Showing posts with label James and Margaret (Forbes) Machan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James and Margaret (Forbes) Machan. Show all posts
Friday, July 30, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Machans of Lanark County, Ontario
Photo of Margaret Forbes (1793-1890), her husband James Machan (1788-1873) , and their grand daughter Margaret (b. Dec 1852), dau of John Machan and Margaret Arnott. She later married Charles MacDougall. Date of photo pre-1873 Photo - 'catangel'MACHAN Family History
- compiled by J. Speers, 1980's Machan Reunion
-click on main title above for a record of settlers to Lanark County in 1821
"Following Britain's war in Upper Canada in 1812 against the Americans, the British government recognized that the border area along the St. Lawrence must be settled by loyal British subjects, as reinforcement for any future military encounter. The Secretary of State for the Colonies in England, Lord Bathurst, devised a plan of emigration to not only achieve this end, but also to alleviate the unemployment and poverty that was rampant in Britain at this time. Britain was overrun with soldiers who had been discharged following the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, as well as with craftsmen who had been rendered superfluous following the introduction of machines in the Industrial Revolution. Work had to be found for these unemployed tradesmen and discharged soldiers.
"The resultant emigration companies and societies began to advertise in the Scottish newspapers in 1815 that persons desiring to emigrate to Upper Canada would be transported free of charge and allotted 100 acres per family -upon arrival. Axes and other necessary tools would be available at a fixed price, and rations from government stores would be available for the first six months. Such was the background of the settlement of what is now Lanark County, Ontario.
"The emigrants were usually accommodated in steerage and often found the conditions aboard the ships untenable. The very young and old and the ill often did not survive the voyage.
"At this time, Lanark County was a land of dense forests, wild life, lakes and some fertile ground. A great deal of skill and hard work was required for a man to keep his family alive until his crops began to produce. Some land was little more than rolling rocky ridges which were very difficult to work. Most of the Lanark society settlers did not know prosperity until the lumbering era arrived.
"Several societies had been formed in Scotland to aid the emigration of the Glasgow weavers and Paisley mechanics who were unemployed in stupendous numbers during the economic depression that followed the Napoleonic Wars. In 1820, the Scots immigrants began to arrive and settle in Lanark Township establishing the towns of Hopetown and Middleville and in Dalhousie Township establishing Watson's Corners.
"During April and May of 1821, 1,883 emigrants, including James and Margaret Machan and their three children set sail from Greenock, Scotland.
"Following Britain's war in Upper Canada in 1812 against the Americans, the British government recognized that the border area along the St. Lawrence must be settled by loyal British subjects, as reinforcement for any future military encounter. The Secretary of State for the Colonies in England, Lord Bathurst, devised a plan of emigration to not only achieve this end, but also to alleviate the unemployment and poverty that was rampant in Britain at this time. Britain was overrun with soldiers who had been discharged following the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, as well as with craftsmen who had been rendered superfluous following the introduction of machines in the Industrial Revolution. Work had to be found for these unemployed tradesmen and discharged soldiers.
"The resultant emigration companies and societies began to advertise in the Scottish newspapers in 1815 that persons desiring to emigrate to Upper Canada would be transported free of charge and allotted 100 acres per family -upon arrival. Axes and other necessary tools would be available at a fixed price, and rations from government stores would be available for the first six months. Such was the background of the settlement of what is now Lanark County, Ontario.
"The emigrants were usually accommodated in steerage and often found the conditions aboard the ships untenable. The very young and old and the ill often did not survive the voyage.
"At this time, Lanark County was a land of dense forests, wild life, lakes and some fertile ground. A great deal of skill and hard work was required for a man to keep his family alive until his crops began to produce. Some land was little more than rolling rocky ridges which were very difficult to work. Most of the Lanark society settlers did not know prosperity until the lumbering era arrived.
"Several societies had been formed in Scotland to aid the emigration of the Glasgow weavers and Paisley mechanics who were unemployed in stupendous numbers during the economic depression that followed the Napoleonic Wars. In 1820, the Scots immigrants began to arrive and settle in Lanark Township establishing the towns of Hopetown and Middleville and in Dalhousie Township establishing Watson's Corners.
"During April and May of 1821, 1,883 emigrants, including James and Margaret Machan and their three children set sail from Greenock, Scotland.
(Another source provides this information - "emigrated from the Parish of Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scotland, possibly with the assistance of the Cathcart Emigration Society, on c. May 2, 1821, embarking from Greenock, Renfrewshire, on the "Earl of Buckinghamshire" with wife, age 26, daughter, age 6, and two sons, aged 3 & 1. Their destination is listed as Upper Canada.") They landed at Prescott and began their laborious walk carrying their belongings along a boggy road of 74 miles to New Lanark. The Machans had sailed aboard the "Buckingham" and were allotted lot 22 of Concession IV (Poland) in Dalhousie Township on July 24, 1821. Anyone who has ever visited this site, will attest to the barren, rocky and hilly nature of the property which was suitable for grazing cattle or sheep and only limited farming.
