The Dewar Family Mystery I am Trying to Solve!

[C. Dewar]

I don't know if anyone can help me out here or not. The only reason I am asking for help is because I have exhausted my options, I have done hours upon hours of research looking for ANYTHING on my ggrandfather. My Dad and Aunts are hazy on details about him because they never knew him. My grandfather was John Wishart Dewar b. 1903, He had two older siblings that are known of named Agnes b. ab. 1898 and William b. ab. 1899. My ggrandfather's name was James Dewar, the family thinks he was born around 1871 in Scotland (what area? Who knows!). No one knows anything of my ggrandmother because she died shortly after giving birth to my gfather in New Jersey, USA. The children were then placed in the Presbyterian Foster Home in New York. My ggrandfather told my grandfather that he would have rather had him die than his wife.

My grandfather married Ruth Kelch... And if you have a George Dewar in your family married to Ruth Kelch... Your information might be off. I have seen this posted several times with both of my grandparents dates of birth.

Also, from what I understand there was a falling out and my ggrandfather was disowned from the Dewar family. I have no idea when he came to America, just that he came in to Ellis Island, even though I can not find proof after searching. My Aunt told be that she had an Betty (Dewar) and Howard Conklin come visit them.... No records found on either. Then she said that there was an Uncle Ben and Aunt Tini (Christina or Tina?) she said they were from the Dewar side, but from where?

Any help at all is much appreciated. I am at a dead end now, after 10 years of searching and not getting any farther I am about to give up 

[Annette7]

I THINK that I might have found the right family after studying census and cross-referencing against some online family trees.   This was my journey of research.

James Dewar appears to have married an Agnes Edmond/Edmund ca.1895 - in 1900 they are living in Bloomfield, Essex, New Jersey with Agnes' widowed mother.

Mary Edmond    58     wid. born Scotland
James Dewar     29 (shown born Aug.1870 Scotland)    Night Watchman   Immig.1889
Agnes Dewar     26 (born May 1874 Scotland)                                         Immig.1890
Agnes Dewar     born April 1898 New Jersey
Mary Dewar       born October 1895 New Jersey
William Dewar   born Sept.1899

New Jersey births seems somewhat odd and you can't view original document on Ancestry but there are 2 births showing James/Agnes Edmond as parents - one for a male transcribed as Duer born 14th September 1899 (must be William) and one for a female transcribed as Dues born 18th April 1897 (think this must be Agnes so not born 1898 as shown on 1900 census).   What threw me a little here is that the birth entries state James was born in America, Agnes in Scotland).

Bear with me.

Next I looked at 1910 census and found in Hudson New Jersey:

Annie Dewar     70    Wid.                                 Immig.1885
James Dewar  son  36   Widr.     Stone Cutter     Immig.1885
Benjamin Dewar son  34 Widr.    Stone Cutter     Immig.1885
Mary Dewar  grand-dau.  15      born New Jersey

I found the Dewar's actually arriving in the US in 1886 - Ann Dewar 46 arrived 19/5/1886 on State of Nebraska and appears to have arrived alone.   Two months later on 21/7/1886 on ship State of Georgia arrives James 13 plus 3 younger siblings - Chr. 10, Benj. 8 and Jessie 6.

The Scottish naming pattern has eldest son named after paternal grandfather so as James' first son was named William I was hoping to find a William Dewar married to an Ann/Annie and believe this is the family in 1881 in Hutchesontown, Glasgow, Lanarkshire:

William Dewar     48      Mason       born Cupar, Fifeshire
Ann McMillan Dewar  41                 born Bellshill, Lanarkshire
Grace Dewar  dau.   22                  born Strathbungo, Renfrewshire
Thos. McMillan Dewar  15                    ditto
Margaret Dewar   15 (think this should be 13)  ditto
James Dewar  10                           America
Christina Dewar  6                              America 
Benjamin Dick Dewar  3                     born Govanhill, Lanarkshire
Jessie McMillan Russell Dewar  1                ditto

No sign of William, Ann and the 4 younger children in Scotland 1891 - can't see an obvious death for William 1881-1886 on Scotlands People site so I'm guessing William went to US first (haven't found his arrival), with wife Ann and the 4 children arriving in 1886.

