John Graham McLaren and Janet Mirk Hendy
Introduction
Joe Riley and Elizabeth Helen McLaren married at the Salem Chapel in Bradford in Yorkshire on 10th April 1878. They were both aged around 21 or 22 years.. Elizabeth McLaren was the daughter of John Malcolm and Jane McLaren who lived in the Town of Bradford. Her McLaren grandparents originally came from highland Scotland before moving to Canada with the entire family except for Elizabeth McLaren's father. This page relates their story.
John Graham McLaren (1803 – 1869) and Janet Mirk Hendry (1805 – 1884)
John Graham McLaren entered the world around 1803 in the charming village of Kilmahog, located near Callander in Perthshire. The sole existing documentary evidence is a page within a family bible. While certain online genealogies attempt to trace his lineage back to McLarens from that specific region of Scotland, verifying this information poses a challenge.
The marriage of John Graham McLaren and Janet Mirk Hendry
John Graham McLaren and Janet Mirk Hendry united in marriage at Laurieston Presbyterian Church, located near Falkirk, on 18th August 1828. Laurieston, situated around 30 miles south of Callander, served as the sacred setting for their nuptials. Both John Graham McLaren and Janet Hendry were noted as "both of this parish" on their wedding certificate, indicating their local ties.
Regrettably, there is no additional information available to identify Janet Hendry's parents. Although there are records of a Janet Hendry born in 1804 to John Hendry and Agnes Findlay in Kirkintilloch, a parish approximately 20 miles from Laurieston, it remains inconclusive to directly establish a connection between these individuals.
The union of John Graham McLaren and Janet Hendry bore fruit in the form of their first child, John Malcolm McLaren, born in 1830. Subsequently, they were blessed with the arrival of Daniel McLaren (born 1832), William McLaren (1834), Ellen (1836), Mary (1837), and Jane McLaren (1839). According to birth registry records, the family resided in the Falkirk vicinity for an additional 11 years, extending beyond the birth of Jane McLaren in 1839.
Most of the McLaren family moved to Canada in 1849
By the time Janet Andrea Fleming (Euphemia) McLaren was born in 1841, the family had relocated to Manchester, England. In the 1841 census, they were recorded as residing in Mottram Street, Salford, a suburb of Manchester. The family welcomed two more daughters in the Manchester area: Elizabeth in 1842 and Dinah McLaren in 1845, with Dinah being born in Oldham, another suburb of Manchester.
The next documented record of the family dates back to 1849 when they boarded the Henry Clay, a Packet ship, and arrived in New York on 18th August. Their intended destination was Canada. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that by 1851, the family had settled in Flamboro West, an area within Wentworth County. John Graham McLaren was listed as a schoolmaster in the census, highlighting his occupation at the time.
Considering the records of other McLarens originating from Kilmahog, the town that John Graham McLaren potentially hailed from, it becomes apparent that several family members had emigrated to West Canada. Therefore, it is plausible that John Graham McLaren's family may have had acquaintances or connections in the district they settled in.
Life in Canada
John Graham and Janet McLaren's presence in Canada is further documented in the 1861 Canadian census, where they, along with their family, are recorded as residents of Ancaster Township, another region within Wentworth County. In various mid-1860s city directories, their address is listed as '2nd Concession, Lot 31'. This indicates a substantial parcel of land, and in the 1861 census, John Graham McLaren's occupation is stated as a farmer. Presently, this land falls within the boundaries of Copetown township, positioned between Hamilton Road and Slote Road.
Curiously, John Graham McLaren is not listed in the 1871 census for Wentworth council, although his wife and children are accounted for. It can be reasonably inferred that he passed away sometime around 1869-1870.
Following the loss of her husband, Janet Hendry McLaren chose to remain in the district and is recorded as residing in the St. Lawrence Ward of Hamilton in the 1871 and 1881 censuses. Sadly, she passed away on 9th January 1884 at the age of 79. It appears that the children of John Graham and Janet went on to establish their own families within the Hamilton area.