Person:John Steele (36)

From: THE EARLY HIGHLAND SETTLERS IN THE TOWNSHIP OF MARA, by George D. Ma cDonald, Toronto, 1909

"The next family to arrive came from {South} Uist; they sailed from Loch B oisdale on June 1st, 1849 and after a pleasant passage of six weeks they a rrived at Quebec. This vessel carried 437 passengers, all bound for differ ent parts of Canada; those who came to Mara come by vessel from Queb ec to Toronto, which took them six days, and after a short stay in Toront o, they bade the rest of the party good-bye, and took stage to Holland Lad ing, which took then one day. At this point one of the party by the na me of "Pat Steele", was stricken with typhus fever and died, which ca st a sad gloom over the rest of the party; they buried him under the sha de of a large pine tree; marked and lonely grave by a rough stone, an proc eeded on their journey. They took a vessel called the "Beaver" to Atherl y; the hull of this vessel can still be seen at the Narrows, which separa te Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching. [In 1957 a rib from this submerged wr eck was raised by David Brown.]

This party consisted of John Steele, the father, two sons, Alexander and J ohn, and one daughter Mary; Donald and Alexander McIsaac and five sister s; Donald McDonald, his mother and two sisters; John and Anne McIsaac, ha lf brother and sister of the McDonalds, Hugh and Findlay Walker, Neil a nd Flora Morrison. Also John McKinnon and Donald McLean. This party are mo stly all dead. [The two sisters of Donald McDonald were Mary who married A rchie McDonald and Janet (Jessie) who married Donald McIsaac. Their moth er had been Anne Steele widow of both an Alexander McDonald and Donald McI saac. Neil Morrison's wife was Ann not Flora.]

Donald McDonald died March 4th, 1898 aged eighty years. Mrs. Carey (Mary S teele) died February 6th, 1907 aged eighty years. Mrs. Joseph Lee (Flora M cIsaac) died November 6th, 1906 aged 77 years.

Mrs. Neil Morrison died September 28th, 1896 aged 105 years.

Mrs. Alex Steele (Isabella [Catherine] McIsaac) is still alive though crip pled from rheumatism and she told me she was 98.

Mrs. John Steele (Mary McIsaac) is still alive and well, and able to atte nd to her household duties at the age of 90.

Mrs. Mary McDonald is alive but in very poor health at 82 [widow of Archie ]. "

1. ↑ "Register of Emigrants from the Western Isles, Vol. 2, South Uist and Benbecula, pt. 2, 1840-1900"
   p. 85, South Uist Emigrant #294.

   QUAY 3 "John Steele and family emigrated from South Boisdale in the 1840's and settled in Mara Township, Ontario Co."