Isabella "Tibbie" Milne Hall (1888-1987)

Isabella Milne was born in Scotland in 1888, seventh of nine children of John Milne and Ann Robertson, who were my ggrandparents. A daughter-in-law of her sister Helen recalls hearing that Isabella worked as a nanny at Grant's Castle in Scotland at one time. I am guessing it was Castle Grant which is located just southwest of their hometown of Keith and is pictured below.  There's a YouTube video of the inside of it here and a second part here.

Isabella Milne came to Canada with her father John and younger sister Louisa aboard the Ionian in 1911. Sister Mamie and her husband Charles Duguid accompanied them as well. Isabella was affectionately nicknamed "Tibbie" by her family.  They all settled in Brandon, Manitoba where she no doubt first met and fell in love with her future husband, Charles Frederick Hall.  They were married on the 10th of July in 1912 in Brandon.

A daughter-in-law of her sister Helen tells me that Fred worked for C.N. Railway and one of his jobs included having to ride at the front of a plow to clear the tracks after a snowfall.  He was never injured doing this dangerous job and worked there for many years. The Halls had two children, a girl Violet (1913-1995) and a boy John , also known as Jack (1918-2011).  My Grandma wrote in a list of gifts that "Uncle Fred and Aunt Bella" gave her bath towels a for a wedding gift in 1927. Her cousins Violet and Jack gave her a pair of vases.  

Using the 1940 Voter's List found online at Ancestry.ca, the family was found at 845-6th Street in Brandon. Fred is listed as a section man for the C.N.R., John is a  B & B laborer, Violet a stenographer, and Isabella at home. This is just down the street from her sister Mamie and her husband Charles Duguid and where her father had lived as well until he died in 1934.

By 1962, Jack was married to a woman named Jessie and they lived at 846 -8th street, according to the Voter's List.  Jack's occupation is a switch foreman.  He and Jessie had one daughter.  John (Jack) died at age 92 in August of 2011 in Winnipeg and his online photo gallery is here.  This wedding photo below of Jack and Jessie Hall was given to his cousin, my Grandma Frances Milne Kinnaird.

Fred and Tibbie retired to 113 Smith Street in Winnipeg in 1968 as was found in the clipping from the Brandon Sun's June 1 edition of that year. 

Fred Hall died in Winnipeg 1973 and Tibbie in 1987.  They are buried along with Violet who died in 1995, in Brandon Cemetery.

If any readers have any additional or correcting information about the Hall family or a photo to share, I would love to include it.  Please comment below or email me at ssimms@escape.ca

Week 49 - Helen Milne Mearns Connon

Helen Milne Mearns Connon (1885-1965)

Helen Milne Mearns and James Dunbar Connon - Dec 27, 1912

Helen was born in Banffshire, Scotland on April 14, 1885 to John Milne and Ann Robertson.  She was the sixth of nine siblings, including my great grandfather, Alexander.  He was the first in the family to make the incredible decision to leave job as a carter in his Scottish homeland,  for Canada.
His brother John was next in 1906 and Helen followed in 1908, first to Oshawa, then Saskatoon and finally settling in Brandon, MB. Brother James came in 1910 and their father John and sisters Isabella, Louisa and arrived in 1911.  Mary Jane more commonly called Mamie, had arrived with her husband Charles Duguid from Scotland on the Ionian as well, arriving in March of 1911.Staying behind in Scotland were elder married sisters Ann Pirie and Margaret Chishom.

Helen's daughter-in-law has been able to tell me that before immigrating, Helen had moved to Huntley, Scotland to work as a tailor and live with her sister Margaret and help with her family.  It was there that she met and became betrothed to her first husband.  He left for Canada and she followed soon as well.
There is a marriage registered in the city of Oshawa, Ontario on October 14, 1908 between Helen Milne age 22 and a woodworker, James Mearns, also age 22.  He was born in Keith, Scotland.   They had a son in 1909 in Oshawa and another son born in 1910 after moving to Brandon,MB, who sadly only lived a month.  That was just the beginning of Helen's tragedy as her husband died in a work accident in February of 1911 while changing a pulley on a machine at McDiarmid and Son Sash and Door in Brandon.  What a sad time this must have been for Helen.

Her story does take an upturn however. On December 27, 1912, "Nellie" as she was affectionately known, married James Dunbar Connon who was born in Aberdeen, Scotland and moved to Canada in 1901.  They began dairy farming east of Brandon and raised a large family.  Cousin Wendy recalls happy memories of this farm - hay rides, baseball games, and lots of wonderful food!  

Nellie died in Brandon on June 17, 1965 and her husband James Connon two years later.  They are buried in Brandon, MB.  


