william williamson born 1878

[trchilds]

Hi Gail,

This makes us distant cousins!What a small world. My wife and I grew up just south of the Scarborough Town Centre and went to David and Mary Thomson CI for highschool in the 1970s.

I have been in contact with the heritage officers in Elgin, Rothes and Buckie, Scotland and gotten alot of information. Their records + cemetery records are now accessible via the net, a great source of information. I have also now written to Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal to get the information off of Thomas Williamson's gravestone.

His parents I know were William and Mary (Nee Stewart) Williamson. I have Mary Stewart as being born in 1796 (In Buckie) Died in Montreal same year as year son, 1886. I do not have her husband's birth or death information. But I have found Mary Stewart's father in the records,, Alexander Stewart born circa 1770 but that is far as I have gotten.

I may have other information so will look. Do you know any info on Thomas Williamson's father (birth,death dates etc) or Mary Stewart's parents?

The Scottish records are really good. My Grandmother Ellen, born a Williamson in 1901, married my Grandfather, Joseph Christie, his father was Irish and it very difficult to track this information down. Fortunately his mother was born in Paisley, Scotland so have gotten good info from there.

Interesting you mentioned their occupations because my research shows the same. On the records it shows the men's occupations as Licensed Hawkers, horse dealers and tinsmiths. My aunt wondered if they were gypsies, well pretty close. I had thought they went where the work was, and it turns out this is the case.

Again, it is great to find someone in the family to network with to build the common family tree. Thanks!

Tom

[Homes]

Hi Tom,

I know the area very well.  Grew up as a kid in the Midland/Lawrence area.  Attended  Winston Churchill CI and Stephen Leacock CI in Agincourt.

The information you found at the Moray Heritage Centre has been kindly supplied by my cousin in Scotland,  who in turn received a large portion of my research records.  We've been collabrating our finds for several years now.     Personally, I have worked on this branch for 10+ years and have an extensive collection of this branch and all branches connected within (ie. McMillan, Stewart, Watson, Jamieson, McNeil.....)

I don't have an exact birth date or  place of birth for Mary Stewart (dau. of Alexander) nor an exact date of birth for her father.    It is probable that she has a sister  --  I show Betsy Stewart (dau. of Alexander).   Betsy's daughter married one of Mary's sons (Charles).   William and Mary had seven sons and one daughter [John, Thomas, Isaac, Alexander, James, Charles, Lindsay and Margaret]   Five of the seven sons travelled to Canada during their lifetime and had children born/ died here.   Two of the sons are buried in Toronto, one in Port Perry, one in Montreal and the remaining in Inverness and Tain, Scotland.

Needless to say, William Williamson has been very difficult to research.   He died prior to his wife.  When and where has not been determined (one possible theory is at sea).    Still searching for his wife Mary (Stewart) in the 1861, 1871 and 1881 Scotland census (for clues) to no avail.       I do have pictures of Thomas and his mother's  (Mary Stewart) gravestone.    William is mentioned in memory.   Did the cemetery send you the other burial records?

Circumstantial evidence suggests William is the son of James Williamson and Margaret McMillan.  Children of this couple have been strongly connected with William's family, both in Scotland and in North America.

Oral history tells the story of the Williamson's coming to Canada and buying horses to send back to Scotland.     One such story, is how they sold horses (from Alberta) to the Canadian Military (overseas) during World War 1.   Unfortunately, the army was unaware these fine specimens were "wild untrained horses" who bucked the soldiers off their backs.    From the 1920's on wards,  some were living in Kentucky breeding race horses.   

You can now search the early passenger lists to Canada on-line at the Library and Archives of Canada (free site) or Ancestry (subscription).  The latter is a wonderful resource, with digitized records of vitals, census records, passenger lists, boarder crossings etc.  They do offer a free trial period.

