Sergeant

 JohnMacGregor 

of Kenmore

(December, 1826 - 30 Nov. 1899)

(My paternal great  great grandfather)

John's paternal grandparents were John MacGregor and Janet MacFarlane, both of Dull Parish, Perthshire, Scotland.  They were married in 1780 in Duntanlich.  They had three sons: Alexander, John and Duncan.

 British Census of 06 June 1841

MacGregor household of Conichern, Kenmore Parish, Perthshire, 

Name

Relationship

Age

Gender

Born

Occupation
Duncan MacGregor

Head 

55

m

Lagfern

farmer
Catherine MacLaren

Wife

45

f

Fortingal

 
John

Son

15

m

Conichern

 
Janet

Daughter

15

f

Conichern

 
Archibald

Son

9

m

Conichern

 
Susan

Daughter

7

f

Conichern

 
Finlay Clark

Cousin

45

m

 

Man servant
Catherine MacDonald

 

25

f

 

Female servant

Note 1: Duncan McGregor was baptized in Dull, Perthshire on 13 Nov 1785. His father was a John McGregor,  born about 1760, His mother was a Janet McFarland born about 1765.

Note 2: Duncan and Catherine had a child who did not live long; Donald, born 1840 at Laurncroil.

The old woolen mill in Milnathort (circ. 2011), where John McGregor worked at the age of 19 in 1845.

John enrolled in the army at nineteen

 British Census of 30/31 March 1851

MacGregor household of Balnmermock, Kenmore Parish, Perthshire

Name

Relationship to head

Age

Sex

Occupation

Duncan MacGregor 

Head 

66

m

farmer 70 acres

Catherine MacLaren

Wife

55

f

wife

Janet

Daughter

25

f

 

Archibald

Son

19

m

farm labourer

Susan

Daughter

17

f

 

Susan Clark

Niece

7

m

lodger

British Census night of 7/8 April , 1861

McGregor household of Stronfernan, Kenmore Parish, Perthshire

Name

Relationship to head

Age

Gender

Occupation

Duncan MacGregor

Head 

75

m

farmer 140 acres

Catherine MacLaren

Wife

65

f

wife

Janet

Daughter

33

f

farm 

Archibald

Son

29

m

labourer

Susan

Daughter

26

f

 

Peter

Son

20

m

 

Peter MacEwen

 

18

m

 

Alexander MacEwen

 

11

m

 

William Walker

 

49

m

labourer

Christina Walker

 

38

f

spouse

Agnes Walker

 

7

f

 

Robert Walker

 

5

m

 

James Walker

 

3

m

son

Susan Clark

niece

17

f

lodger

John MacGregor, born in December of 1826.  His parents were Duncan MacGregor  and Mary Catherine, (maiden name unknown at this time). Duncan was a "carter" by trade. 

At various times, John was: a boy Agricultural Laborer, Weaver, Career Soldier, Grocer, Trader, Escort,  Hospital Orderly, Cook, Farmer, & General Merchant at various times in his life.  He enlisted in the 26th Cameronian Regiment of Foot  (Scottish Rifles) on 21 April, 1845, in Perth at the age of 18 1/2.  His height was 5' 6 ".  John McGregor (Regimental # 2542)  served in Belfast, Dublin, Buttevant, Cork, Gibraltar, Montreal, Quebec City, and Bermuda.  He was promoted to Corporal on 09 April 1847. 

He was a passenger on the steamship, Champion, departing from Greenock, Scotland, to New York in May of  1853.  He was listed as John McGregor, Age  27, Estimated birth year  1826, Occupation  weaver, Nationality  Scottish.

John came to Canada with his  regiment in 1853.  He was promoted to Sergeant on 01 July  1854.  He was transferred with his regiment to Bermuda in December, 1854.  He received a free (without attachments) discharge  from the Army in Bermuda on 31 July 1858. 

John McGregor's military career

A  note about the 26th Cameronian Regiment: -3D"Cameronian

The Cameronian Regiment dates back to when Richard Cameron, a Presbyterian Covenanter Preacher,  declared war on King Charles II, and with his followers  was cut to pieces by dragoons at Airdmoss outside Auchinleck on July 22,  1680.  However, in the reign of King William III, the organization came into its own, when Camerons and men from Skye formed the left wing at Killiecrankie  where "Bonnie Dundee" was killed and the Stuart cause was lost.

