April 2017 Gathering

First Gathering


On the first Saturday in April 2017, coinciding with Brigadoon, the annual Scottish Festival held at nearby Bundanoon, the very first gathering of the descendants of Farquhar MacRae was held. (There have been other gatherings held by branches but as far as we know none that have drawn the descendants of all of Farquhar's children together.) It took place at property of Kevin Maguire in Mittagong, NSW. Kevin kindly opened his home and garden to welcome his cousins. After a wet March in the Southern Highlands, the skies cleared and April began with sunshine, so an Afternoon Tea was arranged in the Kevin’s front garden where there was plenty of space for everyone to mingle and get to know one another.

A total of 19 people attended, most of whom had never met before (apart from knowing those in the same branch), a few had been in contact by email and even fewer by phone. Four of the seven branches were represented, with an apology from Dellas Johnston, a descendant of Mary McCrea and George Young Rankin, and Neville Wynn, a descendant of Farquhar MacRae and Sarah Ann Griffiths, who were unable to attend.

On the Friday morning, Michele and Greg Endicott set out from Brisbane, picking up Michele's sister Roslyn Fischer on the Gold Coast on the way, on what was intended to be roughly a 12 hour drive to Mittagong. This was not to be. With the ending of March had come Cyclone Debbie, bringing so much rain to Northern Rivers region of New South Wales that the Tweed River Valley was flooding and the towns of Lismore and Murwillumbah were under water. 325 mm of rain fell in Lismore on Friday, 31st March. The Pacific Highway, the main coastal route, between Brisbane and Mittagong was closed. Roslyn, Michele and Greg had only just crossed the border between New South Wales and Queensland when their progress was halted.
Clan MacRae motto
"Fortitudine"
meaning with fortitude

The bridge over the Tweed river was closed. Forced to back track to  Ipswich, they headed down the New England Highway. Being of hardy Scottish highlander stock, with plenty of MacRae fortitude, and keen to meet their cousins, they were not  going to be deterred and arrived just in time for a cuppa on Saturday afternoon.

For the rest of the extended family, the journey was not such a challenge. Patrick, Jo, Mary and Bronte travelled from Helensburg, Sydney; the Browns from Eastwood, Sydney; Peter Maguire from Burwood, Sydney; Ray Hynes from Willow Tree, near Tamworth; and Bernard and Dorothy, Carolyn and Brad, Kevin and Ayya Esika are all living in the Southern Highlands.

It was an enjoyable afternoon with sharing of family history and much talk of holding a Reunion of all Farquhar's descendants. Are you interested in attending a gathering of Farquhar's descendants? Would you like to help spread the word and collect information on Farquhar's descendants? Contact Us


Group photos
In each group photo are the descendants from one branch of the first generation, representing four of the seven branches.

Click on the thumbnail to see a full-size colour photo.
Descendants of John MacRae and Elizabeth Ann Loseby farquharmacrae.blogspot.comDescendants of John MacRae and Elizabeth Ann Loseby
Descendants of Ewen MacRae and Susanna Fethers (Izard) farquharmacrae.blogspot.comDescendants of Ewen MacRae and Susanna Fethers (Izard)
Descendants of Farquhar MacRae and Sarah Ann Griffiths farquharmacrae.blogspot.comDescendants of Farquhar MacRae and Sarah Ann Griffiths
Nonagenarians Kevin Maguire and Patrick MacRae farquharmacrae.blogspot.comNonagenarians Kevin Maguire and Patrick MacRae
Descendants of Christopher McRae and Ellenor Noble farquharmacrae.blogspot.comDescendants of Christopher McRae and Ellenor Noble


I'm sure it would be fair to say that we all found meeting our "cousins" a most interesting experience.

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Our Ancestors

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Our Scottish Ancestors and DNA The descendants of the Farquhar MacRae, who came to Australia in 1837, are coming together to share their combined knowledge of their ancestors and their DNA matches. Unfortunately, our knowledge of our ancestors is limited. Very little has been passed down as family lore to the current generations, but slowly through DNA research progress is being made to trace our ancestors. The Fair, Black, and Strathglass MacRaes Before we look more closely at our Scottish ancestors and our DNA matches, we need to clarify some distinctions that are made in regards to the descendants of Fionnla Dubh mac Gillechriosd MacRae (aka Black Finlay son of Christopher), the progenitor of the MacRaes of Kintail. Fionnla Dubh had a grandson, Christopher (Gillechroisd) MacRae, who was the Constable of Eilean Donan Castle around 1511. Christopher had six sons, three of whom, Duncan, Farquhar and Finlay, formed three separate Kintail MacRae lines as follows: Fair Mac
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Journey from Scotland

