Ferries in Scotland (continued) Page 7
PATRIARCH OF OUR AUSTRALIAN FERRIES - HIS LIFE IN SCOTLAND
(Known - Family Folklore - Mystery - Unknown)
Our Australian Ferries patriarch, James (III), was born at Birsemore, Aberdeenshire, Scotland and was baptised on 29th March 1812 at the Birse Parish Church. He joined his brother William(1 year and 9 months), his sister Jean(3 years and 4 months) and parents, James (II) Jnr Ferries and Isobel Anderson, at Birsemore farm. He would have been very welcome, because on the farm also lived his grandparents, James (I) Ferries and Isabel Jolly, his twin aunties Jean and Elizabeth(30 years of age) and his uncle William(20 years of age).
The remaining Birse Parish records show that our Ferries had been at least at Birsemore since 1789. So in 1815, after more than 25 years and possibly much longer, this stable family scene was struck a tragic and devastating blow. The only two adult male members of the family died and the Birse Parish records specifically states they were buried in the same grave. This tends to suggest they both died from the same cause. What it was? We don't know!
What we do know is that Isabel Anderson in 1815 was a widow with children Jean(6), William(5), James (III) (3) and Isabel(1) and was left on the farm with widowed mother-in-law Isobel Jolly, sister-in-law Elizabeth and sister-in-law Jean and her baby Jean(as the church records state - bastard child). In those days, without the manual strength of adult men to work the farm, the situation would have been most difficult, but they did very well as they were still there in 1822, except Elizabeth had left by 1819. But by 1825 the only Ferries remaining on the Birsemore farm were widow Isabel Jolly, her daughter Jean and Jean Jnr plus widow Isabel Anderson's eldest child Jean(16 years) who was the servant to the new Calanachi family living on the property. Isabel Anderson and her other children William(15 years), James (III) (13 years) and Isabel(11 years) were not at Birsemore. What happened to them has still to be uncovered, but in the 1841 census James (III) was a carpenter living at Marywell. Being a carpenter from a farming family, it seemed some relative, god parent or benefactor like the laird (see note 1 next page) would have assisted him in being trained and becoming a tradesman.
The official church records show that in 1842, on 24th April, James (III) Ferris married Isabel Findlay from the Parish of Aboyne and that on the 20th February 1843 James (III) Ferries and Isabel Findlay in Marywell had a son baptised James (IV). (copy of marriage and baptism records follow) In 1846 James (III) married Helen Legirtwood and they had a daughter, Charlotte, in 1852. But the family folklore is a much more exciting and colourful story. It is believed that James (III) was in a building partnership with Helen Legirtwood's father when he became engaged to her, prior to 1842.
All this was dramatically turned around when James (III) was sent up into the Highlands for a while to do carpentry work at some large estate and he fell in love with a beautiful housemaid, Isabel Finlay. It is believed that Isabel's mother was French and had been brought to Scotland as a housemaid. All this is feasible as the French and Scots had very close ties because of their religious and royal connections and it was not uncommon for estates to have French staff.
Our researcher, Dorothy Colgan, was excited about a possible dash of French blood in our Ferries but many hours of searching for a French mother of an Isabel baby with the very common Scottish surname of Finlay or Findlay was not successful. However, it presents an exciting challenge to future Ferries researchers to find the 'French Connection'. On the 20th February 1843 James (III) Ferries and Isabel Findlay in Marywell had a son baptised James(IV). Church records don't very often register deaths and we don't know when Isabel died but it was believed to be shortly after the birth of James (IV).
In 1846 James (III) married his former fiancee, Helen Legirtwood and they had a daughter, Charlotte in 1852. It may be considered that Helen must have been a very forgiving person to marry James (III) and bring up his son after he had jilted her to marry Isabel Findlay. It is of interest that when widow Helen died in South Australia she left nothing to her step-son James (IV) and the main benefactor was her Legirtwood nephew, who had looked after her during her later years. Muriel Blake's (nee Sanders) hand written record of her mother's (Elizabeth Sanders nee Ferries) oral story of the above is included in the next few pages.
In 1854 James (III) aged 42 years, with wife Helen, son James (IV) aged 11 years and daughter Charlotte aged 2 years, set sail for Australia. Charlotte never reached Australia as she died during the voyage.
Note 1 - The Farquharson Mystery
The Birse church records show the head of the controlling body of the Birse Parish was Archibald Farquharson, who was owner of the estate of Marywell. Our 1920's family researcher, artist James (V) writes -
The remaining Birse Parish records show that our Ferries had been at least at Birsemore since 1789. So in 1815, after more than 25 years and possibly much longer, this stable family scene was struck a tragic and devastating blow. The only two adult male members of the family died and the Birse Parish records specifically states they were buried in the same grave. This tends to suggest they both died from the same cause. What it was? We don't know!