Regards,
Gail

[trchilds]

Hi Gail,

This all makes sense to the stories I heard from my grandmother and her cousins, the travelling back and forth from the old country , and work involving horses. In both my great-grandfather's (William B 1878) and his brother Thomas (B1880) Williamsons' houses they had a carriage house at the back where they stored the horses. I can remember as I small boy trying to visualize this as by then they were garages and storage areas. This was on Logan and Degrassi streets in Toronto.

I also heard the same story of Mary Stewart's husband dying at sea after crossing 64 times. However I also heard this of another great-great grandfather George Watson (1838-1907). I don't know which story is true.

I do have in my possession 2 crayon photographs taken in the 1880s of Thomas Williamson (1826-1886) and George Watson from above. **I think Thomas' dates are correct but I have seen several other birth dates. The last of that generation, Elizabeth Williamson (1911-2001;dtr of Thomas) gave these along with other things to me when she moved out of her home in 2000, the home she had lived in since 1913. I have had them looked at by a conservator and they are in excellent shape and in the original bevelled glass frames. There is some damage but it is minor. The Thomas Williamson one is especially eerie as his eyes almost follow you around the room. He looks very austere and his long sideburns. At the same time I got this Nellie Watson silver box dated from 1896 which I would like to find out about.

I am still eagerly awaiting to hear from Mount Royal on the inscription information on Thomas Williamson and Mary Stewart's gravestones. I have never been to the cemetery only have heard they are buried there. In Mount Pleasant Cemetery Thomas is mentioned in memory only, it notes he is interred in Montreal.

Do you know who was Mary Stewart's mother (and William Williamson's wife?). I can't seem to find anything her way. I have become the family historian and am always excited to talk to other family researchers, especially when we have a family connection. This is why I think the internet is wonderful, for the retrieval of information and for connecting people together.

Tom

[daval57]

Tom / Gail,
That's great you connected with each other.
Hope you're able to help each other out.

Dave

[trchilds]

Dave,

I can't thank you and everyone else on here enough, I wish I had found it earlier. As I mentioned before we started travelling back to Glasgow a few years ago and it re-ignited my passion to learn more on the family history.

Since coming online I have found a 2nd cousin in Belfast, a 3rd cousin in the USA and this new cousin (I can't even figure out the number). The main thing is we have a common family past which we can share.


Talk to you soon from snowy Canada.

Tom

[Homes]

Hi Tom,

I too have inherited a box of photo's that once belonged to my great grandmother Mary Williamson.  She is the daughter of Lindsay Williamson (niece of Thomas born 1826).  They include  photos of Lindsay, his daughter Mary and niece Mary Ann (dau. of Thomas and Margaret (Lindsay) , in addition to cousins etc..   Many of are unknown to me, however, two years ago another cousin [Margaret] was overwhelmed to find within my collection,  pictures of her father, siblings and yes her grandmother Mary Ann Williamson (as above).  One never knows, perhaps your family are in my little shoe box too!    Would love to exchange.   Margaret will be overjoyed when I tell her about you.  You both share a common ancestors.

Interesting it is thought  William Williamson died at sea.  That has been a theory of mine for a number of years.    Also, it is possible that Mary Stewart is the second wife of William, as he was much older than she (as per the 1851 Scotland Census).

Thomas's birth year was determined by census records and the age of death (My records state 1826). 

It is unlikely that Mount Royal will provide tombstone inscriptions for two reasons.  One - they are too busy and Two -  they are now illegible (especially that of Thomas).    Their records show Thomas died at the age of 60.       However, I can provide you with his burial record --

THOMAS WILLIAMSON of the city of Montreal, horsedealer, died on the first day of December in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty-six, and was buried by me on the third day of the same month in the presence of

Wm. J. Smyth
Minister
Calvin Church, Montreal, Quebec

George Watson (his signature)
James Williamson (his signature)



Burial record for Mary Stewart Williamson --

MARY STEWART WILLIAMSON, relict of the late William Williamson, Ireland, died on the eleventh day of November in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty-six and was buried by me on the twelfth day of the same month in the presence of

Wm. J. Smyth
Minister
Calvin Church, Montreal, Quebec

James Williamson (his signature)



The tombstone reads as follows --

In Memory of,  WILLIAM WILLIAMSON,  of Invergordon Scotland, aged 85 years,
And His Wife,
MARY STEWART, Who Died at Montreal, Nov. 12 1886, aged 90 years.
[Note - the burial date was given as the death date]

Just a few of the many, many records I have in my possession.

