John Mcpherson of Three Rivers

Who was John Macpherson of Three Rivers? One popular genealogy site has him listed in nearly 200 hundred family trees. Each tree owner has theorized parents for him or some simply list none. Is it possible we will NEVER know who his parents were? After all, Hanoverian soldiers tyrannically marched through the highlands pillaging and burning homes of Jacobite supporters in 1746.

Scottish people traditionally memorized and recited their lines of descent. Furthermore, a patronymic, matronymic, or name patterning system was used. Records were necessary, but after the destruction of baptismal or marriage records, the other systems proved invaluable. Thanks, in part, to such Scottish traditions, many have been able to write down their memorized lines of descent. An example of one Scottish historian who did just so was Sir Aeneas Macpherson of Invernesshire. Others after him were: Allan Macpherson of Blairgowie, his son Charles, Alexander and his brother James Macpherson. Therefore, we have the required tools to identify the parents of John Macpherson of Three Rivers. Let's use them.

What We Know About John

John Macpherson was a tavern keeper of Three Rivers. Why would he pick the business of operating a tavern otherwise known as an Inn? Most people operated businesses they were familiar with. For example, some men were farmers in Scotland and therefore, became farmers in Canada. Additionally, we also know John Macpherson was married to Mary Cameron. Historians have identified her father as being first cousins¹ with Dr. Archibald Cameron and Donald Cameron of Lochiel, the 19th Chief. Would Mary's father permit the great-granddaughter of a powerful chief, such as Ewen Cameron, the 17th Chief, to marry a commoner?

Was John a Commoner

John Macpherson was the son of an innkeeper. His family were innkeepers for hundreds of years in Laggan, Badenoch, Scotland. John's brother Colonel Duncan Macpherson returned home after serving with Colonel Morris in 1766 and continued the operations of the family Inn.

After John was discharged in Quebec, in 1769 he settled in Three Rivers. In 1770, he obtained a ² license to sell liquor in his Public House. He also asked permission to sell liquor for takeaway, but because England was trying to minimize the number of Public Houses his application was denied. However, he reapplied the following year and it was approved. Amongst his "brethren soldiers" who also settled in Three Rivers and obtained liquor licenses was Malcolm Fraser of the 78th Regiment and later the 84th.

Was John a Merchant

John Macpherson referred to himself as a Merchant of Three Rivers, naming each of his surviving children within a Lower Canada land petition.³ He owned a considerable amount of property in Three Rivers, with houses and buildings on Rue de Fleuve, located directly along the St. Lawrence River.

In 1796, he and his wife, Mary Cameron, sold some of their property and buildings, to James Mackenzie. John was a private soldier with the 78th Regiment of Foot, and, was discharged in Canada in 1763. He transferred to the 60th Regiment of Foot and settled in Three Rivers, Quebec in 1769.

As a merchant, he operated a public house, otherwise known as a pub. Family oral history, descending from John's grandson, George, preserved the cherished memory of him operating a Scottish Pub, (public house) in Three Rivers, Quebec. Not only was John a pub owner, but he was described in a document pertaining to his son, Andrew Macpherson, as a tavern keeper. The BanQ database has a series of business contracts available for download that belonged to John Macpherson and his wife Mary Cameron.

His Parents

John Macpherson's parents were Donald Macpherson and Christian Macpherson. His siblings were Colonel Duncan Macpherson of Breakachy, or, Bleaton, Lachlan Macpherson, Marjory Macpherson and Ewan Macpherson. How do we know this? John Macpherson left behind clues in the baptismal records of his children.

The Children and the Godparents

Mary Mcpherson

Born: April 19,1775

Godparents: Malcolm Frazer and Grizel Frazer

Drouin Collection in French

Birth Date: April 5, 1775

Baptism Date: April 10,1775

Marriage Date: Sept. 29. 1792

Husband: Alexandre Robinson

_____________________________________________________________________

Jeanne McPherson or Jane Macpherson

1768-1792 Trois Rivières, Protestant, Registres Photographies aux Archives D’Ottawa Ont, reduction 18, lumiere 4, page 30

Born: September 29, 1776

Baptized: October 15, 1776

Godparents: Malcolm Frazer, Grace Frazer, Chrisitan Morris.

