James Laurie (1836-1844) and Agnes Seaton (b abt 1842)

The first piece of information we have is the Marriage Certificate 008989 from the General Register Office in Edinburgh, Scotland. James and Agnes were married on 28 July 1871 at Cumlees Village, Parish of Kirkmichael county of Dumfries, Scotland. Homes in Scotland and England had names not numbers or street addresses. This was most likely the residence of Agnes and her parents.

From this certificate we learn that James' parents were William Laurie, a farm servant,  and Elisabeth Laurie m.s. Grierson (deceased) This means his mother had died before he married and that her maiden surname is Grierson.  James was currently living at Haslae Brae, Kirkmichael, Dumfries, Scotland. His parents could have been living somewhere else as often a young man of 32 years would be a farm servant for someone else.

Agnes' parents were John Seaton, a weaver, and Jean Seaton m.s. Graham (deceased).

William Laurie, his father, was a farm labourer and so James Laurie also became a farm servant and eventually moved and started working for the Barbour family at Hazlaebrae, in Kirkmichael, Dumfriesshire. Dumfriesshire is just East of Kirkcudbrightshire. This information is that same address that shows up on his marriage certificate. The approximate birth year varies so we don't know for sure when he was born. According to the 1871 Census there was a James Laurie at Hazlaebrae who was 32 years old it says he was born in Newabbey, Kirkudbright, Scotland. 

1871 Scotland Census  about James Laurie
Name:     James Laurie
Age:     32
Estimated Birth Year:     abt 1839
Relationship:     Servant
Gender:     Male
Where born:     Newabbey, Kirkcudbright
Registration Number:     836
Registration district:     Kirkmichael
Civil parish:     Kirkmichael
COUNTY:     Dumfriesshire
Address:     Hazlaebrae
Occupation:     Farm Servant
ED:     6
Household schedule number:     19
Line:     7
Roll:     CSSCT1871_184
Household Members:    
Name     Age
Gavin Barbour     37
Jane Barbour     28
Frank Barbour     2
Elizabeth Barbour     1
Paul Paisley     20
John Hair     24
James Laurie     32
Thomas Hope     14

We find Agnes living with her Father and an 8 year old girl named Ann Seaton at this time. We have discovered that she is Agnes' daughter and no father is listed.

1871 Scotland Census about Agnes Seaton
Name:     Agnes Seaton
Age:     30
Estimated Birth Year:     abt 1841
Relationship:     Daughter
Father's name:     John Seaton
Gender:     Female
Where born:     Kirkmichael, Dumfriesshire
Registration Number:     836
Registration district:     Kirkmichael
Civil parish:     Kirkmichael
COUNTY:     Dumfriesshire
Address:     Cumlees Cottage
Occupation:     Weaver Daur
ED:     5
Household schedule number:     7
Line:     11
Roll:     CSSCT1871_184
Household Members:    
Name     Age
John Seaton     71
Agnes Seaton     30
Ann Seaton     8


One year later a son was born to this couple, his name is William Laurie, born 8 Apr 1872 at Cumlees Village. They were still living there with Agnes' father at that time.

They stayed there for the birth of their first child William (b1872-d1888) and then had Jeanie Graham Laurie the next year. Elizabeth Agnes Laurie was born in Aug of 1874 and died in September only surviving for 4 weeks.

In the 1881 Census we find James and Agness Laurie. They are now living at Burrance Bridge, Kirkmichael, Dumfries, Scotland. In this census James' birth year is estimated at 1844 but we know this is the same family. So maybe the census taker or someone reporting it was guessing. On the same census search we see that they guessed that Agnes was born in 1842. We know from the marriage certificate that he should be older than her but once again a certificate should be more accurate than a census but who knows for sure.

