Janet Morrison &
William Halley

The Parents...

WILLIAM MORISON#2 [First Child of DANIEL MORISON and GRIZEL MCDOUGAL] (Son of DANIEL, Grandson of WILLIAM , was born October 06, 1805 in Auchterarder, and died June 08, 1864 in St Davids Auchterarder. Burial: 1864, Auchterarder. Surname spelt "Morrison" at death. Occupation: Road Surface Man.

He married JANET MCEWAN December 22, 1833 in Madderty, [daughter of PETER MCEWAN and JANET CARMICHAEL.] She was born February 18, 1810 in Hardfold, and died 1856 in Madderty, Perthshire.

 Their Ten Children...

!!Links i. James#2    ii. Janet#2   iii. William#3,  iv. Peter, v. John,
vi. Grace, vii. Andrew, viii. Margaret, ix. Hellen, x. Mary Ann. !!Links

JAMES MORRISON [First child of William Morrison and Janet McEwan] He was born October 05, 1834 in Craig, Madderty Perthshire, and died 1888 in California USA. He married (1) AGNES MCCULLOCH December 31, 1857 in 2 Ashleigh Place Glasgow. She was born January 06, 1837 in Neilston, Renfrew, Scotland, and died March 17, 1893 in Gorbals, Glasgow aged 56 years. There are 3 children from this marriage. He met with (2) ANN JANE WALLACE Bef. 1868 and no record has been found of their marriage. She was apparently born in Ireland, and died before 1880.

James was the eldest son of William Morrison and Janet McEwan. There is some confusion about his history. He is reported as living with the McEwans in Hardfold in 1851. It is most likely he migrated to the USA with his uncle Peter McEwan about 1864. Peter [b: December 5, 1811] migrated there with his aunt . The recorded note is for Peter; " went to the USA with aunt Helen". The only possible aunt Helen that is mentioned here is Peter McEwan's wife, but we have no details regarding this as yet. Peter was a widower and living with his son Peter and family at District 1, Delhi, Delaware, New York in 1880.

Records indicate that James arrived in Chicago USA as "a very young man". He established a highly successful meat distribution business there in Chicago and became quite wealthy. He diversified into Real Estate and owned substantial properties in a number of States.

Jessie Mae recalls: "I was a youngster then. Uncle James was a wealthy man, he had a beautiful home. As I remember the story, he made a trip to San Francisco and was stricken and died while there. I believe that Grace is the only one of his children living today".

In the 1870 Census for Cook County Chicago, Illinois, 6th Ward, p 416, dwelling 1336: James Morrison age 30, Carpenter born Scotland, Real Estate Value $1200, Personal Estate value $200, listed with Anna Morrison, age 25, b. Ireland, and Willie Morrison aged 2, b: Illinois.
There were 3 other children born to the couple. Anna apparently died when the children were quite young. James died while on a business trip to San Fransisco in 1888.

Household Record 1880 United States Census
James MORRISON Self M Male W 48 SCOT Carpenter SCOT SCOT
Ann Jane MORRISON Wife M Female W 38 IRE Keeping House SCOT ENG
William MORRISON Son S Male W 12 IL In School SCOT IRE
Florance MORRISON Dau S Female W 9 IL In School SCOT IRE
Gracie MORRISON Dau S Female W 7 IL In School SCOT IRE

Source Information:
Census Place Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Family History Library Film 1254187
NA Film Number T9-0187
Page Number 479A

AGNES MCCULLOCH: James' first wife, lived at 2 Apsley Place Glasgow when still with James Morrison, but died at 16 St. Niaims St. Glasgow. Her death registered by daughter Janet. She was Christened on January 22, 1837, at Neilston, Renfrew, Scotland. Her occupation was that of a French Polisher.

There is no evidence that the marriage of JAMES MORRISON and AGNES MCCULLOCH was finalised, although James did migrate to the USA some time after 1863 FOLLOWING the birth of Janet in 1863.

Children of JAMES MORRISON and AGNES MCCULLOCH are:

WILLIAM MORRISON, b. July 16, 1858, Hutchesontown, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland. Batch LDS #: C119341
MARY MORRISON, b. August 11, 1861, Hutchesontown, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland. Batch LDS #: C119341
JANET MCEWAN MORRISON, b. July 19, 1863, Middle or New Parish, Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland.

Children of JAMES MORRISON and ANN WALLACE are:

WILLIAM WALLACE MORRISON
FLORENCE MORRISON
GRACE MORRISON
HELEN MORRISON

WILLIAM WALLACE MORRISON was born July 29, 1868 in Cook County, Chicago, and died July 12, 1941 in Edgerton, Rock County, Wisconsin, USA. He married BLANCHE M. HARTMAN Abt. 1899 in Illinois USA. She was born Feb 14, 1874 in Ilinois, USA and died February 12. 1963. This link will take you to details of the families related to William Wallace.

