Robertson/McShenoig

[barbaraegrosvenor]

G'day there,
I am seeking any info on my great great grandies John Robertson and Margaret McShenoig (or McShannog) and family. My great gran is daughter Barbara 28 Sep 1831-05 Jun 1907, who married Herbert Grosvenor, (two different dates for mrge are in notes left to Barbara and Herbert) in either Southen, Argyll or Southern Kintyre . Three of the kids (Donald 7 Nov 1828-15 Jul 1839, Sara 28 Feb 1830-29 Jul 1838, Margaret 28 Aug 1833-26 Dec 37) died before leaving Argyleshire on the "Tomatin" (I think)for Australia. I'm having trouble finding BMD's, info on cause of death etc. Also Parents for John and Margaret.
I have come to brick wall and am frustrated I can't get over it, must be my age!!! Any help is gratefully accepted.
Kindest regards from
Barbara in Western Oz

[WilmaM]

The IGI at Family Search http://www.familysearch.org has a few entries for the family.

Some are submitted but there are some extracted ones too [taken directly from the parish records]

MARGRAT MCSHENOIG Female
Christening: 16 JUN 1804 Southend, Argyll, Scotland
Father: DUNCAN MCSHENOIG
Extracted birth or christening record

MARGARET MCSHENOIG
Spouse: JOHN ROBERTSON
Marriage: 26 JAN 1828 Southend, Argyll, Scotland
Extracted marriage record

a parent search gives:
SARA ROBERTSON Female
Christening: 02 MAR 1830 Southend, Argyll, Scotland
Father: JOHN ROBERTSON Mother: MARGARET MCSHENOIG
Extracted birth or christening record
BARBARA ROBERTSON
Christening: 15 OCT 1831 Southend, Argyll, Scotland
Father: JOHN ROBERTSON Mother: MARGARET MCSHENOIG
Extracted birth or christening record
MARGARET ROBERTSON Birth: 28 AUG 1833
Christening: 10 SEP 1833 Saddell And Skipness, Argyll, Scotland
Father: JOHN ROBERTSON Mother: MARGARET MACSHENOIG
SARAH ROBERTSON
Birth: 15 SEP 1839
Christening: 17 SEP 1839 Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland
Father: JOHN ROBERTSON Mother: MARGARET MCSHENAIG

there's a MARY too , 08 AUG 1836 Campbeltown, Argyll, but Mother is SHANNON

Nothing obvious on the 1841 census at Freecen - but were they in Aus by then?

[WilmaM]

Followed up Margaret McShenoig's father.

there's a marriage on the IGI
DUNCAN MCSHENAIG
Spouse: ELIZABETH MCALISTER
Marriage: 25 FEB 1786 Southend, Argyll, Scotland
Extracted marriage record for locality listed in the record

Looks likely.

As it's such an unusual name
results in the 1841 census:
Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Census Place
MCSHENOIG Donald M 30 Ag Lab Unknown Southend
MCSHENOIG Elisabeth F 11 Ireland Southend
MCSHENAIG Archd. M 20 Ag Lab Unknown Southend
MCSHENAIG Malcolm M 23 Ag Lab Unknown Southend

Maybe not relevant right now but they may fit in the puzzle later.

By the Way - WELCOME

[nelmit]

There is this family too at Southend in 1841 -

Duncan McShenaug 40
Flara McShenaug 30
Margrat McShenaug 12
Barbara McShenaug 9
Donald McShenaug 7
Archibald McShenaug 6
Mary McShenaug 3
Jean McShenaug 1
Mary Campbel 70

The name becomes McShannon in later census records but it's McShenoig when he marries Flora in 1828.

If you search FREECEN for McShenoig and tick the 'phonetic search on surname' box and Southend for census place you'll see a few of the variations including this one.

Piece: SCT1841/532 Place: Southend -Argyllshire Enumeration District: 8
Civil Parish: Southend Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 8 Page: 6
Address: Lailt

Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
MCSHENNAG Jean F 35 Independent Unknown
MCSHENNAG Barabra F 80 Independent Unknown

[barbaraegrosvenor]

Wow folks, you are awesome.
I should have joined sooner. Where and how do you find this info? I subscribe to Ancestry, but am a novice, and think I'm doing something wrong.
Is IGI FamilySearch site? When I search how do I include various spellings? I had marriage, date D'sOD and kids as Donald, Sara, Barbara (great name that!!) Margaret, Mary and Sarah, with some BMD's.I have John/Margaret leaving somewhere called Greenock 9 Nov 1839 arrvg South Australia 12 Mar 1840.
I will go through all your hard work.
Thank you very much for you help.
Cheers
Barbara

[Currie]

Hello Barbara,

I thought I would round up some information about the departure of the Tomatin as the dates on various sites seem to be all over the place.

