Author Topic: Agnes Robertson McKellar nee McMillan b1883 missing from 1911 Census Greenock  (Read 6805 times)

Offline Czaplowski

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Re: Agnes Robertson McKellar nee McMillan b1883 missing from 1911 Census Greenock
« Reply #18 on: Saturday 02 April 16 06:17 BST (UK) »
Hi. I have been reading this post with interest. I have second cousins (in Canada) who are descendants of Agnes Robertson McMillan, and so I have been filling out their part of my tree on Ancestry.com.  I would like to add something to the discussion of Alexander McKellar.  He is easily found in the 1901 Scotland census, with his parents John and Jane at 18 Wellington Street.  But I note that in 1891 he is listed as Alexander McGillivray, with same parents and siblings.  This suggests that he was adopted, or that the McKellars were not his biological parents.  The fact that he is the youngest child virtually rules out the possibility of him being a child of Jane's, but to a different father, pre marriage to John.  I further note that there are no later records of an Alex McGillivray that match, suggesting that subsequently he went by the McKellar name.  I wonder if you were aware of this? Regards, Philip. [Dr Philip Czaplowski, Melbourne, Australia].

Offline olduser1

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Re: Agnes Robertson McKellar nee McMillan b1883 missing from 1911 Census Greenock
« Reply #19 on: Saturday 02 April 16 09:16 BST (UK) »
Hello, You are correct the Mckellar family did adopt Alexander, as to his DOD that remains a mystery having been up to Greenock to research WW1 casualties - there was a A. Mckellar but it turned out to be another seaman much older than Alexander but living in the same street.
We have been in touch on Ancestry about the family connection.

Offline Czaplowski

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Re: Agnes Robertson McKellar nee McMillan b1883 missing from 1911 Census Greenock
« Reply #20 on: Saturday 02 April 16 09:35 BST (UK) »
I wonder, if he did in fact serve and die during WWI, whether he was recorded as McGillivray?

Offline olduser1

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Re: Agnes Robertson McKellar nee McMillan b1883 missing from 1911 Census Greenock
« Reply #21 on: Saturday 02 April 16 09:41 BST (UK) »
FindMyPast has 28 McGillivray, recorded under WW1, good luck hunting this entry down.


Offline Czaplowski

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Re: Agnes Robertson McKellar nee McMillan b1883 missing from 1911 Census Greenock
« Reply #22 on: Saturday 02 April 16 09:43 BST (UK) »
Always up for a challenge! :-)

Offline Kaybe

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Re: Agnes Robertson McKellar nee McMillan b1883 missing from 1911 Census Greenock
« Reply #23 on: Tuesday 25 May 21 21:55 BST (UK) »
Hi
Agnes Robertson Mc Millan was my Grandmother.  My Great Grandfather was William Mc Millan.  I see both are being searched for on this site.  Agnes was married to Alexander, whose death I have recently found in Commonwealth War  Graves.  He died at Le Havre on 8 September 1917 and there is a head stone in the Ste Marie cemetary in Le Havre, France.  He was Master of the SS King Edward.  I am waiting until the National Archives at Kew reopens to get the ships log and see how he died, if recorded.

Agnes R Mc Millan and he had a blazing row before his last known voyage and before his second daughter, Margaret (who went onto great things) was born in 1910.  He left, never to return and Agnes had to leave her children with relatives and go to Liverpool to find work and support the family.  My mother was told he was lost at sea - however - his grave record and probate shows that he was living with a Sarah Carmichael, (known as McKellar) at Greenock, and she put the inscription on his grave and was also awarded his estate (£703) worth about £50K as of 2021, rather than his legal wife. 

I remember the Bygrave relatives - we used to visit them in Liverpool from time to time.  There was a great mystery about this, which was only revealed later, after grandmother's death. 

I have only recently started to research my Mother's side of the family - I'm looking forward to the 1921 census being released, as it may answer some questions. KB

Offline Kaybe

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Re: Agnes Robertson McKellar nee McMillan b1883 missing from 1911 Census Greenock
« Reply #24 on: Monday 24 January 22 16:06 GMT (UK) »
I'm now uncertain if this was the older Alexander McKellar (shown above?) who is in the war grave -need to try to get ship's log, if possible.

Offline seaweed

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Re: Agnes Robertson McKellar nee McMillan b1883 missing from 1911 Census Greenock
« Reply #25 on: Monday 24 January 22 23:53 GMT (UK) »
I'm now uncertain if this was the older Alexander McKellar (shown above?) who is in the war grave -need to try to get ship's log, if possible.


 FindMyPast should have basic details of how he met his demise. Taken from the Deaths at Sea register.
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/british-armed-forces-and-overseas-deaths-and-burials
There were nine British and Empire ships around in 1917 with the name KING EDWARD. So if you do visit Kew you need to find the correct one.
I suspect it was the Glasgow registered KING EDWARD official number 113963 but I could be wrong.
https://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/viewimages?year=1915&name=KING+EDWARD&steamsail=Steam&year=1917+&submit=enter
The DAS register should tell you the official number of the ship he died on.
The ships Logbook should tell you in detail the cause of his demise. The ships Crew Agreement should tell you personal details, such as his last address, NOK etc. Which should prove wether or not it is the person you seek.
Search TNA catalogue via Official number.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?name=Search&_cr1=BT%2099/3328&_aq=113963

SW
Dim ateb yn well nag ateb anghywir. Nid oes dim yn ddall fel rhai nad ydynt yn dymuno gweld

RIP Roger 10 August 2022

Offline Kaybe

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Re: Agnes Robertson McKellar nee McMillan b1883 missing from 1911 Census Greenock
« Reply #26 on: Tuesday 25 January 22 12:42 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for this.  I have pursued quite a lot of these, but am getting two impressions - one, that he was taken off the ship and died (perhaps in the large military hospital) at Le Havre.  Second was that this Alexander McKellar was older than my grandfather, according to ship's members lists - my husband, who is an ex-mariner, doesn't believe he was experienced/qualified enough to captain a ship such as the King Edward - but it was wartime and strange things happened.  Both men (if there are two) had strong Greenock connections.  I had got down to believing that I needed to look at the ship's log for the period, but this was last year, when things were locked down at Kew and I decided to wait for the 1921 census and some return to normality before continuing.  I posted because I noticed that his death was being copied to other family trees and I wanted them to be aware that it may be incorrect. 

KB