MacDiarmids to Georgia - help please

[RedMystic]

Hi Chatters,

I'm hoping you can help me find some bits & pieces about this family that I originally thought went to New Zealand.

All of this starts with Angus MacDiarmid (b.1854, Isle of Flodda, Inverness-shire). He died sometime after 1921; I suspect in Fayette, Georgia where he was farming.

I found Angus MacDiarmid's 1921 passport application which clearly proves he went from Glasgow to the USA in 1872. It further says he went to somewhere (Scotland I think) in 1892 and spent 10 days in Canada in 1914.

It also said he resided in Atlanta, Georgia when he first arrived in the USA then moved too Militia District 624, Shake Rug, Fayette, Georgia where I found him in the 1900 census. His mother Effie MacDiarmid was definitely living with him; her arrival 1883. I also see Angus in the 1910 census - no mother so perhaps she had passed away. All family info up until this time indicated she had gone from Benbecula to Glasgow to NZ with her unmarried children in 1883.

I can see a number of Atlanta directories where it appears that two of Angus MacDiarmid's brothers are in the vicinity. I CAN'T see his mother from 1883 until the 1900 census.

Here is what I'm looking for:

Angus MacDiarmid, b.1853, Isle of Flodda, Inverness-shire - Who was he travelling with? The 1921 passport application says he left Glasgow 25 Sept 1872. I can't find any info on the arrival in *A* or FamilySearch. (Admittedly, I'm no master at FamilySearch. )

I also can't find any returning records pertaining to the two trips he said he took: 1892 to Scotland & 1914 to Canada. (I wonder if he went to Wapella, Saskatchewan to visit his eldest brother.)

Euphemia "Effie" MacDiarmid (nee Morrison) (b1827 Renfrewshire) - I can't find her 1883 arrival in the USA. I'd like to know which of her children she travelled with. Options include Donald John (b.1860), Archibald (b.1865), and John (b.1868).  I think I can see sign of Archibald & John in various Atlanta directories while Angus still resides there. No indication of Donald John so far.

Was there an 1890 census for Atlanta, Georgia? I haven't been able to track one down, but maybe that would enable me to see mother Effie.

Family lore says that there was a doctor in that family & that at least one of the children of this family went to Floria. I see that a John MacDiarmid of the correct age, born in Scotland, doctor, died in Florida 23 May 1921. If we can see John on 1883 transit info with mother Effie, is there anyway to discern if the fellow who died in Florida is the same one?

I've done my best to track down the records I can, but I seem to be missing some fairly important bits that will help me confirm some things about the family - or at least which ones of the family came to the USA.

Thanks for any help or direction you can provide.

[Erato]

First of all, forget the 1890 census; it was almost entirely destroyed by fire.

Have you checked passenger lists at Castle Garden?  It has New York arrival records from the 1830s? to 1892. If you can find them in the Castle Garden transcriptions, which are indexed, you can then go to FamilySearch and browse the images to see the actual original passenger list.

http://www.castlegarden.org/searcher.php


For passengers arriving at New York between 1892 and 1954, you need to check the Ellis Island lists.

http://www.ellisisland.org/



Of course, they might not have arrived via New York.

[RedMystic]

TX for the sites Erato 

I can see Angus' return to the US from his 1922 trip to Scotland on the Ellis Island site. There is also an Archibald MacDiarmid returning from Scotland around the same time, but I have no idea if he's of the same family or not.

I'm getting no love from the Castle Garden (travel period 1832-1890) site. I think part of my problem is that there are sooooooo many ways to misspell MacDiarmid.

[Erato]

Castle Garden, unfortunately, is not a complete record of arrivals.  Furthermore, those early records are not rich in information.  I don't have Ancestry anymore but I recall that there are passenger lists there for Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Galveston and something called 'East Coast ports' [not sure what dates are covered].  Also Canada.  Perhaps someone else can check those.

Too bad MacDiarmid could have numerous imaginative 'variants.'

Have you tried looking for obituaries?

[RedMystic]

TX again Erato

I have the world version of *A* - not pulling up anything for ports on the east coast of the USA. It's a bit strange given that I know years of travel.

I've spent the last half hour or so looking for Georgia cemeteries which may contain my folks - a bit difficult without knowing dates of death. I'm guessing that mother Effie died between 1900 and 1910. Angus died after 1921.

Is there a good site for 1900 - 1940 obit look-ups for Fayette County?

[Erato]

I'm a Yankee, RedMystic.  I've never had any need to poke around in Georgia.  I'll start looking.

[RedMystic]

 

I'm a Yankee, RedMystic.

Thanks

[Erato]

There is a John McDiarmid listed as a medical doctor in Fayette County in "the 1800s."

http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/fayette/history/other/fcmds.txt


I found this at the Fayette County GenWeb Site:

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gafayett/index.html

[RedMystic]

Thanks Erato. I'll check those out.

I've been looking at John MacDiarmid, doctor who died in DeLand, Florida 23 May 1921. He was a practising physician, medical core, & mayor of that community. He was also educated in Scotland & Atlanta (Southern Medical College). If I can find an obit or bio for him that ties him to the family of Benbecula / Isle of Flodda then I can be assured that I have the right family.

BTW: In the event I wasn't clear, I am ABSOLUTELY sure that Angus is of my family. His passport application contains all the exact info of father's name & date of death.

Thanks again for the direction.