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150th Anniversary in Canada

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Simcoe County

Upon arrival to Canada from Scotland in 1856 the original Coutts home was in the Midhurst area of Simcoe County in the province of Ontario.

2680 Old 2nd S Springwater ON

Farquharson Clan

Original Location in Scotland

Milltown of Allargue, Corgarff, Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, U.K.

It is on the Milltown Burn (creek) very close to the Don River and at that time was on the Military Road (North from Corgarff Castle barracks to Fort George at Inverness). The Allargue Arms (near Cock Bridge on A939 / Lecht Rd.) is to the West of Milltown. The nearby Allargue Estate (a Farquharson house) was also on the old Military Road.

Scottish Highland Clearances

"In the second phase, landlords moved to the more draconian policy of expelling people from their estates.

This was increasingly associated with 'compulsory emigration', in which landlords cancelled rent arrears and paid the passage of the 'redundant' families in their estates to North America and, eventually, Australia. The process reached a climax during the potato famine of 1846–55."

[16]:370–371

Lynch, Michael (1991). Scotland, a New History (1992 ed.). London: Pimlico. ISBN 9780712698931.

Clan Farquharson Septs

Barrie, Bowman, Brebner, Bremner, Bryant, Carracher, Clan Christie, Christison, Christy, Coates, Coats, Coutts, Cromar, Farquhar, Ferries, Findlay, Findlayson, Findlaison, Findley, Finlay, Findlay, Finlayson, Finley, Finleyson, Gracie, Grassie, Grassick, Greusach, Hardie, Hardy, Herald, Higgins, Higginson, Kellas, Kerracher, Leys, Lion(s), Lyon(s), MacArtney, MacGaig, MacCartney, MacCraig, MacCuaig, MacEaracher, MacErcher, MacErracher, MacFarquhar, MacFerchar, MacHardie, MacHardy, MacKerchar, MacKerracher, MacKindlay, MacKinlay, MacKinley, MacWade, McKinley, Paterson, Patterson, Pattison, Reaich, Reoch, Riach, Souders, Soutter, Tawse, Tay, Wade, Wood

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Duncan Coutts & Margaret McHardy

In 1856 with six children they emigrated to Canada from Milltown of Allargue in the Eastern Scottish Highlands. They had been tenants on lands associated with the Farquharson family of Invercauld Estate, Braemar, Aberdeenshire.

In times past the "Coutts" and "McHardy" names were considered a "Sept" or branch of the Farquharson Clan.

The McHardy sisters originally were tenants on property owned by the Forbes family of Castle Newe and Edinglassie, Strathdon, Aberdeenshire.

It is very likely that in Scotland the Coutts were Presbyterians and the McHardy were Catholic.

ID#	Given	Surname	Birth	Death
0.0	Duncan	Coutts	1814-11-??	1887-03-14
0.0	Margaret	McHardy	1817-??-??	1863-??-??
0.1	Alexander	Coutts	1844-07-01	1922-08-15
0.2	James	Coutts	1846-02-15	1919-12-06
0.3	Jane	Coutts	1848-01-01	1924-??-??
0.4	Duncan	Coutts	1850-09-20	1888-??-??
0.5	Margaret	Coutts	1852-04-07	1920-??-??
0.6	Euphemia	Coutts	1855-01-29	1933-04-22
0.7	Charles	Coutts	1857-02-27	1935-10-18
0.8	George	Coutts	1861-05-25	1938-05-26

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Reunion Notices

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Interesting Links on the Internet

Corgarff Cemetery

East Corriehoul

There are Coutts and McHardy gravestones in the cemetery above (located 2 km down the road from Milltown of Allargue at East Corriehoul, near St Machar's Chapel and the Allt Coire Tholl).

Forbes Clan

Clan Forbes Septs

Bannerman, Berrie, Berry, Boyce, Boyes, Faubus, Fobes, Forbess, Forbis, Forbus, Forbush, Fordice, Fordyce, Furbush, Lumsden, Macouat, Macowatt, MacQuattie, MacWatt, Mechie, Mekie, Meldrum, Michie, Middleton, Walter, Walters, Walters, Watson, Watt, Watters, Wattie, and Watts

Corgarff Castle Barracks

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Interesting Facts

• Many Midhurst families were inter-related, for example three McHardy sisters (Margaret, Isabel and Mary) came to Midhurst from the Corgarff area of Scotland (Margaret McHardy our family Matriarch was one of them)

• Margaret McHardy married Duncan Coutts

• Isabel McHardy married Charlie Wattie

• Mary McHardy married John Farquharson

• John Farquharson's sister Mary married a McHardy (after he died she married John Bonney)

• James Coutts #0.2 (Duncan's son) married Mary Monteith

• Mary Monteith's brother George married Margaret Coutts #0.5 (Jame's sister)

• James Coutts (Duncan's brother who remained in Scotland) married Jane McHardy

• Daisy Coutts #0.28 married Issac Carruthers

• George Coutts #0.82 married Issac Carruther's sister, Gertrude

• A common custom when naming a newborn child was to use a surname from a family relationship as a middle name, thus paying homage to those family ties

• Some names related by marriage: Beath, Russell, Orrock, Wattie, Michie, Shellswell, Carruthers, Thompson, Finlay, Robertson, Patton

Coutts Homestead 1956

(100th Anniversary in Canada)

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