MIGRANTS to AUSTRALIA from Busby, Scotland 1853-1862

MIGRANTS to AUSTRALIA  ex Busby 1853-1862

This is an index of the people mentioned in Alexander Dick's letters. The letters will be transcribed and posted in this blog in subsequent posts.

- from the letters of Alexander Dick snr writing to his son Alexr  from the time of Alexr’s migration to Australia aboard the ‘Sir William Molesworth’ in 1852 to Alexander snr’s own migration to Australia in 1862 aboard the 'Donald McKay’.

Letters transcribed and notes written by Alexr’s great-nephew Ian Austin Scales in 1989-92; scans of these transcriptions by Ian’s daughter Catherine Scales-Parke 2016.

AITCHESON, ?

*55 (24/5/61): "young Aitcheson superintends a cutting on the railway at 'Warrenheip".

ALEXANDER. Mr.

*3 (31/8/53): "Mr. Alexander has done little good at the diggings".

ANDERSON, John

*38 (9/3/59): "John Anderson, millwright, that went with us in the 'Euphrates' is still in Warrnambool, doing well and writes to his friends 'come, come, come'".

BAIN, John & Mrs.

*2 (25/7/53): "John Bain & wife (Williarn Hunter's son in law) sailed in the 'Hurricane' in June".

*7 (26/12/53): "Mr. Hunter's daughter's direction - her husband’s name is John Bain to the care of John Johnstoun, Tailor & Clothier, Stephan Street, Melbourne".

*17 (2/4/55): "James Le Bain (Mrs. Hunter's son in law) has gone to Bendigo diggings. He likes it better than Melbourne."

*23 (4/2/56): "Tilda Moore is wearying to get home and so is Mr. Hunter's daughter".

BROUGHTON, Michael &c.

*12 (27/7/54): "Michael Broughton is to get a free passage to Melbourne in a few weeks".

*14 (30/9/54): "Michael Broughton and family sailed for Melbourne this week".

BROWN, Jas. C.

*1 (1/1/53): "Jas. Cutter Brown is likely to go to Australia in the spring and Jack is anxious to go with him".

BROWN, John

*6 (31/10/53): "John Brown, Alex'r Dick & Will'm Steven, engraver, sail for Sidney next week".

*14 (30/9/54): "& John Brown (John Aitcheson's son in law) sails for Sidney shortly".

*22 (1/12/55): " John McCubbin, John Brown and William Steven are labourers to the N.S.Wales Steam Navigation Company".

BRUCE, Miss

It is unclear from where she migrated. From Letters *42 & *52, it would appear she had a child by John Leckie.

BUCHANAN, John

*5 (14/10/53): "I wrote for John Buchanan’s address. His brother has written ' 'Where John is I cannot tell as he is always shifting from place to place. The last I heard of him he had gone from Goulburn to the Ovens".

#12 (27/7/54): "Dr.Ross had a letter from John Buchanan. He had made money at the diggings and set out on an exploring expedition".

 #21 (21/10/55): "John Buchanan's friends expect him home. It seems John had some shares in an iron company that failed and he was afraid of being mulcted farther and sailed to New Zealand to be out of the way.

#22 (1/12/55):" t must go over John Buchanan's list."

#26 (1/7/56): "Buchanan's friends expect him home".

#53 (18/2/61): "Dr. Ross had a letter from John Buchanan. I have got small knowledge of its contents. He is still in New Zealand and has been on a 4 months tour of discovery".

*64 (18/2/62): "I hope Buchanan will come in for his pile at the diggings. Like ourselves he has had a long pull for it".

BUCHANAN, Peter

*5 (14/10/53): "But *Peter Buchanan, Government Printing Office, Sidney, will I think be able to give the address (*vis.John's brother)".

CAIRNS, Anne

*8 (26/2/54): "My housekeeper, Anne Cairns, sails from Glasgow on the 8th March for Birkenhead and thence in the "Admiral Boxer' for Australia. We will send some such thing as a silk neckchief with her. She has an uncle in Melbourne. His address is Mr/William Grant, care of Mr.Brown, baker, of Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.

