Their family left Glasgow,Scotland in the spring of 1821 on the ship “George Canning”. They neighbored the Bowes family in Ramsay Township.

From Boyle Bulletin #16: The Black name was originally Campbell in Scotland. But, some of the family became notorious for stealing ship, became known as the Black Campbells. Eventually, the original surname was dropped and they became simply known as Black. In 1935, Walter Black traced the family back to a Walter Black born 1734 in Glasgow, who lived to be at least 103 (a letter from him in 1837 was found).

At the time of the ship voyage, Scotland was suffering from the depression that followed the defeat of Napolean (as was most of Europe).

Walter was a wheel-wright by trade.