THE WISCONSIN McNAUGHTONS

(Written in 1954 by Arnold McNaughton)

        Peter McNaughton of Eau Galle, Wis., was born on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, in January 1829. He was the son of John of the River and Mary Cameron. At the age of fourteen, he and his parents, brothers and sisters set sail for America. This was in 1843 and it is believed that others of the Clan who settled at Hemmingford around that time probably made the voyage with them.

        Peter was married in April 1871 at Hemmingford to Elizabeth , Cairns, third daughter of Henry Cairns and Kitty Davidson. She was called Betsy and was one of thirteen children. Her eldest sister Ann was my great-grandmother, for she had married Peter's cousin Donald McNaughton of Hemmingford in 1865. Her youngest sister Margaret (Maggie) married Charles McNaughton and lived at Winnipeg. Charles and Donald were uncle and nephew,_but after the marriage each became the other's brother-in-law.

        Shortly after Peter married, he and Betsy went to Wisconsin and lived for a time in the village of Eau Galle. Their three eldest; children Christena, later Mrs. S.B. Ingram, Catherine who died at birth, and John were born there. Then about 1876 they bought a farm near the village where Jessie, Mrs. S. McGilton, William and the twins Claude and Clara were born. Clara died at birth and Claude passed away a few years ago. William alone survives and lives on his father's farm which he took over as a young man. His parents then moved to Eau L Galle where they bought a house and spent the rest of their days.

        Peter and Betsy's descendants, who have now reached the number of exactly one hundred at the time of writing, have settled in various parts of the United States although there were still several living in Wisconsin.

        Peter of Eau Galle had four brothers and three sisters. At least six of them came to America in 1843. Christena or Tena had married a John MacRae and lived in Scotland. As far as is known she died there. They had three children of whom the eldest Colin was known to have settled in Colorado. From an old letter which was written in 1902 by Alex McFee from Scotland to his cousin Charles Young at Oak Plains in Canada, he mentions the MacRaes and how their son Colin had departed for America a short time before. As no mention was made of the community in which he settled, it has been impossible to locate any of his descendants.

        Margaret McNaughton, Peter's second sister, married David Gordon. They moved to California more than half a century ago where they lived at Mendocino. Bella McNaughton had mentioned recalling the day they left Hemmingford for Mendocino and how they stopped in to pay a farewell visit. From her mother's diary the date was found to have been August 2, 1903.

        Catherine, Peter's youngest sister, died as a young woman from tuberculosis.

        Alexander or Alex was one of Peter's brothers. He never married and apparently wandered over a great deal of North America,. He died in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

        Nothing is known about Angus, another brother. It is thought that the Angus McNaughton who was mentioned in the letter written in 1902 by Alex McFee may have been the same one. According to the letter he had gone to Australia at one time but owing to hardships he returned to Scotland. At that time his age was thought to have been somewhere around eighty years.