James Airth, Violinist
1801 - 1853
THE Old Parochial Registers of the Church of Scotland
show
that
James was born Apr 12 1801 in Wishaw, now part of Glasgow,
the 8th of 9 children of Adam AIRTH & Elisabeth GARDNER
who had married on Mar 12 1786.
At this point, not much is known of James or his family's life.
We do know that Adam provided for his family by working as a weaver of tartan stockings,
one of the largest of the cottage industries in Scotland.
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Jean McNAUGHT was possibly born March 16 1803 in Abbey Parish Paisley Renfrew,
the daughter of Alexander McNAUGHT & Mary THOMSON
but the common Scottish naming pattern isn't used for James & Jean's children :-(
Although blind, whether from birth or later injury is not known,
James became a a gifted violin player,
supporting
himself and his family in in this manner.
Upon their marriage and the birth of their 9 children,
James & Jean lived at 25 New Wynd in Glasgow Lanark
where James gave music lessons.
He also performed for various functions - - dances perhaps, and concerts.
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James & Jean had 9 children:
1) Adam b 1825 in Anderston
married to Elizabeth BOYLE on Nov 13 1846 in Glasgow (at least 2 daughters)
2) Grace b Oct 25 1826
married to James FLEMING on Nov 20 1846 (at least 1 son)
3) Elizabeth b 1828
4) James b 1831
5) Jean b May 19 1832,
married Dec 31st 1850 to William FERGUSON in Glasgow
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M** McDOUGALL Signed and dated 1832, |
6)
Alexander b 1833
7)
Helen (Ellen) Smith b May 15 1836
married to William HAMILTON on Oct 24 1854
in Glasgow Station Renfrew Ontario (11 children)
(William was the son of John HAMILTON and Catherine TAYLOR)
8) Catherine b Aug 15 1840
married to James Boyle LEITCH on Mar 17 1863
in Horton Township Renfrew Ontario (6 children)
(James was the youngest son of Archibald LEITCH & Ann SHIELDS)
9) Henry b Jun 27 1841 / died 1925 in Michigan USA
Henry never married ....
* ~ *
It isn't known exactly when,
but sometime after the birth of their last child, Henry,
(named for his uncle, Sgt Henry AIRTH),
Jean McNaught AIRTH died.
Although the loss of a wife and mother at any time is tragic,
it seemed especially so for a blind father with 9 little ones to care for !!
Again, we don't know the exact year,
but their son James drowned while still in his teens.
The family records tell us only that 'some of the children' (not named)
went to live with relatives in Scotland.
James emigrated to Canada in 1849,
bringing with him Helen, abt 13 and Henry, the youngest, almost 9.
James AIRTH paid for their voyage by providing music for the passengers.
By then, ships were powered by steam and somewhat more comfortable
than when his brother Sgt Henry and his family emigrated in 1827.
Those who paid for 1st class passage
expected elaborate meals, dances and entertainment.
His precious violin and its case, of course, stayed in his hand.
His other effects, no doubt including a suit of evening clothes for performances,
were shipped in a trunk.
On the trunk was affixed a brass plate,
engraved 'James Airth, Musician'.
Helen AIRTH served as her father's guide, according to one of her daughters.
Upon arrival in Canada, it would have been surprising to no one if James,
widowed, blind and in his 50's,
had remained and settled down in Renfrew Village,
living comfortably in his brother Henry's big stone house.
By then, many of his 11 nieces and nephews had grown up and left,
leaving more room at home.
But, James appears to have had other ideas.
He took pride in his music
and
the satisfaction of earning his own way in life.
He went alone to the great city of Ottawa,
where there must have been many more opportunities to play musical engagements.
His trunk with its brass plate was shipped along
to each new destination where he was to appear on stage.
He died there the first winter, in 1853.
We don't know what illness was the cause nor do we know where he was buried.
The trunk and his violin were returned to Renfrew,
to be kept by his daughter Helen Airth HAMILTON and her descendants.
With their father dead,
Helen, aged 15, and her younger brother Henry, aged 13, were orphans.
The 'family record' says that
Catherine Airth and 'another sister' came to Canada
when Catherine was 17 yrs old, which would have been 1854.
The other sister appears to have been Jean,
who had married William FERGUSON on Dec 31 1850 in Glasgow
and raised at least 1 child, Louise, in one of the nearby townships.
(Their daughter Louise went on to marry a Mr Fox of Blackpool England)
Their other sister Grace married James FLEMMING
and seems to have remained in Glasgow.
Remaining in the home of their Uncle Henry and Aunt Marion,
Helen and her younger sister Catherine earned wages
in the only way then available to respectable young women,
which was working in other people's households as 'hired girls'.
Their younger brother Henry (or Harry as he was called),
also lived in Sgt Henry's home.
His story holds some interesting happenings.
He was a tall, sturdy young man, and when only 14, he signed on to a logging camp....
where a blow from an axe severely injured his knee.
Eventually infection set in and the limb had to be amputated.
By that time, Helen had married William HAMILTON and left her uncle & aunt's home.
Helen & William had a large family of 11 children born between 1855 and 1877.
Harry and his sister Catherine must have had a special friendship,
for she nursed him and then took her meager earnings as a domestic
to pay for Harry to be educated as a teacher.
After completing the course, which consisted of about a year's training,
he taught school for a year.
Not liking it, he departed for the United States
to work for a big lumber company as a bookkeeper,
having used part of his teaching salary to take a bookkeeping course.
Known as 'Michigan Harry', he had a good head on his shoulders.
He worked his way up in the business world
and 'learning investment secrets', became a wealthy man.
Henry never married and when he died in 1925,
he left a substantial sum to each one of several relatives in Renfrew and Arnprior.
'Michigan Harry' also played a violin, like his father James.
Catherine married James Boyle LEITCH on May 17 1863 in Horton Township.
and they had a family of 6 children.
Catherine & James eventually built a new house called 'Ravenscrag'
which at that time was considered to be one of the finest houses in the area.
The cornerstone of it was a block of white granite
that was brought out from Scotland as part of the ballast in the sailing ship !!
[Info gleaned from writings of AIRTH descendants, Nancy Fyfe Cardozier & Mary Leitch Lester]
~ James AIRTH, was my GR GR GR grand uncle ~
[ According to a descendant of SGT Henry,
"two of Adam AIRTH Sr's children went to Australia, one to Africa and three to Canada."
The goal is to attempt tracing all of his children!! ]
