Author Topic: FLETT/GORIE of Stromness  (Read 14778 times)

Offline jayem45

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FLETT/GORIE of Stromness
« on: Wednesday 05 November 08 11:48 GMT (UK) »
I am looking for information on John Brown Flett 1826-1905 who migrated to South Australia and then Victoria.

His mother was Jean Gorie/Gorrie (spelling varies) but I am unsure of his father and any other details.  I think it is Peter but family stories have it that he, too, was John Brown.  I have found a Peter b 1801 who married a Jean Gorie in 1826.  Are these mine?

If so, what happened to Peter as only Jean, I believe, ended up in Australia.

Any information on these people and further back would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Offline airdlass

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Re: FLETT/GORIE of Stromness
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 06 November 08 09:18 GMT (UK) »
Hi
In the 1821 census there is a Jean Gorie age 20 living at Stank, Stromness . Head of household is  Elspet Isbister age 51 a widow.
Also listed are Jannet Gorrie age 24, James Gorie age 22, Magnus Gorie age 17 and John Gorie age 83.

In the 1841 census there is Elspet Gorie a widow age 70 at Outertown, Stromness. In a separate household but still at Outertown there is Magnus Gorrie aged 35 with his family and in another household again still at Outertown is James Gorrie age 40

In 1851 census James aged 54 is back at Stank as a Farmer of 12 acres and Magnus is at Upper Mousland Stromness listed as a Farmer of 8 acres.

They are also in 1861 census if you would like more info



Mackay,Manson,Morrison - Tongue,Skerray,Farr
Morrison,Mackay,Falconer,MacAskill- Eddrachillis
Bain,Henderson,Levack,Gunn,Sinclair - Caithness
Hourston,Spence,Whitelaw,Banks,Brown,Wylie,Louttit,Drever - Orkney
and a few more - Revolta,Jobson,Spendlove

Offline jayem45

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Re: FLETT/GORIE of Stromness
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 06 November 08 10:14 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for that Airdlass.  I have taken note of the information as I think it gels with what I have.  I have also copied the web link for the national archives.

I appreciate the time you have taken to respond to my query.

Offline Oldejocks

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Re: FLETT/GORIE of Stromness
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 12 November 08 03:54 GMT (UK) »
I can help with some BMD data in the states of South Australia and Victoria. I looked into this forum as my Great Grandmother came from Stromness, and she was Catherine Spence Clouston, born in 1855.
McCULLOCH - Scotland
PAUL - Scotland
WRIGHT - London
ROONEY - North Shields Northumberland
CLOUSTON - Stromness and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
MURRAY - Crieff Scotland


Offline jayem45

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Re: FLETT/GORIE of Stromness
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 12 November 08 07:41 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for your interest Oldejocks. 

I have most of the bmd info after the family arrival in SA but am more interested in their lives prior to that.  I have been unable to find out what ship they arrived on, indeed whether Jean Gorie Flett came out to Australia at the same time as her son John Brown Flett, about 1854. 

I have no knowledge of what happened to her son Peter Flett and her husband, also Peter Flett.  I do not believe either of them came to Australia.

The only Spence/Clouston connection I can see goes back to John 1805-1879 who was a brother of the Peter Flett b 1801 who married Jean Gorie.

I would, of course, be interested in whatever information you may have to share.

Offline motormouse

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Re: FLETT/GORIE of Stromness
« Reply #5 on: Friday 19 April 13 16:24 BST (UK) »
I can assure you John Brown Flett did come to Australia with his mother, Jean Gorrie Flett. I am a direct descendent. Jean Gorrie married John Brown Flett in the Orkney Islands, I think at Stromness. Their only child was also named John Brown Flett. John Senior was a fisherman and when his child was an infant he went out to sea with his friend in their small boat and got lost in thick fog, they were found the following day frozen at the oars. The widow and small child had no income or support and were offered a position "in service" with a wealthy household in London. Very few well to do people took on single mothers as servants so she was certainly fortunate to receive this offer. When John Brown Flett grew up he worked as a merchant seaman and having been to Australia decided to live there. He packed up his mother and headed to a new life landing at Robe in South Australia. He set up house there, installed his Mother and travelled around in search of work, spending time in Victoria and Tasmania. In Hobart he met one Mary Brown, a young lady with a somewhat seedy past, took her back to Robe and married her. The old Mother was somewhat disapproving as she showed far too much cleavage for the straight laced old dowager. At some stage they moved to Warrnambool in south west Victoria where he took up work as a boat builder. One of their Sons William Flett had a tinshith shop in Warrnambool, I have a photo of him standing in front of it. William had three sons and three daughters. One of those sons was my Grandfather Charles Stratton Flett, married Ethel Newman. My Mother Joan was their only Daughter. One of William's daughters Jean married Dan Gallagher and all three of their children joined the religious orders. Father Laurie Gallagher was collating a history of the Fletts in Australia and some of the above descriptions are his. I have stored his writing somewhere and cannot find them at the moment so am relying on memory. I have some photos and when I find Laurie's script I will post more, as there are gaps I can certainly fill from our Australian perspective.  Regards Peter

Offline akc

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Re: FLETT/GORIE of Stromness
« Reply #6 on: Friday 19 April 13 20:48 BST (UK) »
cursiter.com has john brown flett born 21/12/1826 to peter flett and jean gorie and scotlands people also has john brown flett born 2/1/1827 to peter flett and jean gorie both in stromness
plus a peter flett born 6/10/1828 stromness

on the 1841 census at main street in stromness there is a jean flett aged 40 merchant and her son john aged 14 carpenter
Dumfriesshire: Bell, Kerr, Dickson, Hetherington
Orkney: Cursiter, Peace, Drever, Cooper, Paterson, Brock, Leslie, Malcomson, Miller, Scott
Cumberland: Charlton, Young

Offline jayem45

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Re: FLETT/GORIE of Stromness
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 20 April 13 00:23 BST (UK) »
Peter,

Nice to meet a cousin. My Mum is Muriel, daughter of Harold Yeoman and Jessie Flett.

I have all of Laurie's transcripts too. I am on holiday in Tasmania at the moment but would love to compare notes when I get home in late May.

Sadly the Flett Alzheimer's has gripped my Mum very tightly now and there are no memories left.

I live near Kempsey on the NSW mid north coast and direct email is (*)
Regards

Jan
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Offline Skoosh

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Re: FLETT/GORIE of Stromness
« Reply #8 on: Saturday 20 April 13 10:39 BST (UK) »
Folks,  this guy has been working on his Orkney Flett family tree and DNA, and is co-author of  a new book, "The Scots, a Genetic Journey",  by Alastair Moffat & James Flett Wilson, from www.birlinn.co.uk 
He lives in Linlithgow and is the founder of,    www.EthnoAncestry.com

Skoosh.