Alexander Howie Sutherland (1816 - 1903)

Born Jul 1816 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Husband of Ann (Howe) Sutherland — married 20 Sep 1858 in San Francisco, California, United States

Descendants

Died 2 Feb 1903 at age 86 in Bennett Valley, Sonoma County, California

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Janice Sutherland [send private message]

Biography

Alexander Sutherland is a member of Clan Sutherland.

Alexander Sutherland migrated from Scotland to United States.

Alexander Sutherland was born in Scotland around 1816. The story is that he was born in the lower or nearby living quarters of Edinburgh Castle. He was a footman.

Alexander married Ann Howe 22 Sep 1858 in San Francisco, California. ^[1]

When Alexander came to California he first settled at Salmon Creek in Bodega Township. His daughter Margaret was born in Bodega in 1858. He later moved to Bennett Valley where he bought his ranch on Sonoma Mountain Road.

He is buried in Bennett Valley Cemetery in Santa Rosa, California. Naturalization information on the census shows middle name Howie.

Arrival

My first-hand knowledge of our earliest Scotch ancestor was a member of a military organization of Highlanders, all of whom were large men, assigned to guard the Castle of Edinburgh. These soldiers and their families occupied living quarters in the lower part or the castle or in the nearby buildings. It was in such quarters that my grandfather was born about 1817. He died in 1903 and was said to be 86 at that time. He was a small man, about 5' 6". This is strange genetic characteristic has followed the line until the present time. My grandfather grew to manhood in Scotland. I do not recall his saying very much about this period in life as I was only 11 years old when he died. But I do remember his telling about his sailing to a point on the Isthmus of Panama about where the canal is now. All his worldly goods were packed in a wooden box about 4' x 4' x 6'. This box was carted by ox cart to a point on the Pacific side where it was picked up by a west coast sailing ship which carried him and his box to San Francisco. This box probably is still in the barns which my father built in Bennett Valley, where he used it as a barley box for his horses."...." How the grandfather got to Sonoma County or why he chose to take up land in Bennett Valley I do not know. ^[2]

Naturalization

Alexander became a naturalized citizen 2 Sept 1867 in the court in Santa Rosa, California. Date and place of naturalization. Birth place, occupation, and place of residence in Sonoma County are also provided.^[3][4]

This voting record from Santa Rosa appears to show his age as 58, which could make his data of birth 1809. ^[5]FindAGrave memorial approximates his birth date to be 1817. Naturalization date of Sept 2, 1867 in Sonoma, California.

1900 Census of Santa Rosa, Matanzas Precinct, California ^[6]

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

1. R G Sutherland Head Male 36 California
2. Myrtis Sutherland Wife Female 28 Kansas
3. Robert L Sutherland Son Male 8 California
4. Earl Sutherland Son Male 0 California
5. Alexzander Sutherland Father Male 84 Scotland

Homesteader

Alexander bought 160 acres of land on 20 May 1862 on Sonoma Mountain Road in Santa Rosa. Mount Diablo Meridian, Twp-Range 006N-007W, NW 1/4, Section 14.^[7][8]

Research Notes

An A. Sutherland arrived in San Francisco in 1851.^[9] It is not verified this is Alexander, but the date and location are consistent with my knowledge. (Janice Sutherland)

An A. Howe arrived in San Francisco in 1852. ^[10] Again, we do not know if this is the correct Anne Howie/Howe.

The tree on family search https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GQWZ-M1M shows links to Alexander's parents. At this time I do not believe these are correct. Son George was not born in Scotland as far as I know. There are some Australian links that are not part of Alexander's story.

Alexander was not a tailor.

More Research

FTDNA Sinclair DNA group- Alexander is possibly a descendant of the Ulbster :Sinclairs. DNA does put him with R-ZS5151 which is George Sinclair 1715-1770.

Alexander could descent from George or one of his sons.

George James Sinclair 1790 would have been about 24 at the time of :Alexander's birth. Alexander Sinclair 1794 would have been about 22. He was :in the military around that time and in Edinburgh. George was also living :around Edinburgh at the time.

We need DNA from descendants of George or Alexander.

According to Robert Laverne Sutherland, Alexander was a footman. A search :by occupation showed these names.

