Scotland Ancestors-- Ben Ferguson

Way back in 1812 my Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather Angus Macdonald was born. The reason I am bringing him up is because he is the family member that originally came to Canada from Scotland some time between 1840 and 1842. In the early 1700’s Scottish people started to immigrate to Nova Scotia with their families and relatives with an even larger wave of Scottish immigrants coming in the early 1800’s. Like Angus Macdonald then came to Nova Scotia to start a better life for their family. Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland. Still to this day there are 29.3% Scottish people living in Nova Scotia.

Angus MacDonald had 6 children all born in North Framboise. From that family on, the rest of my ancestors have remained in Nova Scotia until my father’s dad moved to Ontario at the age of 24.  He left his wife and three children to come to Ontario to make some money.Shortly after the rest of his family came over to Ontario. My dad was the only child of the family born in Ontario.

"Photo from MacDonald Family History"

As you can tell my extended family, even when dated all the way back to 1841, was from Canada so the direct connection to Scotland was many many years ago. No connection to Scotland but we still go visit Nova Scotia to visit aunts and uncles when we can. My nanny still has many green tartan items around the house that are a symbol of our Scottish heritage, a green tartan is a “pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours”.

“Green Tartan”

Sources

Bumsted, J. M. “Scottish Canadians.” Scottish Canadians, 27 Aug. 2013, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/scots/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2017. Ferguson, Evelyn, and Frank Ferguson. Telephone interview. 3 Dec. 2017. MacDonald, John. MacDonald Family History. John MacDonald, 2007. Stats Canada. “Population of Selected Ethnic Origins.” Stats Canada, Canadian Government, 28 July 2009, www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/demo26d-eng.htm. Accessed 5 Dec. 2017.