July Ancestors (2)

For the sake of brief entries, I am not footnoting the facts in this ongoing memorial. Sources have been noted either in other blog posts or in my family history books.

Killin parish church, Perthshire; photo BDM, July 2010

24 July 1783 Duncan Frazer was baptized in Killin parish church, Perthshire, Scotland, son of John Frazer and Janet Buchanan of Ballechuish. The apparent place name puzzled me until Cousin Lizzie came to my rescue. Ballechroisk was one of the small settlements adjacent to the village of Killin. We are sure this is our ancestor although his mother’s surname differs in a later source that I won’t go into here. In 2010 I visited the church, built in 1744, not the expected classic stone building. Nevertheless, a thrill to be in a place my ancestors frequented so long ago—it is “listed” as a Scottish ancient and historical building. The baptismal font was rescued from the older, preceding church structure “and is reckoned to be 600 years old” according to an interior plaque. Of great interest was the memorial out front to Rev. James Stewart (1700-1789) who served at Killin for 52 years, more renowned as the first translator of the New Testament into Gaelic. The consequences of that spread far and wide across the Highlands. He was likely the man who baptized my triple-great-grandfather Duncan.

29 July 1878 Marion Hastie, widow of John Dougall, died in Montreal at the home of her youngest daughter Helen (Dougall) McCunn. As a youngster in 1804, Marion embroidered a sampler with the names of her parents and their six sons and six daughters. The sampler has disappeared, likely into a family of McCunn descendants—women often being the keepers of family memorabilia. Marion was 88 years old when she died. She was my great-great-grandmother.

McFadyen stone, Sunnyside Cemnetery, Manitoba; photo BDM, ca.1972

31 July 1915 John McFadyen died, probably at his farm in Springfield, Manitoba, at the age of 78. Of his five sons, none produced McFadyen heirs. My McFadyen branch “daughtered out” as we genealogists like to say. John and his wife Isabella Campbell (Cape Breton natives) are buried in the local Springfield cemetery sometimes known as Sunnyside or Moose Nose Cemetery. “In my father’s house are many mansions; I go to prepare a place for you.” At the time I paid my respects, many years ago, deer were also visiting but moose were not in evidence. John was my great-grandfather.