Our Family History

This is only the beginning, this site reflects our endless search for the following surnames pre 1850;

Anderson, Bell, Birss, Black, Dallas, Eagles, Gillespie, James,
McDonald, Porteous, Roszell, & Rushton
... and let's not forget the "In-Laws"

MATERNAL LINE:

        Archabald PORTEOUS (1819-1886) was the son of Archibald PORTEOUS (c1776-1824) & Grace ROBISON (1776-1852) who married in 1798 at Dornoch parish, Dalton, Dumfriesshire, Scotland.  Archie was married in 1849 at Newcastle District, Ontario, Canada to Nancy/Nan/Ann BLACK (c1834-1888). Archie was born in Kirkpatrick-Fleming, Dumfriesshire, Scotland and immigrated to Canada in the mid-1840s. Nancy came from Ballymena, county Antrim, Ireland with her family.  Moses Black, Sr (c1776-1881) & his wife, Mary, left Belfast in 1845 and came to Canada with their family: sons James (b. c1827), John (1822-1903) & Moses Jr. (b.1825), and 4 daughters. They settled in Gloucester, Nepean & Goulbourne townships in Ontario.  Mary Ellen (1830-190?) married James K Fleming (c1810-1883), Margaret (1836-18??) married Thomas A Barton (1840-19??), & Mabel? (b.c1829) m: James E McKinley/McKinney. It is probable that Moses' brother, Thomas, with his wife Jane, arrived at the same time; they settled in Richmond, Carleton County, Ontario.

Children of Archie & Nan: ~ All children born in Lanark or Carleton counties. ~
 

1) Thomas McKinley (1853-1928) m. 1878 Ester WARBRICK (1860-19??);

2) Mary Jane (1856-1922) mx3 ... plus (see below*);

3) James Aisles (1858-1858/9);

4) James (1859-1935) m. (1) 1884 Eliza Jane SMITH (1866-1901) m.(2) 1906? Mina BUDD? (1883-1950);

5) William Archibald (1862/66-1947) m.1897 Harriet E. DOWRY (nee WATTERS, 1879-1968);

6) Margaret Ann (c1864-1900) m.(1) 1885 Neil CAMPBELL (c1830-1888) m.(2) 1889 William LACKEY (1866-19??, who later married Sarah BANCHERVILLE);

7) Grace (1868-1941) m. c1890 Delevan A. CAIN (1855-1957);

8) Christina (1871-1940) m. 1892 John B. RATHWELL (1864-1935);

9) Moses (1873-1870s);

10) Elizabeth Emaline (1876-after 1953) m. 1893 Thomas H. LACKEY (c1871-19??)

          *Mary Jane had a son, John BUTLER (aka PORTEOUS), in 1878 (John's father = Edward BUTLER) who died in 1888 and next had William PORTEOUS in 1880 (father = ? GOOD). She married Robert DEAVES (c1847-1890) in 1882 & had 2 daughters, Grace Louisa (1883-1957) m. 1902 George CARDIFF (1880-1950); & Margaret J. (1884-19??) m. c1902 Robert F. LACKEY (1875-19??). In 1891 Mary Jane married, George CROZIER (1845-1906) in 1891 at Carleton Place, Ontario and in 1908 married William CARDIFF (1855-1916, her son-in-law's widowed father).

        Alexander BIRSS (1851-1940), was born at Kincardine-O'Neill, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, s/o Hugh BIRSS (1812-1860) & May MERCHANT (c1816-1875); he came to the Gladstone, Manitoba area c1879 and then moved to Dauphin Manitoba in 1888 and married Cynthia V. McDONALD (1863-1928) in 1884. Their daughter, Mary Ellen (1889-1973), married William PORTEOUS (1880-1953) in 1908 in Dauphin & Bert HORSLEY (1899-1976) in 1955 in Winnipeg.

        Neil McDONALD (c1800-1880s), came from (possibly Islay) Scotland to Caledon, Ontario, Canada c1830, likely with his wife, Elizabeth "Betsy" (c1805-1898?); their son, Neil (m. Mary Ann ROSZELL) moved to Bruce County Ontario in the mid 1800s, then to Gartmore (near Dauphin), Manitoba in 1888.

        ROSZELL: this family may have originally emigrated from England to USA; Charles Roszell Sr (1742-1817) came up from New Jersey, USA c1810 to the Belfountain area in Ontario; his grandson, Charles ROSZELL (1811-1878, s/o Nathaniel ROSZELL & Christien FELKER) m. 1832 to Cynthia EAGLES (1814-1895, d/o William EAGLES & Mary RUSHTON). Their daughter, Mary Ann (1838-1897), married Neil McDONALD Jr. (1832-1916) in 1855; their youngest son, John (1874-1949) married Mary Octavia WARD (1878-1920).

        EAGLES: Planters from Eastern Seaboard states to Kings County, Nova Scotia c1763 and then to Belfountain, Ontario in 1826 [An updated version of the original 1982 EAGLES family history book which was been written by Douglas Eaton Eagles of Sarnia, Ontario was published in 2006]. The RUSHTON family, which married into the EAGLES family followed the same route - quite a few of them are included in the Eagles book.

PATERNAL LINE:

        Robert BELL (1789-after 1871) & Johanna HENDERSON (c1795-after 1871) came from Fifeshire, Scotland to Hastings County, Ontario, Canada c1830s; their son Robert BELL (1823-1908) married Mary ANDERSON (1839-1919, d/o Rev. M. ANDERSON) moved with their children to Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada in 1871.  Their son Alexander Lewis BELL (1857-1944) m. 1889 to Mary Ellen DALLAS (1864-1947); their daughter, Ruby A BELL (1890-1963) m. 1914 to Arthur Lewis JAMES (b. 1887 Bridport, Dorset, England) s/o George JAMES (1847-19??) & Susan MEGINN?/MEDIAN (1850/1-1889). Arthur emigrated to Stonewall, Manitoba c1908 and returned to England c1937; we believe he died there in 1963.

        William DALLAS (1800-c1893, s/o Peter DALLAS & Mary M GILLIES) m. 1831 to Christy McGREGOR (1802- 1856) came from Islay, Argyllshire, Scotland to Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada c1833; their son, Peter m. Annie GILLESPIE.

        Donald GILLESPIE (1810-1883, s/o John & Mary) m. Mary McNEIL (1814-1892, d/o Neil & Mary): they came from Islay, Argyllshire Scotland to Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada in 1849; their daughter, Annie (1838-1901), m. 1859 to Peter DALLAS (1832-1901), and they moved to Stonewall, Manitoba c1880s.

* * * If you have any (or would like more) information on these names please email us * * *

(revised September 21, 2009 03:41 PM)