MacDiarmids to Georgia - help please

[RedMystic]

Hi abar44

A hearty welcome to RootsChat. Sorry it took me a day to get back to you. I'm on a road trip chasing down the eldest MacDiarmid brother (Donald) along with his wife's family, Jane McDonald.

Thank you very much for you information. I have learned a great deal since I first made this post. (Once you post 2 more times, we can trace info by personal message - click the little green scroll under my avatar).

Until then, here is some info you may find of interest.

Alexander MacDiarmid (father of the 3 MacDiarmids in your Morrison plot) was born in North Uist in about 1805 son of Donald MacDiarmid and Mary MacDonald.

His wife was Effie Morrison was born in Greenock, Renfrewshire. She was daughter of Angus Morrison of Dunskellar, North Uist & Ann ?.

Alexander MacDiarmid & Effie Morriosn married in Trumisgarry, North Uist in 1848 and continued to live in North Uist until 1852+. They then moved to Benbecula, to 5 Eilean Floddaigh, where Alexander had a patch of land and functioned as a 'saor' or carpenter of the joiner variety, probably working mainly on house construction. They were there at least till 1863 and perhaps, from 1869 lacking Alexander, till the reorganisation of crofts in 1879. They then removed to Haye, 18 Aird close by the sea and just the other side of the main drain from Balivanich.

Alexander's wife, the quite a bit younger Effie Morrison did not appear to work outside the home after marriage. As the wedding was in Trumisgarry, it seems quite likely that Effie was a maid in the tacksman MacDonald of Trumisgarry household. Husband Alexander's death was registered in Benbecula 25.7.1869.

Eldest son, Donald, traveled to New Zealand about 1880 as agent of Lady Cathcart. He was looking for a place for Benbecula & South Uist families to settle. He came to Canada to explore Canada in 1882, and subsequently brought the first 10 families from the Hebrides in 1883.

[RedMystic]

It appears that Alexander & Effi's son son Angus went to Atlanta Georgia in 1872. He joined several Morrisons, possibly relatives of his mother.

He was joined there in 1883 by mother Effie, & siblings Donald John, Archibald and John as well as sister Peggy m. John MacDonald.

All of the brothers except John were book keepers and clerks. Angus was farming by 1900. John, the youngest, went on to earn a degree in medicine. He was in the WWI medical core & served as mayor of DeLab, Florida. He died in May 1921 in a train crash of a heart attack while on board a train. Donald John died the year before. John did not marry. Archibald returned to the Outer Hebrides about 1894, dying there in 1895 of TB.

Angus died a week after her returned from Scotland in 1921.

NOTE: change in red

[RedMystic]

The children of Alexander MacDiarmid & Effie Morrison were:

Donald MacDiarmid  1849 – 1937
"Peggy" Margaret MacDiarmid  1851 – 1945
Angus MacDiarmid  1853 – 1921
Ann MacDiarmid  1855 – 1938
Mary MacDiarmid  1857 – 1889
Donald John MacDiarmid  1860 – 1920
Archibald MacDiarmid  1863 – 1895
John MacDiarmid  1867 – 1921

[abar44]

Very interesting to find so may Effies.  I am descended from Euphemia McNaught, Euphemia Knapp and have an Aunt Effie (Euphemia).

I have downloaded most of the Atlanta City Directories from archive.org and have been searching them to create a timeline for members of my families.  I will add MacDiarmids to that list and keep you posted as to what I find.  The Morrison association is clear.  There are some other names buried in that lot I will try to associate as well. 

Shake Rug should be Shake Rag.  It is a community located in Fayette County Georgia.  Fayette County is now metropolitan Atlanta.  I grew up in the Grant Park section of Atlanta very near Oakland Cemetery.  Unfortunately, in those long ago years, it was quite a journey to Shake Rag from Atlanta.

Good luck as you search.

[RedMystic]

Thank you in advance for anything you can share.

I have quite good history connections in South Uist / Benbecula. They have excellent connections with the history researchers in North Uist so if that would be of assistance as you connect the dots in your timeline, please don't hesitate to contact me. I can make introductions on your behalf.

BTW: Angus MacDiarmid worked for a Morrison for some time after arrival. I can look that up for you when I'm home on the  weekend. Also, a Morrison signed his 1921 passport application.

Happy researching.

[abar44]

There isn't an 1890 Atlanta City Directory on line.  There is one for 1881 and for 1891.  I have them downloaded and will search for Effie this weekend.  I hope to have time to spend researching then.

Angus MacDiarmid, Donald M. Bain, Angus Morrison, and John Morrison are all listed in the 1878 directory.  The listing typically includes employer, spouse and residence address.  As they are pdf files they are far easier to search than the US Census originals which can be found at:  http://archive.org/details/us_census

The 1890 Census was destroyed but the others (from 1790 to 1930) are available.  Atlanta is in Fulton County Georgia.  The Census will report all members of a household.  I found my parents in the Census of 1910 when they were one year old!

[RedMystic]

Thanks abar44,

I'll take a look at your links. Much appreciated.

I photographed the entire cemetery on Benbecula, Scotland when we visited there last year (as it isn't photographed or indexed). I'm going to scroll through each picture to see if I can determine if Effie did indeed return back to Scotland after 1900 (as per an obtuse 1990s family letter). The unfortunate thing is that the island is so damp that the stones are very moss-covered. My fingers are crossed that I find her.

My Bains (as per my profile) were from Aberdeenshire & as far as I know, had no contact with my Inverness-shire relatives until they came to Canada. I wanted to mention that in the event that you looked at my list & thought there might be a hint to your Bains in that.

[RedMystic]

Hi again

It's great to have access to your links. I found the various MacDiarmids in directories on *A*.

The first time I found Angus in a directory was 1875. He was listed as salesman working for Morrison, Bain & co. r56 Whitehall.

The signature on Angus' 1921 passport application:
Angus Morrison Jr
Manager, Wholesale Dept., Beck & Gregg

BTW, you posted info from the headstones re the 3 MacDiarmids in the Morrison plot. The dates on those stones are incorrect - in that you've recorded them correctly, but the Oakland Cemetery has confirmed that they are wrong.

This just in from Oakland Cemetery.

After getting your response I checked our old burial ledger books where long ago the cemetery sextons recorded a lot of information that they do not now record. According to the ledger Donald died August 28,1920. As you know he committed suicide. John died May 20, 1921.  Angus died  August 29, 1921 of myocarditis.    I do not know why there are so many discrepancies but obviously, the earlier year dates are more accurate than the later dates on the markers.

 

[RedMystic]

Hi abar44

In the event this helps you track your Morrisons, this info comes from the May 1921 funeral notice for John MacDiarmid.

.... Mr. & Mrs. J.E. Morrison and Mr. A. Morrison, Jr. all of Atlanta, are invited to attend the funeral of Dr. John MacDiarmid

I should also have mentioned re the 1921 passport application noted above, the Angus Morrison Jr noted indicates he has known Angus MacDiarmid more than 40 years.