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Andrew Scroggie
Born December 29, 1816 Grace Tasker Born December 28, 1816 |
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Andrew was born on December 29, 1816, the fifth of seven children born to Andrew Scroggie and Christian Wattee of the parish of Kincardine O'Neil, county of Aberdeen, Scotland (about 18 miles west, 5 miles south of the town of Aberdeen). Andrew and Grace were married in Cargill, Perth (Central Scotland) on March 4, 1849. They had three children in Scotland, John in 1850, Andrew in 1852, and George in 1853. All three were recorded in the church (Presbyterian) parish records as being baptized during these years, as was the custom for Scottish newborns.
Andrew and Grace departed for North America about 1854 and lived in Stratford, Canada for 10-15 years. The voyage was long (perhaps as long as 14 weeks) and one son (either John or Andrew) died in route, which one is not now known as both have never appeared in U.S. census records. Five children where born to Andrew and Grace in Canada, Christina in 1855, James T. in 1856, Robert in 1857, Mary Jane in 1860 and Isabell in 1862. It is suspected that they lived on a farm in Stratford, Ontario.
The entire family (absent Andrew and John, one or both dead by then) emigrated from Canada to Ohio about 1865 (probably after the end of the Civil War). There, in the town of Burbank (Medina County) they had their ninth and last child, Charles (known by later family members as "Uncle Charlie") who was born in 1866. They might have been attracted to Ohio as several of Grace's relatives lived there (Taskers). It is curious that two towns not too far away are "Perry" and "Burton", which in later generations became family names...were they chosen because of the family's experiences in Ohio?
Andrew, Grace & family moved to Onslow, Clay Township, Jones County, Iowa about 1869 or 1870. Jones County is located near Cedar Rapids and southwest of Dubuque in the east central part of the state. Onslow is nearly in the middle of four adjacent townships, Scotch Grove, Madison, Wyoming and Clay. Andrew was mentioned as one of the early settlers of Clay Township. The family was living on a farm (section 118, family # 119 in the 1870 census taken on July 16, 1870) when Andrew was 53, Grace 46, George 17, Christina 14, James 13, Robert 11, Mary 9, Isabell 7 and Charles 4. In March 1870, Andrew, Grace, George and Christina joined the Scotch Grove Presbyterian church one township away. They didn't stay long as they were "dismissed" (transferred) to a new church being formed on June 14, 1870 in nearby Clay Township, the Bethel Presbyterian Church. Andrew and Grace became founding members of the Bethel Church along with about 18 others. Andrew began a long and prominent position with this church, being an Elder of the church from 1870 until about 1895 and was elected as church clerk and served from January 13, 1873 until about 1880. All of Andrew's and Grace's children and some grandchildren (Perry, Grace and James) were baptized in this church.
Andrew became a U.S. citizen on March 5, 1873, renouncing being a subject of Queen Victoria of Great Britain. By the 1880 census, Andrew (63) and Grace (56) were living on the farm with five children, absent George and Mary. George was recently married (to Margaret Isabell Moncrief) and living seven farms away. By the 1900 census, Andrew (83) was living with just Christina (45) as Grace had died at the age of 75 on November 12, 1899. Andrew died at the ripe old age of 86 on January 24, 1902. Both are buried in the Clay cemetery, Clay township.
Writen & Submitted by: Mike Scroggie 4/18/1997 |
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