The McFarlanes

    THE MCFARLANES - FROM INCHGARTH IN SCOTLAND TO CALEDON IN ONTARIO

         
          In 1835 Margaret McFarlane went back to Scotland and came back again to Canada with her brother Donald and her eldest sister, Isabella.  They took up their residence on Lot 18, Concession 5 of the Township of Caledon where they continued to reside to the end of their days.

        Although little is known about our McGregor ancestors, even less is known about our McFarlanes.  In the record of John and Christina McGregor, mention is made of Christina’s sister, Margaret accompanying them on the sea voyage from Breadalbane, Scotland to the new land in Caledon, Ontario.  The record further states that in the fall of 1835 Margaret returned to Scotland to fetch her brother Donald (sometimes referred to as Daniel**) and her eldest sister Isabella.  And what a journey it must have been.  To have already endured a two month journey from Scotland to Ontario, Margaret retraced her steps to return to Scotland for her brother and sister.  What strong pioneer stock we come from!

(**In some records I found Daniel and others, Donald.  I found the following reference which helps to explain the reason for the confusion.  "Among Highland men there is a fine old name which is Domhnal. It gets translated as Donald in English, but the nickname for Donald, among Highlanders, was Dan, not Don or Donnie. Domhnall is the Gaelic for the biblical name Daniel; the error comes in translating it as Donald, instead of Daniel." (http://users.eastlink.ca/~dfaith/page_4.html) 

     As I mentioned in the section about John McGregor, I did find a marriage for John & Christina.  The marriage record mentioned Christina was from Inchgarth which is a small farmstead with a U-shaped plan and includes "open sheep pens and a cart shed". There were almost no McFarlanes in the Fortingal area which made my search for this family easier.  

          I found christening records for all the siblings mentioned above plus a brother Neil.  In all instances they shared the same parents, Alexander McFarlain and Janet McGregor, as well as all residing at Inchgarth.  Although I do not have absolute proof that this is our family, the preponderance of evidence points in this direction.

           Alexander & Janet were married 22 May 1784 and had the following children:

                                    Isobel                       chr 24 Nov 1785

                                    Neil                          chr 13 Sept 1787

                                    Donald                     chr 9 May 1790

                                    Christy                     chr 20 Nov 1792

                                    Margaret                  chr 8 Sept 1795     

     In Jessie’s brief memoir she said that “she often heard Mother (Christina McFarlane) tell that a cousin of hers was in the company with Sir John Moore when he died and it was in his plaid, Sir John Moore was buried”.  (Like Nelson, Sir John Moore was mortally wounded in battle, and also like the admiral lived long enough to be assured that he had gained a victory. He said to his old friend Colonel Anderson "You know I always wished to die this way". His last words were "I hope the people of England will be satisfied! I hope my country will do me justice!" He was buried wrapped in a military cloak in the ramparts of the town of La Coruña, Spain in 1809.)

            In 1853 Donald McFarlane purchased the E ½ of Lot 18 in the 5^th concession west in Caledon.  It is possible that the three were leasing the farm prior to this date.  In the 1851 census Donald & sisters are living together.  In the 1861 census, Isabella is living with John and Christina.  “Daniel” and Margaret are still living on their own farm.  Isabella appears to have died in the 1860’s. By the 1871 census, Daniel and Margaret are living in the same household as William Thompson Pattullo, his wife Jessie (McGregor), and their young family.  I believe they are all living on Daniels farm.

            In the “Account Book of Alexander McGregor” (son of John McGregor) is the following:

“On February 16, 1875 “Daniel” McFarlane died about 5 pm dropping on the floor while walking through the house and showing no signs of life thereafter.  Uncle was buried the afternoon of February 18^th .  Daniel would have been about 85 years old.

On November 15, 1876 Alexander McGregor erected two tombstones for Isabella and “Donald”, price $72.”  I have not found a cemetery record for them.  I believe they should be buried in the Alton Cemetery in Peel County, as this is where the McGregors are interred.

“March 6, 1879 Aunt Margaret died about 12:30 pm.”  She was about 83.

