How Did I Get Here?
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HOW DID I GET HERE?

STRACHAN


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Strachan is a locational surname, based on the Scottish Gaelic words "strath" (broad valley) and "aven" (river). Its use as a name can be traced back to the 12th century. 
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Charles Strachan
1765 - Unknown

Charles was born in Scotland in 1765 - his birth record indicates his father's name was David; his mother's name is not listed. In the late 1780s, Charles married Margaret Fairweather, and the two had ten children, born in both Tannadice and Dunnichen. 

Charles and Margaret's children:
  • Helen Strachan, b. 1790
  • Agnes Strachan, b. 1792
  • David Strachan, b. 1794
  • James Strachan, b. 1796
  • Janet Strachan, b. 1798
  • Elizabeth Strachan, b. 1802
  • Charles Strachan, b. 1804
  • Alexander Strachan, b. 1807
  • Isobel Strachan, b. 1809
  • Frederic Strachan, b. 1811

Sources:
  1. Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950
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Alexander Strachan
​1807 - Unknown

Alexander was born in Dunnichen, Scotland, the 8th child of Charles and Margaret. In 1830, he married Mary Ann Crocket, and the two had six children. The 1851 census lists Alexander as "Manager of Flax Spring". 

Alexander and Mary Ann's children:
  • Mary Ann Strachan, b. 1832
  • David Crockett Strachan, b. 1837, d. 1909
  • Charles Strachan, b. 1842
  • Hannah Strachan, b. 1847
  • Binnie Strachan, b. 1849
  • Jemima Strachan, b. 1852

Sources:
  1. Scotland, Select Marriages, 1561-1910
  2. Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950
  3. 1851 Census
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David Strachan
​1837 - 1909

Picture
David Crockett Strachan was born on the 8th of July, 1837 in Dundee, Scotland. We do not yet know why he moved to England, but the 1861 census has him living as a boarder and working as a tailor - a career he would keep for most of his life. Later that same year, he married Margaret Crowfoot, and the two went on to raise seven children in Leeds. He passed away in 1909. 






David and Margaret's children:
  • John Strachan, b. 1863, d. 1911
  • David Henry Strachan, b. 1864
  • Hannah Mary Strachan, b. 1866
  • Alexander Strachan, b. 1868
  • Frederick Strachan, b. 1873, d. 1915
  • Barbara Edina Strachan, b. 1876, d. 1977
  • Herbert Strachan, b. 1881

Sources:
  1. 1861, 1881, 1891 Census
  2. Family information
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Barbara Strachan
​1876 - 1977

Picture
Barbara Edina Strachan was born on the 17th October, 1876 in Leeds, England, the second youngest child of David and Margaret. She did not wed until she was 35, and her husband, Charles Harding, was almost 10 years older than her and already had a previous family. At least two of his sons from his previous marriage came to live with Charles and Barbara once they were in Canada.

David and Margaret, Barbara's parents, both passed away in 1909, the same year she left for Canada. She boarded the Royal Edward that summer, and met fellow passenger, Charles Harding, on the ship. They wed in 1911, and settled in Lethbridge, Alberta, where much of our family remains to this day. Barbara had 3 children with Charles and lived to be over 100. She was very active in her local church, and was apparently called "Mother Harding" by much of the congregation. She passed away in January of 1977, 3 months after her 100th birthday. 

With Barbara's marriage to Charles, our Strachan line ends, but many of our relatives carry on the name in the UK. Much of the information I have came from Iain Strachan, Barbara's great-nephew.

Sources:
  1. England and Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906
  2. 1891, 1911, 1921 Census
  3. Family information

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