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.