HILLMAN ~ CAMPBELL ~ FLETT CONNECTION
From Manitoba 2012 back to Scotland 1600s
 http://home.westman.wave.ca/~hillmans/roots02.html

Compiled by William G. Hillman
Work in Progress ~ Please send revisions to
hillmans@westman.wave.ca

NOTE: Hugh Flett's grandparents were George Flett & Margaret Loutitt. Two sons John and George were tenants in Eyn Hallow and Hugh would be son of one of these men. Records lost for that generation. Eyn Hallow is a small island between the Mainland and Rousay. The men had to row to the mainland for peat for their fires. Today, there are no inhabitants. The name is Norse for Holy Isle and parts of an early monastery remain. St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, has a Flett coat of arms in a stained glass window. "Flett" is the second most common name in the Orkneys; mentioned first in Norse sagas. It probably has its origins in the village of Flett, Parish of Delting, Shetland Islands.

NOTE:
Magnus Flett and his brother-in-law, John Brown, left for Canada right after their chruch weddings with Malcom Folsetter. [According to Warner & Beers' History of Brant Co., Folsetter arrived in Beverly Twp. in 1836.] Both Magnus and Malcom first farmed in the Township of Beverly, Upper Canada. About 1844, Magnus bought Con. 5, Lot 37, South Dumfries Twp., Brant Co., Ont. where he lived until his death. He was made an elder of the "Free Chruch of Scotland Assembly", (Knox Presyb.) Ayr, 1848 (position held for over 40 years) and took an active hand in forming that church.

The 1851 census identified Magnus 42, Mrs. Magdalene 32, Magdalene 5, James4 and John 2, living in a log house. Magdalene's death left a young family. Her husband wasted no time in marrying Ann Scoot. No record can be found of Ann, with the Scotts in Dumfries Twp., 1851. Perhaps, she even sailed to Upper Canada with the Russells om 1854, the same year as her marriage.  By 1861, the Fletts were in a 1 1/2 story brick house; Magnus 51, Ann 37, Magdalene 15, James labourer 13, John 11, David 9, Ann 6, Margaret 4, William 2. Ann, who consistently underplayed her age in each census, would be pregnant with Mary.  All ten children were living at home, in 1871, ranging form twenty-four years to four. Ann would be forty-five years old when her youngest child was born; her husband fifty-seven. Daughters Ann, Margaret, Mary, Janet and Jane were still living with their parents in 1881. Margaret would marry a month after the census taking. In 1891, Ann Flett, widow, 69, living in a brick house, Ayr, was listed on the North Dumfries, Waterloo Co., census. Janet and Jane lived with their mother in Ayr, prior to being married.
Children of Magnus Flett & Magdalene Brown
JAMES WINCHESTER FLETT, s/o Magnus Flett & Magdalene Brown
b  01 June 1848  South Dumfries Twp., Brant Co.
d  14 Apr  1889  London, Ont.   40 years 10 months
bu  Ayr, Ont.
m  23 Feb  1881 West Zorra, Oxford Co., Ont.
ISABELLA (BELLE) BOWIE, d/o Innes A. Bowie & Christian Lochtie

JOHN (JACK) FLETT, s/o Magnus Flett & Magdalen Brown
b  12 Mar  1850  South Dumfries Twp., Brant Co., Ont.
d  02 Jan  1914  Strathclair, MB  64 years, 9 months
bu Strathclair, MB
m
MARY GRAY, widow of John Gray
b  28 June 1852
d              c19901
bu

he m 2nd  c1910
JOANNA GRAHAM, d/o James Graham & Agnes
b  06 Dec  1868  Showers Corners, Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co. Ont.
d  03 Dec  1957
bu Strathclair, Mb

she m 2nd  1920
THOMAS HEAD,
b 02 Dec 1877
d 14 Nov  1959
bu Strathclair, MB

The lure of free land for homesteading in the wilderness took Jack Flett west to the Strathclair area of Manitoba, 1878, with his sister Magdalene and husband, Jim Campbell. In 1879, he secured homestead rights to NE 1/4 23-16-22 and in 1898, bought SE 1/4 23-16-22, totalling 640 acres, a four roomed house and two barns. He and the Campbells built similar stone houses and barns. The 1891 Census includes John 42, farmer, Mary, 38, b. Scotland, John Gavin 4 b. MB, Ethel Gray 12, b. Ont. This family was listed on the 1901 census as John 51, Mary 48, John G 17, b. MB. Living with them was niece, Luella Flett, 20 b. Ont.

