52 Ancestors - Johnston Cumberland Paterson

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. This is a great way to get back into blogging. Each week focus on one ancestor and write something about him or her.  I may be a little late in getting started, but better late than never.

Johnston Cumberland Paterson was my paternal grandfather. Johnston was born July 11th in 1889 at 8:30 in the morning at 18 Commonside Street in Airdrie, Scotland. His parents were Francis Paterson and Elizabeth Danskine. His first name, Johnston was a recycled name, his grandfather being Johnston and an uncle Johnston. His middle name of Cumberland probably has some meaning as it was my father's middle name, as well.  Not sure of the significance.

Johnston was born surrounded by females.  He had one older stepsister,  three older sisters and when he was born his widow grandmother, Agnes Findlay Danskine was living with them.  Later, four more girls would follow, one dying at age 2. By the time Johnston was 8, all of his grandparents and his stepsister would have past away.

In the 1891 census Johnston and his family are living at Southfield house in Airdrie which is listed has having 5 rooms with one or more windows.  By the 1901 census, the family has moved to the much larger Monkland House which has 21 rooms with one or more windows. Somewhere between 1905 and 1907 the family losses all the money and make the decision to start anew in Canada.

On March 2nd, 1907 the family leaves Scotland headed for Canada aboard the S.S. Mongolian. Their destination was Edmonton, Alberta. Not long after their arrival in Edmonton, his oldest sister, Agnes dies of typhoid fever.

Johnston was  mechanically inclined and a "Jack of all Trades".  His occupation listed on the passenger list of the Mongolian is  engineer and in the Henderson's Edmonton directory of 1908 he is listed as a machinist. These jobs would be useful when he took up homesteading in 1909.   

At the age of 19, Johnston moves to his new homestead the SE1/4 of section 5, township 51, range 22 of the 4th meridian. Life on a new homestead would have been quite different from the large home they had in Scotland. There were shelters to build, crops to plant, and day to day living. Perseverance would pay off and in 1912, Johnston meets the Western Land Grant requirements. During 1912 Johnston would lose another sister, Janet to appendicitis. 

In 1919 Johnston loses his mother to the Spanish Flu and marries Vera Ellen Marsh Seaman. On November 3rd, 1920 Vera gives birth to a little girl. Tragically Vera dies shortly after and Johnston makes the hard decision to  give up his little girl to be adopted by Vera's brother, Kenneth.

On January 24, 1922, Johnston marries my grandmother, Dorothy Eleanor May Warry. Together they have four boys and a baby girl (who died shortly after being born). It would have been a change for Johnston to have all boys around after growing up in a very female environment. 

My grandmother, Dorothy, dies in January 1956 at the age of 57. Johnston spends the rest of his life on the homestead, passing away at the age of 79 in 1969. His grandson is still on the farm.

In 2010, the province of Alberta presents a plaque to the Paterson family commemorating the farm's 100th year milestone. 

Johnston with his sisters Lizzie & Edith and their children

 

Paterson Threshing Crew

Posts with more of the Paterson family

 Sentimental Sunday - Janet Danskine Paterson Abbott

 Fearless Females - Tragic Circumstances

 My Best Discovery in 2011 

 My Scottish Roots

Henderson's Directory page with Johnston (listed as Patterson, Johnson)

Land Grants of Western Canada, 1870 - 1930 Info

Monkland House Info

Fearless Females - Unique or Unusaual Female First Name

March 3 — Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you’ve come across in your family tree.

I have a unique first name in my family tree, I've not come across another Jacqueline or Jackie.   But I've come across a few unique names for females on my Scottish side. Although most of the first names are quite common, it's the middle names that make them unique.  Names such as Agnes Gilchrist Danskine and Jemmia Findlay Danskine. What a wonderful way to leave clues for the family researcher, by adding maiden names as middle names.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Heritage Pie

I know it’s not Saturday night, but I was working.  So mine will be Sunday Morning Genealogy Fun.  Thanks to Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings for the mission.

My 16 great great grandparents are:

16. Johnston PATERSON, son of James PATERSON and Ann HUNTER was born on 29 Dec 1814 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He died on 20 Apr 1891 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He married Catherine MUIRHEAD on 02 Jul 1837 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

17. Catherine MUIRHEAD, daughter of George MUIRHEAD and Catherine KENNEDY was born about 1819 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland. She died on 23 Aug 1897 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire.

18. William DANSKINE, son of James DANSKINE and Helen HARDIE was born in 1816 in Cumbernauld, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. He died on 10 Oct 1885 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He married Agnes FINDLAY on 20 Jan 1837 in Cumbernauld, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.

19. Agnes FINDLAY, daughter of James FINDLAY and Agnes GILCHRIST was born in 1816 in Cumbernauld, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. She died on 08 Aug 1892 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

20. George Augustus WARRY, son of William K WARRY and Mary Ann TAYLOR was born about 1848 in Islington, Middlesex, England. He died in Mar 1916 in Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, United Kingdom. He married Emily WORTHINGTON on 20 Jun 1875 in Old St. Pancras, Middlesex, England, UK.

