It's still a mystery to us why a widow - 60 years old - would pack up everything and with her adult children move to a new country - let alone a little hamlet near Galt, Ontario. There must have been family already in the area but we haven't found a connection yet.

The minister at Knox Presbyterian Church in Crieff was a Reverend Meldrum - could this have been a connection? Further research has shown that Reverend Meldrum was from a different area of Scotland than Ann but who knows!!??

No ship lists are available prior to the late 1860's so we have no record of who else accompanied them. Due to their age, we have to assume that Angus, John, Elizabeth and Janet's 5 year old daughter, Annie, must have been with them - and that is the where we are focusing our research at this time. If any one has any information on these elusive aunts and uncles be sure to email us!

The family was eventually found in Beverly Township and in Creiff, Ontario. Ann Meldrum was there in the 1901 census showing the year of immigration as 1861 - living with a William, listed as the shoemaker in Crieff.

Ann Meldrum and her son William McDonald are buried in the Knox Presbyterian Crieff Church graveyard. Also buried with them is an Isabella Meldrum - died 1867. She must have been a sister of Ann's and made the trip with them.

The early history of Crieff reads that the shoemaker's shop was next to the hotel and both the hotel and shop burned to the ground. We then learned through Ms. Anna Jackson, an historian for Puslinch Township, that the shoemaker's shop was rebuilt behind the Knox Presbyterian Crieff Church and later became the house for the gardener for the MacLean estate.

My sister, mother and I drove to Crieff this past summer and how thrilled we were to see the house that William built and Ann Meldrum lived in.

The house is very charming and quaint. I just loved the walled front garden - you have to open a wrought iron gate covered in ivy to reach the front porch!

My sister knocked on the door - she wanted permission to take pictures to paint the house. A lady answered the door and was thrilled to learn the history of the old house. Her and her husband were currently renting the house from the Crieff church and knew it had been the gardener's former home but didn't know that originally it had been a shoemaker's shop. Attached to the side of the house was William's shop - see below.

We were then invited inside to take a look around! It was a wonderful old house - with big bay windows and window seats flanking the fireplace.

The house had been built into the side of a hill and the back half of the house is actually under ground to keep it cool. At the back side of the house, stairs take you up to the backyard. See the detail on the old stone walls below. My sister was amazed at the similiarity to the houses back in Scotland!

Above is my sister's rendition of William's house! Be sure to visit Ruth's art gallery of beautiful watercolours.