Hugh Sutherland born 1804 in Torsaid, near Rogart, son of Alexander Sutherland and Elspet McKay, married circa 1829 in Sutherland, Christian (Christy) McKenzie born 1805 Rogart, daughter of Kenneth McKenzie and another Elspet McKay. Hugh had three siblings: William, Janet and Catherine all born Rogart. Christy had six siblings: James, Jane, Alexander, John, Elspet and Margaret also born at Rogart.
Following their marriage Christy and Hugh lived at Craggybeg, Rogart, and later, at Morness, Rogart. Their second son, Alexander was born at Morness, the home of Christy’s parents, the McKenzies. According to the 1831 Rogart Emigrant’s List, Hugh and Christian with their two sons, John and Alexander, left Craggybeg and emigrated to Canada in a party of ten which included Hugh’s brother, William Weymus. They settled in Oxford County, Canada, between Thamesford and Embro, Ontario.
I have been unable to find a death record for Christy’s father, Alexander McKenzie. Apparently he died before 1830 as according to the 1830’s Rogart Emigrant’s List, Christy’s mother, Elspet (McKay) McKenzie, listed as a widow from Morness, emigrated to Canada. She left with a party of seven which included three of her sons, James, Alexander and John and they settled near Embro, Ontario. The early census in Oxford County indicates that Hugh Sutherland purchased 114 acres of land from the Canada Company which he cleared and built a log house. Later the log house was replaced by a stone house.
Hugh Sutherland and Christy McKenzie had thirteen children. The first two were born in Rogart, and the other eleven were born in Canada: John b 1830,Alexander b 1831, Margaret b circa 1832, Elizabeth b 1834, Jane b circa 1836, Katherine b circa 1837, Kenneth b 1838, Grant b 1841 (my Great Grandmother), John S. 1842, Mary Ann b circa 1843,William b 1846,James b 1847 and Marion b 1849. Hugh Sutherland died in 1871 and his wife Christy (McKenzie) Sutherland died in 1877. They are buried in the North Embro Cemetery, West Zorra Township.
Following Hugh’s death, the farm was left to his son, William on the condition that Christy would have a home there, money to support herself and a ride to church on Sundays. She lived with William until her death in 1877. William remained on the farm and his niece, Elizabeth Hall and her husband, Hugh G. Mitchell continued to live with him. Elizabeth was the daughter of William’s sister, Margaret Sutherland and her husband, James Hall.
When William died in 1904, the farm was purchased by Elizabeth and Hugh. Elizabeth (Hall) Mitchell died in 1929. Her husband, Hugh Mitchell continued to farm the property until his death in 1943, over one hundred years after Elizabeth’s Grandfather, Hugh Sutherland, acquired the property of one hundred and fourteen acres from the Canada Company.
My two grandsons, ages five and seven, are the youngest descendants in my family of Christy McKenzie and Hugh Sutherland. They are great, great, great, great grandsons.
The photograph above shows the stone built house which replaced the original log cabin built by Hugh Sutherland.
From Jean Hammond, Ontario