So, although James Dewar was 'Scottish' he was actually born in the US although the year varies from document to document i.e. 1881 census shows bc.1871, immigration shows bc.1873, no census in US 1890, 1900 census states born Aug.1870, and 1910 census states bc.1874.   So, whilst his three youngest children were put in Foster Home after death of his wife Agnes, he appears to have kept his elder daughter Mary b.1895 with him.

James appears to have been born in August 1870-1873 in America (as was his sister Christina ca.1875) before family returned to Scotland.   From one of the census I looked at his mother states immigration 1868 and I'm assuming that she and William went to the US then where they stayed for around 5/6 years and then returned to Scotland.   This was for around 10 years as back in the US in 1886.   So, Aunt Tini is sister Christina, Uncle Ben is brother Benjamin, and I'm wondering if the remembered 'Betty' was in fact his youngest sister Jessie??

James' parents William Dewar and Ann McMillan married in 1855 Cathcart (Glasgow), Lanarkshire.   If you purchase some credits for Scotlands People you will be able to view the marriage certificate which will show respective parents for each of them and take you back yet another generation.

Phew - hope I've deciphered all my scribbled notes correctly but this certainly does look as if this is your family.

Annette

[Annette7]

Have finally found family in US 1870 - in New York:

Wm. DEER     30     Stone Cutter
Anna  "          31
Grace  "     13
Mary    "     9
Thomas "    5
Maggie  "    3
James   "     1

All children shown born New York when it would appear it was only James who was born there.

Familysearch shows following births to William Dewar and Ann McMillan:

John born 2/5/1856 Govan, Lanarkshire (died)
Grace born 25/4/1858    ditto
William born 16/3/1860  ditto (died)
John born 6/11/1861      ditto (died)
Mary born 1862
Christina born 25/12/1863 ditto (died)
Thomas McMillan born 27/10/1865  ditto
Margaret born 28/8/1867   ditto
then
James ca.1870 New York
Christina ca.1875  ditto
Benjamin Dick b.1877 Govanhill (per SP)
Jessie McMillan Russell b.1879 Govanhill (per SP)

Annette

First 3 sons plus second daughter presumably died. 

Annette

[C. Dewar]

Oh my Lord! YES! It all helps so much and makes perfect sense! My Aunt's middle name is Edmond and I forgot to add that in. I will have to buy some credits for Scotland's People to the the cert! You have no idea the frustration just to find one person then in a day there are two whole families! I could cry I am so happy! I will have to tell my Aunt's about this. They are going to have a fit! Thank you so much!! 

[IMBER]

Well done Annette!

Imber

[buckhyne]

Annette that is a wonderful piece of research.
Well done.

[Millmoor]

Great work, Annette.

There is a possible entry in the 1920 US census in Harrison Ward 4,New Jersey (as transcribed on familysearch).
James Devar  Head 49 b New York
Ann Devar Mother 80 b Scotland
Charles Milles Son in Law 25 b NJ
Mary Milles Daughter 24 b NJ.

Familysearch also has transcripts of the 1905 New Jersey census. There is an entry in Hudson, New Jersey for
Annie Dewar 66
James Dewar 35. ( I could not find them in the 1915 New Jersey census).

Going further back in the Scottish census it would appear that William Dewar b 1833 gives his place of birth as Markinch, Fife. In 1861 he is residing in Govan, Renfrewshire with wife Ann and daughter Grace. In 1851 he is with his parents in Ballingry, Fife where helpfully his parents are named as John Dewar and Christian Adam.( In 1841 the family have been transcribed as Duvar and are residing in Markinch). Hopefully the marriage certificate for William and Ann will confirm this information. Marriage certs from 1855 are particularly detailed as it was the first year of civil registration in Scotland.

William

[Millmoor]

There is a baptism in Markinch, Fife (found on freereg) in April 1834 for William Dewar, born 10 Dec 1833 with parents John Dewar and Christina Adams. The original record should be in the OPR'S on Scotlands People.

William

[trish1120]

Amazing research, well done Annette