Author Topic: Newbie looking for help on Christies of Arboath  (Read 15234 times)

Offline nzmike

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Newbie looking for help on Christies of Arboath
« on: Monday 21 January 08 12:32 GMT (UK) »
Hi all,

This is my first post and I'm pretty new to the whole genealogy thing so please be  gentle with me!  ;-)

I am trying to track family and forebears of my great-grandfather James Christie who was born in Arbroath on 20-Feb-1858 and died on 23-July-1911, also in Arbroath.  He married one Barbara Finlayson on 08-Nov-1978 and divorced her in 1909 for some reason I have not yet been able to find out. (Links to images of his birth and death cert are at the bottom of this post.)

Basically I would like to know if he had any siblings or other children apart from 2 sons - yet another James Christie and my grandfather George Johnstone Christie (b. 05-Dec-1884 at 38 Mary St, Arbroath, d. 05-Mar-1947 in Dunedin, NZ).  In particular I am trying to find his father, also a James Christie, who had my great-grandfather out of wedlock with one Matilda Mahon(e).  They were both flax mill workers (not surprisingly all my Christie relatives seemed to work 'down the mill') and I know in 1858 he was living in Gravesend, Arbroath when my great-grandfather was born.

My problem is that I can't nail down any firm details as there were so many James Christie's in Angus in those days so if anyone can help I would really appreciate it.  I have tried ScotlandsPeople and FindMyPast but there are just so many James Christie's and none of really them fit any dates I have.  I have googled and looked up every record library, registrar and website I can find with no real luck so I am hoping someone in Scotland or the UK may be help me (I am a Kiwi but live in Sydney at present).   

I think the image (see link below) of the 1861 census could be him as he has a son James Christie, age 2, which could be my great-grandfather as the age would fit given he was born in 1858.  This would mean that he was married with 4 or 5 other children when he (perhaps) had a fling with Matilda Mahon(e) and had my great-grandfather then raised him as part of the family - would love to be able to confirm that though!

Anyway, if I haven't completely confused everyone, I'd certainly appreciate any help finding out more about any of the James Christie's mentioned above - or else any other good advice or web links etc that might help really nail down some more concrete info.

Cheers,

Mike

1861 Census: http://www.41south.com/familyresearch/Census1861_James_Christie.gif
(Can anyone tell what all the names under the Christie entry are as well the street name?)

Birth Cert of my great-grandfather James Christie:
http://www.41south.com/familyresearch/BirthCert_James-Christie_20-02-1858.gif

Death Cert of same:
http://www.41south.com/familyresearch/DeathCert_JamesChristie_23-07-1911.gif
Christie (Arbroath, Scotland and New Zealand)
Murdock/Murdoch (Scotland and New Zealand)
Rowe (Cornwall and New Zealand)
Hedrick (Scotland and New Zealand)

Offline ev

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Re: Newbie looking for help on Christies of Arboath
« Reply #1 on: Monday 21 January 08 14:27 GMT (UK) »
hi mike

welcome to rootschat  :)

1881 census 40 howard st arbroath

james christie 23 flax mill overseer
barbara christie 22 wife
john F christie 1 son
all born arbroath (from ancestry)
i think this is them ,  johns middle name being f(finlayson ?)and
everything else lines up

just to recap - i take it you have you grandfathers(george) death cert. which
gives you james and barbara , and from your great grandfathers death
cert you have barbara(wife) father(james) but no mother
how did you get matilda mahon ?
was it from james marriage cert ?

yours

ev
Census information Crown copyright , All Census information from transcriptions - check original records , Familysearch/IGI is a finding tool only - check original records

Offline ev

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Re: Newbie looking for help on Christies of Arboath
« Reply #2 on: Monday 21 January 08 14:58 GMT (UK) »
hi mike

from scotlandspeople

there is a barbara finlayson or christie who died 1932 arbroath angus
born 1859
this might be your great grandmother
IGI has a submitted entry for barbara findlayson born 13th august 1858
arbroath angus parents john findlayson mother mary mitchell
now -
1891 census 22 hayswell road arbroath
john findlayson 61 blacksmith
mary findlayson 70(wife)
jessie findlayson 30(daughter) canvas weaver
john christie 11(grandson)
james christie 9(grandson)

no sign of parents james and barbara or son george on 1891

ev
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Offline Piglet01

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Re: Newbie looking for help on Christies of Arboath
« Reply #3 on: Monday 21 January 08 17:15 GMT (UK) »
Hello Mike - welcome to rootschat.

Have you used the website www.familysearch.org

Children of James Christie and Matilda Mahan/Mahon are:

James Christie or Mahon b.20 Feb 1858 (your gt grandfather)
Florence Christie - or Mahan b. 11 Dec 1864 in Arbroath.
Both 'extracted' entries.

