THE GREGOR FAMILY TRILOGY

THE GREGOR FAMILY TRILOGY

A NEW LIFE IN A NEW LAND
(1767 – 1832)

MISSISSIPPI MUD
(1833 – 1876)

GATHERING THE CRUMBS
(1929 - 1946)

CHRONOLOGICAL BIRTHDATES OF
THE GREGOR FAMILY

1713 Angus (Gregor) Willox Paisley, Scotland

1744 Ian (Gregor) Willox-Gregor Paisley, Scotland

1774 Duncan Gregor Charlotte, NC

1811 Martin Gregor Charlotte, NC

1851 William Martin Gregor Ashport, TN

1874 John William Gregor Memphis, TN

1903 Martin William Gregor Memphis, TN

A NEW LAND - A NEW LIFE

British America and the Rebirth of the Gregor Family


The wrath of an angry Atlantic was directly upon us - the ship was in full storm! The Fair Lady pitched violently against the massive waves that thrashed the sides of the ship like rhythmic claps of thunder. Water filled every accessible space and everything that could be lashed was tightly secured lest it be lost at sea. All passengers were in fear of their lives and desperately praying for safe deliverance to the nearest land, wherever that might be. After several hours of sheer terror, the storm abated and an aerie calm came over the ship. Fortunately, the Fair Lady had survived the ravaging storm with minimal damage.

The Fair Lady had logged 53 sunrises since it left Glasgow and the 210 passengers and crew last saw land. As much time as possible was spent on deck where the air was much fresher than the stale fetid candlelit quarters below. Water was barely drinkable, the beer flat, and the rum was running low. The ship had been loaded with stable provisions such as salted meats, cheese, dried fish, hard tack, dried peas, oatmeal, raisins, and sauerkraut. Rats had gnawed into the oatmeal and the galley stores were running dreadfully low. Unfortunately, twelve passengers were lost in transit due to cholera and ship fever and one passenger was regrettably washed overboard. He could not be rescued despite our many valiant attempts.

As day was breaking, the ship made a wide gentle arc bearing northward to the port city of Wilmington in the Carolinas; the passengers became jubilant when they could just barely get a glimpse of church spires along the Cape Fear River. As the fog lifted, one could see that the moderate size harbor was filled with an array of frigates, barques, and brigs. The Fair Lady was blessed with a beautiful morning and all gave thanks for a safe arrival.

Gulls alighted on the masts and rigging en masse seeking scraps of nourishment; however, passengers believed they were justly welcoming them to their new home. From that day forward Ian decided to take back our rightful family name of Gregor. Clan Gregor was recognized as the purest branch of the ancient peoples of Scotland - true descendants of the native Pictic stock and King Kenneth Alpin. One of Ian’s prized possessions was an old fragment of the Gregor tartan that he planned to frame at the first opportunity.

The date was May 14, 1773. The family had been living in the Lowlands using the alias Willox due to the Proscription against the MacGregors. Ian’s ancestors originated in the Loch Lomond area of the Scottish Highlands, and as the proscription intensified, they migrated to Paisley, not far from Elderslie, the birthplace of William Wallace.

Ian was trained as a master carpenter and cabinetmaker and managed to save, along with help from my grandfather Angus, 21 pounds sterling over a 6 year period to make the voyage with his young wife Rebecca. Ian had many spirited discussions with grandfather about traveling to British America, but Angus held his ground for he could not bear to leave his beloved Scotland. Ian would truly miss the family and friends that he left behind in Paisley.

During a ten month stay in Wilmington, that spanned the fall and winter, Ian made preparations to open a carpentry shoppe with fellow Scot Allan Greer in Charlotte, just east of the Catawba River. After a short stay in Cross Creek, they made the journey west to Charlotte. Rebecca was with child and Ian wrote Angus and the family announcing their safe arrival and of future plans not knowing if they would ever receive the letter. Ian and Rebecca arrived in Charlotte on April 2, 1774 and I, Duncan, was born a month later on May 4 - the first American born Gregor. Benjamin was born a year later and Mary followed in 1777.

It took several years for the shoppe to flourish and Thomas Talbot, a cooper, and Hans Oberman - skilled in clock cases and fine wood items - were hired. Hans was especially proficient in the German tradition, a rare find in Charlotte. Soon the business was booming producing everything from casks and hogsheads to tables and chairs, chests, cabinets, and occasional custom pieces for the more wealthy patrons. We were now attracting customers from all parts of Mecklenburg County and the Catawba Valley.

One of our more prominent customers was Master Winemaker Pierre François Garbeau, a widower and owner of a small vineyard in the Catawba valley just west of the city. We quickly became the major supplier of oak barrels for his wine. Pierre was short in statue with a hawk like nose - always well dressed in public, adventurous for

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 02.12.2012
ISBN: 978-3-7309-0049-9

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