Author Topic: John Cochrane and Catherine Anderson in Alloa, c1800  (Read 7495 times)

Offline kirstyc

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John Cochrane and Catherine Anderson in Alloa, c1800
« on: Friday 19 September 14 13:53 BST (UK) »
Hi there
I'm trying to track down the parents of my ancestor James Cochrane, who was supposedly born in Alloa in 1805. He was a minister and his Fasti Ecclesiae entry states he was born there to John Cochrane and Catherine Anderson.
But I just can't find any trace of his birth or of either of his parents. We don't have any other connections with Alloa and James spent his adult life in Edinburgh and then at Cupar Parish Church in Fife. His wife was from Canonbie in Dumfries-shire.

Possible clues:
+ Jame's death cert said his father was an army officer.
+ Naming conventions would suggest his father or perhaps a brother was called Henry - perhaps Henry John or John Henry (James' eldest son was Henry John and there are no Henrys on the mother's side)
+ A possible connection with India as James' younger son joined the Bengal civil service and James' in-laws had connections with India

After several years of searching, I've still found nothing so would really appreciate any help or suggestions.

My most recent searches have looked at schools which James might have attended before going to Edinburgh Uni (1821-1826).
Was there ever a military / militia base near Alloa?

thanks
Kirsty
Bell, Church, Little, Calvert - Canonbie, Langholm - Dumfries-shire; Roxburgh-shire
MacDonald - glencoe
Cochrane, Anderson - Haddingtonshire, Fife, Clacks
Brodie - East Lothian
McDonald, Hamilton, Finlay, Morn - Paisley
Smart, Robertson - Kirkcaldy & Dysar, Fife; Dundee
Chesters, Allen, Pennington - Cheshire & North Wales
Christer - Cumberland, Northumberland, Cumbria, N Lincs
Altorfer, Haller, Feller - Switzerland

Offline jennywren001

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Re: John Cochrane and Catherine Anderson in Alloa, c1800
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 20 September 14 10:39 BST (UK) »
Hi,
A few things to look at or most likely revisit...

1841 'a' James Cochrane 'Minister of the gospel' age 35 living Edinburgh - birth place listed as unknown - he's with a Margaret Cochrane age 60. Is he your James?
 
1841 a John and Katherine Cochrane living Perth East Church-Landward - he's a navy (not army) pensioner showing age 65. Mind she's down as a spoonmaker - they don't really sound like the parents of your James...

1851 along with your James age 45 we also have a John Cochrane age 45 again a minister. John and family are living at Bothkennar but he's minister at Grangemouth. John is born St Ninians I think that is about 10 miles from Alloa? Fasti says he's second son to Thomas but I can't find a birth for him either!

Have a look at this link - It jumped out at me because of the birth place and mother's maiden name but could be totally irrelevant.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XT2T-25Y

1850 must have been a rough year for James, Henry dies, wife dies and he's left with a babe in arms and three young children to raise.  Have you found the baby James in 51 he does not appear to be with the family even though they appear to have quite a bit of help with his sister in law and two servants.

Happy digging
Jen

PS Does James's death certificate confirm his parents as listed in the Fasti?
North East Scotland above the Tay...
JOLLY, Johnston,Thom, Rae, Davidson, Fielding, Sherret
FEARN, McKenzie, Stirling [brick wall], Robb, Wilson, Stott
RUSSELL, Fullerton, Christie, Cochrane, Davidson, Coutts, Easton, Scott
FRASER, Henderson, Noble, Mundie, Goodall, Thain, Neish, Moir

Offline kirstyc

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Re: John Cochrane and Catherine Anderson in Alloa, c1800
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 20 September 14 13:31 BST (UK) »
Hi Jen
Thanks very much for your reply and suggestions.

Firstly, the names of his parents are confirmed on James' dc in 1877 as John Cochrane, army officer (deceased) and Catherine Anderson deceased. He died aged 71 on 21st May 1877, which puts his date of birth at late May - end Dec 1805.