*9 (7/3/54) - a repeat of the above address.

#10(1/4/54): "there was however no room for her in the 'Admiral' and she leaves in the 'Hilton' on the 4th.April".

#11 (24/4/54): "left Liverpool for Melbourne a few days ago".

#15 (31/12/54): "Anne called on Jeanne Wilson and gave her what things she had for her and told she was engaged with the gentleman that superintends the asylum for homeless migrants in Melbourne".

CASSIDY, Kathy

#1 (1/1/53): "Kathy Cassidy sailed from Birkenhead for Melbourne in the 'British Queen'".

#3 (31/8/53): “Catherine Cassidy is with a Mr.Orr, about 50 miles from Melbourne".

CHAMBERS, Mr

#52 (17/1/61): A business acquaintance of Alex. (presumably a migrant)

DICK, Alex

#1---------- Born 1834 and history recorded elsewhere.

DICK, Alexander

#1---------- Born 1802 and history recorded elsewhere.

DICK, Alex'r

#6(31/10/53} "John Brown, Alex'r Dick and Will'm Steven, Engraver, sail for Sidney next week". Apparently no relation, but briefly mentioned later and suggesting being in Geelong.

#52 (17/1 /61) "Alex'r Dick is not succeeding so very well".

DICK, John

#1---------- Born 1836 and history recorded elsewhere.

DICK, William

#1---------- Born 1838 and history recorded elsewhere.

DONAHUE, John

#1 (1/1/53) "---we have no word from Mr. Wallace or John Donahue."

#  2 (25/7/53)"—John Donahue is at the Ovens diggings".

#4 (1(10/53) "There was a letter from John Donahue this week. He is at the Ovens diggings doing well, £2 per day is his average".

#  12 (27/7/54) "John Donahue has bought a piece of ground and sent for-------- ".

#17 (2/4/55) "John Donahue made a little money at the Ovens and bought a bit of ground—"

FLEMING, John

See under entries for his wife, Jeanne Wilson. (There may be some connection with Flemington.)

KING, John

#17 (2/4/55) "By a letter from Mr.King we learn you are doing a middling business in gold finding."

#60 (24/10/61) "I hope Mr. & Mrs. King have, like yourself, got a fortune before them."

#64 (18/2/62) "Did John King commence wholesale merchant on his own account?" . Presumably John King migrated to Australia, but from where?

KINLOCK, Thos.& Sister

#1(1 /1/53) "Thos.Kinlock and his sister (of the temperance Hotel Candelriggs) sailed a few days ago in the 'Loch Lomond" for Melbourne.

#3 (31/8/53) "Thos.Kinlock has got there (Melbourne) to keep shop".

#5 (14/10/53) "Thos.Kinlock has a large store in Melbourne and sells all sorts".

#8 (26/2/54) " Thos.Kinlock is off to the diggings, whether as merchant or digger I cannot say.

#24(1/4/56) " Thos.Kinlock is coming home".

#50 (17/11/60) " Thos.Kinlock and his sister came home poorer than he went away".

LECKIE, John, Mrs. & Rachel

#1 John Leckie & Mrs.L. sailed with Alex Dick in the 'Sir Wrn.Molesworth'. it appears he was a rabid Temperance man and Christian. There is an inference his wife lost a child on the voyage to Australia. Rachel was born later. He settled in Geelong and set up as merchant and supposedly prospered. Sometime in 1859 he seduced Miss Bruce, making her pregnant and tried to implicate young Alex Dick. He later became unreliable in business. An ancestor was associated with Alex'r Dicks grandparents (Mary Dalgleish). Sometime in 1862 he met an untimely death. Rachel Leckie was a witness at John Dick's wedding.

LOUDON, John

#8 (26/2/54) "Mr.Loudon's son is doing well in Sidney".

#52 (17/1/61) "Tom Roy and John Loudon are at the Small River diggings".

McADAM, Mr

#18 (31/5/55) "Mr.McAdam was a lecturer in Glasgow and also in the Mechanics institutions in the neighbourhood. He is on his way to Australia to take up the position of Professor in Chemistry at the Melbourne College."

McCUBBIN, John, Peter, Agnes & John senior.

