Isabella Paterson McIlwane.....

[Scozzie]

Denise - I saw your entry - my second great grand uncle (that's what my software says) and his wife were on the Berwick Law from Glasgow which landed in Brisbane 4 Jan 1884. I wonder if our families met?

[denise agnew]

Hi Scozzie, wow isn't that amazing. What was his name? I tried to find out why the "Berwick Law" was quarantined. It arrived on 23 December 1883 and the immigrants were landed at Brisbane 4 January 1884 so the poor dears had to spend Christmas in quarantine. Perhaps it was routine but no-one could tell me. Isabella was listed as a "Free" passenger, single and 18 years of age. However, from the information the lovely people on this site have provided for me, it could be that she was just 15 having been born in Feb 1868. They perhaps would have at least known of each other having left from Glasgow but there were 286 Scottish on board so who knows. It would be terribly convenient to find someone who could shed light on a whole lot of things but that's not the nature of the game.

Bye for now
Dee

[denise agnew]

Dear JustJean

On studying the information you have so kindly provided, it would seem that this could be my family. Catherine and Margaret have the same birth year as the children listed at Maybole Row in the 1881 census and John comes between the two so it fits. If Isabella was born in 1868 she may have put up her age to travel to Australia as she is listed as 18 on the ship's passenger list and all records in Australia suggest that 1866 was the year she was born. It appears that John and Agnes Bannerman had a bunch of children living with them at the time of the census so perhaps Andrew and Catherine (whatever her surname was) were deceased and they were orphans.

My grandmother said in her letter that Isabella had given her kilts to her two sisters who went to Canada, one brother was already there, the younger brother went not long after. I took this to mean that the sisters left around the same time as Isabella but they were only children. Are there any records which I can check regarding their departure to Canada.

My grandmother was only 9 when her mother (Isabella) died so I am not sure how reliable the information in her letter is. I barely knew my grandmother - just met her a few times so don't have much to go on.

Dee

[JustJean]

Hi Dee

So glad the pieces are falling into place for you at last! If your goal is to try and follow the siblings to Canada then if you haven't already you should view the 1871 Scottish census (on the pay per view Scotlands People website) that David posted about with the 5 children listed. Armed with the names of all of Isabella's brothers and sisters you will then know who you could be looking for and their likely ages. My point here is that David indicated there were 5 children on the 1871 census and we still don't know the names of all of them (well...I don't know the names ...hopefully you do!!!) Jack has likely pinpointed the two older brothers...but in my maths that still leaves one more??? Or did I do that wrong? Was it another brother or sister born Ireland?

There won't be any Scottish records to search for their leaving but you might be lucky and find something in the later Canadian census indexes. Family members often live nearby each other or in the same household when resettling on this side of the pond! Of course Canada is a huge place.....and it looks like the 1901 census is online but not indexed by name ...that means scrolling through millions of records and not knowing a destination could leave any findings always open to speculation. You won't know unless you try though! You might also have some luck with something from immigration...they may have even arrived in the US first

On the other hand if you want to attempt to locate the parents names of Andrew and Catherine then a search (once again on Scotlands People) for their deaths during the years 1874 and 1881 and possible in Kilwinning???? or certainly in the Ayrshire area....should give you further insights into how they died and who was the informant for their death....and even hopefully the names of their parents . As for going back further into Ireland....ummmm....I'd stick with looking in Canada for now. One thing at time

Good luck...and best wishes
Jean

[Jack]

Hi Dee and Jean,
Isabella as 15yrs in 1881 had already added (or someone did) 2yrs to her age, so emigrating as 18yrs in 1884 seems reasonable!
It would be worthwhile looking at these 5 births on Scotlandspeople to check that they ARE all siblings.

Parents Andrew & Catherine's marriage details on the BCs should all, hopefully, be the same, even though John's has a different mother's name.
It would most likely be Ireland as they, and the oldest children Mary (Mary Jane?) & Andrew were born there.
Your maths are ok Jean, oldest daur is Mary or Mary Jane b abt 1862, and as you say the 1871 census would be useful.
--
EDWARD MCILWAIN - Birth: 27 FEB 1866 Dalrymple, Ayr, Scotland
ISABELLA MCILWAIN - Birth: 09 FEB 1868 Dalrymple, Ayr, Scotland
JOHN MUCLWEEN - Birth: 08 FEB 1870 Dalmellington, Ayr, Scotland
MARGARET MCILWAIN - Birth: 08 MAR 1872 Dalmellington, Ayr, Scotland
ANNIE CATHERINE MCILWAIN - Birth: 11 JUN 1874 Kilwinning, Ayr, Scotland
--
The 1901 Canadian census is ongoing at
http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/index.html
(a excellent bit of work!)
Jack
ps. maybe mother Catherine's DC will explain Isabella's addition of her added middle name Paterson.

[JustJean]

Hi Jack

If I once knew of the 1901 Canadian index it had slipped out of my mind ...thanks so much!! Link now in Favorite Places

Jean

[Jack]

Hi Jean,
I thought it was mentioned a while back on TS - but maybe it was the old Discussion Group?
One good thing about my poor memory is being able to read a good book more than once, and still enjoy it!

Linda on TS also tells of the 1911 Canadian census at
viewtopic.php?t=1145&highlight=1901+canadian+census

Jack

[Thrall]

One good thing about my poor memory is being able to read a good book more than once, and still enjoy it!

Good you can get through a book; I seem to have to restart when getting towards the end! Lot of saving here though - just read the "same" book again and again but choose well.

Good reading,

Thrall

[StewL]

What a lucky lot you are, I havent read a good book in years . Seem the only books and texts I get to read are academic texts or associated journals and articles (read policies). I thought it would change after graduating the last time, but no, it has got worse.

It seems I get half-way through a book, then something to do with my profession crops up, so now I have a stack of half-read books
Perhaps I could solve that by reading the last chapter of all those books I started

[Scozzie]

Hi Denise - I don't know much more than you do about the Berwick Law. I've tried to find it on Immigration listings, with no success.

The Berwick Law was 1200 Tons, Captain EG Marks, Matron Mrs Simmons. Sailed from Glasgow 14 Sep 1883, arrived Moreton Bay 25 Dec 1883, landed Brisbane 4 January 1884.

My rellies on board were Charles Pryde McKinlay (2nd great-grand-uncle) and his wife Euphemia McKean, both from Midlothian. The voyage must have been horrendous for Euphemia, as she gave birth to their son James on 22 January 1884. Sadly, James died 1 February 1884. They had two daughters, Annie & Isabella, before Charles died 4th July 1888 of TB. I've often thought of Euphemia, and how difficult her life must have been in a strange country, losing her first child, then her husband. Euphemia married again, had six more children, and I have lots of "cousins" living in Australia; maybe one of these years I'll meet them. I'm in touch with a descendant of Euphemia's youngest daughter, who was kind enough to share the family information with me.