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EJ is no longer a member of GR, but you may get lucky if you try to contact Sue

Welcome to the boards.

As you are aware, this is an old thread and it is not likely to be spotted by the earlier posters.

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Greetings to all on this quiet thread, especially to my distant cousins Sue and Emma!
I would like to chip in with a bit more background information, and offer a theory.
I’m another descendant of Quintin McBlain (1818-1896), and while building my tree on Ancestry.ca, encountered the “Lady Annie Gordon” story in notes compiled by another family member, Bruce McBlain. Bruce organized a McBlain reunion in Canada in 1989, and his notes were distributed to interested family members.
From these notes it appears that the Annie Gordon stories came to Bruce from two sources: Laura Keatley, a great-granddaughter of Quintin (1818-1896) through his son Quintin (1853-1942), and from Gordon Greig, a great-grandson through Quintin’s son James.
Another interesting detail in the notes is that Laura’s mother, Quintin’s youngest child Mary (1870-1948), lived with her “Aunt Anderson’s family” for a time to attend school.

In compiling my own family tree I encountered the same conundrum as others here, in that the whole “Lady Annie Gordon” story can’t be substantiated by the historical records.

What the records from Scotland’s People show:

Baptisms of 3 children born to Quintin McBlain and Anne Gordon, in the parish of Maybole, Ayrshire:
20/07/1802 McBlain, John
18/07/1804 McBlain, Katharine
09/09/1806 McBlane, Elizabeth

Baptisms of 10 children born to James McBlain and Janet McClelland, in the parishes of Maybole (firstborn Thomas) and Kirkoswald (the other 9)
02/10/1809 McBlane, Thomas
08/01/1811 McBlain, Jean McJannet
29/06/1812 McBlain, Agnes
15/05/1814 McBlain, James
24/03/1816 McBlain, Helen
09/10/1818 Blain, Quinten
20/06/1820 McBlain, Anthony
30/06/1822 McBlair, Charles Ferguss
11/06/1824 Blain, Martha
26/10/1828 McBlain, Hugh

I tried to find death records for the four parents, but could find one only for James, who died in 1868. Janet probably died between 1841 and 1851, based on the censuses.

As for marriages, no record of Quintin McBlain and Anne Gordon, but James McBlain and Janet McClelland married 31 Oct 1808.
Catherine McBlain married a Thomas Latta on 15 Nov 1833. Although both had been born in Ayrshire, they were married in Stirlingshire. According to census records and his death registration, Thomas was a coachman. (!)
Quintin McBlain and Mary Strathdee married 11 Dec 1840.
Elizabeth McBlain may have married William Anderson around the same year and emigrated to Canada shortly after.

Records in Canada:
Elizabeth and William Anderson and their family first appear in the census of 1861, and can be traced thereafter in birth, marriage, and death records. According to Elizabeth’s obituary she arrived in 1840, and other records show that their eldest child, a daughter named Anne, was born in Canada in January of 1842.
Quintin McBlain and his wife Mary Strathdee arrived in Canada with their two youngest children in 1874.
A quarter of a century later their youngest daughter Mary (1870-1948) visited her brother James (1851- 1933) and his family in Manitoba, and there met, and in 1900 married, a James Keatley. The censuses of 1906, 1911, 1916 and 1921 show that Mary and James Keatley were living on a farm in Saskatchewan, and that their neighbours included Mary’s brothers James and Robert, and several of brother James’s children.

What the DNA evidence shows:
I have DNA links to more than 20 descendants of Quintin McBlain (1818-1896), and also to 2 descendants of Catherine and 1 of Elizabeth.

So, for what it’s worth, here is my theory:
Although they were 12 years apart in age and not biological siblings, Quintin and Elizabeth had some degree of shared experience in their childhood/youth, such that they considered each other as siblings. They may have been first or second cousins. Perhaps John, Catherine, and Elizabeth were orphaned young and raised by Quintin’s parents, or fostered by them for some other reason.

The bond was so strong that Quintin and Elizabeth reconnected in Canada after an absence of more than 30 years, Quintin settling near Elizabeth and her family in Huron County, Ontario.

