Alexander Frederick McQUIE

  General Notes:

Photo: Alexander died three years before his wife Martha, called "Mattie." They are buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Minburn, Dallas County, Iowa. Alexander -- born in England -- was a banker in Minburn throughout his adult life.

Photo by ZBonnie, FindAGrave.com


1865 BIRTH of Alexander Frederick McQuie ("Fred") in Torquay, Devon, England

1871 CENSUS, England, Devon, Paignton ("Alexander F.," age 7, is "Visitor" in the household of "Christian M. Compton", age 37, "Landowner," and Christian's sisters "Grace," age 36 and "Ann," age 31; also designated "Visitor" in the household is "Susan Distin," age 70, "Annuitant") ("McQuie" is "Mc Kie" on the census page and "McKie" in some census indexes) (The elderly Susan Distin would have been related in some manner to young Alexander McQuie)

1881 EMIGRATION (approximate) of Alexander Frederick McQuie at the age of 16 to 17 years

1891 MARRIAGE of Alexander Frederick McQuie and Martha Ann "Mattie" Long on February 15 in De Soto, Dallas County, Iowa

1900 CENSUS, Iowa, Dallas County, Sugar Grove Township, Minburn ("Alexander," age 34, "Banker") (wife "Mattie B.," age 37) (Martha is shown as the mother of 4 children, 3 children living in the year 1900; she and Alexander had been married 9 years)

1910 CENSUS, Iowa, Dallas County, Sugar Grove Township, Minburn ("Alexander," age 45, "Banker, Bank") (wife "Mattie," age 44) (Martha is documented as the mother of 5 children, 4 children living in the year 1910; she and Alexander had been married 19 years)

1920 CENSUS, Iowa, Dallas County, Sugar Grove Township, Minburn ("Alexander F.," age 51, "Banker, Minburn Bank") (wife "Martha A.," age 53) (The ages in this census are "off," but this is the correct couple)

1924 DEATH, Alexander Frederick McQuie, at 59 years 4 months 17 days

1927 DEATH, Martha Ann "Mattie" (Long) McQuie, at approximately 65 years



A yellow gold-filled brooch has been passed down in the McQuie family. It has a black onyx center with a floral design incorporating 12 seed pearls. Engraved on the back is "F.M.M., March 23, 1842" and, beneath oblong-shaped glass, is finely-braided hair. This jewelry item is a "mourning pin," meaning the hair belonged to a beloved deceased person. Presumably, it represents a member of the McQuie family whose first initial was "F" and whose middle initial was "M." Research indicates it could belong to an as-yet undocumented McQuie ancestor who died in Scotland, perhaps a parent of Alexander Frederick McQuie's own father Alexander, ca 1830-1887, who had been born in Scotland.


Dorothy Ruth (Woodruff) McQuie (1907-1981), 1960s letter to DeeAnna:

"The McQuies are from royal blood. The hair braided on the back of the gold pin is from an Earl. We have some large, handmade silver spoons from England with the McQuie crest. I met a cousin to Clifford's father, Fred, and two of Clifford's aunts, who were from England. One of my husband's aunts said she rode in a coach behind the Queen's coach."


Clifford's aunts would have been his father Alexander's sister, Alice McQuie and Helen McQuie

Alexander married Martha Ann LONG, daughter of Peres LONG and Margret HERRING, on February 15, 1891 in Desoto, Dallas County, Iowa. (Martha Ann LONG was born in 1862 in Desoto, Dallas County, Iowa, died in 1927 in Minburn, Dallas County, Iowa and was buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Minburn, Dallas County, Iowa.)