A Dilemma - McKenzie

[macken_h]

Hi,
I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction.
I have the Depot Description list for Donald McKenzie born approximately 1797 in the Parish of Kincardine, Rosshire. I have been unable to find any further information as to his parents. He married in India in 1830 and the marriage certificate does not give any details. His death in 1867 gives no further details either.
However, on the death of his son Donald in 1872 there is an IOR reference which states that his native village is Nigg, Scotland. Donald (Jnr) was born in India along with his siblings.
The parish records for Kincardine do not cover the period between 1897 and 1804.
Nigg has missing records as well.
I would like to find the parents of Donald Snr so I can move forward.
This may be a brick wall that might never be breached.
Any suggestions? I'll attach the references.
Gratefully,
Hilary

[macken_h]

Here's the Depot Description List. The one at the bottom with the "X" in the far right column.

[Rena]

Do the records give all of the names of Donald senior's children?   Currently we only know that he had a son named Donald. I apologise if you've already thought of this:
 I've found that particularly when the younger generation left home they give a big clue & kept to the old naming pattern of 1st son and 2nd daughter named after the father's parents; 1st daughter and 2nd son named after mother's parents, 3rd son /3rd daughter named after the baby's father and mother.  4th son named after father's oldest brother, similarly 4th daughter named after mother's oldest sister.  Other children named after some benefactor. doctor, or family friend who did a good turn (or who might give the child a job when it grows up). 

You mention that some parish records are missing but you didn't state where you'd looked.  For instance, of 8 siblings born to my Lanarkshire ancestor only 6 baptism are on the familysearch.org website but scotlandspeople.gov.uk have 7 of them in their digital records.

[Skoosh]

Hilary & Rena,  the Tain Museum site might be worth a post. Some Nigg stuff.

http://www.fearnpeninsula.org.uk/niggpdf02.pdf

I have Fearn MacKenzies myself but nothing as exotic as India....Cuba though!

Skoosh.

[Rena]

Hilary & Rena,  the Tain Museum site might be worth a post. Some Nigg stuff.

http://www.fearnpeninsula.org.uk/niggpdf02.pdf

I have Fearn MacKenzies myself but nothing as exotic as India....Cuba though!

Skoosh.

Glad you stopped by Skoosh - I did wonder about the parish & county when I saw Donald senior had signed on in Aberdeen which is only a mile away from Nigg in the county of Kincardineshire.   He had a bit of a trek to Aberdeen from Nigg, Kincardine in Ross-shire/Ross & Cromarty.  I did look at freecen for early census and was surprised to find a M'kenzie in his 80s! 

Actually I'm a right one to talk as I still haven't pinned down which of 3 parents belong to my Donald M(a)ckenzie born in Urray circa 1776-7.  They should be Alexander and Jean but that couple have been claimed as belonging to the higher echelons.  What looks to have happened is that somebody at a later date (in different ink & probably years afterwards) has added another entry of a birth of a William to an Alexander & Jean.

[macken_h]

Hi Rena & Skoosh,
Yes, I thought it strange that he was recruited from Aberdeen but says that he is from Kincardine, Ross.
Regarding his children. He had a total of 8 children, the first Eliza, then Donald Hessman (Maiden name of wife) Elizabeth Jane, Margaret, Isabella, Jane, Arthur William and Alexander Henry.
When he died his will gave everything to his wife and to his daughter Margaret and her husband. No other children are mentioned although most are still alive.
I looked at the Parish registers for Kincardine, R & C which says that there are no records between 1796 and 1804. I haven't had a thorough look at Nigg. Also there seems to be more than one Nigg.
According to FIBIS there is only the Depot Description list for Donald Snr. No attestation papers.
Your thoughts will be gratefully received,
Hilary

[Rena]

Hi Rena & Skoosh,
Yes, I thought it strange that he was recruited from Aberdeen but says that he is from Kincardine, Ross.
Regarding his children. He had a total of 8 children, the first Eliza, then Donald Hessman (Maiden name of wife) Elizabeth Jane, Margaret, Isabella, Jane, Arthur William and Alexander Henry.
When he died his will gave everything to his wife and to his daughter Margaret and her husband. No other children are mentioned although most are still alive.
I looked at the Parish registers for Kincardine, R & C which says that there are no records between 1796 and 1804. I haven't had a thorough look at Nigg. Also there seems to be more than one Nigg.
According to FIBIS there is only the Depot Description list for Donald Snr. No attestation papers.
Your thoughts will be gratefully received,
Hilary

My only other thoughts are:

You didn't give any dates for the children and his wife's name escapes me; Donald senior married 1830 :-

(1) are you satisfied that Eliza was the first born child, in other words could another birth have been "sneaked" in between 1830 and Eliza's birth date? and
(2) are there any gaps in between the birth dates of the other children?
(3) We don't have any death dates, thus don't know if a child died.  Jane seems to be an important name, thus I suspect it could have been the name of a grandmother?   Also there is a thought that the names Isabel and Eliza/Elizabeth were interchangeable thus Isobella may (or may not) be a spare.   
(4) You've listed two quite popular 18th/19th century M'kenzie names in Alexander, Donald and to a lesser degree William and Henry.
(4) "Hessman" sounds German and when researching German baptism records you'll find that their given name was written after the names of "sponsors"/"god parents" (the latter could be relatives or people of note in the area), thus Elizabeth Hessman would be recorded as (for example) Anna Sophia Elizabeth Hessman.

[macken_h]

Hi Rena,
I have rechecked all my sources etc.
The DOB for the children are as follows:
Henry b. Jan 1831 d. Dec 1833 (Just found this one now!)
Eliza b. May 1832
Donald Hessman b. Jan 1834
Elizabeth Jane b. Jul 1836
Margaret b. Nov 1838
Isabella b. Nov 1840 d. May 1842
Jane b. Jan 1843
Arthur William b. Jun 1845
Alexander Henry b. Oct 1850
I have noticed that there is a 5 year gap between Arthur W. and Alexander H but have not found any other children.
Jane Frances Hessman's father was Henry Hessman born in Dinapore in 1777. Her mother was Isabella Glencairn Hawkins born Lymington England
I haven't been able to find Henry Hessman's parents as yet.
The names of Donald & Jane's children do not seem to have any additions or were interchangeable. The names are the same for their marriages and deaths.
Other than Henry & Isabella who died in infancy the other children died in later life. Jane died of typhoid aged 17.
Regards,
Hilary