John James Tait from Scotland to New Zealand via Straits Settlement (Malaysia)

Adventures of a Young Scotsman 1857 – 1919

John James Tait (also known as JJ, John Juno, and Juno) and his wife have at least 75 known descendants, who live in many different places around the world. All that was originally known about John James was he came from Kelso in Scotland and died on a ship to New Zealand of Spanish flu; after his death the lawyers came from Scotland to take the children home but their mother would not let them go. This story of John James’ life investigates the genealogical resources that are available for tracing his migration journey, while also highlighting the challenges that can be encountered when researching the Far East in this period of history.

Scottish Migration

There have been several studies on the subject of Scottish Migration including Marjory Harper’s “Adventurers and Exiles – The Great Scottish Exodus”. The Scots have always been a restless people, ‘wonderful at living anywhere but in Scotland’. In the nineteenth century their restlessness exploded into a sustained surge of emigration that carried Scotland almost to the top of a European league table of emigrant-exporting countries and created in the process a powerful, enduring image of a land of both exiles and adventurers. Yet the wanderlust that infected 2 million Scots in those years was no new phenomenon.

Harper goes on to suggest “The records indicate that Scotland sent 1,814,534 citizens to non-European destinations in the years 1825-1914, 44% to US, 28% to Canada and 25% to Australasia” No percentage is quoted for Far East. In the chapter “Attracting the Adventurous”, Harper states: “But by no means all emigrants were destitute, disillusioned or hounded out. Many had cash in their pockets as well as hope in their hearts, and carried with them a clear plan for the future as well as the means to implement their ideas.”

We know John James’ father gave him “seed” money, as his will excludes him from any inheritance “…and considering that I have already made advances to some of my sons for starting them in life, and other purposes…John James Tait and George Tait” Wills, if available can help us understand the family dynamic.

Harper goes on to say “…others without any particular acts to grind simply saw the potential of profitable investment of their labour talents or capital in the vast Virgin Territories or burgeoning cities of the New World or the antipodes.”

Family history research is not popular in Malaysia, except for Eurasians whose many descendants have since migrated from Malaysia to Australia, Britain and the Americas, and are curious as to their origins, their families experiences in the Far East and what brought them there originally.

Scotland – childhood

John James was born in 1857 at Edenside Kelso Scotland, 5th child of nine to James Tait and Elizabeth Moir Stormonth Darling. James was a writer to the signet with his own law firm “Tait & Co.” which still exists today.

Children of James Tait and Elizabeth Moir Stormonth Darling

Tait children	Date of birth (all in Kelso)	Date & place of death
James	12 Jul 1851	6 Nov 1911, London
Stormonth Darling	11 Dec 1852	3 Nov 1918, Sussex
William Edgar	16 May 1854	26 Jan 1930 Edinburgh
David Wardlaw Brown	21 Oct 1855	9 Nov 1925, Kelso
John James	4 Mar 1857	1 Feb 1919, New Zealand
Elizabeth Moir Todd	26 Jul 1858	22 Feb 1859, Kelso
George	14 May 1860	31 May 1910, London
Margaret Turnbull Brown	14 Jul 1861	1 Oct 1936, Kelso
Baby Tait	1863	1863 – Mother died after giving birth, no record of birth or death found

In 1863 John James’ mother died in childbirth , leaving his father with 7 children aged from 1 to 11, six boys and the youngest Margaret a girl.

From 1869 to 1874 John James attended The Edinburgh Academy. School records can help establish the academic level of ancestors and their career choices.

John James and his brother George then attended Loretto School in Edinburgh.

John James’ ancestors

Captain James Tait – paternal grandfather

Captain Tait was a mariner from around 1790 to 1815, transporting goods around the Far East. He returned to Scotland and married Margaret Turnbull, daughter of John Turnbull of Abbey St Bathans on 27th June 1815.

Newspaper “..27th ult. At Dunse, James Tait esq. late of Prince of Wales Island, to Margaret, eldest daughter of the John Turnbull, esq. of Abbey St Bathan.” Confirming James Tait worked in Penang.

On his return from the East, James bought Edenside , where he and Margaret raised their children.

Aunty Margaret

James’ eldest daughter Margaret married (in 1837) David Wardlaw Brown son of David Brown a Scotsman who lived on Prince of Wales Island early in the 19th century. David (son) migrated to Scotland and bought Longfarmacus where he and Margaret lived, from 1851 (as per census) , many of David‘s family lived with them, being sent from Penang for their education. From Longformacus to Kelso is about 20 miles, so John James could quite easily visit. Looking for wider family connections can help with understanding why a particular destination was chosen, also local history books often refer to family history.

Leaving Scotland

By 1881 (census) father James was living at Edenside with son David and daughter Margaret .
The others had left Scotland. Stormonth working as a Taster & Salesman living in London with William a merchant. James, John James and George in Far East, in “Seekers of Truth: The Scottish Founders of Modern Public Accountancy” history of the family. Not all families are listed in books this one was found using a simple Google search with name and place, confirming stories about Tait family.

Advertisements like this can be found for many destinations, promoting subsidised passage for migrants with skills in demand.

Far East

We do not know when or by what route John James journeyed to the Far East, but we do know he was accompanied by two of his brothers: James and George at various times in his life. They both eventually returned to Britain.

Old maps help with place names and locations, which often change over time. FIBI Wiki has a selection of maps for the region.

