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The Aberdeen Brebner/Bremner Families (continued)...
It's interesting to note that by the time of the 1901 census; almost 100 Brebner/Bremner families called Aberdeen their home.
Most of these newcomers came from the countryside to the north and west, and had taken jobs in the expanding industrial economy
of the city. The city had grown rapidly from 12,000 inhabitants in 1801 to 63,000 in 1841 and to over 135,000 by 1901.
While the primary economic activity in the first part of the 19th century had been supplied by textiles and shipbuilding,
the latter part included the granite industry, which at its peak in 1900 employed 2500 men around the city. Paper mills and iron
foundries, gaining a foothold in the late 17th century, continued to be major employers in the city. The fishing industry helped
maintain shipbuilding activities in the city during the latter part of the 19th century with improvements to the port and
centralization of smaller coastal fisheries into Aberdeen.
But the depression following the First World War saw many Aberdonians seeking a new life abroad, in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United
States and South Africa. The Brebner/Bremner families were no different, and many of those far-flung families around the world today can trace their
roots to Aberdeen.
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Right: Insch Old Kirkyard