Family of Helen and James Mearns:
James Morrison "Jimmie" (1909 -1996)
John Alexander (Oct 1910 - Nov 1910)

Family of Helen and James Connon:
Gladys Mary (1913-2006) - later Wilson
Norman Keith (1915 - 1986)
Margaret Dunbar (1917 - 2006) - later Nadler
Alice Helen (1919 - 2001) - later Brandon
Primose 1921 - 2003 - later Durnin
John Robertson (1923 - 1986)
Irene Stella (1924 - 2005) - later Quinn then Wilkie

Helen's granddaughter Gwen was kind enough to send me the wedding photo at the top of the blog and fill in a few details for me.  Below are a couple of the unidentified photos that were in my Grandma's trunk, Helen's niece.  Do you think either one or both might be her?

 

Week 5 - John Milne

John Milne (1854 - 1934)

John Milne was born on April 15, 1854 at Bogbain, Banffshire, Scotland.  He was one of 12 children of  Lewis Milne and  Annie Brown,.  The 1861 Scottish census shows John living with his parents and 5 siblings with his Grandfather William Milne in Bogbain.

He married Ann Robertson on the 16th of August in 1873 in Mortlach, now called Dufftown,  In the 1881 Scottish census, 26 year old John and his wife and 4 children can be found at Braemorriston living in the Gardener's Cottage where he is employed as a gardener.

In 1891, he is at Botriphnie, Banffshire, Scotland living at Moss of Newburgh with his occupation listed as crofter.  Wikipedia explains that a croft is a fenced area of land, usually small and arable,with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has use of the land, typically as a tenant farmer.  He and Ann again have 4 children in the house, 3 of which had been born since the last census ten years earlier.

After having nine children, Ann Robertson Milne died in 1896 when the youngest was only 3 years old.  Thanks to Greg and Donna Marie for this photo of her grave maker at Botriphnie, Banffshire.  The inscription reads :

In loving memory of Ann Robertson, wife of John Milne,who died at Moss of Newburgh 20.11.1896 aged 43.

On the 1901 Census, John and his five children are at Rothiemay, Banffshire, Scotland living at Mayen Lodge where he is an  Estate Labourer.  This is the place his son Alexander and Jeannie Jamieson were married in 1897 and is pictured on her blog post in Week 3.

On March 27, 1911 at age 56, John arrived in Halifax, Canada aboard the Ionian with 3 of his daughters, Isabella (Tibby), Louisa (Louie) and Mary Jane (Mamie) and with the latter's new husband Charles Duguid.  An online ship's manifest says John's occupation in Scotland was a forester and that he intended to be a farmer in Canada. Eventually, 7 of his nine children came to settle in Canada.  All of those were around Brandon, MB with the exception of James Brown Milne who was known to be in Welland, Ontario in 1950. John travelled back to Scotland as least once, as a search found him on a ship's manifest in 1920. 

Most of my ancestors were farmers and did not live in cities so it was exciting to find John in the 1913 Henderson's Directory for Brandon. He was employed at Western Canada Flour Mills,  manufactures of Purity Flour and Rolled Oats at 413 Assiniboine Ave and lived at 146 5 th street.
Great Great Grandpa John worked in Purity Flour Mills in Brandon for 20 years and lived at 862 4th street with his daughter Mary Jane “Mamie” and her husband Charles Duguid. Charles worked at Purity as well. Being a flour miller must have been hard work and the fact that he kept working long after "retirement " age speaks to the fact that John was a hard worker and did not want to be a burden to his family but make his own way in Canada.

The above copy of his obituary, along with his son John and son-in-law Charles was shared by Sheldon and Judy.  It was a wealth of information to me and interesting to remember that women were often referred to without their first names.  On the obituary notice, it notes he is survived by his three sons, Alex, John, and James and his daughters were called Mrs. Chas Duguid, Mrs Jas Connon, Mrs. CF Hall, and Mrs D. Gunn.  Some searching has found that their first names were Mary Jane, Helen, Isabella, and Louisa.  They seemed to all go by nicknames though; Mamie, Nellie, Tibby, and Louie.  

Family of John Milne and Ann Robertson:

• Ann (1874-1934)- remained overseas - married Arllie Pirie had 4 children
• Alexander (1876-1950) - my great grandfather
• Margaret Edward "Maggie" (1878-1918) married John Chisholm - died young in Scotland
• Mary Jane "Mamie" (1880-1955) married Charles Duguid, a miller in Brandon, MB
• John Robertson (1882 - 1946) married Elizabeth Robertson, farmed at Virden, MB, 4 sons
• Helen "Nellie" (1885-1965) married James Mearns then James Connon, Brandon farmers- 9 children
• Isabella "Tibbie and "Bella' (1888-1987) married CNR sectionman Fred Halls, had a girl and boy
• James Brown (1891 - ?) married Lillian Robertson, moved to Welland Ontario, 2 boys 1 girl
• Louisa "Louie" (1893 - 1980) married firefighter Donald Gunn, had 2 boys and 1 girl ,lived in Winnipeg

He died in 1934 at the age of 79.  John is buried in the Brandon Cemetery with his gravestone placed by his children memorialising their mother back in Scotland as well as their beloved father.