by Roberta McGee
John Vass, a miner and Mary Kerr, a coalmaster's daughter, had three daughters and a son, Bessie, William, Maggie and Nancy, who were all born in New Cumnock. Their son William, who was born in 1876, sadly died at Meikle Auchingibbert Farm, Old Cumnock, in 1914 at the early age of 38 years. He was unmarried.
Their daughter Maggie, who was born in 1879, married Tarbolton born John Drinnan on 11th June 1903 at High Auchingibbert Farm, Old Cumnock. They set up home at 82 Barrhill Road, Cumnock and went on to have three children, Mary Kerr Drinnan born 1903, James Drinnan born 1906 and John Vass Drinnan born 1909. Tragedy struck on 19th March 1911 when Maggie died of tuberculosis at the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow. She was only 32 years old.
John was left with three young children to raise. Maggie's sister Nancy stepped in to help and on 29th February 1912 Nancy and John were married. They decided to emigrate to Canada and John, Nancy and the three children, Mary, James and John, arrived in Montreal, Quebec on 12th July 1914 on the ship 'Hesperian' two weeks before WW1 was declared in Europe. John was a farm labourer and their final destination was Moosejaw, Saskatchewan. Stamped beside their names on the Passenger List was 'British Bonus Allowed'. This referred to a commission paid by the Canadian Government's Immigration Branch to steamship booking agents. It was an incentive provided to encourage emigration from Britain to Canada. In 1921 John and his family were living in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan where they had their own farm.
John had two children with Nancy, William Vass Barrie Drinnan who was born on 29th December 1914 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, which meant that Nancy was pregnant when she made the journey across the Atlantic and Robert Kerr Drinnan who was born on 20th November 1916 at Lake Valley, Moosejaw, Saskatchewan.
The Drinnan Siblings
Mary Drinnan married James Carmichael, a bank accountant, in 1932 in Heward Saskatchewan and she died in 1969 in Regina, Saskatchewan.
James Drinnan was a farmer in Qu'appelle, Moose Mountain, Saskatchewan and married Thelma Marie Jones in 1939. He died in Regina in 1992.
John Drinnan initially lived in Saskatchewan but when he was 20 years old he moved to Wisconsin where his cousin Hugh Mitchell lived. He was a farm labourer, then a trucker and married Ellen Marie Andersen in Dubuque, Iowa. He died in Waupaca, Wisconsin in 1997.
William (Bill) Drinnan was a postal worker and lived in Saskatchewan before moving to Sudbury, Ontario, then Nipissing, Ontario.He served overseas with the Royal Canadian Air Force during WW2 and died at North Bay, Ontario.
Robert Drinnan remained in Saskatchewan and in 1942 enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force where he was a Warrant Officer. His aircraft was shot down in 1943 and he was taken as a prisoner of war to Camp Stalag in Muhlberg, Brandenburg, Germany where he remained until he was liberated by the Soviet Army in April 1945. His civilian job had been as Manager in an automobile supply store. When he returned home he took up an accounting position with the Government. On 3rd September 1948 Robert married Elsie Elfrede Christensen at Racine, Wisconsin. He had met Elsie during a trip to Wisconsin to visit his brother John Drinnan. Robert died on 22nd July 2011 at Regina, Saskatchewan.
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| Image Homer.ca |
The oldest of John Vass and Mary Kerr's children was their daughter Elizabeth (Bessie) who was born in 1874 in New Cumnock and died in 1969 at Ayr County Hospital, her usual residence being 23 John Baird Street, Cumnock. Bessie married Andrew Mitchell on 2nd March 1899 at Muirfoot Farm, New Cumnock. Andrew was a farmer in Auchigibbert, Cumnock, His father was Hugh Mitchell, publican of The Boswell Arms in Auchinleck and his mother was Jeanie Baird.
Andrew and Bessie had eleven children four of whom emigrated.
