Parents of Ann Henderson (abt 1853 -1923)

[RedMystic]

TX very much Flattybasher. Your research / insight is much appreciated.

[RedMystic]

Heather, if you're still monitoring this thread, I've had a contact from a person on the Masson branch who would like to connect with others researching that branch. Please PM me if you're still about.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,594086.0.html

In order to keep the family branch finds together, this is an update on Elizabeth Henderson (aka Betsy Prosser): Ann Henderson's daughter, 1/2 sister to Frederick Bain (& the other Bain boys) that came to Canada, & 1/2 sister to William Masson.

Thanks as always to the wonderful Chatters who have helped along the way.

[nossam321]

I believe the William Masson referred to in this thread is also my great grandfather.  My grandfather was Patrick Robertson Masson (born to William Masson and Susan Robertson on 12-Apr-1904). 

[RedMystic]

Hi nossam321 & welcome to Rootschat.

Sorry for the tardy response.

It's wonderful to meet a long lost cousin.

William Henderson Masson was 1/2 brother to my great grandfather, Frederick Bain, who arrived in Canada 109 years ago. Do you know anything of the story of how your great grandfather was adopted by the Massons?

[nossam321]

Hi RedMystic,

Very nice to meet you too!

Just a little bit of background... A friend who is tracing his family tree came across a Masson from the NE of Scotland in the 1700s and asked if I knew anything of my family tree, i.e., whether I might also be able to trace my family back to the same Masson. 

I knew nothing of the Massons beyond my grandfather's name.  My sister had done a little research and found William Masson and Susan Robertson but could get no further.  I sent that info. back to my friend who did a little bit of research himself and found the link to Ann Henderson, and (if I understand correctly) that William's father was a Catto.

I then searched on Google for Ann Henderson and William Masson, which brought me to this thread, which has been fascinating.  I have spoken to my dad about it but he had no knowledge of his grandfather William's upbringing.  He mentioned that William used to look after him and his brothers sometimes when they were little but he did not know much about him.  This was really a surprise.

I don't have any experience with researching family trees but I am quite curious now and would certainly like to learn more.  If you can share any more information about Ann Henderson that would be much appreciated.

Also, I was interested to see that you have Inkster (Shetland) among the names at the bottom of your message, which I guess is a list of ancestral names in your family?  I was born and brought up in Shetland and my mother is an Inkster (just for info., I have been living in Houston, TX, for the last 18 years).  So it is very likely that we are related on that side as well.  My grandmother did a good deal of research on the Inkster family tree so if you have some information on your Inkster ancestor, we might be able to make that link.

[RedMystic]

Hi again nossam321

I haven't yet found an Inkster from Shetland who isn't related to my husband. His grandfather was in Edinburgh by 1891 and then came to Canada in 1904. I'd love to discuss that family further off line.

You need to post one more time and then we can use the private messaging system to exchange emails.

I've come quite a bit further along since this thread was started back in 2011. I was a novice searcher at that point and the RootsChat volunteers were (are) tremendously generous with their discoveries and guidance.

I'm happy to share what I've uncovered.

My great aunt, who I mentioned when the thread started, passed away a year ago. She loved all of the discoveries. Heather, who came online on this thread for a short time who also descended from your great grandfather had her email hacked several years ago. I think she shut down her email account at that time, & I've never been able to re-establish contact.

 

[nossam321]

Ok, great.  This is my third post.   

I'll see if I can figure out how to do the private messaging.

[RedMystic]

Good morning all. I'm just checking in to let you know (years & years later) that I have finally figured some things out.

Ann Henderson (abt1853-1923) was born to Innes Berry and a neighbouring farmer, Alexander Henderson (1815-1913). Alexander had two children out of wedlock before he married. He had no children born to his marriage.

The other part of this discussion has to do with Ann Henderson's 2nd born child, William Catto Henderson Masson. We had quite an exploration (back when I first posted) about how he came to have the surname Masson & whether the couple adopted him.

The boy was raised by: John Masson and his wife Ann McLennan. John Masson was William Henderson Masson's grandmother Innes Prosser nee Berry's paternal first cousin.

(I haven't figured out which William Catto was the biological father declared on William's birth record.)

Thanks again to one and all who weighed in on this sleuth.

[Helen21]

I know I am very late to the party, but I've just come across this thread & thought I'd add my 2c.

The distant cousin's message in the original post mentions Mary Findlater, I'm pretty sure she has followed the wrong Ann Henderson to get there.

My great-grandmother was also an Anne Henderson. She was born b ca 1853 in Premnay to Arthur Henderson & Janet Tough. Arthur's mother (Anne's grandmother) was Mary Findlater b 1766 in Oyne, her mother was Jean Watt, daughter of George.

To add to the confusion my Anne also died in 1923, but in Forglen, Banffshire, she had married John Fraser in Banff in 1883.

I have used BDM certs, census, monumental inscriptions & parish registers to follow this line.

Hopefully this might help clariify and/or eliminate some names.

Helen