across this site while researching my paternal family. I've traced my roots back to Peter McGregor (b. 24 Mar 1793 in Bonhill, Dunbartonshire, Scotland to Duncan McGregor and Katherine McColl). Peter and wife Elizabeth (Christian) Smith along with two sons (Duncan - 3 and James - 1) arrived on the Earl of Buckinghamshire in 1821 as part of the Paisley Townhead Society and claimed Lot 13, Ramsay Conc. 10 on 31 Aug 1821. Four more children were born, Peter (1821), Elizabeth (1826), John (1829) and Alexander (1831). Alexander married Mahali Brydges 11 Jun 1853 and they are my Great Great Grandparents. My family stayed in the Almonte area down to my Father who moved to Nova Scotia after WWII to marry my Mother.

I would certainly be interested in hearing from anyone who has connections to the family through birth or marriage. Connected families include Brydges (Bridges), Thom and Cochrane. Thanks Robert for establishing this group.

Cheers: Al 

Comment by Don Rose on October 30, 2012 at 12:43am

Greetings Lanarkians,

GGGG Grandpa Andrew McBEATH was born in 1745 @ Sutherlandshire, Sutherland, Scotland.  He married Isabel McPHERSON 26 Nov 1809 @ Old Machar, Aberdeen, Scotland.

In 1821 he and his family settled in Lanark Twp., in Concession 9 Lot 12 + 13 (100 acres).  His family included his wife, a son (William) and 2 daughters (Margaret and Isobel).   He had received a Land Grant in  Lanark Upper Canada Aug. 11, 1821.

He died at Lanark 3 Jul 1847.  Here follows his obituary~~~~>

Bathurst Courier - Newspaper - Perth, Ontario.
27th July 1847 - at Lanark, on the 3rd instance, Mr. Andrew McBeath, in the 103rd year of his age.  He was born in Sutherlandshire, in the memorable year 1745.  At the time of his birth his father was absent in the army of Prince Charles Stewart, who on his return home after the defeat of that Prince, was presented with the subject of this notice, then three months old  He was for many years Forrester to the Duchess of Sutherland; subsequently he removed to Glasgow, where he resided 10 years previous to embarking for this county with the Society Settlers in the year 1821.  For several years after his arrival and settlement in Lanark, few of his neighbors could use an axe or a handspike to better advantage than the deceased, although on the verge of four score years of age - but the strength of his arm has been broken - "the strong men have bowed themselves; the grinders have ceased, and those that looked out of the windows are darkened."
Because he has gone to his long home, and the mourners lament his departure, but their grief is mixed with consolation, for he gave pleasing evidence that for him to die would be gain.  In the 101st year of his age he added his name to the Temperance Society in order to encourage others to go and do likewise.

Andrew's son William McBEATH lived in Lanark County where he married Elizabeth MUNN and raised 6 children. 

St. Andrew's Church - Lanark Twp., - Middleville, Ontario. (about 5 miles
west of Rosetta, Ontario).  William McBeath - Lanark Township - Joined 10 June 1835 - Rented Pew 1834/36. 

QUESTION~ Does St. Andrews Church have birth, death and marriage records?

In 1862 at age 51 he moved his family to Helena Twp, Antrim County Michigan, USA

Comment by Bill on March 4, 2012 at 4:38pm

Hi all,

 

Decended from William Gordon that came to Lanark in the fall of 1820 from the Abercrombie friendly society. Nice to be in touch with other Lanark society settlers ;) Cheers, Bill

Comment by Nancy Trimble on January 8, 2012 at 3:47pm

Hi,all -

I too am descended from Walter Burns and his wife Agnes Anderson,through their son Walter married to Mary Ann Roberts (her second husband was James Skiffington), and their grandson Walter married to Elizabeth Dougherty. This couple moved to Manitoba, and their gt-grandson was my Dad, Donovan Samuel Brown.

I too have the Lanark Era books - what a wonderful resource. They helped me immensely!!

