COMPLETED (THANKYOU!): Robert and Colin MacLean

[KatieKazoo]

Hi

I'm hoping someone can help me to find Robert and Colin MacLean.  They are brothers and their parents were Peter MacLean and Margaret Matheson.  Both were born in Kilbrandon, Argyllshire, Scotland.

Robert was born in about 1888 and Colin in about 1894. Their date(s) of emigration is/are unknown.

We believe that one of the brothers came back for a visit after WW1 and, on his return, contracted Appendicitis on the boat and died before he reached Canada.

One of the brothers is believed to have owned a mink farm in Nova Scotia.

I know this is sketchy info but I'm hoping someone can help or at least give me an idea of where to look!

Many thanks in advance,

KK

[Jacquie in Canada]

The British Columbia death index has an entry for a Robert Maclean who was born 24 Apr 1888 in Oban, Scotland to Peter Maclean and Margaret Matheson listed. He died 12 Oct 1977 in Chemainus, British Columbia. The database at the LDS Labs website also indicates he was a widower at the time of death and his spouse's name was Margaret Wilson.

There is also a death in the index for a Robert Bruce MacLean who was the son of Robert MacLean and Margaret Wilson. It indicates he was born 23 Mar 1920 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and died 22 Nov 1978 in Duncan, BC. He was listed as being divorced.

If that is the correct family there is a marriage in the Manitoba Vital Statistics Genealogy database for a Robert McLean and Margaret Wilson being married in Winnipeg on 18 May 1914. There are no other details in the database so you would have to order a copy of the registration to get more information. It would cost $12.00 Canadian. Here's a link to the website:
http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php

Again if that is the right family there is a Robert MacLean (28, born Scotland, immigrated 1909, accountant for the railway) on the 1916 census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta living in Winnipeg with wife Margaret (25, born Scotland, immigrated 1914) and daughter Marion F. (1, born Manitoba).

The Manitoba Vital Statistics database also had a death in St. Vital (now part of Winnipeg) for a Marion Francis MacLean who died 31 Jan 1919 at the age of 4.

[susano]

Hi KK

I live in BC and will do a look-up of the death registration for Robert Maclean on my next trip to the FHS library and give you a transcription of the registration if you are interested. 

Susan

[Jacquie in Canada]

Susan, in case you didn't see it, I modified my post to include a death for Robert Bruce MacLean who might be Robert's son.

There is also a death for Margaret MacLean, born 16 Oct 1887 in Torphichen, Scotland to Robert and Marion Wilson who died 3 May 1957 in Ladysmith. Her husband is listed as Robert MacLean.

[Jacquie in Canada]

Possible arrival for Robert MacLean on the Empress of Ireland which departed from Liverpool and arrived in Quebec on 1 May 1909. He's listed as McLean on it. The passenger list indicates he was a railway man and was heading for Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Here's a link to the passenger list at Library and Archives Canada (he's about 14 from the bottom):
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e143/e003556595.jpg

[susano]

Thanks, Jacquie.  I can get them all if KK is interested.

Susan

[Jacquie in Canada]

I may have found Robert on the 1911 census in Winnipeg. He is listed as being a lodger in the household of John and Elizabeth Wilson. John McDonald Wilson was 27 and also an accountant for the railway - could possibly be Margaret's relative. Robert is listed as being born in Scotland in April 1888 and he was an accountant for the railway. His immigration year is listed as 1909. This certainly matches up with the 1916 census entry. Here's a link to the 1911 census entry (he's on line 19):
http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/1911/pdf/e001954433.pdf

The BC death registration usually has quite a bit of information so it should be able to help considerably in determining whether the census family is your Robert.

[Jacquie in Canada]

I came across a marriage for a Duncan Rankin Mclean (born abt 1886 in Scotland) to Margaret Morrison in the BC Marriage Index. They were married 30 Mar 1923 in Vancouver. Duncan's parents are listed as Peter McLean and Margaret Mathieson. I took a look at the 1891 Scotland census and see Robert had an older brother named Duncan. Do you have information regarding his time in Canada and the US (I see he applied to become a US citizen in 1921).

I'm wondering whether family stories may have confused the brothers Duncan and Colin. I found a death registration at ScotlandsPeople for a Colin McLean who died 2 Sep 1920 at the age of 26 at Clachander(?) Glassary in Argyle. His parents are listed as Peter McLean (shepherd) and Margaret Mathieson. His brother Peter was the informant.

[Jacquie in Canada]

I may have found Duncan's arrival in Canada. There is a Duncan MacLean who was single, 23, a joiner and born in Argyle who was travelling on the Cassandra which departed from Glasgow and arrived in Montreal on 15 May 1907. It indicates he was destined for Winnipeg. Here's a link to the image (he's listed with other MacLeans but he has a separate ticket number so it looks like he was travelling alone):
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e147/e003663502.jpg

The citizenship application for Duncan Rankin MacLean indicates he was born 7 Oct 1883 in Oban, Scotland. He was a brakeman for the Great Northern Railway. He arrived in the US about 16 May 1913. He crossed the border coming from Vancouver, BC. His application was made in Snohomish County, Washington.

I found a border crossing document for Duncan which indicates he arrived in Blaine, Washington. His occupation is listed as railway brakeman and his last permanent residence was Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In the column for listing their closest relative from the country from which they came, Duncan lists his brother Robert of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It looks like Duncan returned to Scotland for a visit. Duncan (43, trainman) and Margaret (32) were on the Tuscania which departed from New York and arrived in London on 21 Jun 1927. The passenger list indicates they were going to be staying at Argyll Park Terrace, Edinburgh. It also indicates they were US citizens but their last permanent residence was Canada.

It looks like they returned to Canada on the Cameronia which departed Glasgow and arrived in New York on 25 Aug 1927. Duncan is listed as 43, trainman, born Argyllshire. He and Margaret were returning to Vancouver. The passenger list indicated he had been living in Canada from 1923 to 1927 while Margaret had been here from 1920 to 1927. His closest relative in the country he left was his mother Margaret at the address listed on the incoming passenger list. It would appear that after Duncan got his US citizenship he met Margaret, married her in BC and then they remained there.