Well, this has been a very interesting journey
I haven’t had much luck tracking down your grandfather, John Duncan, but I think I have found your great great grandfather, John Stevenson - as well as what became of your great great grandmother, Margaret Walker Barron’s other children, and their fathers.
So, beginning with
John Stevenson (father of
Margaret Stevenson, b. 1898): he was named on Margaret’s birth registration as a mason, residing at 17 Constitution St, Inverurie. Fortunately for us, he was still at that address in the 1901 census.
John Stevenson was born on 28 Jun 1863 in Glenmuick, Aberdeenshire to
Alexander Stevenson and
Helen Emslie - he had six sisters and a brother. I can’t find any evidence that he married, nor can I find a death, but John Stevenson is a pretty common name. He was still unmarried at 38 in the 1901 census.
Next,
George Riddle (father of
Isabella Raffan Barron, b. 1889). Again, he was named on the corrected entry as being a farm servant, residing at Racloch (sic), Turriff, Aberdeenshire. The same George Riddle married Jean/Jane Christie in Monquhitter, Aberdeenshire about a month after his daughter Isabella was born.
George Riddle was born on 22 Nov 1865 in Forglen, Banffshire to
Ernest Riddle and
Helen Reid. He and Jean/Jane Christie had one daughter in Scotland before the family emigrated to the US, where they had four more children. George died in Vermont in 1946.
I’ve been unable to find a marriage or death for
Isabella Raffan Barron, so I don’t know what became of her.
On to
William Cowie (father of
Colin Fraser Barron, b. 1893 - more on him later…). He was named as a soldier residing at Seafield Farm, Cullen, Banffshire. Eventually tracked him down through his military records.
William Leslie Cowie was born on 12 Jun 1876 in Cullen, Banffshire to
Alexander Cowie and
Mary Ann Findlay (his parents are at Seafield Farm in 1891 and 1901). He enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery - probably the same year his son was born - and served nearly 10 years, including 5 years in Malta. He married Alice Mary Pritchett in 1898 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. They had four children in England and Malta before the family emigrated to Canada in 1913. In 1915, William enlisted in the 2nd Canadian Pioneer Battalion at the age of 39. He arrived in Le Havre in March 1916 and was reported missing in action, presumed dead on 5 Apr 1916 at Ypres.
Now interestingly, his son with Margaret Walker Barron -
Colin Fraser Barron - also emigrated to Canada and enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force in 1915. It doesn’t appear that he knew his father was there, or that he acknowledged him - he names his grandfather, Joseph Barron, as his father on his enlistment papers, and also named Joseph Barron and Mary Reid has his parents when he married Helen Milne in Ontario in 1921.
Colin Fraser Barron was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry under fire at Passchendaele - he survived the war and went on to marry Helen Milne in York, Ontario - he also served in WW2, and died in 1959 in Toronto.
Colin Fraser Barron’s half brother -
Alexander Barron - who’s father we don’t know - also emigrated to Canada and enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1915. He was reported missing in action, presumed dead at Ypres on 6 Jun 1916.
I haven’t managed to track down
John Mitchell (father of
Mary Ann Mitchell Barron b. 1896) - but John Mitchell is another common name. Mary Ann Mitchell Barron married George Lyon Grant in 1919 in Banff - she died in 1961 in Banff.
I do love it when loose ends get tied up - if only I was able to tie up all the ones I have
Ruth