What we do know is that Isabel Anderson in 1815 was a widow with children Jean(6), William(5), James (III) (3) and Isabel(1) and was left on the farm with widowed mother-in-law Isobel Jolly, sister-in-law Elizabeth and sister-in-law Jean and her baby Jean(as the church records state - bastard child). In those days, without the manual strength of adult men to work the farm, the situation would have been most difficult, but they did very well as they were still there in 1822, except Elizabeth had left by 1819. But by 1825 the only Ferries remaining on the Birsemore farm were widow Isabel Jolly, her daughter Jean and Jean Jnr plus widow Isabel Anderson's eldest child Jean(16 years) who was the servant to the new Calanachi family living on the property. Isabel Anderson and her other children William(15 years), James (III) (13 years) and Isabel(11 years) were not at Birsemore. What happened to them has still to be uncovered, but in the 1841 census James (III) was a carpenter living at Marywell. Being a carpenter from a farming family, it seemed some relative, god parent or benefactor like the laird (see note 1 next page) would have assisted him in being trained and becoming a tradesman.
The official church records show that in 1842, on 24th April, James (III) Ferris married Isabel Findlay from the Parish of Aboyne and that on the 20th February 1843 James (III) Ferries and Isabel Findlay in Marywell had a son baptised James (IV). (copy of marriage and baptism records follow) In 1846 James (III) married Helen Legirtwood and they had a daughter, Charlotte, in 1852. But the family folklore is a much more exciting and colourful story. It is believed that James (III) was in a building partnership with Helen Legirtwood's father when he became engaged to her, prior to 1842.
All this was dramatically turned around when James (III) was sent up into the Highlands for a while to do carpentry work at some large estate and he fell in love with a beautiful housemaid, Isabel Finlay. It is believed that Isabel's mother was French and had been brought to Scotland as a housemaid. All this is feasible as the French and Scots had very close ties because of their religious and royal connections and it was not uncommon for estates to have French staff.
Our researcher, Dorothy Colgan, was excited about a possible dash of French blood in our Ferries but many hours of searching for a French mother of an Isabel baby with the very common Scottish surname of Finlay or Findlay was not successful. However, it presents an exciting challenge to future Ferries researchers to find the 'French Connection'. On the 20th February 1843 James (III) Ferries and Isabel Findlay in Marywell had a son baptised James(IV). Church records don't very often register deaths and we don't know when Isabel died but it was believed to be shortly after the birth of James (IV).
In 1846 James (III) married his former fiancee, Helen Legirtwood and they had a daughter, Charlotte in 1852. It may be considered that Helen must have been a very forgiving person to marry James (III) and bring up his son after he had jilted her to marry Isabel Findlay. It is of interest that when widow Helen died in South Australia she left nothing to her step-son James (IV) and the main benefactor was her Legirtwood nephew, who had looked after her during her later years. Muriel Blake's (nee Sanders) hand written record of her mother's (Elizabeth Sanders nee Ferries) oral story of the above is included in the next few pages.
In 1854 James (III) aged 42 years, with wife Helen, son James (IV) aged 11 years and daughter Charlotte aged 2 years, set sail for Australia. Charlotte never reached Australia as she died during the voyage.
Note 1 - The Farquharson Mystery
The Birse church records show the head of the controlling body of the Birse Parish was Archibald Farquharson, who was owner of the estate of Marywell. Our 1920's family researcher, artist James (V) writes -
The Farquharsons were large landowners in the Deeside area and in the section on the Ferries name in this document, two of the Rev. Alexander Ferries daughters married Farquharsons. In one study it is claimed, "Ferries also occurs as a diminutive of Farquharson".
The mysterious aspect of the Ferries association with the Farquharsons was in a letter from Scotland in the 1920's by artist James (V) Ferries to his sister Elizabeth Sanders in South Australia. A part of the letter was forwarded to Dorothy Colgan by Muriel Blake (nee Sanders) but unfortunately it was lost during the compilation of this document. From a short research note about the letter it appears James (V) may have made personnel contact with the aristocracy of Birse as he discusses the response of "Sir Malcolm and she who must be obeyed".
The mysterious aspect of the Ferries association with the Farquharsons was in a letter from Scotland in the 1920's by artist James (V) Ferries to his sister Elizabeth Sanders in South Australia. A part of the letter was forwarded to Dorothy Colgan by Muriel Blake (nee Sanders) but unfortunately it was lost during the compilation of this document. From a short research note about the letter it appears James (V) may have made personnel contact with the aristocracy of Birse as he discusses the response of "Sir Malcolm and she who must be obeyed".
BIRSE PARISH RECORDS - last item - JAMES (III) FERRIES & ISABEL FINDLAY
The following extract was forwarded to Dorothy Colgan by Muriel Blake with the note -
"This small item within is history; 'twas in the big old bible"
JAMES (IV) FERRIES BIRTH RECORD - BIRSE PARISH
The following story was written by Muriel Blake about her great grandfather who was James (III) Ferries, our Australian patriarch and sent to Dorothy Colgan. Muriel wrote it from notes of years ago as her mother talked. Muriel's mother, Elizabeth Sanders (nee Ferries) was the first grandchild of James (III). The Aberdeen location and other details of the story below may not be true but we don't know. This will be exciting research for Ferries descendants in the future to prove or disprove the details of this story.
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