Outgoing passenger lists, Scotland to Canada in 1889

patti_d · Post by **patti_d** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:42 pm

I would like to know if it is possible to find details about passengers coming into Canada from Scotland from many sources in Scotland.

emanday said "A bit of what you already know is a great hint to us...." so here goes. None of the people mentioned by name are alive now.

I am researching my father's grandparents, Neil McSween, and Catherine (known as Kate) McLeod.
My grandfather was born 27 Oct 1895 Angus Finlay McSween in Saltcoats, N.W.T., Canada. I have a copy of his birth certificate, has Neil McSween listed as his father, Kate McSween as his mom. Confusion #1.
He was not raised by family, so details passed down in the family have been sketchy. My dad and my uncle have said grandpa wouldn't talk about his childhood. And, to further complicate things, ggfather is supposed to have left ggmother before my grandfather was born, so although his birth was registered as McSween, he was christened and raised as a McLeod. I don't have much for documents for my great grand parents; she is supposed to have died in 1901 at age 40 (I can't find a Vital Stats death notice for her and no church burial records because of a fire). He died 1906 at age 53 and his death certificate only tells me he was "born in Scotland".

A lot of my info is from research and personal interviews that one of my uncles did 50 years ago that I'm trying to verify.
My uncle started researching when my grandfather was applying for his pensions in the 1950’s and couldn’t find his birth records under the name McLeod. Uncle found people who said they remembered my great grandparents, giving him the stories of ggfather abandoning ggmother, and details about her death. He found the church christening records before they were lost in the fire.

It is possible they came to Canada with a group of 46 families leaving Stornoway 31 March 1889 as part of a settlement scheme of the Imperial Colonization Board to settle families from Lewis and Harris on homesteads on the Canadian prairies in what is now Saskatchewan.
The group sailed to Canada on the SS Scandinavian 1, leaving Glasgow, Scotland - 3 April 1889 arriving Halifax, N.S. - 14 April 1889.

(The NAS replied to a query from me to say they have an Emigration and Colonisation file for the time period, but confused me royally on how I'd go about getting copies of the microfilm without going there in person and I haven't gotten back to find out yet)

All I have to go on so far for where they came from is a notation in Bill Lawson's book ........ "Register of Emigrants from the Western Isles of Scotland 1750-1900, Volume 1 Isle of Harris".
He says "Torlach MacSween and family emigrated from Borsam in 1889 and settled at Saltcoats, Saskatchewan, family being brother Neil b1851 and sisters Ann b1858 and Marion b 1862."

Lawson's Register lists the wife of Torlach as Catherine MacCuish and their daughter is Mary. His brother Neil isn't listed as having a wife. Their sister Ann is listed as 'later married to William Harvey' which doesn't agree with the name Ann McDonald who said she was his sister and received his homestead after Neil's death. There is a Saskatchewan birth record for Mary McSween, Tolluch listed as father on her birth certificate, Katrine Mccosh as her mom; born 29 Mar 1890.

I also have some information from a book "Help us to a better land : Crofter Colonies in the Prairie West" by Wayne Norton.
He talks about the two settlement schemes to Killarney, MB (1888) and Saltcoats, SK. (1889) and gives the names of the ships they came on and where their homesteads were. MacSween's are #40 and #80 under the Lothian Colony on the website
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cansk ... tlers.html
and http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cansk ... coats.html
a list of settlers that were interviewed October 1889 and it says “#40 - Neil McSween, wife (brother Tulloch McSween working at Medicine Hat, Alberta and his wife living at Neil’s house). (Sister Annie McSween at home).”

I have found the ships's logs in the Canadian Archives but am having trouble reading them due to the quality of the copy of all but the first page which is why I wanted to come at it from the other side of the ocean.

I searched the Western Land grants at the Canadian Archives and at http://www.saskhomesteads.com
I sent for the homestead records I found. A letter dated September 4, 1893, in the homestead record for Torlach McSween, (#251026 NW 22 25 2 W2) indicates that he is deceased and that his entry would be cancelled. I found his death record at SK Vital Stats 14 Feb 1893, Saltcoats.

I found homestead records for Neil McSween (#247366 McSween, Neil NW 15 25 2 W2 cancelled 29th October, 1901) and two others under #736803 (McSween, Neil SE 24 26 1 W2 and NE 12 26 33 W1) the second one of which was from 30 Dec 1902 until his death (5 Dec 1906) and I have his registration of death from Vital Statistics but there wasn't really much information on the documents to help in my research, either to connect him to my greatgrandmother or to lead me to his place of birth. Saskatchewan Archives has an estate settlement document signed by Annie McDonald who said she was his sister, that he was not married and she kept house for him. So that doesn't tell me if he was never married or just was not married at the time of his death.