Love to chat with you, Robert

Thanks,

Nancy

Comment by Cheri Green on December 9, 2011 at 9:43am

Hi Robert,

I am new to the Genealogy Wise website, I came across it while searching for the Lanark Era Births, Marriages and Deaths.  I am searching for my Great Grandmother Mary Quinn (first Married name MacDonald and second Married name Currie) , recently I found a record on the Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid  website that may be her and her second Husband John Currie.  -

CURRIE, John (h/o Mary MacDonald)

Indian Hill / St Peter Celestine Roman Catholic

Lanark

Pakenham

LCGS-0962

Unfortunately I don't much about the couple as that part of my family is a big mystery.  My Grandmother did not know much about them as she did not live with them after the age of 10.  I am wondering if you could please check your books on Lanark Era Births, Marriages and Deaths and see if there is possibly a listing for either John Currie or Mary MacDonald?  I am not sure when they died but they may have been born around 1890.  They also had three children - Mary Lourien, John and Rose.

Thank you so much for your help

 

Cheri 

 

Comment by Robert Burns on February 9, 2010 at 2:49pm

Great to hear your story Judy, thanks for sharing. You are right, it doesn't look like we are researching any of the same families, but I have so many ties to Lanark County I may yet stumble across something. Besides, it is always great to hear everyone else's tale.

I have that Carol Bennett book as well. I too had ancestors that came over with the Lanark Society Settlers. Walter Burns and his wife Agnes came to Canada in 1820 aboard the Commerce. Also James Horn and his wife Marion came in 1820 aboard the Brock.

I had not previously heard of the Canadian Gravemarker Gallery. I just had a quick look at it and bookmarked for future use. It looks like it might be some help. I have not yet approached any Genealogical Societies, even to take out a membership, let alone ask for help. So far I have been using the resources available to me, especially making good use of the Canada Census Collection through Ancestry.com and order copious numbers of books from Global Genealogy.

Comment by Judy on February 9, 2010 at 12:20pm

The original folks that came over with the Rutherglen Union Society (Lanark Society Settlers) were John Angus b. abt 1781 d. Dec. 11, 1859 and his wife Margaret Smith b. Mar 6, 1794 d. Aug. 15 1871. I was able to find a lot of information through the Perth Courier and books by Carol Bennett McCuaig. I have "Founding Families of Bromley Township" parts of "The Lanark Society Settlers" and "The Lanark Society Settlers: Ships' Lists of the Glasgow Emigration Society 1821" by Gerald J. Neville and would be willing to do look-ups also. I also found the Lanark County Genealogical Society to be a very big help. The Canadian Gravemaker Gallery has also made a big difference. Parts of the Angus family are also found in Dalhousie, Lavant and Lanark Townships as well as, Renfrew where the one son, James moved to at an early age. There is another Angus, Andrew, who is thought to be a brother to John that married and moved to Pontiac County, Quebec. Unfortunately, Robert, none of your names fall within the names I have found in the Angus or the Irvine families. Some of the names I have been researching are, of course, Angus, Smith, Watt, Thomas, Affleck, Tennent, McLaren, Spence, McLeod, Johnston(e), Dobson, Irvine, Kellock (Illat, Tetlock), Rathwell, Hughes, Crampton, Giff, Ferguson, Jacobs.
I think everyone must have at least one favorite ancestor or story and mine begins with the marriage of Robert Byron Angus b. 1863, son of James, b. 1822 and grandson of the original John Angus who came over as a Lanak Society Settler, to Julia Orange Johnston(e) b. 1874 to John Johnston(e) and Lucy Gibson. Their story seemed like a fairy tail romance which took them to North Dakota and finally settling in Barwick, ON. Early history has come down that she lost 4 siblings who died of diphtheria and that loss prompted the family to move to North Dakota to farm. It is said that her parents farmed in Lanark close to John and Margaret Angus and that is how Robert met Julia. He later followed her to North Dakota and waited until she turned of marriageable age. I have tried hard to find any death notices or cemetery headstones of those 4 children. It was thought they died of diphtheria. Robert lost 3 sisters around this time to diphtheria also.

Comment by Robert Burns on February 9, 2010 at 3:57am

I have become quite familiar with Lanark County. Every line on my Father's side of the family has had a presence in the area for at least five generations, most of them seven. Some of the family names I am most closely focussed on include: Burns, Skiffington, Crosbie, Horn, and McInnes. Also, just a note to anyone and everyone, I have a copy of all three volumes of Peter E. Anderson's transcriptions of the Lanark Era Births, Marriages and Deaths, covering the period 1895-1936. I have found this to be the single most helpful resource for researching families in Lanark County. If anybody needs anything looked up in them, please feel free to let me know, I would be happy to lend a hand.