Paul Family History

(The following is a compilation by Harald Wolf from many sources; most of the John Paul material was received from his great granddaughter Maureen Patricia Watt Shields when we first connected in July 2002)

Last updated Nov 12, 2009

The Paul's are just one of the many families in our family history - genetically of no greater interest that any other. However, partly due to the large families and to fortuitous connections, a number of stories can be told, tracing the family members through history.

Note: Daphne and mother Nancy visited Kintyre in Sept 2004 from whenst Lydia's family came almost exactly 100 years ago.

One researcher (Isabel Jessie Watt Turner) determined that the Paul family came to the British isles from France during the Huguenot persecution (around 1685?). One brother settled in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England; another went to Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland; and the third went to Aberdeen, Scotland.

The first James Paul we know of and wife Margaret Sterling are the parents of the John at the top of the tree above, born 1700 in Glasgow. His grandson, James, born c. 1795, and his wife, Margaret McClure, had four children; the oldest, another James, is the family head who led to all the descendants discussed below.

There were five children, that I know of, in James Paul and Lydia Purdie's family, all born in Ayr, Ayrshire:

	James (b. 09 Feb 1845)
	Sara Maria (b. 28 Jul 1847)
	William Gunning Campbell (b. 07 Sept 1851 d. 20 May 1904)
	Sara Maria Purdie (b. 05 May 1853)
	John (b. 28 Jun 1854 d. 16 Jun 1923)

Lewis McCann has one other brother listed, Henry Crawford Paul, but we haven't been able to verify this. Also, we are not sure if there were actually two Sara's; it is possible that the earlier one died at or soon after birth and that the name was re-used, or that this is a mistake.

Of these children, the most is know about William and John, both of whom have lots of descendants in Canada. Some believe that James actually was first to come to Manitoba, but no trace has been found.

But the adventures started back in Scotland:

William

"William Gunning Campbell Paul" is a rather unusual name in a family and an era when names tended to be far simpler. I'm sure there is a story behind it, but we have yet to find it. But the Internet is a great tool for digging things up, and I've discovered there was a "William Gunning Campbell" - a barrister and deputy-lieutenant for Ayrshire, and who would have been about the same age as WGCP's grandparents - maybe they chose to honour this man for his fame or for his friendship.

Another possibility is a greater stretch: a fairytale couple, albeit about a hundred years before "Willie" was born - he, John Campbell, fifth Duke of Argyll (1723-1806) - she, Elizabeth Gunning, widow of the sixth Duke of Hamilton, a celebrated beauty, subject of painters and poets, as well as controversy about how she used her beauty to marry into nobility. Now, this fairytale took place in and near Campbeltown, Kintyre, Argyllshire, across the bay from Ayr, and where the family moved sometime between 1864 (birth of their last child, who died in infancy) and 1871(1871 census). it is here that Willie became a successful draper and married Margaret Turner Montgomery, and to have his even dozen kids.

Willie owned a drapery store in Campbeltown and apparently did many good deeds, including helping "the drunks", and became known as the "Spurgeon of the North".

His in-laws had not given up having babies, though their oldest daughter was now married, and they named one of them William Gunning Campbell Montgomery - a rather resounding endorsement of their new son-in-law!

click for more

But times were tough in that part of Scotland at the turn of the century. It seems older brother James had made his way to Canada, and Willie's family decided to follow (as did younger brother John, as we'll see below) but, sadly, two weeks before the boat was to sail, Willie died of a massive stoke!

[His obituary is still around ....]

I would suspect that assets would have been rearranged in preparation for leaving, so the widowed Margaret probably had little choice but to follow through on the plans - so off she went to Manitoba with her 12 kids in tow! The whole town came out to bid farewell (played: Will ye no come back again)."

The family travelled on the S.S. Corinthian, owned by the Montreal Allen family, leaving Glasgow on 02 July 1904 and arriving in Montreal on 13 July. Then on by train to Winnipeg, where they stayed with John's family for something like three weeks, before other arrangements could be made. John helped the older boys get jobs.

Margaret Turner Montgomery Paul Twenty two years later, one of Margaret's nieces, Elizabeth MacCallum, came for a one-year visit, and ended up marrying her first cousin Archie. Their only child was Peter Paul, who supplied me with the Montgomery genealogy in 1990 in Ottawa. Interestingly, Peter and wife Winifred, now live in Glasgow.

