Emigrants to Argentina on the barque Symmetry

A project to trace the descendants of the original Scottish settlers that emigrated to Argentina in 1824 on the barque Symmetry. The original list is transcribed below:

M' stands for Mc or Mac in surnames

Name: Age: Occupation: Wife: Children:

1. David Anderson 50 Farmer Mary 2
2. James Broach 24 Farmer sister 7
3. William Grierson 32 Farmer Catharine(Kelton) William, Margaret Kelton, Frances
4. Thomas Galbraith 28 Farmer Jane 1
5. John MClymont 25 Farmer Catherine (White) 2
6. John Miller 38 Farmer Anne Marion
7. James White 24 Farmer Margaret 0
8. William White 22 Farmer Janet (MClymont) 1
9. James Aird 28 Carpenter Mary Mary 8
10. Richard Adams 32 Architect Anna Maria Robert , Mary Louise , Caroline , Mary Jane
11. John Goldsworthy 25 Painter Sylvia (Thornton)¹ 1
12. William Arthur 26 Cooper Margaret 1
13. William Steel 24 Servant
14. Ann Aird 19 Servant
15. William Attwell 43 Basketmaker Agnes 5
16. Robert Burns 28 Trainer Anne 1
17. Helen Bone 25 Servant
18. Robert Barclay 23 Servant Helen (Bond) 1
19. James Brown 25 Servant Mary (Hope) 1
20. Maxwell Beattie 21 Servant
21. William Burns 31 Servant Elizabeth 2
22. Margaret Barber 25 Servant
23. Robert Boyd 21 Servant Maria 0
24. Maria Boyd Servant
25. Anne Irving³ 18 Servant(Domestic)
26. Ebernezer Jaggart 23 Servant
27. Ruth Irving³ 21 Servant
28. William Johnstone 36 Servant
29. Andrew Lawrie 24 Carpenter Helen 0
30. Edward Leach 19 Bricklayer
31. James Lawrie 22 Blacksmith
32. John Jarrell 21 Servant
33. Jane Jarrell 22 Servant
34. Peter Morton 27 Servant Mary 0
35. Alexander Malcom 25 Servant
36. Susan M'Michan 23 Servant
37. D M'Reavie (9) 27 Servant Agnes 1
38. Thomas Mallet 29 Bricklayer
39. John Mitchell 25 Butcher
40. Thomas MKenzie 20 Clerk
41. John Moddick 30 Servant
42. Robert MGregor 22 Seaman
43. Robert M'Clymont 26 Servant
44. Andrew Rae 30 Servant Anne 2
45. Hugh Robson 43 Servant(Ploughman) Jane(Ferrish) Thomas, Mary, Jane, Hugh, Edward, Peter
46. James Rodger 28 Servant Euphemia(Bryce) Christina, Jane Munroe, Isabella Bryce
47. Barbara Rankin 21 Servant
48. Malcolm Ramsay 16 Clerk
49. John Robertson 17 Servant
50. James Smith 23 Bricklayer
51. John Simpson 29 Clerk 1
52. John Robson² 18 Servant
53. Janet Brown 26 Servant
54. Moses Berry 22 Carpenter
55. Jonathan Barker 40 Bricklayer Elizabeth 2
56. Anne Crosby 18 Governess
57. William Crozier 32 Servant Anne Sarah Anne
58. George Croughton 26 Servant(Ploughman)(10)
59. John Clark 28 Servant
60. Turnbull Clark 30 Servant
61. James Cathcart 23 Surveyor
62. Robert M'Clymont 26 Servant (Ploughman)
63. William Chessell 25 Carpenter
64. Wilm Martin Ennar 24 Carpenter
65. David Fleming 24 Bootmaker Margaret 1
66. Mungo Tinnock 22 Servant
67. Thomas Fulcher 22 Sawyer
68. William Goodman 25 Bricklayer Jane (Smith) 0 (5)
69. Thomas Griff 28 Bricklayer Laura 0
70. Thomas Grahame 25 Servant Martha 2
71. Joseph Grahame 27 Servant Ruth (11) 0
72. John Gowan 27 Servant(Labourer) Sarah 0
73. Marion Hazell 25 Servant
74. Benjamin Hill 33 Sawyer Elizabeth 0
75. Thomas Heally 24 Bricklayer
76. John Hicks 26 Bricklayer
77. Jas Candlish Hart 27 Carpenter Hannah 1 (13)
78. William Young 23 Servant Barbara (12) 1
79. Andrew Young 28 Servant Betsy 3
80. Elizabeth Hedger 25 Servant
81. Henry Jones 23 Land Surveyor
82. John Taylor 30 Carpenter
83. John Tweedie (4) 50 Gardener Janet Kings Cecilia, Jane, Elizabeth, +3 others
84. Ebenezer Haggart 25 Servant
85. James Watson 30 Servant Catherine 0
86. Margaret Wright 26 Servant
87. John Watson 24 Servant
88. John Whitaker 41 Painter Maria Buist 2
89. James Purvis 21 Servant
90. Peter Purvis 19 Servant
91. William Speed 26 Carpenter Euphemia 1
92. John Christian 39 Land Surveyor Margaret(McConchie) James, Colin
93. Thomas Debenham 28 Carpenter Janet 6
94. Andrew Duncan 29 Carpenter Maggie 3
95. John Mair 19 Blacksmith
96. William Pixton 38 Sawyer
97. Thomas Bell 27 Bailiff
98. Andrew Kidd 34 Servant Jane 5
99. John Smart 25 Bricklayer
100. George Dawson 30 Servant Jeanie 3
101. George Knight 29 Sawyer Eleonora (Proctor) 2
102. William Wilson 25 Doctor
103. Jas Parris Fisher 25 Land Surveyor (6)