#15 (31/12/54) "Young John McCubbin sailed for Sidney in the 'Nepal"'.

#22 (1/12/55} "John McCubbin, John Brown and William Steven are labourers to the N.S.Wales Steam Navigation Company, wages 9/- per day, board 25/- per week. Peter McCubbin and Agnes go out directly".

#23 (4/2/56) "John MCubbins son and daughter go next week, so there is a fair sprinkling of Busby folks on the far verge of the earth. John McCubbin (Senior) does not think the digging a desirable business. But old John expects to set foot in Australia yet".

#24 (1Z4/56) "John McCubbin (Senior?) has written that he saw you and others of the Busby colonists. He does not ad mi re the life of a gold digger".

#26 (1/7/56) "J.McCubbin has had a good variety of jobs, the best he got is serving masons".

#36 (10/12/58) "John McCubbin has a shop in Crown Street. Young John has got married, but he is rather hard up in the Golden Land".

#52 (17/1/61) "The McCubbins went to the Snowy Mountains".

#69 (24/6/62)) "John McCubbin works for wages at the Sidney diggings and is just making a living".

MclNNES, Jock, John, Maggy, Neil,Thos.

#23 (4/2/56) "Neil Mclnnes goes out to Australia to his father in law at Mt.Alexander diggings and Thos.Mclnnes goes out too if he can get a Government passage".

#24 (16/5/56) "Neil Mclnnes sailed on the 6th.May in the ‘Lightning'. He goes to his father in law at Mt .Alexander.

#42 (8/10/59) "Neil Mclnnes has a store in Castlernaine. He made £100 in a few months in it. Maggy Mclnnes is married to a very lucky digger named Morrison; he has taken a farm. John Mclnnes and Tom and Jack are employed as gardeners.

#50 (17/11 /60) "There was a letter from John Mcinnes last mail. John and his two sons are gardeners 6 miles from Castlernaine. They are rather dissatisfied and speak of corning home. Marqret (Maggy?)  had twins. all doing well".

MclNTYRE, Jas

#1 (1/1/53) "We had a letter from James Mclntyre; he is off to the diggings".

#3 (31/8/53) "Jas.McIntyre is in a shop".

#4 (1/10/53) "The last from Mcintyre, he was going to the Bendigo diggings".

#5 (14/10/53) "Mclntyre was at the diggings last account" — "Mc's letters are directed James Trotter Mcl ntyre, Melbourne Post Office".

#16 (31/1/55) "There is a letter from James Mcl ntyre and for want of better shift you (Alex) are thinking of the diggings".

#25 (16/5/56) "Mclntyre is at Ballarat".

#26 (1Z7/56) "Mclntyre has done well at the diggings lately".

MAINS, George

#4 (1/10/53) "G.Mains has done marvellously".

#18 (31/5/55) "Till matters mend in Australia we are better off notwithstanding the eminent success of G.Mains & J.Leckie &c.&c".

#23 (4/2/56) "John Leckie hints that he and G.Mains have got richer --".

#39 (10/5/59) "G.Mains has got a job when I thought I would never get one".

MILLER or McKINLAY,

#42 (8/10/59). "I wish John or William to call on James Miller, or McKinlay, that lived
beside us at Ballarat--------- ".

MONACH, James

#37 (10/1/59) "There is a man in the White Flat company named John Monach----------- ".

MOORE (Muir) Tilda & husband (see Jas.Murdoch)

#2 (25/7/53) "Emigrants to Melbourne - Tilda Moore married a baker and sailed in the 'Abdalla' in April".

#5 (14/10/53) "Matilda has sent word to direct her letters to the Melbourne Post Office",

#7 (26/12/53} "Tilda Moore's direction is Mrs,Jas.Murdoch, Post Office, Melbourne" - -- Dec'r 29th. A letter from Tilda Moore came by overland mail cost 2/6. She sent rather a queer direction, Mr.Ferguson at Macarthney & Galbraith's, Great Collins Street West".

*23 (4/2/56) "Tilda Moore is wearying to get home & so is Mr. Hunter's daughter".