Montgomery

I have acquired a history of this Montgomery lineage, complete with a lot of tenuous connections. It seems these Montgomeries established a stronghold in Ayrshire and spread out from there. The first I have in Kintyre is John, born 1701 in Campbeltown, whose descendents settled around Southend:

John Montgomery b. 1701 Campbeltown
-James Montgomery
-- Archibald Montgomery b. 1779
-- m. Barbara MacVicar 1802 Southend
--- Duncan Montgomery (1802-1870) m. Flora Drain (1810-1878)
--- (Duncan and Flora are listed elsewhere on this site as buried in Keil cemetery)
--- 10 children, including:
---- Archibald Montgomery (b. 1834 Machrimoremill, Southend)
---- m. Elizabeth Douglas McPherson
----- 11 children, including:
----- Margaret Turner Montgomery (1859, Roseneath, Dunbarton - Canada)
------- m. William Gunning Campbell Paul (1851, Ayr - 1904, Campbeltown)
------- 12 children, including:
--------- Lydia Paul (1884, Campbeltown - 1956, Montreal)
--------- Margaret Nancy Lydia Dawson (1923, Montreal - living France)
----------- 4 daughters, all born in Montreal, living in France, Spain, Mexico and Canada

The only maternal lineage I have found is for Flora Drain, born to Archibald O'Drain (of Irish origin) and Mary Beaton.

John

William's younger brother John had a fascinating early life as well ....

John Paul was born in Ayr, on June 28,1857. He was apprenticed as a tailor and cutter and, at the age of 21, he boarded the steamship "Para" of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company to take up a 3-year position in Georgetown, Demerara, British Guiana to ply his trade.

In 1881 he married Alice Eliza Anne Cook, the descendent of both Dutch and British plantation owners, and their first four children were born in British Guiana. During the 10 or 11 years he lived in British Guiana he went back to Scotland only once, taking his wife Eliza and first three children (Winnie, Allie, and Belle) with him. The trip back was an attempt to clear up “the Liver Complaint” (now known as cirrhosis of the liver, often caused by alcohol abuse or hepatitis, which is rather common in the tropics). He went back after about a year because his business partner in BG was not doing too well. Another child, and first son, John C. F. was born in Demerara before ill health forced John Paul's return to Scotland, probably in 1888 or 1889.

The family lived for a while in Glasgow, but his health didn’t start to improve until he moved out into the country near Stirling, and worked in the open air, raising goats and vegetables. His daughter Sara was born there. Once his health improved he again took up his trade and spent two years near Londonderry in Ireland. After this he moved his family briefly to Barnsley in Yorkshire, where a son Clifford was born. The next move was to Sheffield, where 4-month old Clifford died. Here John Paul went into partnership with a friend and opened a tailor shop at Shalesmoor. His son Thomas was born here. The family lived in Sheffield for 10 years. John’s health continued to be poor and in 1903 he and his eldest son John came out to Canada to Greswold, near Winnipeg, Manitoba. They didn’t find work there, so they moved to Winnipeg where his wife and the rest of the family joined them in March 1904.

[Later, daughter "Allie" (Alice Vivian) wrote: Shortly after we had arrived in Winnipeg, my Father’s brother and family from Campbeltown, Scotland, arranged to come to Canada . It was a big undertaking as there were 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls. Tragically the night before they were to sail, my Uncle died in his sleep. My Father cabled the family to come by the next boat - my Aunt and 12 children, aged from 3 years to 24 years old. For three weeks the family stayed with us - 21 persons altogether, quite a houseful. Eventually they were able to get a house for the family. My father had spoken for positions for the elder ones in the family before they arrived, so they settled in Winnipeg for some years before different ones of the family got married and moved to other parts of Canada.]

In 1905 John and family moved farther west to Alberta. Paul homestead at Paul Lake. John even attempted homesteading, but his land was purchased back by the government to become part of Elk Island National Park which - to this day, has a Paul Lake! The final move was to Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, where he once again opened a tailor shop. He also served as Police Magistrate and Sheriff's Bailiff for 14 years.

