Fonds F1608 - James and Mary Russell fonds

James Russell, 1849-1920, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland. He became an engineer and worked in the Liverpool shipyards before travelling extensively. He worked as an engineer in Japan ca. 1873-1879. In 1890 he moved to Calgary and worked for the Calgary Waterworks Department. He first married Margaret Russell; after her death he established the Lyon Cross Ranch near Drumheller, Alberta. He then married May Neill, and they had four children, James, Janet Marion (Christie), 1899-?, Margaret Mary Elizabeth (Pratt), 1902-?, and Grace. May died ca. 1904 when the children were still small. In 1911 James married Mary Beckwith, 1877-1963, who was originally from England and had been his housekeeper for several years. She already had two sons, Wilfred and Norman. She and James had two sons, Robert and Stewart. After James' death, Mary ran the ranch until 1936, and then moved to Calgary. In 1927 Mary adopted a daughter, Isobel.