            I did find an indenture made on the 11^th day of November 1879 regarding the disposition of “Daniel’s” property.  He died intestate as did his sister, Margaret.  Christina being the only surviving sibling received the NE ¼ of lot 18 in the 5^th concession west of Hurontario Street.  On the same date Christina sold the SE ¼ to her daughter Jessie Pattullo and the NE ¼ to her son-in-law William Thompson Pattullo.  Perhaps the SE ¼ had been deeded to her previously.  William and Jessie sold the property in 1894, moved Creemore and later packed up and left for Alberta.

William & Jessie move to Alberta

WILLIAM & JESSIE MOVE TO ALBERTA

William driving first team - probably trip from train depot to land in Caseleyville

About 1905, and in their early 70’s, William and Jessie along with their mentally challenged daughter, Christina May, pulled up stakes, left Ontario and joined the throngs of pioneers lured by cheap land in Alberta and Saskatchewan.  They took up a homestead in Caseleyville, which was near Red Deer, Alberta.  At that time, Alberta was trying to cement the location of their border – the land offered was certainly not a choice location.  After a number of years of drought William and Jessie left their homestead.  I have no idea if they were ever able to sell their farm or if they joined the list of 5,124 vacant or abandoned farms in the dry belt area (1).

William and Jessie in front of their home in  Caseleyville, Alberta

29 Jan 1912 …I had been reading on the papers you wrote that a great part of the wheat was frozen out where you are.  It is too bad after one’s hard work to lose it all like that.  You would have a long move out to BC if you went.  Do you work the farm yourselves?  Uncle William cannot work it, surely he is too feeble is he not?

Grandson Keith Honeyford said the Pattullo’s had seven crop failures in seven years.  Our Pattullo’s had settled in the “special area” of Alberta, an area of SE Alberta known for its cyclical severe droughts lasting many years.  The Dry Belt suffers higher moisture losses because of summer heat waves and winter Chinooks. Approximately 80 per cent of the Alberta Dry Belt has a thin, light brown soil cover because the organic and nitrogen content of the soil is low  As a result, it is highly susceptible to erosion in conditions of low moisture and high winds after the natural grass cover is broken (2).  And this is what our family moved to!

After numerous years of trying to make a success of their farm, the Pattullo’s relocated to Vancouver and Washington State, to live with various children.  By 1912, they were living on West 22nd at the home of their son Victor.    The detail in the following letter from an Alberta neighbour is a sad, but fascinating description of some of the items Jessie & William left behind. 

     Your crop looks real nice, of course it is late but if the frost don’t come too soon it will be alright.  It stands as high as the top wire of the fence.  We did not have to go over to your house the next day after, but we went over 2 or 3 day after, and then most of the things were taken that was worth taking.  We cleaned the house up nice, and now the other day when I was over it looked as if it never had been cleaned.  I don’t know who made such a mess out of it, most likely the children.  One of the windows are broken so people go in and out as they like.  The dinner set is there yet, that is what is left of it, but the box that it was packed in has been broke open, and I guess some of the dishes taken.  Your sewing machine was open when I was there, and all the things belonging to it all over.  I picked them all up and closed the lid; I took the box with all the attachments in your home for whenever the machine is sold.  I will bring it to Mrs. Caseley.  What do you want for the machine?  If you like I can take the machine down to my place and try to sell it for you.  I have one myself so I won’t use it.  The wringer is at Mr. Eastmead’s.  Mrs. Caseley said she bought but has not paid for it yet.  The cross cut saw is in the house yet.  Mrs. Vickse had the oil can and the new granite pail.  I got the other two pails, one was in the cellar full of rotten potatoes and the other was up in the house.  I have one of the kettles, blue outside and white inside.  The sad irons was taken before we got there, all the crocks were taken and also the preserve jars and vinegar keg.  I don’t know who took all these.  The washing machine is outside of the house and turned upside down.  All the paint and goose oil is taken.  Now I don’t really know what beeswax looks like but I took down some or all I found there.  Now when I was up the other day there is only one cake of brown wax and 3 cakes of white wax.  What the white looks like rendered suet to me.  Now do you want me to send it all to you?  And tell me what to do about the wringer.  Mrs. Caseley claims all in the garden so I don’t dare to look that way, let alone taking anything out of there.  Must tell you that Hyacinth has your old Mother cat and she has 4 kittens, and I tell you Hyacinth is just as proud of the kittens as the cat.

Years of trying to make a success of the Alberta farm would have taken a toll on their finances, even for thrifty Scots. 

