John Knox Forsyth and Jane Elizabeth Hunter

John Knox Forsyth, son of Charles of Weston, was born 1862 and died in Weston in 1934.

He was a millwright.  His daughter, Mary, became a nurse and married a George Shellhorn.  Ray Hunter Forsyth married firstly, a Gertrude Porter who was American, in Winnipeg.  Their divorce record and Ray's remarriage are on ancestry.com in the state of Florida.  He apparently died in Florida, although both he and his sister Mary, are buried in Weston

W.R. Forsyth of Medicine Lodge, Kansas

William Robert Forsyth was the son of  Charles Forsyth and Margaret Pirritte.  He married Elizabeth Jackson .

                             Photo taken in Toronto of Wm R Forsyth and wife Elizabeth Jackson

                   Photo taken in Wichita, Kansas of Wm R. Forsyth and his wife, Elizabeth.

                                         W.R. Forsyth and Elizabeth Jackson in later years.

1895 Census - Kansas, Barber Valley (County?)
Census taken March 1st
W.R. Forsyth, 34, Merchant
Elizabeth J. Forsyth


1920 Census - Kansas, Medicine Lodge
William R. Forsyth, 59, b. Canada 1861, Immigrated 1894 (citizenship1905)
Furniture store / Undertaker
Elizabeth Forsyth, 55
Charles L. Forsyth, 22, nephew



1925 Census - Kansas, Medicine Lodge
W.R. Forsyth, 64, widower, furniture dealer, own store

Forsyth Monuments at Riverside Cemetery, Weston, Ontario

                                            Monument for John Knox Forsyth family.

Monument for Charles Foryth family.

Topographical Map of the Northern Part of Macaulay Twp

A topographical map of the northern concessions of Macaulay Township -  Just opposite the red number on the No. 11 Highway, a gold road runs across the railway tracks.  This is probably the old Forsyth land.  It would seem that the highway (Lone Pine Drive) was built at the same time as the railway.  Oral history states that the Forsyths boarded workers who were building the railway and that the railway tracks went through one of their lots. Also visible is Parkersville where the Forsyths attended school and church.  The school house is still there (now a home) but the church was dismantled.

Stephenson Cemetery, Muskoka

Stephenson Cemetery, Muskoka

Dirleton Postcards

       Top left going clockwise:  North Berwick, a mill, Dirleton Castle ruins, Gullane Beach

Charles Forsyth of Weston, Ontario

From the Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of York Ontario 1907

CHARLES FORSYTH, one of the prominent citizens and successful business men of Weston, County York, Ont., engaged in contracting and building, was born at West Fenton, in the parish of Dirleton, County of Haddington, Scotland, April 14. 1833, son of John and Charlotte Forsyth, natives of that country.

John Forsyth was born in 1804, and his wife in 1796. They came to Canada in 1863, settling on a farm in Muskoka, Macaulay town ship, County Simcoe [now Muskoka], where he died in 1885, three years after the death of his wife. They were both members of the Presbyterian Church in which he had been deacon in the old country. To John Forsyth and wife were born four children: Alice, born in Scotland, April 3, 1831, married James McNee, of Muskoka, Macaulay township, and at her death left four children, John, James, Ellen and Charlotte; John, born in Scotland in 1835, married and settled on a farm near the old homestead, where he has reared a large family; Charles; and Robert, born in Scotland in 1838, there learned the tailoring trade, which he is now following in Dundas, where with his wife and two children, Kate and Charlotte, he now makes his home.

Charles Forsyth received his literary training in his native country, where he was reared to manhood and learned the trade of a mill wright. On July 21, 1855, he sailed from Liverpool on the sailing vessel "Emerald Isle," but after being out six days the ship was compelled to return to port on account of being disabled. It finally reached New York, Sept. 13, 1855, from which city Mr. Forsyth made his way at once to St. Catharines, Ontario, and then engaged in work at the village of Weston, with a Mr. Laurie.  

In 1857 Mr. Forsyth married Miss Margaret Pirritte, born in 1835, daughter of John and Joanna Pirritte. In 1858 Mr. Forsyth purchased real estate and erected a home on Maria street, where he lived for six years. In 1867 he purchased real estate on Main street, building two fine homes, and he is also the owner of other valuable property.

Mr. and Mrs. Forsyth are the parents of children as follows:

*Charlotte passed away in March, 1874 ;

*William R., born in "Weston in 1860, married to Miss Lizzie Jackson, of Weston, is now a resident of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, where he owns and operates a feed-mill;

*John K., born in 1862, a millwright, of Toronto, married at Toronto Elizabeth Hunter, of Markham, and has two children, Ray and Mary;

*Margaret Scott, born in July, 1865, is a music teacher at Weston, and also followed that profession for four years in Kansas, where she had gone to visit her brother;

*Isabelle Allison, born in 1868, married Thomas Jewell, who is engaged in the mercantile business at Enid, Oklahoma, and they have one son, Clifford F. ;

*Miss Annie Elizabeth, born in 1870, resides at home ;

*Charles, born in 1872, married Miss Annie Nixon, and they settled in Toronto, where he died in 1897, leaving one son, Charles L., now in Kansas, who was reared and educated by his grandparents in Weston; *James Pirritte, born in Weston, in 1875, married Miss Jessie Wilby, of Weston, and they now reside in Edmonton, Northwest Territory, where he is engaged as a hardware merchant, and they have two children, Charles and Margaret;

*Miss Mabel, born in Weston in 1877, resides at home.

