Hannah family, miners to Nova Scotia

By Kay McMeekin

Abraham Hannah on the Cumnock Connections tree

Abraham Hannah and his wife Margaret Docharty were born in  about 1859 in Newry in what is now Northern Ireland. They married in Tarbolton, Ayrshire in 1880 where their first few children were born. They moved to New Coalburn in New Cumnock between 1885 and 1887. 

Abraham was a miner and was injured in an explosion of firedamp in Lanemark colliery in 1892. 

In 1901 census the family was at Rigghead cottage in New Cumnock where Abraham was a coal miner hewer. By now they had 9 children

They emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1904.

He went ahead on the Numidian arriving Port Halifax on 8th April 1904.

Margaret sailed on the Pretorian arriving October 1904 at Montreal. With her were her married daughter Helen married to miner William McSepheny and their daughter Maggie, and Margaret's other 9 children. They were all going to Springhill, Nova Scotia. They were in steerage class. 

Only one child stayed behind in Scotland, Matthew Hannah who married Agnes Skinner in 1905.

In the 1911 census of Canada they are living with 7 of their children in Springhill, Nova Scotia. Abraham is now a farmer. 

Abraham and Margaret both died in 1920 in Springhill.

In the 1911 census of Canada, son-in-law William McSephney is also in Springhill working as miner still. 

In 1921 census William and Helen and their 3 children are in Main Street Springhill. William is a miner, a coal cutter. Sister Margaret 36 an invalid and  brother James Hannah 18 are with them. James is a salesman. They lived in a rented wooden house. William died in 1939 in Springhill and Helen in 1960.

They are all described as Baptists.

4 of the Hannah children ended up in Alberta; Margaret, Joseph, Elizabeth and James. Others ended up in British Columbia (William), Ontario (Abraham) and Montreal (Mary).

Some of them dropped the final H in Hannah.