With the linking of the Perthshire Light Infantry,  the 90th of foot, were raised in 1794 in the Lowlands of Perthshire by Thomas Graham  (later to become Lord Lynedoch) who achieved fame in the Peninsular War. The  Regiment 20 took part in many campaigns around the world, not least the terrible  battle of Neuve Chapelle. It saw action in the American Revolution, the war of  1812-1814, the Fenian Raids into Canada, the Boer Wars, the Crimean War, Burma,  Sicily, Italy, and marched across Europe from Normandy to the Baltic. In more  recent times the Regiment served in Trieste, Germany, Jordan, Kenya and Aden  and took  part in operations in Malaya, and the Arabian Peninsula. In 1968, as  part of the first round of Defence cuts, the Regiment chose to disband rather than amalgamate with another Regiment.

The Regiment sailed to Canada from England in 1853, and sailed from Quebec  for Bermuda in July 1854 to relieve the 56th Regiment. During the three  years of their posting in Bermuda, about 300 men died from a severe  epidemic of Yellow Fever. It still left Bermuda for England, on their way to the  Crimea with a strength of 1,000. In 1856, the 26th was issued with the Enfield  Rifle, which replaced the 'Brown Bess' model. Some instructions were given the  men on how to operate the new weapon. Early in 1858, a convict uprising was  quelled and in October 1859, the steamship Himalaya arrived from Canada with the 39th Regiment aboard, and the 26th were taken to Ireland where they were stationed at Dublin until May of 1861.

Why  was the 26th Cameronian Regiment sent to Canada in 1853?  The Bigger Picture..

After the Second American War (1812 - 1814),   trade between Britain and the United Sates of America burgeoned.  While  the industrialized northern states competed with Britain's own industrial  goods, Britain depended tremendously on the cotton output of the Southern  States.  It was a mutually beneficial trade that brought those two entities close  together.

As secessionist sentiment grew in the south, the  threat of an American Civil War became a reality.  Britain controlled the world's oceans with by far the largest Navy the world had ever seen, 850 war  vessels.  British leaders fully expected to get caught up in this pending war so  as to somehow support the agricultural south, basically by blockading the north along its entire Atlantic seaboard, and securing Quebec and Nova Scotia from seizure.

On the open seas, the British Navy would  prevail.  But lifting the blockade might cost dearly; a Union naval dash for Nassau or  Bermuda could result in an embarrassment for the British.

Preliminary plans were prepared to seize Maine,  portions of northern New England to safeguard the Grand Trunk Railway between  Portland and Montreal, and (with the willing cooperation of the Confederacy) to use Charleston, South Carolina as a Royal Navy base of operations.

The Americans had made a punitive expedition into  Mexico and had seized Mexico City, forcing the Mexicans into a humiliating treaty.  British government officials considered Canada to be the next American target.

A military buildup began in the 1850s, and by the south's Declaration of Secession in 1861, British troops in Canada and Nova  Scotia amounted to 4,300.  Many of those in Canada had marched from ports  in southern New Brunswick through Quebec into southern Ontario.  By  late winter of that same year, the number was swelled to over 18,000.  The build-up increased after British commercial vessels were boarded on the  high seas by Union sailors searching for Confederate citizens.  Over 90% of Britain's citizens were clamoring for a war.

The proposed military strikes into the northern U.S. were entirely preventive by nature, to ensure the security of Quebec and Nova Scotia.  The British were under no illusion that Ontario could have been saved.

The actual end of the American Civil came in April of 1865.  Although, an international incident was miraculously  prevented by sheer luck.  Driven by boredom and alcohol, officers of the 65th Canadian Volunteers stationed along the border in southern Quebec, decided to invade Fort Montgomery in northern New York.  They sent Captain  Gustave Drolet across the border to reconnoiter.

Fully uniformed, he arrived in the village of Champlain, only to be swept up in a memorial parade for the recently assassinated  American President.  Following the procession into a church, the hung-over  Captain suddenly found himself the object of approving words by the throng - who  mistook him for an official representative of Her Majesty's Government.

The American officers present invited him to the fort  for dinner and drinks.  They toasted the British Army and "old-Vic", to  which Drolet took offense and challenged the toaster to a duel.   The duel took place with alternative swigs of bourbon as the weapon.  Drolet  lost, and he returned to his regiment the next day with only a vague recollection of the past 24 hours.  So ended the last known land 'invasion' of the  48 contiguous states of the  United States of America.

 

John  was a Sergeant in the 26th Cameronians, when two of his children were baptized.  John retired and  remained in Bermuda.  By 1863, he was a grocer on St. Georges  Island.

