Lindsay, Glenday, Durfee Summary

by Anne Durfee Gauss

Names of children given below, in families of Thomas Lindsay, Sr. and of James Lindsay, Sr., his son, are from "Pioneer Families in Missouri", a book out of print and much prized by families owning copies. The account of the Lindsays states that the information was obtained from James Lindsay. The general information is from family accounts.

Thomas Lindsay in Scotland.

The mother's name not given. Their children were - Thomas, Jr., James, John, Martha, Mary, Anne, Jane.

The parents evidently remained in Scotland; and Anne seems to have been the only daughter who came to America. She died six years later and was buried (this must have been about 1822) in the churchyard of the First Presbyterian Church of St. Charles, Missouri, at its former location about Third and Madison Streets. She was the first person buried there; her grave was unmarked and was lost by the time the church moved to Madison and Fifth.

Thomas Lindsay, Jr. was a merchant, evidently a prosperous one, in Charleston and Columbia, S. C. before coming to St. Charles County. There used to be an old account book about the Johns house [I haven't seen it -- SDC], with items of his buying and selling. His home near Elm Point, St. Charles County, was called Mulberry Grove. A further account of him is elsewhere in this book. "Pioneer Families" says he died in 1843. Also that Rev. Thomas Russell Durfee came to Missouri in 1827, and married Anne Glenday in 1828. She was a niece of Mr. Lindsay and lived with him.

James Lindsay married in Scotland, Charlotte Kettray. Came to St. Charles County in 1817; his brother Thomas was already established there. [see letter from Peter Glenday, 1817] James' children were William, Anne, Thomas, James, John, Agnes and Isabella.

William died a bachelor in St. Charles County.

Anne married John H. Stewart, later settled in Carroll County, Missouri.

Thomas married Margaret Garvin, was drowned in 1841, left a widow and five children.

James, Jr. married first Jane Black of Virginia; his second wife was the widow of Dr. Benjamin F. Hawkins; her maiden name was Sarah Fleet.

John married Mary Stewart of Monroe County, Missouri.

Agnes married Addison McKnight of Tennessee, who settled in St. Charles county in 1817.

Isabella married Nathaniel Reid of Virginia, who settled in St. Charles county in 1839.

John Lindsay settled in South Carolina and died there.

Martha Lindsay, not told, but probably remained in Scotland.

Mary Lindsay, not told, but probably remained in Scotland.

Jane Lindsay, not told, but probably remained in Scotland.

Anne Lindsay married Patrick (sometimes called Peter) Glenday in Scotland. They came to St. Charles County, (where her brother Thomas was already settled) in 1815 or 1816. [see letter from Peter Glenday, 1817] Lived in St. Charles. After six years, anne the mother, died. The father and older daughter, Helen, (or Ellen), went back to Scotland. The younger daughter, Anne, showed the independent mind she always had, and decided to stay in St. Charles County with her uncle, Thomas Lindsay. She was then about 12 years old. Her sister Helen was 18. Helen, after her father's death, married John Butchart and had one child, Patrick James Butchart, father of Ada and Edwin Butchart.

All stories handed down indicate that Thomas LIndsay and his niece, Anne Glenday, who became his ward, were remarkable for strength of character and intelligence.

Anne Lindsay and Patrick Glenday had three sons, James, Thomas and Andrew, - tall, strong men, spirited and daring as their sister Anne was independent and original.

James married Mary Thom of Forfar, Scotland, called "Aunt Glenday", later in the Johns family. James Glenday was a merchant, traveled about, back and forth to Scotland, to Mexico, in the United States, etc. Lived for a time in Galveston, Texas. Finally lived in St. Charles Co. [Missouri] and died there from blood-poison in a cut foot.

Thomas Glenday was of the daredevil sort. Traveled like his brother James, finally married a Miss Cayce (called Polly) of Missouri and lived in St. Charles County; after she and their only child died, he went far out West (probably to California) and was never heard from. This is thought to have been his second trip, as there were Indian articles that he brought back from another trip, it is supposed.

Andrew Glenday, the youngest, never returned from an expedition to Mexico in the early '30s. May have died in a fever epidemic or have been killed by Mexicans. A letter exists, written by him to his sister, Mrs. Anne Durfee, describing his trip down the mississippi river to New Orleans.

"Pioneer Families" tells of some Glendays in Callaway County, Missouri. As follows:

John and William Glenday of Scotland came to America at an early date. In 1796 John was a Presbyterian minister in Philadelphia.

William married twice; his second wife was Anna Robinson of Augusta County, Virginia. their children were John, David, Samuel, Thomas, William, Jr., Robert, Mary.

Samuel married Mary Shields and settled in Callaway County in 1829.

Thomas married Ellen Shields and settled in Callaway County in 1829.

