James Morrison

Source: New Register House, Edinburgh.

Source: New Register House, Edinburgh.

Source: New Register House, Edinburgh.

Buried in Camelon Cemetery, Falkirk.

Source: Sarah Miller.

1. William "Willie" Swan Morrison (Grocer) was born on the 31st of March 1849 in Comrie and first married on the 16th of February 1876 at 24 Hyndland Street, Partick, Glasgow to Catherine "Kate" Mackie (Lady's Maid) and later married, perhaps around the late 1900s, in ____ to Ann "Annie" ____.

At the time of his first marriage, William (28) was a "Grocer Master" living at 25 South Bridge Street, Grangemouth.  Catherine Mackie (30) was a lady's maid living at 24 Hyndland Street, Partick.  Catherine was born on the 19th  christened on the 25th of November 1841 in Sorn, Ayrshire to William Mackie (Gardener) and Catherine Kirk.

William died on the 27th of February 1934, aged 85 years. His first wife, Kate, died on the 11th of October, 1901. Very jovial and quick witted but also had a sharp temper. As he had no children, he wanted to adopt Sarah Morrison but was refused. Donated the bells for Dundas Parish Church in Grangemouth. Had his childhood home in Comrie taken down and a new building erected for his sister Helen. This building still has the initials "WSM" above the door. The house had multiple apartments so that Helen could live off the rental income. The weaver building at the garden in the back was converted into wash-houses and coal cellars.

Walter Flucker's rich Great Uncle. He had a big posh car with a chauffeur, Duncan. He used to take Walter Flucker out for runs when he was a boy. He was paradoxically both very thrifty and very generous. Lived at 8 Victoria Sq., Stirling. Ship's Chandler. No children. His will with lots of descendants and addresses survives. William was named after the minister of the United Presbyterian Chapel in Comrie at that time,William F. Swan.

His second wife, Annie, was quite snobbish and strict. Each bedroom in the house was very carefully color-matched. When you visited, you had to be sure your sleeping clothes matched your room! Their honeymoon was a worldwide cruise. Very fond of vacationing at Harrogate Spa and Strathpeffer Spa. Annie wanted Willie to sell up and move to Harrogate. When Willie died, she sold the house and moved to a hotel in Edinburgh.

Baptisms in the Parish of Comrie - LDS Microfilm 1040075 OPR 341/3 Page 625.
William Morrison Comrie and his Spouse Catherine Gow had their Son born 31 day of March 1849 and Baptised Named William Swan.
 

2. Helen "Eilen" Morrison born on 16th July 1850 in Comrie.

Spinster. Great Aunt "Eilen", whom Walter Flucker used to visit in Comrie. Very stern, demanding and strict. Went out to Australia to visit her brother Peter. Very fit to a very old age. Helen died on the 24th of October 1939 at Comrie at the age of 89. She is buried in Comrie cemetery. A photo survives.

Baptisms in the Parish of Comrie - LDS Microfilm 1040075 OPR 341/3 Page 625.
William Morrison Comrie and his Spouse Catherine Gow had their Daughter born on the 16 July 1850 and Baptised Named Helen.
 

3. Janet Morrison was born on the 7th of March 1852 in Comrie, and married on the 6th of February 1874 in Comrie to John Brown (Bower, Cemetery Superintendent).  John is believed to have been born on the 5th of July and christened on the 3rd of August 1834 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire to John Brown and Agnes Howatson.  For a while, John worked at a cemetery in Edinburgh and Kilmarnock.  In 1888 John and family emigrated to Duluth, Minnesota, USA to design the Forest Hill Cemetery there.

Baptisms in the Parish of Comrie - LDS Microfilm 1040075 OPR 341/3 Page 625.
William Morrison Comrie and his Spouse Catherine Gow had their Daughter born on the 7th March and Baptised Named Janet.

Janet and John had 11 children (family photo courtesy of Cathie Hart.  Standing at the back, Hugh and Catherine.  Front row, left to right, William, Janet, Margaret, James, David, John, John Jr.  This photo would have been taken in 1887 very close to the time that they emigrated to the U.S.)  