1881 Scotland Census  about James Laurie
Name:     James Laurie
Age:     37
Estimated Birth Year:     abt 1844
Relationship:     Head
Spouse's name :     Agness Laurie
Gender:     Male
Where born:     Newabbey, Kirkcudbrtshire
Registration Number:     836
Registration district:     Kirkmichael
Civil parish:     Kirkmichael
COUNTY:     Dumfriesshire
Address:     Burrance Bridge
Occupation:     Agricultural Lab
ED:     3
Household schedule number:     31
Line:     10
Roll:     cssct1881_324
Household Members:    
Name     Age
James Laurie     37
Agness Laurie     39
William Laurie     8
Jennie G Laurie     7

1881 Scotland Census  about Agness Laurie
Name:     Agness Laurie
Age:     39
Estimated Birth Year:     abt 1842
Relationship:     Wife
Spouse's name :     James Laurie
Gender:     Female
Where born:     Kirkmichael, Dumfriess
Registration Number:     836
Registration district:     Kirkmichael
Civil parish:     Kirkmichael
COUNTY:     Dumfriesshire
Address:     Burrance Bridge
Occupation:     Agricultural Lab Wife
ED:     3
Household schedule number:     31
Line:     11
Roll:     cssct1881_324
Household Members:    
Name     Age
James Laurie     37
Agness Laurie     39
William Laurie     8
Jennie G Laurie     7

Recently we were able to find the death certificate for James Laurie, married to Agnes Seaton supporting the statement that he was deceased at the time of his son's marriage. The family moved to Templand, Lochmaben, Dumfries sometime between 1881 and 1888 before the death of James. James Laurie died 27 May 1888 at Templand Village, Lochmaben, Dumfries Scotland of pneumonia.

We can track Agnes to the next census in 1891. This is the last census that shows Agnes so she must have died after 1893 and before 1901.

1891 Scotland Census  about Agnes Laurie
Name:     Agnes Laurie
Age:     47
Estimated Birth Year:     abt 1844
Relationship:     Head
Gender:     Female
Where born:     Kirmed, Dumfriesshire
Registration Number:     840
Registration district:     Lochmaben
Civil parish:     Lochmaben
COUNTY:     Dumfriesshire
Address:     Templand
ED:     4
Household schedule number:     26
Line:     1
Roll:     CSSCT1891_396
Household Members:    
Name     Age
Agnes Laurie     47
William Laurie     19
Jeanie G Laurie     18
Thomas S Laurie   9 (Gd Son) - scholar


William Laurie married Marion Kinnaird on 23 Nov 1893 at the Free Church Manse, in the Parish of Johnstone, Dumfries, Scotland. At this time his father, James had already died but his mother Agnes was still living. Similarly, Marion's father, Thomas Kinnaird was alive but her mother Jane Kinnaird m.s. Johnstone was deceased already.

Agnes Laurie died 4 Sep 1894, in the district of Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland of Apoplexy.

James & Jessie Laurie 1919 Marriage & Move

James Laurie and Jessie MacPherson met near Glasgow and were married there on July 18, 1919 at 21 Hope Street, Glasgow, Scotland.
Their witnesses were William McGhie, blacksmith and Mary Morrison, domestic servant. James Laurie was a 23yrs old bachelor and a blacksmith living at 8 Leichlee St, Hamilton. He is the son of William Laurie, machineman and Marion Laurie, m.s. Kinnaird. Jessie MacPherson was a 21 yr old spinster and a domestic servant living at Wateryeltes, Kilmacolm. She is the daughter of James Macpherson, Insurance Agent and Isabella Macpherson, m.s. Dyker. They were married in the District of Blythswood in the Burgh of Glasgow, Scotland.
Below is the actual Marriage certificate:
Following their marriage there was an oppotunity for those who wanted it to immigrate to Canada. Jobs were scarse after the war in England and it is thought that veterans were given that opportunity. For some reason he went to Prince Albert to look for a job. He was a blacksmith so perhaps he thought that was a good place to look. He boarded a ship called the Haverford at Liverpool, England and arrived 21 Sep 1919 at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He then prepared the way for Jessie to follow in 1920.
The "Haverford", operated by the White Star line, voyaged between Liverpool, England and Canada. This is the same company that owned the Titanic . . .fun to know. The journey usually took 7 days, weather permitting.


Even though this says Jennie Laurie we know it is Jessie because it lists her parents and the fact that she is going to Prince Albert to be with her husband, James. She applied for passage on March 20, 1920. They could not sail to Quebec City in the winter so they would arrange passage ahead of time and then leave when passage up the St Lawerence seaway was possible and when their turn came due to traveling quotas. She arrived in Quebec on 20 Jun 1920. From there she made her way to Saskatchewan where James was living at #202, 25th St 2nd Ave East, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
The "Megantic" was also run by the White Star Line to Quebec City, Canada.

