Author Topic: McInnes family in Bute  (Read 7298 times)

Offline mcmacey

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McInnes family in Bute
« on: Saturday 17 November 12 16:53 GMT (UK) »
I'm stuck with some of my ancestors and wonder if anyone can help.

My ancestor Hector McInnes is recorded in the 1851 census as aged 50 and born in Buteshire, Rothesay.  I have some other records for him but cannot trace his birth on Scotlands People or Family Search.

What I know is that Hector McInnes married Marrion McCaffer in Kilchoman, Islay in 1822. They are listed in the 1841 census at Killanallen (sic) , although in that census the column for whether born in the same county indicates that he was. By 1851 he and Marrion and various children are living at Coulabus, Islay. He gives his place of birth as Buteshire, Rothesay and  Marrion's  as Kilmeny (Islay).

I also have a death certificate for Hector McInnies (sic) from 1856 which I think is right as it gives his place of death as Balfour St, Port Glasgow, where most of the rest of the family are living by the 1861 census; and the death is reported by Duncan, who would have been Hector's oldest son. His father's name is given as ______ McInnies, Labourer (deceased) and his mother's as Mary McInnies MS Johnson.

I have tried every combination I can think of for McInnes and/or Johnson including variants, and just can't find a birth record in Bute or Islay for Hector, or marriage records for his parents or possible other in Bute.

It seems that McInnes wasn't a very common name in Bute so I wondered whether they might have been an itinerant family. If not, why would young Hector have moved from Bute to Islay. Does anyone know of any similar moves?

Any suggestions for further research would be much appreciated. I have also put a query on the Islay mailing list.
Macey Bates McInnes McClymont

Offline hume

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Re: McInnes family in Bute
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 22 December 12 23:21 GMT (UK) »
Hi,

I found this, which may help.

There is a birth (27th May 1804) for an Alexander McInnes, son of a Duncan McInnes and More [sic] Johnston in Campbeltown.

Neither Rothesay nor Islay I'm afraid but within the right area.

There is also a testament dative for a Duncan MacInnes, "labourer in Rothesay" dated 11/02/1811, on SP. It might be worth looking at it to see a) if it's your ancestor and b) if there's any family names given.

hume :)

Offline mcmacey

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Re: McInnes family in Bute
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 23 December 12 10:59 GMT (UK) »
Hi Hume

Thank you for taking the trouble. I hadn't looked at the testaments so that was quite interesting. However it names Duncan's widow as Mary McCallum and states clearly that there were no children of the marriage. I think this couple may have been the Duncan McKinnish and Mary McCallum who married in Bute in 1794. He was a widower from Glasgow Barony (possibly a weaver as Barony was known for textiles?) so may have been getting on by then.

I also found a John McInnes born c 1803 at Kames according to the 1871 census. His death was reported in Greenock in 1873 by his son Dugald but his parents names are both omitted from the certificate, so I drew another blank there.

And another possible lead was a Peter McInnes born c 1803 at Kilbride. He was a weaver/power loom dresser and died in 1878 in Kirkintilloch, having seemingly been fairly itinerant, living in Glasgow and Paisley. His parents were Alexander McInnes (occupation looks like Gardener Journeyman) and Janet McIntyre.

The picture I'm getting is that while there were McInneses living in and around Bute at the time of Hector's birth, they probably weren't local to the area and not settled there.

The search goes on...

Many thanks again for looking.

mcmacey
Macey Bates McInnes McClymont

Offline hume

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Re: McInnes family in Bute
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 29 December 12 12:56 GMT (UK) »
Hi mcmacey,

Just in case they do connect to your family, I had a look at the 1804 baptism of Alexander. The entry is as below:

Alexander - natural son to Duncan McInnes, servant [at] Darlochan and
More Johnston in Calliburn, born 27th May bapt. 31st July 1804.


hume