"Prior to 1851 Sir James Matheson purchased Lewis Island. The people, or crofters as they were called, had a hard time making a living, the soil was poor and they raised sheep and fished in the sea. Many were unable to meet their rents to the landlord, so he evicted them from their croftings. He bought their sheep and offered them free passage to Canada. He had two sailing boats taking pig iron over the Atlantic ocean.
On May 30, 1851 these people with their families boarded these two sailing vessels at Stornoway, Lewis Island. The trip over was long and hazardous. Durng a terrible storm in mid-Atlantic some of the iron had to be cast overboard and one of the boats lost two masts. It was fortunate that all of the men were sailors. After nine weeks and four days the boats docked at Quebec on Aug. 4th, 1851.
From Quebec they went down the St. Lawrence River to Fort St. Francis. Here they divided into two groups. And the larger group went down the St. Francis River to settle in Compton County in the province of Quebec. There they named their village Stornoway.
The smaller party went to Montreal where they changed boats and proceeded on up Lake Ontario touching at Toronto and then landing at Hamilton.
From August to December they stayed at Hamilton where they worked at railroad construction. To add to their troubles, smallpox spread through their families and some died. In December they went to Guelph, Galt, Stratford and even to Goderich in search of work.
During the summer of 1852 they all gathered in Goderich, including some who came right from Lewis that summer and early in Sept. they moved to Huron township ----109 families in all.
They settled on the 12th, 10th, 8th, 6th and 4th concessions of Huron township. Here are the family names of these Lewis settlers---MacDonald, Martyn, MacLay, Murray, MacLean, Matheson, MacLennan, Smith, MacIver, Graham, Campbell, MacKenzie, MacFarlane, MacLeod, MacGregor, McKay, Martin and MacArthur."
The above is an excerpt from "Jane Fyfe Yemen's Scrapbook", ISBN 0-9691523-0-2.
Jane was the daughter of Thomas Fyfe Yemen. Thomas and his family arrived in Bruce County in 1867.
12 comments:
Just came across your blog after a trip with my mother to the Stornoway and Lake Megantic in Canada chasing after those very same people from Isle of Lewis. Have some great pcitures from teh cemetery at the Canadian Isle of Lewis, including one that we believe is my great-great grandfather Malcolm Matheson and his family.
I am forwarding this blog onto my whole extended family...who have all been to the Isle of Lewis at various points in the last 15 years...
Thanks for writing this!
Hello Lewis family
My great great grandfather and grandmother were Kirsty (McDonald) and Murdoch Shepherd McLeod who came over on the 1851 boat from Lewis and settled in 1852 in Ripley, Bruce County, Ontario.
I have some family history notes from the Lewis side, but the family lost track of Kirsty and Murdoch's children, one of whom is my great grandfather Alexander:
1. Catherine McLeod (1847 - )
2. Alex McLeod (849 – 1909)
3. Ann McLeod (1855 -?)
4. Margaret Jane McLeod (May 2, 1857)
5. Christy McLeod (1859-?)
6. Donald McLeod (1861 0?)
7. Mary McLeod (1864 - ?)
8. Isabella McLeod (1865 - ?) m. Boothroyd, B.C.
If anyone out there is, or knows of, the descendants of these McLeods, could you get in touch: cindersmcleod@rogers.com
Thank you!
Some of my ancestors, though not in my direct line were part of the 1851 emigration to Huron.
The Macgregors (the years are estimates based on the Scottish census records)
Malcolm Macgregor b.1809 and Christina (Kirsty) Macgregor b.1807 (maiden name Mackay), and their children - Donald b. 1833, Duncan b. 1836, Christina (Kirsty) b. 1838 and Mary b. 1842
Hi Laura,
Thank you for your comment. I have a connection to this MacGregor family!
Malcolm's son Donald married Annie "Gentle Annie" MacDonald and "Gentle Annie's" sister, Christena was my grandmother. How are you connected?
David.
My grandfather John M(a)cDonald, was born in Ripley, Ontario in 1891. He immigrated to the US during World War I, and my father Roderick Gordon McDonald was born in the upper peninsula of Michigan.
My great-grandfather's name was John MacDonald. He was born around 1949, in the Isle of Lewis. He came to Canada with his family during the Exiles. He married Margaret Martyn. The family included Angus, Roderick Rory, Annie, Margaret, Donald, Christina (Tena), Malcolm, etc.
I am having difficulty finding out who his parents are or who his wife was. I believe John's father was one of the many "John" MacDonalds. My cousin calls him John Kelper MacDonald, but I have also seen that Kelper as Keeper. Could anyone give me some insight?
I was so happy to find this information. Thank you!
Hi Mary,
I am familiar with the MacDonald family that you refer to. It is definitely John "Kelper" MacDonald as his work in Lewis was that of a kelper(gathering kelp from the ocean). I do have some info on the family and if you email me directly (daibhidh@sympatico.ca) I can send you what I have.
By the way the father of John (Kelper) was Roderick.
Hope to hear from you.
Dave
Hello, I am a direct descendant of the Lewis clans: Morrison, MacLeod, Stewart, MacIver and MacKenzie. My grandmother was Margaret Morrison; my Great Grandmother was Henrietta MacLeod (Effie) who married Alexancer Morrison. Effies father, my great grandfather was John Macleod who married Catherine Anne Stewart daughter of Margaret MacIver and Alex Stewart. John MacLeods mother and father were Effie MacKenzie and Donald MacLeod.
Alexander Morrisons 1826 parents were Murdo Morrison who married Margaret MacLeod and her parents were Murdo MacLeod of Vatisker and Flora.
So many families were affected by the cruel clearances. But some did remain with the help of the Matheson family - my grandmother Margaret Morrison worked in Stornaway Castle and Major Matheson gave her away when she married my grandfather who was in the Royal Navy
I am checking your information to see if there is any hint as to why my great great grandfather Daniel John Kennedy (He came from Isle of Skye) settled near Ripley. In addition to buying a farm there, he was also a ship's captain and did commerce on Lake Huron.His brother Alexander was first mate, I believe.
There are Morrisons, MacLeods, Stewarts, McKays, MacKenzies etc in my various families. All of my mother's people originated in Scotland (Isle of Skye - Kennedy family); Sutherland-shire (Ross, MacKay, Stewart, Sinclair, Munro, Morrison, etc); Applecross (Gollan, Macdonld); Isle of Mull (MacGregor); Isle of Islay (MacCuaig/McLeod, MacNabb).
Carrol Gerber Burkard
The Martyns came from Begingarray, on the west coast of the Isale of Lewis, just north of the parish of Barvas, Rosshire, Scotland. Donald Martyn sailed with the Hudson’s Bay Company, departing the Isle of Lewis, June 22, 1832 and returning in 1837. On May 29, 1851 Donald and his family came to Canda, leaving from Storaway after having been evicted from their crofting. They landed at Quebec, PQ on August 4 1851 and then came to Hamilton with 109 families. Here they remained until the following spring when they moved to Stratford. In the summer of 1852 the Martyns moved to Lot 24, concession 8, Huron township, county Bruce, Ontario for which they received government crown patent on March 9, 1875.
Very interesting, thank you for sharing
I just found this site and wondered if anyone could help me. My great-great-great grandparents were Donald(1782) and Henrietta McLeod (1794). My great-great grandparents Donald McLeod (1826-1896) and Isabel McDonald (1834-1920).They came from the Island of Lewis and settled in Ripley. I'm not sure if they were part of the 109 families or if they came later. I would like to know more about them if anyone could add more information I would greatly appreciate it.
Sorry I'm the unknown lorraine.roy@telus.net
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