Month: July 2017

I just added quite a few photos to the previous post – in case you read it before.

Also here’s a simple family tree to clarify those generations in Peru.

Bremner generation in Peru – Simple Tree

 

Although our Scottish and German ancestry has been traced way back to the 1600’s (apparently someone traced us all the way back to the Vikings, but I haven’t seen that yet), I’m just focussing here at my family’s generations in Peru.

1865 – My first ancestor to arrive in Perú was my great grandfather James Henderson BREMNER (II), aged 23 years, from Kirkcaldy, Scotland.

To see a photo of James and Jane click on tis link (I can’t copy these like the other photos.)

Early Bremner photos

1870 – James returned to Scotland to marry Jane WILLIAMSON, aged 24 years, and they came back to Perú together that same year, to live in Chorillos, where he worked as a gas engineer at the Gas Works. They then had children, James, George, Alex, Margaret, Mary, and John – all born in Chorillos.  Later Jane and Annie were born in Lima, followed by William and Charles; 10 babies having been born by 1889. Two babies died – Margaret, and Jane. The 2^nd son, George Williamson BREMNER, was my grandfather.

Great grandfather James H. Bremner and 5 sons – L to R standing – Alex, Jim, George W., Charlie;  L to R seated James H. and Johnnie.

Great grandmother – Jane Bremner. Lima.

Bremners – L to R – Annie, James H., George W., Jane, Jim and ? – Lima,  cerca 1910?

Bremners – L to R – Jim, James H., Johnnie, and George W. Lima, cerca 1912?

1875 – My other great grandfather Robert REID arrived in Perú from Spain. He was from Newton-upon-Ayr, Scotland, had been working for some years as a railway engineer in Tharsis, Spain, and was married to an Irish woman named Kate. They had 3 daughters, aged 5, 4 and 1. Robert became the Assistant Manager of the Gas Works in Lima, and later became the Manager of the Gas Works in Chorillos.

1876 – Adolphina WINTERHOFF (Ada), my great grandmother, arrived in Perú, alone, aged 16 years old, from Hamburg, Germany. She had been accompanying her sick sister, Cäcelie, on a sea voyage which was intended to help Cäcelie’s TB, but tragically Cäcelie died during the trip.  Ada disembarked in Callao, and disappeared into the life of Lima, working as a school teacher for a French speaking school.

1878 – James H Bremner became the Chief Engineer of the Lima Gas Works. He later founded the Fábrica de Tejidos El Progreso – a cotton textile mill, as well as the  Fábrica de Tejidos La Union – both huge players in the Peruvian Textile industry.

1881 – Kate Reid, Robert’s wife, died at the age of 34, after losing their home and all their belongings in the terrifying Battle of Chorillos, when the Chileans invaded Peru during the War of the Pacific.

1881 – Robert Reid became the Superintendent of the Lima Railway Company

1882 – Robert REID, aged 44 years, married Adolphina WINTERHOFF, aged 22 years.

Robert Reid and Adolphina Winterhoff – Lima, 1882.

1883 – Christina REID, my grandmother was born to Adolphina and Robert Reid, in Callao.    She was the oldest of their children, Robert (Bobby), Ernesto, Olga, Harriet (Henny) – all born in Lima. The older half-sisters from Robert’s first marriage were Katie, Mary (Polly), and Janet (Nettie).

Christina (Teenie) Reid – Peru, cerca 1895?

 The Reid Family – L to R standing, Bobby, Teenie, Ada, Hennie, Ernesto; seated, Olga and  Robert. Callao, circa 1895?

1895 – The Reids moved to Trujillo, in the north of Perú.

Robert became Manager of the Trujillo Railway for the Peruvian Corporation.

1898 – Robert Reid was appointed as British Vice Consul in Trujillo and Salavery.

Robert, Christina, and Ada Reid. Trujillo, cerca 1898?

1907 – Robert Reid bought the Piedra Liza Foundry (Fundación de la Piedra Liza) in Lima, with his son Ernesto as Assistant Manager

1908 – George Williamson BREMNER, aged 35 years, and Christina (Teenie) REID, aged 25 years, married in Lima. They had known each other since childhood. They then had 8 children – James (Jim), Dorothy, Robert(Bob), Jean, twins Edith and Frances, and George Ernesto (Dod) (my father), were all born in Callao. Later their 8^th child, Jack, was born in New Zealand. George W. Bremner was the the managing director of El Progreso. George and his brother Johnnie founded La Union in 1914 after James senior died.

George W. and Teenie with Dorothy, Jim, Bob. Lima – circa 1912.

1920 – George and Teenie emigrated with their 7 children to New Zealand, to live on a farm in Port Albert.

Ready to board the ship  to New Zealand – L to R – Bob, George E.(Dod), Jim, Dorothy, twins Edith and Francis, Jean. Lima 1920.

Standing L to R – Bob, Dorothy, Jim, Jean. Sitting L to R – Frances ?, Jack (on the table), George E.(Dod) (on the floor) and Edith ? – New Zealand, 1922.

1921 – 1926 – George W. returned to work in Lima, taking 5 years to settle all the business affairs of La Union. The family were left behind to learn to survive in New Zealand, before he could return to live on the farm with them. Sadly, he then only had another 4 years to live.

George W. ploughing his land in Port Albert, New Zealand. Cerca 1926?

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Click here to see where Port Albert is

Port Albert is a small farming and fishing settlement on the Kaipara Harbour, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is about 86 km north of Auckland, and about 8 km west of Wellsford.

It’s about as opposite to Lima as you could possibly imagine, especially in the 1920’s.

I was given the volumes of correspondence way back in the 1980’s!

I have to admit, I feel a bit ashamed about how long it has taken me.

I knew immediately I had to do something to preserve the letters, being the only Spanish speaker in the family, so I began right then, transcribing by hand and translating, before the days of computers.

I only stuck to the job in fits and starts over all the following years, in spite of eventually acquiring a computer.

There were a lot of other things I had to do, like :

• raise my children (3)
• earn a living
• study  (I can never stop studying! I’ve gained a few different degrees, diplomas, and qualifications during the time I could have been working on the project)
• other writing

All this time, the project was always on my mind, and I managed to work on it when I had no other excuses.

Mostly, this was only at times when I was:

• injured ( I’ve had a few broken bones)
• had no work ( the casualisation of work in the Australia’s universities is a cruel thing when student numbers drop)
• depressed – having a project like this to focus on really helps when that old  ‘black dog’ turns up.
• encouraged by someone (thanks!)
• discovering the work of a Bremner 2nd cousin –  Frances Walsh in UK, and a Reid 1st cousin 1x removed – Eileen Marcil in Quebec – who each wrote books about their respective sides of my family, putting many of the puzzle pieces together
• motivated by impending deaths of Bremner relatives
• helped by input from my cousin Judy and her husband Howard, my cousin Felicity, my cousins Molly and Elizabeth, my Uncle Jack, my Uncle Bob, my Dad , and a faraway 2nd cousin Kenny Reid (photos, stories, and genealogical data)
• when something exciting was happening in GWB’s correspondence

Even then, I was often sidetracked by exploring many of the characters, and digressing to research some of the subplots, events that kept showing up in the letters, and researching genealogy. There was certainly plenty of inspiring material for creative storytelling which often felt more compelling.

SB 2005

And maybe I didn’t want it to end.

Those were my excuses – but not any more. The end is in sight and it’s becoming real.

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