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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: FRUITSNUTS on Friday 14 January 11 02:07 GMT (UK)
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Have been trying to find link to James McDonald who immigrated to Canada around 1830 from Aberlour Scotland. His children are named (in order of birth) Elizabeth, Margaret, James, Mary, Isabella, Peter, Catherine and Anne Jane. Does the way he named his children indicate the name of his parents? His wife was named Catherine and her mother's name was Elizabeth. I did find an O.P.R. that might fit - James born to James McDonald and Margaret McKerron alias Grant. (whatever "alias" means?).
Would appreciate any help!
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Under standard naming tradition I would expect that his parents were named James and Margaret and her's were Elizabeth and Peter.
The alias just means that she has been known by both surnames. Possibly one she was born with and the second belonging to a stepfather.
Christine
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Someone sent me this which might be of assistance - doesn't always hold true but better than nothing!! It has been both helpful in some cases and confusing in others for me.
The main thing I have to keep remembering is that the person I am seeking may not be the eldest in the family - if they are not then you may go off looking for a George when George's older brother was a David, or Thomas or . . . - you get the picture. but if you have all the children listed then this might unravel a few things
Wiggy :)
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Thank you both so much for your reply. One other question - when I look for a birth record for Margaret do I look for Margaret Grant or Margaret McKerron? I have attached the O.P.R. (I hope). It is a bit hard to read and I don't recognize the towns listed. Any suggestions?
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Don't know the answer to which name, but I'd say start with Grant as that is what she is listed as in James record - then when you can't find her, try the other name - interesting that the witness is James McKerron Grant.
Wiggy :)
Edit to add; I don't know Scottish Geography well so might be leading you astray but I see Aberlour is in Moray and there is a 'Ruthven' ?? in Highlands which isn't toooo far away from Aberlour. Can't pick up the other names but last one might start with Knock.... The middle place looks like Rinnschat - but I can't find anything even close to that!!!! :-\
Sorry not much help there. :(
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Thank you again! I didn't recognize the first letter in "knock", but now that you mention it, I found Knockside which is just a few miles north of Aberlour town. Not sure how that will help me, but every bit of information can always lead somewhere. The name McKerron keeps popping up so must investigate that some more.
Thank you again :)
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The baptism of your James may not have been recorded, especially with such a common name.
Did James marry in Canada?
When did he die and at what age?
Does his death record mention parents names?
Do any of his children have middle names that could give clues to his parentage?
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Isn't that James record - #3 post?? :-\ :-\
It's Margaret you are looking for isn't it?? :-\ I'm confused now!
Wiggy :)
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To avoid duplication
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,506935.new/boardseen.html#new
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sorry Sancti - see I was getting confused! It is easily done!!
Wiggy :)
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The middle place looks like Rinnschat - but I can't find anything even close to that!!!! :-
It's Rinnachat, and the last one is Hillockhead. Farms, I think.
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Hillockhead ??? But . . . . There're no long letters in the middle of the word, and there seems to be a dotted 'i' towards the end. Could be just the writing!!
However from 18,000kms it is difficult to tell!!!! ;) ;D ;D You are much closer Isobel with more knowledge of the local area. ;)
Wiggy :)
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http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2175901
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http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/246894
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Well - that's pretty conclusive then!!! ;D ;D ;D
I gather those are current photos - were the farms there way back when?? probably were!! Many things don't change much in the country. :D (Badly written words though! - in my defence! :-\)
Been putting those names into the old map I am looking at and it keeps telling me there isn't such a place - I'm not going to believe it any more!! I've seen proof! ;) ;)
Wiggy
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Hillockhead is right at the bottom of this map
http://maps.nls.uk/os/view/?sid=74490617
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Thanks Sancti - Found it at last - long way from where I was looking!!
- like my Knockside better, 'cos I've found it and it is much closer to Aberlour!!
However I'm not going to argue with locals - not from this distance!! :D :D
Cheers, ;)
Wiggy :)
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This is great - I have really learned a lot about the area thanks to you all.
Sancti - I do realize that my James birth may not have been recorded, but I still look. He married in Canada in 1835, his death record does not give parent's names, and I don't know middle names of children.
I am working with 4 OPRs to shead some light on my James.
#1 - James McDonald of Ruthrie married Margaret McKerron alias Grant in 1806 recorded in Aberlour. #2 - They had a son James baptised 1811 (Aberlour).
#3 - John McDonald of Macallan married Jean McKerron alias Grant of Knockside in 1808. #4 - They had a son James baptised 1809.
Both sons birth years would work for me. I tend to favor the James & Margaret as my James named his first son James and his 2nd daughter Margaret.
