Reiff, Lochbroom

[heilanlassie]

I believe that my great-grandfather, Duncan Mackenzie / Mckenzie may have been born on 09 July 1843 in Reiff, Lochbroom.

His parents may have been John Mackenzie / Mckenzie and Catherine Macdonald.

I think I may have found John's death certificate for 08 November 1869, which showed that he died in the Southern District of Gairloch.

My question is:

Could it be possible that Duncan was born in Reiff, in 1843, and his father died in Gairloch, in 1869?

Are the two areas close together?

[Gadget]

Hi

It is possible.

Reiff, as you no doubt know is on the tip of the Coigach Peninsular  and Gairloch is further south. If he was a fisherman he could have been down there. I'd do some further checks though. Have you got the death cert that would probably give his wife's name?

Parish map here:

http://www.scotlandsfamily.com/parish-map-caithness.htm

One of our members, Don_Niagara has relatives/ancestors from Reiff so he'd probably be able to help. I only have living acquaintances who live there 


Gadget

[heilanlassie]

Hi

It is possible.

Reiff, as you no doubt know is on the tip of the Coigach Peninsular  and Gairloch is further south. If he was a fisherman he could have been down there. I'd do some further checks though. Have you got the death cert that would probably give his wife's name?

Parish map here:

http://www.scotlandsfamily.com/parish-map-caithness.htm

One of our members, Don_Niagara has relatives/ancestors from Reiff so he'd probably be able to help. I only have living acquaintances who live there 


Gadget

Hi Gadget,

I'm always pleased to hear from you - you always give me such useful leads to follow.

Information on my great-grandfather has always proved difficult to find - I have even resorted to employing a professional genealogist to look through the records in Edinburgh for me.

I could never find a birth record for Duncan, nor could I find him on any census records - because, I presume, being a seaman, he was at sea when the census records were taken.

The first record I could find for Duncan was his marriage record on 18 November 1874, when he married in Ullapool to Christina (from Rireabhach). On the record, Duncan states that his usual residence was Stornoway and he was 34 years old. His parents are named as John Mackenzie, deceased, a seaman, and Catherine Mackenzie, nee MacDonald.

My genealogist thinks that Stornoway could just be where he was working at that time. She also has a gut feeling that Duncan was born in Lochbroom, but she then found a "vessels" census for 1881 which shows that a Duncan Mackenzie was the master of a ship called the Alma, at Invershiel, Parish of Glenshiel. This record also states that Duncan Mackenzie was aged 35, and was born in Lochcarron G. He is stated to have been born about 1846.

She then went on to look for a birth record, and the only one she could find was for a Duncan Mackenzie, born to a John Mackenzie on 09 July 1843 in Reiff, Lochbroom (is this my Duncan?)

She then went on to look for a death record for Duncan's parents. We knew from the 1874 marriage record that Duncan's father, John Mackenzie was deceased, and she found a death record for a John Mackenzie on 08 November 1869. He is stated to be married to Catherine Macdonald. The record is difficult to read, but it look like Sands, Gairloch. The record is registered in the Southern District of Gairloch. The only thing that concerns me, is that John Mackenzie is stated to be a crofter (not a seaman).

When Duncan died in 1890, both his parents were stated to be deceased, so Catherine must have died sometime between 1874 and 1890 - but I can't find a death record for her anywhere.

I hope all this information hasn't confused you too much. I just wish I knew which path to take......

[Gadget]

Hi again

I have a gut feeling that the Reiff one isn't yours.

I've just returned from hospital and feeling whoozie from the sedation, so shall have look when I'm compos mentis.

I'm going up to Coigach this weekend but I don't think the Ullapool Museum is open yet - it's being refurbished.


Gadget

[heilanlassie]

Hi again

I have a gut feeling that the Reiff one isn't yours.

I've just returned from hospital and feeling whoozie from the sedation, so shall have look when I'm compos mentis.

I'm going up to Coigach this weekend but I don't think the Ullapool Museum is open yet - it's being refurbished.


Gadget

At least you have a reason to feel whoozie..................my dizzy head is just caused by this frustrating research.

My own research into my great-grandfather, Duncan Mackenzie and his family came up with a family of "McKinsie" living at Camusteel, Applecross, in the 1851 census.

The family consists of:
John, head, age 37, agiricultural labourer, born about 1814, Applecross.
Catherine, wife, age 30, born about 1821, Contin.
Duncan, age 5, born about 1846, Inverness.
Margaret, age 2, born about 1849, Inverness.
Mary, age 8 months, born about 1851, Applecross.

