| Notes |
- From: "History of Clinton and Surrounding Community", Compilation by
Clinton Womens Institute, published 1950 and held in Clinton Library:
(Corroborated in document from unsigned family historian)
[Excerpted from stirling Family Tree at http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/17072619/person/461482810?pgNum=1]
Also from: "The Stirling Family", by Will and Maude Stirling:
"On the fourth of July 1840 James Stirling, his wife and five sons, Sandy Stirling with his wife and family, and George Stirling with his wife and family left Carnoustie, Scotland for Canada. They sailed from Dundee, and it was six weeks and three days before the ship reached Quebec. A sad incident of the voyage was the burial at sea, of James age 7, son of James Stirling. After four days at Quebec they proceeded to Montreal, then on Durham boats they travelled to Kingston. After four days they embarked on a steam boat for Toronto and after three days they sailed for Hamilton. Their baggage was shipped in schooners to Goderich and the party travelled in two wagons to Stratford. There they changed wagons and journeyed to Mitchell. From there they could procure no vehicles and had to journey on foot to Goderich carrying two sick members of the family. The roads were terrible. A blacksmith from Goderich overtook the party and kindly carried the two sick ones part way in his wagon. Although the travelers had money to buy food, sometimes for a day or two they were without
food and when they reached Uncle Willie’s shanty, guided there the last part of the trip by Nannie McKenzie, their disappointment was very great. This Uncle Willie was a brother of the three men of the party and had gone to Canada earlier to "spy out the land". He sent to Scotland such glowing reports that his three brothers with their families decided to find homes in this new country.
An older brother, William, had come to Canada earlier. The three brothers and their families settled in Goderich township. They paid $3.00 an acre for their farms. This account was told me by Mrs. McGregor, daughter of Sandy Stirling. She was sixteen years of age when her family came to Canada.
Complete Ancestral Line: All Families
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From now on this narrative related the story of James the oldest of the four brothers. James brought with him from Scotland, records of his birth, marriage and a certificate from the Church of Scotland. James' sons later bought farms nearby, but William the youngest married Rebecca Jane Colwell, daughter of John Colwell of Porters Hill and they lived on the farm with the aged father who knew little about farming, having been a sailor. The mother, Elizabeth Lawrence her maiden name, died a few years after William's marriage and after her death James Stirling lived with his son William to the ripe old age of ninety-five years and some months. He was a fine looking, cheery old man, retaining his memory and good sight but had lost his hearing. However, he was blessed with good health until a few days before his death.
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1800 - 1888 (87 years)