And a second baptismal record for Jeanne:

Drouin Collection:

Born: Decembre 29, 1776

Baptized: January 12, 1777

Baptismal Record in French, Drouin Collection

Baptised: Septembre 29, 1777

Married: October 17, 1794

Revd Daniel Keith

Witnesses: Selby Brown

______________________________________________________________________

Catherine Mcpherson (died in infancy)

Droin Collection

Born: October 11, 1778

Baptized November 10, 1778

Des Registres Pour Cette Paroisse

Died: August 22, 1779, and buried the same day.

_______________________________________________________________________

George McPherson

April 23, 1780

Baptized: April 29, 1780

_______________________________________________________________________

Andrew McPherson (Andre Macpherson)

Born: November 30, 1783

Baptized: Dec. 2, 1783

_______________________________________________________________________

Marguerite McPherson died in infancy

Born: February 22, 1782

Baptized: January 13, 1792

___________________________________________________________________________

John McPherson

Born:1789

Baptized: June 13, 1789

Baptized on June 19, 1789, by the visiting Bishop

Godparents: Colonel John Morris, Anne Charlotte Cameron

___________________________________________________________________________

Robert McPherson

Born: July 20. 1791

Baptized: July 27, 1791

Godparents: William Tarrill and Sara Morris wife of Colonel John Morris

_____________________________________________________________________________

Anne McPherson (died in infancy)

Born: Mar 6, 1793

Died: April 5, 1793

_____________________________________________________________________________

Thomas Mcpherson

Born: June 12, 1795

Baptized: August 20, 1795

Godparents: Malcolm Fraser, Selby Brown, Peggy Brown

_____________________________________________________________________________

Elizabeth F McPherson

Born: June 25, 1787

Baptized: July 3, 1787

Godparents: Elizabeth Wilkinson

Marriage Date: October 22, 1806, 19 years old

John Sayer, fur trader part-owner of NW trading post

Witnesses at marriage ceremony: Zachary MacCauley Esq. (wife Genevieve Burrow) Sayer (who was present at Zachery's funeral.) Colonel David Shanks Esq, Cecilia Shanks -neither of whom are related to the family.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Daniel McPherson

Born: September 28. 1785

Baptized: October 9, 1785

_____________________________________________________________________________

Joan (Johan) McPherson

Born: September 17, 1797, born the 17th of September last

Baptized: July 29, 1798

Godparents: James Fraser, Grace Frazer, Mary Sills

Marriage Date: September 17, 1816

Witnesses: James Fraser, Edward Keith, McPherson, Archibald McLean, Joann Mcpherson, John Sayer

_________________________________

In identifying the correct line for John Macpherson of Three Rivers, we have examined the names of the people he chose as his godparents:

Malcolm Fraser of the 78th Regiment
Colonel John Morris of the 47th Regiment
Sarah Morris, named as the widow of Lieutenant Colonel Morris in land claims
Christian Morris (Catherine Christian Craig married Sergeant William Morris of the 8th Regiment)
James Fraser, the son of Malcolm and Grisel Fraser
Grizel Fraser, nee Mackintosh, wife of Malcolm Fraser
Grace Fraser, nee Mackintosh, wife of Malcolm Fraser, son of Malcolm and Grisel Fraser
Selby Brown
Peggy Brown
William Tarrill
Anne Charolette Cameron
Mary Sills, of the family of Samuel Sills, postmaster

Colonel John Morris served in the 47th Regiment, which fought with the 78th Regiment at Sillery. Was this how Colonel John and Sarah Morris became close friends with John Macpherson and Mary Cameron? Perhaps Colonel John Morris was a friend of the family of John Macpherson?

Consider the following passage found at Index to Invereshie Book Divided into parts as they were typed GENEALOGY OF THE MACPHERSONS -- the Cadet Branches The Baronage of Scotland; Containing An Historical and Genealogical Account of the Gentry of that Kingdom.

Duncan Macpherson of Breakachie who went a Captain in Colonel Morris’s Regiment of Foot to the East Indies anno 1760 and returned to Breakachie 1766 and is still unmarried.