This then follows on to the 1861 census, which shows a Mackenzie family living at Knockbain, North Kessock.

The family consists of:
John, age 47, ferryman, born about 1814, Applecross.
Catherine, age 45, born about 1816, Contin.
Duncan, age 13, born about 1848, Inverness.
Margaret, age 13, born about 1848, Inverness.
Mary, age 7, born about 1854, Knockbain.

I also found an OPR marriage record which shows that a John Mackenzie residing at Stronguie and a Catherine Macdonald residing at Woodlands, both in the Parish of Kiltearn were married on 14 July 1837.

I just don't know where I am with this family............

[Gadget]

Not much for you, I'm afraid

To me, the Lochbroom marriage in 1821 is far more likely than the Kiltearn one as Kiltearn is over on the East coast - Evanton area (see the parish map that I linked to in my first reply). I'm not thinking that the North Kessock/Knockbain family are correct either - that's over on the Black Isle. It might be worth you having a map handy when you do your searching.

John Mackenzie and Cathrine McDonald m. Lochbroom in June 1821
John was of  Ririvoch(?Rhireavach) and Cathrine of Morefield

However, I seem to remember that you already have McKenzie relatives from Rhireavach.

This is might be the family in 1841 - just in case:

Rereabhach, Lochbroom
John Mckenzie, 45, fisherman
Catharine, 35
Alexr, 10
Ann, 8
Mary, 5,
Fanny, 3

Nothing jumping out at me in the 1851 - apart from your family in Argyle Street!

Note that many of the men of the area were fisherman/crofters - it was the only way to make a living on the stony croft lands of the peninsulars.  It's still pretty poor land - takes a lot of hard work to get a depth of soil for tatties, etc. 

Have you got Duncan on any later censuses?  I don't see the Alma in Lochshiel.

Duncan  showing as 34 on his marriage in 1874. Christina was 28



Gadget

[heilanlassie]

Not much for you, I'm afraid

To me, the Lochbroom marriage in 1821 is far more likely than the Kiltearn one as Kiltearn is over on the East coast - Evanton area (see the parish map that I linked to in my first reply). I'm not thinking that the North Kessock/Knockbain family are correct either - that's over on the Black Isle. It might be worth you having a map handy when you do your searching.

John Mackenzie and Cathrine McDonald m. Lochbroom in June 1821
John was of  Ririvoch(?Rhireavach) and Cathrine of Morefield

Where did you find this 1821 marriage? I've just done a search on SP, and can't find it.

However, I seem to remember that you already have McKenzie relatives from Rhireavach.

I certainly have.

This is might be the family in 1841 - just in case:

Rereabhach, Lochbroom
John Mckenzie, 45, fisherman
Catharine, 35
Alexr, 10
Ann, 8
Mary, 5,
Fanny, 3

Nothing jumping out at me in the 1851 - apart from your family in Argyle Street!

My family in Argyle Street in 1851? Both sides of my family appear in Rereabhach in 1851. What have you discovered that I don't know about?

Note that many of the men of the area were fisherman/crofters - it was the only way to make a living on the stony croft lands of the peninsulars.  It's still pretty poor land - takes a lot of hard work to get a depth of soil for tatties, etc. 

Have you got Duncan on any later censuses?  I don't see the Alma in Lochshiel.

I haven't got Duncan on any census returns after he married Christina in 1874 - and maybe, if my searches before then are all wrong - then I don't have Duncan on any censuses.

Duncan  showing as 34 on his marriage in 1874. Christina was 28



Gadget

[Gadget]

The 1821 marriage is there:

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XYQV-B4X

I then went and checked it on SP, which was where I got their places of birth.

I'm really dubious about the Lochshiel Duncan - not sure why but.................




Gadget

[don_niagara]

Hiya!

She then went on to look for a birth record, and the only one she could find was for a Duncan Mackenzie, born to a John Mackenzie on 09 July 1843 in Reiff, Lochbroom (is this my Duncan?)

I am familiar the Duncan your researcher found at Reiff, pretty certain he is not your ancestor. The Reiff Duncan emigrated in 1847-8 aboard the ship Aurora to Australia. By the way, that date you note as birth for him was christening/baptism, I think his birth was about 1841.

Difficult period to be searching for birth records, the Free Church split off in 1843 taking most congregants, so surviving OPRs from the older Established Church are very weak from then on. Few Free Church registers from the period are public, I have been attempting for years to get access to the Coigach FC OPR, someone extracted Macleans in it and submitted them to the IGI so I know it survives/survived, argggg

Donald.