The Adoption Witness: What Did Sandra Merry Really Say About Granddad?

Reader pick: on old Scottish friends of Lanarkshire; James Dickson (1882-1969) and James Merry (1882-1970) - or - on an emigrant's farewell at the docks of Glasgow - or - who was Sandra Merry. Sandra Merry was the daughter of Granddad’s old Scottish friend, James Merry. When touring Scotland with Granddad in the 1960s, we … Continue reading The Adoption Witness: What Did Sandra Merry Really Say About Granddad? →

Janet Gray Dickson, born McArthur (1894-1960) – A Qualicum Cabin On Sand Dollars.

Nana was past middle age in our recall; matronly, with soft-spoken Scottish presentation. She was no softie. We grandbrats often judged her a nudge, yet sought her respect. This ordinary dear left quite the bold imprint upon us. She would have been that plain lass with pleasantly rounded features, a nice little nose, and a … Continue reading Janet Gray Dickson, born McArthur (1894-1960) – A Qualicum Cabin On Sand Dollars. →

John Dickson (1882-1947): Edges of That Anecdote Bust

Our last post lamented the broken expectation that John Dickson left Scotland as a young man around 1911, for wonder in India or Australia. Instead, we found him home, dead at 64 in 1947, a single retired coal miner.1 We thought this closed our genealogical interest in him, in that we could say his life … Continue reading John Dickson (1882-1947): Edges of That Anecdote Bust →

John Dickson (1882-1947) Busts Our Family Anecdote

Double Genealogy: The Adoption Witness Update 5 Addendum 9* Growing up, our Mum alleged that “three young men left Scotland solo, at around the same time: one bound for Canada (our Granddad), one for India, and one for Australia. They bravely conquered their futures on their own. The men kept in touch, but strangely, two … Continue reading John Dickson (1882-1947) Busts Our Family Anecdote →

Our McArthur Clan: Robert (1887-1948) and Thomas (1892-1923); Hidden in Plain Site

UPDATED: HIDDEN IN PLAIN SITE – the BAKERY THIS TIME. Please scroll to UPDATE June 6, 2020 By 1912, all four grandparents had made it to Vancouver Island. Matt Hemmingsen had married Margaret Alexander. We await James Dickson to marry Janet McArthur. Meanwhile, we have been truing their sibling data to that point, shy of … Continue reading Our McArthur Clan: Robert (1887-1948) and Thomas (1892-1923); Hidden in Plain Site →

Matt Hemmingsen (1876-1967) Memoirs: Convergence 1912; James Dickson (1882-1969)

Our maternal grandfather, James Dickson arrived at Canada's east coast on 6 Feb 1912 bound for the coal mines of Nanaimo B.C. He was a humble hewer of coal who would become the Chief Inspector of Mines for British Columbia. - Nanaimo Harbour and Bastion, Nanaimo, B.C. As he stepped upon his destination, the Udston … Continue reading Matt Hemmingsen (1876-1967) Memoirs: Convergence 1912; James Dickson (1882-1969) →

The Adoption Witness on Ancestry: Our McArthur Clan and Culloden Moor

We are Dickson-McArthur on our mother’s side. Several online “Family Trees” posit that our McArthur lineage extends to John who fell at the Battle of Culloden, that massacre of Saturday, 16 APR 1746. While we may have a tinge of Highlander woven into our story, this outlander finds that the thread breaks one or two … Continue reading The Adoption Witness on Ancestry: Our McArthur Clan and Culloden Moor →

Robert McArthur and Mary Hay Gray: Migrations, Catastrophe and Triumph

My father’s passion was his work; my mother’s, her homemaking. They took delight in each other’s passion, and shared the joy of family. They were successful in many directions, highly travelled and wasted no time. Wherever we dwelt, Mum created a gorgeous garden. She was very lean but could show bicep, honed through tennis, digging … Continue reading Robert McArthur and Mary Hay Gray: Migrations, Catastrophe and Triumph →