McCuaig / Lachance / Brennan Family of Eastern Ontario, the St. Lawrence Valley, and Ottawa

McCuaig / McQuaig -

The McCuaig / Lachance / Brennan Family of Eastern Ontario, the St. Lawrence Valley and Ottawa - History compiled by Bob Ranger - - - Syracuse, New York, USA. Updated: May 5, 2008.

"It is my own opinion that we should honour our forebears at least to the extent of knowing who they are." -- John B. McCuaig

McCuaig is a sept of clans: Farquharson, MacDonald of the Isles, and MacLeod of Harris.

Tartans pictured here Left - MacLeod of Harris, Right - Farquharson

The McCuaig families lived on the island of Islay in the Scottish Inner Hebridies. In the 19th century, many McCuaigs migrated to other parts of Argyll and neighboring counties. Argyleshire is a rugged fiorded land jutting out of the north western shore of Scotland into the stormy North Atlantic Ocean. Nearly a third of the land mass is in the form of islands. It is occupied principally by Highland Scots. In spite of poor transportation and an economy rooted to the soil, the population of Argyleshire was surprisingly mobile. -- From The McCuaigs of White County by Jonathan E. Paul.

The Highland Clearances

Tenants forced off their land boarded . . . ships which were sub-standard to even the slave ships. Their crossing took more than five weeks and at the end was a land unknown to them, where the challenge of even existence itself would tax their every resource. -- From Reminiscences by Janet MacKay.

After the American Revolution, many people of Celtic origin who remained loyal to the British Crown migrated to Canada and settled on the north side of the St. Lawrence River. Their descendants are found there today.

Press here to learn the origin of the McCuaig name.
from Dear Meg: A Taste of Highland Heritage for the McCuaigs.
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We have, thus far, traced our McCuaig heritage back to:
John McCuaig and Bella McKenzie, who married in about 1860. MacKenzie tartan pictured at right.
Their daughter:
Mary McCuaig (b about 1867), Moose Creek, Ont. married Julien Lachance in 1886 at Ottawa; Siblings: unknown.
Their daughter:
Marie Angelina "Lena" Lachance (1889-1980), Ottawa m Robert Alexander Brennan in 1914, Ottawa; Siblings: Ida, Bertha, Andrew, Albert, Edward, Donald, Julien, others.
Their daughter:
Olive Eleanor Brennan (1920-) Ottawa, Canada m Charles Antoine Ranger, Jr., 1942. Siblings: Robert Edward Brennan (1918-1987), Floyd Noel Brennan (1923-1997), Bernice Brennan (1926-).
Their son:
Robert Charles Ranger (1945-) Ottawa, Canada, Syracuse, NY, musician, computer specialist; m Betty Ann Lewis, 1964. Siblings: Carol Ann Ranger (Carole Spencer) (1947-), Charles Michael "Mike" Ranger (1952-), Patrick Edmund Ranger (1954-).
Our daughter:
Jeanette Michelle Ranger (Born in the Syracuse "Blizzard of 1966") m Eric Andrew Zoeckler of Cazenovia, NY in 1984. Siblings: none.
Their daughters and sons include:
Michele Renée Zoeckler (1987), Reuben Lee Zoeckler (1989), Vernon Taylor Zoeckler (1991) and Charlene Grace Zoeckler (1993).
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Town mentioned frequently: Moose Creek, Ontario

Your questions and comments are welcome. rcranger@syr.edu

Please see the McCuaig / Lachance Family Index & Site Map

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