Sepia Saturday - The Original McGregor Family Photo

In late 2013 when visiting my Aunt I was excited to discover a photocopy of a picture of the McGregor Family with the names of each of the members of the family inserted over the picture. This picture was a wonderful source of information on the family history and helped me break down a number of those "brick walls" that all family tree research come across.  I always wondered who had a copy of the original picture and who had been able to identify each of the family members. 

Just before Christmas last year, a distant cousin contacted me after reading my blogs on the McGregor Family. To cut a long story short, we met for lunch and shared family stories, photographs and memories. (he he!).  Among the photos that he had to show me was a copy of the original photo of the McGregor Family taken at the turn of the 20th Century.

Margaret and Jams McGregor and their family 1900 - Balmain, NSW

 My cousin was able to enlighten me on the person who had been able to identify everyone in the picture.  At a funeral in 1975 Stan Sterland, who at that time was the last person from this picture still living, wrote down the names of each person in the picture.  Stan is the small boy second from the right at the front of the picture.

I have to reflect on how fortunate we are that we not only have this wonderful family picture, but also that on that day in 1975 Stan was able to sit down and identify each family member and helped to keep the story of the McGregor family alive and to provide us with vital clues in tracing their history.
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If you are interested, some of the stories of the McGregor Family can be found on these links

1. Walking in the Steps of my Grandparents- James McGregor and Margaret McPherson
2. The McGregor Family Bible
3. Mary Anne McPherson McGregor
4. Catherine McGregor
5. Isabelle Allan McGregor
6. Christine McGregor

Wistful Wednesday - McGregor Family Photographs

One of the documents that  I found among the SAG McGregor Family files was a faint photocopy of two family pictures of the McGregor family with a note underneath explaining who everyone was.  

These two photos are so valuable for the McGregor Family History, and demonstrates that the McGregor Family  took a number of large family group photos. The photos show us that James, Margaret and their family were a close knit group, spending considerable time together.  James and Margaret McGregor are seated in the middle of their children. You can see the faint outlines of their faces and their family likeness.   I believe that the first picture would have been taken some time in 1889 as Isabella and George Wheeler's twins babies (Lily and Walter), sitting on their parents knees were born in 1889. 

 My great Grandfather George Lee is there standing behind my great Grand Mother Kate (Catherine) on the right hand side of the first picture. They were married in 1888, so if my estimation of the date is correct, they would have been expecting their first child William who was born in 1889. Perhaps this photo was taken on the occasion of their mother, Margaret McGregor (nee McPherson)'s 50th Birthday which would have been on the 8 December 1889.

 Looking at the people in both pictures, I believe that the top picture was taken first.  The children in the front of the photo are wearing similar clothes however, I think they look a little older.  The women in the second photo are holding bouquets of flowers, could this photo have been taken at the time of one of the McGregor's Weddings?  So many unanswered questions?

  It is wonderful to have these photocopies, but I really do wish I could see the originals or copies of these photos!!  I do wonder where they are now.

Mappy Monday - Jinglemoney Araluen

Last week I posted a picture of James and Margaret McGregor, who were married on 23 June 1859, in the Presbyterian Church, Jinglemoney, a small settlement in the gold mining district of Braidwood, New South Wales, Australia. One of the responses posted on this blog commented on "what a great name Jinglemoney was!!"

So today I thought I would share with you a copy of a map of Jinglemoney, that shows the McGregor Land Allocation. This land is now part of the present day station, Gingamona.

Map showing the McGregor Crown Grant in the Parish of Jinglemoney (Lot 41)

In a letter written by Mr Russell Hill, from Gingamona Station, Braidwood (in 1968), he describes how Peter McGregor (James McGregor's father) acquired the land.

Letter from Russell Hill

"As I am the owner of the original Crown Grant to Peter McGregor of 100 Acres in the parish of Jinglemoney dated 18th August, 1856 (the Crown Grant is in my possession) on the 10th June, 1857 he sold it to Mr James Laing of Bungendore for the sum of 200 pounds sterling.  The conveyance bears the signature of Peter McGregor in a bold but faltering hand. ........

The following information I have no documentary evidence to substantiate but believe it to be correct in every detail - Peter and James McGregor lived together at Peter's residence on the 100 acres Crown Grant as Mr James Liang did not take up residence there till about 1863.  James share farmed a portion of Captain Morpys "Gingamona" holding during the years 1856 to 1863 and Margaret McPherson (his wife) was connected with Captain Morphys household staff".

James and Margaret McGregor lived in the Araluen district for a number of years before moving to seek their fortune in the goldmining district of  Bombay River, on the Shoalhaven River.  From here they moved with their family to Booth Street in Balmain, Sydney. (Photos of their home there can be found on my post, Sentimental Sunday - Walking in the footsteps of my great great grandparents, James and Margaret McGregor). 

Finally, as a point of reference, below I have posted a map of the present day Braidwood District that shows Jinglemoney and Bombay Crossing, Shoalhaven.

A indicates Jinglemoney and B shows Bombay Crossing

Wordless Wednesday - James McGregor and Margaret McPherson

Margaret and James McGregor

Today I would like to share with you a recently discovered photo of Margaret (nee McPherson) and James McGregor.  Margaret and James were my great great grandparents and they were married on the 23 June 1859, in the Presbyterian Church, Jinglemoney, in the Braidwood district of NSW, Australia.  They lived in this district for a number of years before moving to Balmain Sydney.  Margaret and James are the parents of the McGregor sisters who feature in my series of blogs on the McGregor Sisters.  Also, I recently wrote of the day I spent exploring the area where they lived in Balmain, in my post Sentimental Sunday- Walking in the Steps of my great great Grandparents - Margaret and James McGregor.

