Andrew McDermot daughters on Titanic?

[Bruce Walter]

Re: Newspaper article Winnipeg Free Press Wed 2 May 01 - Living Prairie Museum

An article appeared yesterday about a tract of land in the heart of Winnipeg leased to Living Prairie Museum. The article states this:

"This land originally belonged to Andrew McDermot, who arrived with the second group of Selkirk colonists in 1812 as a clerk with the Hudson's Bay Company. IN 1825, McDermott severed his connection with the company and became one of the first independent fur traders with the first nations people.
It's believed that McDermot leased out this land to a Polish immigrant, who preserved the land in its natural state by using it for grazing rather than cultivation. McDermot was saving the land for his eight daughters to live on, upon their anticipated arrival in Canada. Tragically, the girls boarded the TITANIC and perished when the liner sank."

The dates don't match because if he was a clerk in 1812, how old were his daughters in 1912. Why did it take them so long to come over? There is also no mention of any McDermot's on the TITANIC passenger list.

Any thoughts anybody?

 

[Tracy Smith]

It depends on how old he was in 1812 and how old he was when he fathered children. Men can father children in their sixties, and sometimes later. If he was 18 or 20 in 1812, he would have been 60 at around 1854. If his youngest daughter was fathered at this time, then she wouldn't have been much younger than Captain Smith.

I would imagine that 1812 is most likely a typo, but don't quote me on that.

 

[Bruce Walter]

Thanks Tracy. I'll check with the reporter and the Prairie Life Museum.

Any takers on the names?