McGilvray Seerie Hayes Duff Orrock Scotland Colorado

McGILVRAY - SEERIE - HAYES - DUFF - ORROCK

Denver, Colorado

By Barbara Lewellen

David D. Seerie
 residence
Williams & 18th Ave



Copyright 2005 Lewellen

John D. McGilvray
residence
10th & Corona Street


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."

Next --->  List of Projects - Buildings Built in Denver
 

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
& Spouse: William McGILVRAY (1846-1860)
Married Inverarity, Angus, Scotland - 1846
Family lived in Chicago about 1870
Moved to Denver in 1880.
Children all born in Scotland:

Margaret McLean DUFF, b. 1842, Scotland
& Spouse: Edward R. SEERIE
Married - Dundee, Scotland - 1861
Emigrated to Denver, Colorado in 1880
Children all born in Scotland except
Wm Smith SEERIE, who was born in Denver:

(1) John Duff McGilvray, b. 1847. Sp: Marion BEATON
      Moved to Palo Alto, California

(2) Margaret McGilvray, b. 1849. Sp: Henry STURROCK
     
Moved to California?

(3) William B.  McGilvray, b. 1852. Sp: Marguerite Wilson
      Lived in Denver, Colorado

(4) Mary A. McGilvray, b. 1855. Sp: William THOMPSON
    
Lived in Denver, Colorado

(5) James Scott McGilvray, b. 1854. sp: ??

(6) Jessie P. McGilvray, b. 1857. Sp: Thomas C. HAYES
     
Lived in Denver, Colorado

(7) Alexander McGilvray. (1859-1861) Died in Scotland

 

(1) David Duff Seerie, b. 1862. Sp: Margaret A. PRICE

(2) Isabel Duff Seerie, b. 1863. Sp: John MILLER
      Stayed in Scotland

(3) Ann Seerie, b. 1865. Died before 1911

(4) Elizabeth Seerie, b. 1867. Sp: Robert FINDLAY
     
Moved from Denver to Billings, Montana, then on to
      Laramie, Wyoming.

(5) Mary J. Seerie, b. 1869. Sp1: Joseph GOLD
                                               Sp 2: Charles
HALL

(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
     Divorced 1908

(10) Peter Seerie, b. 1880. Sp: Else O. HIMMELHEBER

(11) William Smith Seerie, b. 1882. Sp: Marie HIMMELHEBER