Jessie MacPherson 1897

Jessie McPherson was born on 6 Sep 1897 at Bridgend in the Parish of Cabrach, Banff, Scotland, to James McPherson (b. 11 Aug 1869 Glenrinnes, Banff, Scotland) and Isabella Dyker (b 4 Feb 1873 at Glass, Aberdeen Scotland), who were married on 30 Nov 1889 in Glass, Aberdeen, Scottland. Jessie was about 15 when she first went to work at a private boys school as a cook and was the head cook when she was 16. She also looked after a little girl who was handicapped and couldn’t walk who later died. Jessie was living at Wateryettes, Kilmacolm, 14 miles west of Glasgow in the county of Renfrewshire. We believe she was either a nanny or a cook there. We aren’t sure if this was the boy’s school or if it was the family she worked for a while before marrying James Laurie in Glasgow in 1919. She came to Canada in 1920 to rejoin James in Prince Albert, Sakatchewan

Jessie MacPherson Laurie

about March 1947 in Vancouver 

before moving to Taber

James Laurie 1896

James Laurie was born on 23 May 1896 at Kirkbank Smithy, Johnstone, Dumfries, Scottland, to William Laurie and Marion Laurie, m.s. (maiden surname), Kinnaird, who had been married on Nov 23^rd, 1893 in Johnstone, Dumfries, Scotland.

His older sister Jane, was also born at Kirkbank Smithy, Johnstone, Dumfries, Scotland in 1894. There were only two children in the family to our present knowledge.

James worked at the Kirkbank Smithy as a blacksmith for 2 1/2 years for Mr McGhie until he was called into the army. He enlisted on 19 May 1914 at the age of 18. He enlisted into the Lanakshire Yeomanry of the Territorial Force for a term of four years. (source enlistment attestation)

He served in the Gordon Highlanders in World War I. The following is the response to Greg’s requests for information to the Gordon Highlanders on Private James Laurie. There were three in the Gordon Highlanders and two were from Dumfries but the researcher is positive it could only be this one since the other one was killed in the war.

“Bydand

“Bide and Fecht” “Stand and Fight”

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.

The Gordon Highlanders ‘. . . the finest regiment that ever was.’

202660 Private James Laurie 1^st Battalion Gordon Highlanders.

Battle actions of the 1^st Battalion from the start of the Great War in 1914 through to late 1917.

1914

They would have been involved in the Retreat from Mons 23-26 August. Then they were straight into the Battle for Le Chateau 26-27 August, and then came the 1^st Battle of Marne and 5-11 September the Battle of Ourcq. From 12 Sept. – 3 Oct they were part of GHQ troops, but straight back into the thick of it, the battle for La Bassee 11-31 Oct, 1-2 November, Armentieres. They were involved in the 1^st Battle of Ypres, mainly in the conflict 14 Dec Wytschaete Ridge.

1915

Between May and September theywere involved in four battle actions, in May saw the start of the 2^nd Battle of Ypres. 16-18 May saw the Battle for Feestubert, followed by Bellewarde 15-19 June. They went on from there into the Battle of Loos 25-27 Sept. and on into the 2^nd battle for Bellewarde

1916

They were involved in action along with the French at “The Bluff” 2-3 March, then came the SOMME, in July. 18-26 July, Langue Val and Deville Wood. They saw action again at Falfemont Farm and Angle Wood 16-17 August, 18-26 August they were in action at Guillemont and again at the Battle of Ancre in November. The Battle for Serre was on 13-18 November.

1917

By April they were again in the thick of the action, as was every Battalion of Gordon’s, at the 1^st Phase at the Battle of Arras, 9-12 Monchy-Le-Preux. 14 June they saw action in the last phase of Battle of Arras, mainly at Infantry Hill. In July came the Third Battle of Ypres, which again saw the 1^st battalion in action almost continually through to November 1917. The two battles which are recorded are Polyon Wood in September and Passchendaele, September-November.”

After the war James Laurie went to work as a blacksmith and was living at 8 Leichlee St., Hamilton, 12 miles south east of Glasgow in the county of South Lanarkshire.