ARCHIBALD MCPHAIL
Research notes of Roland and Carol Minson.
Nov 18, 2006.
1816 May 11: BIRTH of Archibald McPhail, Bridge of Weir, Renfrew, Scotland.
(Birth source came from LDS Church Records Glasgow Branch, Conf. British Mission 1847-1947. Birth and Baptism date of Archibald & Elizabeth (Love) McPhail, from Record of membership. Erma wrote Nov 2006: "F14516 pt 4.-is an old number. The church has not used those numbers for several years. The new number for Bridge of Weir is: 0104149. The church records of Greenock film is: 0104152. We (Sarah Bradfield and Erma Darley Hill) searched there, too.")
Before 1975, Someone sent for Archibald McPhails birth to Kilbarchan & Houston Parish. Unable to find between 1813-1817. Wrong parish? Perhaps. Houston & Killellan Parish, Renfrew should be checked.
(TO DO: Recheck for birth of Archibald McPhail, in Houston & Killellan Parish).
“1839 April 26: Arch-d McPhail & Elisabeth Love Parishioners booked their names for three days proclamation of bans on purpose of marriage.” (Houston & Killellan Parish, Renfrew Scotland. Extracted mg record. F-102064. This is an old film number for SLFHL. R. Minson has copy of record .)
(“No children of this couple recorded in this parish 1839-54.” Source Sarah Bradfield?)
1840 Jul 19: BAPTIZED, ARCHIBALD AND ELIZABETH MCPHAIL.
(LDS BRIDGE OF WEIR Branch, Scotland: 0104149.)
(Elizabeth and Archibald were baptized 2 months after the first Branch of the Church in Scotland was organized by Elder Orson Pratt May 8, 1840 in nearby Paisley.)
1840 Aug 3: John McPhail son of Archibald and Elizabeth McPhail is born in Kilberry, Argyll, Scotland. John's mother, Elizabeth was also from Tarbert, Kilberry Parish. (John is listed age 1 in 1841 census and listed age 11 in 1851 census. Sarah Bradfield agrees his 1840 birth is now correct.) (R Minson has a lovely map of Argyll showing Kllberry.)
1841 Census of Parish Houston & Killellan, Renfrew, Scotland
Archibald McPhail 25 born in County
Elizabeth McPhail 20 NOT BORN IN County
John McPhail 1 born in County
(Roland Minson has copy of this census. Film 101,917)
1841 Oct 8: Archibald ordained a Teacher at Bridge of Weir.
1842 Sep 5: Henrietta, d/o Archibald and Elizabeth McPhail was born in Bridge of Weir, Scotland. (Henrietta did not show up on 1841 census. And she is only "9" in the 1851 census. Sarah Bradfield said "1842" is correct year. Source: Henrietta's Endowment House records.
Roland Minson has copy of that EH record- Book D p.179. “Auth: Greenock Br. rec.)
1847 May 28: Archibald's wife,(#122) Elizabeth, (28 years old) died at Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland. She is buried in Common Ground, Greenock Cemetery. (Roland and Carol got this information while in Greenock in 1987. We were given a map of the Cemetery, and have it filed…somewhere.)
1847 Jul 17: “Jane Love, born 1825, younger sister of Elizabeth, heard the Gospel preached by the Mormon Elders and knew it to be true as soon as she heard it. She was baptized Jul 17, 1847 . . .in Greenock. . .Jane went to live at the home of Mr. McPhail and care for her sister’s children. Robert Baxter was boarding at Archibald McPhail’s house when Jane came to care for the children. She became acquainted with Robert Baxter, her future husband.”
(Life Sketch of Jane Love Baxter by her granddaughter, Verna M. Sorenson. A transcript of a typed document at the Utah State Historical Society. Sent by Reid Harper.)
1848 Mar 4: "You might be interested to know that on 4 Mar 1848 Archibald McPhail was excommunicated and on 4 Nov 1855 he was re-baptized (along with 14 others) - then on 4 May 1856 he left for America. We (Sarah Bradfield & Erma Hill) learned that from those films." Erma.
1848 Feb 1: JANE LOVE, sister of Archibald’s first wife, married Robert Wright Baxter. “They continued to live with Archibald McPhail and Jane cared for the children. . . Feb 1855 Jane Love Baxter, her husband and 4 children sailed from Greenock . . .(headed) for America.”
1848 Sep 24: Archibald ordained a Priest at Glascow by Graham Douglas.
1849 Jul 1: Archibald ordained an Elder at Greenock by Peter McFarlane.
1849 Dec 4: “Archibald McPhail shoemaker son of John McPhail laborer
----(?)---- residing in Old Parish(?) and Jean-(sic) McKinnon daughter of Donald McKinnon tailor residing in High Church parish of Paisley were booked
17 November and married 4 Dec 1849 by Reverend James Harvie Paisley.
(Source is a xerox copy of SL film. I cannot read the film number. Cminson.)
