Gathering 26 October 2019

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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...
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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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April 2018 Gathering

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Gathering Again On Saturday 7 April 2018, once again coinciding with Brigadoon, the annual Scottish Festival held at nearby Bundanoon, the descendants of Farquhar MacRae gathered. This time it was decided to hire the CWA Hall in the centre of Mittagong as there were facilities for more people, ample parking and the adjacent park provided a comfortable place to gather with plenty of shade. In addition to the afternoon tea, a morning visit was also arranged to the Maguire's old farm on Diamond Fields Road, Mittagong. Although there was some overlap in attendance, as you will see from the photos, these two activities largely attracted the interest of two different groups. Those who hadn't been in Mittagong for a while, or not before, also took the opportunity to visit the resting place of many of the MacRaes/McRaes - the Marist Brothers Cemetery also on Diamond Fields Road, Mittagong. Afternoon Tea Shortly after 1 p.m. the doors were opened at the CWA Hall on the m...
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First Generation - An Overview

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Children of Farquhar MacRae Family tree from FamilySearch Farquhar had eleven children. His first daughter, Mary, from his first marriage and ten children with his second wife Barbara. Nine children were born on Australian soil, in the region of western Sydney. This is an introduction to the lives of these eleven children; Mary, John, Ewen, Mary Isabella, Christopher, Alexander, Farquhar, Christianna, Christopher John, Catherine and Jeanette. Most of the dates of birth and death for Farquhar's children were recorded in the diary of Elizabeth Ann MacRae nee Loseby (known as Ann) . However, some dates given in Ann's diary differ from other sources. The dates given here are based on Baptismal Records, Birth Certificates and Death Certificates. Mary McCrea Mary, born on 2 February 1828 in Scotland, was the daughter of Farquhar and his first wife, Flora MacRae. She married a fellow Scot, George Young Rankin, at Campbelltown, NSW, in 1855. They soon moved to the Karuah V...
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Christianna McRae 1847-1883

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Christianna McRae Christianna McRae from the photo album of Eliza Bourne nee MacRae According to the diary of her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Ann MacRae nee Loseby, Christianna was born on 15 November 1847, and from the transcription of her Death Certificate she was born at Bringelly near Liverpool. Birth of Christianna MacRae from the diary of Elizabeth Ann MacRae nee Loseby Little is known of Christianna's early formative years. What we know about the MacRaes first 19 years in Australia is based on the baptismal records of Christianna and some of her siblings: Farquhar, Christopher John, Catherine, and Jeanette, were born at Cowpastures, Campbelltown, Bringelly near Liverpool, and probably Cabramatta respectively. It would not be until 1856, shortly before Christianna's ninth birthday, that the family finally settled in Lower Mittagong. In 1871 when she was 24 years old, Christianna's mother Barbara died of consumption, now known as tuberculosis. Tuberc...
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April 2017 Gathering

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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 descen...
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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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