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From: Roger V. Lewis< >
Subject: Re: [SOUTH-AM-EMI-L] c1863 Scotland-Patagonia
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 12:10:37 -0400


Arnold,

Thank you for your kind remarks. You are quite right that "Carmen de
Patagones" is a later name, though I can't tell you exactly when the name
change took place. Carmen is a fairly common place name in Spanish-speaking
countries, since people would use it in honour of either the saint of that
name, or after a woman, usually a family member; being a popular name for a
girl, there were plenty of women to be so honoured! I can think of Carmen
de Areco, also in the Province of Buenos Aires, and at least two other
Carmens in other Argentine provinces. In 1863, the Rio Negro was still
considered a "frontier", with Indian territory on the other side
("Patagones" means "Bigfeet", and in this case refers to the settlers'
common nickname for the local Indians, even though the name originated in
one of the somewhat fanciful accounts of Magellan's voyage). I don't
remember when the city of Viedma (capital of Rio Negro Province, and across
the river from Carmen) was founded; today it is virtually a "twin city" to
Carmen de Patagones, and somewhat overshadows the latter, but in 1863 I
would think that Carmen was the more important, if Viedma even existed.
Charles Morrison was evidently a real pioneer.

Concerning Mainwaring's book, yes, I was able to read it when it was first
published; however, I don't own a copy, and I think I shall have to try one
of the "on-line" bookstores to obtain one, as I have been unable to find it
locally. Thank you for providing the ISBN number -- I didn't have it, and
it will be very helpful in locating the book. Willie Halliday (son of the
book's subject) was a close friend of my grandfather Will Lewis and
great-uncle Frank Lewis, and the families are still friendly, although
widely dispersed (I live near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the northeastern
USA; my sister and her husband are in Montana; our sons and their families
are in three of the four corners of the USA; other Lewis descendants are in
Britain, Tierra del Fuego, Rio Gallegos, Santa Cruz and the
Falklands/Malvinas; and I believe the Hallidays are almost as widely
scattered).

Thanks also for your offer of help with Scottish records. Unfortunately, I
can't claim any Scots heritage, only English, Irish and Welsh; but maybe my
brother-in-law John Mackenzie will start searching some day ...

All the best,

Roger Lewis
----------
> From:
> To:
> Subject: [SOUTH-AM-EMI-L] c1863 Scotland-Patagonia
> Date: Thursday, May 28, 1998 6:30 AM
>
> To: Marjorie Jodoin, Maria Eugenia Cruset, Jorge Woods and Roger Lewis:
many
> thanks for the information and advice you sent me regarding Charles
Morrison
> in Carmen Rio Negro in Patagonia in c1863. Regarding the placename, an
1863
> map of Patagonia in the Scottish Record Office shows it as Carmen on the
Rio
> Negro, as does one of the wills I mentioned, but it certainly matches
with the
> presumably later name of Carmen de Patagones. Also, your suggestion,
Jorge,
> that I get Argentinian telephone directories on-line is helpful for
contacting
> possible descendants.
> I noted your interest, Roger, in Falklands/Islas Malvinas-Patagonia
families.
> Presumably you have read Michael Mainwaring's "From the Falklands to
Patagonia
> - The story of a pioneer family" (ISBN 0-85031-488-7) which gives a vivid
> account of William Halliday's experiences on the Rio Gallegos? Several
other
> families are mentioned.
> Concerning Charles (D. Carlos) Morrison, I wonder what records, if any,
> survive for that period and later in the 19th.century - baptisms,
marriages,
> censuses, land grants, etc., I suppose they would be housed in Buenos
> Aires/Capital Federal, so I thought I would write to the relevant
> archives/centres listed on the Net for information. Perhaps Maria, you
have
> some advice to give me on this matter, since I assume, perhaps wrongly,
that
> you live in Argentina.
> Finally, if I can give any help with Scottish records, then do let me
know.
>
> Arnold Morrison

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