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Janet Primrose & Richard McMillan
Hi! I found a posting by Linda Temple on another site and it really filled me in on the side of my family I had been looking for. However, at the time (last summer I think) she was not sure what had happened to this couple listed above. Now, I'd like to return the favor by addding some stuff that may be of interest to Linda as well as to other Primrose members:
Here is what I have found:
Janet Primrose (b. 1790) married Richard McMillan in 1817. He was a manufacturer of cotton and proprietor of a weaving business. They had William 1821), Margaret (1821), John (1825-1891), Richard (1828), Elizabeth (Jean?) (1830). Although the family business was apparently started in Maybole, it seems they moved to Glasgow. The 1851 census shows all the children except Margaret living with their mother in Glasgow. Richard is shown as visiting his married daughter Margaret Dunlop, at their home back in Maybole. Thomas Dunlop, Margaret's husband, was also a cotton manufacturer's agent (perhaps Richard's agent?). Among their children was Jessie Primrose Dunlop, Richard's granddaughter.
Of their children, I don't know much about William, but John (and perhaps Richard) emigrated to Canada in 1862, when the depressed cotton industry in Scotland was affecting family fortunes. John apparently started out in Montreal at what he knew best, weaving, but had bought some land believed to have oil and soon went out to Petrolia in Lambton, Ontario to look after his lands. He became one of the founding fathers of the oil business in Petrolia, which was the first localized oil industry in the world. He, and other smaller scale oil refiners, was put out of business by the monopolization of the oil industry by Standard Oil.
Meanwhile, John married a girl named Jeanie/Jenny Shaw. Children of John & Jeanie: George Primrose McMillan, Jessie Primrose McMillan (1866), Victoria Alexandrina McMillan (1867), John Primrose McMillan (1873-1922). Since I have a photograph of a glorious mansion with some tiny people standing in front, and on the back it says, "J.P.D. (Jessie Primrose Dunlop?) & Sir Archibald McInnes Shaw, Lord Provost of Glasgow," with the notation: "V. Alexandrina's cousin." V. Alexandrina was my great-grandmother. I found a Jean McInnes Shaw, listed as sister to Archibald McInnes Shaw and daughter of James Shaw, founder of Shaw & McInnes Ironworks in Glasgow. Since the dates show that James had to have fathered Jean at 12 and the mother, Johanne P. McInnes Show to have given birth to Jean at 10, it seems more likely that Jean is sister to one or the other parent, or perhaps an orphaned daughter of Johanne's older sister and later adopted by the Shaws. I cannot work out this contradiction, but Jean seems to have disappeared from Scotland, when none of the other Shaw children left.
She shows up as the wife of John McMillan, married in 1864 in Ontario. Then in 1867 the roster for the passenger ship, the St. George, shows a Richard and Janet McMillan in first-class cabins. They are travelling with their grand-daughter, Jessie Primrose Dunlop, and a "Miss Fraser" to Canada.
Sir Archibald later married a "Miss Fraser" who seemed to not exist in Scotland for a while before the marriage, so I wonder if it is the same Fraser. Haven't gone into that one yet.
Jessie Primrose Dunlop went on to marry Thomas McKenzie in Canada.
If you have any questions or corrections, let me know!
Here is what I have found:
Janet Primrose (b. 1790) married Richard McMillan in 1817. He was a manufacturer of cotton and proprietor of a weaving business. They had William 1821), Margaret (1821), John (1825-1891), Richard (1828), Elizabeth (Jean?) (1830). Although the family business was apparently started in Maybole, it seems they moved to Glasgow. The 1851 census shows all the children except Margaret living with their mother in Glasgow. Richard is shown as visiting his married daughter Margaret Dunlop, at their home back in Maybole. Thomas Dunlop, Margaret's husband, was also a cotton manufacturer's agent (perhaps Richard's agent?). Among their children was Jessie Primrose Dunlop, Richard's granddaughter.
Of their children, I don't know much about William, but John (and perhaps Richard) emigrated to Canada in 1862, when the depressed cotton industry in Scotland was affecting family fortunes. John apparently started out in Montreal at what he knew best, weaving, but had bought some land believed to have oil and soon went out to Petrolia in Lambton, Ontario to look after his lands. He became one of the founding fathers of the oil business in Petrolia, which was the first localized oil industry in the world. He, and other smaller scale oil refiners, was put out of business by the monopolization of the oil industry by Standard Oil.
Meanwhile, John married a girl named Jeanie/Jenny Shaw. Children of John & Jeanie: George Primrose McMillan, Jessie Primrose McMillan (1866), Victoria Alexandrina McMillan (1867), John Primrose McMillan (1873-1922). Since I have a photograph of a glorious mansion with some tiny people standing in front, and on the back it says, "J.P.D. (Jessie Primrose Dunlop?) & Sir Archibald McInnes Shaw, Lord Provost of Glasgow," with the notation: "V. Alexandrina's cousin." V. Alexandrina was my great-grandmother. I found a Jean McInnes Shaw, listed as sister to Archibald McInnes Shaw and daughter of James Shaw, founder of Shaw & McInnes Ironworks in Glasgow. Since the dates show that James had to have fathered Jean at 12 and the mother, Johanne P. McInnes Show to have given birth to Jean at 10, it seems more likely that Jean is sister to one or the other parent, or perhaps an orphaned daughter of Johanne's older sister and later adopted by the Shaws. I cannot work out this contradiction, but Jean seems to have disappeared from Scotland, when none of the other Shaw children left.