#35 (4/7/58) "I visited Mrs.Murdoch (Tilda Moore) yesterday. She is about to remove to the Muddy Water Holes near Lethbridge; they are just making a living.".

MOORE (Muir), Mrs, daughters & Samuel

#42 (8/10/59) "Mary Moore and her mother &c. go out to Australia to join Samuel".

#59 (24/9/61) "Mrs.Muir and Mary and the young sister intend to sail for Australia next month".

#61 (19/11/61) "Mrs.Muir and daughters sailed for Australia in the 'Morning Light'".

#67 (25/4/62) "Mrs. Moore says I expressed myself willing to return to Australia-------------- . I can conceive you spent a pleasant and interesting night with Mrs. Moore &c.—".

MORRISON

#42 - see Maggy Mclnnes (Mrs.Morrison).

MORRISY, Jammie & Mrs.

#12 (27/7/54) "John Donahue has bought a piece of ground and sent for red-haired Jarnmie and Mrs.Morrisy".

MURDOCH, Jas.

*52 (17/1/61) "Tilda Moore's husband is making money. He stopped giving credit and his business has paid him much better since.".

#56 (23/1/61) "Mr.Murdoch (Tilda Moore's) is getting on fine.".

#57 (23/7/61) "James Murdoch has written Mrs.Muir and family to go out. I suspect they will give their assent. He intends them to keep his store.".

RATTRAY, Jas.

#1(1/1/53) "James Rattray, Bookseller, sailed from London in a steamer for Melbourne about three weeks ago".

#2 (25/7/53) "James Rattray is married".

#8 (26/2/54) "James Rattray should make a good auctioneer".

#40 (19/5/59) "I saw James Rattray; he does not intend to return to Australia; his passage home cost him, in all, £130 —".

#67 (25/4/62) "James Rattray is a manufacturer of gas burners in Bridgeton”.

ROBERTSON, James

#36 (10/12/58) "There was a distant relation of my mother's, a James Robertson, in the
steerage.------- ".

ROY, Tom

#52 (17/1/61) "I was at Thornleighbank and saw Duncan Roy. Torn Roy and John Loudon are at the Small River diggings".

SHAW, John

#10 (1/4/54) "John Shaw was to leave Australia at the beginning of January, but I have not heard of his arrival yet".

#11 (24/4/54) "John Shaw is expected every day. He was to leave Melbourne in January".

#12 (27/7/54) "John Shaw is walking about but intends to work at his trade sometime and then become a landowner in America".

SHEARER, John

#42 (8/10/59) see James Miller, or McKinlay above - -- to let John Shearer know that his
sister, Mrs.Monach-------- ".

SLATER, Mr.& Mrs.

#43,-4,-5,-6, &- 7. Slater of Barbour & Slater, a Storekeeper and business associate of Alex Dick at Smythedale. It is not clear from whence they migrated.

SLOAN, Mr.

#3 (31/8/53) "Jean Wilson's husband is with Mr.Sloan (he married Kirsty Smith of Busbyside), brickmaker, two miles from Melbourne.

#12 (27/7/54) "Mr.Sloan has arrived in Busby with yours of the 14^th March and two
sovereigns.------- ".

#18 (31/5/55) "Mr.& Mrs.Sloan sailed for Melbourne in the 'Lord Warriston' a short time ago. Report has it he has gone out in consequence of his agent not remitting so much money as he expected".

#24 (1/4/56) "Mr.Sloan has found his affairs in Melbourne better than he expected".

 #51(18/12/60) "Mr.Sloan's quartz company has not succeeded".

SMITH, Kirsty

Mr.Sloan's wife - see above #3.

STEVEN, Wm.

#6 (31/10/53) " John Brown, Alex'r Dick & Will'm Steven, engraver, sail for Sidney next week".

#23 (4/2/56) "You have William Stevens with you. I hope he will soon be a strong hale and hearty digger".

THOMSON, David

#24(1/4/56) Died at Creswick.

TWEEDIE, Mr.& Mrs.

#38 (9/3/59) "Great success to Mr. & Mrs.Tweedie; it gives me pleasure to think of them. I hope fortune will smile on them".

