Thomas Russell and Jessie Hughes, and son * Russell, Fife to Australia

[broofer]

Jessie was my mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's daughter's daughter's daughter
Is this some sort of record. I apologise for being male, and having no sisters.
But I do have 2 daughters and 5 grand-daughters, maybe I'm some sort of missing link.

I note that the Pittenweem skiff is called the Fisherlass, I'll be looking out for it if it comes up to Portsoy this year.

[hdw]

A Cellardyke skipper called Rob Stewart had a motor-boat called "Fisher Lassie" and my grandfather Watson sailed with him for many years. My grandfather was related to Rob's wife Agnes Watson and my granny was related to Rob himself.

Rob's son John Stewart married a Pittenweem woman called Black, and their son Ian Stewart was a rock musician on keyboards who along with his friend Brian Jones was a founder-member of the Rolling Stones.

Harry

[broofer]

"Ah, it's yourself. I didn't realise who was hiding behind that pseudonym
Harry"

Aha, it's not myself. I'm his brother.
I have just realised - you were thinking that you were replying to my brother, who despite living a long way away is much more versed in genealogy than I am. Sorry, it wasn't intentional

And just to prove it, there I am in the first wooden coble to be built for over 40 years ( but we are amateurs compared with our big brothers at Anster ).

[hdw]

Another type of relationship to add to 4th cousin once removed, etc. - "myself's brother"!

Harry

[broofer]

More important is Pittenweem's new skiff, named "Fisherlass" after the painting of Jessie Hughes by John McGhie, now hanging in Anstruther museum, who married Thomas Russell, and after his death emigrated to Australia

[michele robinson]

I have lots of information as I am the granddaughter of Thomas Russell and Jessie Hughes.  Their son, my father Charles Stiven Russell emigrated to Australia and took up residence with Jessie's brother-in-law James Reekie.  James Reekie was married to Elizabeth (Lizzie) Hughes who lost her life in the great flu epidemic.  Charles married Lorna Russell and they had three children, Colin (dec), Michele (me) and Stiven.  Colin had two sons Mark and Matthew.  Michele had two children, Jessie and James and Stiven had two children, Delina and Telita.  Jessie has one son Blake. James has two sons Ashton and Aaron and Delina has a son Trey.

Charles has passed away but Lorna is still doing very well at the age of 93 and lives with Michele, Michele's husband Glenn, her granddaughter Jessie and great grandson Blake.

So many memories!

[hdw]

Hello, nice to "meet" you! I enjoyed my correspondence with your father, who always had interesting things to tell me.

Harry

[broofer]

Gosh, I had to write that lot down, but good to see how the family has spread down under. I do remember visiting Carl, Hetty and "aunt" Aggie each year when we visited Cellardyke.
I did have a quick think, and guess you are a very far-off relation from two different directions. 1. Russell and Hughes, and 2. Swinton Keay Muir and Birrell. Don't worry, this is quite common in Fife.
I'll have a proper go again at disentangling you all in the Winter. Believe it or not, we have Summer today.
Best wishes to the Aussie side, ( and to Harry, who knows more than the rest of us put together - Harry, if I see an intelligent-looking young man on Aug 3rd, I'll say hello. And if the harbour's not clear of seaweed, I'll ask great-aunt Annie to get on to the council - if she was still alive, that dead swan wouldn't have lasted long )

[hdw]

Peter, if you see an intelligent-looking young man in Cellardyke you're very welcome to say hello to him, but he won't be me as I have just turned 73 and I haven't been to Cellardyke for quite some time. I left in 1964 at the age of 18 to go away to university and haven't lived there permanently ever since. Until recently I had an unmarried sister in Cellardyke but she has now gone into a care home elsewhere in Fife so that's my last link with the town gone.

Michele, if you are reading this and feeling a bit baffled, Peter ("broofer") and I share Keay ancestors in Cellardyke and also Watsons and Horsburghs.

Harry