She shows up as the wife of John McMillan, married in 1864 in Ontario. Then in 1867 the roster for the passenger ship, the St. George, shows a Richard and Janet McMillan in first-class cabins. They are travelling with their grand-daughter, Jessie Primrose Dunlop, and a "Miss Fraser" to Canada.
Sir Archibald later married a "Miss Fraser" who seemed to not exist in Scotland for a while before the marriage, so I wonder if it is the same Fraser. Haven't gone into that one yet.
Jessie Primrose Dunlop went on to marry Thomas McKenzie in Canada.
If you have any questions or corrections, let me know!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Carolyn MacKenzie on
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Tina, thought I should join the group- thanks to Linda’s invite
Jessie Primrose Dunlop MacKenzie was our great grandmother.
Jessie actually married John MacKenzie and her brother was named Thomas. Thomas came to Canada, I figure about 1870 as he is on the 1871 census living with Jessie and John in Petrolia. Jessie died in Toronto in 1939 and is buried in Petrolia. Brother Thomas died in Winnipeg in 1925. All of Jessie and John’s children were born in Petrolia as well as Thomas and Elizabeth Dunlop’s children.
Margaret McMillan’s husband Thomas Dunlop as you mention was an agent as was his father Robert Dunlop. I would think that 2 grandfather’s of Jessie Primrose Dunlop , Richard McMillan and Robert Dunlop were contemporaries .
I do have some Montreal address for John and Jeannie McMillan for 1874 through 1877
I do have some family information on Jessie Primrose McMillan and Herbert Dawson- they were a prominent family in Edmonton Alberta if you don’t have it.
From an old book written about 1906
William McMillan (1821) was in the “stone business” and died in Chicago (I can’t find out when)
Richard McMillan (1828) was in the “oil business” and died in Bothwell Ontario (I can’t find a record)
I really don’t know how accurate this is- as I do see a William McMillan living in London Ont. In 1871 as an oil refiner- could be the right William the age is correct.
It also says that Jeannie Shaw McMillan’s father was John Shaw – Jeanie and John’s marriage record in on Scotland People site- it would show Jeanie’s parents names.
From another source:
Elizabeth (1830) married Edward Goodier- she died in 1861 in Scotland- I would think at childbirth as the un-named baby the same year- I just haven’t looked at the record yet.
If you want what I have just let me know and I can send it to you.
regards Carolyn -
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Thanks, Carolyn! I'm still mystified about the Jean Shaw/Sir Archibald Shaw connection. Also, in looking up the Shaw family of Archibald, his mother's family (Johanne P. McInnes) has a daughter named Eliza (or Elizabeth) Munn. There is no Elizabeth McInnes yet this girl shows up as Johanne's sister, visiting her in 1851. This is also the first and only time we find Jean McInnes Shaw, listed as daugher of Johanna and sister to Archie, but she's way too old to be a daughter of Johanne. All this from the Scotland Census.
Don't know if you're interested in this branch, but the Shaws are a great connection, And I do believe the photo I have of Sir Archibald and a girl with initials J. P. D. (has to be Jessie Primrose Dunlop -- no one else has initials that fit) shows a close family connection.
If you have access to Scotland's People (I'm not a member) could you look at Jeannie and John's marriage record for me? Don't do it if it will cost you anything.
Good to hear from you. Did you know that to this day there is a house in Petrolia called "The McMillan House" where John and Jeannie raised their family? It's run as a historical B&B now. I googled it. It's pretty neat.
Tina -
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Tina, yes I have seen the house in Petrolia on the web site- Jack and I plan to do a trip there this spring to do some church yard walking- the McMillan, the MacKenzie's and 2 of the children of Thomas Dunlop are buried at Hillsdale in Petrolia. I appears that all the families (older generation) are buried there. It must have been an interesting city in its time- Our great grandfther John owned a couple of stores, his brother was the Police Magistrate in 1910- they both were involved in the oil business in its hay day.
I would love to see the picture of Jessie Primrose Dunlop. Our grandfather died (Jessie's son) when he was only 39 in 1916 so we didn't know too much about the family. I fixed that- I swear I know what they had for breakfast.
Did you want what I found out about your great grandmother's sister Jessie Primrose McMillan who married Herbert James Dawson. I found 4 children with some information on a couple of them Everything comes to grinding halt after 1911 unless there are articles around which I did find.
I will have a look at Scotland People the next time I’m there- I have to try and find Margaret McMillan Dunlop’s birth record- it is a mystery no where to be found. I can't even find her death record. the last I see her is in 1851 census by 1861 she is gone.
regards Carolyn -
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Hi.
I am Archibald McInnes Shaw's great great great nephew. Do you have the photo of Archibald in electronic format? If so would it be possible to email me a copy?
Best regards,
Andrew Shaw -
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Oh, my word! How lovely to find you! The Shaw genealogy has got me a little stumped and I can't find much before Sir Archie's father that is truly confirmed information. Have you got a tree I can look at?
I haven't scanned the photo of Sir Archie and J.P.D. at the house but the figures are too small to really see anyway. The portrait I got from an online book. I can send that to you.
Tina - Attachments:
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eyrwho388.jpg, 12 KB
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Thanks for that!
I'm quite new to this; just drawing up a tree now. Basically, I think Archibald McInnes Shaw was my paternal grandfather's father's (John Alexander Shaw b. 1879) uncle (or maybe even brother, but less likely). For some reason the McInnes part was dropped.
I need to check birth details etc. but this all stemmed from my grandfather telling me that an uncle of some sort was Lord Provost. And sure enough, it checks out. I need to find out who John Alexander (my great grandfather) is in relation to AMS.
Andrew -
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Also I am interested to find out whether this guy is AMS's son:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_McInnes_Shaw -
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