John McLeod - where did you go?

[Jang]

I'm looking for a John McLeod between 1826 and 1851, probably in Ross and Cromarty. Can anyone help?

What I know:
John McLeod married Margaret McGregor on 16 January 1809 in Kinardine, Ross and Cromarty. He was of the parish of Creich and Margaret of Kincardine.

They had at least 8 children baptised Kincardine: Isabella 1809, Donald 1811, George 1817, Helen 1819, Hugh ca 1821, John 1822, Alexander 1823 and Margaret 1827.

In 1841 Margaret, 40, crofter's mother, was living with her son, George, 20, crofter, and daughter, Margaret, 15, in Hill of Ardgay.

In 1851 Margaret was a widow, aged 60, crofter of 1 1/2 acres, living with her son George, unmarried 30, gamekeeper, and granddaughter Margaret, 10, on Ardgay Hill.

Margaret died in 1862 in Ardgay.

I can't find baptisms for either John or Margaret. According to her death certificate, she was born about 1786, the daughter of Hugh McGregor/Grigor, tenant farmer, and Margaret Rose. The informant was her son, John.

John is a complete mystery. It's possible that he died before 1841, if Margaret was living with her son then. I've looked for burials on SP but the name is too common in the area.

Any leads gratefully accepted :-)

Jan

[whiteout7]

On SP it doesn't look good for his death in Ross ad Cromarty? Perhaps he died in Sutherland?

[ColC]

The Parish registers on SP, as noted below, means that the birth record for Margaret or death of John is unlikely to be there,
Kincardine – Births 1804 – 1854  & Marriages 1804 – 1860 Deaths none

If John was born in Creich, Sutherland the records there are Births 1785 – 1854, marriages 1809 – 1855 no deaths. However the earliest McLeod birth record is 1812.

If John was born elsewhere in the county there are a couple of possibilities but some distance from Creich such as Dunrness,  Golspie & Clyne.

Colin

[Gadget]

Only a small % of burial records are recorded.

It might be best to see if the Kirk Session records of the parish are easily available (can be accessed from the large centres in Scotand). These might show burial or  mortcloth info.


Gadget

[Jang]

Thanks to all for the feedback. I suspected that the baptism and burial records might not exist.

I didn't think of mortcloth records. I did think of Kirk Session records when researching their daughter, Isabella, who was born "in antenuptial fornication to John Macleod and Margaret Macgrigor in Teaninver (Tain, Inver?) on 24 April 1809" but couldn't find out where or if they existed.

[Gadget]

Looks as if the Kirk Sessions records aren't available for that far back for Kincardine:

Established Church—Kirk Session Records

The Kirk session was the court of the parish. The session was made up of the minister and the land owners and business men of the parish, chosen to serve on the session. The Kirk session dealt with moral issues, minor criminal cases, matters of the poor and education, matters of discipline, and the general concerns of the parish. Kirk session records may also mention births, marriages, and deaths.

Here is a list of the surviving Kirk session records for this parish:

Minutes 1804–1819, 1825, 1830, 1851
Minutes and Accounts 1845–1855
Heritors Minute’s 1844–1854
Other post-1855 records
Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1356.

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Kincardine,_Ross_and_Cromarty,_Scotland

[Jang]

Thanks, Gadget, no joy for this couple but a useful reference for me. :-)

IJan

[Forfarian]

in Teaninver (Tain, Inver?)

Unlikely if the baptism was in Kincardine, because Tain and Kincardine are separate parishes and therefore mutually exclusive.

[Skoosh]

Teaninver,  Taigh an Inbhir, the house at the river/burn mouth.

Skoosh.