There are many branches of the Graham clan in Scotland, including lowland branches of Grahams, called the Grahams of Esk, Netherby and Norton-Conyers.  They were "border reviers" - outlaws and highwaymen - who gave the English a good deal of trouble on the border of Scotland and England.  Because of this, they were "removed" to Northern Ireland in the early 1600's.  Many Grahams today descend from these Irish-Scot Grahams.

It is quite probable that Roderick Graham was a descendant from this group in Cavan County.  As a young man, he left Ireland and sailed for Canada in about the year 1835.  On the boat coming over he met a young couple that had two or three children.  This family was the Hammells.  About the time they reached Canada, they met with a violent storm which drove them back out to sea, making the trip very long and hard.  Mr. Hammell died and was buried at sea.  Roderick helped the widow and her children to settle in Canada.  Later they were married and moved to the Lindsay district of Ontario.  From this marriage, there were three children that we know of; Robert, James and Lavina.  Robert married Rebecca Phillips.  They lived in the Fenelon Falls and Bobcaygeon area and later on, the north shore of Scugog Lake.  They had eight children; George, Lavina, Mary, William, Wesley, Roland, Ernst and Garnet.  They adopted one girl; Della Danord.  George and Mary died as infants.  Lavina, William, Wesley, and Roland came to Manitoba with their parents.  Ernst and Garnet were born in Manitoba.  Robert and his family moved to Manitoba in 1878.  They travelled by train through the States to a landing on the Red River known as Fishers Landing.  There they got on a riverboat to Winnipeg.  After a stay with his uncle, Mark Graham, they again took a boat to Portage.  From Portage, Robert located a homestead north of Holland on NW 1/4 3-8-11.  He later got the SW 1/4 too.  As the family grew up, Robert also homesteaded NW 4-7-11.  He later acquired the SW 1/4 4-7-11.

William Graham homesteaded NW 10-7-11.  When Robert Graham retired to B.C., where he died in 1908, Wesley took over the west quarter of 3-8-11.  Roland and Ernst took over the west quarter of 4-7-11.  Later Ernst went to homestead in Senlac, Saskatchewan and Roland and William traded farms in 1912.

James, brother of Robert Graham, came to Manitoba too with his family.  They lived on the NW quarter 4-7-11 south west of the present farm yard.

Lavina, Robert's sister, came to Manitoba and worked in the district for awhile.  She kept house for Wesley before he was married.  She later moved out to the coast.  Lavina, Robert's daughter, married Henry Hatton and died about a year later, in 1888.

William married Maud Longden.  That was where our family came from - 11 of us.  Wesley married Nellie McGill.  They had three children.  James died as an infant.  Merle and Sadie are still with us.  Roland married Elizabeth Lee and had two children; Lavina who has passed on and Herbert who is still here.  Ernest married Hanna Henderson and they had two sons; Clarence and Harold.  Harold got married and other than that, I know nothing of them.

Written by
Ivan Graham (Joe) 1988