Searching for John McPherson, brother of Flora.

[SarahND]

Another bit of info that might help narrow it down, is what year he actually left Trinidad-- any idea on this? As David says, any details you can come up with might help!
Regards,
Sarah

[Jazminsdaddy]

Hello again.

He left Trinidad in 1913. He never married my great-grandmother and he probably wouldn't have told anyone he had children in Trinidad as having children with a black woman was probably not socially accepted back then.

I spoke to my Granny and because she was so young when he left she can't really tell me much else. She said she had a picture of him and the word "Monapenny" was stamped on the back.

The ship records list his occupation as "overseer" which would be accurate because he left Scotland to oversee an estate in Trinidad. That's assuming that is really him in the ship's records. But I can't imagine there would be more J.McPherson's travelling to Trinidad to be an overseer in the same approximate age range...

[SarahND]

Hi,
A google on Monapenny gives you this:

http://www.theglasgowstory.com/image.php?inum=TGSE00621

So Monapenny Studio appears to have been a photographic studio in Glasgow-- further confirmation of the Glasgow connection

Regards,
Sarah

[DavidWW]

Hello again.

He left Trinidad in 1913. He never married my great-grandmother and he probably wouldn't have told anyone he had children in Trinidad as having children with a black woman was probably not socially accepted back then.

That's what I half expected, but I didn't want to make any assumptions, and, yes, a black mistress and wains would not have gone down well in the society of that time, however much it had been the very common situation ever since Scots emigrated to the West Indies some centuries previously

I spoke to my Granny and because she was so young when he left she can't really tell me much else. She said she had a picture of him and the word "Monapenny" was stamped on the back.

See SarahND's neat detective work above re the photographer's studio in Glasgow.

The ship records list his occupation as "overseer" which would be accurate because he left Scotland to oversee an estate in Trinidad.

D**n and doubled**n, in the sense that I'd hoped that the occupation shown would be that on departing from Scotland, as opposed to that intended in Trinidad; as the former might have given a link back to the 1901 census.

That's assuming that is really him in the ship's records. But I can't imagine there would be more J.McPherson's travelling to Trinidad to be an overseer in the same approximate age range...

I have to agree.

OK, .... where are we ?.....

I see two possibilities.....

(a) He was kia in WW1, hence the lack of any subsequent contact with his wife (she was in the eyes of Scots law!) and kids.

Given his age, there's a possibility that the Commonwealth Graves Commission records, and next-of-kin links could lead back to a family with a sister Flora and a John with a matching year of birth, as well as a Glasgow link.

Problems here are the accuracy of the age where it is quoted, and the high proportion of CWGC records where no age is given.

(b) He survived WWI, but, for whatever reason never contacted his wife and wains back in Trinidad. Given what we know, I find this very hard to believe, so that I tend to (a).

Expanding on (a), a return to Scotland in 1913 implies that John was a member of the Reserve, based on earlier service, except that a 1913 return to Auld Scotia doesn't quite gel, as the UK declaration of war wasn't until 04Aug1914 ......................... but then how accurate is the memory that he returned to Scotland in 1913, as opposed to 1914, which would fit in with the historical facts and being a member of the Reserve.

Given the Glasgow connection, the obvious regimental connections are the HLI and the Scottish Rifles (The Cameronians) - does your granny have any memories at all that might connect to either of these Scottish regiments?


Based on his solemn promise to his kids, I'm more and more leaning towards the fact that he was kia in WWI.

David