VEITCH, Robina

#20 (2/10/55) "I called on Robina Veitch. She is to sail in the 'Cheviot' from Broomielaw. She expects to sail about the 20th., but I see fresh bills up of her sailing and no date fixed.

#21 (21/10/55) "As Robina Veitch sails tomorrow I take the opportunity to send a few lines".

#25 (16/5/56) "And Robina Veitch has arrived; her friends had a letter last week".

WALLACE, Mr.

#1(1/1/53) "We have no word from Mr. Wallace or John Donahue".

#4 (1/10/53) "Mr.Wallace has had an untoward passage. He has written from Rio Janerio. The 'Calcutta' came by Cape Horn. Several of the passengers died from cold and hunger. Mr.Wall ace is very poorly owing to privations and he is living in an inn in Rio Janerio. He expects to be home by November".

#5(14/10/53) "Mr.Wallace died a few days after leaving Rio Janerio".

WHITE, John

#2 (25/7/53) "John White,mechanic, and James Wilson (son of Hugh Wilson at the Brigg) sail tomorrow."

WILSON, James

See above #2.

WlLSON, Jean (Mrs.John Fleming) & husband.

#3 (31/8/53) "Jean Wilson's husband is with Mr. Sloan (he married Kirsty Smith of Busbyside), brickmaker, two miles from Melbourne.

#4 (1/10/53) "Jeanne Wilson has written. She is joyful, joyful; wants all her sisters out. Her direction is Mrs. John Fleming, care of Mr. Sloan, Brickmaker, 158 King Street, Melbourne. The works are at Richmond, 2 miles out of Melbourne."

#8 (26/2/54) "Mr. Fleming (Jean Wilson's husband) has got a job at 30/- per day from Mr .Sloan. Jean has sent money to take out one of her sisters.

#12 (27/7/54) "---and it is likely one of Mrs. Fleming's sisters will go out about the same time".

#17 (2/4/55) "Jean Wilson's husband is a carrier between Melbourne and the diggings".

#59 (24/9/61) "Jean (Wilson) and her husband are doing well."

WILSON, Mr.

#3 (31/8/53) "John Nirnmo had a letter from Mr.Wilson from Bendigo diggings. He invites more diggers; cost of living 5/- per day; gains 20/-.

WILSON William, Baker (brother of Jeanne Wilson ?)

#6 (31/10/53) "William Wilson and his sister intend to sail in the 'James Baines' from Liverpool on the 15th Nov.".

#13 (2/9/54) "William Wilson, the baker, intends going to Australia in a month or two, so there will be plenty of Kent folks scattered about the Yarra Yarra".

^#14 (30/9/54) "William Wilson, the baker, and his sister Agnes (the lame one) sail for Melbourne next month."

#15 (31/12/54) "William Wilson and his sister sailed in the 'James Baines' for Melbourne."

#19 (31/7/55) "Willie Wilson, baker, had a run of good fortune. He is at the Maryborough diggings £8 per week and becomes a partner in a hotel".

#22 (1/12/55) "Willie is thriving at the bakery in Australia at the Maryborough diggings".

#23 (4/2/56) "William Wilson has got charge of a farm at £10 per week."

#24 (1/4/56) "Willie Wilson boasts of the fine hunting excursions he has by bright moonlight."

#26 (1/7/56) "William Wilson is at Maryborough diggings. He gives a rather bad account of his neighbours. He is a partner in a hotel and making money, but he thinks decent people would be as safe at home."

#41 (9/7/59) "William Wilson from Busby gets on at a great rate. He has got a hotel".

#55 (24/5/61) "William Wilson is thriving in his hotel at Maryborough. He is putting up a large addition to his premises".

#59 (24/9/61) "William Wilson writes he is doing well in his hotel in Maryborough and he is laying £1500 on additions".

#65 (18/3/62) "Wm. Wilson write that the population is leaving Maryborough for New Zealand and that he has stopt going on with the extension of his premises."

#66 (19/4/62) "Willie Wilson is expected from Maryborough in the 'Marco Polo". Alex (Wilson ?) told me Willie had nearly £1000 when he went out".