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Record #14575
Name :
: Margaret BLANCE (1871 - 1942)
  aka : Maggie


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 21 Oct 1871

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: 5 Nov 1942
Abode (1) : Place of BirthScotland, Midlothian, Edinburgh

4 Infirmary Street
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialCanada, Brockville
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 19 Jun 1884
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Buenos Ayrean

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Quarriers
NotesWhen Margaret was only 11 years old her father died, and she and her 4
youngersiblings entered St. Cuthbert's Poor House. Her mother was
described as " paralyzed and unable to care for her children. " Three
months after her father,James', death in February 1883, she and her
sister and brothers were transferr ed to Quarrier's Orphan Home in
Bridge of Weir, Scotland. Her mother signedp aperwork authorizing this
action. A year later, June 7, 1884, all 5 children sailed from Greenock,
Scotland on the Buenos Aryean bound for Canada. Theywe re placed
initially in the Marchmont Home for Orphans in Belleville, Ontario,
Canada. From here, she was taken in by the Copland family living on a
farm n ear Lansdowne, Ontario where she worked for her keep. In the
surviving record s was this letter written by Margaret to Mr. and Mrs.
Quarrier back in Scotlan d dated 1884--" I am very glad that you sent me
to Canada, for I have got such a good home. We have six cows and I have
a grey one. We have hens, chickens , pigs, and horses. I go to the
Sunday school, and I get little books. Andre w and John have got a good
home, too. My mistress and master are very kind to me. They are all
very nice people. I get good food. John is one mile from me; Andrew is
two miles from me. Remember me to all the girls. My best love t o you
all. Margaret Blance " Then, later, dated February 9, 1886, she wrote- -
" I now take the pleasure of writing you a few lines, as I am nowable to
w rite a little, but not much. I have been very sick for the last three
weeks s o that I could not go to school, but the doctor says that I am out
of danger n ow, and I am a little better today. I hope you and your
family are well, and all the children too. John and Andrew and Mary are
well, and doing well, too ; but we are all doing well. I don't know how
poor little Jamesis, but I thi nk he is well, at least he was the last I
heard of him and thatwas at Christm as. The winter is very rough and
cold here, but I read in thepaper that ther e was two feet of snow in
Scotland, which was never k nown before, so the pape r said, but I don't
know. The snow is not so deep here, butit was deeper las t winter. Dear
Mr. Quarrier, we had a nice Christmas tree here for Sabbath Sc hool, and
we all got presents. My teacher is a Scotchman,and the minister is
Scotch, too ; his name is Mr. Morrison. My papa was talking to him, and
Mr. Morrison asked him what country girl I was, and papa told him all
about me an d where I came from and everything, and Mr. Morrison said he
knew Mr. Quarrier and had visited the Homes. So I will finish about the
Christmastree. I got a nice album,it is just a beauty, so it is ; and I
got a nice silk pocket hand kerchief and nice things in my
stockings--ribbon and cent and I got a nice lit tle lead basket, and I
don't know how many more things.Now, dear Mr. Quarrie r, I want to ask
you a question, and I hope you will not think it too much tro uble or me
too bold and I hope you will grant it. Itis for your picture and Mrs.
Quarrier and your family. Please send me yours and Mrs. Quarrier's
anyh ow, please do. I would like to have your family pictures to put in m
y
album ; but if you can't, why you can't. They all teased me so to ask
you so I thoug ht I would. And I would like to have them, too, to show
them to everybody. P lease send them, dear Mr. Quarrier. I am going to
have my picture taken this summer and send it to you. I guess I have
told you all the news now, dear Mr. Quarrier. Remaining yours truly,
Maggie Blance" Being the eldest child, a lot of the verbal history of
our family came from her and after reading these letters, it was clear to
me that her stories of a wealthy family living in a s umptuous home in
Scotland, were patterned heavily on the actual Quarrier famil y, that she
must have wished had been her own ! The truth must have been far too
painful. 
ContributorsCreated : 2011-05-11 10:14:09 / From original database

