William McCormick

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William McCormick with his second wife Elizabeth (nee McMillan)

William McCormick (1806–1900) was born in Kintyre, Argyleshire, Scotland and died in Puslinch Township, Ontario, aged 94. Through his second marriage to Elizabeth MacMillan, he was the father of Mary McCormick, grandfather of Williamina Bessie Coulter, and great-grandfather of Ruth Newman:

William McCormick -> Mary McNaughton -> Williamina Bessie Coulter -> Ruth Newman

One of his four sons (Archibald McCormick, William McCormick Jr., Donald McCormick, or John McCormick) may have been a "bachelor hermit" who died in 1941, since family lore indicates that Ruth Newman's parents "inherited $7000 from the hermit (!) bachelor uncle of mother".

Early Life

William was born in Kintyre, Argyleshire, Scotland in 1806. He was engaged in farming in his native Argyleshire, and prior to emigrating to Canada, served for three years as a member of the police force of the city of Greenock. From this period he cherished many interesting reminiscences, as well as a tangible token of the high esteem in which he was held by the captain of the force.

Immigration to Canada

William came to Puslinch in 1841. The voyage from Glasgow to Montreal was aboard a vessel the family later recalled as the "Lady Charlotte," described as a sailing vessel of three hundred tons carrying four hundred passengers. The journey occupied five weeks and three days—faster than the average in those days. The crew consisted of the Captain and four sailors, but certain passengers more or less skilled in navigation took turns at the wheel and otherwise supplemented the numerical weakness of the crew.

Note on the Ship

The specific vessel "Lady Charlotte" has not been definitively identified in surviving shipping records. The 1906 biography was written from family recollections over six decades after the voyage, and ship names were often remembered imprecisely. Pre-1865 Canadian passenger lists are extremely rare, as shipping companies were not required to keep or report passenger manifests to the government until that year.

What can be reasonably confirmed:

  • The McCormick family emigrated from Glasgow in 1841
  • They arrived at Montreal
  • The voyage duration (5-6 weeks) was standard for sailing ships crossing the Atlantic
  • Ships of 250-350 tons commonly carried 300-500 emigrants on the Glasgow-Quebec/Montreal route

A vessel named Charlotte (290 tons, built Sunderland, owned by A. Grey of Newcastle) appears in Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping (1841), but this ship was registered for the Cape of Good Hope trade route out of Newcastle, not the transatlantic emigrant trade from Glasgow. It is unlikely to be the vessel that carried the McCormick family.

The actual ship may have had "Charlotte" in its name (e.g., Charlotte, Lady Charlotte, Princess Charlotte), or the name may have been conflated with another vessel over the years of family retelling.

The journey from Montreal to Puslinch, via Ottawa (then Bytown), Kingston and Hamilton, took two weeks' time.

Settlement in Puslinch

Mr. McCormick, with his wife and family, came direct to Puslinch, where he purchased rear lot 19, Gore, from the widow of Captain George Lamprey. At that time, the farm was all bush and contained many of the large pines for which the Gore of Puslinch was once famous. The farm was cleared by Mr. McCormick and his sons; many of the larger pines being sold for a dollar apiece to Charles Mickle, who had a sawmill on lot 22, con. 1.

Public Life

William was a Reformer in politics and took a deep interest in school and church matters. He served as a Trustee of S.S. No. 6 for years, and was a leader in Knox Church, Crieff, until his death.

Death

William died at the homestead in February 1900, aged 94.

Marriages and Children

First Marriage

William married first Jane MacKay in Scotland.

Children from first marriage:

  • Archibald McCormick – died in Scotland
  • Daughter ("Mrs. John Currie") – Middlesex County (name unknown) (her husband coincidentally has the name "Currie" but is unrelated to John Currie of Almonte, Ontario and great-grandfather of Michael Currie)
  • William McCormick Jr. – born in Scotland; owned and worked rear lot 18 of the Gore, Puslinch
  • Donald McCormick – born in Puslinch; owned front lot 19, con. 1, in Puslinch
  • John McCormick – had his forge on lot 19, on the site of the first forge established in the district
  • Daughter (Mrs. Colin Campbell) – of Dorchester, Ontario (name unknown)

Second Marriage

William later married Elizabeth MacMillan, daughter of Angus MacMillan of Puslinch.

Children from second marriage:

Inheritance in the 1990s

According to family lore, a descendant of William passed away in the 1990s, leaving Ruth Newman with an inheritance. The direct line of descent is:

The inheritance may have come through a sibling or cousin of this line, possibly through Catherine McCormick or another relative. The exact details of this connection remain unclear.

