James Glass

John Glass and Janet Cattanach had the banns of marriage called in Birse Aberdeenshire and Lochlee Angus. The Rev Joseph Smith in his privately kept parish registers identifies this John Glass and his wife Janet Cattanach as being from the Forest of Birse.

Entry 131 August 11th: John Glass from Forest, now in Glenesk, and Janet Catanach, daughter of S Catanach in the Forest of Birse.

All their children, including James were baptised in Lochlee. The last child Andrew who was baptised in Logie Coldstone, Aberdeenshire. Thus the family moved from Lochlee to Logie Coldstone some time between 1823 and 1826.

John Glass died in 1839 and is interred in the family grave in Birse kirkyard.

The 1841 census shows the family residing at Heugh, Logie Coldstone. (District 2 page 3)

James married Helen Gordon, daughter of Donald and Elspet Gordon in Bovaglie in 1845

Logie Coldstone Parish Registers: James Glass in Haugh and Helen Gordon in the parish of Crathie having contracted in order for marriage and having been regularly proclaimed were married the 24th of July 1845.

The 1851 census shows the family still residing at Heugh, Logie Coldstone (District 2 page 3)

In 1855, James Glass sailed via "Champion of the Seas" to Victoria Australia. Whether the draw to Victoria was gold or new farming land opening up is hard to say. There were other Deeside folk in the area at the time so tales of good fortune obviously made their way back.

James was killed in an accident on 5th Nov 1859 and on the 11th November 1859 an inquest was held into the his death at Castlemaine. Notes of the inquest state "that James Glass was killed at Porcupine this 5th day of Nov, his horse taking fright and he falling out of his cart, the skull was fractured and instant death the result".

It would appear from a witness statement, that James was on his way to Castlemaine to buy horse feed. The witness, Thomas Boyle worked for James and was following behind him and saw the accident happen. A horse and cart were coming the other way and startled the horse pulling James Glass' cart causing it to take fright and run against a tree on the side of the road. The cart overturned throwing James Glass to the ground and causing injury to his face and fracturing his skull. He was killed instantly.

James died intestate but did leave an amount of money. Duncan McColl was appointed as the Administrator of his estate.

Signed statements in the Letters of Administration state that Duncan McColl was appointed by Helen Glass to be the Administrator of the Estate of James Glass. The statement goes on to confirm that Duncan McColl knew James Glass and Helen Gordon personally in Scotland and continued the friendship with James Glass in Victoria.

A statement from the minister of Crathie, Rev Archibald Anderson, confirms that there is a legal marriage between James Glass and Helen Gordon and therefore she is entitled, as the widow, the the estate of James Glass.

In his signed statement, John Watt, Advocate in Aberdeen, said that he witnessed Helen Glass sign an affidavit stating she was the widow of James Glass and that all her children residing with her were of a minority age. She gave Duncan McColl, residing at Mt Prospect near Creswick, the power to dispose of her husband's estate in Victoria. James was employed in the making of Government Roads in Melbourne and Geelong districts and so his estate included "horses, drays and carts and other implements and ... debts monies and effects owing and belonging to him." (the value of which was under £100)

Probate were granted to Duncan McColl - so one would assume that the money arising from the estate of James Glass ultimately went to his widow Helen Gordon in Logie Coldstone.

Curiosity got the better of me - while I was reading the estate paperwork I wondered how Duncan McColl was so friendly with the family both in Aberdeen and in Victoria. He must have been from the same area himself.

A quick check of the IGI showed a Duncan McColl baptised 29 June 1835 to John McColl and Margaret Gordon. Their marriage reads: John Mcoll Balnacroft and Margaret Gordon Bovaglie were married Thursday 10^th April 1834. (Crathie Parish Registers)

Following the Gordon connection revealed that Helen Gordon, spouse of James Glass, and Margaret Gordon, mother of Duncan McColl were sisters.

A search of Victorian shipping showed that Duncan McColl and his family arrived in Australia via "Chance" in October 1852.