The 1910 Census for Edgerton, Rock County, Wisconsin. E.D. 106, sheet 7, lines 3-6 on Main Street shows.
William W. Morrison, age 40, born Illinois, parents born Scotland, doctor, renting his house.
Wife Blanche M. aged 35, b: Illinois, father born West Virginia, mother born Pennsylvania.
Daughter Ethel B aged 10 b: Illinois
Daughter Grace D, aged 3 b: Wisconsin

The 1920 Census for Edgerton City, Rock County, Wisconsin, E.D. 102, sheet 1, lines 82-85 [at 301 Albion Street. Dwelling 21, Family 22] shows.
Morrison William W. Head age 50, born Illinois, father born Scotland, mother born Ireland. Doctor-Medicine & Surgery.
Blanche H, Wife age 45, born Illinois, Father B: West Virginia, Mother B: Pennsylvania
Grace D, daughter. aged 13, b: Wisconsin parents b: Illinois
William W, Son, aged 8 b: Wisconsin parents b: Illinois

On same census entry on line 86 at the same address but separate dwelling, there is an unreadable entry: ie: Morrison Head, Single white female. Age unclear. Born Wisconsin, Parents Vermont. This probably is an entry for William's elder sister Florence who was widowed by that time and would have been aged 53 years.

The children of WILLIAM WALLACE MORRISON and BLANCHE M. HARTMAN are:

ETHEL B MORRISON, b. 1900, Illinois, USA.
[click the link for more details of the family connections of Ethel & Roy Marsden.]
GRACE D MORRISON, b. November 23, 1906, Edgerton, Wisconsin, USA..
WILLIAM WALLACE MORRISON II, b. Abt. 1912, Edgerton, Wisconsin, USA..

 

FLORENCE MORRISON, b. Abt. 1867, Illinois, USA; m. UNKNOWN DOW.

Florence was a highly regarded School Teacher in Chicago. She and her husband, whose Surname was Child, visited Australia to visit relatives about the turn of the Century. No details of who she visited are known. Current day members of the family in Australia have no information regarding the visit at all. Florence was living at 301 Albion Street, Edgeston in Rock County Wisconsin in the 1920 Census. At the same address as her brother William.

GRACE MORRISON, b. 1873. Grace was a School Tearcher in Chicago. She married as a young woman.

HELEN MORRISON, b. Abt. 1875. Died as a teenager.

PETER MORRISON, [Fourth Child of William Morison#2 and Janet McEwan] born August 13, 1840, at Craig,Madderty; He had been in the Police Force in Edinburgh and was a witness ar his brother Wiliam's wedding in 1862. He migrated to the United States as a young man. He possibly first went to Chicago. He became a private detective and while hunting a criminal through the plains of Western Kansas, was ambushed and shot. He died as a young man in his late twenties in about 1870, in West Kansas, USA.

 JOHN MORRISON, [Fifth Child of William Morison and Janet McEwan] born July 20, 1843, at Craig, Madderty, Scotland. He became a schoolteacher, was the Principal on Duncan Street High School in Greenock, Glasgow Scotland for many years. For 5 years after that he taught school at Gobroch. John never married. He made a home for his sister Mary Ann for many years when she was young. He came to the USA with his sister Hellen and joined his brother Andrew in Seattle, Washington, in about 1915. Hellen acted as their housekeeper. He tried several business ventures with little success. After having their living quarters ransacked and robbed, they moved to the Kenney Presbyterian Home in Seattle, Washington State. USA. John died there possibly in about 1925.

GRACE MORRISON,[Sixth Child of William Morison and Janet McEwan] born December 23, 1845, at Craig, Madderty, Perthshire; d. 1879, Rockford County Illinois, USA.

Grace came to Rockford County, Illinois USA as a young woman and there she Married CHARLES PICKINS, a wealthy farmer, who was considerably older than she. They had three children - twins, Netta and George, and Charles. A fall, causing several broken ribs that punctured her lungs seemed to bring on a lung ailment which caused her death in 1879, In Rockford. Grace's sister Mary Ann took her young baby son John, back from Kansas to Illinois to help care for Grace for several months.
Most of grace's siblings lived with her for a time at Rockford when they first arrived from Scotland.

Children of GRACE MORRISON and CHARLES PICKINS are:
ANETTA PICKINS, b. Abt. 1860.
GEORGE PICKINS, b. Abt. 1860.
CHARLES PICKINS, b. Abt. 1862.

