Black Isle

[roslynallison]

Hello, My grandfather, George Allison, was born and lived on the Black Isle before joining the British troops to go to the Boer War in South Africa, and staying on there.
Any suggestions on where I can look to get details of his birth and military assignment?
Thank you.

[CaroleW]

Hi and welcome to Rootschat

You can look for his birth on Scotlands People and download a copy of his birth cert from that site

SP is a pay per view site via purchase of credits

What year was he born?  I'm not familiar with some Scottish areas but a Google search is showing the Black Isle as Ross & Cromarty

[bleckie]

Hi

Just did a search on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

There is only 1 george allison born Inverness between 1855 and 1890

Born Kirkhill 1877 

Yours Aye
BruceL

[Flattybasher9]

Roslyn, welcome to the long nights of genealogy and RootsChat.

That George would have seemed to have died 3 days after birth. b 8/10/1877, d 11/10/1877.

Can you give us more information about your parents (not by name if they are still living) and grandparents, especially your grandmother. (Dates etc that you already know)
As the Boer war ran in two stages, 1880-1881 and 1899-1902, there is a spread of 22 years. That could seriously influence your grandfather's age.

Regards

Malky

[Gadget]

The Black Isle is in Ross and Cromarty not Inverness.

There's this family in Knockbain (a parish in the Black Isle) in 1891:

Easter Suddie Farm House, Knockbain, R & C

David Allison, 48, farm manager
Sarah, 46, Kiltarlity
Mary J, 18
John, 15, planter (forest)
George, 12
Andrew, 11
Christina, 9
Simon, 7
Jessie, Campbell, servant, 30, b. Invernessshire

All b. Knockbain unless stated.


Gadget

[bleckie]

Hi All

1896 ALISON GEORGE M AVOCH /ROSS AND CROMARTY 059/0A 0027   
1878 ALLISON GEORGE M KNOCKBAIN /ROSS AND CROMARTY 073/00 0012

Don't know why the second entry didn't show with my original search

Yours Aye
BruceL

[Gadget]

Hi Bruce 

Maybe you just looked at Invernessshire births:

Just did a search on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

There is only 1 george allison born Inverness between 1855 and 1890

If he was in the Boer War,  the 1896 one is out. I assume the 1878 one is the one that I identified on the 1891 with parents David and Sarah 

I checked the Boer War records earlier. There are a few possibles but not enough to go on - i.e nothing positive to link any G Allisons to the Highlands (R&C or Inv)


Gadget

[roslynallison]

Thank you for the very useful information provided so far. The entry for
1878 ALLISON GEORGE M KNOCKBAIN /ROSS AND CROMARTY 073/00 0012 sounds like him, that would have made him around 12 in 1891. The one born in 1896 does not work as my father, also George Allison, was born in S. Africa in 1918 and he was the 3rd child.
Farming makes sense. I was always forced to look at Aberdeen Angus bull photos when I visited them as a small child, and I understood that the family were in some way breeders of these or worked for breeders of them.
My grandmother, also Scottish (but I believe they only met in S. Africa) was Elizabeth Murdoch and I think her family was from the Glasgow area.
With regard to the Boer War, what I recollect is his being something like an aide de camp for Lord Roberts.  But, I would not swear to that.