James, Elizabeth & Alex Alexander at Craigo, Logie Pert 1840 -1880

[nw_whiskers]

Dear bbeatie,  One photograph of the Alex Alex., or should I say that of his first Father in Law as it is his name at the top.  The other side is even more interesting but we have yet to figure out how it all fits together.  William Niddrie b 29 April 1759 Logie Pert.  Alex Alex was married to his daughter May Niddrie b ~ 1803 died 11 April 1837 which is shortly after William was born.

I am still digesting your above post with obvious interest.  One small observation about Esq and Mrs in the OPR is that this normally applies to the VIPs of the time.  John Alexander is in the records as a Crofter/Weaver, Fettercairn (parish!) so it is just possible that Mary Carnegie came from a more modest background.  Do NOT get me wrong about this as I am VERY PROUD of how the family worked hard to get on in the world in what were hard times in Scotland.

Enjoy the picture from the Old Logie Churchyard just to the right of the door of what is now a set of walls.

Best wishes,  nw_whiskers

[bbeattie]

Thanks for the photo of the gravestone which includes my 2nd great grandfather James Alexander's brother Alex!  Have you had a chance to see if James Alexander's gravestone is at the Old Logie Churchyard? 

I know what you mean about the Esq.  I believe the Thomas Carnegie Esq of Craigo, who fathered a Mary Carnegie, was the 4th Esq of Craigo, so from a wealthy line of lairds.  Unlikely that this Mary's father would be the son of a Cotter Man (Thomas, son of Alexander Carnegy).  Just that the dates line up so nicely with Mary born the same year as John Alexander, and married in Marykirk.  There were certainly lots of Carnegies in the area at that time.

Do you have the death certificates for John and Mary?  Please pass them on to me if you don't mind as I haven't found them yet.

Cheers,
Brian

[nw_whiskers]

Dear Brian,  Sadly we have VERY LITTLE on John Alex & Mary Carnegie other than they are mentioned on the THREE Death Certificates and a POSSIBLE marriage for them at Marykirk  on 15 July 1798.  The entry is very brief:-  John Alexander and Mary Carneggie both of this parish.  No witnesses or mention of a place name which makes it difficult to put it mildly.  I have not been in the Old Logie Churchyard for about a year but I must correct that shortly.  If I understood your post it is in there somewhere not that there are that many stones to read as long as they are still standing.  I have been back to the early 1700s in the OPR for Banffshire and they are frequently detailed on where the people lived and where the four witness stayed into the bargain so the Marykirk one is about as brief as they come.  We are also short of a grave stone for them as that can be a GREAT help in the search.  My wife and I have spent many hours in the Angus graveyards searching for anything that would help us move forward with JA & MC.
Please DO NOT be put off with my fundamental way of examining the evidence as I am always open to a different way of looking at things to make progress if we can.  I know where the Marykirk Hotel car park is as we were in it the last time we were along that road. Not a lot of parking space in Marykirk and they speed past on what is a rather narrow road.

We spent time on the 1797 Horse Tax Records for Fettercairn Parish to get a picture of the Families with Horses as they had to pay their taxes so we know that they are not always in the Church Records.  I was also looking for a possible Alex Alexander connection like yourself but which one ?
 
Best wishes,  nw_whiskers

[bbeattie]

NW, do you have any leads for the parents of John Alexander who married Mary Carnegie?  Have you considered John Alexander b. 7 Apr 1774 in Logie, son of John Alexander and Mary Ker or John Alexander b. 11 Jan 1777 in Marykirk, son of Alex Alexander and Margaret Faulconer or John Alexander b. 21 Nov 1779 in Fettercairn parish, son of John Alexander and Mary Mitchell?

Brian

[nw_whiskers]

Dear Brian,  The James Beattie & Elizabeth Alexander Headstone is still standing there but no sign of James Alexander & Ann Turnbull Taylor as far as we can see.

The picture for JB & EA should be attached.

Best wishes, nw_whiskers

[bbeattie]

Thanks for checking this out! Will save us time when we get there...we only have 10 days in Scotland. I see you're in the area of the Barron side of my family who were in the New Deer area.

[nw_whiskers]

Dear Brian,  It is a nice Grey Granite Stone leaning a bit to the side which you can not see as I had to crop it to get it to load.  Unfortunately, the granite ones can be difficult to photograph and get the text to show clearly.   Elizabeth "Betsy" Alexander is a better prospect in this regard and I know that her death certificate ties her to John Alex & Mary Carnegie.  So you have two of the three we know about.

Have you got a death certificate for Ann Turnbull Taylor or her date of death for that matter.  I have her parents as Robert Taylor (62 yrs) & Jean Taylor (58 Yrs) at Letham Den & Braes, Dunnichan (ref 1841 Census).

Best wishes,  nw_whiskers.

[bbeattie]

Just found the death certificate for Ann Turnbull (Taylor) Alexander.  You have the correct parents.

[bbeattie]

Ann died 1 Dec 1904 in Craigo.