Jessie Brislen wrote to her nephew that she of heard his grandmother so often tell of how tiny the twins Netta and George were. 'Netta grew up to marry John McDonald. Had a family of four children. She had their photograph as children. George and Charley never married - Anetta's death date is not yet known.

ANDREW MORRISON,[Seventh Child of William Morison and Janet McEwan] born August 26, 1847, at St Davids, Madderty and died on March 08, 1921 at Seattle Washington. Andrew and his twin sister Margaret migrated to the USA in the mid 1860's. They initially stayed with their sister Grace in Rockford Illinois. Andrew moved to Kansas and purchased property there. Andrew sold his Kansas property and moved to Seattle where he died on 8 March 1921. Left considerable property which he wanted Maggie to have, but through some circumstance she never got it. She died a few years later, had been widowed for some time. He had a timber property on Puget Sound. He may have acquired this property from the Estate of his brother William, who was killed there in 1894. Andrew attended William's funeral and made all the arrangements about the disposal of his property. It is not know if Andrew ever married or had produced Issue. He apparently did own an amount of Real Estate in Washington where he died in 1921. Andrew's history is still being researched. He was living in Chico Kitsop Washington State USA.

MARGARET MORRISON, [Eighth Child of William Morison and Janet McEwan] born August 26, 1847, (Andrew's twin) at St Davids Madderty; Andrew and Matgaret came to the USA at about 20 years of age, going first to Illinois. Maggie stayed to help Grace for a while. Andrew went on west to Decatur County Kansas, where he took up land. Maggie later joined him. She was married to Ben Butler and lived the rest of her life in Beloit County, Kansas. She had four children - lost two, but John and Helen lived to grow up. John married, and lived on a farm near Larned, Kansas and there raised a family. Helen remained unmarried.

Children of MARGARET MORRISON and BEN BUTLER are:
JOHN BUTLER.
HELEN BUTLER.

HELLEN MORRISON, [Ninth Child of William Morison and Janet McEwan]was born June 17, 1849 in St Davids Madderty, and died September 1931 in The Kenny Presbyterian Home, Seattle, WA, USA. She was delicate in health as a child, never seemed to be very strong all her life, never married. Was five years old when the mother died. Hellen was housekeeper for her brother John in Greenock when he taught school there and later on in Gobroch in Scotland. She migrated to the USA with him about 1915. It is believed that she was a resident of the Kenny Presbyterian Home in Seattle until her death there in 1931 the same month and year that Neil Brislen died and at the same age.

Jessie Brislen comments: "We have all had a kindly feeling toward this Auntie, her Christmas packages helped brighten things a lot when we were young".

MARY ANN MORRISON [Tenth Child of William Morison and Janet McEwan] was born September 24, 1854 at Madderty Perthshire. She died March 31, 1931 at Passadena, California USA, aged 77 years.

She was the tenth and last child, Her mother died when she was six weeks old, and her early life had a great many hardships. When Janet married at 21, she took the four year old child with her, and there she remained until she was nine - her brother John decided she was being overworked and took her to a sister of their mother [Helen McEwan b: 1820], who promptly put her to work in a mill. (Helen McEwan used to smoke a pipe, secretly!).

Mary Ann spent some time at her father's home until his death in 1864. After that her brother John made a home for her until she was around 16, when she left to go to work. She claimed that she was never happier in her life than while she was second maid for a family who lived in an old castle. She had the tower room, and she loved to tell about those days.

In 1873 she sailed for America, stopping at her sister Grace's home in Rockford, Illinois.

She had married NEIL BRISLEN.!!LINK!! [this link goes to another page] in 1877 in Rockford Illinois. He was born in Argyllshire, Scotland. They moved to Plymouth, Kansas, in 1878, locating on a farm 4 miles north of the town, where they raised their family of five.

After living in Plymouth for a little over a year, bought and moved to a farm north of the little town, where they lived until 1910. Kansas was practically frontier the earlier years of their live there - crop failures and many other hardships took their toll through the years, leaving her something of an invalid, house bound through the winter months. It is reported that she was very pretty in her old brown taffeta dress, and a little bonnet she wore on special occasions.

In November of 1910, Mary Ann & Neil Brislen moved to Pasadena, California where she died early in 1981. She loved beautiful things, and craved a good education for her family. From all reports, her life was not easy.

The Five Children of MARY MORRISON and NEIL BRISLEN are:
JOHN BRISLEN, b. August 25, 1878; d. March 1927.
EDWARD NEIL BRISLEN, b. June 22, 1880; d. March 1937.
MARGARET ELLEN BRISLEN, b. September 17, 1882; d. March 29, 1943.
JESSIE MAY BRISLEN, b. October 08, 1886; m. UNKNOWN, Abt. 1906.
GRACE BRISLEN, b. May 25, 1894; died UNKNOWN.