They lived at Apt. 115, 1827 North Garfield Place, Hollywood, California, America in the 1930s.  She came back to Scotland twice with her daughter Jessica to visit. Her brother Willie treated them to a holiday in Paris.  Janet died in 1936.  She is buried in the USA.


• Hugh Morrison Brown was born on the 3rd of August 1874 in Stevenston or Saltcoats, Ayrshire and married on the 5th of June 1919 in Duluth to Charlotte M. Robinson.  Charlotte died on the 10th of August 1959.
• Betty Luella Brown was born on the 26th of March 1922 in Duluth, Minnesota.  In 1934, Betty lived at 116 East 5th Street, Duluth, Minnesota, USA.
  
• Catherine Helen Brown was born on the 12th of June 1876 in Carmyle, Lanarkshire and married on the 22nd of April 1896 in Duluth? to Fred E. Lewis.  Fred died on the 14th of September 1931.  In 1934, they lived at 2406 West 8th Street, Duluth, Minnesota, USA.
• George W. Lewis was born in ____ in ____.
• Jessica "Jessie" Elizabeth Lewis was born in ____ in ____ and married in ____ in Minnesota? to Forbie Selseth.  Forbie was born on the 20th of October 1894 in Minnesota, and died in September 1981 in Sun City, Arizona.  Jessie died on the 22nd of November 1963 in ____.  In 1934 they lived at 4235 Harriet Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
  • Betty Lois Selseth was born on the 15th of April 1922 in ____.
  • Dorothy Joyce Selseth was born on the 26th of August 1923 in ____.
• Bertha Lewis was born in 1898/99 in ____ and died on the 23rd of June 1912 at the age of 13.
  
• William Brown was born on the 28th of August 1878 in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire.
• John Brown was born on the 20th of September 1880 in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire and married on the 16th of July 1907 in ____ to Blanche Irene Clymer.
  • Gilmore Brown was born around 1909 in ____.
• James Brown was born on the 1st of February 1883 in ____, Scotland.
• David Peter Brown was born on the 6th of February 1885 in Kilmarnock, Scotland.  David was born at Cemetery Lodge, Kilmarnock, where his father was Superintendent of the Cemetery.
• Margaret Brown was born on the 1st of October 1886 in ____, Scotland.
• Archibald "Archie" Brown was born on the 27th of November 1888 in Duluth, Minnesota, and married on the 18th of August 1928 in ____ to Alice Porter.
  • James Brown was born on the 14th of January 1932 in ____, and died on the 27th of September 1963 in ____.
• Matthew Brown was born on the 2nd of September 1891 in Duluth, Minnesota, and married on the 7th of June 1920 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Miriam Stewart Seaton, and then in ____ in San Antonio, Texas to Alberta Yrisarri.
• Jessica "Jessie" Brown was born on the 2nd of August 1893 in Duluth, Minnesota, and married on the 18th of June 1938 in Pasadena, California to Hugh M. Estep.  Hugh died on the 3rd of January 1940.   Jessica died on the 21st of July 1991 in Beverly Hills, California.  Her social security card was issued in New York.  Not sure when she lived there.
• .Charles Brown was born on the 6th of April 1899 in Duluth, Minnesota.
  
  
4. James Morrison (Plasterer Journeyman) was born on the 2nd of May 1855 in Comrie, and married on the 17th of August 1877 in Glasgow to Sarah Thomson.
   
   
5. Peter Morrison was born on the 28th of October 1856 in Comrie, and married to ____.

Emigrated to Australia. Perhaps the first of many Morrisons to do so. In 1934, he lived at 7 Portrush Road, Toorak, Adelaide, South Australia. Tailor and Investor. Peter died in 1945 in Broken Hill, Australia and is buried there.

• Leslie Morrison.

Killed in action during World War I in 1918.

• Hugh Morrison.
• Helen C. Morrison married to ____ Lane.

Helen died in 1955.

• William Morrison.
• Lesley Voules Morrison married to ____ Nash.

Argent Street, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia.
• Ruth Margaret Nash.
• Three boys.
• Margaret Winifred Morrison.

Argent Street, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia.

• Winifred Mary Morrison.

Spinster. Winifred died in 1981.


