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COLONY Of MONTE GRANDE, ARGENTINA, Page 5
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Emigrants on the ship Symmetry, Leith-Buenos Aires 1825
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The sailing ship Symmetry, commanded by (Captain) Smith, sailed from Leith on Sunday 22 May 1825 carrying 220 prospective colonists, comprising 45 couples, 42 bachelors, 14 single women and 79 children. After stopping at the Canary Islands, she arrived at Buenos Ayres on 8th August, 1825. The colonists set up the first Scottish settlement at Monte Grande under the patronage of John and William Parish Robertson and were responsible for revolutionizing farming and food supplies to the city. In addition to the Scots, some specialists were recruited from further afield. The six bricklayers came from London, as did architect Richard Adams and his family, and one of the surveyors, James Parris Fisher, hailed from Lynn Regis in Dorset.
Sources: Lloyd`s List, Symmetry:
Copper sheathed, 3 masted square rigged ship of 382 tons. Single main deck with beams. Drew 18 feet of water when loaded. Registered at Scarborough in 1823. Owned by Tindles. Classified A1.
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The COLONY of MONTE GRANDE is a story of how a group of Scottish immigrants left:
"in May, 1825 and set sail from Leith on board the Symmetry. [Reverend] Dodds states that the colonists 'numbered more or less, 250 souls including children' (p. 11, Stewart), but this figure embraces some who made their way to Buenos Aires independently. No records remain of that latter, nor of the identity of the vessels on which they sailed. The Symmetry party was composed of EIGHT (8) FARMERS and their families, an architect, a doctor, a bailiff, and the many tradesmen and servants required to establish and staff the colony. On arriving in Argentina, the settlers possessed only the most basic knowledge of the society they were about to join, a fact recorded by one of their number."
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Below is a letter that I extracted from [The Times, [London, Middlesex, England] which tells A real-life story of one of the Colony of Monte Grande's most trying episodes, not published anywhere else since it first appeared in the The Times on July 7th, 1829 - find it below:
Sources: (1) The Times, Tuesday, July 7th, 1829; page 2; Issue 13,959; column C.
Extract of a letter received from one of the farmers [WILLIAM GRIERSON] who went from the West of Scotland to Mr. Parish Robertson's Colony at MONTE GRANDE about 15 miles from Buenos Ayres: -- "Buenos-Ayres, April 28th. -- No doubt you will have heard, before you receive this, of the distressed state in which we have been for some time past. The colony at MONTE GRANDE is now deserted. We have been under the necessity of taking shelter for ourselves and our families in the town since the 1st instant. Five of us with our families live in one house, for which we pay $230.00 dollars a month. Our horses have already been taken away. On the 1st instant, I had 400 head of cattle, and I doubt not that they will be either killed or driven off. When we left the colony, our Indian Corn was quiet ready to be fathered in, and, of course, it will be rendered useless. Had I got it secured, it would have been worth $4,000.00 dollars, besides paying the expense of gathering it in. But, in fact, all that we have will be lost. All business is at a stand, and every person is in the utmost alarm. If we survive the present contest; and be enabled to return to our farms at MONTE GRANDE, we shall have more difficulties to contend with than when we first came to this country."
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THE VOYAGE OF THE SYMMETRY by William Grierson (wife is Catharine Montgomerie KELTON whose sister was Jessie Montgomerie KELTON, of Waterfoot Farmhouse, Annan) -
"The Voyage of the Symmetry, From a Journal, of the Voyage, of the Ship Symmetry of Scarborough, (Captain) Smith Master, from Leith to Buenos Ayres, between May the 20th, & August the 11th inclusive, 1825, by Mr. [William] Grierson, one of the Passengers, for the satisfaction of his friends in Scotland.
