by Roberta McGee
Samuel McColl Shields and Elizabeth Gray Dunsmore were married at Elbow Lane, Cumnock, on 29th August 1884. Samuel was an apprentice millwright at the time. They went on to have nine children, five boys and four girls. Six of the children were born in Elbow Lane, Cumnock. He served his time as an engineer in Drummond's Works in Ayr Road, Cumnock then he was employed at Lugar Works on the engineering staff and in 1899 he moved from Cumnock to Camlachie, Glasgow Barony, where he was employed with Blochairn Steel Works. A further three children were born in Camlachie.
One of their daughters, Magdalene, died, aged seven years, in Cumnock. The three surviving daughters would later emigrate to California, USA, while the surviving boys seemed content to live in Scotland. Their 19 years old bugler son, Samuel was lost at Ypres in 1917 and 21 years old Willie, a recipient of the Military Medal, died of tuberculosis in 1921.
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| Cumnock Chronicle 1919 |
The first of their daughters to emigrate was Jane (Jean) McCartney Shields who was born in Elbow Lane, Cumnock in 1887.
Jean married James Alexander McClenaghan on 24/8/1906, born Glenanne, Co. Armagh, Ireland, at her family home at 932 Duke Street, Glasgow. He was a blacksmith and she was a provision saleswoman. They were both 19 years old.
James first emigrated alone to Vallejo, Sonoma County, California in 1909. He found work as a hired hand on a farm owned by Irishman David McClure. When WW1 was declared James travelled back to Glasgow and joined the Irish Guards. He fought throughout the war and was demobilized on 23rd March 1919. On 16th August 1919 James and Jean sailed out of Liverpool for New York on the "Carmania". They were accompanied by their daughters Elizabeth (Bessie) aged 12 years and Mary aged 10 years.
In 1920 the family are living on a farm in Sonoma, California where James was employed as a farm labourer.
