In 1926 my maternal grandfather’s sister Sarah left Scotland for a new life in Canada. She set sail from Greenock in July 1926 on the White Star Line ship “Doric”. She had married Matthew Sanford in Newmains in 1916. The couple had four children. Times were hard in Scotland after the Great War and there were opportunities for jobs in Canada. It must have been with some reluctance that the family left the village and their families behind. Sarah was one of 5 siblings who emigrated.
During the war when one of her neighbours told Sarah that their son was going to be in Scotland she told them to get in touch with her brother. I can imagine her assuring the neighbour that it would be “no bother at all”. Perhaps it would have been comforting for the neighbours to know that their son would get some home comforts while serving so far away.
James Morton did indeed get in touch and he and his friend were given a warm welcome in my grandfather’s home. It must have been lovely for my granda to hear first hand what life was like for his sister and her family in their new lives. It’s sad that he never got to visit Canada. For my mother and her sisters too it would have been exciting to hear their stories and when my uncle Dan arrived home on leave the three soldiers might have compared their wartime experiences. I’m sure the young visitors would have been the talk of the village. It certainly was enough of an event to make the local newspaper. This article is from March 1945.
Shaking The Branches 
A lovely story Paula, and very well researched.
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Thanks Allan. Some great finds in old newspapers.
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Lovely story! The impact of a simple act of kindness has a ripple effect!
The year is significant for me! My birth year! The Scottish connection resonates for me too. I married a Scot!
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Thanks Carole. Have you ever had the chance to visit?
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I so admire your banner picture. Can you tell us a little about it?
Where in Canada, did your emigrants settle? Mine went to British Columbia (Vancouver Island), although we are all over the place now.
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I can’t take credit for the picture. A friend helped me out with that. Ideally I’d like a collage of old photos but I don’t have many!
The family went to Ontario. Like yours they are more spread out now. I have never visited Canada but it is high on my list. When we get to travel again that is.
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Scots deserve to swell with pride on visiting everywhere, in Canada! My dear Granddad, well into his 80s, shipped his car to Scotland, to give me a fantastic tour of his haunts. I was just out of college, and not yet in the recording, genealogical mindset. Drats on that, but I did get to feel Scotland, in this unique way.
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We definitely look at places differently when we know of a family connection. When I visited Ireland in the past I had only a vague idea about my Irish roots. My next visit will be different.
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I have found our most wee smidgen of Irish.
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