First of Bessie & Andrew's children to emigrate was William Vass Mitchell who was born in 1905 in Auchingibbert, Cumnock. He sailed on the 'Marchburn' arriving in Quebec on 20th June 1924. He was 19 years old, a farm help and his reason for emigrating to Canada was to make a home. He had £4 in his possession. His passage was paid partly by himself and partly by the Overseas Fund and his destination in Canada was the Ontario Government Immigration Department, Toronto. The Booking Agent was
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| Cumnock Chronicle 1924 |
On 23rd December 1925, when he was 23 years old, William married Scottish born Amelia Mary Creighton Millar at Sudbury, Ontario. Amelia was five years older than him. In 1931 they were still living in Sudbury and William was a clerk with the Post Office. Sadly Amelia died of endocarditis on 11th December 1932 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Sudbury.
William married again on 5th October 1935 to Florence Irene Davison who was born in Ryerson, Parry Sound, Ontario. The witnesses were Florence's brother John Roy Davison and his wife Rosalie Gladys Wright Davison both of North Bay, Ryerson, Parry Sound. In 1957 William and Florence were living in Wembley Drive, Sudbury. Florence died in 1968. I have been unable to find William's death however he was still alive in 1982 when his brother Hugh died and it seems he may have married again. Hugh's obituary lists William as one of his surviving siblings - 'Mr & Mrs William (Roslie) Mitchell of Sudbury, Ontario'. Florence's brother John Roy had died in 1965 and his widow was Rosalie. Perhaps William's sister-in-law was his third wife.
Next to emigrate was daughter Jane Baird Mitchell who was born in 1904 in Old Cumnock. She married Douglas Brown in 1925 at West Polquhirter Farm, New Cumnock. Douglas was born in 1902 at Low Garleffan Farm, Old Cumnock. His father was farmer John Brown and his mother was Helen Wallace. On 21st August 1923, before his marriage to Jane, Douglas sailed from Glasgow on the 'Stanmore' arriving in Boston, USA, on 3rd September 1923. He was 21 years old and a farmer and was travelling with Alexander Wardrop, a 20 years old farmer from West Arthurlie Farm, Barrhead, Glasgow. They were conveying cattle to O.E. Reid, East Lansing, Michigan. Their passage was paid by A.L. Farwell and Douglas's intentions were to stay there permanently.
He lived in the USA for about fifteen months and applied for naturalisation on 1st December, 1924 before returning to Cumnock. He was a farmer in Caponacre, Old Cumnock when he married Jane on 19th February 1925. Six weeks later Douglas and Jane sailed from Liverpool on the 'Baltic', arriving in New York on 1st April 1925, their final destination being Caledonia, Racine, Wisconsin where they made their home.
Their son John (known as Jackie) Douglas Brown was born there on 6th January 1927. The 1930 US Federal census shows Douglas, a farmer, Jane and Jackie living in Caledonia. Their daughter Nancy Elizabeth Brown was born there on 15th October 1931. On 4th November 1935 Douglas again applied for naturalisation.
Douglas, Jane and their two children visited Cumnock in 1936 and again on 11th November 1938 where they stayed with Jane's parents Andrew and Bessie Mitchell at 14 Shankston Crescent, Cumnock. I cannot find a record of their return to the USA after this trip. There were grumblings of war in Europe so perhaps they decided to remain in Cumnock. WW2 was declared on 3rd September 1939.
So, between 1938 and 1952 the Douglas Brown family had moved back to Scotland.
The Scotsman reports on 4th October 1952 that Douglas Brown of Drumwhirn, Corsock, which is in Castle Douglas, sold a heifer named 'Creamy' for 100 guineas and 1st November 1954 finds Douglas and Jane arriving in Southampton having sailed on the 'Queen Elizabeth' from new York. Their home address was given as Drumwhirn, Corsock, Castle Douglas. They visited the USA again in 1965 to visit Jane's brothers. Her sister Janet had also crossed the Atlantic for this family re-union.