Children of John Flett & Mary Gray
JAMES FLETT -born 10 June 1911 - d 11 June 1911 - bu Strathclair
JOHN "GAVIN" FLETT, s/o John Flett & Mary Gray
b.  14 Mar 1886   Strathclair, MB
d                1966  Strathclair, MB
bu Strathclair, MB
m                1917
MARJORIE BROWN, d/o
b          1896
d          1978    Strathclair, MB
bu                    Strathclair, MB

Marjorie, a telephone operator, came from Madoc, Ontario, as a young girl to live with her Aunt Min (Mary) and her husband James Campbell. Gavin played in the first Strathclair Band, 1910. His uncle, John R. Folsetter and cousin Ethel visited the Fletts in 1915. Gavin entertained John by attending Grit political rallies. Total Prohibition and Women's Suffrage were the hot items of the period. an entry in John's diary, Wednesday, 11 August, refers to Gavin's future wife, "... Ethel and Margery Brown went for a horseback ride and when they came back Margery and Jim Campbell went for a horse race."
Gavin and Marjorie lived on his father's homestead, until 1929, when they moved to Winnipeg. Many young people from Strathclair boarded with them while attending university or college. Eleanor Reesor writing in 1993, recalls, "As a child I remember Christmas dinner at their home in Winnipeg. Marjorie was a magnificent cook and made heavenly fudge."

John Campbell & Margaret Stewart
parents of
Archibald Campbell
christened QV 1575, Latheron, Caithness, Scotland.
Archibald Campbell & Margaret Flemming
parents of
Duncan Campbell
christened QV 1604, Latheron, Caithness,Scotland
Duncan Campbell and Jean Coloquhoun
parents of
Donald Campbell
born QV 1636, Wick, Caithness, Scotland
Donald Campbell and Mary McGillawray
parents of
William Campbell
Christened May 28,1677,Thurso,Caithness,Scotland
William Campbell and Jane Sinclair
parents of
William Campbell
christened December 8,1706, Thurso, Caithness, Scotland
William Campbell and Christian Budge
parents of
William Campbell
christened June 25,1740, Watten, Caithness, Scotland
William Campbell married Ann Gunn June 30, 1765
Latheron, Caithness, Scotland
parents of

JOHN CAMPBELL
Christened March 24,1779, Thurso, Caithness, Scotland
John Campbell married Margaret Sutherland
March 18,1811, Campsie, Stirling, Scotland
John and Margaret Campbell came to Canada in 1824 on the Christina.
He worked as a tenant farmer in South Dumfries, Ontario
on land was owned by a Robert Dickson.

The 1842 Dumfries census shows John Campbell living there with his wife
Margaret and 4 children.Two of the children were born in Scotland:
James and William.
One of the sons born in Canada was possibly George.

WILLIAM CAMPBELL, s/o John Campbell
Born in Scotland
Died on Christmas Day, 1870

he m 2nd   post 1901
MOLLY BROWN d/o

In 1851, William Campbell, teacher, 31, b. Canada West, F.C. Presbyterian, wife Jane 26, b. Scotland, James 6, William 3, and George Campbell 19 teacher b. Canada West, Methodist were residing in a log house, in Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co.
By 1861, a frame house had been built and this family had inceased to include four more children; William was farming.

[1861 Census Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co., Ont.]
William Campbell, farmer, 39, Jane 34, James 14, William 12, Andrew 8, Jennet 6, Ephraim 4, Sarah 2. (Female death in the year). Their land would appear to be rented as it is not recorded on the 1857 Tremaine map of Blenheim. Campbells appear on the census between J. Rogers & Isaac Innis. Hence it would seem that William and George Campbell probably taught in the early Townline School.  Mary Black, “The Townline School Closes – served Area 160 Years.” “In 1860, forty children were enroled; teacher’s salary $200.”
[1901 Manitoba Census, District 7 Marquette, Shoal Lake and Strathclair, Ephraim Campbell, s/o William, listed his father’s birthplace as Quebec; brother Jim Campbell, listed his father’s birth-place as Ont.; his mother’s as Scotland.]

The 1871 Cenus of South Dumries shows Magdalene Flett 24 still living at home with her family; James Campbell 22 of Scotch origin, born in Ontario, was working for James Kingsburgh (James 76, wife Jane 60, son James 34) on the neighbouring farm.