Mr. and Mrs. Forsyth are members of the Methodist Church, of which for many years Mr. Forsyth has been a trustee. In politics a Reformer, he has filled the position of school trustee for a number of years. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons and Odd Fellows.

For over fifty years Mr. Forsyth has been a resident of Weston, and during this long period has done much to further movements of benefit to the village. He is a self-made man, and is highly esteemed by all with whom he has come into contact.

Received from C. Forsyth, Nov, 2012 (Decendant of James P. Forsyth)

Life and Death in Dirleton Parish - Local History Book

While in Dirleton, we met up with a local historian who lives at Lilac Cottages as shown on the map.  He very kindly shared his understanding of the era when our ancestors lived in the parish, and I purchased a copy of the book below which was written by the members of the history society to which he belongs.

 

Text from this book to follow.

Photos from 'Life and Death in Dirleton Parish'

When I visited Dirleton (pronounced like 'girl'), I did not see the farm behind the castle ruins because we were on the road on the other side of the castle and probably looking at a more scenic view toward the coast.  It was a splendid day and the view from the ruins was terrific.  East Lothian is apparently the sunny part of Scotland and we were lucky to have several good days.  We stayed in North Berwick, on the coast, and took a local bus to Dirleton.  North Berwick is 30 minutes from Edinburgh by train.

Perhaps, some of our relatives.  Date unknown.

     50 years after the Forsyths left, but probably typical of farming methods when they were therer.

                                        Typical farm cottages given to hired agricultural labourers. 

Music from the BORDERS

The above map was taken from an album called O'er the Border by the Scots piper, Gordon Mooney which can be purchased on-line. 

Highlighted in greeen are the towns of interest in the Forsyth family history.  In the notes from this album the following is included under the title of a tune called The Highway to Linton:

     'The Highway to Linton is the old drove road that crosses the Pentlands from West Linton to the 
     Catslackburn and was formerly the main route for cattle droving down from the Highlands
     through the Borders to English markets.  The introduction of the improved 'Linton' breed of
     sheep from the Border uplands into the Highlands of Scotalnd brought to an end the droving
     trades, and also led to the Highland Clearances and their dire social consequences.'

It is thought that Helen Scott was from Catslackburn nearYarrow.  Perhaps she met James Forsyth who was from the West Linton area because this was a well-travelled route between the two areas.

Several other tunes on this album mention Yarrow - The Flower O'Yarrow written about a Mary Scott
and published in 1687 - Willie's Drowned in Yarrow from 1733

Militia Records

'PENICUIK VOLUNTEERS (From Annals of Penicuik - online)

'Since the beginning of the present century, the inhabitants of Penicuik, owing to the proximity of Glencorse garrison, have been very familiar with the sight and sound of arms. Even before that time, however, many parishioners had loyally responded to the call for enrollment in the Midlothian contingent of the Scottish Volunteer Militia, their hearts being stirred up to give willing service in the defence of their native land against threatened French invasion. After the renewal of hostilities between the two countries in 1803 this corps was embodied, and continued so till the 3d of April 1815.

'The next great volunteer military movement which sprang up in the country, and in which Penicuik shared, was in the year 1859. Its occasion was the return of time French Emperor from his victorious Italian campaign, and the general alarm which prevailed lest his next efforts should be directed against Great Britain. These fears were probably groundless, but they l)roitglit forth evidence of the loyalty and bravery of the British people. Within it few weeks 200,000 men were under drill, of whom 40,000 were reported able to take their place in line of battle.

'Two Companies were formed in Penicuik, with a third small sub-division in Roslin, all under the command of Captain Sir James Clerk, Bart. No. 1 Company was in charge of the Commandent with Lieut. E. S. M'Dougal and Ensign Tait as subalterns. No. 2 had for senior officer Captain Cowan of Beeslack, Lieut. Charles J. Wallah, and Ensign George Cowan, while the Roslin Company had two commissioned officers in the persons of Hezekiah J. Merricks and William Merricks. No. 1 Company vas largely composed of farmers, village merchants, and tradesmen, many of whom were constitutionally unfit for hard service, but who yet, on 7th August 1860, went through the fatigues of that famous Queen's Review day in Edinburgh with a spirit and determination not surpassed by any of their younger and more agile brothers in arms.'

[Must check the dates in this article and correct the typos.  However, there was a Midlothian Militia, and although it doesn't seem that James spent any time away from home (birth dates of children), he might appear on a militia list if one has survived.