1849 Dec: Archibald McPhail married, JANE LOVE MCKINNON #120, “first cousin of his first wife:”
"Archibald McPhail and JANE LOVE md by Peter McFarlane Dec 1849."
( LDS Membership Records, Greenock, Scotland Branch,
Film # 0104,152 pg 50.) (Mae Darley wrote: “first cousin to first wife.”)
1851: An “Archibald McPhil” appears in local trade directory as a "boot and shoemaker, living at 7 Sir Michael Street, Greenock."
((Roland and Carol got this information while in Greenock in 1987.
Map of present day Greenock now and an 1860 map of Central Greenock in Minson files.)
1851: Census of Greenock, Scotland
#4 St. Michael Street, Greenock
Archibald McPhail 35 marr, shoemaker, born Bridge of Weir, Renfrew
Jane Love(McKinnon) 28 wife born Kilberry, Argyll (Minson’s #120)
John McPhail 11 son unmd (he is 1 in 1841 census) Henrietta 9 dau unmd (she is not in 1841 census)
1851 Census for Robert Baxter 31, and wife Jane 26. They are living at Sugar House Lane in Greenock, Scotland. (See his notes.)
Segments of various stories handed down:
"In 1854, when Henrietta was 14, Archibald married Jane McKinnon. He was a shoemaker by trade." (Henrietta's story as told by her dau. [Rachel?]
1854 is WRONG DATE OF that MARRIAGE!. Parish records and LDS Membership Records, show marriage was in 1849. Henrietta born in 1842 would have been 7 years old in 1849.)
"Sometime later her (Henrietta's) father remarried, this time A COUSIN OF HIS FIRST WIFE, A JANE MCKINNON!" (Is this the "first cousin" source? Came from Mae Darley.)
"Henrietta didn't get along with her stepmother." (Story of Henrietta by gdau, Mae Darley Harper.)
"Henrietta was never on friendly terms with Jane." (Letter from gdau, Sara Minson Jan 19, 1992.) This last statement reconfirmed by Erma Darley Hill in phone conversation with Carol Minson Oct 22, 2006. Erma and her cousin Sarah Bradfield have done a great deal of family history - (both are great gdaus of Henrietta).
1854 Dec 25: Death of John McPhail, son of Archibald and Elizabeth McPhail. (It appears the McPhails were living in Greenock at this time. John would have been age 14 if dates are correct. Cminson)
1855 Nov 4: Archibald and Jane McPhail rebaptized and reconfirmed along with at least 12 others at Port of Glascow. All done the same date. LDS Records. (Copy of “Record of Rebabtism (sic) and Reordination” sent to Minson’s by Erma Darley Hill)
Before 1856: note on back of Archive Sheet of Archibald and Jane McPhail sent in by Mrs. Audrey K. Peart, 1014 8th Street, Cody WYo.
Family Rep is Mearl "C" Peart. Note reads: "ADOPTED CATHERINE MCKINNON, JANE MCKINNON'S SISTER'S, DAUGHTER."
(Perhaps note should read, "Archibald McPhail and Jane McKinnon Mc Phail adopted Jane [McDonald] McPhail, born 5 Oct 1852 to Catherine Mckinnon, Jane Mckinnon's sister". c minson.)
1856 Mar 2: Baptism of 13-14 year old Henrietta McPhail. (EH record- Book D p.179. “Auth: Greenock Br rec. Roland Minson has copy of Henrietta’s E.H record.)
1856 Jun 14: Arrival in New York
Passenger list for Thornton http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~tolleygenealogy/mthornton.html
Port of Embarkation: Liverpool 4 May 1856
Date of Arrival: June 14, 1856 New York, New York
Archibald McPhail 29 (he was 40) Male. Weaver
Jane McPhail 33 F (Minson #120. She's a cousin of 1st wife.)
Henrietta McPhail 15 F
Jane McDonald 3. F
Another listing of Thornton-Ship Passenger List:
Archibald McPhail 39 Shoemaker
Jane do 33 wife
Henrietta do 15 spinster
Jane do 3 "Donald" (in tiny letters)
1856 April 29 to June 1- From Journal of Archibald McPhail on board the ship Thornton:
"1856 April 29: "Left Greenock ….steamer.
Left Liverpool May 4, 1856...sailing ship-Thornton- 764 on board of
which 484 were PE Fund emigrants expecting to cross plains in
handcarts. James G Willies + 3 others were in charge.
