James STEEL

                   Letter:Frances Baker    Letter #120 January 1969

Dear Cousin:

             A Short time ago I was asked to give some lectures on Scottish research at the Genealogical Society in Salt Lake City.  My illustrations were based on the family of Hamilton Steel and Jean Morton.

            One of those who attended my first lecture was a prominent genealogist from Scotland who returned to his native land by plane the following day.   He came to the Society to discuss plans for the World Wide Genealogical Convention to be held in Salt Lake City nest August.  I talked to him for some time on what could be done in Scotland and asked if he would undertake the type of research I wanted done, and he indicated a willingness to do this.

            Out of the preparation for these Classes and my conversation with this genealogist has come a plan for research which I desire to share with you and which I hope many of you will want to become a part of.

            Let me introduce myself.  I am a second great granddaughter of Hamilton Steel and Jean Morton through their daughter Agnes and her first husband, John Hill.  I have been employed by the Genealogical Society for nearly 25 years.  Agnes married  (2) Amenzo White Baker.  Hamilton Steel had other Children who came to Utah: among them a daughter Jean who married John Roxburgh, a son Alexander who married Margaret Farquhar and Fannie Cartwright, and a son James who married Mary Clement and Jean Mair.  Other children remained in Scotland.

            Some effort has been made by various members of the family to trace the ancestry of Hamilton Steel and Jean Morton but with little success.  No attempt has been made to locate their descendants in Scotland.

            I have, therefore, worked out a plan whereby tombstones will be searched  (these often give record of complete families-not just the ones buried in the churchyard).  A search will be made to locate living descendants still residing in Scotland to obtain Bible records and other family details.  Sometime families can be traced back for many generations by these means.   Searches can also be made in non--conformist church records.  There is some evidence that some of our families did not belong to the established church of Scotland (Presbyterian).

            At the Society here there is some work required in searching parish registers, census, and civil registration.   It will be necessary to send for some birth, marriage, and death certificates.  If and of you are able to assist in these searches, let me know and assignments can be made.  It will, however, be important that any assignment made be carried out promptly.

            To undertake this research project, funds are needed.  Any amount you are able to send will be most gratefully accepted and used to further this work.  Any of you who participate will receive a report of the progress being made from time to time.  I have every confidence that great things can be accomplished in the nest year; however, the success of this project depends upon your cooperation and support.  Let us all work together as a family.  Children should be encouraged as well as adults.

             The names and addresses of all cousins I have been able to locate have been set up in a master file.  A record will be kept on these cards of and funds received or hours spent in research, which are reported to me.  Please send addresses of descendants of James Steel and John Roxburgh; my file is incomplete.  Please make all checks payable to me.

                                                               Sencerely,


                                                               Miss Frances Baker
                                                               270 Reed Avenue
                                                               Salt Lake City, Utah 84103






This can't be correct all James Children were born in scotland the last child being born in 1868 in Scotland. TO-Do IMMIGRATION: Passenger List; 1862; Port of Entry, NY, 3 Oct 1862, "The Hudson"; ; Obtained by corresp. with National Archives, Washington DC, 1982.

had to emigrated after 1868.

CEMETERY-DEATH: Headstone Inscription; 1837-1913; Parker Cemetery
Parker, Fremont, Idaho; ; Viewed 27 Aug 1996 by Wayne Chandler.

TO-Do Parochial Registers 1820-1854  D 14956-14505 Look at these records.
TO-Do film 0175579 lists passenger 11 Sep 1862-16 Oct 1862.
To-Do new film 0101942 take the place of old 14505, the new film is Parish Church of Bressay, Scotland.