26/7/1965 - The Journal Times, Racine
'You could have heard the r's rolling from here to Konosha and back when I met a couple of Scotsmen the other morning. One was Douglas Brown, from the Land of the Heather itself. The other was James Mitchell, who has an equal burr-r-r but lives in Ontario, Canada. He and Mrs Mitchell and the Douglas Browns have been visiting at the home of a brother Hugh Mitchell, 7534 Linwood Road. Another guest has been Miss Janet Mitchell, a sister from Cumnock, Scotland.'
Both Douglas and Jane died at Corsock Bridge, Kirkcudbrightshire, Douglas on 1st June 1980 and Jane on 6th July 1992.
Andrew and Bessie's oldest son Hugh Mitchell was next to emigrate. Hugh was born in 1900 in Auchingibbert Farm, Old Cumnock and he arrived in New York, having sailed on the 'Caledonia', on 8th August 1927. He was 26 years old, a farmer and his final destination was to his brother-in-law Douglas Brown, Madalae Farm, Racine, Wisconsin. He had $60 in his possession.
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| Hugh Mitchell - image from Ancestry shared by Judy Robinson |
In 1930 he is living in Caledonia, Racine, Wisconsin and unmarried. His neighbours are the Peterka family. On 3rd October 1934 he married Arlyn Peterka who was a nurse and they had two children, son Lynn and daughter Elizabeth. Hugh was naturalised on 23rd June 1937 at Wisconsin. Through the years he was frequently visited by his family and friends and the local newspaper, The Journal Times, regularly reported their comings and goings.
26/11/1937 - The Journal Times
Robert Drinnan of Canada is visiting his cousin Hugh Mitchell.
The 1940 US Federal Census shows 39 years old Hugh, a farmer, living at Ole Davidson Road, Caledonia, Racine.
23/10/1942 - The Journal Times
Herbert and Roland Botting entertained Saturday night at cards Mr & Mrs Evan Pfanmiller & Reed, Mr & Mrs Joseph Peterka & Jo Ann, Mr & Mrs Hugh Mitchell, Grandpa Veselik, Fred Pfanmiller & Carrie Botting.
11/12/1945 - The Journal Times
William Drennan of Saskatchewan, Canada, recently discharged from the Canadian Army, visited his cousin Hugh Mitchell & family.
13/9/1948 - The Journal Times
Mrs James Carmichael of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and William Drennan of Sudbury, Toronto, were guests of the Hugh Mitchells last week.
On 6th October 1949 Hugh, Arlyn, Lynn and Elizabeth sailed out of New York headed for Cumnock where they stayed for three months at 65 Car Road. They departed Liverpool on 13th January 1950 and returned to New York on the 'Britannic'.
In 1950 Hugh, Arlyn and their family are still living on their farm at Ole Davidson Road and in 1952 they took a trip to Canada.
5/9/1952 - The Journal Times
Mr & Mrs Hugh Mitchell & children returned home on Sunday from a ten day visit with the William Mitchells of Sudbury, Canada & the James Mitchell family in London, Ontario, Canada.
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| 11th March 1954 - Racine Journal-Times |
Hugh died on 3rd May 1982 in Racine and was buried in the Bohemian National Cemetery in Caledonia.
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| Obituary Hugh Mitchell - The Journal Times, Racine, 4th May 1982 |
James Kerr Mitchell was the second youngest of Andrew and Bessie Mitchell's children. He was born on 12th August 1916 at Meikle Auchingibbert Farm, Old Cumnock.
He married Margaret (Peggy) Stewart Kirkwood Cowan on 3rd July 1941 at the Old Parish Church in Kilsyth, Lanarkshire. He was a farmer in Arnbrae Farm, Kilsyth but at the time of his marriage he was engaged in war service as an aircraftsman in the Royal Air Force.
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| Image Ancestry - originally shared by Andrew Johnson |
James and Peggy emigrated to Canada and settled in St.Mary's, Perth, Ontario after WW2. There is a report of them visiting James's brother Hugh in Wisconsin in 1965 at the same time as the Douglas Brown's and James's sister Janet. There doesn't seem to be much more information about James.
James died in 2001 in St, Mary's.
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