McWilliams Family Scotland to Iowa

She was born in Tyrie, Aberdeen, Scotland. Her christening was February 6, 1845, and is recorded in the Parish Church of Tyrie. Interestingly this birthdate precedes the recorded marriage of her parents. Perhaps she, like Barbara Yule was born a "hand-fast" child!!

She married John Mitchell on November 28, 1873 in St. Nicolas parish, Aberdeen, Scotland. She stayed in Scotland when her father and siblings emigrated to America.

She and John had 8 children.

She was christened on November 5, 1848 in the Church of Scotland, Parish Church of Tyrie, Aberdeen, Scotland. A conflicting record record gives birth date as December 5, 1848 in Monquhitter, Aberdeen, Scotland.
Her mother is listed as Isabella Murison in the first record & as Isabella Munson in the second.

She married James Taylor, but I am not certain if this was before or after she immigrated to America.

She and James had 3 children; Arthur, Jessie and Eliza.

He was born in Tyrie, Aberdeen, Scotland on March 29,1855. His middle initial may have been 'B'.

He emigrated to America with his father and sisters in 1867.

He married Mary Cords. She was from Prussia. On the 1880 census John & Mary are found living on Spring street in Clermont, Clermont twp., Fayette Co. IA John is age 25 and working as a laborer. No children are listed with them. At some time between 1880 & 1888 they removed to McGregor, Clayton Co. IA.

He may have been a member of the Postville Noble Lodge A.O.U.W.

They had 6 children; Louisa, John, Bessie, Frank, Robert & David.

She was born in Tyrie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland on December 5,1856. In 1867, at age 10, she immigrated to America with her family.

She married Evan Swenson in Postville, Allamakee Co. IA on February 6,1875. They settled on a farm northeast of Postville where they lived until they retired to Postville in 1916.

Abstracts from the Postville Review:
-1881: Scarlet-rash afflicts several hereabouts. Mrs. Evan Swenson and her oldest son are now down.
-1884, April: Eliza was very ill.
-1888, September: She visited her sister Katie in Sioux City, Iowa.

In 1941, Eliza, then aged 85, was crowned the "Queen of the Homecomers" at the Pioneer Homecoming celebration at the Big-4-Fair in Postville. [read article] At the time she had just returned from a lengthly visit with her children in Washington state. While she was visiting in Seattle, she wrote a couple of 'motherly' letters to her grown son, Artie, worrying about the effects lime was having on his hearing. [read the letters]

Recollections by granddaughter Florence in 2000: "I stayed with Grandma Swenson when I was in high school. She was a wonderful woman. She was a beautiful woman too, mother always told me that her hair was black as coal, but I only remember her with white hair."

Eliza McWilliams died on October 25, 1942. Evan Swenson died on August 5, 1932. They are buried in the Minert cemetery, rural Post twp. Allamakee Co. IA.

Eliza McWilliams and Evan Swenson had 12 children:

She was born in New Pitsligo, Aberdeen, Scotland August 8, 1861. She immigrated to America in 1867 as a young child.

She married Will Gibson, who according to family lore deserted his family. Kate and Will adopted a daughter and named her Pearl.

By 1888 Katie was living in Sioux City, Iowa. Her sister Eliza paid her a visit there in September 1888 and in November of that year she returned to Postville for a time, to help care for her ill father.

She was born in New Pitsligo, Aberdeen, Scotland on September 13, 1863.

She married Adelbert 'Del' Monroe Lord Brainard. Del was born May 1, 1862; the son of Isaac Brainard & Arvilla Austin. His brother Edgar was married to Jennie's half-sister Barbara Yule. The marriage was reported in the Postville Review:
Married. At Forest Mills, Iowa, Sept. 24th, 1882 by Wm. Werhan, J.P., Mr. Henry E. Sickles and Miss Eliza J. York. At the same time and place, by the same, Mr. A.M.L. Brainard and Miss Jennie McWilliams. All of Post twp.

Del & Jennie had 9 children; Edward, Arthur, Roy, William, Irene, Ruth, Fred, Amos & Bessie.

Jennie died November 3, 1934 in the Allamakee Co. Home at 71 years of age. There is conflicting information as to her burial site. A transcription of Minert Cemetery, Post twp. Allamakee Co. states she is buried in the Minert Cemetery with her husband Del and Allamakee Co. Burial Grounds by Woodmansee lists her burial as in the Postville, IA cemetery but indicates there is no marker. Del died on July 19, 1917 in Fairview, Iowa. He is buried in Minert cemetery.

