Historical family document discovered: Brechin

[t1m]

Hi Martin,

I know this is an old thread which is now facing a second resurrection, so I hope it's okay to add to it.

I had been wondering if anything ever became of the publication of this journal.  But I've had another idea that you might want to consider.

Like lots of other people last Christmas, I became the proud owner of an Amazon Kindle eBook Reader.  It occurred to me, and I've been meaning to post this for some time, that you might want to self-publish your journal in electronic format.  As you've already typed it up, I don't think it would take too much effort to convert it into the various eBook formats, and you could do so with no financial outlay at all.  Furthermore, if you wanted, you could make yourself a little money for your time by selling it on the various eBook sites popping up (including Amazon).

Anyway, I thought it might be an option that could interest you, and would mean that all the effort you've already put in wouldn't have gone to waste.

Tim

[hgs46]

I have Aberdeen Brechin Ancestry and reached the point where there are many dead ends .. I was interested in the contents of your document. The oldest Brechin ancestor I've traced is Charles Brechin (mar to Ann Able) who is reputed to be a Sergeant in the Royal Artillery and a Mason (Master). Up until recently I knew of 2 children - my ancestor George Brechin who appears to have been born about 1799 in England. He married Jane Simpson 1823 at Milton of Hatton, Aberdeenshire. His brother Henry appear to have been born about 1808 in Ireland and was married to Margaret Melvin in Aberdeen in 1829. Because I cannot find birth, marriage or death records for Charles,  I am stuck. I have found a burial of an Ann Able - described as wife of Lieut Chas Brechens in Aberdeen in 1827 but don't know if correct folk.

At some point I noted the death of a Helen Burnett in 1853 widow of James Brechin but only recently took on board that her address in Aberdeen was the same home as Henry Brechin, making me wonder if James and Henry had been brothers or related in some way. In my notes extracted from her will, are Margaret Brechin sister of James but no mention of Henry or George. She also mentions Donald, Philip, Logan family members.

The Brechin name is very difficult to trace with many differing spellings and pronounciations - can anyone help.

[Grothenwell]

Hi hgs46 and welcome to Rootschat.

I too have Brechin ancestors, but unfortunately none, found so far, named Charles.

It might be better for you to start a separate topic on your own subject as it is more likely to get new views and help on your query specifically.

I see on IGI that there are three possible births for Charles, (but only one of them came up on Scotlandspeople for some reason, and no matching marriage for Charles and Ann that I could find)

Charles Brechin, birth: 18 Jun 1771 — GLASGOW, LANARK, parents: John Brechin, Jean Young

Charles Brechin: christening: 12 Jan 1772 — BAIRNIE-TILLYDESK EPISC, ELLON, ABERDEEN, parents: George Brechin

Charls Brichin, christening: 1772 — TARVES, ABERDEEN, parents:   George Brichin

There is nothing to say that Charles was from Aberdeenshire, but given that both the children you know of married in Aberdeen, and likely his wife Ann died in Aberdeen it is a possibility, or perhaps after being stationed in England and then Ireland in the Army his last posting was Aberdeen.

If I were you I'd try and see if there is a way of finding out more on Charles military career perhaps through posting on the military board here, or the National Archives and a distant cousin found out a lot about an ancestor's military career through findmypast.com.

If you start a new topic on this board please tell more on what details you already have on his marriage, and the births of his sons.

Good luck and please let us know how you get on,

Grothenwell

[hgs46]

Thank you for taking an interest and I'll follow your suggestion of posting a new topic. Thank you also for your welcome. In my dreams I hoped that the discovered Brechin document might be helpful. Like you I found these 3 possible Charles births and I also assumed that he probably came from Aberdeenshire. I noted in the 1851 Census his son George was recorded as born in Methlic. In the 1841, 1861 and 1871 Census it was recorded as England. Perhaps a bit of a clue. The calculated birth years of both George and Henry are from the census returns and the age given in DCs as I haven't found other records.  By the way the name alters - Bricken, Brichen, Brechin - for some reason I've found Scotland's People have difficulty with this name. I have tried military records for Charles without any success and even made a short trip to London. Wondered even about Militia but not sure how to search it. Anyway I keep trying .. thanks again.

[Traprain]

Hello Martin

Perhaps you should read 'The Diary of a Canny Man' which is a very interesting book giving diary entries of Adam Mackie who was a Farmer, Merchant, and Innkeeper in Fyvie and covers the period 1818-1828. It may give you a few ideas. If you can not get a copy of the book to read you could read a few of the Reviews available on the internet

Regards

Traprain

[Martin Guthrie]

... you might want to self-publish your journal in electronic format.  As you've already typed it up, I don't think it would take too much effort to convert it into the various eBook formats, and you could do so with no financial outlay at all.  Furthermore, if you wanted, you could make yourself a little money for your time by selling it on the various eBook sites popping up (including Amazon).

Hi Tim,

Yes, it's an option that I've thought about.  In actual fact (and for a bunch of other reasons) I'm now looking at possibly self-publishing in paperback anyway.  Nothing firm yet but I hope to be a little further down the track within the next couple of months and will try and report anon.  And if that happens then an eBook version may be an option also.

Thanks,
Martin

[Martin Guthrie]

Perhaps you should read 'The Diary of a Canny Man' which is a very interesting book giving diary entries of Adam Mackie who was a Farmer, Merchant, and Innkeeper in Fyvie and covers the period 1818-1828. It may give you a few ideas. If you can not get a copy of the book to read you could read a few of the Reviews available on the internet

Hi Traprain,

Thanks for the pointer - I'll try and track it down!

Martin

[Forfarian]

Well, I sent the email as I said and followed it up a few weeks later.  I have received no response from ANESFHS whatsoever!
Has anyone any further suggestions? 

I had a similar document - an account written by a man who emigrated from Glasgow to North America in the mid-1800s- and I contacted the Glasgow etc FHS. They looked at it and recommended donating it to the National Library of Scotland, who were delighted to have it. If you don't already have a home for it, try them.

[hgs46]

It's been a while but I'm still wondering if you ever found a repository for your document and if it's available to read. My Brechin/Brichen family of Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire has many loose ends that I would love to tie up.