MCQUARRIE MEMORIAL IN CLUNE BRAE SCOTLAND By Brent and Pamela Bunker, May 2000
Dear Family,
Pamela and I survived a very busy 2 week visit to Ireland, Scotland, and England. We did a lot of driving and saw lots of great castles, little villages, gardens, etc. We came home completely exhausted but had a great time. One of our goats was to have a memorial service for Mary McQuarrie and her family. 1 thought you might be interested in the details for your family history. I took our family histories in hopes we could locate where they lived. All I knew was that they lived in the Kilmacolm Parish and that they worked on the Castle Hill farm, and that Mary was born in Climbrahead. The only thing we could find on the map was Kilmacolm which is only about a half hour drive from the airport on narrow windy roads through the countryside. We prayed that we would be able to find the spot they lived so we could honor them properly. When we got to the town I asked at the post office if they knew where Castle Hill farm was or Climbrehead. They did not know and sent me to the Library across the street. The Librarian searched and asked but couldn’t come up with any answers but wouldn’t give up. She called the Watt Library in Greenock and found a Lesley Couperwhite who said she could help us. We got in the car and headed off for Greenock and found the Library with the aid of great people who couldn’t understand my English. I have an accent you know! I presented to the Watt Library and gave what information I had. I said I thought the McQuarries lived on the Castle Hill farm and left in March of 1857 for America. She putted out a roll of microfilm, placed it in the reader and rolled the film very quickly and stopped exactly on the census with Mary McQuarrie’s family on it. She started telling us all about the family and said that they were very poor because of Allen, the father’s leg being amputated, and that they didn’t live on the Castle Hill farm but had only worked there. She gave us the precise location of where they lived. Our records say that Mary McQuarrie was born at Climbrahead but the librarian said this is inaccurate.
According to the census they lived in Clune Brae Head. The Brae means hill, and Head means at the top. She pulled out several maps and showed us exactly where it was and also High Castle Hill where some of them worked. For your information, if you ever go there, I have the map. Clune Brae is part of the City of Port Glascow on the Clyde River. It is at the bottom of the Kilmacolm Rd. as you enter from Kilmacolm into Port Glascow. It is marked on the left hand side by a small sign before you get to the bottom of the hill and at the base of the hill. To get to High Castle Hill farm take the Kilmacolm road from Kimacolm to Port glascow and you will see a road called “Cloak Rd”. It only goes to the right. The farm is not labeled but one can see rolling green hills where it lies to the left of the road on the Port Glascow side. It is only a few miles form Clune Brae where Mary lived.
With this information we proceeded to Clune Brae and found a clearing towards the top of the hill. It was in a poor area of town. I guess that was appropriate considering they were very poor at the time. I pulled out my small fireside pipes clad with the McQuarrie tartan and played a variety of Scottish Songs. The reed had not been working well and would stick but on this occasion it played without any problems, which I felt was some kind of miracle. I then pulled out my Highland Bagpipes and overlooking the Clyde River on the place they lived played the theme song to the “New World Symphony” in memory of the fact that they left this spot to venture to a new world with a new religion. After playing, I offered this prayer:
“Our Heavenly Father, we have come here this day to honor our Great Grandmother Mary Mcquarrie, who lived in this land as a child. She left here when 10 years old, sailed to America and walked to the West with the pioneers. Hers was not an easy life living in the deserts of Southern Nevada, marrying young and raising a large family. We honor her for the good life she lived in raising her family in righteousness and for the many sacrifices she made. We love and respect what she did for us. We also wish to honor her parents and family who joined the Church here in Scotland and made the tremendous sacrifice of making a long journey to make a new life with the Saints in America. We appreciate what they did for their posterity.
“We also wish to honor Edward Bunker, husband of Mary, who served in this land as a missionary, for the many sacrifices he made for his country and church. His labors were not easy but he proceeded and did much for his posterity and for the church.
“May we always remember these great people and what they did for us. This we say in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. The spirit was very strong and we felt their presence as we stood on that sight with tears streaming down our faces. We felt blest to have returned to where they lived and to have honored them. We took each of you with us in spirit and wished you could have joined us, I felt that our mother Mary McQuarrie was pleased that one of her Great Grandchildren would honor her in this way. Love you all, Brent and Pamela Bunker
Source:Brent Bunker