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MacCrimmon

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Alex McCrimmon of Breakish, Skye
& Cargerie, Victoria, Australia
(1801-1888)




Alex's daughter: Sarah McInnes nee McCrimmon
"Crower" via Lucindale, South Australia, c. 1920

Alexander and Christina McCrimmon

The grandson of Iain Dubh and Ann Campbell, and the son of Donald Og McCrimmon and Jane Matheson, Alexander McCrimmon was born in about 1801. He married Christina Buchanan, born c. 1815, daughter of Duncan Buchanan and Jessie McNeice. They lived in Breakish, in the Isle of Skye. In HISTORY OF THE MACCRIMMONS PT I, Alex and his wife are referred to as "Alistair McCrimmon and Isabella Buchanan".

At least three children, and probably six or more, were born while the family lived in Skye: Catherine in 1841, Jessie in 1845, and Jane in 1850. The HISTORY names another three children: John, Donald, and Janet. The IGI Index indicates that John may have been born in 1826, Alex's son by an earlier marriage, to Ann McMillan.

In 1854, Alex set sail for Australia.

He arrived in Melbourne and disembarked from the "Hercules" on November 15th, and then acknowledged his debt for the passage, twelve pounds ten shillings and eight pence, due to the "Island and Highland Emigration Society".

Whether they arrived on the same boat or other boats, Christina and daughters Jessie and Jane came too.

At least two more children were born in and around the Geelong area, Marion Sarah in 1954 and Duncan in 1860.

The family settled midway between the port of Geelong and the gold mining town of Ballarat, on a river across the plains below the gold bearing mountains, at Cargerie. Nearby was the bustling town of Meredith, the transport hub for gold passing from Ballarat and Bendigo to the port of Geelong. They were joined by Christina's third eldest brother, Donald Buchanan.

Donald Buchanan died in 1879, at the age of sixty eight. He lies buried in Meredith Cemetery. Jessie, who married James Leverett, and died in July 1884 at the age of 39, lies buried with him, as does Jane, who died in the same year aged 34. They share a headstone. Others in the family, including Alex who died in 1888 aged 79, and Christina, who died in 1907 aged 92, are also buried at Meredith, but their headstones no longer exist.

The Australian children

After his father's death, Duncan continued living at Cargerie. He married Cath Cootes and began raising a family. Cath, "a loving wife and a good mother", died in March 1895, aged 33. A few years later, Duncan married Alice Wells.

Little more is known at present, other than that during the 1970.s some of Duncan's children died in the Ballarat area.

Marion Sarah, known as Sarah, married soon after her younger brother had married Cath Coots. By this time, 1889, her father and at least two of her elder sisters had died.

Her husband was also from Skye.

John McInnes was born in Skye in 1843 and went to sea at the age of 13. After two shipwrecks in the Irish sea and then being shipwrecked on Cape Horne, he'd lost his taste for seafaring. After being picked up from Cape Horne, South America, he left the ship at it's first port of call, Melbourne, Australia, in 1868. He joined relatives who had purchased Crower station in South Australia using the money they had earned as bullock drivers. In 1886, John bought an undeveloped section of Crower station, in the hundred of Conmurra, from his relatives. He cleared the land and built a house for himself and Sarah.

John and Sarah had four children, and they prospered. They purchased Crower station and lived at Crower homestead.

Women living in the district often came to stay at Crower homestead when childbirth was imminent, for many other houses were rough and ready. There were no schools, so teachers were employed, who lived with families in and around Crower, term and term about, until children were old enough to go to other schools, including boarding schools. A nurse was employed to help care for the older people.

Sarah McCrimmon's children and grandchildren

Christina, granddaughter of Alex McCrimmon, and her girls.
Presbyterian Ladies college, Melbourne, c.1940s

Alex McCrimmon's grandson Ian McInnes, c. 1930.s

Ian's Children:

There is still a lot of information to be gathered about Alex McCrimmon and his family.
Records held at the Geelong Family History Centre have not been searched. Yet.

Alex's great grandchildren will be very grateful for any information.

Information can be forwarded to :

Rosanne McInnes

Author: Rosanne McInnes