Peter Ralston, also called Patrick, first child of Thomas Ralston and Margaret Picken,¹ was born in Scotland at Brecklate, (View Map), Southend Parish, 18 June 1791.² On 21 January 1820 he married, in Southend, Jannet Brown of Machrimore born 1802 in Scotland, daughter of Charles Brown and Elizabeth Ralston. Peter and Janet traveled with six of their children from Campbeltown, Scotland in 1840 to New York on the ship "British Barque Tay" and went to live with her brother, Alexander Brown in Cincinnati, Ohio, and then to Illinois in 1843.^3,4

View letters to Peter from Scotland and Ireland.

He was a charter member and elder in the Willow Cheek Presbyterian Church, Argyle, Winnebago Co., Illinois, organized in 1844.

They had eleven children⁵ :

• 1) Elizabeth, born 20 Dec. 1820, Homeston, Southend, Scotland, married William Fleming, 11 June 1840 in Campbeltown and remained in Scotland.
• 2) Child died as infant.
• 3) Margaret, born 26 April 1824, Homeston, Campbeltown, Scotland, married John Picken, June 1849⁶ in Illinois, died in Ill.
• 4) Helen, born 24 Feb. 1826, Homeston, Campbeltown, Scotland died as infant.
• +5) Thomas, born 30 Aug. 1827 Homeston, Campbeltown, Scotland, married Jean Ralston, 1 Apr. 1857, died 19 May 1879 with burial in the Argyle, Ill. cemetery. Peter Ralston Farm Harlem Township, Illinois
• 6) Charles, christened 27 Dec. 1829, Homeston, Campbeltown, Scotland, married, Ella Jackson, Tennessee native and cousin of Stonewall Jackson in 1869, died 1889, Lawerence, Douglas, Kansas.
• 7) Helen, born 24 July 1832, Campbeltown, Scotland, married David Andrew.
• 8) Janet, born 12 Sept. 1834, Campbeltown, Scotland, married Archie McEachran.
• 9) Peter, born 23 May 1837, Homeston, Campbeltown, Scotland, bachelor, died 1916 in Kansas.
• 10) William, born about 1842 in Ohio, died about 1853, buried Argyle cemetery, lot 392.
• 11) Jane, born 8 Nov. 1845, infant died 20 Nov. 1845, buried Argyle cemetery, lot 392.

Peter, the father, died 8 April 1879 in Illinois. His wife Janet Brown died, in Illinois in 1845.