Alexander the Boy


Still under construction
Alexander Macfie
the boy

Alexander Macfie the tenth child of Robert Mcfie and Mary Andrew was born in Greenock, 24th of  January 1789. He passed his childhood along with his brothers and sisters in the home located  at 3 William  Street, above the family grocery store. This tenement was purchased by Robert Mcfie, Alex’s father in 1783 from Mr. Patrick Scott .(see map)

Robert and Mary had been residing on the east side of the Street in the great tenement of Mr. Alexander, there were two back houses attached to this tenement, one entering from the staircase and the other on the right side of the court. Robert and Mary inhabited the latter house until their purchase in 1783.

The Scott property entered from the High Street  by a narrow lane, afterwards called " Drummer’s Close". Attached to it was a yard of ten falls, on which stood some thatched houses and timber ‘shades". It stretched up to what afterwards became the feu of Robert Crawford, cooper, facing the Square.(see map)

Below the dwelling quarters, we find the operations of Messrs. Macfie, Lindsay & Co. and Macfie Graham & Co. grocers. Across the street there was Mr. John Wilson, grocer, agent for Messrs. James Fairie & Co., sugar refiners.  Mr. Wilson resided in a suburb of the town on the High road to Innerkip, his home which he called " Orangefield" was later purchased by Robert Macfie (see map)  to be used as his town residence.

Now Alexander’s brothers, William, 13 years older, Robert Andrew,  11 years older would have been apprenticed at the time of his birth. John, 6 years older, remained close and sympathetic to Alexander, but he followed the older boys in their endeavors to become industrialists.  Alexander remained at home with his Mother, his older sister Anne (3 years to Alex),  Janet or Jessie who was born one year after Alex and a young baby Thomas who died in his first year .  Alexander then became  Mummy’s little boy . All the attention that Mary had given Thomas, only to be grief stricken at his death, was then directed to Alexander.  Mary was 46 years old in 1793 and lived another 22 fulfilled years..

Robert Mcfie, with his grocery store and other investments in sugar houses, and overseas trading was becoming a fairly wealthy man. His family was doing well, his sons were coming along very well, the age of the industrial revolution was profitable. He was now in his 50’s, wanting to  enjoy the benefits he purchased the summer home of Duncan Alexander Campbell in Inverkip.  Mr. Campbell was partner of the Greenock Distillery Co. This was a fair estate called LANGHOUSE  and became the residence of the Macfie  family during the  summer months. Now Alexander was only 9 years old when his father bought this large estate, he had not been apprenticed , John now 15 was off and only the two girls and Alexander remained at home with their Mother. One can only imagine the influence this group would have on Alexander, not to mention the leisurely life that Alex was to send during the summer months on the estate of Langhouse.   

In a letter some time later on his life , 1845 , Alex , writing to his sister Jess in Sweden, states " of the delinquents who were in the way (xx) of occassionally smuggling a little cream - riding a red stick painted for ahorse- fishing on the beautiful linns on the Langhouse burn, and many other innocent amusements which you letter brought to my recollection, the interrogation of " Whos's there" by the old woman at the leap, and the answer of  " a wee drop of sour milk" - was not forgotten". Alex goes on to state in the same letter back to his sister  " I have the most perfect recollection of making the complaint to Father on his return from Church of this circumstance, but who the individual was that did the dee, I cannot now recollect" . Then  still further  in his remembering of the fair times of his youth,  :" Do you recollect one Sunday evening when Ann was very busy rather in the (xxx) of Father's chair, making faces at John who sat inclined to the left of being opposite to her, and thinking no doubt that the worthy man was so much absorbed that he would not notice her, but  she was mistaken and he spoke out in half laughing tone  "See that wild gawky making faces" I will never forget this anecdote of poor Ann, nor the laugh it occassioned at her expense" .


Having the opportunity to review the book " John Macfie and his family" we have surmised with the aid of extracts from the book, the adolescent life of Alexander Macfie as best we could.  It is indicated that Alexander was employed in or about 1808 in the Leith Sugar house , this house was being operated by John the third son, he had written his father Robert indicating that Alexander had become very attentive and steady to the business entrusted to his care  it was recommend that Alexander be given " a regular allowance of a salary for himself and his own use"



We have reproduced a letter dated 1810 from Alexander who was staying with John in Leith to his sister Jessie who had just returned to  Langhouse. His letter is not of business like the letters we have seen from his brother, but more a school boys letter with frivolous writings (dilly-dally stuff).

Reproduction of letter in Jessie Thorburn’s personal papers in Sweden.

Addressed to Miss Jess Macfie , Langhouse
Hand delivered by Mr John Watson

Leith 26 June 1810

  Dear Sister
         This you will in all probability receive from the fair hands of the    accomplished and headfull prepossessing Mr John Watson, who to the patly idea of seeing he relations and the bodies about Greenock, leaves the fair Dundee maid to sigh and to moan at married existence till he returns. He has had several appointments to meet lately at Musslebergh, but was as often hindered owing to some adverse circumstance wisely planned.
         I am now in great hopes that after you have got safe to Langhouse, you will take  an example from that doger honest woman grannie (illegible) and not go gauding about queesing Russian young student and men of war, (missing words) clerks, as you and that Lassie Elly used to do. As we are still trough working like Sogen , and Jenny is at Bureut crying, Mr Sandy came into to join tea., so I will be obliged to close this sheet much sooner than I expected as Jack wants to get off to Edinburgh.
          I need not mention to you that John Thorburn and our John are very bad friends, but for what reason we cannot say, as the former will not tell his reason although repeatedly asked by the latter.
           I am glad our future to be  (missing words) is (missing words) you I am very certain will captivate all the folks and praise the young man’s choice. 