While boarding with Elizabeth’s family, Quintin’s youngest daughter Mary (1870-1948) heard stories told by Elizabeth (“Aunt Anderson”, who would have been in her early 70s) that included such details as the names of Elizabeth’s parents, and the marriage (elopement?) of Elizabeth’s sister Catherine McBlain with a coachman. Mary later passed these stories to her daughter Laura Keatley (1902-1995), and to descendants of her brother James. Over the years the stories were enhanced and garbled: Anne Gordon’s elevation to the nobility, and the elopement-with-a-coachman story transferred from Elizabeth’s sister Catherine to their mother Anne Gordon. Because Quintin and Elizabeth had represented themselves as siblings, it was assumed by later generations that Elizabeth’s parents were also Quintin’s. The names of Quintin’s parents were forgotten.

Regarding Annie Gordon, I have to agree with ArgyllGran: “It’s more likely that she was an Ayrshire farmer's daughter.”
;-)

Leaving aside the tale of blue blood ... there may be some facts in the rest of it.

Canadian census records at Ancestry show this interesting family:


1916 Canada Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta

Name: Alex Mcblain
Gender: Male
Racial or Tribal Origin: Scotch (Scotish)
Nationality: Canadian
Age: 72
Marital Status: Married
Birth Year: 1844
Birth Place: Scotland
Year of Immigration: 1866
Home in 1916: Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Spouse: Isabelle Mcblain
Religion: Baptist
Can Speak English: Yes
Can Speak French: No
Can Read: Yes
Can Write: Yes
Occupation: Farmer
Employment status: Working on Own Account
Employer: Farm

Alex Mcblain 72
Isabelle Mcblain 65
Quinton Mcblain 41
Allan Mcblain 27
Kale Mcblain 25
Lizzie Mcblain 23
Duncan Mcblain 20


They were in Red Deer in 1901 as well.

In 1891, the family was in New Westminster, British Columbia:

Alex McBlane 44
Isabella McBlane 40
John Pleasted 26
Mary McBlane 19
Jennet McBlane 18
Quinton McBlane 15
Isabella McBlane 13
Alex McBlane 10
John McBlane 8
James McBlane 7
Anne McBlane 4
Allen McBlane 2

The eldest girl and boy in the household, Mary and Quinton, would have been named for Alex's parents (by convention, there should have also been an older girl named for Isabelle's mother), so that does seem to be a child of Quinton Jr and his wife Mary Strathdee.


The children's births in Ontario starting in 1873 can be seen here:

http://tinyurl.com/y8k6gtze


And yes:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FMFL-DX8

Name Alexander Mc Blain
Event Type Marriage
Event Date 29 Apr 1870
Event Place Hibbert, Perth, Ontario, Canada
Gender Male
Age 25
Birth Year (Estimated) 1845
> Father's Name Quinlin Mc Blain
> Mother's Name Mary Strathdee
Spouse's Name Isabella Mclean
Spouse's Gender Female
Spouse's Age 19
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated) 1851
Spouse's Father's Name John Mclean
Spouse's Mother's Name Janet Mcdougall

Hi Sue,

I am adding my lineage to ancestry.com and have also came to a stump with 'Lady Annie Gordon', through who I am related via her son QUINTON MCBLAIN (married MARY STRATHDEE), and his son James McBlain.

Below is what I have been given through a family member which may be of interest to you. I was born in Hamilton, NZ and believe I also have relatives still living in Hamilton, Canada (my Nana lived with them for a year when I was a child).

It sounds like we may be related...

Descendants of Duke of Gordon
Generation No. 1
1. DUKE OF1 GORDON. Child of DUKE OF GORDON is:
i. ANNIE2 GORDON.
Generation No. 2
2. ANNIE2 GORDON (DUKE OF1). She married QUINTON MCBLAIN. Notes for ANNIE GORDON: Lady Annie Gordon is one of five daughters of the Duke of Gordon of Argilshire. Lady Annie Gordon is said to be tall , slight, with flaxen hair, a beautiful women. Annie was crippled in one leg. Notes for QUINTON MCBLAIN: Quinten Mc Blain of Kenmuir was said to be 6'2' with black curly hair and very good looking. He was a coach driver for the Gordons. He had two brothers but we don't know what clan they belonged to. Marriage Notes for ANNIE GORDON and QUINTON MCBLAIN: When Lady Annie GorDdon decided to marry Quinten McBlain her family disinherited her and her friends abondoned her for marrying below her station in life, as he was a mere coachman. Annie decided she would follow Quiton where ever he would go, as the Gordons made sure he was unable to work anywhere in the area. They left Kenmuir and went down to Kilmarnack, Ayreshyre and settled there. They had four sons and one daughter. Two of there sons went to Alaska with the goldrush and one had a farm in Reddeer. When Annie father died her brother allowed her back into the family. Children of ANNIE GORDON and QUINTON MCBLAIN are:
i. JOHN3 MCBLAIN.
ii. GILBERT MCBLAIN. 3
iii. QUINTON MCBLAIN, b. 1817, Kilmarnack, Ayreshyre, Scotland; d. 1898, Keatley, Brussells, Ontario.
iv. JAMES MCBLAIN.

