Jane Ann MCKENZIE born 1871 Kinnell

[jennywren001]

Hi,
Jane Ann is my great grandmother.  On the  1901 census Jane Ann lists Kinnell as her place of birth and her birth year as 1871.  On her marriage certificate in 1900 to James Ogilvie Fearn her mother is listed as Margaret McKenzie (domestic servant - deceased) I found what I take to be Jane Ann's 1871 birth certificate showing place of birth 'Sheepfauld' Kinnell - illegitimate.  On the 1881 census James McKenzie, wife Jane and son are living at Sheepfauld - Kinnell. I have an 1884 death certificate for a Margaret McKenzie age 34, father James McKenzie mother Jane Stott - Margaret dies in the Brechin Almshouse - Matron signs the death cert. Margaret is listed as a pauper (formerly outworker). I can place Margaret with her parents and siblings on the 61 census (living Sheepsfauld) and I have her OPR birth 1850 at Craig. Monica and Gali helped me with James McKenzie and his parents here .

Last night I thought I'd return to Jane Ann and see if I can find any hint as to who her father might have been.  Reviewed paperwork and discovered I don't have Jane Ann and her mother on the 1881 census the only census they could be together on as Jane was born November 1871 and Margaret is dead by 1884.

I then found an unmarried Margaret McKenzie age 29, born Craig, outworker, living at River Street in Brechin with not one child but four ! The children have been transcribed as Janet H 9, Mary H 6, David H 3 and Betsy A 0. Janet (Jane?) born Forfarshire, the three younger ones born Brechin. 

Before I hare off and find out the life story of this little lot can anyone find my Jane Ann elsewhere?

Jen

[Millmoor]

Hi

There is a likely baptism on Family Search for Jane Ann as well as one for a Mary Hutcheon McKenzie in Brechin, 13 Oct 1874, mother Margaret McKenzie. It might be worth following up the Hutcheon name as the 1881 census has Janet H, Mary H, David H and Betsy A as the children you found. It might also be worth looking for records in particular for Mary H and David H to see if a father is named. This is of course making the assumption that it is the same father.

William

[jennywren001]

Thanks William,
On SP the index is showing births for a  Mary H and a David H McKenzie born Brechin - but no Janet H for the whole of Angus - so maybe the Janet H is my Jane Ann.  Think the first thing is to get the original 1881 census form and have a look - then Mary H's birth certificate. For once I really was hoping this was the wrong family as it looks like there could be multiple partners involved (like her grannie Susan Davidson and her daughter).
Jen

[Skoosh]

Jen, is this not Kinnell in Ross-shire, which is where you'd expect to find MacKenzie's. James Ogilvie Fearn, could this not be James Ogilvie from Fearn, also in Ross-shire. I've heard of the surname Ferns, dunno about Fearn?

Skoosh.

[jennywren001]

The importance of viewing original documents how many times has that been said on this site! Original census for 1881 Janet (could be an A or an H - unclear compared to Mary and David's 'H') also birth place given as Kinnell, Forfarshire. That sort of nails them as the correct family.

Birth certificates show these three children all born at 85 River Street, Brechin to Margaret McKenzie. No father named on any of the certificates.  On the two earlier certificates Margaret is down as a domestic servant on the one for 1880 she is listed as an outworker.
Betsy Alexander McKenzie 1880
David Hutchen McKenzie 1877
Mary Hutcheon McKenzie 1874

Skoosh, thanks but James Ogilvie Fearn was born August 30th 1873 at West Main, Auchterhouse to Alexander Fearn and Euphemia Stirling. To see just how convoluted his family is:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=687335.msg5324915#msg5324915

Jen

[Skoosh]

Ah'll get ma coat!   

Skoosh.

[jennywren001]

Hey Skoosh I think I'll join you.  I've decided I don't want know who Jane's father was or might have been. I feel quite sad in discovering Margaret probably left four children when she died age 34 in the Almshouse. Somehow, this feels less like a puzzle I want to solve and more like something to leave in peace.
Jen

[jennywren001]

I've returned to this family to try and discover the fate of Jane Ann's siblings. Wondering if anyone can make any suggestions as to where I could go next - so far I've explored the census and all *Kenzie deaths in Angus from 1881 to 1891...just too many McKenzies to go further afield me thinks.

I've tracked down their three uncles but no sign of them there or with their aunt Betsy or Clementina. Their aunt Mary Ann McKenzie (born Farnell in 1855) is working as a cook in Forfar in 1881 but unlike her siblings I've not found her in 1891 - could she have the children or does she too die young? Their grandfather dies in 1884 (same year as their mother) and their grandmother dies in 1888.
 
I've tried finding them using Hutch* just in case their father was a Mr Hutch* and had taken them in but again nothing.

Many thanks
Jen