• 1 Governess, John and Sylvia were actually married 1st May 1826 in Buenos Aires
• 2 Another of Hugh Robsons sons
• 3 Sisters
• 4 The Tweedies may in fact have emigrated a few months before the Symmetry sailed.
• 5 William and Jane actually married 20 Apr 1827 in Buenos Aires. Other sources give his age as 30 at the time of emigration.
• 6 Not listed in Dodds, from the Consular registers. He conducted the religious services on board during the voyage.
• 7 Actually two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary. The Broaches were cousins of William Grierson.
• 8 Born on board ship, 18th June.
• 9 Probably Donald.
• 10 aka Creighton. He was accompanied by his wife Elizabeth, who gave birth to their daughter, Janet, on 8th July during the voyage.
• 11 Actually Ruth Irving. They were married 22 Mar 1826 in Buenos Aires
• 12 Actually Barbara Rankin. They were married 14 Apr 1826 in Buenos Aires
• 13 Probably James Cavendish Hart, died 7 Jul 1847
• NB: Servants were not domestic servants, generally, but farm servants, e.g. ploughman, dairymaid, labourer, etc.
• Maiden names, where known, are given in parentheses. These are not shown in the original, neither are the names of the children.
• Rev Dodds renders the Mc and Mac prefixes as M', as far as I can tell, the Symmetry colonists all adopted the Mc prefix.
• Dodds names the captain of the Symmetry as William Cochrane. According to Cecilia Grierson, granddaughter of William Grierson, Cochrane was the normal captain of the Symmetry but was replaced by Captain Smith for the voyage to Argentina. Smith is the captain in the Argentine records.
• Source:
• Records of The Scottish Settlers in the River Plate and their Churches, by Rev James Dodds. Published Buenos Aires 1897.
• Additional Material:
• James Dodds (1795-1896): A Record of his Descendants, compiled by Arnold E Dodds. Published Buenos Aires 1997.
• From Caledonia to the Pampas edited by Iain A D Stewart. Published Scotland 2000.
• Consular Registers from research by Maxine Hanon.
• St John's, Buenos Aires, Parish Registers transcribed by Jeremy Howat.
• St Andrew's, Buenos Aires, Parish Registers transcribed by Cathy Murray.
• William Goodman/Jane Smith, information courtesy of Francisco Cayol, a direct descendant.