MAY 20th, 1825, Friday [Voyage Begins]:
20th Being Friday, went with my family on board, the ship lying in Leith Roads, all things ready, expecting to sail by the night-tide. Found the greatest confusion, in every part, the Steerage baffles all description, Beds, Blankets, Clothes, Bales, Packages, items of every kind all in a huddle. Sailors, Passengers, Strangers, sick, healthy, old and young, sober, tipsy, crying, praying, scolding. Things serious and comic, all going on at one and the same time. This is a world of itself. We have hatch-holes; but no backfoors. If things are to continue as they begin, the sooner our voyage is at an end the better. Find the small apartment allotted to my family as tolerable (comfortable not to be expected), as any that I see: being a small Cabin-closet, containing 3 beds; 2 to be occupied by my family, and 1 by my female cousins, the two Miss Broaches.
AUGUST 11th, 1825, Thursday [Voyage Ends]:
"Thursday, - a fine morning, and the apperance of a fine day. - A sail coming up the river; we all wonder what she may be. - as she approaches, we observe the British flag flying, and she turns out to be the Europe of Liverpool; sailed thence on the 6th of May, having been more than three months on her passage. - But with this, I must stop, and close this Journal. ...I have observed that the Country seems bleak, the City gloomy, and the aspect of the Inhabitants rather forbidding. - We have certainly seen every thing to disadvantage, and we have carried prejudices alongst with us which we must overcome, before we can form proper, and consistent Ideas.
- We left home on the eve of summer; - experienced the Sultry heat, the bright glare, and the debilitating influence of the Torrid Zone, and tropical climes: nay we may say, 'that we have been cast upon these plains from the midst of Thunder and Lightning'. -Yea our Nomenclature must undergo a reform, and the qualities of our Kalendar submit to a very material alteration. - and when we characterise the days, or the Season, we must make a complete transfer of qualities, and put summer for winters, Spring for Autumn, long for short, and heat for cold, and so forth. - We must learn that Boreas now blows upon us from the South: that he yet lingers in these plains, that his last embraces are impressive, when he is about to retire to the mountains of Patagonia, or the Cloud surmounting the Andes, where he always sits covered with his snowy Mantle, as he often does upon Benlomond, and Benlawers, in the Land of Cakes.- I also herewith send a Draught of the Symmetry, as she passed the Madeiras; no bad representation to be done at sea. - it was sketched by Mr. Adams, who went with us as architect. He is from London, a very amiable gentleman, and has a wife and four Children with us. -He and I are on the very best terms, and I have a high opinion of him. I intend the Draught as a memento to CATHARINE MONTGOMERIE nee Kelton GRIERSON, Waterfoot Farmhouse. - I know that my Friends will regard it, not according to its intrinsic value, but in proportion of my Intention; and that when CATHARINE MONTGOMERIE GRIERSON, Waterfoot [Farmhouse], and her sister JESSIE, look upon it, they will be put in mind 'that it was the ship, which carried us to Buenos Ayres'; when they observe the small dots intended to represent the passengers peeping over the Bulwarks, it will be observed to them 'that we were amongst them', and that we have sent them this ship for the purpose of bringing them, (for this, or some one like it must bring them) to us, at Buenos Ayres. To conclude, I hope that we are, now, all out of danger, and I cordially unite with my fellow passengers in returning thanks to a Kind Providence, who has guided us hitherto in safety; and we humbly look upon him for protection, and a continuation of his bounty, being convinced that we are still in his presence, though far from home, and in the Land of Strangers: and we firmly believe, 'that in these sentiments our Friends will be unanimous with ourselves', when they peruse these memorials of us."
[Editorial note: taken from Stewart's "From Caledonia to the Pampas" page 37]: "The text of William Grierson's Voyage of the Symmetry'.... is transcribed from that originally printed for the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Buenos Aires. This version of the journal was circulated in eight instalments as a supplement to the church newsletter...."
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FOR THE RECORD - I want to clear up a few things and perhaps add to the knowledge of researchers and other interested parties who are attempting to study both the manuscript of William Grierson and the passengers' list of the Symmetry:
PAGE 4: - [William Grierson] "send letter to my father"....[his father was alive and living in Scotland at the time of his passage to Monte Grande.]. Thursday, 26th May, 1825: -- write (2) two letters more, one for Miss Montgomerie & one for Mrs. Kelton [both related].