John Paul died on June 16, 1923 (read his obituary); his wife died in Edmonton on Oct. 22, 1926 - they are both buried in Fort Saskatchewan.

Summary of John and Alice Paul's children:

Winnifred Irene Lydia PAUL was born 2 DEC 1881 in Georgetown, British Guiana, and died 25 FEB 1926 in Ft. Sask., AB. She married John Westrop PEACOCK 18 APR 1911 in Ft. Saskatchewan, AB. He was born 19 NOV 1868 in Hamilton, ON, and died 30 DEC 1912 in Sandon, BC. She married Frederick Sinclair WALKER 7 MAR 1917 in Ft Saskatchewan, AB. He was born 17 OCT 1870 in Centralia, ON, and died 17 MAY 1940 in Ft. Saskatchewan, AB.
Alice Vivian PAUL was born 25 JUN 1883 in Georgetown, and died 26 FEB 1980 in Prince George, BC. She married George WATT 25 JUL 1907 in Ft. Saskatchewan, AB. He was born 8 JUN 1883 in Aberdeen, Scotland, and died 13 FEB 1943 in Milner, BC.
Isobelle Eliza PAUL was born 20 NOV 1885 in Georgetown, and died 26 JUN 1971 in Sidney, BC. She married Joseph Henry BREADY 20 JAN 1921 in Coppice Hill, AB. He was born 6 MAY 1889 in Kernia, Nebraska, and died 12 JAN 1963.
John Cameron Frazer PAUL was born 4 NOV 1888 in Georgetown, and died 17 FEB 1971 in Edmonton, AB. He married Jessie McBeth GILBERTSON 12 JAN 1916. She was born 19 SEP 1889 in Caledonia, ON, and died 17 OCT 1972 in Edmonton, AB.
Sara Maria Purdie PAUL was born 6 AUG 1890 in Longcroft Cottage, Haggs, Stirling County, (Bonnie Bridge), Scotland., and died 16 JUL 1966 in Edmonton, AB. She married John McKendrick HUGHES 20 JAN 1910 in Fort Saskatchewan, AB. He was born 15 AUG 1882 in Bass River, NB, and died 13 JAN 1967 in Edmonton, AB.
Henry Clifford PAUL was born 11 FEB 1892 in Darnsley, Yorkshire, and died 28 JUN 1892 in Sheffield.
Thomas William Howles PAUL was born 18 MAY 1894 in Sheffield, and died 24 MAR 1969 in Grande Prairie, AB. He married Norah Annie FISH 20 MAR 1922 in Grande Prairie, AB. She was born 16 JUN 1901 in Clapham, London, and died 14 FEB 1978 in Fort Saskatchewan.

More to come . . .

Notes

The Huguenots were French protestants who were adherents to John Calvin who brought about reformation in the Church in the 16th century at about the same time that Martin Luther was doing the same thing in Germany. These Huguenots had to flee their homeland due to the persecution that were so prevalent in those days. They were killed by the thousands at the whim of the Church such as in Nantes where 1,200 were killed in a single day. 500,000 Huguenots came to the UK after Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes that had allowed Protestants to practice their religion. Many spent time in huge refuge camps in Holland, waiting for countries to accept them.
Campbeltown (Kinlochkilkerran) - Argyll and Bute (modern); Argyllshire (100 years ago)
This is a modern description: The chief town and port of the Kintyre Peninsula of Argyll and Bute, Campbeltown sits at the head of Campbeltown Loch, 30 miles (48 km) south of Tarbert. A former seat of the Kings of Dalriada, the site was granted by King James V to the Campbells of Argyll who were charged with maintaining royal power and authority in this rebellious corner of Scotland. The Campbells later created Kilkerran Castle and renamed the existing small settlement Campbeltown. Lowlanders from Ayrshire and Renfrewshire settled in the town in the 17th Century, enhancing its status as a burgh of barony (1667) and a royal burgh (1700). The town developed in association with coal mining, herring fishing, boat building and whisky distilling, all of which went into decline at the beginning of the 20th Century. Of the 36 distilleries that once operated in Campbeltown, only a handful survive. Now an agricultural service centre and tourist resort with a small shipyard and food processing industries, Campbeltown has the oldest surviving cinema in Scotland and a local museum.