Regards
Emma

Thank you everyone - yes, I think I have to compromise and know that there was an Anne Gordon but that she wasn't necessarily a Duke's daughter. Got to be realistic about these things despite the pretty story. :-)

Re Anne's supposed aristocratic background:

There is no Kenmuir Castle in Perthshire.

The Dukes of Gordon (mentioned in Sue's OP),were Aberdeenshire-based - though doubtless had homes elsewhere, too.

In Kirkudbrightshire (next to Ayrshire), there was a line of Viscount Gordons, at Kenmure Castle, near New Galloway.
This is the family referred to by Margee, and they were distant relatives of the Aberdeenshire Dukes of Gordon.

"The Gordons of Kenmure were a cadet branch of the Aberdeenshire family, possibly descended from the 14th century Sir Adam Gordon."
http://gordoncastles.wikia.com/wiki/Kenmure


If Anne had aristocratic blood, it's more likely that she was one of the Kenmure bunch, as it's nearer Ayrshire.

As far as OPR records on SP go, these are the only possible Kirkcudbrightshire births, but none of them are particularly close to New Galloway:

18/05/1781 GORDON ANN JAMES GORDON/ F TWYNHOLM /KIRKCUDBRIGHT 883/00 0020 0041

31/01/1788 GORDON ANN
ROBERT GORDON/MARION CONCHIE FR31 (FR31) F KIRKMABRECK /KIRKCUDBRIGHT 873/00 0010 0026

21/06/1791 GORDON ANN THOMAS GORDON/MCGEE MITCHEL FR127 (FR127) F KIRKCUDBRIGHT /KIRKCUDBRIGHT 871/00 0010 0231

I suppose it's possible that one of those fathers was some relation of the Kenmure Gordons!
Otherwise, as already agreed, it's just a nice romantic story.

Muskoka doesn't claim that Anne was Lady Anne Gordon.

It'a more likely that she was an Ayrshire farmer's daughter.

OPR's are patchy, so the marriage record may have been lost, destroyed, or not made in the first place.

The only Ann(e) Gordon birth/baptism record on SP, in Ayrshire, 1760-95, is this one below.

17/07/1772 GORDON ANNE ALEXANDER GORDON/ F DAILLY /AYR 585/00 0010 0159

I confess I don't have any legal documentation from back then - it was hand written and handed down from generation to generation - but it has come down to me and also gone down to other cousins far and wide, across trees all over the place. Of course that doesn't make it a true and proven fact but it has certainly spread across the world, time and a lot of descendant families.
We do know that the youngest child of Quentin McBlain and Annie Gordon was purportedly a "Quentin" born around 1817 and he went on to marry Mary Strathdee.
That's not me on the Scotland link page although I have come across that and looked at it too.
The Muskoka person says he is coming down through Quentin and Mary Strathdee's eldest daughter, Janet - my line is coming down through their 4th child - James.
But he has the same dates I was given about Anne Gordon and the first known Quentin.
I agree there does seem a big gap between Anne and Quentin's third child Elizabeth born in 1806, then Gilbert then Quentin around 1817. Not impossible if there were some miscarriages or unrecorded births.
There doesn't appear to be any firm record of Anne and Quentin's marriage - they all say around 1800 - but then they all say she was born around 1791 which is ridiculous.

:-)

what I wonder is about your Quinten actually being a junior ... do you have references to his parents on a document, like his marriage record?

there is just such a large gap between those three documented births and your Quinten's

I would wonder whether the whole connection between him and Quinten Sr and Ann Gordon isn't just something somebody latched onto when they saw similar names

what does the McBlain+Strathee marriage record say about their parents?


