Agness Elizabeth BRONLEE (83) was born May 23, 1772 in Barony, Lanarkshire, Scotland, the oldest of seven children born (Agness, James, John, Jennett "Janet", Catherine, William, & Robert) to Robert Bronlee and Jannet Walker of Scotland. Her father, Robert Brownlee (1752-1828), was a Blacksmith in the Carluke district of Lanarkshire, Scotland. The Brownlees and Nicols lived close by each other.

On June 5, 1798 in Barony, Lanarkshire, Scotland, Agness Bronlee (26) married William May NICOL II (19 yrs) (1779-1884), son of William May Nicol I and Isabella Mitchell.

In late April 1819 Agness , William May Nicol II and family of eleven children emigrated to Hammond, St. Lawrence County, New York via Newfoundland on the Norris . The passage across the ocean was more tedious at that time than now, as it took the Norris , a sailing vessel, 3 weeks to cross. When they landed on the banks of Newfoundland on May 12, 1819 everything was covered in ice and the sailors had hard work to keep themselves warm. The trip up the St. Lawrence was made in Durham boats*. It should be noted that William May Nicol II's uncle, William Samuel Nicol 2nd, had already emigrated to Lock, Cayuga County, NY and fought in the American Revolutionary War.

William May Nicol II and Agness' youngest daughter, Jeannette Nicol, was born aboard the Norris in Newfoundland, Canada.

Agness and William May II settled in the last holdout of British soldiers after the American Revolutionary War, Hammond, St. Lawrence County, New York.

They had to be very brave and desperate to bring 11 children from Scotland to settle in Hammond, St. Lawrence County, New York in November, 1830.

When her husband, William May Nicol II, died she lived with her son Robert Nicol and his family in Hammond, St. Lawrence Co. NY and is buried in Fairview Cemetery, which to this day is a Nicol descendent (Janet Nicol of Hammond, NY) records burials.

The 11 Children of Agness Bronlee and William May Nicol II:

1. Jennet Nicol b. Sept. 30, 1799, in Gillhead, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Christened 20 October 1799, Carluke. d. October 20, 1799, in Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

2. Isabel (Isabella) Nicol b. September 1, 1801, in Gillhead Miel, Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland; christened 13 Oct 1801, in Carluke, Scotland d. September 27, 1852, of mountain fever near Echo Canyon, Summet, Utah. Mormon convert. Spouses: Simeon McIntire b. 1795, d. 1871. and William Austin b. 1800 d.1887 (no grave site has been found)

3. William May Nicol III (twin) b. May 22, 1803, in Gillhead, Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland. d. October 24, 1885, in Stacyville, Mitchell County, Iowa. Buried in Stacyville, Iowa Cemetery. Spouse: Margaret (Peggy) Pollock. Occupations: Ferryboat operator during teenage years, then Farmer in Mitchell County and Dickenson County, Iowa. 6 boys and 6 girls. (my ancestor)

4. Agnes "Nancy" Nicol (twin to William III) b. May 22, 1803, in Gillhead, Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland. d. January 14, 1887, in North Trenton, Cache, Utah. Mormon convert. Spouse: William Austin m. Jan 1, 1822(first wife of William Austin. . No birth children. buried Jan. 16, 1887 North Trenton.

5. Robert Nicol b. January 14, 1805, in Gillhead Miel, Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland. d. November 29, 1881, in Hammond, New York. Age 76 years, 10 months, 16 days. Buried in the Fairview Cemetery with his mother, Agness Bronlee Nicol, and his family. Spouses: Sarah "Sally" Dake, Elizabeth "Eliza"Dake, Agnes La Frenay.

6. Andrew Nicol b. April 17, 1807, in Gillhead, Lanarkshire, Scotland. d. June 13, 1885, in Hammond, St. Lawrence, New York. Buried in Rarick Cemetery in Hammond, New York. Spouses: Sarah Vanalstine & Catherine Rarick.

7. James Nicol b. June 14, 1809, in Gillhead, Lanarkshire, Scotland. d. by accidental drowning at 16 years of age, 1825. Buried in Rarick Cemetery, Hammond, New York.

8. David Nicol b. May 10, 1811, in Gillhead Mill, Lanarkshire, Scotland. d. May 18, 1874, in Rarick Cemetery, Hammond, New York. Spouse: Nancy Morris.

9. Catherine Nicol b. October 30, 1813, in Gillhead Mill, Lanarkshire, Scotland. d. May 21, 1874. Buried in Pleasant Valley, St. Lawrence County, New York. Spouse: Dr. Alexander Gregor

10. John Nicol b. February 27, 1815, in Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland. d. November 2, 1881, in Morristown, St. Lawrence County, New York. Buried in Brier Hill, St. Lawrence, New York. Spouse: Sophia Potter.

11. Jennette Nicol b. May 12, 1819, on board the ship Norris going from Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland to Newfoundland and then on to Hammond, NY d. 1896, in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. Spouse: James Guy Ross.(seven children)

Contributor:

Written history provided by my grandmother, Grace Nicholas Rowe, whose grandmother was Catherine Violet Nicol, dau. of William Nicol III, and Danelle Freed.

Historical records at the Historical Society in Hammond, NY.