>>1841 'a' James Cochrane 'Minister of the gospel' age 35 living Edinburgh - birth place listed as >>unknown - he's with a Margaret Cochrane age 60. Is he your James?
At 2 Scotland Street? Yes, that's him - that's the address given on the banns when he and Jane married in October that year.  But who is Margaret Cochrane (60) and Isabella Cochrane (20). Maybe step mother and half sister? Aunt and cousin? There are no other Isabellas in the family.

>>1841 a John and Katherine Cochrane living Perth East Church-Landward
I've not seen these records. What are the names of the family members? Does Fasti say anything about his children? 

>>Have a look at this link - It jumped out at me because of the birth place and mother's maiden >>name but could be totally irrelevant.
Interesting. I'm not sure it's them but it could well be relatives.

>>1850 must have been a rough year for James, Henry dies, wife dies and he's left with a babe in arms and three young children to raise.  Have you found the baby James in 51 he does not appear to be with the family even though they appear to have quite a bit of help with his sister in law and two servants.

>>A very tough year. Thankfully, baby James is safely with his grandparents and aunt in Canonbie in 51. He does well and ends up working in the Bengal Civil Service but sadly dies there at the age of 23.  So James Cochrane outlives 3 of his 5 children :(

It is a puzzle. James Sr remains very closely connected with his wife's family throughout his life but there never seems to be any sign of his own relatives, so either they weren't close, lived abroad or were all dead.

Kirsty
Bell, Church, Little, Calvert - Canonbie, Langholm - Dumfries-shire; Roxburgh-shire
MacDonald - glencoe
Cochrane, Anderson - Haddingtonshire, Fife, Clacks
Brodie - East Lothian
McDonald, Hamilton, Finlay, Morn - Paisley
Smart, Robertson - Kirkcaldy & Dysar, Fife; Dundee
Chesters, Allen, Pennington - Cheshire & North Wales
Christer - Cumberland, Northumberland, Cumbria, N Lincs
Altorfer, Haller, Feller - Switzerland

Offline kirstyc

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Re: John Cochrane and Catherine Anderson in Alloa, c1800
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 20 September 14 16:22 BST (UK) »
Sorry - my mistake, he's in Duncan Street in 1841 census but it's still in St Marys.
Bell, Church, Little, Calvert - Canonbie, Langholm - Dumfries-shire; Roxburgh-shire
MacDonald - glencoe
Cochrane, Anderson - Haddingtonshire, Fife, Clacks
Brodie - East Lothian
McDonald, Hamilton, Finlay, Morn - Paisley
Smart, Robertson - Kirkcaldy & Dysar, Fife; Dundee
Chesters, Allen, Pennington - Cheshire & North Wales
Christer - Cumberland, Northumberland, Cumbria, N Lincs
Altorfer, Haller, Feller - Switzerland


Offline jennywren001

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Re: John Cochrane and Catherine Anderson in Alloa, c1800
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 20 September 14 17:25 BST (UK) »
Hi Kirsty,

I think it was me being unclear - the John and Katherine living Perth are an older couple - they have two young men with them both weavers a David 20 and a John 15.  I think I've been chasing ghosts in that parish before maybe that's why they jumped out at me. Perhaps best forgotten.

The other John born 1805 (according to the Fasti) is with his wife Mary (Harvey) and six children on the 51 census.  The Fasti only mentions her not the children which is a bit odd. It looks like another child is born in 1853.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XT2W-C19
I wonder why he's living Bothkennar when he's minister of Grangemouth?

Sorry, this does not help you find the parents of your James. Have you looked on the 51 census at all the Cochranes born Alloa a somewhat interesting group of four...

The Church family obviously had a good sense of humour naming one of their daughters Christian!

Jen
PS If he's in Duncan Street who's at 2 Scotland Street?


North East Scotland above the Tay...
JOLLY, Johnston,Thom, Rae, Davidson, Fielding, Sherret
FEARN, McKenzie, Stirling [brick wall], Robb, Wilson, Stott
RUSSELL, Fullerton, Christie, Cochrane, Davidson, Coutts, Easton, Scott
FRASER, Henderson, Noble, Mundie, Goodall, Thain, Neish, Moir

Offline kirstyc

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Re: John Cochrane and Catherine Anderson in Alloa, c1800
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 30 September 14 13:51 BST (UK) »

PS If he's in Duncan Street who's at 2 Scotland Street?
I don't know, just me getting muddled.