“Spurred on by western land-rush fever,” several neighbouring families moved from Ayr, Ont. District to Strathclair, Manitoba to homestead; Campbells, Alexanders, Jack Flett.
[Letter from Harold Campbell to Margaret Stockton, December 1993: “There were four (Campbell) brothers, James (my grandfather), Dave, Jake & Ephraim, who all came to Manitoba about the same time.”]
[1851 Census, Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co., Ont. William Alexander, Farmer, b. Scotland, 40, wife, Jane 27, Ralph 7, Jane 5, William 2.   Con. 6, Lot 2, N ½.]
[Minutes of Knox Church, Ayr. Ont., microfilm. First elders elected 05 May 1844, Murdo McRae, Doug Lillico, Robert McHenry & William Alexander. Alexander was appointed Session Clerk.]

Jim and Magdalene Campbell travelled by train to Winnipeg 1878; then transferred their settler’s effects and three children (Will 5, Maggie 3, Jack, a babe in arms) to horse and wagon, for the long trek to their homestead, W1/2 24-16-22. According to family legend, Ontario neighbours told Magdalene, “You’re taking that poor little thing out there to die.” [Probably Mrs. Kingsburgh]

Their first rapidly constructed home was of sod, with a dirt floor. Later a stone house and barn were built, with stones gathered from the fields.

The 1891 census listed James Campbell 44, farmer,  Presb., Magdalene 44, William 18, Maggie 14 and John 13.
[1891 Manitoba Census, T-6294, District 7, Marquette, Shoal Lake & Strathclair, pp. 52, 1. 1. Jim Campbell’s father born in Ontario; his mother in Scotland.]
By 1901, Jim’s property was listed as 960 acres, W1/2 24-16-22, one house, seven barns and SW1/2 22-16-22, 160 A., one house.
[1901 Manitoba Census T-6438, Marquette, Shoal Lake & Strathclair, taken 15 April.]

The smaller acreage was eventually son, Will’s property.
CHILDREN
William Alexander b 01 May 1873 – d. Mar 1943   m  Isobel Morrison
Margaret (Maggie) P T       b. 03 april 1875 – d.          m. 1 Wm Weatherstone  2. George Black
John Magnus Kingsburgh   b. 05  Jan  1878 – d.  24 Jan 1955   m. Katherine McKay

On the 1901 Census for Strathclair, District 9 Marquette, Man. James 54 was living with son, John, 23. He employed his brother-in-law, John Alexander 46 (9 mo-$300) and nephews William 20 (10 mo-$300) and Bertie Alexander 19 (12 mo-$350). They all appeared to be living in the same household.

Jim’s second marriage was to Molly Brown, aunt of Marjorie Brown Flett. After son John and bride, Katie, returned from their honeymoon, Jim and Molly bought a large brick housse in town for $3000.
[Letter from Bill Hillman to Margaret Stockton, Dec. 1993.]

CAMERON McKAY, s/o Rev. McKay &
m 19 Nov 1930                    Div  04  Oct 1951
"ROSE" ANN CAMPBELL, d/o William A. Campbell & Isabella Morrison
b   29 July 1907  Strathclair, MB
d  06 July 1958
bu
Rose trained as a nurse at the Miscordia Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her husband, the son of the United Church Minister in Strathclair, played the bass horn and violin in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The moved to Toronto in the mid thirties.
CHILDREN
i  Ross  b 21 Dec 1932    d                        m Joyce Barton

Bud Campbell attended Brandon College for a year; then transferred to the University of Manitoba graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering. Much of his life was spent around the mining industry -- Red Lake, ON, Norviatal, PQ, Iron Ore, Labrador and Britannia, Estella, BC. In his last years, he had a Land Survey Practice in Cranbrook, BC.
CHILDREN
1 Elizabeth Anne  b 13 July 1938         d                  m Karol Saplywy
ii  Sara Louise   08 July 1946               d                  m David D'Leon Weitzel

Gordon apprenticed as an automotive motor mechanic under his uncle, Roy Morrison, North Battleford, SK. He continued working for Uncle Roy until joining the RCAF, as maintenance, early in the war. He was posted to Northern England where he served until 1945. Upon returning home, he and Kay settled in Prince George, BC.
CHILDREN
i  Louise Diane    b1940              d                   m Brian Leonard Shelby, 10 July 1965 (Louise is a teacher)

Harold first moved to British Columbia in 1936; worked at Rivers McDonald Mine, Salmo, for a year. Moved to the Norvital mine, Quebec, for two years. By 1938, he was back living witht he Blackburns in Steventon, BC. He joined the RCN in March 1942; spent five months after the armistice sweeping mines in the English Channel. He then worked in the construction trade until his retirement. He now resides in Duncan, BC, 1993.
CHILDREN
i Sheila "Claire"  b 03 Aug 1946                                  m "Eugene" Gus Wessan   12  Aug 1872