On her Application for Patent dated October 1899 (#357028 SE 16 25 2 W2) Catherine McSween states that she is a widow with 2 children. There is no reference to the name of her deceased husband. So I don't know which this woman is. Mrs Torlach or Mrs Neil McSween. Did they both marry women called Kate, Catherine or Katrine? Did women of the time call themselves 'widow' if their husband had left them? Did Catherine MacCuish marry her brother in law Neil when Torlach died in 1893 so there is only one woman? Is that why grandfather's birth record lists Kate McSween as his mom? Or was that just an error on the part of the recorder of the event? Why was grandfather raised with the name of McLeod? All I have from my uncle are his written biographies that he says he gathered information from the church christening records to say ggrandmother's name was McLeod and his conversations with people who knew her. It must have been sufficient to convince the government that grandfather was legally Angus McLeod because he received his pensions. I'm spinning wheels to find an actual written record to identify his mother.
So many questions swirling around.

I have also found Canadian census records if you are still reading.
I have found 1891 census records that indicate a Catherine McSwain and her daughter Mary lived with 'Tollick' McSwain (family # 153) and Neil is listed as a separate household (family # 154). 1891 census is not transcribed online.

1901 census has Neil McSween and a sister whose name isn't legible, could be Annie. They are both listed as single, have 1889 listed as when they came to Canada.
http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/Di ... da+records
1901 census has Kate McSween, a widow with daughter Mary and son Angus F, has 1889 listed as when she came to Canada
http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/Di ... da+records

1906 census has Neil McSween and sister Annie McSween and sister Mary McSween (16, the age Kate McSween's daughter Mary would have been in 1906)
http://automatedgenealogy.com/census06/ ... p?id=15343

1906 and 1911 census have my grandfather living with James and Helen Sharp. He is listed as Angus McLeod (adopted son) which agrees with family knowledge that he was raised by James Sharpe after my great grandmother died.
1906 - http://automatedgenealogy.com/census06/ ... sp?id=8318
1911- http://automatedgenealogy.com/census11/ ... ?id=143305

My uncle has uploaded Gedcom files to the familysearch website, but I know he has some errors in his work, hence why I'm trying to verify.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions and help you may have before I start seriously wading through the ship's record information here. I've noticed a lot of the ships's log info places begin at 1890.

Patti

Post by **emanday** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:35 pm

Hi Patti,

The group sailed to Canada on the SS Scandinavian 1, leaving Glasgow, Scotland - 3 April 1889 arriving Halifax, N.S. - 14 April 1889.

Wow! That has to be the worst image I have ever seen. About all you can make out is the "occupation or relationship" column and even that is dreadful.

However, could this be your Neil in 1871? The ages of him, Torlach, Ann and Marion look very hopeful

1871 Scotland Census

Name: Neil McSween
Age: 20
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1851
Relationship: Son
Father's Name: Samuel
Mother's Name: Mary
Gender: Male
Where born: Harris, Inverness-Shire
Registration Number: 111/1
Registration district: Harris
Civil Parish: Harris
County: Invernessshire
Address: Lingerbay
Occupation: Fiserman
ED: 8
Household schedule number: 3
Line: 15
Roll: CSSCT1871_20
Household Members: Name Age
Samuel McSween 66
Mary McSween 50
Alex McSween 22
Neil McSween 20
Torlach McSween 16
Ann McSween 14
Donald McSween 10
Marion McSween 8

Bear with me, I'm still looking

Post by **emanday** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:40 pm

...and the 1881 Census...

1881 Scotland Census

Name: Neil McSween
Age: 29
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1852
Relationship: Son
Mother's Name: Mary (Might just be a mistranscription of Marion or she was generally called Mary)
Gender: Male
Where born: Harris G, Invernessshire
Registration Number: 111/2
Registration district: South Harris
Civil Parish: Harris
County: Invernessshire
Occupation: R N. R. & Fisherman
ED: 3
Household schedule number: 63
Line: 12
Roll: cssct1881_32
Household Members: Name Age
Mary McSween 60
Neil McSween 29
Turlough McSween 27
Ann McSween 23
Marion McSween 20

Hugh Stevely · Post by **Hugh Stevely** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:28 pm

Hi have a look at the link
or you could try and email William Thomas Hill.

