STEIL/STEEL Robert - baptism information query

[MissBea]

7th December 1778 was a Monday. 7th December 1781 was a Thursday, so it is most likely (as usual) that the baptism was at home. Cuminestown was not very large then (it still isn't) and the parish kirk and manse for Monquhitter and the parish school were there, meaning that the minister and schoolmaster (who was session clerk) were both at hand.

Hi
The Robert baptised in 1778 was on 7th November. It is this one that I am not sure of as the other two [Robert 1781 & Peter 1780 (my 5x great grandfather)] had James Lumsden as the witness. Do you know what this witness entails? Would it be a family member?
Many thanks

[GR2]

Witnesses could be family members, but are just as likely to be neighbours. What makes you think that James Lumsden might be a relative?

[MissBea]

I have Peter Steel born married to Margaret Morrison who are parents of Christina Steel (Cammiestown) who is my 4x G Gmother. So I looked for a birth for Peter and found the one in 1780 (Monquhitter) to William Steel, but no mother given, somewhere I had Anges Lumsden as the mother, but could not remember from where. Instead I looked for possible marriages for William Steel and found a marriage to a Agnes Lumsden in 1777 in Monquhitter. Then looking for a birth for Agnes found one in 1735 father James Lumsden, but that would mean that she was 42 when she got married and he (William) was 29! Then when I was looking at Peter's (their son) baptism info I saw that a James Lumsden was the witness and wondered if it was Agnes's father? Then I looked to see if I could find any other children and came up with the two Roberts.

I hope that make sense? It is hard to know what person to go with, but Peter and his wife Margaret have 8 children, George, James, Margaret, William, Christina, Mary, Peter and Anne.

James Lumsden - Agnes Lumsden - Peter Steel - Christina Steel
William Steel - Peter Steel - Christina Steel

Many thanks