The Macphersons of Three Rivers

BLOG PURPOSE:

Through a series of blogs, we will investigate the backgrounds of the Macphersons of Three Rivers commencing with the family of Sir James Macpherson Lemoine. Our goal will be to unravel the Macpherson family of this era placing them into their perspective lines. Please follow along on our journey.

The Macphersons of Three Rivers

Who were the Macphersons of Three Rivers? There were several sets of pioneer Macpherson families who lived in Three Rivers. One of which produced Sir James Macpherson Lemoine, a lawyer and historian for the Quebec Historical Society. Many avid genealogists acknowledge his mother was Julia Ann Macpherson but arrive at a brick wall when placing her with the proper Macpherson family of Three Rivers.

Another mysterious resident of Three Rivers was John Macpherson, a tavern keeper. One of the most popular genealogy websites has over 176 member trees featuring John Macpherson. The most popular theory for the couple is John Macpherson's wife, Mary Cameron was the daughter of James Cameron and Mary Peattie. But who exactly was James Cameron and Mary Peattie? The Scotsland People1 have the baptismal record available for purchase and the passage for James Cameron and Mary Peattie reads as follows: 
17/10/1755 CAMERON, MARY (Old Parish Registers Birth 436/ 20 232 Kilconquhar) Page 232 of 523, National Records of Scotland: James Cameron had a child baptized named Mary Gotten Cameron in fornication with Mary Peattie and born the 1st of Do:  Witnesses John Farmer and Alexander Wallace Octo: 25th.

We derive a considerable amount of information from the above-mentioned passage:

  1. Mary Cameron was baptized at the Kilconquhar parish church. 
  2. The parish is located in the village called Kilconquhar2 located in Fife, Scotland.
  3. James Cameron and Mary Peattie were not married but either was living in a common-law relationship or were living separately at the residence of their parents. 
  4. The couple formed a relationship with each other from at least February or March of 1754. 
  5. When Mary was born, the couple remained unmarried because the priest noted in the records she was born in fornication. 
  6. Mary's middle name was Gotten. Traditionally, maternal surnames were given to children. This raises the question: Who bore the name Gotten? Gotten is a surname native to Nottinghamshire at Gotham located in England. Gotten3 means "homestead or enclosure where goats are kept". 
  7. Mary Peattie's mother may have been of the Gotten family from England. Further investigation will be needed to determine this, but it can be concluded they were farmers. 
  8. We learn the name of two witnesses: John Farmer and Alexander Wallace.
  9. Mary Gotten Cameron was born on October 1st, 1755. 
  10. Mary Gotten Cameron was baptized on October 15, 1755.

Conclusion: James and Mary lived in Kilconquhar, Fife, Scotland. James Cameron was a native of Scotland; however, the name Peattie originated in Northumberland, England which is located 207 km from Fife, Scotland. Is it possible James and Mary met while he was visiting Northumberland? Whichever the case, Mary Gotten was baptized under the surname of her father, and therefore it can be assumed the couple remained united. Lastly, Mary Gotten was half English and half Scottish. Was Mary Cameron, the wife of John Macpherson of Three Rivers half English? No. Future blogs will discuss Mary Cameron was a Highlander from a distinguished Scottish family line. We will also reveal which line John Macpherson of Three Rivers, Quebec belonged to.

Further blogs will reveal what happened to James and Mary.



Below is a Youtube video featuring Kiconquhar, Fife, Scotland. This is the village where Mary Gotten Cameron was born to James Cameron and Mary Peattie.





Video Source is Tours Scotland, YouTube.

Photo source for Sir James Macpherson is google, Microsoft Bing, source unknown.

© 2022


Footnotes:

1 https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/view-image/nrs_opr_records/3865121?image=232&viewed_images=true↩ 2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilconquhar↩ 3https://www.houseofnames.com/gotten-family-crest↩

Further Reading on the Macphersons of Three Rivers
Location: Kilconquhar, Leven KY9 1LQ, UK

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