Author Topic: James Chalmers Bruce  (Read 8563 times)

Online CaroleW

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Re: James Chalmers Bruce
« Reply #9 on: Thursday 14 April 11 00:17 BST (UK) »
Have you looked up his birth on SP?  There is a possibility he was illegitimate and gave his grandfathers details when he married.  Whoever reported his death is likely to have just used the same details

Have a look at this 1881 entry for 45 Church St Portsoy

James Bruce 67 seaman b Ordiquhill, Banffshire
Ann Bruce 62 b Cromarty, Ross Shire
Isabella Bruce 29 dtr b Portsoy
Ann Ewing 17 g/dtr b Portsoy
Alexander Murray 13 g/son b Portsoy
Isabella Evans 10 g/dtr b Aberdeen
James Bruce 7 g/son b Buckie
John Munro 5 g/son b Portsoy
John McDiarmid 29 boarder
Fordyce ED 3 Page  18 Line 25
 
 
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Carlin (Ireland & Liverpool) Doughty & Wright (Liverpool) Dick & Park (Scotland & Liverpool)

Offline Babs60

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Re: James Chalmers Bruce
« Reply #10 on: Thursday 14 April 11 10:31 BST (UK) »
Yes, I wondered about this one too, it was looking the most likely one till I discovered the Chalmers connection. In the 1891 census Isabella Bruce has taken the name McDiarmid and has James Bruce living with her in Portsoy  along with Niel McDiarmid(10) and Jemima McDiarmid (5). James Bruce was 18 at this time and was an apprentice cooper in Portsoy. So, this was all looking likely although there is no positive proof yet, until, the name Chalmers popped up in this other family! I also have abirth cert (Stat Births 164/00 0008) for a James Bruce illegitimate son of Isabella Bruce of High St Buckie which would be the correct age too.  It would be so good if someone knew of the family but there doesn't even seem to be many people researching them.

Online CaroleW

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Re: James Chalmers Bruce
« Reply #11 on: Thursday 14 April 11 14:06 BST (UK) »
Hi

At what point did James become James Chalmers Bruce?  Is the middle name on his birth marriage or death cert?

James 1891 occupation of cooper is the same as that on his marriage cert - I know that's not proof positive but I would say they are one and the same person

There is no marriage for a James Bruce to an Isabella Bruce is there?
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Carlin (Ireland & Liverpool) Doughty & Wright (Liverpool) Dick & Park (Scotland & Liverpool)

Offline Babs60

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Re: James Chalmers Bruce
« Reply #12 on: Thursday 14 April 11 15:10 BST (UK) »
Hi, James C Bruce is on his marriage cert and James Chalmers Bruce is on his death cert. You're right I can't find a marriage cert or register for james and Isabella but I did find one for Isabella and John McDiarmid and that has her parents as James and Ann ( m. s. williamson ) which we spoke about earlier.
On the marriage cert she signs with an X as does the Isabella Bruce that registers the illegitimate James ( stat births 164/00 0008). Interestingly, the 1881 census for James and Ann Bruce has Alexander Murray living in the house, a grandson of James and Ann, this is another name that has featured in my husbands family, his name is Robert Alexander Murray Bruce and his uncle was Alexander Murray Bruce. It looks quite feasable that this could be the correct family, but , I still have this little niggle about the Chalmers name!!
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my thoughts!


Offline bretan1

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Re: James Chalmers Bruce
« Reply #13 on: Tuesday 03 February 15 07:24 GMT (UK) »
Just joined this site and can provide some information regarding Alexander Murray, son of Isabella Bruce of Portsoy.  My great grandfather  became a seafarer, migrated to Australia and was  ultimately captain of a coastal trader based out of Launceston, Tasmania.  His death certificate (Aust Death index) Brighton, Victoria 1951 names his mother as Isabella Bruce, his father as Alexander Murray and age as 83.  The Portsoy connection came verbally from my great grandmother who lived to over 100 and died in 1979.  Alexander's Mates Certifcate (024830) was issued at Banff on 9 Feb 1892 and his Masters Certificate was issued at Greenock on 13 Aug 1894. 

Yet to find his marriage certificate, to Margaret Ann McLeod, most probably in Greenock abt 1900.  In the 1901 Census Alexander, Margaret and the first of their 4 children were living at 83 Dempster St Greenock.  Margaret and son migrated to Australia on the 'Medic' in 1902.  Three additional children were born in Melbourne, before a UK visit 1911-1912.  On their return to Australia they settled in Lauceston, Tasmania.

I look forward to chasing more information on Alexander's ancestry on this and other sites.

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Re: James Chalmers Bruce
« Reply #14 on: Tuesday 03 February 15 08:10 GMT (UK) »
Yet to find his marriage certificate, to Margaret Ann McLeod, most probably in Greenock abt 1900.  In the 1901 Census Alexander, Margaret and the first of their 4 children were living at 83 Dempster St Greenock.

If they married in Scotland, you will get their marriage certificate at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk at modest cost. If you can't find it, get the birth certificate of the child in the 1901 census, and it will tell you where and when the parents were married.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline bretan1

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Re: James Chalmers Bruce
« Reply #15 on: Wednesday 04 February 15 10:52 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for the advice Forfarian.  Will get onto to it soon.  Will also start chasing another emmigrant great grandfather who was a Forfarian who departed Jerico, Glamis for the Ballarat (Australia) goldfields.