I don't think the Perth couple are our guys. As for Christian Church, there were quite a few of them in the family; it's very confusing!  :o

Are there any Alloa-born Cochranes in the '51 census? I haven't been able to find that out.
Bell, Church, Little, Calvert - Canonbie, Langholm - Dumfries-shire; Roxburgh-shire
MacDonald - glencoe
Cochrane, Anderson - Haddingtonshire, Fife, Clacks
Brodie - East Lothian
McDonald, Hamilton, Finlay, Morn - Paisley
Smart, Robertson - Kirkcaldy & Dysar, Fife; Dundee
Chesters, Allen, Pennington - Cheshire & North Wales
Christer - Cumberland, Northumberland, Cumbria, N Lincs
Altorfer, Haller, Feller - Switzerland

Offline jennywren001

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Re: John Cochrane and Catherine Anderson in Alloa, c1800
« Reply #6 on: Monday 13 October 14 18:22 BST (UK) »
Hi Kirstyc,

Have you read anything by James or much about him?  For instance, the chapter on him in the 'Fife Pulpit'?
http://dbooks.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/books/PDFs/591023412.pdf

This chap appears full on contradictions. He didn't go out at the Disruption (unlike John Cochrane minister of Grangemouth (next to Bothkenna!) but could almost have started another one with his antics about alterations to the manse without consent of the hereditors!

Maybe there is a clue to his past in his writings?  He seems to have fallen out with a good many people maybe his family included?   

Been up and down Duncan Street but I can find no James Cochran(e)...only the man at 2 Scotland Street.

Jen

PS I used Freecen to look for Cochranes born in Alloa - incomplete coverage I know (understatement).
North East Scotland above the Tay...
JOLLY, Johnston,Thom, Rae, Davidson, Fielding, Sherret
FEARN, McKenzie, Stirling [brick wall], Robb, Wilson, Stott
RUSSELL, Fullerton, Christie, Cochrane, Davidson, Coutts, Easton, Scott
FRASER, Henderson, Noble, Mundie, Goodall, Thain, Neish, Moir

Offline kirstyc

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Re: John Cochrane and Catherine Anderson in Alloa, c1800
« Reply #7 on: Monday 13 October 14 22:06 BST (UK) »
Hi Jen
Wow I hadn't read that chapter in Fife Pulpit! He certainly does sound like a character!
Thanks so much for sending me this this link - it really does paint a picture! I knew he had published a few books of sermons but hadn't seen anything about him as a person, so I don't know anything about his fallings out. I did see something tiny in a newspaper archive a few years back about him using funds for something he wasn't supposed to. The text was too unclear to read and I've never managed to find it again since, so I'd love to know where you got your info.

best wishes
Kirsty
p.s. I tried Scotland's People for Alloa birth and marriage records but couldn't find anything.
Bell, Church, Little, Calvert - Canonbie, Langholm - Dumfries-shire; Roxburgh-shire
MacDonald - glencoe
Cochrane, Anderson - Haddingtonshire, Fife, Clacks
Brodie - East Lothian
McDonald, Hamilton, Finlay, Morn - Paisley
Smart, Robertson - Kirkcaldy & Dysar, Fife; Dundee
Chesters, Allen, Pennington - Cheshire & North Wales
Christer - Cumberland, Northumberland, Cumbria, N Lincs
Altorfer, Haller, Feller - Switzerland

Offline jennywren001

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Re: John Cochrane and Catherine Anderson in Alloa, c1800
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 14 October 14 08:34 BST (UK) »
Hi Kirstyc,

Do you know what he died of? Apparently, whatever he died of had caused him trouble in the past.
 
Next time they have an offer (you just missed £1 for a month) you might want to sign up to:
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/
Plenty there of interest regarding his career.
Jen
North East Scotland above the Tay...
JOLLY, Johnston,Thom, Rae, Davidson, Fielding, Sherret
FEARN, McKenzie, Stirling [brick wall], Robb, Wilson, Stott
RUSSELL, Fullerton, Christie, Cochrane, Davidson, Coutts, Easton, Scott
FRASER, Henderson, Noble, Mundie, Goodall, Thain, Neish, Moir