6. John Morrison was born on the 28th of December 1858 in Comrie.

Witness at James's wedding in 1877.  Remained a bachelor.  Emigrated to America.  Prairie Farm.  Saved from prairie fire by a woman.  Reportedly died in the USA in the 1960s.
 

7. Archibald Morrison (Plasterer) was born on the 9th of November 1861 in Comrie (twin).

Bachelor. Emigrated to Australia. He died in May 1913 in Perth, Australia and is buried there.
 

8. Robert Morrison (Joiner) was born on the 9th of November 1861 in Comrie (twin).

Also emigrated to Australia. He died in March 1908, in Melbourne, Australia.
 

9. Christian Morrison was born perhaps around 1863 but died in infancy and is buried at Comrie cemetery.

<<<< See Helen Morrison's Brothers and Sisters >>>>

East Comrie

James's family a few years before he was born.

William and Catherine's two children are William Swan Morrison who became quite rich in Stirling, and Great Aunt Eelen who never married. Walter Flucker used to visit Great Aunt Eelen in Comrie in the summertime. William Swan Morrison used to take Walter for runs in his chauffer driven car.
 

1861 Census - Comrie, Perthshire - LDS Microfilm 0103892 ED 1 Page 7.

Drummond St. - 1 room with 1 or more windows.
 

1871 Census - James not found in Comrie.

Perhaps he has already gone down to Glasgow.

1871 Census - Comrie, Perthshire - LDS Microfilm 0104072 ED 1 Page 11.

Drummond St. - Private House. 1 room with 1 or more windows.

James, at age 16, has already left home.
 

1881 Census - Glebe Street, Falkirk, Stirlingshire. - LDS Film 0203539 ED 1 Page 24.
 

1881 Census -  FHL Film 0203541 GRO Ref Volume 481-B EnumDist 3 Page 12.

Grange Lane, Falkirk, Stirlingshire.

James' elder brother William Swan Morrison.
 

1881 Census -  FHL Film 0203602 GRO Ref Volume 597 EnumDist 35 Page 30.

Holehouse Farm, Kilmarnock.

James' elder sister Janet Morrison, a few years before she emigrated to Duluth, Minnesota.
 

1881 Census -  FHL Film 0203429 GRO Ref Volume 119 EnumDist 5 Page 12.

Harripool, Strath, Inverness.

Could this be James' younger brother, Peter Morrison, before he went off to Australia?  Peter's age is wrong by one year.
 

1881 Census -  FHL Film 0203539 GRO Ref Volume 479-1 EnumDist 8 Page 21.

Campfield Sreet, Falkirk, Stirlingshire.

James' younger brother, Archibald Morrison, before he went off to Australia.
 

1881 Census -  FHL Film 0203504 GRO Ref Volume 342 EnumDist 7 Page 2.

Pittenzie, Crieff, Perthshire.

James' younger brother, Robert Morrison, before he went off to Australia.
 

1891 Census - Glebe Street, Falkirk, Stirlingshire - LDS Microfilm 0208777 ED 1 Page 55.

2 rooms with 1 or more windows.
 

1901 Census - Comely Terrace, Falkirk, Stirlingshire - 479 ED 5B Page 3 Entry 303.

James' wife, Sarah Thomson, has now died.

2 rooms with 1 or more windows.
 

• Drummond Street, Comrie. 1855-1861 (birth)
• 57 Dorset Street, Glasgow. 1877 (wedding)
• Glebe Street, Hawkhill, Falkirk. 1881-1895
• 42 Comely Terrace, Falkirk. 1901-1909 (death)

Apparently the correct address was 52 Comely Terrace.
Comely Terrace has now been demolished. The house was approximately where the car garages are today, next door to the present day 50 Comely Place.

• Plasterer Journeyman
  

Hobbies and Interests

Despite the big families, there appear to be no descendants left in the UK with the Morrison name! Possibly, there are Morrisons in Canada descended from William and Peggy Morrison.

Morrison Tartan 

Other descendants:

Cathie Hart (chart@usfamily.net)
        William Morrison (1812) and Catherine Gow
        Janet Morrison (1852) and John Brown
        Catherine Helen Brown (1876) and Fred E. Lewis
        Jessica Elizabeth Lewis (c1900) and Forbie Selseth

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