Alexander 1841 Census Edinburgh High Church Occupation - Porter: 1841 :Scotland Census

about Alexander Sutherland -

Name:Alexander Sutherland

Age:25

Estimated Birth Year abt 1816

Where born Scotland

Civil ParishEdinburgh High Church

Gender:Male

Household members Alexander Sutherland 25 , Marion Sutherland 20

Occupation:Porter

1841 Scotland Census

Occupation Man Servant, Caithness:

1841 Scotland Census about Alexander Sutherland  :

Name: Alexander Sutherland Age: 28 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1813  :Gender: Male

Where born: Caithness, Scotland

Civil Parish: Wick County: Caithness

Address: Ackergill

Occupation: M Serv Parish Number: 43 Household Members:  :Name Age John Waters 35 Dugald Grant 20 Willm Phimister 20  :Sinclair McAdie 15 Adam Horne 15 Alexander Sutherland 28 John :Phinlayson 25 William Grant 15 Peter Campbell 13 Christiana Cormack  :Above 30 .----- Everyone in this location is either a man servant or a female :servant. Acketgill is a castle. Near that location is

Castle Sinclair Girnigoe.--http://www.castlesinclairgirnigoe.org/ ----:http://www.clansinclair.org/

DNA

DNA testing at FamilyTree DNA shows that we match the Ancestral Sinclairs of Roslin, Orkney & Caithness, Earldom "Caithness Cluster". R-FGC35613. (This Sutherland line has a common ancestor with a Sinclair male ) . Family Tree DNA kit # 315106. We have been broken down into branch ZS5151. As of May 2021 we (Robert Sutherland) are now R-FT268923 with ties to George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness. George Sinclair The Earl's mother was Elizabeth Sutherland. The Earl was buried in Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland in 1582.

Clan branches ^[11]

• Earls of Caithness (chiefs)
• Sinclair of Roslin
• Sinclairs of Lybster
• Sinclairs of Ulbster
• Sinclair of Keiss

Allied clans Clan Sutherland (18th century)

Rival clans Clan Sutherland (16th century)

Sources

1. ↑ Sacramento Bee. Newspapers.com.
2. ↑ From a letter to Janice Sutherland from her grandfather Robert LaVerne Sutherland
3. ↑ Source Bibliography GREAT REGISTER OF VOTERS, SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, 1890. First edition. Santa Rosa, CA: Sonoma County Genealogical Society, 1989. 210p.
4. ↑ US Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992
5. ↑ "California Great Registers, 1866-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VYDW-C3X : 25 July 2019), Alexander Sutherland, 21 Sep 1867; citing Voter Registration, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California, United States, county clerk offices, California; FHL microfilm 978,587.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9GR-BHG : accessed 1 November 2019), Alexzander Sutherland in household of R G Sutherland, Santa Rosa Township, Llano and Matansas Precincts (excl. Santa Rosa city), Sonoma, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 172, sheet 19A, family 396, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,114.
7. ↑ https://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=CA0350__.225&docClass=STA&sid=a4b2hrjs.iwj
8. ↑ "United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1800-c. 1955", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6JS3-68TH : Sun Mar 10 12:41:28 UTC 2024), Entry for Alex H. Sutherland, 2 Jan 1866.
9. ↑ San Francisco Ship Passenger Lists RASMUSSEN, LOUIS J. San Francisco Ship Passenger Lists. Coloma, Calif.: the author. Vol. 2, 1966. 384p. 2nd printing, 1969. Covers April 6, 1850-November 4, 1851.
10. ↑ San Francisco Ship Passenger Lists. volume 1 RASMUSSEN, LOUIS J. San Francisco Ship Passenger Lists. Volume 1. Colma, California: Louis J. Rasmussen, 1965. Reprint. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1978.
11. ↑ https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Clan_Sinclair

• California, State Court Naturalization Records, 1850-1986
• Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. GREAT REGISTER OF VOTERS, SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, 1890. First edition. Santa Rosa, CA: Sonoma County Genealogical Society, 1989. 210p. Page 179
• California State Library; Sacramento, California; 1852 California State Census; Roll #: 3; Repository Collection #: C144:3; Page: 83; Line: 11 Title California State Census, 1852
• Name: Alexandre Sutherland Birth Date: abt 1817 Birth Place: Scotland Residence Date: 1900 Residence Place: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California Detail Year: 1900; Census Place: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California; Roll: T623 114; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 172. 1900 US Federal Census
• Birth date: abt 1817 Birth place: Scotland Residence date: 1880 Residence place: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California, United States Detail Year: 1880; Census Place: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California; Roll: T9_84; Family History Film: 1254084; Page: 94.4000; Enumeration District: 124; Image: 0191. 1880 US Federal Census
• Birth date: abt 1818 Birth place: Scotland Residence date: 1860 Residence place: Bodega, Sonoma, California Detail Year: 1860; Census Place: Bodega, Sonoma, California; Roll: M653_69; Page: 528; Image: 529. 1860 United States Federal Census
• National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Index to Naturalization Records of the U.S. District for the Southern District of California, Central Division (Los Angeles), 1887-1937 (M1607); Microfilm Serial: M1607; Microfilm Roll: Title U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project)
• U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1700s-Current Author Ancestry.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29052296
• "Scotland Census, 1841," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VY8Y-DNQ : 11 December 2017), Alexander Sutherland, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland; from "1841 England, Scotland & Wales census," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing p. 4, PRO HO 107, New Register House, Edinburgh; FHL microfilm 1,042,788.
• "California Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HG4V-846Z : Tue Mar 19 01:22:23 UTC 2024), Entry for Alexander H. Sutherland, 5 February 1903.