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Departing Kintail Kintail to Isleornsay overland and sea routes John Thomson's Atlas of Scotland, 1832 detail from Northern Part of Ross and Cromarty Shires. Southern Part. National Library of Scotland The exact location of the homes of the MacRaes is not known. So taking the north eastern corner of Loch Duich as an approximate starting point,  from Kintail to Isleornsay (Eilean Iarmain), where the ship William Nicol departed, is a good twelve hours walk, and involves taking the steep Bealach Rattigan over Mam Rattigan to Glenelg. There was no public transport but they may have arranged a horse and cart. The road being of reasonable condition as there had been upgraded in 1810s under the supervision of the engineer Thomas Telford and the Commission for Roads and Bridges. More likely the MacRaes took the faster, more direct route by boat from Loch Duich, past the ruins of Eilean Donan castle, into Loch Alsh, then heading south west into Kyle Rhea towards the Sound of Sl
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Reaching out to Farquhar's Descendants

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Arrival taken from near Eilean Donan Castle looking to Isle of Skye On 27 October 1837, Farquhar MacRae, arrived in Port Jackson, Sydney,  on the ship William Nicol . This was the first ship of Government Assisted immigrants to sail from Scotland to Australia. (The William Nicol was entirely funded by the British Government from the sale of Crown land in the Colony of NSW. It was not funded by colonists, so therefore did not sail under the bounty system.) The journey took 113 days and covered approximately 13,000 nautical miles . Farquhar came with his daughter Mary from the his first marriage to Flora MacRae, his second wife Barbara McLennan and their son John. By 1854, Farquhar and Barbara will have added nine more children to their family. Also on board the "William Nicol" was Farquhar's first cousin Alexander MacRae with his wife Ann Beaton and their daughter Hellen (or Ellen). The two MacRaes families remained close, especially in the early years, both g
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John MacRae 1836-1906

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John MacRae and Elizabeth Ann Loseby's Family R. Wynne St. Francis Xavier's (St. Scholastica's) Catholic Church, Berrima, 1966 Photograph 13cm x 9cm Berrima District Historical & Family History Society On 23 July 1873, John MacRae aged 36 of Mittagong, married Elizabeth Ann Loseby aged 28 of Bong Bong, according to the rites of the Church of Rome (Roman Catholic Church). The witnesses at their wedding were John's younger brother, Farquhar MacRae, and Sarah Gregg Loseby, the younger sister of Elizabeth, or Ann as she is remembered by the MacRaes. Sarah's middle name, Gregg, being the maiden name of Ann's mother, Mary. John and Ann's Marriage Certificate records that the wedding took place in Berrima. Although no church is mentioned, as St. Scholastica's was and still is the only Roman Catholic church in Berrima, it is reasonable to conclude that the wedding took place there. St. Scholastica's, known as St. Francis Xavier's since
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First Generation

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Children of Farquhar Farquhar had eleven children. A daughter, from his first marriage and ten children with his second wife Barbara. They were Mary, John, Ewen, Mary Isabella, Christopher, Alexander, Farquhar, Christianna, Christopher John, Catherine and Jeanette. There are not separate sections for Christopher, Catherine, and Jeanette as their lives were brief and very little is known about them. They are covered in "First Generation - An Overview". First Generation - An Overview Mary McCrea 1828-1908 John MacRae 1836-1906 Ewen MacRae 1838-1921 Mary Isabella MacRae 1839-1917 Christopher MacRae 1841-1849 Christopher MacRae 1841-1849 Alexander McRae 1843-1884 Farquhar MacRae 1846-1912 Christianna McRae 1847-1883 Christopher J McRae 1850-1926 Catherine Mac Rae 1852-1870 Jeanette McCrea 1854-1854
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First Generation - An Overview

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Ewen MacRae 1838-1921

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Ewen MacRae and Susanna Fethers Ewen and Susanna with their family coming soon the family of Ewen MacRae and Susannah Fethers (later Izard) ❅✻❈❋❃❋❈✻❅
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Mary McCrea 1828-1908

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Mary McCrea and George Young Rankin's Family According to the diary of her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Ann MacRae nee Loseby, Mary was born on 2 February 1828 and from the transcription of Mary's Death Certificate she was born in Canthill, Ross-shire, Scotland. (Canthill would be Kintail.) Mary's Death Certificate gives her age at death as 79 and age at marriage as 25. This appears to be out by one year as it would indicate that she was born in 1829 and married in 1854. So Mary was probably aged 80 when she died. On 31 July 1855, Mary married George Young Rankin, son of William Rankin and Agnes Young, from Cleland, Lanarkshire, Scotland, at St. John the Evangelist's Roman Catholic Church, Campbelltown. Their Marriage Transcription shows that the marriage was witnessed by Mary's younger siblings John and Mary Isabella McCrea (MacRae). It also notes that the bride signed with her mark indicating that Mary could not write. At the time of her marriage she was livi
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