WILLIAM (BILLY) WEATHERSTONE, s/o
b  19 July 1864            ON
d               1931
bu
m                1899
MARGARET (MAGGIE) P.T. CAMPBELL, d/o James Campbell & Magdalene Flett
b  03 apr  1875    S. Dumfries Twp., Brant Co., or Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co., Ont.
d               1958  Paris, ON
bu
she m 2nd  1953
GEORGE W BLACK, s/o James Black & Margaret Guthrie
b                                        Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co., ON
d   Jan  1948    Paris, ON
bu
The 1901 Manitoba Census T-6438, Shoal Lake and Strathclair taken 15 April reports that Wm Weatherstone of Scottish origin; farmer, was employed three months in that year, $100. Farmed in the Salt Lake area, NE 1/4 15-16-22, 320 A., one house, two barns, until 1915 when Mr. Weatherstone took a job as grain buyer at Rivers.

Marion Marsh, writing in 1993, recalled, "Weatherstone was a salesman... was unfaithful to Aunt Maggie. I don't know whether she ever divorced him or not but they did separate. One night she had a 'visitation'. Jesus stood at the foot of her bed and told her to go to Boston and become a nurse and do his work.... She went from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to the Deaconess Hospital, Boston, where she did graduate as a nurse. She worked among the poor of boston until an incident threatened her life. She then moved to Aiken Hall, Olive Hill, Kentucky, to nurse in an orphanage. She healed the orphans, preached a few sermons, delivered many of the babies (estimated to be over 1,000) around and was our "Mother Theresa" -- we adored her. Many of her orphans became missionaries and she gave them the shirt off her back....

"We loved to have her go to church with us -- in true Southern style she would holler out 'Hallelujah, praise the Lord' at appropriate spots in the service -- much to our delight and my mother's embarrassment .. in her old age, she moved to a retired missionaries' home in Pasadena, California; was so bored she got a job as a nurse in this home. When she was 84 she married Geordie Black, who had returned to Paris, ON, fromt he West (farmed Newdale, MB); resided in his home after his death until she, herself, died in her late eighties."

JOHN (JACK) MAGNUS KINGSBURGH CAMPBELL, s/o James Campbell & Magdalene Flett
b  05 Jan 1878  S. Dumfries Twp., Brant Co. or Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co., ON
d  24 Jan  1955   Brandon, MB
bu Strathclair, MB
m 11 Dec  1912 at the James McKay residence in Strathclair
KATHERINE (KATIE) ELIZABETH McKAY, d/o James McKay & Ann Munroe
(James McKay d . 10 May 1919 ~ Annie McKay d. 17 Apr 1915 ~ both aged 75)
b  19 Oct 1885   Cottonwood, Redwood Co., Minnesota
d  25 Dec 1971  Newdale, MB
bu Strathclair, MB

NOTE: "Magnus" for his Grandfather Flett; "Kingsburgh" probably for Mr. & Mrs. James Kingsburgh, neighbour to the Fletts, Lot 37, Con. 5 & Lot 36, Con. 4, South Dumfries Twp., Brant Co, ON. Jim and Magdalene Campbell may have resided in one of the Kingsburgh houses as Jim was their hired man. Perhaps, Mrs. Kingsburgh assisted with John Campbell's birth.

John, who arrived in Manitoba as a baby, attended the Salt Lake School, near Strathclair. He was fourteen when his mother died. Katie arrived in the Green Bluff area, south-west of Strathclair, on Valentine's Day, 1899, with her family. They brought cattle, tools, wagons, sleighs, harness and household effects all on box cars.

John was 35 years old when he married Katie. They honeymooned by train to Winnipeg, Chicago, Detroit & Belle Isle. About the same time, father, Jim Campbell and his second wife, Molly, took up residence in Strathclair, leaving John and Katie to farm the original homestead, directly across from the Flett farm.

John R. Folsetter notes in his diary, 23 July, 1915, that John Campbell "commenced haying today". In an entry dated Wednesday, 11 August 1915, "John Campbell took Ethel (Folsetter) for a drive and to give her a lesson in driving a Studebaker." On the fifteenth of July he wrote, "The roads here are splendid for cars when they are dry but after a rain they are so greasy the car slips all over the road and if you put on chains they fill up with the black dirt and throws all over."

In 1920, the stone house was replaced with a new brick one designed by Katie. The only other brick house in the town was the one occupied by Jim Campbell. Shortly thereafter, the old stone house occupied by the hired man, burned. The stones from the structure were used to build the stone fence which is still standing on the property, now owned by grandson, Bill Hillman.

