Original post by Trevor Cree on March 26, 2012 at 10:01
"HUGH MEIKLEJOHN, born 1765, only son of Hugh (Meiklejohn). of Saline Shaw, minister in Carolina; educated at Univ. of Glasgow; licenced by Presbytery of Dunfermline 27th Aug. 1788; pres. by James, Earl of Hopetoun, and ordained 22nd Dec. 1791; adm. Professor of Ecclesiastical History in the Univ. of Edinburgh (held in conjunction with his charge) 21st Jan. 1799; D.D. (Edinburgh, 27th March 1800); Moderator of the General Assembly 17th May 1810; died 11th June 1831.
Sir Robert Christison describes him as "a powerfully built man of six feet four, with a smooth round face that never bore any expression but that of good humour and contentment." He married 28th May 1792, Anne (died 27th March 1852), daughter of Robert Liston, minister of Aberdour, and had issue - Eliza (Meiklejohn), born 12th June 1793; James Hope Johnstone (Meiklejohn), captain, 92nd Highlanders, born 5th March 1795; Hugh Cree (Meiklejohn), writer, born 27th Jan. 1797; Ann (Meiklejohn), born 26th June 1798; Robert (Meiklejohn), minister of Strathdon, born 1st Oct. 1800; Mary (Meiklejohn), born 17th Oct. 1802 (married James Bryce, D.D., min. at Calcutta); Andrew Cree (Meiklejohn), born 14th July 1805; Alexander (Meiklejohn), born 18th Feb. 1808; William Hope (Meiklejohn), D.D., minister at Calcutta, born 5th Aug. 1811. Publications -'Three single Sermons (Edinburgh, 1798 1823); Account of the Parish (Sinclair's Stat. Acc., xx.).- [Grant's Univ., ii.]"
The preceding abstract relates primarily to the Meiklejohn family and not directly to our own Cree family history. However it does demonstrate how the family history of others can shed light on your own whilst demonstrating interesting coincidences.
1. It can be seen that the christian names of two of Hugh Meiklejohn and Anne Liston's children contain Cree, namely Hugh Cree Meiklejohn and Andrew Cree Meiklejohn. Hugh's father George Meiklejohn married Mary Cree/Crie, the daughter of Hugh Cree and Margaret Haly of Saline Shaw in Fifeshire. This naming pattern which includes the mother's maiden name is very common in Scotland and we see it many times in Cree family history.
2. Having previously discovered that in the mid-1600s the Chree/Chruie family of Glenbuchat were originally located in the nearby parish of Strathdon it is interesting to note that in the 1800s Robert Meiklejohn was minister at Strathdon. In addition one of our most interesting personalities, John McMahon/Cree, spent an important part of his life in Calcutta and here we have a strong Meiklejohn connection with the same city. Both of these facts are likely to be pure coincidence but they are worth keeping in mind for future reference.
3. On the 20th March 1820 Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine recorded the death of a Margaret Cree, as follows, "At Edinburgh, at the house of her nephew, the Rev. Dr Meiklejohn, Mrs Margaret Cree, eldest surviving daughter of the late Hugh Cree Esq. of Saline-shaw." This small entry is very revealing since it uses the expression "Hugh Cree Esq. of Saline-shaw" which is clearly a formal expression of status relating to the late Hugh Cree and his wife Margaret Haly. The entry also provides the date and place of death of Margaret Cree (20th March 1820) and the fact that she was the aunt of Dr Meiklejohn, and that she was the eldest surviving daughter of Hugh Cree. All of these facts help us to fill in a few more pieces in the jigsaw puzzle of Cree family history.
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