.McPherson_Clark_Peddie
burningviolin.orgOne intriguing thing about the Peddies is that Janet’s father was called James Peddie, Esq.,
writer from Stirling. In this context, a writer is an old Scottish word for a lawyer2. No wonder he
was called an Esq., which is not something you se...e very commonly in the old records from Dunedin.
Well, at least not when you’re looking for McPhersons and assorted other gold miners. None of my
McPhersons were called Esq. that’s for sure. The fact that he was a lawyer is consistent with the fact that Janet and George came out Second Cabin. Clearly they had a bit more money than the peons in Steerage. So who was this James Peddie, lawyer, from Stirling, and why did his children emigrate? This was a bit of mystery to me for many years. I was sure that the ‘Esq.’ and the ‘writer’ meant something, but I couldn’t find out what. Eventually, however, I wrote to the Central Scotland Family History Society to see if they could throw any light on the family, and (to my great surprise and even greater delight) a researcher called Mary replied with a great deal of information. Since it agrees with what I already knew – everywhere it intersects that is, of course – I trust it.
It seems that Janet’s grandfather was another James Peddie, James (i) we’ll call him, a brewery
master, who married a Janet Christie in 1796 in Stirling – hence our Janet’s middle name. They had three sons; James (ii), William and Robert.
James (ii) (1797–1865), the eldest, married, first, a Janet Taylor, and had six children with her. All
six children were alive at the 1841 census, and living in Broad St., Stirling, where James (ii)
ran his lawyer’s business. However, by 1851 two of his daughters, Catherine and Jane, were dead, as was his wife. So in 1854 James (ii) married again, this time to a farmer’s daughter
by name of Catherine Graham, who was 50 years old (he was 57). Four years later three of
his children, James (iii), George and Janet, left Scotland and emigrated to New Zealand. You
do have to wonder why. Was it related to his second marriage? Did they detest the second
wife? Did the family fall on hard times? It would be nice to know. His last daughter, Cecilia,
remained in Scotland and never married, dying in Edinburgh in 1916, presumably living near
her cousins, the children of her uncle Robert.
William (1799 – 1891) became a bookseller in King St., Stirling. He had a son named Edwin (born
in 1821) but never married the mother, Janet Haugh. Edwin died unmarried in 1868. William
died aged 92 in 1891 at 10 Queen Street, Stirling. In his will William Peddie mentions his
brother James’ children in New Zealand; James (iii) Peddie in Dunedin and Janet Peddie (Mrs.
Clark) who were both to receive $100 each. (George was dead by this time of course). Cecilia
their sister was of independent means which probably her father arranged when he remarried.
William also left two nieces $100 each; they were Catherine and Caroline Peddie, children of
his brother Robert.
Robert (b. 1802) was a writer, but stopped practising after he took over an ironworks in Edinburgh.
He married Maria Denoon Young in 1845 in Edinburgh. She was the author of such gems
as The Dawn of the Second Reformation in Spain (1871), Experiences in Christian Life and
Work: First Series (1886)3, The family Protestant: A series of true narratives for families and
congregations: in evidence of the work and success of the Jesuits in this kingdom of Great Britain (1882), Prayer and its answer, or, How a believer may know whether his prayer will
be answered (1871). I think she might have been religious. Their first two children, a son and daughter, were born in Stirling when Robert was a writer, and another five daughters were
born in Edinburgh.
writer from Stirling. In this context, a writer is an old Scottish word for a lawyer2. No wonder he
was called an Esq., which is not something you se...e very commonly in the old records from Dunedin.
Well, at least not when you’re looking for McPhersons and assorted other gold miners. None of my
McPhersons were called Esq. that’s for sure. The fact that he was a lawyer is consistent with the fact that Janet and George came out Second Cabin. Clearly they had a bit more money than the peons in Steerage. So who was this James Peddie, lawyer, from Stirling, and why did his children emigrate? This was a bit of mystery to me for many years. I was sure that the ‘Esq.’ and the ‘writer’ meant something, but I couldn’t find out what. Eventually, however, I wrote to the Central Scotland Family History Society to see if they could throw any light on the family, and (to my great surprise and even greater delight) a researcher called Mary replied with a great deal of information. Since it agrees with what I already knew – everywhere it intersects that is, of course – I trust it.
It seems that Janet’s grandfather was another James Peddie, James (i) we’ll call him, a brewery
master, who married a Janet Christie in 1796 in Stirling – hence our Janet’s middle name. They had three sons; James (ii), William and Robert.
James (ii) (1797–1865), the eldest, married, first, a Janet Taylor, and had six children with her. All
six children were alive at the 1841 census, and living in Broad St., Stirling, where James (ii)
ran his lawyer’s business. However, by 1851 two of his daughters, Catherine and Jane, were dead, as was his wife. So in 1854 James (ii) married again, this time to a farmer’s daughter
by name of Catherine Graham, who was 50 years old (he was 57). Four years later three of
his children, James (iii), George and Janet, left Scotland and emigrated to New Zealand. You
do have to wonder why. Was it related to his second marriage? Did they detest the second
wife? Did the family fall on hard times? It would be nice to know. His last daughter, Cecilia,
remained in Scotland and never married, dying in Edinburgh in 1916, presumably living near
her cousins, the children of her uncle Robert.
William (1799 – 1891) became a bookseller in King St., Stirling. He had a son named Edwin (born
in 1821) but never married the mother, Janet Haugh. Edwin died unmarried in 1868. William
died aged 92 in 1891 at 10 Queen Street, Stirling. In his will William Peddie mentions his
brother James’ children in New Zealand; James (iii) Peddie in Dunedin and Janet Peddie (Mrs.
Clark) who were both to receive $100 each. (George was dead by this time of course). Cecilia
their sister was of independent means which probably her father arranged when he remarried.
William also left two nieces $100 each; they were Catherine and Caroline Peddie, children of
his brother Robert.
Robert (b. 1802) was a writer, but stopped practising after he took over an ironworks in Edinburgh.
He married Maria Denoon Young in 1845 in Edinburgh. She was the author of such gems
as The Dawn of the Second Reformation in Spain (1871), Experiences in Christian Life and
Work: First Series (1886)3, The family Protestant: A series of true narratives for families and
congregations: in evidence of the work and success of the Jesuits in this kingdom of Great Britain (1882), Prayer and its answer, or, How a believer may know whether his prayer will
be answered (1871). I think she might have been religious. Their first two children, a son and daughter, were born in Stirling when Robert was a writer, and another five daughters were
born in Edinburgh.
No comments:
Post a Comment