Anyone researching the Watt and Steven families of Montrose/Forfar?

[djct59]

I'm looking for information about descendants of James Steven and Catherine Watt (1802-80). She was daughter of Andrew Watt and Mary Cook who were married in Montrose in 1800. James Steven may have died young - I have provisional dates of 1804-39 for him. They had at least one child named Mary (b. 1829) who moved to Edinburgh and  was married twice, first to a butcher named James Dunn then to a James Bryden from Ayrshire, who died in 1871. Mary died in 1900.

Any further information gratefully received.

[loobylooayr]

Hi,
I am not researching either name nor am I related to either family.
But have you looked on Family Search website?
There are several births worth looking at including this one of a Mary Stephen  21st Aug 1826 at Dundee to a James Stephen and Catharine Watt.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XBZ2-N9K
There are also James Stiven born 1832
John Elder Stiven born 1837
George Stiven born 1841
Elizabeth Smith Stiven born 1844 
The above are all in Dundee Angus to James Stiven and Catharine Watt

Looby

[djct59]

Looby: Thanks - that looks like it might be the right family

When Mary died in 1900 her age was listed as 71, so I'd restricted my search to the years 1827-31 - looks like she was 73, which is fairly plausible given that her birth was still in the era of mass illiteracy.

Stiven for Steven is  plausible; I have McKies listed as "McKay" and an Archer listed as "Archard" in old census records, so I think this looks like a good match. However, it means both that my proposed date of death for James is wrong and has Catherine bearing children aged 42, so I'll need to dig deeper

[loobylooayr]

Hi again,

Have you found the family on the 1841 or 51 Census?

Looby

[djct59]

Have run a few variables on James and Catherine Steven/Stiven in Dundee and Angus for 1841, without success yet. Might switch straight to 1851

[djct59]

Yup - found them at 35 Seagate Dundee in 1851 as Stephen. Their daughter Mary (aged 24) was born in Forfar and was a stay maker, married to a James Dunn. I can now progress rapidly...

[loobylooayr]

There is a James and Cathrine Steven both age 40 with three boys David ? age 15, John age 4 and George 3months living at Seagate Davidson's Court , Dundee on the 1841. Looks a good match with your 1851 find - except no Mary  .
Also no son James ( could be deceased) and a David who could be another son or perhaps a nephew or some other relative??
Mary whose age must be approx 14 could be staying with other family or be in service.

Looby

[djct59]

Aye...looks plausible. Mary was a staymaker so could easily be away learning her trade by age fourteen. on the face of it there's a nine year gap between her and the next child, which would leave room for a child dying young.

Also, it emerges that they were married on 15th March 1824, which makes the birth of a son in early to mid 1825 and a daughter in August 1826 entirely possible

[ev]

There are also James Stiven born 1832

Also no son James ( could be deceased)

The records of the Dundee Howff have -
James Stiven , aged 5 , burial date 2nd Jan. 1838 , born Dundee , Burnt by clothing catching fire ,
son of James Stiven ,Blacksmith.

Catharine Stiven , burial date 1 Nov 1836 , aged 6 born Dundee , Rush Fever , dau of James Stiven , Blacksmith.

http://www.fdca.org.uk/

The 1841 Census that Looby found has James senior as a Blacksmith Journeyman.


ev