Introduction / Families / Sinclair / Mary Sinclair and William Harcus / Robert Harcus / Margaret Harcus and Robert Rousay

Robert Rousay

Robert Rousay (b. 18th September 1868) was a son of Robert Rousay and Margaret Harcus. He emigrated from Eday to Canada, sailing to Montreal in April 1889. He arrived in Manitoba in May but was unsuccessful in finding work in a number of places and consequently made his way to York Colony, Saskatchewan where he knew a number of people.

Robert’s widowed father, brother and sisters joined him two years later.

He married Mary Jane Reid in the Yorkton area in 1897. It is not known if Mary had a connection with Orkney, Scotland.

Their children included:

• Robert Rousay, born 30th November 1896, Yorkton. He died in WWI in France on 6th May 1917.

• John Rousay, born 16th April 1898 who died in infancy

There was also an unnamed twin daughter born in April 1898. Mary Jane died on 19th April 1898.

Robert subsequently remarried. His second wife, whom he married on 14th July 1904 was Elizabeth Garry. She was born in Tuckersmith, Ontario and the youngest of the eight children of Thomas Garry and Colena Kennedy. The Garrys had come to the Orkney settlement in 1884 and were amongst the early settlers. Elizabeth’s father was one of the first three elders of the Orkney Presbyterian Church.

Robert and Elizabeth had two sons and three daughters. Note that in the Canadian censuses for 1901 and 1911, their surname appears as Rossy and Ramsey.

Robert was interested in public affairs and when the Orkney Municipality was formed in 1912, he was its first “Reeve”. He held this position for six years. He was also president of the Yorkton Agricultural Society.

Robert and Elizabeth lived on the land that they homesteaded until they retired and subsequently moved into Yorkton.

Robert died on 19th March 1957 and is buried in Yorkton City Cemetery.