The Campbells bought land "right and left"; saw a great future in the land and by 1920, John farmed 1300 acres (three hired men and one girl). He, along with Gavin Flett, shared a threshing machine and did custom work. The Jack Campbell family produced and delivered diary products (to Strathclair -- 1 1/2 miles north -- in Bennett buggy) through most of the '20s and '30s. The three kids -- Don, Louise and Billie --  along with the neighbouring Christie family formed and played in the popular Campbell-Christie orchestra through the '30s.

John Campbell was very active in community work, serving on the church board and helping with the building of the old stone church. He also served on the school board for a number of years. He was interested in sports, baseball and curling until his health began to fail. He was a long-time active Forester. In 1952, Jack and Katie moved to a house they built east of the United Church in Strathclair. After John's death, Katherine moved back to the farm to make her home with her daughter, Louise. Her house was sold and moved, and the lot was donated to the United Church.

Son, William Gavin Campbell, who had successfully passed RCMP entrance exams, joined the RCAF in August 1941. He served overseas as a Lancaster bomber pilot until he was killed in 1945. He is buried at Blacon Cemetery, Chester, England. The Flight Lieutenant Cambell Tribute is located at: http://home.westman.wave.ca/~hillmans/campbell.html

CHILDREN
i. "Donald" James Munroe   b. 08 Mar 1914   d.   1992    m. Shirley Jones
ii "Louise" Marie                 b. 30 Aug 1918   d                 m. Robert "Gerald" Hillman
iii. "William" Gavin               b. 31 Jan  1922   d 30 Apr  1945     unm

Donald and Shirley operated their farm, "Dixie" about two miles south of Strathclair, MB, until 1965, when Don took a job at CFB Shilo and they moved to Brandon.
CHILDREN
i  Margaret (Margie) Ellynn  b 18 May 1946   d                  m 1 George Waddell   m 2 Brian Hodgson
ii "Alexander" John               b 17 June 1947  d                   m Linda Elizabeth Ritchie ~ divorced
iii "Elizabeth" Louise             b 26 Sept 1949                       m Glen Roberts

CHILDREN
i  Scott
ii Jamie

CHILDREN
i  Quinn

ROBERT GERALD (JERRY) HILLMAN, s/o Robert Hillman & Jane Robinson
b  09 Aug  1920  Elrose, SK
d                1983 McAllen, Texas (on holiday)
bu  Strathclair, MB
m   27 May 1941  Halifax, NS
"LOUISE" MARIE CAMPBELL, d/o John Campbell & Katherine McKay
b  30 Aug 1918  Strathclair, MB

Jerry served six years in the RCN. He and Louise moved to the Campbell homestead to farm and run a poultry business in 1946. Jerry operated Hillman's Marshall Wells Hardware Store in Newdale, MB, 1961-1980. Louise resides (2000)  in Ellice Lodge, Strathclair.
CHILDREN
i  William Gerald   b 11 Jan 1943   d                  m Sue-On Choy  29 Aug 1966
ii Bonnie Louise     b 24 Dec 1946                     m Michael Schneider

WILLIAM (BILL) GERALD HILLMAN s/o Robert Gerald (Jerry) Hillman & Louise Campbell
b 11 Jan 1943  Shoal Lake Hospital (Strathclair)
d
bu
m  29 Aug 1966  Rivers, MB
SUE-ON CHOY, d/o Soo Choy & Yook Hai (Jade) Chan
b  03 June 1948  Toisan, South China

Sue-On, aged two, was smuggled out of Red China to Hong Kong with a neighbour family. At the age of ten, she and her mother were allowed to join her father in Canada. She is a graduate of Brandon University (BA & B.Ed) and is a former high school teacher. IN 1992, when the Hillmans took over SOO'S, the Choy family restaurant in downtown Brandon, MB, Sue-On took on the role of manager.

Bill, raised on the Campbell family farm, has retired from teaching. He taught high school geography, English and computers at Strathclair for 30 years -- commuting from Brandon for the last five years. He and Sue-On are long-time International performers who have been active as singers, songwriters, recording artists, etc. One of their CD releases features the song, "John Campbell -- Pioneer."

Bill, an inveterate collector, has restored the 1920 Campbell brick farmhouse which has has filled with memorabilia.
CHILDREN
i  William "Ja-On" Campbell     b 17 Feb 1978
ii William "Robin" Munroe Lee-Chan  b 25 July 1981
iii "China-Li" Jade Ma-Ri                   b 05 Dec 1985

Bonnie and Michael live in Saudi Arabia where Dr. Schneider works as a surgeon and advisor.
CHILDREN
i  Mark Michael
ii Lee Noelle
iii Ian Michael
iv  Michelle