Newspapers: Singapore Library, Delpher and British Newspaper Archive have digitised many newspapers from the region, searchable using OCR (Optical Character Recognition), used for tracing the movement of ships and people (substitute for passenger lists), occupations, social events, sports, birth marriage and death announcements.

In The Dutch “Deli Current” we see that John James travels around for work, often with his two brothers. reports the arrival in 1886 at Laboean- Deli of J J Tait, J Tait and G. Tait.

From obituaries, we learn about John James’ varied career in the Far East. The Straits Times his work life, starting in the Dutch Colonies planting tobacco, joined Caledonia sugar planting company and ran tin mines. Hoped to start a rubber plantation but had trouble obtaining concessions and had been looking for land suitable for a dredging proposition. It was partly mining business and partly the need of a change that took him to Australia and New Zealand.

Another obituary reports on his life outside work, including “owning a few horses and keeping an open house at Tanjong Malim.” .

Migrants life events were often reported in newspapers back home. A Scottish obituary connects John James from Far East to Kelso, and that he attended an agricultural college before “… he went to the East in 1880” .

Newspapers were the social media of the time, recording events in our ancestors’ lives. In 1885 John James is reported being present at the meeting of the “Penang and Province Wellesley Planters Association”.

By 1891 John James is building roads. “ …Tait & Gardener….difficulty obtaining road material”.

In 1897 John James is “planting 75 acres of coffee in Tanjong Malim and intends to put in few acres of tobacco as an experiment.”

In 1901 John James and his brother James are involved in a court case about a gold mine investment “Kechau Gold Mining Co.’s shares between plaintiff and defendant and Messrs, J and J. J. Tait.

In 1884 John James is on the jury for a murder trial.” The jurors were Messrs. …J.J. Tait.”

There are many newspapers reports of John James’ association with horses, here he is a steward at the Penang Turf Club and his brother George is the handicapper.

Directories are a substitute for the census, e.g. “The Directory & Chronicle for China, Japan, Corea, Indo-China, Straits Settlements, Malay States, Siam, Netherlands India…” on Google Books. Find My Past has Asia, Far East Directories & Chronicles 1833-1941 also East India Register & Army List for 1855 other years are on the shelves in the British Library, listing Prince of Wales Island employees of EIC and European Residents.

“Twentieth Century Impressions of British Malaya” a directory (paid to be listed), John James is described as a pioneer and that he built roads between Ipoh and Batu Gajah and Taiping and Pinang and latterly devoted his time to tin mining. Several versions exist for other Far East countries.

The “Chronicle & Directory of China, Japan, Corea, Straits Settlements etc 1885” lists John James as partner of Ayer Etain Coir Company. (Coir natural fibre extracted from husk of coconut).

The Malaysian Archives has some 120 documents referenced “Tait”. e.g., “Contract With Messrs. Tate & Tait For Three Miles Extension Of The Pahang Road”. Mostly viewable at the Archive, a few digitised.

Interestingly the Tate in this business venture was Walter Howard Tate who was actually related by marriage. Walter’s wife was Ellen Florence Cumming, her brother Charles Ernest Cumming married Kim Sinn Khaw whose sister Kim Hoay Kham married George Tait, John James’ eldest son.

John James was also a member of the Shadwell Clerke Lodge of the Freemasons in Penang.

New Zealand

About 1918 John James travelled to New Zealand, the Auckland Star newspaper reports John James’ arrival on 19 September 1918 at Cargen Hotel (from Puket, Siam).

Some five months after he arrived in New Zealand, on the 1st February 1919 John James died in Wellington, of Sprue (a condition associated with diabetes) and Pernicious Anaemia.

John James was buried on 4th February 1919 at Karori Cemetery. The burial was arranged by William “Kellie” Smith (of Kellies Castle fame https://tourismperakmalaysia.com/preview/our-destination/kellies-castle/) who was travelling with him as they were working together on a tin mining project.

Our thanks to the Friends of Karori Cemetery, who sent the photo after they cleared and cleaned the grave.

John James’ Family

John James had a relationship with Yok Khim TAN known as Chor Chor – probably Chinese.

There is no known registration of marriage. In his will, John James leaves everything he possess to Meh Kim [such documents help to confirm relationships].

John James’ probate refers to her as his widow.

John James and Yok Khim’s children either did not have birth certificates, or were lost during WW2 occupation. At independence some obtained “copy certificates” to claim citizenship (anecdotal evidence of birth and they were all raised together as siblings):

George born 1905 (copy birth certificate)
Bessie born 1909 – one of John James & Chor Chor’s grand daughters, is a DNA match on Ancestry with a 1st cousin 1 X removed (anecdotal evidence of matches descendancy).
May born 1913
Louise born 1915
James born 1918 (copy declaration)

Conclusion

Migration happens for many different reasons: persecution, conflict or poverty, but some seek adventure and new opportunities. John James and his siblings were from an affluent family with status in the Scottish Borders, why did 5 of them decide to seek their fortune elsewhere? Perhaps they didn’t want to become lawyers like their father, or were influenced by Aunty Margaret’s family ties to seek adventures away from home? John James had a successful life in Malaya, did he ever intend to return to Scotland like his brothers? As John James didn’t leave a diary, journal or any other written material and died when his children were young, we can never know for sure why he went to the Far East, but he was successful in business and leaves a large family who are still contributing to Malaysia and the world.

Grave and Memorial to the seven children of James Tait and Elizabeth Moir Stormonth Darling. Rosebank Cemetery, Kelso.

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