Margaret Mantach Rothes/Dundurcas

[Rothesian]

Can anyone help me to trace my ancestor Margaret Mantach

She was married to John Forsyth in Rothes  20/10/1794 as Margt Mantach and went on to have 7 children (the first in 1795 and last my great great grandfather James in October 1817)

The only two births which would suit her age are 11th May 1772 to John Mantoch and
15th August 1773 to James Mantoch

She may be one of these two Margarets (or neither)

Can anyone give any clues - even to help eliminate

Many Thanks

[jim1]

You need to look at her marriage entry & see if there are any sibling witnesses, this will narrow the search for her birth.

[Rothesian]

Thanks for your suggestion - Unfortunately no witnesses on the marriage certificate and no relevant names in the  earliest Scottish censuses

[CaroleW]

Hi

Presume she died before 1855 so no parents names on her death entry

[GR2]

If you have got the baptism entries for Margaret's children, the witnesses may hold a clue as they were often relatives. Again the second son was often called after the mother's father (although not always, and the name might have been used already, if the father's father had the same name).

The surname is not a common one and you may just have to investigate all the marriages and baptisms in the area with that name to piece together the picture. The two Margarets may well be cousins.

If you haven't already done so, you should look at Moray Council's free Libindx site and do a person search there.

[Forfarian]

Have you viewed all the baptisms of the children on Scotland's People? Because around the late 18th and early 19th century, the parish clerk in Rothes sometimes recorded the relationship of the witnesses to the child. Here are some examples:

"1776, January 16. James Leslie in Davie's Housie had a child in antenuptial fornication with Margaret Douglas now his spouse baptised and named Joseph. Witnesses Joseph Leslie in Davie's Housie, grandfather to the said child."

"1802, July 3. William Leslie farmer in Netherley and his spouse Jannet Inch had a child baptised and named John. Witnesses John Leslie the child's grandfather John Sim in the Hill and Ann Leslie the child's aunt."

"1808, 17 August. Robert Cruickshank mason in the Town and his spouse Ann Leslie had a child baptised and named Grizel. Witnesses Grizel Leslie the grandmother James Sutor Junior and Senior in the Collie."

"1810, 31 May. Robert Cruickshank mason in the Town and his spouse Ann Leslie had a child baptised and named Alexander. Witnesses Robert Leslie in the Folds, Alexander Cruickshank the child's grandfather and Alexander Sharp in the Town."

[Tillymannoch]

Hi!
On Margaret Mantach's marriage record she is described as "in the Greens"
There is another Mantach marriage in Rothes a few months earlier - Elizabeth Mantach "in the Greens"  married James Baynies.

Given that Margaret and Elizabeth both lived in the same place in Rothes it is not much of a stretch to assume they were sisters. (OK, possibly cousins)

Elizabeth died in 1856 and on her death certificate her parents were named as James Mantach and Jane Simpson.

So I think the probability is that Margaret Mantach's parents were also James Mantach, gardener, and Jane Simpson.

[Tillymannoch]

Also, Elizabeth Mantach's baptism in 1770 describes her father as "James Mantach, Curshalloch"  and the 1773 Margaret's baptism also describes her father as "James Mantach, Curshalloch" which tends to confirm that they were sisters!

Elizabeth Mantach was my  5 x gt grandmother.