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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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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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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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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About

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This Site  This site is for the recording of the story, before it is lost, of Farquhar MacRae and his descendants; for the collecting and piecing together of the fragments that are currently widely scattered. It is dedicated to the memory of all those descendants who have gone before, and is for the benefit of the present and future generations. This site is evolving. Unlike a book, that once published cannot be altered, this site is an ongoing project, changing and fluctuating as new material surfaces. All the content on this site is as accurate as the information currently available. If there are any concerns, omissions or errors kindly let us know. If you wish to contribute , your contribution will be valued and greatly appreciated. When there is more than one contributor for a particular item, the version that is posted is the one attributed and a general acknowledgement included at the bottom of the page. (Our thanks to all those who have already assisted. Please l...
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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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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...
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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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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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