You'd need to get a copy of Florences birth entry on SP to confirm that she's 'yours'.

Good luck.  Regards,   Steve  :O)


Offline Piglet01

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Re: Newbie looking for help on Christies of Arboath
« Reply #4 on: Monday 21 January 08 18:47 GMT (UK) »
Hello again Mike,
The 1861 census is something else.  Been on Genuki to confirm the parish in case you didn't have that info

Parish of St Vigeans, Parish of Aberbrothock, Burgh of Arbroath.

No on schedule - obviously 160.
8 ????????????????????
                                                                                                    Where Born
James Christie                 Head  M 44  Flax dresser?      Forfarshire/St Vigeans
May/Mary Christie           Wife   M  38                             Forfarshire/St Vigeans
???  Christie                    Daur        14 Flax factory Worker      F/shire  Arbroath
Isobel Christie                 Daur         11 Flax factory Worker     F/shire  Arbroath
May/ Mary Ann   Christie  Daur         9  Scholar                         F/shire Dundee
Robert Christie                 Son          6  Scholar                         F/shire  Arbroath
James Christie                  Son          2                                      F/shire  Arbroath

Please feel free to interpret differently  :O)


Offline ev

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Re: Newbie looking for help on Christies of Arboath
« Reply #5 on: Monday 21 January 08 19:03 GMT (UK) »
hi all

the address is 8 doigs vennel and the daughter is agnes(i think)

ev

ps think this could be the family of james christie and mary fettes
     isabel , agnes , robert , and james just about line up on IGI  :(
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Offline Piglet01

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Re: Newbie looking for help on Christies of Arboath
« Reply #6 on: Monday 21 January 08 21:00 GMT (UK) »
I'd agree with the Agnes ev.  Must admit I never saw the G which curls in front of the 'I' in Isobel.

Have also attached a link to a site which Mike may not have been to?


http://www.angus.gov.uk/history/history.htm

Away to watch telly for an hour.

:O)

Offline ev

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Re: Newbie looking for help on Christies of Arboath
« Reply #7 on: Monday 21 January 08 21:11 GMT (UK) »
steve

try this site

http://www.arbroathtimeline.moonfruit.com/

good for old arbroath street names
there is a doigs vennel
the site also has other info. on arbroath well worth a look

ev
Census information Crown copyright , All Census information from transcriptions - check original records , Familysearch/IGI is a finding tool only - check original records

Offline nzmike

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Re: Newbie looking for help on Christies of Arboath
« Reply #8 on: Monday 21 January 08 21:49 GMT (UK) »
Hey, thanks so much ev and Steve - I got up this morning and reloaded the page not really expecting any replies so soon and instead I get all this fantastic new info - really appreciate the help.

Right now I have a day's work to do :-( before I look at it all but I will get back to it later today and try and sort out all this new information - which will no doubt just pose another whole set of questions I'll have to find answers to. (I guess that's why we do it though.)

One other quick Q though - it seems Barbara Finlayson (the one married to my g.g.f James, b. in 1878) was admitted to the Dundee Salvation Army Home sometime around 1909 after my g.g.f divorced her.  So my 2 Q's are: what is the best way to get divorce records (including reason for divorce) and any is there way for me to see why see was admitted to the Sallies home and for how long?  (I emailed the Salvation Army for Northern Scotland asking about historic records but got no reply unfortunately.)   I am assuming my g.g.f kicked her out for some reason and she had nowhere else to go for a while because she died in 1932 back in Arbroath (22 Smithy Croft).... would love to get a head's up on this bit of family intrigue! 

Not long after this (in 1910 I think) my g.f George Johnstone Christie left Scotland for New Zealand but I'm having a terrible job finding when exactly he came out or on what ship as I don't believe he would have needed a passport (I read that before 1914 one wasn't required for British Citizens) and the passenger lists I've found for that period normally have little or no real passenger info (like "Mr Christie, Scotland" et al).

Also, what site do you recommend as the master source of British info?  Is it ancestry.co.uk or do you need to subscribe to a few (such as Scotlands People and FindMyPast) as well.  I haven't used Ancestry in anger yet but it sounds like I might be missing lots of good info - I was assuming everything I needed for Scotland would be on SP - I guess that is incorrect.

Anyway, one thing at a time - I need to digest what you have given me first and then I'll post  here again.

Cheers,

Mike
Christie (Arbroath, Scotland and New Zealand)
Murdock/Murdoch (Scotland and New Zealand)
Rowe (Cornwall and New Zealand)
Hedrick (Scotland and New Zealand)