We learn from this passage that Colonel Morris served with Captain Duncan Macpherson of Breakachy. Who was Colonel Morris of Colonel Morris' Regiment of Foot? It was no other than, Colonel Staats Long Morris, who raised the 89th Regiment of Foot, or, Morris' Highlanders, in 1759. After his regiment served in India, American-born, Staats Long Morris, became the governor of the province of Quebec. His nephew was Colonel John Morris, late of the 47th Regiment of Foot, and of the New Jersey Volunteers. Colonel John Morris married his first cousin, Sarah Antill.

In a previous blog concerning Sir James Macpherson Lemoine, we learned his line led to his second cousin twice removed, Major Charles Macpherson, chieftain of Breakachy. Major Charles Macpherson was first cousins with James Macpherson Lemoine's grandfather Daniel Macpherson and also Duncan Macpherson who "went a Captain in Colonel Morris's Regiment of Foot". This passage on its own is meaningless and does not connect Colonel Morris with John Macpherson of Three Rivers. That is why we will consider the passage in its entire context.

The Passage In Its Entirety:

He was succeeded by his eldest son, Donald Macpherson of Breakachie who married Christian, daughter of Lauchlan Macpherson of Clunie, by Jean his wife, daughter of Sir Ewan Cameron of Lochyell. By her he had four sons and one daughter,

1. Duncan, his heir
2. Lauchlan who was bred a surgeon, is now a lieutenant in one of the British Independent companies
in Senegal in Africa.
3. John a merchant in North America
4. Ewan
5. Marjory only daughter.

He was succeeded by his eldest son. Duncan Macpherson of Breakachie who went a Captain in Colonel Morris’s Regiment of Foot to the East Indies anno 1760 and returned to Breakachie 1766 and is still unmarried.

Duncan Macpherson is identified as Colonel Macpherson of Bleaton [or Breakachie]

_____________________________________________________________________

Colonel Duncan Macpherson, Chieftain of Breakachy

Captain Duncan Macpherson, of Colonel Morris' Regiment (89th Regiment), returned to Breakachie, and, carried on the family business of Innkeeping. After 1766, he married his first cousin, Margaret Macpherson, daughter of Ewen Mcpherson, of Cluny. The Index to Invereshie Book Divided into parts as they were typed also provided the inscription written on Duncan's headstone:

“Sacred to the memory of Colonel Duncan Macpherson of Bleaton, who died at Kingussie the 12th day of December 1810 aged 75 years and his wife Margaret Macpherson who died 6th Nov. 1808 aged 66 and daughter of the late Ewen Macpherson Esq of Cluny and Chief of the Clan Chattan. This monument was erected by their youngest and only surviving son Col. Robert Barclay Macpherson. C.B & K.H.”

General Staats Long Morris and Colonel John Morris, were well acquainted with Malcolm Fraser, and, the Chieftain Macphersons. Morris, and his wife Sarah, settled in Three Rivers, Quebec. William Morris, Malcolm Fraser, and, John Macpherson of Three Rivers obtained liquor licenses in 1770. The Morrises were close family friends of Mary Cameron and John Macpherson, of Three Rivers, formerly of Breakachy. Undoubtedly, John Macpherson was the son of Donald Macpherson of Breakachy, brother-in-law to Cluny of the '45. Furthermore, his Macpherson family was connected by blood to Sir James Macpherson Lemoine, Julia-Ann Macpherson and Daniel Macpherson of Gaspe Bay, Quebec - descendants of Breakachy.

_____________________________________________________________________

Lauchlan Macpherson Bred a Surgeon

Lachlan or Lauchlan enlisted with the 78th Regiment of Foot on April 22, 1759. He served in Major John Campbell's Company. It is highly likely his brother John Macpherson enlisted with him. Although we are told in several sources Lachlan "was bred" a surgeon, The Government of Canada - The National Battlefields Commission website suggests otherwise. He was listed as a Surgeon's Mate - a medical assistant to a surgeon - on April 22, 1759, and July 9, 1760. His father is listed as Donald Macpherson, and he was born in Scotland. Lachlan was promoted to Lieutenant on December 24, 1763, serving with the Regiment until August 2, 1765. He transferred to the African Independent Company as a Lieutenant and on December 5, 1766, died in Senegambia, Africa of "a disease". Lachlan's brother John Macpherson was also a private soldier of the 78th Regiment of Foot, in John McDonnell's Company. He was one of the two John Mcphersons listed as being discharged in Canada in 1763.