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McGILVRAY - SEERIE - HAYES - DUFF - ORROCK Denver, Colorado By Barbara Lewellen |
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David D. Seerie |
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John D. McGilvray |
The table below illustrates the relationships between the families of McGilvray, Seerie, Hayes, Duff, and Orrock. In Scotland, two daughters of John Duff and Margaret Orrock, named Jessie Duff, born 1826, and Margaret McLean Duff, born 1842, married into Irish families, that were skilled stone masons, working in the quarries in the Tayside area near Dundee, Scotland.Widowed at age 34, Jessie Duff McGilvray accompanied by her six surviving children emigrated from Scotland to the United States in about the year 1870. They lived briefly in New York, then moved to Chicago, Illinois. On October 8, 1871, the McGilvray family witnessed the Great Fire of Chicago.
Four of Jessie's children married between 1870-1880: Eldest son John Duff McGilvray married Marion Beaton in Paisley, Scotland 8 April 1870; Margaret McGilvray married Henry Sturrock; William B. McGilvray married Marguerite Wilson; and Mary Ann McGilvray married William Thompson 23 July 1874 in Chicago.
Widow Jessie Duff McGilvray and five of her children, spouses, and grandchildren, moved to Denver, Colorado in 1880. Daughter Mary Ann McGilvray and husband William Thompson followed the family to Denver in 1882.
Also arriving in Denver in 1882 were, Margaret McLean Duff and husband Edward R. Seerie, who immigrated from Scotland with their ten children. A nephew, David Orrock, arriving from Scotland, taking up residence with Jessie P. McGilvray and husband Thomas Carroll Hayes, who had recently married 11th of April 1882.
The first Union Pacific railroad line opened from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Denver, Colorado in the year 1870, the city quickly became the hub of commerce and trade. Colorado was admitted as the 38th state to the union in 1876. The demand for the building of both commercial and civic buildings provided the men of these families golden opportunities.
John Duff McGilvray, James S. McGilvray and Robert Findlay co-founded a stone company called "McGilvray Stone Contractors" company before 1892. In addition John Duff McGilvray formed a contracting company with Thomas Hayes called "Hayes & McGilvray." Mr. Hayes previously worked in the contracting company "Hayes and Cain" started in 1878. The McGilvray men would make a strong presence in the Denver contracting business until 1893 when they moved to Palo Alto, California.
The Seerie brothers formed several contracting companies. Eldest son, David Duff Seerie co-founded a contracting business with William Geddes "Geddes & Seerie" and they later founded Denver Sewer, Pipe, and Clay Company. Brothers David Duff Seerie and Edward Seerie formed the contracting company "Seerie Brothers," while younger brother Peter Seerie joined the contracting company "Seerie & Varnum."
Alexander ORROCK, 1761-1837
& Rachel CRICHTON, (1765-1789)
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Margaret Orrock (1796-1868)
& John DUFF (1790-1853)
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Daughters:
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Jessie DUFF b. 1826 - Scotland |
Margaret McLean DUFF, b. 1842, Scotland |
(1) John
Duff McGilvray, b. 1847. Sp: Marion BEATON (2) Margaret McGilvray, b. 1849. Sp:
Henry STURROCK (3) William B. McGilvray, b. 1852.
Sp: Marguerite Wilson (4) Mary A. McGilvray, b. 1855. Sp: William
THOMPSON (5) James Scott McGilvray, b. 1854. sp: ?? (6) Jessie P. McGilvray, b. 1857. Sp:
Thomas C. HAYES (7) Alexander McGilvray. (1859-1861) Died in Scotland
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(1) David Duff Seerie, b. 1862. Sp: Margaret A. PRICE (2) Isabel Duff Seerie, b. 1863. Sp: John
MILLER (3) Ann Seerie, b. 1865. Died before 1911 (4) Elizabeth Seerie, b. 1867. Sp: Robert
FINDLAY (5) Mary J. Seerie, b. 1869. Sp1: Joseph
GOLD (6) Jessie McGilvray Seerie, b. 1871. Sp: James KNOX (7) Helen Imrie Seerie, b. 1873. Sp: William Edmonston RUSSELL (8) Edward Seerie, b. 1876. Sp: Janet P. McNEIL (9) John Duff Law Seerie, b. 1877. Sp:
Fannie R. BARTON (10) Peter Seerie, b. 1880. Sp: Else O. HIMMELHEBER (11) William Smith Seerie, b. 1882. Sp:
Marie HIMMELHEBER |