PAGE 6: - ...In the Spring [of] 1825 were recruited settlers from 'the quiet hamlets & granges on the banks and braes o' bonnie Doon, the dales of the sweet winding Nith, the Annan, the Teviot...
PAGE 8: - "Their initial success is recorded in an article in the local English-language newspaper,
THE BRITISH PACKET, of 1825
OCTOBER, 1828: "the colony not only soon Laid the foundations of a permanent prosperity..."
ARGENTINE RECORDS from Consular & Cemetery extracts: --
Surname: GRIERSON
Given Name: MARGARET KELTON [christened May 18th, 1823, Kirkmahoe]
Date: 1855
Country: Argentina
Town: Buenos Ayres
Data Source: Consul Record B[uenos] A[ires]
Date Type: MARRIAGE.
Note: She is the daughter of William Grierson & Catharine Montgomerie Kelton.
Last Name: GRIERSON (male)
First name: None given.
Where born: Buenos Ayres
Age: (3) three days.
Date of death: 3rd November, 1829
Disease: Not given.
Note: He is the son of William Grierson & Catharine Montgomerie Kelton.
Last Name: GRIERSON [born c1771]
First Name: JAMES
Where born: Scotland
Age: 84 years.
Date died: 11th April, 1855
Occupation: none given.
Died from: not recorded.
Officiant: N.
Note: He is a relative of William Grierson, my opinion, who exactly is not yet known.
Last Name: GRIERSON, born 1825, believed to be a twin of John Parish Robertson Grierson.
First Name: James
Where born: Buenos Ayres
Age: 31 years.
Occupation: FARMER
Cause of death: Consumption.
Abode at time of death: Buenos Ayres.
Officiant: (Reverend) James Smith.
Note: He is the son of William Grierson & Catharine Montgomerie Kelton.
Surname: GRIERSON
Given Name: Joseph
Date: 1881
Country: Chile
Town: Coquimbo
Data source: Whitakers' Almanac
Data type: Status
Surname: GRIERSON
Given Name: Joseph
Date: 1894
Country: Chile
Town: Coquimbo
Data source: Scottish Wills
Data type: Will.
Surname: GRIERSON
Given Name: W[illiam] [christened July 4th, 1815, Glencairn]
Date: 1851
Country: Argentina
Town: Buenos Ayres
Data source: Hospital History.
Data type: Status.
Note: He is the son of William Grierson & Catharine Montgomerie Kelton.
Surname: GRIERSON
Given Name: JOHN [Parish Robertson]
Date: 1858
Country: Argentina
Town: Buenos Ayres
Data source: Consul Record B[uenos] A[ires].
Marriage: - (data type).
Note: He is the son of William Grierson & Catharine Montgomerie Kelton.
Surname: GRIERSON
Given Name: n/a.
Date: 1863
Country: Argentina
Town: Buenos Aires
Data source: Mulhall's foreigner's index.
Data type: Business.
Surname: GRIERSON
Given Name: n/a.
Date: 1869
Country: Argentina.
Town: Buenos Aires
Data source: Malhalls' Handbook
Data type: Business.
Surname: GRIERSON
Given Name: [Doctor] Cecilia
Date: 1899 - [born November, 1859]
Country: Argentina
Town: Buenos Aires
Data source: Medical Directory
Data type: Status.
Note: She is the grand-daughter of William Grierson & Catharine Montgomerie Kelton.
Surname: GRIERSON
Given Name: JOHN
Date: 1863
Country: Argentina
Town: Buenos Aires
Data source: Mulhalls' foreigner's index.
Data type: Status.
Surname: GRIERSON
Given Name: William
Date: 1863
Country: Argentina
Town: Buenos Aires
Data source: Mulhalls' foreigner's index.
Data type: Status.
Surname: GRIERSON
Given Name: GEORGE
Date: 1901
Country: Ch
SCOTTISH B I S A
GRIERSON ORIGINS - Page 1
GRIERSON ORIGINS - Page 4
GRIERSON ORIGINS - Page 20
Colony of Monte Grande - Page 6
Scottish Settlers on the River Plate - Reverend James Dodds
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