Taylor Genealogy -- Family health concerns (1855)

Family health concerns (1855)
In late summer of 1855, Reverend James Barclay Wishart was contending with an illness of his own, but the remainder of his family seemed to be presently enjoying good health down at Swanland by Hull in the county of Yorkshire, England. The community was located on the north bank of the River Hull and just to the west of the large shipping center of Kingston-upon-Hull.

Although maps and textbooks spelled it Pennyroyal, Kentucky natives knew the proper pronunciation was "Pennyrile." The major geographical region of Kentucky wrapping around the eastern and southern sides of the Western Coal Field was named after a species of vegetation which grew in abundance locally and was utilized as a home remedy in some parts. Whether Hawesville folks were employing the herb for medicinal use in the 1850's is unknown, but others thought it was good for treating malaria, a disease sometimes known as "yellow fever," "chills and fever," or "ague."

On either side of the Atlantic, several of the Wisharts hadn't felt well. William Wishart was staying with JOHN and MARY at Hawesville, Ky., and still dealing with the symptoms of ague. Magnus Taylor was also living there in Hawesville. The TAYLOR family was seemingly healthy again at that time, even MARY who had become pregnant.

In Scotland, young 18-year-old Margaret Shepherd Wishart herself was feeling poorly in the summer of 1855, and she decided a little bit of fresh clean seaside air might do some good. She left her parents' house at the Letham Mill for a visit about 15 miles up the road at the home of a WISHART family friend in the coastal town of Montrose.

An attentive Andrew Forbis, son of her hostess, concluded that Margaret needed a holiday excursion and escorted the young lady back inland about 60 miles to the west. They jaunted over to Perthshire for some Scottish sightseeing, perhaps looking for even better air than the sea breezes of the coast. The pair drove their carriage up north of Dunkeld to look around the grounds at the Castle of Atholl, where the dukes had lived.

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