Last Updated :

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Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries        
Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 881 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
3042 ABBOTT, John1881SCT,     Sep 1886 : Carthaginian CAN Emma Stirling  
3075 ABERCROMBIE, Andrew1878SCT,     Mar 1891 : Hibernian CAN Quarriers  
3076 ABERCROMBIE, William1855SCT, LKS, Glasgow Aug 1872 : St. Andrew CAN Unknown  
3100 ABRAMS, Mary Ann1898SCT,    , Dumfries May 1913 : Victorian CAN Refuge Home, Cheetham Hill, Manchester  
22560 ACTON, Philip John1917SCT,     May 1931 : Athenia CAN Quarriers  
3159 ADAIR, Henry Bower1895SCT,    , Dumfries Apr 1906 : Sicilian CAN Quarriers  
3164 ADAM, Allan Devrix1885SCT,    , Govanhill, Glasgow Apr 1897 : Siberian CAN Quarriers  
3168 ADAM, Isabella1897SCT,     Jul 1910 : Southwark CAN Quarriers  
3171 ADAM, Maggie1887SCT,     Jun 1897 : Sarmatian CAN Quarriers  
3172 ADAM, Margaret1899SCT,     Jul 1910 : Southwark CAN Quarriers  
3175 ADAM, William Butter1884SCT,    , Govanhill, Glasgow Apr 1897 : Siberian CAN Quarriers  
25417 ADAMS, William1889SCT,     Jun 1897 : Sarmatian CAN Quarriers  
9871 ADAMSON, Charles Daniels1897SCT,    , Airdrie Apr 1909 : Hesperian CAN Quarriers  
6389 ADAMSON, Christina Alison1894SCT, LKS, Glasgow Jun 1907 : Sicilian CAN Quarriers  
9872 ADAMSON, James Balfour1892SCT, LKS, Glasgow May 1905 : Corinthian CAN Quarriers  
7357 ADDISON, Hugh1876SCT,    , Jamestown Apr 1887 : Siberian CAN Quarriers  
10483 ADDISON, Thomas Snowden1905SCT,     Apr 1920 : Scandinavian CAN Quarriers  
3147 ADIE, Gregor McGregor1880SCT, LKS, Glasgow Apr 1894 : Buenos Ayrean CAN Quarriers  
5358 AITKEN, Lawrence Gray1909SCT, LKS, Glasgow Aug 1925 : Montnairn CAN National Childrens Home  
10484 AITKEN, Robert Plenderleith1904SCT,    , Limefield, Wiston & Roberton Apr 1920 : Scandinavian CAN Quarriers  
3156 AITON, William Lyle1888SCT, LKS, Glasgow Apr 1907 : Sicilian CAN Quarriers  
5679 ALCORN, Agnes Maxwell1894SCT, LKS, Glasgow Jun 1913 : Grampian CAN Quarriers  
5680 ALCORN, Margaret-Ann Irwin1897SCT, LKS, Glasgow Jul 1910 : Southwark CAN Quarriers  
3916 ALEXANDER, Agnes Barbour1888SCT,    , Coatbridge Aug 1906 : Corinthian CAN Quarriers  
10339 ALEXANDER, Beatrice Carlisle1889SCT, LKS, Glasgow Jun 1897 : Sarmatian CAN Quarriers  
6417 ALEXANDER, Charles1894SCT,     Oct 1910 : Cassandra CAN Unknown  
3917 ALEXANDER, Janet Murray1896SCT, LKS, Glasgow Jun 1906 : Corinthian CAN Quarriers  
3915 ALEXANDER, Mary Eliza1897SCT,    , Coatbridge Jul 1905 : Corinthian CAN Quarriers  
3918 ALEXANDER, Sarah Stewart1890SCT,    , Coatbridge Jun 1906 : Corinthian CAN Quarriers  
6418 ALEXANDER, Thomas1893SCT,     Jun 1910 : Hesperian CAN Cossar (George Carter)  
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 881 Entries        
Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries