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Darroch/Robertson Families
You may read these posts as stand-alone stories, but to understand our ancestors' fuller narrative, please start at the bottom (oldest posts) and move forward by posting date. They are written in an intentional sequence, so if you read them as such, you will find more continuity to the narrative.
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Please leave comments to add context, details, or omissions.
For the three-part series on Frank Darroch's legacy, click on the Biographies tab.
Press Pause for Now
This week marks the anniversary of John and Agnes’s wedding (June 7, 1849). I will take a break from writing, then continue in 2024.
Doug Robertson
Jun 10, 20231 min read
31 views
0 comments
Where is The Burnside? (1849)
John and Agnes's marriage banns indicate she was living in Kilbarchan, and he in The Burnside. Now, where is that?
Doug Robertson
May 4, 20236 min read
33 views
2 comments
Valentine's Day, 1849
Early in 1849, John earned the status of a journeyman blacksmith. Plus, he and Agnes became engaged during a deadly cholera epidemic.
Doug Robertson
Feb 19, 20235 min read
37 views
1 comment
John and Agnes Court (1848)
How did John and Agnes court? Come on an imaginary "date" with us, and learn of John's "proudest memory" from the time.
Doug Robertson
Jan 31, 20236 min read
40 views
7 comments
A Domestic in Glasgow (1844)
Learn about Agnes Greenlees' life as a domestic servant. As a bonus, we will learn about celebrating "Sweetie Scones Day."
Doug Robertson
Dec 29, 20227 min read
35 views
2 comments
An Apprentice in Glasgow (1843)
In Glasgow, John Darroch's seven-year apprenticeship required discipline and perseverance.
Doug Robertson
Dec 23, 20223 min read
30 views
1 comment
200th Anniversary Celebration
December of 2022 will mark the 200th anniversary of two events in our ancestors’ lives. On December 10, we will host a webinar to celebrate!
Doug Robertson
Nov 25, 20222 min read
176 views
0 comments
Glasgow in the 1840s
What was Glasgow like in the 1840s? Discover what John Darroch and Agnes Greenlees saw when they lived there in the 1840s.
Doug Robertson
Oct 31, 20226 min read
40 views
2 comments
Agnes and Her Dad (1843)
Anne's untimely death thrust William into the world of single parenthood. He could not raise five young children alone. Where did they go?
Doug Robertson
Sep 22, 20225 min read
27 views
1 comment
Cholera Catches Anne (1832)
William and Anne lived only 16 km from Paisley, a hotspot in the 1832 cholera epidemic. Unfortunately for them, 16 km was not far enough.
Doug Robertson
Sep 16, 20224 min read
31 views
0 comments
Family Life in Kilmacolm (1831)
Anne Findlay and William Greenlees married and had five children, including Agnes. Their 200-year-old family Bible is extant today.
Doug Robertson
Sep 1, 20224 min read
32 views
1 comment
Anne Findlay's Family (1822)
Meet the family of Agnes Greenlees' mother, Anne Findlay. (Plus, a vignette of William proposing to Anne!)
Doug Robertson
May 1, 20226 min read
9 views
0 comments
William Greenlees, Civilian Life (1820)
William Greenlees was a sergeant in the Royal Scots Greys. Did he actually fight at Waterloo?
Doug Robertson
Apr 13, 20225 min read
32 views
2 comments
Sergeant Greenlees of the Scots Greys (1815)
William Greenlees was a sergeant in the Scots Greys during the Napoleonic Wars. We will explore the famous Battle of Waterloo.
Doug Robertson
Mar 31, 20229 min read
24 views
0 comments
Where in the World is Kilmacolm?
When John Darroch travelled to Glasgow, he passed by the home of Agnes Greenlees in Kilmacolm, a village forgotten by time.
Doug Robertson
Mar 23, 20227 min read
36 views
1 comment
The McLeods Struggle in Paisley (1843)
Willie and Mary McLeod left Clachan in hopes of a better future in Paisley. They were about to be disappointed. What did they find there?
Doug Robertson
Feb 28, 20224 min read
19 views
1 comment
From Campbeltown to Glasgow (1842)
On his way to Glasgow, John passed by the village of Kilmalcolm (home of his future wife, Agnes Greenlees, and her father).
Doug Robertson
Feb 18, 20226 min read
49 views
0 comments
From Clachan to Campbeltown (1842)
There is a good chance that John travelled to Cambeltown to catch a steamer to Glasgow. What would he find in Campbeltown in 1842?