I am , Dear Jess, yours in a hum,
Alex Macfie

Shall write more sooner or later .



In 1810 we find Alexander back in Greenock at the Sugar house while William his older brother took some time to  work with the local Militia. Now we do not know what Alexander was doing, was he supervising the works or was he just there representing the Macfie family,  like  the Boss’s son is watching type of function.

After the sudden death of Robert Andrew , 1811 the second son, Alexander was  transferred to the Grocery side of the family affairs. Robert Andrew had managed this subsidiary very well  and all this responsibility was entrusted to Alexander. He was to work with Andrew Lindsay and John McLaurin. Now according to the information accumulated from the family papers we find Alexander is proving to be something of a problem. He had been unsettled for some time and had left the Leith house earlier in the year to return to Greenock.  John and Ann wrote home about him concerned with his behavior, hinting that perhaps he had some secret plan of his own in mind.

 In 1814 old Robert, now 68 decided to retire from business. Alexander was not making much success at the helm of the grocery division and caused poor Andrew Lindsay such grief that he resigned. Things came to a boil and the family asked Alexander to  cease to be a partner in the subsidiary, Alexander left for England immediately.  On Nov 10 1814 , he tendered his resignation he was 25 years old. In the book there is mention that Alexander had been visiting in London with his sister in law’s brother John Galt (1807-1808) Alex was now 19 years of age.

From a letter dated March 20 1814, Alexander was preparing to leave London on a long journey (to Canada we assume) for he has written his sister at Langhouse telling her that a large parcel of books had not arrived, and probably would not arrive before he left. Books that he would have like to take with him on his long journey.  Alexander was leaving on the ‘ Minerva’  on the 23 of March 1814, he was to sail to Gravesend first and from there they were to sail to Portsmouth. there were to be thirty passengers on aboard.  It is thought perhaps that John Galt  was the more important among these passengers, he was going to Canada on behalf of the British American Land Co., to establish its presence in the Colony.




London 20 March 1814

Dear Jess,

  On making application at the Agents of the Lord Wellington - Nesbett , which arrived on Saturday, I was informed that no such box as that to which you allude was onboard of that vessel, which is rather a unfortunate circumstance as it may not now arrive in time to take it along with me which from the number of books in it , I will feel seriously the want of. I hope you will instantly on receipt of this dispatch contact one of your emissaries from Froigs warehouse and ascertain whether it has been put onboard of the Wellington and if not to insist on its being shipped by the next opportunity, as there is still a chance of getting it in time. The Minerva leaves London dock, paritual 23th March and will drop down to Gravesend, where she may be detained for about six days in getting sailors and provisions onboard. The passengers 30 in number are to join her then. Your useful hint of keeping a journal during my passage, I had previously laid my mind to and you may expect a copy of it  I shall write you at great length from Portsmouth where we are to join Conway. From the length of time I have been in London and from a wish to appear as economical to our friends at home I would wish much if it was convenient and pleasing to you to give me the loan of 5L whether my dear Sister this suits your inclination or not, I hope you will say nothing about it at home, 

I am
My dear Sister, your brother 
Alex Macfie

As far as we can tell Alexander spent fours years in Canada for the next we learn of him is back at Langhouse in 1818 where he was in idleness with his older sister Ann who was aling and his aging Father, his loving mother having passed away in 1815 in his absence. At Christmas, Alexander withdrew all the money that he possessed, left Greenock  and went on a glorious spree. He turned up in Leith five days later having spent all that he had a sum that should have kept him  well off for a year if not more.

The problem with Alexander, who was now 29 years of age, became an embarrassment to the family. The older brothers proposed that he be sent off for a period of supervision in the home of an accommodating minister, or to a somewhat similar rustication at Otter Ferry, Dunoon or else where on the banks of the Clyde. Old Robert and to say the least Alexander were not quite carried with these propositions. Meanwhile Alexander remained at Leith as John’s guest, providing from time to time a hand with the office work. A position was obtained for Alexander with a Leith shipping office, however Alexander proved incorrigible and lost his job with in two months.  So it came to be that Alexander was packed off to rusticate after all, to a place near Dumbarton.

Unfortunately the family papers do not allow further assumptions at this time as there was a lapse in the papers that had been so carefully kept over the years.

On April 21 1823 Alexander Macfie married Ann Tough at Inverray. Alexander was 34 years old. At this age in those times he was considered  past his prime, almost and old man.  Ann Tough was 21 years old.

 ( it is most unfortunate that we were  unable to locate a journal of Alex's 1814 trip to  Canada, there is no reference made to it in any of the papers that we have been able to find todate (2003). We do not know if he really did indeed as his sister suggested keep such a book. It is known that much of the family records of the Canadaian branch were kept at one time in the barn of Lloyd Bullock in Clarenceville, and that this barn burnt down destroying any Macfie reocrds that may or may not have been accumulated over the years. Perhaps the journal which just may have been kept was among those papers)



l

l

Robert McFie
1746-1827
Married
Mar 9 1772
Port Glasgow ,Scotland
Mary Andrew
1749-1815

v

Mary Macfie
1773-1773
Margaret Macfie
1774-1853
William Macfie
1776-1854
Robert Andrew Macfie
1778-1811
Mary Macfie
1780-1853
John Macfie
1781-1782
John Macfie
1783-1852
Janet Macfie
1785-1785
Ann Macfie
1786-1851
Alexander Macfie
1789-1850
Janet/Jessie Macfie
1790-1863
Thomas Macfie
1792-1793

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Alexander Macfie
Tough
Langhouse
Greenock
Inverkip
Sugar




 


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Friday, 26-Mar-2021 13:07:09 MDT