An old document among the Johns family papers is a "Certified Copy of Trust Disposition and Settlement by Patrick Glenday", made by him in the 30s, in order as he states, to avoid disputes among his children. This certified copy was made in 1841 and sent to St. Charles to be on file, probably, in connection with the house on South Maine Street that he gave to his younger daughter, Mrs. Anne Glenday Durfee. It is said that he left more to his elder daughter, Helen, (who went back to Scotland with him), because she was unmarried. However, she married John Butchart soon after her father died. The document is recorded in the "Commissary Court Books of Perthshire at Perth". One of the water-marks in the certified copy is the date 1841.

The document states that it was "presented at Perth, 11 November, 1836, in the presence of Adam Anderson, etc. by William Johnston, Writer in Blairgowrie". In it Patrick Glenday appointed as his trustees "Andrew Thom in Rattray, James Ogilvy residing at Craig and William Fyfe at Keithmill." These are some of the quaint descriptions of his property:

One piece was "that lot of ground in the west end of the Town of Kerrymuir, with the three small houses built thereon, lyeing in that field of land called the Claypot acre ***** field of land as described in plan made by Thomas Ogilvy." Mention is made of the "Town and Parish of Kirrymuir and Shire of Forfar".

Another piece was "in the Westfields of Rattray and benorth [sic] the great road that leads from Rattray to Blairgowrie and on both sides of the New Road that leads northward to the New Bridge over the water of Ericht at Rochford north to the March of William Thom's property and east to the top of the first little brae", etc. "On the west by the lands of Craighall". (A postcard picture of "Craighall" sent from Scotland and now framed, describes it as the seat of Sir James Clark Rattray, and said to be the original of "Tully-Veolan" in Scott's Waverly.)

Patrick Glenday's children are described thus: "James Glenday, my eldest son, residing in St. Charles in the United States of America or elsewhere abroad"; Thomas Glenday, my second son, residing at St. Charles aforesaid"; Helen Glenday, my daughter residing in New Rattray"; "Andrew Glenday, my youngest son"; Ann Glenday, widow of Rev. Thomas R. Durffie (Durfee correct) at St. Charles". Also mentions Janet Glenday, wife of Thomas Watson of Dundee, perhaps a sister.

The document covers about 28 pages, very carefully and clearly, written, describing various property. Ogilvy is spelled with a y in this paper. In other places it is spelled Ogilvie. The Ogilvies and Lindsays seem to be in Perthshire and Forfarshire. Kirriemuir is James Barrie's town of "Thrums"; and he has used the pen-name of Gavin Ogilvy. In a moving-picture of "The Little Minister" one of the explanatory titles reads something like this - "In the spring the wild Lindsays came out through the country-side", meaning gypsies, of whom "Babbie" pretended to be one. Some of the legends told of Glamis Castle (Macbeth's), seat of the Earl of Strathmore in Forfarshire, mention Lindsays.

Mrs. Helen Glenday Butchart's son, Patrick James Butchart, lived in Rattray, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland, and his home was called "Helenslea" after his mother. Since his death, his widow and daughter Ada live in a cottage he owned, called "Hollygate". Helenslea was leased and finally sold. His son Edwin lived in Dundee, afterward in Arbroath, on the coast (Forfarshire). Dundee is also a seaport city in Forfarshire. Arbroath is said to be the same as "Fairport" in Scott's "The Antiquary".

The Earl of Crawford is head of the Lindsay clan.

The Earl of Airlie is head of the Ogilvie clan.

At Dunsinane, a hill in Perthshire, 1,114 ft. high, Siward, Earl of Northumberland, defeated Macbeth in 1054. Birnam Wood, the ancient royal forest about Birnam Hill, near Dunkeld, Perthshire; the hill 1,324 ft. high, with prehistoric remains. The witches in Macbeth foretold "When Birnam Wood shall come to Dunsinane", fulfilled by branches from Birnam wood being carried by the soldiers to Dunsinane.

Thomas M. Durfee

Civil War record of THOMAS M. DURFEE, born April 22, 1835, at Fall river, Massachusetts, son of Gilbert H. Durfee, and cousin of Mrs. Jane A. Durfee Johns of St. Charles, Missouri.

June 15, 1861, enlisted in 7th Mass. Volunteer signal Service and was 1st Sergeant. Served with Army of Potomac.

August 1863 was transferred to the Volunteer Signal Service when made part of U. S. Army. Had charge of Signal Station at Red Hill, Georgetown, D. C. and in Early's attacks on Washington he was using signal flag on dome of Capiton, directing movements of 6th Army Corps.

Was honourably discharged in July 1865.

Married Evelyn C. Darling, March 16, 1864, in Bristol, R. I.

Married Harriet E. Selden, January 4, 1876, at Rockville, Conn.

Living in 1904 in Middletown, Conn.