Doug Robertson
Feb 1, 20225 min read
26 views
2 comments
A Young Man Leaves Home (1842)
John decided to leave his hometown to become a blacksmith. It would end up being one of the most pivotal decisions he would ever make.
Doug Robertson
Jan 20, 20226 min read
40 views
4 comments
Mary's Yearning (1841)
Can 21st-century descendants know their g-g-g-grandmother's desires? Yes, through a letter she wrote to her mother, preserved for 180 years!
Doug Robertson
Dec 21, 20213 min read
53 views
1 comment
The Solace of Dunskeig (1841)
Young John Darroch considers his future path and place in the world. His decision changed his and his descendants' lives forever.
Doug Robertson
Dec 8, 20215 min read
30 views
0 comments
Archie and John Square Off (1841)
John and Archie Darroch are locked in a battle of wills over John's future occupation and his dream to leave Clachan.
Doug Robertson
Nov 30, 20214 min read
28 views
0 comments
The Attraction of Paisley (1842-43)
Willie McLeod moves to Paisley to be at the world center for weaving. There was, however, a looming disaster over the whole industry.
Doug Robertson
Nov 24, 20213 min read
38 views
2 comments
Willie McLeod Marries Mary McGill (1836)
The McLeod and Darroch families intertwined on many levels, culminating in a marriage. This is the background to the McLeod/McGill lines.
Doug Robertson
Aug 31, 20213 min read
32 views
0 comments
Willie McLeod, Carding Miller (1841)
Just west of the Darroch house, the 1841 enumerator found William and Mary McLeod. They interacted with the Darroch family in several ways.
Doug Robertson
May 26, 20214 min read
53 views
0 comments
The Census in Clachan (1841)
On Sunday, June 7, 1841, the census taker made his rounds through Clachan, where Archie, Mary, and most of their eight children were living.
Doug Robertson
May 12, 20215 min read
58 views
2 comments
Dunskeig Hill (2011)
Keith and I travelled to Scotland and followed in Frank Darroch’s footsteps (as have many Darroch descendants) and climbed Dunskeig Hill.
Doug Robertson
Jul 15, 20203 min read
78 views
3 comments
Archie Darroch, Precentor (1841)
The precentor held status in the community and the parish. This is an inside look at how Archie Darroch fulfilled that role in Clachan.
Doug Robertson
Jun 18, 20205 min read
68 views
2 comments
The Passing of Mulmorich Darroch (1638)
Who was Mulmorich Darroch? To find out, we are going back to 1638.
Doug Robertson
Jun 11, 20204 min read
146 views
2 comments
The Tradition of the Stone (1838)
Archie Darroch takes his children to their Mulmorich Darroch's 1638 graveslab to explain “the tradition of the stone.”
Doug Robertson
Jun 5, 20204 min read
84 views
1 comment
The Darrochs and the Parish (1834)
The parish plays a big role in Darroch family life. This story tells of their baby's christening, and Archie's invitation to be precentor.
Doug Robertson
May 28, 20204 min read
50 views
0 comments
Kate Milloy Moves to Upper Canada (1822)
What was it like to be the first white woman in a new frontier? Read the story of Kate Milloy and her family coming to Upper Canada.
Doug Robertson
May 22, 20204 min read
54 views
0 comments
Mary Milloy’s Childhood Family (1820s)
Our mothers typically have more sway in our lives than do our fathers. It's time we met John Darroch’s mother's family: the Milloys.
Doug Robertson
May 13, 20202 min read
65 views
0 comments
John Darroch's Birth (1822)
John Darroch is the direct ancestor of many of you. This post explores his birth and his mother's wish to move to Upper Canada.
Doug Robertson
Apr 30, 20203 min read
63 views
0 comments
Archie and Mary’s First Child, Kate (1821)
Archie Darroch and Mary Milloy are about to have their first child. This post explores the perils of pregnancy and childbirth in the 1800s.
Doug Robertson
Apr 9, 20204 min read
28 views
0 comments
Archie Darroch Marries Mary Milloy (1820)
John Darroch's parents were Archie Darroch and Mary Milloy. This post is about their courtship and imagines them planning their wedding.
Doug Robertson
Mar 27, 20203 min read
43 views
0 comments
Where In the World Is Clachan? (2011)
In 2011, Keith and Doug Robertson did a family history tour of Argyll, to visit the land of their Darroch and Robertson ancestors.
Doug Robertson
Jan 17, 20202 min read
57 views
2 comments
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