This is such a lovely picture of them both.  I wonder when it was taken? I think it must have been a special occasion, possibly their 50th Wedding Anniversary which would have been in 1909.

Sunday's Obituary - James McGregor (1833-1917)

Among the files that I looked at last weekend at the Society of Australia Genealogists (SAG) was the hand written obituary for James McGregor (my great great Grandfather). A photo of James, his wife Margaret and their children and grand-children, can be found on my blog, The Other Half of my Family - stories of my female ancestors,  where I have started to write the stories his daughters. 

Obituary of James McGregor

Published by local Balmain/Rozelle Newspaper Copied by Miss Hind (Rita)   2^nd Cousin of G.A. Kinnear of Willyama Avenue Fairlight, who has Original.

"The death occurred on Tuesday 19^th June 1917, at 7 Booth St. Balmain of Mr James McGregor, a resident of Balmain for 29 years, as the result of an accident which took place 5 weeks previously.

Mr McGregor was born in Glasgow in 1833 and came out to Australia in 1849, where he settled in the Braidwood district, on a sheep Station. He married Miss Margaret McPherson at Braidwood on 213 June 1859.  After spending 3 years on the Station, he followed mining pursuits in Braidwood, Shoalhaven River and New Zealand until 1878, when he came to settle in Balmain with his wife and family.

While in Balmain he was employed at Vickery’s Tannery, Callan Park Asylum Buildings and was later employed by the Balmain Council in charge of Gladstone Park. He retired in 1907 and it was one of the pleasures of his remaining to spend some of his time in the park and view the growth of the trees which he had so carefully nurtured in their young days.

Mr McGregor was a thorough Christian in word and deed, being a member of St Paul’s Rozelle and for the past 18 years of Campbell Street Presbyterian Church.  For many years with his family, he took an active part in Good Templary as a member of “We Hope to Prosper” and “Haste to the Rescue” Lodges, and remained a consistent total abstainer to his death.  He was also a member of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows which he joined 53 years ago.

He leaves a widow, who is in her 77^th year, seven daughters, two sons, 28 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

The Rev. Geo. Cranston of Campbell St Presbyterian Church conducted the service at the house, and also at the Grave, Field of Mars, where his body was laid to rest in the presence of a large number of relatives and friends."

Gladstone Park, Balmain, Just across the road from James McGregor's home in Booth Street, possibly where James sat in his last days, enjoying the pleasures of the park that he had cared for while working for the Balmain Council

Lunch Time Discoveries in the Rocks - McGregor Family Bible

McGregor and Kinnear Family Bibles

As mentioned in my recent blog, Matrilineal Monday - The Ladies of the McGregor Family
I recently received a copy of a family photo of James and Margaret McGregor with a large group of their children, their  partners and grandchildren.  Even more exciting,  each member of the family was identified by name. 

For the last two weeks I have been digging out all my notes, old letters, pouring over old maps, researching in TROVE and other on-line sources, so that I can put together the stories of James and Margaret McGregor’s daughters (who are all depicted in this photo) as my next project on “The other half of my family tree - stories of my female ancestors”.  This has taken me longer than I thought, as I have been discovering new leads and  getting side tracked on interesting family stories.

Over the weekend, I experienced one of those family tree serendipitous moments. A message popped up on my ancestry site, “Are you a direct relative of James McGregor and Margaret McPherson?  If so can you please contact me”.  Puzzled, I sent back a quick response advising that they were my great great grandparents.

Imagine my surprise, when she advised me that she was a volunteer for the Society of Australian Genealogists (SAG) and that she had been trying to find someone connected with James and Margaret as  the Society had a their family bible and wanted to pass it on to a direct descendant.  I was a little gobsmacked!!  Especially by the timing, and the relatedness's to my recent research into the McGregor Family. 

It was with great excitement I ventured out in my lunch hour today, down to the headquarters of the SAG, which is situated in the beautiful historical area of “The Rocks”, near the Sydney Observatory.  I was greeted at the door by one of the volunteers, (who I think was just as excited as I was, at having found a family for the Bible).

We went into what must have been a very ostentatious lounge/parlour room of the beautiful Richmond Villa which had huge bay windows that looked out over Sydney Harbour.  When I inquired as to who the house belonged to I was advised that it had been a private home of architect Mortimer Lewis and the SAG was lucky enough to be given the use of the premises by the State Heritage Council.

We sat down at a small table and the bible was pulled out, very  old, with a brown paper wrapper as its

binding was long gone. This small ragged bible must have so many stories to tell!! Inside the bible there is a page that lists family births, deaths and marriages, all written in different handwriting depicting the different ownership of the book as it was handed down through the family.

 Then!! when I looked through the pages, tucked in between the pages amongst some small dried pressed flowers was a small letter, written by James McGregor, to his daughter Jessie Kinnear (nee McGregor).  He had written this note to her when he passed the Bible on to her for safe keeping. 

However, the discoveries were not over.  The kindly SAG volunteer said, "after looking this I think we may have some other documents that are linked to this Bible".  So we headed downstairs to the storage area.  On the shelves were stacks of family bibles, of all different sizes and in all different states of repair.  Amongst these Bibles we found the two bibles that the SAG volunteer was referring to and yes!! they were also connected to the McGregor family, in particular to James and Margaret McGregor's youngest daughter Jessie Kinnear.

These wonderful discoveries prompted me to join the SAG, as it seems there are some more files, letters etc related to the McGregor Family in their library.  About an hour after my arrival, I struggled out with three family bibles that are at least 170 years old. As I hailed a taxi to help me get back to work, I pondered, what stories will these books reveal!.