Monument Maker

 New Year's Day, 2012 [Repost]

John Broadfoot 

 Scottish Monument Maker

This photo of my Scottish great-grandfather, John Broadfoot, was taken in 1923, shortly before his death on 21 Nov 1924 of carcinoma of the stomach in Dalbeattie, Scotland. 

The original of this photo belongs to a descendant of his son John Broadfoot and was never see by anyone in my family until a few years ago when they found my tree on Ancestry.com


John was a granite hewer and was married twice. His first wife, Jane Hannah, my ancestor died in 1895 after having seven children. I met her oldest child Jane Smith Broadfoot ("Aunt Jeannie") and her youngest Margaret Harcomb Broadfoot ("Auntie Peg") Both were old ladies at the time.


Jane's sons John, James and Thomas (my grandfather) also came to America. She and John also had an infant son that died. Their son James, died in Vancover, BC of exposure and drink and his body may have been sent back to Scotland for burial. This explains the names on the gravestone in Dalbeattie.


Their daughter, Esther Wakeman Broadfoot, married John Ferguson and had a son. I have not researched them as yet. I am quite sure that they did not come to America. I could still have family in Dalbeattie, Scotland. Hey, can't a genealogist dream?


Much of this information comes from family history I gathered and from the Scotland census records. I was thrilled to have a granddaughter of John and Jane's son, John, who settled in California, send me several wonderful photos including this one of great grandfather John and the monument he was working on.


John married again, to Helen Tait and the story continues...