I think this was probably you a decade ago :-)

http://www.scotland.com/forums/clans/18221-looking-macblain-clan.html

***************

The only records for a birth of a Quinten are:

20 Dec 1790 MCBLANE QUINTIN
Parents: JAMES MCBLANE/JANNET MCKELLOP FR376 M MAYBOLE

17 May 1792 MCBLAIN QUINTIN
Parent: JAMES MCBLAIN/ M KIRKOSWALD

***************


I just keep wondering about this one

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTKS-WM9

Name: Quinten Blain
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 09 Oct 1818
Christening Place: , KIRKOSWALD, AYR, SCOTLAND
Father's Name: James Blain
Mother's Name: Janet Mcclellan
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C11601-2

OK - thanks for that JoonieCloonie - I'm still coming to grips with the site and wasn't sure whether I should send message them or add to comments so thanks for letting me know that. Appreciate it.

This Annie Gordon is a real mystery lady. There's no doubt she existed - she keeps coming up as being the mummy with Quinten McBlain being the daddy to their kids. I've just been going over the LDS site again - with no luck there either.

well they fit rather perfectly :-)


just for info, Quinten in the censuses

1841
Name: Quintin Mcblain
Birth: abt 1816 - Ayrshire, Scotland
Residence: Tarbolton, Ayrshire
with wife Mary, daughter Janet and Mary's sister Janet

1851
Name: Quinten Mcblain
Spouse: Mary Strathdee
Birth: abt 1818 >>> Maybole, Ayrshire
Residence: Kilwinning, Ayrshire

1871
Name: Quinton Mcblain
Spouse: Mary Mcblain
Birth: abt 1818 - Maybole, Ayrshire
Residence: Kilwinning, Kilwinning, Ayrshire

There are these births:

09/09/1806 MCBLANE ELIZABETH QUINTIN MCBLANE/ANNE GORDON FR517 (FR517) F MAYBOLE /AYR 605/00 0030 0065

20/07/1802 MCBLAIN JOHN QUINTIN MCBLAIN/ANNE GORDON FR501 (FR501) M MAYBOLE /AYR 605/00 0030 0049

18/07/1804 MCBLAIN KATHARINE QUINTIN MCBLAIN/ANNE GORDON FR501 (FR501) F MAYBOLE /AYR 605/00 0030 0049

Credits on ScotlandsPeople would let you view/save/copy/print the image. Unfortunately, as it's an OPR, it doesn't give any more info than in the transcription, except that they lived at Pinmore

there's a peer in my lineage too, according to the now long-deceased tale teller :-D
... not sure how the daughter of an ag lab married to a son of an ag lab ran into him when they didn't live anywhere near ... but it would explain a lot of loopholes in the 'real' story! I think there was indeed an irregular birth or two there, but I think the daddy was probably the farmer's son next door ...

actually there's a real peer on the other side of the family ... but only if you count up about 8 generations and back down a few again to where the money from that distant generation of wealthy farmers ended up and a life title was bestowed ... while mine in that line were prosperous tradespeople ...

mind, a sibling of the spouse of a sibling of the spouse of a sibling of the ancestor with the tall tale did have a daughter who married a peer ... long chain of marrying up, there :-)

Thanks so much for all the replies - I'm almost glad that it's not only me scratching my head over this one. I just thought perhaps I was going mad!
Would love to know the real story though.

See Wills on Scotlandspeople free to search and can be bought and downloaded for £5.,---------each lineage seems to have left a Will and gives date of death.

According to Wikipedia the estates had been forfeit at the time of her birth so she couldn't have been Lady Ann.

The 6th Viscount took part in the Jacobite Rising of 1715 and was subsequently beheaded and his estates forfeit. By 1790 Kenmure Castle was described as a ruin.[4]

The viscountcy was restored to Captain John Gordon in 1824

A tree on Ancestry says that Ann Gordon was born 1791, Kenmuir Castle, Perthshire but that would have made her aged 11 when her first child was born.

Is this his death?

Quintin McBlain

in the Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947
Record Image View

Name: Quintin McBlain
Gender: Male
Birth Year: abt 1817
Birth Place: Scotland
Age at Death: 79
Death Date: 11 Jul 1896
Death Place: Huron, Ontario, Canada

Age was 79 years, 6months, 14 days.

Hey Joonie! I resent that! I'm an emigrant, are you accusing me of telling tall tales? Well, maybe, sometimes.