Cambridge

Gday! I've now arrived in the University town of Cambridge, a city of bicycles. My Aussie nephew and I are going punting on the river today. I feel I should buy a white boater, or straw hat.
My 2 days with Linda Bankier, the archivist in Berwick-upon-Tweed, was an amazing experience. Her knowledge of family history, local history, and sources was beyond belief.
My main mission was to find the family of John Cowey. I'm not sure I have succeeded. Jane Gray's family was easier. I have taken several notes and will try to sort out what I may have found at a later date. I may now have to go to London to follow up a couple of leads. John may have come from Scotland originally, and may have indeed been Cowie. I need to scour English records next.
What I have learned from Linda, however, is a detailed history of the family prior to leaving for Canada. Again, I have pages of notes which will have to be organized. I have also purchased several interesting books written about life in the Borders.
Basically, John Cowey was a "hind", a farm labourer, a husbandman. He travelled from farming estate to farming estate. Part of the condition of employment at his first estate was to find a "bondager", a woman to work in the fields. Hence Jane. Contacts were for a year. At the end of the term, around May 12, the labourers would "flit", that is, move on to the new estate depending on their needs, and depending on the needs of his family.
Children were a valuable asset at "flitting" time. They were eligible to work, and indeed were needed, beginning at the age of 10.. James and Robert would have been valuable assets prior to the family's decision to "flit" to North America. The family would have been able to accumulate a fair sum of money while working on the estate in Ilderton, to be able to afford passage.
We know that the famly left Leith in May of 1840. John had made the decision not to take up a new contract which would have begun on or about May 15.
I was unable to find the name of the ship that brought them to Canada. There were several adverts in the local newspapers for passengers willing to go to New Zealand or Australia. We could find no advert for passengers to Upper Canada. Most of the Border people went to New Zealand. Linda is not convinced they sailed from Leith to America. She thinks they probably sailed to Liverpool and then found passage on one of the ships that left from there. Ships were leaving twice a month for America. One in paricular was The Scotia, which made regular crossings to Quebec and Montreal.
I have so much more information. For example, their social life revolved around the Whitsuntide gatherings to find a job on the estates. Usually the farmer would have "spoken" to his "hinds" concerning continued employment in February. The "hinds" and their families would then prepare to travel to the nearest market town, in their case, Wooler, to try to be hired by another estate farmer. These were large gatherings. It was also an opportunity for the men to find the required "bondager".
Until next time, Neil.
For now, that is some more information. I should be able to send photos soon.