"They later received the west half of lot 22 on Concession II. The well and some foundation stones of the original building are scattered around the homestead. A family burial plot, fenced off to keep out the cows, but now overgrown with junipers and weeds, can be found there still. Buried here are the parents of one Machan line in North America
"James Machan, died December 4, 1873 at 85 years of age
his wife Margaret Forbes Machan, who departed this world January 29th, 1890 just one week short of her 98th birthday....also at rest in this family plot are two sons of James and Margaret - William, their first child born in Canada who died in 1829 in his 9th year, and John, (gr gr grandfather of J. Speers) who died as a result of an accident. He was killed by a bear while working in the lumber camps in February, 1859.
"JAMES MACHAN b. 1759, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Married October 8, 1785, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
=Martha Clark, born 19 Nov,1765 Paisley,Renfrewshire
dau of William Clark and Martha Naismith
"Ten children were born to this couple. The eldest was -
James Machan b. 11 July, 1788 at Abbey, Renfrewshire
Married 2 June 1815, Eastwood
=Margaret Forbes,
b. 6 Feb, 1793 at Renfrewshire,
dau. of John and Janet Forbes
"They emigrated to Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Upper Canada in 1821, sailing from Greenock, Scotland aboard the "Buckingham" with their three young children Janet age 5, John age 2, James a baby. Six more children would be born to them in their new homeland."
"They later received the west half of lot 22 on Concession II. The well and some foundation stones of the original building are scattered around the homestead. A family burial plot, fenced off to keep out the cows, but now overgrown with junipers and weeds, can be found there still. Buried here are the parents of one Machan line in North America
"James Machan, died December 4, 1873 at 85 years of age
his wife Margaret Forbes Machan, who departed this world January 29th, 1890 just one week short of her 98th birthday....also at rest in this family plot are two sons of James and Margaret - William, their first child born in Canada who died in 1829 in his 9th year, and John, (gr gr grandfather of J. Speers) who died as a result of an accident. He was killed by a bear while working in the lumber camps in February, 1859.
"JAMES MACHAN b. 1759, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Married October 8, 1785, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
=Martha Clark, born 19 Nov,1765 Paisley,Renfrewshire
dau of William Clark and Martha Naismith
"Ten children were born to this couple. The eldest was -
James Machan b. 11 July, 1788 at Abbey, Renfrewshire
Married 2 June 1815, Eastwood
=Margaret Forbes,
b. 6 Feb, 1793 at Renfrewshire,
dau. of John and Janet Forbes
"They emigrated to Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Upper Canada in 1821, sailing from Greenock, Scotland aboard the "Buckingham" with their three young children Janet age 5, John age 2, James a baby. Six more children would be born to them in their new homeland."
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1. Janet Machan 1818-1902 = *James Horn (brother to Robert Downie Horn)
March 13, 1837 at Lanark, Ontario
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2. John Machan Sr. 1819-1859 = Margaret Arnott
He was a farmer, blacksmith and lumberman. Their son, James Machan, married Margaret Gavin, youngest daughter of Robert Gavin and Sarah Miller.
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3. James Machan 1821-1865 - Possibly married Janet Browning
4. William Machan 1822-1829 (first child born in Canada) Buried on the Machan farm. There is a headstone.
5. Martha Machan 1826-1901 = 1. *Robert Downie Horn - Our ancestors
6. David Machan 1827-1904 He never married but fathered a son, Charles, who was raised by David's sisters and who died at 25. David was a lumberman and prospector and at one time, owned 900 acres in Lanark County. He is buried at Watson's Corners Cemetery.
7. Margaret Machan 1829-1915 = 1. Andrew Machan (her first cousin)
2. Henry Tamen (Mitchell, Ont.)
8. Jane Machan 1832-1924 = Archibald Davidson
9. Andrew Machan 1834-1898 = Elizabeth Nicol
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Scottish Immigration Record
MS154 Reel#1 (Ontario Archives, Toronto)
Part 2 - Returns of Emigrants Received as Settlers 1815-22
JAMES MACHEN - p. 63 1 man, 1 woman, **5 children (1 male over 12, 2 males under 12, 1 female over 12, 1 female under 12) Arrived June, 1821 - sent by Scottish Government -Name of ship - Buckingham. Date of Location on land - July 24, 1821 Dalhousie Township on Lot 22 East of Concession IV
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**According to the immigration record, there were two more children than accounted for in family list ( a male over 12 and a female over 12 ) who immigrated with James Machan and Margaret Forbes. It is probable that the adults were included in the total number.
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