Docked in New York June 14, 1856. Went by Rail to Dunkirk, NY.
There boarded steamer Jersey City and sailed to Toledo, Ohio...then to
Chicago. Left there by rail. Arrived in Iowa City, IA, 26 June. Handcarts were built there. Outfitted with 90 days rations.
404 persons. 6 wagons, 87 handcarts, 6 yoke of oxen, 32 cows, and 5
mules. Company was divided into twenty carts and a man placed over
each group. Archibald McPhail was chosen to preside over one of these groups.
“1856 August 27: Left Florence, Nebraska, for Salt Lake."
The above Journal of Archibald McPhail on board the ship
Thornton, transcript copy in possession of Roland Minson, 44 S. Morning Ridge Drive, Gilbert, AZ 85296. (1996) THE Original Journal of Archibald McPhail donated to Church Archives by Erma Hill, per her statement to Carol Minson October 22, 2006.
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This excerpt about Archibald’s death in Willie Handcart Company
is from:
LIFE SKETCH OF HENRIETTA McPHAIL ECKERSELL
by Mae Darley Harper, Granddaughter
“ My Grandmother has often told me of the events that took place...
"A terrible blizzard had been raging all day and when they reached camp her Father found one of his group was missing. There were two old ladies in his company who often lagged behind, coming into camp later. When this one didn’t soon follow, Henrietta’s Father felt it was his duty to go back after her. It was indeed an undertaking for one so exhausted by the lack of food and nearly perishing with cold. But he cheerfully accepted his responsibility and went in search of the woman. He found her sitting by the wayside on the other side of a frozen stream they had crossed earlier. He pleaded with her to come on, but she refused saying she was going to stay there and die. There was nothing to do but cross the stream and get her. He picked her up and as they recrossed the stream with his burden the ice broke and he was soaked with icy water to the waist.
"By the time he reached camp his clothes were frozen to him and he was taking heavy chills. The air was cold and wet and the men were so weak and hungry they could not go in search of dry wood to make a fire. So without anything warm to eat or drink, he was placed in a cold bed with the covering of the handcart pitched over him for a tent. There was a strong wind blowing which blew the tent over three times and they stopped trying to keep it up. He was in a high fever and Henrietta sat by his bed, brushing the snow from his face as he lay dying.
"After his death he was wrapped in a sheet and soon after day-break, after a short service, the snow was scooped away and he was laid on the ground and the snow covered back over him and they proceeded on their journey knowing full well that soon after they left the wolves would devour the body. This account is well bourne out in other accounts of this company and the Martins to follow. Because of the weakness of the men and the frozen condition of the ground it was impossible to dig graves for those who passed away.”
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1856 Nov 6: Archibald died.
62-67 died in Willie Handcart Co.
135-150 died in the Martin Co. which was 2 weeks behind the first.
1856 Nov 5 :Recorded in James G. Willie Emigrating Co. Journal:
"DEATH/ BURIAL: " Friday (Nov) 5 Rolled on in the morning and crossed YELLOW CREEK, ascended a steep hill and then go down ECHO Kanyon & camped; travelled about 23 miles & camped. . . .A snow storm came on this evening. The people are much exposed to cold from lying on the cold ground.
Nov 6th. Archibald McPhiel, from Greenock, Argyleshire, Scotland, died about 2 a.m. aged 40 year. Much snow on the ground this morning and still more falling. Go down Echo Kanyon, roads very bad at the
crossing of streams; forded Weber River and camped on its banks."
Recorded in James G. Willie Emigrating Co. Journal titled: JOURNAL 1856 MAY-NOV. which is in Church Historical Dept. Typescript copy. Call #MS1477. (Roland Minson copied 1986.)
'YELLOW CREEK" is described on pg 76 & 77 of "Latter-Day Saints' EMIGRANTS' GUIDE, by William Clayton, 1818, Edited by Stanley B. Kimball."
ARCHIBALD MCPHAIL WAS IN THE WILLIE HANDCART COMPANY.
HE was "buried on the hill East of the River, near Bear River." just three
days journey from great Salt Lake”. . . This Source was Rachel Eckersell’s Story of her mother, Henrietta. This does not jibe with the above Willie Journal.
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1992 Jan 19: Comments by Sara Minson, gdau of Henrietta McPhail. In a letter of Jan 19, 1992 stated: "The Jane McKinnon, Archibald's 2nd wife, was a sister of his first wife and the marriage as I understand it, was only one of convenience, to get her here to America."
In actuality this does not appear to be the case… Archibald McPhail married, JANE LOVE MCKINNON #120, who was not a sister of the first wife, but a cousin of the first wife. He married her in Dec of 1849.
They did not emigrate to America until 1856.