Johanna  Susan  Healey was born  about  1832 in  Tipperary,  Ireland.   Her parents were Daniel and  Catherine  Healey of Tipperary, Ireland. The Healey family emigrated to the United  States about 1849 and settled in Massachusetts.

 In 1850, at New Braintree, Worcester Co. MA., Daniel (father) was 50.  Catherine (mother) was 40.  Their children at home were listed as:

 Jeremiah, 13;

  Catharine, 1;

  Daniel, 7; 

 Dennis, 5.

Johanna was listed as 16  and living at the family home of William Lawson in the city of Lowell,  Middlesex Co.  Mass.  Their children included:

1)  James Wells, (my great grandfather) born 17 November 1854 in Boston, Mass., baptized at age of 1 year and 11 months on 30 Oct 1856 at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Hamilton, Bermuda.

2)  Edward Henderson, born 04 Sept 1856 in Bermuda, baptized at age of 7 weeks  on 30 Oct 1856 at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Hamilton, Bermuda.

3)  John George, born 17 Sept 1858 in Bermuda. 3D"The

4)  William Lloyd, born 12 Feb 1861 in Bermuda. 

5)  Mary Louisa born 12 Jan 1863 in Bermuda, married John Stuart Smith from Peterborough, Ont. on 01 Sept 1891 in Fort William Ont. Died  07 June 1912, Fort William.

6) Caroline, born 12 Jan 1863 in Bermuda.  Died as an infant.

7) Robert Campbell born 28 Oct 1864 in Bermuda.  Died 09 Feb 1939 in Fort William, Ontario.

John's first wife, Johanna,  died in St. Georges, Bermuda on 13 November, 1868 reportedly of dropsy.  after her death, John went to Halifax, Nova Scotia.                                   Old Methodist church in Enfield where John MacGregor was an elder

Below is the 1871 Canada Census record for the John  McGregor household in Lower Stewiacke, Colchester County, Nova Scotia.  Only males were reported.

 Name  Marital Status Gender Ethnic Origin Age Birthplace Occupation Religion
 John McGregor   M   Male   Scottish   45   Scotland   Trader   C. Presbyterian 
 Edward McGregor   S   Male   Scottish   14   Bermuda    Student  C. Presbyterian 
 John McGregor   S   Female    Scottish   12   Bermuda   Student  C. Presbyterian 
 Robert  McGregor   S  Male    Scottish   6   Bermuda   Student   C.  Presbyterian 

Later, John moved to the Nine Mile River area of Hants County, where he became a farmer.

 Later he became a merchant with a general store in Enfield, a small  village about twenty miles northwest of Halifax, also in Hants County,

The John MacGregor household was listed in the 1881 Canadian  census at Nine mile River, Hants Co.,20 N. S.

 Name  Marital Status Gender Ethnic Origin Age Birthplace Occupation Religion
 John McGregor   M   Male   Scottish   59   Scotland   Trader   C. Presbyterian 
 Susan McGregor   M   Female   German   36   Nova Scotia    Wife  C. Presbyterian 
 Robert  McGregor   S  Male    Scottish   15   Bermuda   Student   C.  Presbyterian 

The Edward McGregor household was listed in the 1881 Canadian Census at Stewiacke, Colchester Co., N. S.

 Name  Marital Status Gender Ethnic Origin Age Birthplace Occupation Religion
 Edward McGregor   M   Male   Scottish   24   Bermuda   Machinist    Presbyterian 
 Maelja McGregor   M   Female   English   24   Nova Scotia    Wife   Presbyterian 
 Mary L McGregor   S   Female    Scottish   18   Bermuda    Student   Presbyterian 
 Alfred Clarke   S  Male    Scottish   21   England   Lodger    Presbyterian 

John's  second wife was Susannah C. Nauffts, born in Nova Scotia in 1845 (daughter of Isaac Nauffts and Elizabeth R.  Kent of Halifax Co.)  They were married on 27 May 1869.   Susannah  is not interred in Enfield or Elmsdale, having remarried and moved elsewhere.

