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I am looking for anyone who has any information on
Alex Swanson born 1899 in Thurso he married Myrtle and emigrated to Perth Australia
I would be grateful to hear from any family members?
I am also looking for James Swanson born 1901 Thurso who also emigrated to Australia
Mike Pridgeon
Hi there Mike, I've just discovered this site and your requests for info. I am obviously a distant relative.....my great aunt was Isabelle (Bella) Swanson, my grandfather was Peter Swanson (born 1887 at Bardnaclaven, Thurso). My mother is still alive and remembers many of her uncles & aunts and we have a wealth of information and anecdotes about the Swansons & Mackays. She is currently writing her memoirs. I'm currently researching our family trees and your info matches mine.Although my mother (Catherine Jean Coe, nee Swanson) never lived in Thurso (she was born in Sheffield in 1929) she visited the family several times with her parents. Her brothers and sister ( Alex, Frank & Jessie)and her parents( Peter & his wife Annie (nee Gray))went to live in Thurso from 1919 until 1929 in order to look after the older Swansons who were grief-stricken by the loss of Benjamin & John in the First World War.Alex & Frank went to school in Thurso.Her sister Jessie worked for a time at the castle and she and her mother Annie were often invited to join the housekeeper for afternoon tea.
After a disagreement with their father, your great, great uncles Alex & James took a flock of sheep and drove them overland to Leith docks, Edinburgh ( gaining a few extras on the way !!!!) and took a boat to Australia. Their father Peter ( the chuch elder ) was heavily involved in the establishment of a residential home for the elderly in Castletown and it is thought that he may have stayed there for a while. He always said that he prefered the farm at Mount Pleasant. I know that my mother's brother Frank used to visit the family in Thurso regularly up to the 1960's and he was an executor for either Alex or James, one of whom apparently came back to Thurso "to die".....but I have not fully researched this yet.
I was really pleased to find this thread and hope we may be able to share more info. in the future.
Corinne Cox.
Dear Corine
Sorry for not replying sooner I have only just come across your reply
The info from your post matches exactly with mine so we clearly are related. Whats even more interesting is your link to sheffield. My Great Grandmother Isabelle Swanson moved from Thurso to Sheffield to stay with her brother following the death of her husband in WW1 - John James Mackay. She married Tom Smith from Sheffield and had a daughter Mary who is my Nan. My family still resides in Sheffield.
I would really like to discuss our family tree in more detail with you privately over email particularly any stories of Swansons and Mackays.
Mike Pridgeon
My step-father is very interested in the Swanson family from this generation and I would really appreciate if you had any information to share - he is grandson to William Swanson (brother of Alex and James). Please let me know if there is any info you can share! Thanks, Anne