Immigrant Ships
Transcribers Guild
Halifax, Nova Scotia Ship arrivals and departures

Indexes
[1851-1857] [1858-1869 ] [1870]
[Jan-March 1871 ] [April-July 1871 ] [Aug-Sep 1871 ] [Oct-Dec 1871 ]
[Jan-March 1872 ] [April-July 1872 ] [Aug-Nov 1872 ] [1889]

http://immigrantships.net/halifaxlists/ ... .html#1889

Orraverybest Hugh.

patti_d · Post by **patti_d** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 6:47 pm

Thank you Mary.
Those could be the right ones.
What image are you meaning that was the worst you have ever seen?

Thank you Hugh.
I'll check out William Thomas Hill.

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:25 pm

Hi Patti

The NAS replied to a query from me to say they have an Emigration and Colonisation file for the time period, but confused me royally on how I'd go about getting copies of the microfilm without going there in person and I haven't gotten back to find out yet

Have you looked at the LDS library catalogue
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library ... t_fhlc.asp
to see if they also hold copies of this microfilm? If so, you could order a copy through your local LDS centre for a small fee (costs £2.75 here in UK)

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **emanday** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 11:10 pm

patti_d wrote:Thank you Mary.
Those could be the right ones.
What image are you meaning that was the worst you have ever seen?

Using the name Neil McSween, I found the passenger list on Ancestry for the SS Scandinavian arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 14 April 1889.

That is the image I was referring to. It is dreadful! I tried to enhance it in Photoshop, but with no success. Ancestry has either simply not scanned it properly or the handwriting is too faint to "take" on a scan.

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:35 am

Hello Patti,

The Glasgow Herald, Wednesday, April 24, 1889 under the heading “Emigration of Crofters” published a lengthy letter from Mr Colmer, Secretary of the Colonisation Board to the Secretary for Scotland describing the departure and various other things regarding the matter. There’s also a couple of items in prior issues, 8th February and 16th March.

Mr Colmer gave evidence to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Colonisation later that year and there are about 15 pages of evidence, I think it’s all to do with the Crofter business. There’s an appendix listing heads of families on the Scandinavian, numbers in the family, private means and odds and ends relevant to government expenses.

There are a couple of families that may be relevant:
Niel MacSween (sic), 6 in family, all over age 12 (I assume that includes him)
M. McSween, 3 in family, all over age 12.

The Parliamentary Paper is quite large but I could extract the relevant pages to a PDF document. If you don’t have these and you’re interested please send a PM with an email address and I’ll send it off.

Hope that’s useful,
Alan

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:20 pm

There was a yearly report on the settlement up to about 1905. I have all of them but have only looked at some. All the farm owners are named with crop acreages. The1890 report contained all the survey interview summaries.

1890 [C.6067] Crofter colonisation etc.
Page 31.

No. 38. – Murdo McSween.
Family. – Wife, and partner, Donald Campbell. Has a letter from him saying that he will be up this fall. Is working at Macdonald Station. Murdo says he does not expect to be repaid by his partner.
House. – Plastered outside on rails laid horizontally. Declares his lumber was etc etc………….

No. 40 – Niel McSween.
Family. – Brother and his wife. Brother Tulloch working at Medicine Hat. Wife staying at Niel’s house. Annie, sister, at home. Marion working at Birtle with Mrs. Herchmer; writes, but sends no money. Catherine McCuish, friend, left them at Winnipeg; is at service. No letter from her.
Breaking. – Four or five acres.
House. – Turfed roof over boards and tar paper; partly plastered inside. Sister has spinning wheel. Not plastered upstairs yet.
Stable. – Completed; built of turf, with pole and hay roof; warm.
Stock. – Has yoke of oxen. Is well satisfied with cow. Has chickens.
Water. – 40 feet deep; contains 10 feet of water.
Hay. – Has about six tons in meadow and as much in stack.
Labour. – Agreed to come to work on Friday as spare man.

There’s an earlier report by the Crofters Commission for the year from 31 December 1888 to 31 December 1889 in which the name Neil Macsween appears in a long list headed County of Inverness – Skye – Crofting Parish of Duirinish? He is on the Estate of McLeod of McLeod as a Crofter in township or district 17 Roag? It shows acreage and rent paid.

The only other Macsween that a search of the document brings up is also on Skye but in the Crofting Parish of Sleat on the Estate of Lord Macdonald, Crofters Alex Macinnes and Widow Isabella Macsween, the Township or district looks like ½3 Calligary.

The document appears to cover Inverness, Ross & Cromarty, Shetland and Caithness. Not sure what it’s all about.

Alan

patti_d · Post by **patti_d** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 4:02 pm

Lesley
I did a search through the LDS library catalogue. Nothing popped up.
I looked at the Canadian Archives as well as some of the university libraries that have their collections on line as well as writing to their 'help' desks.