What I find really interesting is that a witness on both baptism records is James McKerron of Knockside. So in my fanicful brain I have decided that the fathers - James and John - are brothers who married sisters - Margaret & Jane McKerron (alias Grant). That would be really fun. Someone told me that these place names are not necissarily towns but names of a "cluster of homes or farms". Maybe they are close together and they all know eachother. My big problem in deciding if either of these James are my family is that I know "MY James" was a carpenter, there isn't an occupation for the father James, but the father John was a black smith.
My brain hurts.
:-\
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Well I don't think families marrying like that is so very unusual really i.e. brothers marrying sisters or whatever combination you like to make - we have several examples in our family of the same thing. Might be something to do with not actually moving very far from home if they were rural families, and not having a huge range of people to choose from! The next generation cold be in trouble though couldn't they!! ;) Too many cousins hanging around! ::)
One of mine is rather good - one son of family A married the daughter of family B - then when she died, he married the second daughter of B - meantime, daughter of A had married son of B - and yes - it gets tricky working them all out!! Your head is allowed to hurt!!! :D
Happy days!
Wiggy :)
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Hillockhead ??? But . . . . There're no long letters in the middle of the word, and there seems to be a dotted 'i' towards the end. Could be just the writing!!
However from 18,000kms it is difficult to tell!!!! ;) ;D ;D You are much closer Isobel with more knowledge of the local area. ;)
Wiggy :)
I think we may be looking at different words! Knockside at the end of entry no.1 and Hillockhead at the end of entry no.2.
Isabel
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Thanks Isobel - you are quite correct - I hadn't even gone down to the second entry!! thought one of us was going bananas - but we are both sane!!! ;D ;D
Wiggy :)
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http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2175901
Sorry, but this won't be the right Hillockhead. There are umpteen Hillockheads in different parishes all over Scotland.
If a place name is mentioned in a parish register it is customary to state which parish it is in, especially if it is far enough away not to be immediately familiar to the locals. The Hillockhead in that image is a very long way away from Aberlour in 1815 terms - not far short of 70 miles by road, and that includes crossing the Kessock Bridge, which wasn't there in those days.
There was a Hillockhead in the parish of Rothes, just across the river from Aberlour. It is named on the Victorian six-inch Ordnance Survey map, which you can access in the online map collection at www.nls.uk or at www.old-maps.co.uk. It is still shown as a ruin, but unnamed, on the current Ordnance Survey Explorer maps at grid reference NJ280468. I have a long-standing promise to go and photograph it for Geograph on behalf of someone whose ancestors lived there.
There are photographs of at least 10 other Hillockheads on the Geograph web site, and of course there is always the possibility that there was yet another Hillockhead in the parish of Aberlour itself of which all trace has long since vanished.
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Hillockhead is right at the bottom of this map
http://maps.nls.uk/os/view/?sid=74490617
Again, wrong Hillockhead. See my other post.
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I don't know Scottish Geography well so might be leading you astray but I see Aberlour is in Moray and there is a 'Ruthven' ?? in Highlands which isn't toooo far away from Aberlour.
It's not Ruthven (there are several Ruthvens in Scotland, by the way) but Ruthrie. Ruthrie is about a mile or so south-west of the village of (Charlestown of) Aberlour at National Grid reference NJ263415, just beside Glenallachie Distillery. The Linn of Ruthrie is the waterfall on the Burn of Aberlour - see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6921
Of course Charlestown of Aberlour, which was founded in 1812, didn't exist either when that baptism took place.
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Knockside farm is in Aberlour and were the McKerrons lived . My Grandfather James McKerron was born there his parents were David wight MCKERRON and Jessie TOLMIE
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My name is Robert Craig McKerron from Ontario Canada. I can trace my family tree to a James McKerron born 1804 Knockside Farm Banff who married an Ann Cumming b 1810 in Charleston, Banff.
I have been and stayed at Knockside Farm. I am trying to trace the ownership of Knockside Farm. The earliest record I have for the McKerrons is in 1791 when Ann Mckerron was born at Knockside to James McErron & Margaret Clark. The McKerrons lived at Knockside continuously until the death of one James McKerron 12 MAR 1952. The Farm afterward went derelict But was later rebuilt.
Before the McKerrons the Garrow family was associated with Knockside. The first record I have found for the Garrows at Knockside was in 1734 when Robert Garrow was born to William Garrow & Elspet Donaldson.
I am attempting to document all of the residents of Knockside and when it was built and by who. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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James MacKerron is still registered as the tenant of Knockside Farm in 1855 VR's
Owner is James William Grant
It is recorded as part of the Estate of Allachy
James MacKerron is tenant in 1865 and it is registered as Estate of Carron
James MacKerron tenant in 1875
Peter MacKerron is tenant in 1885
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Thanks for the info. The current owner is my cousin David McKerron.