Justin Cahill - The Johnston and Hamilton Families of Crear: A Memoir of Two Argyll Families

The Johnstons and Hamiltons of Kilberry

Justin Cahill

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Copyright 2014 Justin Cahill

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Table of contents

Introduction

My great-grandfather, Valentine Biggar, metBessie Johnston at Kilberry in Scotland while he was on leaveduring World War I. They were married in 1919 and Valentine broughther back to New Zealand.

After Bessie left, the Johnstons cut her offand never wrote to her. Virtually all contact with her family waslost for over 80 years. At least, thats what we were told. Thereare two sepia-tinted photographs, where Bessie stares out with darkeyes and a slightly turned-down mouth. But she died young, far tooyoung, when their son Valentine Biggar was just over a year and ahalf old. Then his father died suddenly when he was only 5 years 9months old. So my grandfather knew very little about hisparents.

There were vague recollections. Bessie issaid to have brought some of her family tartans with her to NewZealand. My grandmother, just before she died, said Bessies mothercursed her when she left Scotland - she told Bessie that her firstchild would die. Bessies first child, Valentine, lived to be 86.But the curse came horribly true when she died giving birth to hersecond child.

Then, out of the blue, Mary Harris fromBarrie in Ontario wrote to Valentine in August 2003. Marys familylived and worked with the Johnstons and their relatives, theHamiltons, in Scotland from the 1850s to the 1950s. Edith Fletcher,Mary Harris mother, is descended from Elizabeth Hamilton, who wasBessie Johnstons great-aunt.

Angus Fletcher, Marys father, knew BessieJohnstons brothers George, Archie and Tommy and her sister, Cathy.He also knew Kirsty Keith, the daughter of Alex Keith, who ownedTibertich Farm, where Valentine Biggar worked during his leave inScotland. Valentine and Bessie almost certainly met at Kilmartinvillage, near Tibertich, in 1918. Alexander (Alec) Fletcher,Angus father, worked for George Hamilton Jnr, Elizabeth Hamiltonsbrother. He also worked with Archie Johnston, Bessie Johnstonselder brother.

I have told Valentine and Bessies story inpart three of my book, A New Life in Our History. This shortaccount tells what we know about the Johnsons.

Origins

The Johnson were from the Kintyre Peninsula,which juts out into the North Channel at the Mull of Kintyre.Thomas Johnston was born in South Knapdale in about 1826. He workedas a farmer and married Margaret Hamilton on 17 March 1855.

Margaret was the daughter of George Hamiltonand Margaret Black. The Hamiltons lived at Carnwath in Lanark.Margaret was born there in about 1828. George and Margaret Hamiltonhad two other children at Carnwarth, John in about 1832 and GeorgeJnr in about 1833. They also had Catherine, Elizabeth andAlexander, probably in Lanark. The Hamiltons moved from Carnwath toKnapdale in Argyll in about 1851.

Thomas Johnston and Margaret Hamiltonsmarriage marks the beginning of a long association between theJohnston and Hamilton families. In about 1856, George Hamilton Jnrleased a farm at Clachbreck, near Lochgilphead. Thomas and MargaretJohnston joined him. Thomas worked as a shepherd and Margaret as ahousekeeper.

Thomas and Margaret Johnston had fivechildren: George in 1856 (he died aged 3), Thomas Jnr in 1860 atClachbreck, George in 1863 (he died aged 11 months), Margaret in1865 at South Knapdale and Catherine in about 1868. Catherinemarried Mr Veitch.

George Jnr stayed at Clachbreck until about1865. He then leased a farm at Crear, an isolated farming districtnear Kilberry in South Knapdale, where he grazed stock. George Jnrmoved into Crear Farm House. The Johnstons came too and moved intoa small house on Crear Farm known as Crear Cottage, just up thehill from Crear Farm House. George Hamilton Snr, George Jnrsfather, and John (his elder brother) joined the George Jnr at CrearFarm House.

Thomas and Margaret Johnston and theirdaughter Margaret later moved in with the Hamiltons at Crear FarmHouse.

In about 1883 George Jnr leased Succoth Farm(also spelt Socach) near Arrochar, about 128 km from Crear.George Jnr employed John, his brother, to manage the farm for him.John also worked as a lobster fisherman. Thomas Johnson and ThomasJohnston Jnr stayed behind to manage Crear Farm.

The Johnstons and Hamiltons worked withanother family, the McMillans. Elizabeth Hamilton, the sister ofJohn, Margaret and George Hamilton Jnr, married John McMillan in1856. They settled at Lergnahension farm at Kilberry and had sevenchildren: George, Donald, Angus, Thomas, Margaret, Mary andElizabeth.

Elizabeth and John McMillans son, George,was born in 1856 at Kilberry and Kilcalmonell. He married ChristinaMcPherson (born about 1867) at Glasgow in 1893. George andChristina had the farm next to Succoth Farm and Christine workedfor the Hamilton brothers as a servant.

John McMillans sister (her name is unknown)married Colin MacIsaac. Colin was the shoemaker at Kilberry: GeorgeJnr was one of his regular customers.

George Hamilton Jnr held the lease overSuccoth Farm for about seven years, before going back to Crear. Butin spring and autumn each year for almost forty years, he returnedto Socach Farm to select breeding stock from the flocks of sheep hehad built up during his tenancy there and to buy a new pair ofhand-made boots from Colin MacIsaac.

TheKerrs

Thomas Johnston Jnr married Agnes Kerr inJune 1885 at Hill Street in Glasgow. At the time of their marriage,Thomas Jnr was working as a shepherd.

Agnes was the daughter of Archibald Kerr, ashepherd, and Catherine McQuilkan (sometimes anglicised asWilkie).

The Kerrs were from the Glassary district,which lies between Loch Fyne and Loch Crinan in Argyll. ArchibaldKerr was the son of Andrew Kerr and Ann Kerr. Ann Kerr was sometimereferred to as Agnes (the names Ann and Agnes were often usedinterchangeably in Scotland). Andrew Kerr married Ann in about 1816at Glassary. They had three children there: Isabella and Archibaldin 1826 and Colin in May 1835. Andrew Kerr worked as a farmer. Hedied in 1859.

Catherine McQuilkan was born to AngusMcQuilkan, a farmer, and Elizabeth Crawford in about 1840.

Archibald Kerr and Catherine McQuilkan weremarried in December 1859 at Greenock in Renfrew. They moved southto Orossay at Skipness, where Archibald worked as a farm servant.They then moved to Carradale, where Agnes Kerr was born in about1863. Archibald and Catherine had three other children: Andrew,Peter and Margaret.

In the 1880s the Kerr family moved toCretshengan, where Archibald worked as a shepherd. Cretshengan isthe farm next to Crear - which probably explains how Agnes Kerr andThomas Johnston Jnr met.

Catherine Kerr (McQuilkan) died on 27 Jul1872 aged 31 of bronchitis subsequent to child birth at Torrisdalein Carradale. Archibald Kerr died in September 1895 at Laghang inTarbert.

Crear Cottage

After their marriage Thomas Jnr and Agnesmoved into Crear Cottage with the Johnstons. Thomas Jnr worked as afarm manager. They had nine children: Catherine (Cathy) in 1886,George in 1888, Archibald (Archie) in 1890, Margaret (Peggy) in1891, John in 1892, Annie (also known as Dorothy, Dolly andAgnes) on 11 May 1894, Bessie on 22 December 1896, Thomas(Tommy) in 1897 and Sarah in 1899.