The Low Davidson Family

A Memory of Johnshaven.

My sister and I are from Canada and came to Scotland this past month, August, 2009, to see where our mother, Kathleen Low, and her family were born and raised in their youth. After many years of hearing them describe their homeland, we knew it instantly as soon as we saw the beautiful coast line and smelled the fresh sea air!
Our grandfather was William Herbert Low and he was born in Benholm. His father owned the large farm - Nether Benholm - in the late 1800's. William married Katie Davidson of Johnshaven in 1896 and they lived in Ibicui Cottage, which was her family home. (Katie's mother, Ann Douglas, married Captain David C. Davidson, who went down with his ship (the S.S.Montrose) off Helsinki in the late 1800's).
Grandma and Grandpa Low had five children: David, Annie, Grace and Kathleen (twins), and Winnifred. They left Scotland in 1913 to make a new life in Canada and, while on the voyage over, their youngest child - Winnifred, 6 yrs. - took ill onboard ship and died. She was buried at sea. There is a headstone in the Johnshaven cemetery with her name on it, which we hope to soon have restored. There are several other Davidsons in the cemetery as well - mainly our relatives - as well as at St. Cyrus and other villages around the area.
Grandpa Low ran the Johnshaven Store, which is still there to this date. We spoke to the current owners and shared old photos with them.
Our cousins from north of Edinburgh, whom we had never met, came to meet us in Johnshaven and gave us a tour around the area, which was wonderful! It was as if mom was watching over us because wherever we went people opened doors for us. We went to the mill at Benholm, which was just closing. When our cousin explained we were here from Canada the gentleman in charge opened it up for us again. We went to grandpa's church at Benholm and it was closed, but the caretaker saw us and opened the church, locating the cemetery records for us as well. We went to Nether Benholm and the young owner of the farm came out to meet us. She let us take photos and see inside the home of our great grandparents - a wonderful memory to take back with us!
We were so pleased to be able to visit Scotland in the Homecoming Year and were able to take in the last night of the Military Tattoo. We rented a car and drove almost from one end of the country to the other, and across. The highlands were beautiful, the people everywhere were helpful and friendly, and our visit was one we will never forget. We both hope to come back to Johnshaven again soon and can certainly understand why mom, her brother and sisters, and our grandparents all brought so much of Scotland with them to Canada.