The McCormick Family of Puslinch

William was part of a larger McCormick family emigration from Kintyre, Scotland to Puslinch Township. Among the first settlers of Puslinch township who came from Kintyre, few were earlier than the MacCormicks.

Malcolm McCormick (Pioneer)

The first member of this family to arrive in Canada was Malcolm McCormick, who came to Puslinch in 1833, two years after his arrival in Canada, and settled first on lot 10 of the Gore.

Malcolm's children (8 sons and 4 daughters):

Sons:

Daughters:

Archibald and Neil McCormick

Archibald McCormick and Neil McCormick were the next members of the family to arrive in Canada after Malcolm. Archibald was drowned at Toronto, and Neil died in Puslinch in early manhood.

Notable Descendants

Malcolm McCormick (Educator)

Malcolm McCormick, son of William and Elizabeth (MacMillan) McCormick, was born on the Puslinch homestead. His portrait appeared in the Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario (1906).

Education:

  • Public schools at Crieff and Killean
  • Georgetown Academy
  • Galt Collegiate Institute (under Dr. Tassie)
  • Ontario Business College, Belleville (graduated; taught for two years on staff)
  • Eastman College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (graduated with first-class honours; taught as associate professor in the practical department)
  • Queen's University (graduated with first-class honours in literature and philosophy)

University Achievements:

  • Cameron Gaelic Scholarship – best speaker, reader and writer of Scottish Gaelic
  • Elected orator of his year by fellow students
  • First in modern languages in third year
  • Appointed critic for the Modern Language Society
  • Appointed to staff of Queen's University as tutor in French language (fourth year)

Career:

In 1884, Malcolm founded the Guelph Business College, opening on September 1st of that year. The college took high rank as an educational institution for youth of both sexes, with students representing over twenty states, provinces and territories attending its classes.

Principal MacCormick emphasized the principle that quality is more important than quantity, aiming not only at educating the mental faculties and training the hand, but especially at building up strong, reliable, and public-spirited character.

He was independent in politics, took a deep interest in all national and imperial questions, and had the distinction of having founded, in his own college, the first Canadian Club. He is thus in no small degree responsible for the rapidly developing interest in Canadian questions, due to the widespread establishment of Canadian clubs throughout the continent.

Malcolm was a Presbyterian, closely identified with St. Andrew's Church, Guelph, during the pastorates of the late Rev. Dr. Smith and Rev. Dr. Eakin, both of whom were members of the faculty of the Guelph Business College.

Literary Work:

Principal MacCormick was an ardent student of literature and language, giving instruction by conversational methods in English, French, German and Scottish Gaelic, as well as instruction in Latin and Ancient Greek as occasion required. His literary work included metrical translations in Latin, French, German and Gaelic, as well as original compositions in both English and Gaelic verse. He was accorded an honored place among Scottish-Canadian poets, and was perhaps the only native Canadian littérateur up to that time who had written both Gaelic and English verse.

McCormick Family History

The name Malcolm (Gaelic: Calum or Colum; Latin: Columba) has been handed down in the McCormick family for generations. Three generations back from the 1906 biography, Malcolm MacCormick served in the British Navy under Lord Nelson and, in defence of the Empire, lost his life at Gibraltar on the battleship Malta under Sir Robert Calder.

Family Tree Summary

William McCormick's Relatives:

Parents/Ancestors:

Siblings (from Malcolm McCormick, pioneer – relationship to William unclear but same family):

First Wife:

Children (First Marriage):

Second Wife:

Children (Second Marriage):

In-Laws:

Grandchildren:

Great-Grandchildren:

Other Associated Persons:

  • Captain George Lamprey – previous owner of William's farm (via his widow)
  • Charles Mickle – sawmill owner who purchased pines from William
  • Dr. Tassie – headmaster at Galt Collegiate Institute
  • Rev. Dr. Smith – pastor at St. Andrew's Church, Guelph
  • Rev. Dr. Eakin – pastor at St. Andrew's Church, Guelph
  • Sir Robert Calder – commander of battleship Malta

Sources

  • Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario. Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906
  • Rootsweb Wellington County Pioneers - MacCormick, William
  • Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, 1841 – Entry for the ship Charlotte (Newcastle): Ship: Charlotte (Sw = Snow-rigged); Master: N. Potts; Tons: 290; Build Where: Sunderland; Build When: 1841; Owners: A. Grey; Port Belonging To: Newcastle; Destined Voyage: Sld.C.GH. (Sunderland survey port, Cape of Good Hope trade); Classification: 8 A 1. Note: This vessel was engaged in the Cape trade, not the Glasgow-Montreal emigrant route, and is unlikely to be the ship referenced in the McCormick family biography.

See Also

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