The Nauffts family at Ward No. 5, Halifax, Nova Scotia was listed in the 1881 Canadian census:

 Name 

Marital Status

Gender

Ethnic Origin

Age

Birthplace

Occupation

Religion

 Isaac Nauffts 

 M 

 Male 

 German 

 59 

 Nova Scotia 

 Carpenter 

 C. Methodist 

 Elizabath Nauffts  

 M 

 Female 

 German 

 60 

 Nova Scotia 

 Wife 

 C. Methodist 

 Jane Nauffts  

 S 

 Female 

 German 

 23 

 Nova Scotia 

 Dressmaker 

 C. Methodist 

 Theopoulas Nauffts 

S  

 Male 

 German 

 22 

 Nova Scotia 

 Carpenter 

 C. Methodist 

 Grace Arnald 

S  

 Female 

 German 

 13 

 Nova Scotia 

 Servant 

 Baptist 

Children  adopted during his second marriage:
Adelaide Chambers (Etta); born about 1880 in Nova  Scotia, died on 11 April, 1894 at age of 14. 

The MacGregor household was listed in the 1891 Canadian census at Nine mile River, Hants Co., Nova Scotia:
 Name  Marital Status Gender Ethnic Origin Age Birthplace Occupation Religion
 John McGregor 

 M 

  Male   Scottish  66   Scotland   Storekeeper    Methodist
 Susan C. McGregor 

 M 

  Female   German   45   Nova Scotia      Methodist 
 Adelaide Chambers  friend (adopted)  Female    English  12    Nova Scotia     Methodist 

John died  in Nova Scotia on November 30th, 1899.  On the adjoining side to his own inscription, is the inscription "Our Etta, died April

11th, 1894."  At the opposite  side, at the top, there is a Masonic emblem. 

Of  his five sons:

James Wells MacGregor came to Smiths Cove, NS, and became a teacher and pastor  of the United Baptist Church.  He died while serving as pastor of the  Baptist Church in Hyannis, Mass. in 1898, and is buried in the MacGregor family  plot in Smiths Cove, NS.  His descendents are spread throughout Canada and  the U.S.  He was my great grandfather.

Edward  Henderson MacGregor, born  in Bermuda 04 Sept 1856, he settled in Stewiacke, NS.   He was also mayor of Stewiacke for two terms, Feb 1915 to Feb. 1919,  He first  went to Stewiacke as foreman of the new Waterloo Iron Foundry.

When it closed, he returned to Bermuda for a brief  time but returned to Stewiacke where he lived for the rest of his life.  He also had an insurance business, held the office of Chief Fire Ranger, was a  Justice of the Peace, and was Town Magistrate.  His wife was the former Maelja Sibley, of  Wittemberg, NS.  No children were reported.  He died on 17 July  1947.

William Lloyd MacGregor came to Annapolis Royal, N.S. and became a teacher and preacher, later a professor and principal at Harvard Grammar school in Cambridge, Mass.  He died there in 1941. His descendents are spread  throughout the U.S.

Robert Campbell MacGregor settled in Fort William, Ontario, (now Thunder Bay) and  became a Railway Conductor.  He married on 28 Sept 1887, Lorna Carter, : Holloway, Ontario, 04 Feb 1865. She died 23 Dec 1949.

Their  children were:

Harold Bonter; b: @ Fort William 29 June 1894  married (1st) Linda Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Smith, (2nd) Pearl  Jarvis daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Jarvis.  He died on 10 Mar  1982. Children of Harry's first marriage:
Mary b: about 1917.
Eleanor;  b: about 1918. 
Percy Warren; b: @ Fort William 25 Dec 1896  married on 03 June 1941 Gladys Perry. 
Bertha Candace died only 13 days  old.
Bertha May;  married John Hutton Lyons, who became the Imperial Bank  manager at Donalda, Alberta.

Robert died 09 Feb 1939 in Fort William, Ontario.

John  George MacGregor  settled at Ostrea Lake, Halifax County, NS.  His wife was Gertrude M. Bowser, daughter of Fred and Susan Bowser.  He had  four sons and one daughter;  Most of his descendents are now living  throughout eastern Canada

i.  Walter Seymour MacGregor (1882-1954), (had fifteen children)

ii.  John  Frederick MacGregor (born 1884) settled in Fort McLeod, Alberta.

iii. Morris Harvey MacGregor (1886-1918), had one daughter who was adopted by his brother,  John Frederick.

iv.  Norman William MacGregor (1891-?), had four sons and three daughters. 

v.  Myra  Susan MacGregor; (1898 - 1919).

John George died 21 September 1890, at Halifax, NS.

A farm at Enfield, Nova Scotia is engulfed by the sunset and magnificent cloud formations.  This is where John McGregor decided to live out the final 30 years of his life, an ocean away from his birthplace in Perthshire, Scotland.