Ancient Relatives

A few years ago I discovered my second cousin Karen Hay who now lives on Vancouver Island.  We have been exchanging information since then and she has become very interested in genealogy.  She was asking for some pictures of our ancestors graves, so when Mike was home we got up early to catch the morning sun on the easternwardly facing stones.  Unfortunately the main stone needs cleaning badly so the inscription doesn't show up. I'm trying to get something done about that.

I am writing a book about the early family that should be published sometime in the next year or so, but in the meantime, here is some information for those of you who are interested.



This is St. Andrew's church located about two miles north of Shakespeare, Ontario.  The church was built in 1850 and contains the graves of our early ancestors who emigrated from Scotland.




I consider this the main stone and it rests next to the others.  It is the headstone of Peter Hay and Janet Brown.  Janet is my great, great grandmother who immigrated from Scotland in 1848.  Her son William (1844) was born in Scotland, but raised in Canada as the son of Peter Hay although his natural father was actually William Hogg.  I have never been able to find any trace or record of William Hogg after William Jr's. birth.  A smaller stone off to the right commemorates the life and death of Andrew, son of John Hay who was Peter & Janet's son and half-brother to William (my great grandfather).



This is the grave of Donald and Christian Hay.  Also interred here is their son Duncan who died in 1854.  Donald and Christian died in the 1860's.  .