21. Emily WORTHINGTON, daughter of William WORTHINGTON and Sarah (Worthington) was born about 1852 in London, England (St. Pancras).

22. John William SMITH, son of William SMITH and Sarah HORE was born on 17 Jun 1841 in Dorset, England (Parkstone). He died in 1913. He married Sarah Everton WAKEMAN on 01 Oct 1865 in Parkstone, Dorest, Poole, England.

23. Sarah Everton WAKEMAN, daughter of James WAKEMAN was born about 1841 in Worcestershire, England (Stourport).

24. Melvin MAKELA was born in Finland. He died in 1906. He married Unknown (Maki).

25. Unknown (Maki). (pobably born and died in Finland)

26. Sakaris HONKAWAARA was born in Feb 1836 in Pudasjärvi, Oulun Laani, Finland. He died in  1918 in Dunblane, Saskatchewan, Canada. He married Briita Maria RIEKKI in 1870 in Pudasjärvi, Oulun Laani, Finland.

27. Briita Maria RIEKKI was born in Dec 1846 in Pudasjärvi, Oulun Laani, Finland. She died in 1923 in Dunblane, Saskatchewan, Canada (Dunblane Finnish Cemetary).

28. Thomas Jefferson BELKNAP, son of Martin Seymour BELKNAP and Betsey Ann BRISTOL was born on 03 Nov 1850 in Lewis, New York, USA. He died on 17 Jun 1942 (Hazelton, British Columbia, Canada). He married Mary Elizabeth FEIDLER on 01 Oct 1876.

29. Mary Elizabeth FEIDLER, daughter of Henry FIDDLER and Frances GEORGE was born on 02 Dec 1852 in Williams, Calhoun, Iowa, USA. She died on 26 Jul 1898 in Minneapolis, Anoka,
Minnesota, USA.

30. James Robert LANDERS, son of John William LANDERS and Mary Angeline HUMBERT was born on 21 Feb 1854 in Danville, Hendricks, Indiana, USA. He died on 21 Feb 1929 in Riverton, Fremont, Wyoming, USA (Mountain View Cemetary). He married Angeline Henrietta LITTRELL on 29 Aug 1883 in Mercer, Illinois, USA.

31. Angeline Henrietta LITTRELL, daughter of John H LITTRELL and Letis Ellen KNOX was born on 28 Feb 1855 in Dubuque, Iowa, USA. She died on 10 Aug 1888 in Keithsburg, Mercer, Illinois, USA.

Birth places of my great great grandparents:

Scotland - 4
England - 4
Finland - 4
USA - 4

                                                     

Wow, just as I thought - pretty even.  If I were to do this for my husband, Robert - would be 100% Canadian.

Surname Saturday - DANSKINE

This is the maiden name of my great grandmother, Elizabeth.  She married my great grandfather, Francis Paterson, June 11, 1883 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland. This has to be one of my favourite surnames.  I can’t help but like this surname as it is an unusual Scottish name. No matter how you spell it-Danskine, Danskin, Dansken, or Danshin.  My line seemed to like the Danskine with the e on the end.  As far as I can tell most people with this name are related in some way. It’s interesting to see the migration of the Danskines.  I’ve found Danskines in England, Australia, United States, and Canada.  

Danskines were in Denny, Stirlingshire, Scotland in the late 1600s.  My 4^th great grandfather, William Danskine was born in Denny, Shirlingshire in 1748.  He was in Lanarkshire, Scotland by 1777, where he married Mary Ann Maine.  His son James Danskine married Helen Hardie in 1811 in Cumbernauld, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.  James was a weaver.  His son, William Danskine, my 2^nd great grandfather was born 1816 and married Agnes Findlay in 1837 in Cumbernauld, Scotland.  William was listed as a grocer and spirit dealer in the 1861 census.  I have found a few spirit dealers in my family in Scotland. So if you recognized this surname, chances are we are related. 

My Scottish Roots

I use to look at this photo with my Dad, and we would try and put a name to each face.  This photo sparked my interest in finding my ancestors.  Thanks to a cousin, who had labeled the same photo, I now can put a name to each face, even the dog.  It was taken in the summer of 1903 in Airdrie, Scotland before the family immigrated to Canada in 1907. In the photo are my great grandparents, Francis Paterson and Elizabeth Danskine and their children. The only boy is my grandfather, Johnston Cumberland Paterson.  Standing behind my grandfather is his sister, Christina Muirhead Paterson. Standing on the other side of the photo is Agnes Findlay Paterson. The two youngest next to their mother are Edith Greenlees Paterson and Ewenia Kennedy Paterson. Sitting in the chair, in the same attire as her older sister, is Janet Danksine Paterson.  Right next to her seated on the ground is Elizabeth Muirhead Paterson.  Not to forget the dog, Oscar. The great thing about the Scottish, are their naming traditions. My grandparents left me wonderful clues about the women in our family.  They named each of their daughters with names of grandmothers or other names important to the family. My grandfather’s name Johnston is a recycled name, as well, used in each generation. But I can’t figure out Cumberland?????