---

  (1) Source: Derived from Tables 1, 3, 4 and 6 in David C. Jones, Empire of Dust: Settling and Abandoning the Prairie Dry Belt (Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 2002), pp.254-7.

(2)http://www.parc.ca/mcri/pdfs/papers/iacc038.pdf

The McGregor Family Record - Jessie & William Thompson Pattullo - Ontario

    Jessie, a Scottish lass born in Caledon, Ontario in 1838, the youngest child, only daughter and only child born in Canada of John McGregor and Christina McFarlane.  She came from a family that was proud of their Scottish heritage and kept that spark alive throughout the generations. 

     29 Dec 1916 letter from Alex Macgregor:  Do you remember sending a photo about the year 1861 to us in Glasgow?  Although I have not seen it since I remember the dress you were taken in.  It was something like a shepherd tartan and you looked a find handsome young woman.

     Growing up in Caledon Jessie met and married William Thompson Pattullo.  From Jessie’s letters and Williams ledger it appears he was quite a successful farmer, growing a wide variety of crops.  Together they raised 5 children – Victor Norman, James McGregor, Christina May, Jessie Azalea and Annie Edna.

     As Jessie’s McFarlane aunts & uncle became too old to look after their farm, Jessie & William moved in to help them.  I suspect, with the understanding that they would eventually inherit the farm.  The farm in fact was inherited by Jessie’s mother Christina – the only surviving McFarlane sibling.  In November of 1879, Christina, in turn sold the farm to William and Jessie.

   

  By 1894 William and Jessie had moved to Creemore, not sure why they moved there.  Sons Jim & Victor were involved in a woolen mill in Creemore, but don’t know who went first.  According to Keith Honeyford Jim & Vic were unsuccessful in their woolen mill venture.  
      Gregor’s (Jessie’s brother) widowed family were living in the Collingwood area about 20 miles north of Creemore.  In 1887 James went to work for the Canadian Pacific Railway as a bill clerk for a time in Owen Sound

     A devastating fire in 1899 destroyed William and Jessie’s possessions, their home and all Jessie’s correspondence to that date.  What  treasure trove of letters and pictures was lost in the fire? We know William lost his collection of often used books.  How heartbreaking it must have been to have to start over.  Perhaps this made moving to Alberta an easier decision for them.

     Jessie’s letter box starts with a letter from a friend lamenting the loss of Williams extensive collection of books and the many hours of joy the writer of the letter had experienced reading his books.  Who knows what memories have been lost to us.

    April, 6 1899 – I felt very sorry when I heard of your loss by fire and to learn that so many of your books were destroyed.  Books are more easily procured now than ever I suppose but old books are like old friends, they cannot be replaced.

      It became apparent reading the letters that Jessie was a very kind, sweet person, caring deeply about the many people she kept in touch with.  Did she take an interest in genealogy first or was it her son Victor’s interest in the family history that spurred her on to re-connect with family members and ask questions about the McGregor & Pattullo origins.  Through this quest she reconnected with her cousin Alexander MacGregor in Australia.  

     From the letters I gather that in later years, William and Jessie relied on their son Jim for advice as to where to live and to look after finances for them.  Jim always seemed to be on the lookout for a new way to make money.  In one letter he said “I have plans like a Rothschild or a Vanderbilt and a purse the other extreme”.

March 2, 1899 letter to parents – You know my financial condition.  If Arthur could only see it as we or others do and would cancel my debt and could feel that he was doing himself justice you can imagine what a joy it would give me.  Is this debt as a result of the unsuccessful woolen mill in the Creemore area that Jim and Victor were involved in? Did this also impact William and Jessie’s finances and form part of the decision to move to Alberta?

     March 9, 1899 Vic and I (Jim) have been thinking of going out to Idaho and if it proves to be all they say it is would it not be a good home for all of us?  Do you and Tom and Zell think you can get along all right at Creemore or would you all come to Lewiston if I find it to be all they claim for it – a new country with all its natural resources ought to be a better place to begin for Tom, Vic and I, and I do approve of all getting near each other.  (This would not happen until Vancouver) I think Vic and Tom and I could make money together.  Vic will go out he says.  He says he cannot get ahead here (St. Paul), it costs too much to live in the city and the longer he stays the less chance of improvement.  The climate is one attraction and the new undeveloped west is another attraction for young men.