He was born in New Pitsligo, Aberdeen, Scotland on June 17, 1865.

He married and had at least 2 sons, Russel and Earl. The family lived in Minneapolis, MN as evidenced by this newspaper item in January 1892: ...... son James and wife, of Minneapolis, have been spending the holidays with home folks. They go home this morning. Jim and the boys have been hard on the rabbits while he has been here.

He was born in Postville, Allamakee Co. IA in September 1873.

He lived in Minneapolis, MN by 1897. A newspaper accounting of a family reunion in Dec. 1897, indicates he is living in Minneapolis. He must have returned to Postville for a time, because he is living with his mother and invalid sister Amanda on the 1900 US census.
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He married Eunice Putman in Postville, IA after 1900. They had 2 daughters.

Alack McWilliams died after 1905.

She was born in Postville,Allamakee Co. IA in 1876.

She married Wright Enyart in Postville. In 1909 they purchased a quarter section of improved land near Bordulac, N.D. They held a public sale on Sept. 28th, so I presume they removed to N.D. in late 1909 or spring of 1910.

They had 6 children; James, Flossie, Hollis, Ethel, Russell and Leo.

Ellen died in 1942, at 66 years of age.

She was born in Postville, Allamakee Co. IA in 1877.

She married Henry Lawson in Postville on March 13, 1895. Postville Review:
MARRIED. At the residence of the bride's parents in this city, on Wednesday, March 13, 1895, at 3 o'clock p.m., by Mayor John B. Hart, Mr. Henry Lawson and Miss Anna McWilliams. Our congratulations are extended.
Henry was the son of John & Sarah Lawson & he grew up on a farm just down the road from his future wife.

They had 5 or 6 children; Elwood, Clara, Elma, Harold and Mary Ellen.

Annie died 1954 in Postville, at 77 years of age.

She was born November 26, 1880 in Allamakee Co. IA.

This entry in the 12-24-1881 Postville Review likely refers to Amanda and her mother: "Scarlet-rash afflicts, or has afflicted several hereabouts. An infant daughter of N. McWilliams...."

Childhood horse-play with her brother Alex resulted in Amanda becoming an invalid. An 1899 issue of the Postville Review: "May Brainard is in your city helping to care for her aunt Manda McWilliams who has a little more than her share of the afflictions of this life to bear."

Amanda is listed as an invalid on the 1900 census entry, she is living with her mother and brother in Postville.

Amanda McWilliams died on August 11, 1900. She is buried in the Minert cemetery next to her parents and brother George.

Barbara Yule/Youll was the daughter of Mary Julia Yule and unknown. She was born in Crimond, Aberdeen, Scotland on January 21, 1860; 3 years before her mother married Nathaniel McWilliams. On the parish register, her surname is spelled 'Youll' with mother listed as Mary Youll, and no father listed. It is very likely that Barbara was born under an ancient system called 'handfast' . Handfast marriages were a contract between a man & woman. Unless she was pregnant within the year, he did not have to marry her and some accounts of the system state that he did not have to marry her unless she produced a male child. In any case, a child born under 'handfast' was considered legitimate and could inherit.

Barbara immigrated to America with her mother and step-father in 1867.

She married Edgar Ralph Austin Brainard September 22, 1879 in Allamakee Co. IA. He was born May 9, 1851 in Huntley, McHenry Co. Illinois. His parents were Isaac Brainard & Arvilla Austin. He was a brother of Del Brainard, who married Barbara's half-sister Jennie.

For years E.R.A. Brainard wrote the Bethel community items for the Postville Review. He was a bee keeper and reported each year how many "swarms" he wintered over! He also was very active in the local Republican party. In 1895 "ERAB" wrote of a family journey to McGregor and mentioned that he hadn't been there in "over 30 years" [read the story]

On the 1880 census they are living in Post twp. Allamakee Co. and are newly weds with no children. On the next farm are her mother & step-father.

They had 8 children: Mary, Millie, James, Arvilla, Nellie, George, Ralph & Geneieve.

E.R.A. Brainard died December 5, 1909. Barbara died December 26, 1929. They are buried in the Minert cemetery.