Family History Collection  -   Index


George McGill       Colin McGill

In 1834, my Great-grandfather Thomas McGill, along with his wife and eldest child, James, came from County Down in Ireland, and settled at Centreville, Ont.  It was there that my grandfather George McGill was born, July 25, 1840.  James and George both took up the trade of carpentering, and after marrying sisters by the name of Huffman (my grandmother’s name was Matilda) they moved to Petrolea, Ont. about 1865.  It was here that my father, Colin McGill was born Aug. 7, 1867.  At this time, his father George was working as a tank builder in the oil field at Petrolea.

About 1894, George, along with his two sons, Herbert (Bert) and King migrated westward to Baldur, Man. where some of the Huffmans had already settled.  After checking with the elevator agent as to where the best wheat in the area was grown, he settled in the Huntly district, with King and Bert settling nearby.  My grandmother by this time had suffered a paralytic stroke, and for the last 16 years of her life was an invalid.  To fill the breach, and help keep the family together, her sister (Aunt Hannah to all and sundry), had assumed the household duties for the McGill family, and in addition to this looked after the raising of another nephew by the name of Arthur Huffman (Artie).  Artie’s mother had died when he was quite young.
My father, Colin McGill, eldest son of Geo. McGill, spent the years 1892-97 with an oil drilling company in Europe.  In 1899 he returned to Canada and joined his father and brothers in the Huntly district.  He took over the farm on which his father was then living, E.½ Sec. 2, Tp. 4, R. 15, which had been purchased from Chas. Cumming.  This farm is presently owned by Colin’s son, Alvin.  In the meantime, Geo. along with his invalid wife, and Aunt Hannah and Artie moved to a farm ½ mile east to N.W.¼ 1-4-15 which is presently owned by Colin’s second son Herb.  Bert McGill homesteaded the S.W. ¼ of Sec. 16-4-15.  His farm is now owned and operated by the second son O. McGill.

Name                        Born        Died        Buried at
George McGill                    1840        1919        Baldur
Matilda Huffman (1st wife)                    1905        Baldur
Hannah Huffman                        1926        Baldur
Colin McGill                    1867        1944        Neelin
Helen Moir                    1870        1955        Neelin
Herbert McGill                            1941        Belmont
Neta Maloney                            1959        Belmont
King McGill                            1917        Baldur
Alice Kelly                            Still living   
Wesley McGill                            1936        Bakersfield Cal.
Annie Sutton                            Still living
Flora McGill                    1866        1911        Baldur
Margaret McGill                1880        1948        Killarney
P. K. Rollins                                    Killarney