Andrew Fraser and Martha Cooper's son
James would be my grandmother's great grandfather. Late last night I had the following pieced together:
1881 a Martha McKay is living with
James Fraser and his wife Christina Goodall. Martha is listed as a cousin showing born Old Machar.
1871 a Martha McKay is living with Isabella Goodall (Christina Goodall's mother). I made the
wrong assumption that Martha was a cousin of Christina's I should have followed her through before but didn't. Martha McKay is a cousin to James not Christina.
Martha McKay dies in Fraserburgh in 1889 - James Fraser 'cousin' signs the DC - parents listed as Robert McKay and Ann Couper! So it looks like Ann Couper could be the sister of Martha Couper - Andrew's wife. Robert and Ann got married in Old Machar:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTJ7-B4F1861 Martha McKay and her mother Ann are in Fraserburgh - Ann McKay showing born Fraserburgh.
1851 Martha McKay and her mother are living at
46 Gordon Street in Old Machar along with younger sister Leslie.
1841 the family are living in Hartlepool - the only census where Robert McKay (mason) is showing.
Martha McKay's mother died in 1869 and on her death certificate her full name is showing as Ann Leslie Cooper, father William Cooper (porter) and mother Martha Fraser.
So William and Martha had two children in Monquhitter (Alexander and Martha) then three in Fraserburgh - so now I have the Fraserburgh link
One of the children showing for the couple is a Charles Leslie Cowper born 1814:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XB76-GFNBack to 1841 where a William Cooper (porter) and a Martha are living at
46 Gordon Street in Old Machar. Then in 1851 Martha Cooper age 74 and a son Charles (sailor) age 35 still living at number 46 Gordon Street.
Now I can write with confidence that the couple living at 46 Gordon Street are the parents of Martha Cooper - before I had them pencilled as a probable!
So that leaves me with a William Henderson witnessing Martha Cooper's birth in Monquhitter in 1806. Is he the same William Henderson born in 1780 in Monquhitter to a George Henderson? And is he the William who married Janet Taylor? Do my Hendersons link back to Isabella Henderson. Oh and where does that middle name Leslie fit in?.....
Very sad that on the 1841 census there are a group of people all describing themselves as paupers living at Ardglassie.
Jen