There’s an advertisement in The Glasgow Herald, October 18, 1839, last column of page 3. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=G ... page&hl=en

AT GREENOCK, Under Contract to sail positively 21st October.
FOR ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AND PORT PHILIP, NEW SOUTH WALES.
The splendid new Ship TOMATIN, 428 tons register, A1 at Lloyd’s, coppered and copper-fastened, DANIEL WINGATE, Commander, expected to sail very fast, has now commenced loading, and must proceed to sea on ..st October, weather permitting.
This Vessel has a spacious poop, is fitted up with Shower Baths, Water Closets, and every other comfort, and will carry an experienced Surgeon. The greater part of her accommodation for Passengers is already engaged, and from the favourable accounts just received from South Australia and New South Wales, it is expected that the few remaining Steerage and Poop Berths will soon be taken up.
For freight or Passage, apply in Greenock to Robert Jamieson & Co.; or to the Captain on board; and here, to W. & J. JAMIESON & CO.; or to FRANCIS REID, Agent to her Majesty’s Commissioners for sale of Land in South Australia.
Glasgow, 27th Sept., 1839.

There must have been a delay because, according to this Parliamentary report, she didn’t depart Greenock until 31 October.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=_F0 ... 22&f=false

Then, in the Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh), Thursday, November 7, 1839, there’s:
Campbeltown, November 1.—The Tomatin, Wingate, from Greenock to South Australia, put in here this morning with loss of bowsprit ……..

With a bit more in The Glasgow Herald, November 4, 1839, fifth column of page 2.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=G ... page&hl=en
The barque Tomatin, Wingate, from hence for South Australia, put into Campbeltown Loch with loss of bowsprit, figure-head, and cut-water, having been in contact with the schooner Harlequin.

Campbeltown is only about 50 miles to the South-west of Greenock as the crow flies. I wonder if they went all the way to Greenock to board the ship only to be brought back to where they started.

It must have taken a while to repair the damage because according to the Asiatic Journal she didn’t leave Campbell Town until 10 November. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=nbt ... 22&f=false

That date is supported by a letter, dated 13 November, 1839, which mentions a passenger, Clementina, ‘the only Lady on board’. The 10th was a Sunday. (near the end) http://www.google.com.au/webhp?complete ... 80&bih=840

391113DSI to WSI. I only returned from Campbeltown last evening very late. Clementina wrote my mother when they were ready for starting, and I saw her away on Sunday afternoon last a one o’clock.

There’s a bit about the voyage here. Clementina doesn’t appear to have made it to Australia. http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/t ... 1089876812

There are no pre 1855 OPR death records for Southend Parish and it’s the same situation for Saddell and Skipness. Campbeltown has deaths from 1773, but, as usual, a complete record is unlikely.

Hope that’s interesting,
Alan

[barbaraegrosvenor]

G'day there,
Thank you for all your effort, it is interesting, am still sifting through it. A lot of passenger lists are inconclusive. Find alternate confusing.
Cathcya all later,
Cheers
Barbara

[Sidney Milton]

Can anyone please help me? My ancestors arrived in Adelaide on the 9th of April 1840 on the Tomatin namely John McKenzie and Isabella MacGregor and in brackets (Jane Robertson) now either John had two wives or Isabella had two names because on the birth register in South Australia when she gave birth she registered mother as Isabella Macgregor on some and also Jane Robertson on others. would this have anything to do with the name MacGregor, re the clan , because of Rob Roy MacGregor?

[Sidney Milton]

A Question about the Tomatin if she left Campbelltown 9 Nov 1839 arrived South Australia 12 Mar 1840, that would mean it took 4 months to get to South Australia did she call in to other ports on the way? Some report say she took a 120 days, so I am so confused about the Tomatin?
Kindest Regards, Sidney.

[Currie]

Hello Sidney, and welcome to TalkingScot.

If you check the letter in the archiver.rootsweb link I previously posted, that mentioned Clemantina's death, you'll see that the ship arrived at Adelaide on 9 March, 1840, after a voyage of 120 days, from Campbelltown. If you count back from there you'll arrive at 10 November, 1839 (1840 being a leap-year.)

The link I posted with the long page of letters (the Irvine pdf) confirms that they departed Campbelltown on 10 November. The particular letter was dated 13 November 1839 (391113DSI to WSI.) and says that the ship departed the previous Sunday, which was the 10th.

The original intention was probably to sail direct from Greenock to Adelaide but they were forced to put into Campbelltown for ten days for repairs.

In the letter dated 25 November (391125DSI ) the author writes:
“We have heard nothing from the Tomatin nor, very likely, will we hear of her for 4 months and perhaps 6 months to come. There is a chance that some vessel may speak her, but that is but a chance & I rather think the first news we will hear will be from the cape where she will probably touch for water etc. It depends much however upon their wants as the captain wants to make Adelaide in 100 days if he can and if he has no for touching at the cape he will carry on, in that case we may hear of or from Clemy & Charlie after they have reached terra firma once more.”

Then on 2 December (391202DSI):
“I will occupy my time in writing you to say that I have heard of the Tomatin. She was spoke on the 22nd of last month in Lat 51, Longitude 13 . That is in the way west of Cape Clear and then free of land. I thought she would have been very much further but we don’t know which cannel the Tomatin took as we must suppose she took the least favourable passage for her, and had head winds to work against. The Owner tells me that the passengers were reported “All well”. They are not mentioned in the printed report I saw but they know it privately. This keeps me quite easy as we had rather severe weather for any vessel chopping about the Channel but once west of Cape Clear she has the open sea before her and plenty of elbow room into the bargain. As she may not be reported in the paper & even tho she were you might not have noticed it I have written you with all the news we have. They took 12 days to make Cape Clear, but I hope they are today past Madeira.”


hope that helps,
Alan