Can you tell me when and where William Williamson and Elizabeth Watson married.  I show she died 20 Oct 1929 and William on 7 Jan 1953.   How many children did they have?

Any additional on Thomas Williamson and Rachel would be appreciated.  I have the following:
Married 20 July 1903 in Renfrew, Ontario.   Children:  Ethel Rachel Victoria b 17 April 1906 Toronto;   Mary 3 Nov 1907 Toronto & Margaret Joan 25 July 1909 Marina Village, Hastings Co., Ontario.

Have you traced the Watson  and McMillan families?

Look forward to hearing from you,
Gail

[trchilds]

Hi Gail,

First off many many thanks for sending me this information. My head is almost to a point of exploding because the different lines contain so much information. I do have information on the families of William and Thomas Williamson and will send it to you

Let me go through those records and get them to you. I may not have exact dates but I do have information. As I said my Grandmother was the daughter of William Williamson (b1878) and Elizabeth (Called Betsey). They are buried in Mount Pleasant cemetery.

My grandmother's cousins were the children of Thomas Williamson and Rachael Watson. A odd story, of the 8 living children of this union only one married and the she had to elope. The rest lived in this old dark house with a carriage house on Logan Ave until the last moved out in 2000, a run of 87 years. Her name is Elizabeth, fondly called Teddy, and she was the last of that generation dying in 2001. I had gotten fairly close to her at the end as she lived very close, this is how I got all these great photos. The crayon photographs are amazing.

Let me also look at the Watson and McMillan and send you what I have. You may have it as I am just starting down that line.

I know I said it before but I do appreciate it. My mom and aunt are now past 80 and they are thrilled to learn some of their past, as am I. Take care and I'll get back to you in the next day or two.

Tom

PS Will it ever stop snowing?!

[trchilds]

Gail,

I found some information I wanted to send. These Williamsons are buried in Mt Pleasant Cemetery.

I am giving you the inscriptions on the stones -

WILLIAMSON

In Loving Memory of
Betsey Watson
Beloved Wife of
William Williamson
Born In Rothes, Scotland
March 7, 1876
Died October 20th, 1929

William Williamson
Born in Elgin, Scotland
February 27th, 1878
Died January 17th, 1953

"Gentle Jesus Be my Light"

** These are my great-grandparents and are not buried with the next set of Williamsons which are the children of Thomas Williamson and Rachael Watson. They are buried in another part of Mt Pleasant
-------------------------------------------

Williamson

Robert Isaac 1915-1978
Marion Mary 1907-1980
William Lloyd 1918-1983
Earl O. Burney 1916-1987
Ethel Rachel V. 1906-1991
Elizabeth Loretta 1911-2001

There is also the only child, a daughter, Joan Williamson, married name Davidson and two children that died in the early 1900s. Joan, her parents (Thomas Williamson and Rachael Watson) and these 2 small children are also buried in the same cemetery. I have been to where they are buried and need to go again in the spring. Also buried in this cemetery are George Watson and Margaret Lindsay. I will get that information and pass it along in the spring, if you don't have it.

Hope this helps. I have never figured out this Nellie Watson 1896 connection, will keep you posted.

Tom

[daval57]

Hi,
sorry to but in again.

This is of no use to your Scottish research.
I also don't know what your sources are for the MI's you have.

I just wondered whether you could obtain more info on the burials, or perhaps even request someone local to take photographs on the following board?

Being new to the boards, you may not have come across the specific section relating to Canadian immigration / emigration.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/board,166.0.html

Dave