The Raeburn Story

Here is the story of the Raeburn's as I have learned and researched through the years. My goal here is to reach out to others in the hunt for our ancestors, and hoping that someone may be able to add family information to the quest.

William Raeburn was born c 1810 in Ireland, as was his wife Margaret McCormack b c 1810.

They have connections to Reburns of Aughnamullen Parish, County Monaghan. Three townlands there in particular are of interest to me; Corvacken, Derrygooney and Drumcunnion. I will never rule out other locations! There are many Reburns concentrated in three parishes of Monaghan; Aughnamullen, Magheross, and Magheracloone. The surname Reburn is recorded in Monaghan as early as the early 1700's. The name is spelled in various ways.

William and Margaret had three children in Ireland- Eliza, Jane and James. The family emigrated to Quebec by 1844 at the latest, when another daughter Mary was born. Another daughter, Margaret was born in Quebec in 1846.

The family moved on to Northumberland Co. in Ontario by 1848 and lived next door to Edward Weir the brother in law of John Reburn of Corvacken, Monaghan. Daughter Eliza married James Creighton and lived in the neighboorhood near her parents in Northumberland County. Son James worked as a harness maker, Jane, Mary and Margaret were schoolgirls. Two more children were born in Northumberland; Susannah and William. By 1863 the family had moved to Nottawasaga Twp of Simcoe County Ontario, again near a Monaghan family of interest- the William Stewart family in Badjeros, Osprey, Grey County.

Daughter Jane married John Scott and lived in Simcoe, later moving to the St.Catherines area, Margaret never married and later moved in with the Scott's. James never married as far as we know and lived with his parents and farmed and worked as a harness maker. Mary married Richart Stewart son of William Stewart & Susan McCormack (formerly of Co Monaghan), and lived in Osprey Twp, Grey County. Susannah married Albert Sinclair, and they later moved to the St. Catherines area also. William married Melissa Jane Lillie and remained on the Raeburn farm in Nottawasaga of Simcoe County until c 1899 when the family moved to Sault Saint Marie, Michigan.