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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Banffshire => Topic started by: nw_whiskers on Thursday 16 August 12 10:21 BST (UK)
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Alexander Ogilvie Stevenson and Barbara Stevenson lived just outside Banff in Scotland in the late 1800s with a large family. Four of their sons went to Mexico to seek their fortune in mining. One of them was called Alexander Stevenson. His Great Grandson Alexander Stevenson replied to me via the Helena Omond nee Stevenson post on this site so I am posting this new one so that we can communicate more easily.
Many thanks, nw_whiskers
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Hi nw_whiskers
Guess this is the post you are referring to www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,596985.msg4595956.html#msg4595956
What are you trying to do this with new post here on the Banff board so that we can all help best?
Monica
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Dear MonicaL, Alex Stevenson sent a reply via the Helena Omond nee Stevenson post that I thought that I had closed as I had several "super replies" that covered everything I needed to perfection. Alex Stevenson is probably living in Mexico, Helena was living in Canada and we are living in Scotland. The common history that we all share is in Banffshire all the way back to Marnoch and then Deskford at around 1714.
Alex Stevenson will probably come back with a host of questions and get a load of fairly complex replies as I have done a lot of research into this Stevenson family history. One clear thread on the subject makes a lot of sense.
The 1st thread I put up was on Robert Ogilvie Stevenson & Isabella Watt who were the Grandparents of Helena but it was to vague to get any feedback. My fault so it should be closed as I have indicated.
I hope that this makes sense to you as I want to respond correctly to Alex Stevenson with connections in Mexico.
Many thanks, nw_whiskers.
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I thought that this might be what you wanted to do and it makes a lot of sense :) However, Alex Stevenson won't know about your post here. Do you want to add a further post on your Canadian post www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,596985.0.html that Alex joined to direct him to this new post here www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,611048.0.html ?
Monica
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Dear MonicaL, I have added your advice to the end of the Helena nee. Stevenson Post so that Alex Stevenson knows that he can reply here. We wish to give him the feedback he wants on the early Stevenson family history.
Many thanks for your help, nw_whiskers.
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Dear nw_whiskers:
No problem! Thanks for replying! Honestly, I never thought that I would find any relatives in Scotland. It's been 11 years since my father asked me to look on the internet for some info about our family, and I'm very glad I found you! I believe you've met Fernando and his family right? I met him last year and he told me he met our relatives in Scotland, so I suppose they are the ones that visited you two years ago. You are right: I have a lot of questions. I have little information, and most of it I have found it talking with other relatives, like Fernando, or looking on internet databases. I don't know where to begin! I suppose you too want to know how many of us live here in Durango, what happened to Alexander Ogilvie and what do we know about other branches of our family here in Mexico. I can gladly help you with that. Right now I am at work, but when I get home I will drop you some lines about our family. Also, if possible, can you send me an e-mail address to send you some photos? Thanks and have a great day!
Best regards,
Alex
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Dear Alex, The easy point to start with is Alexander Ogilvie Stevenson born 1870 or his parents Alexander Ogilvie Stevenson b 1830 and his wife Barbara Stevenson nee Stevenson b 1845 or one more generation back to Robert Ogilvie Stevenson b 4 Feb 1778 and his wife Isabella Watt b 13 Oct 1787. The choice is up to yourself and what you are happy with. Yes, you are correct about Fernando. We had a very happy time with them. We will upset the site Moderator if we exchange e-mail addresses in an open forum but we can solve that at a later point. Most of the information/evidence you need is freely available but it is scattered about in different places so I will give you the pointers to where it is on the net. The Aberdeen & North East of Scotland Family History Society is certainly one of them. www.anesfhs.org.uk
Best wishes, nw_whiskers
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Hi nw w
I hope you post the highlights of your story here, however you can share email addresses using personal messaging. Simply select the green scroll under Alex's avatar to communicate in private.
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Dear nw_whiskers:
Finally I got home, so I can write a little more. First I want to ask if my Great Grandfather had more sisters and brothers. I have just the names I provided on the thread about Helena. If so, did they stay in Scotland or migrated to another countries? I will be very grateful for any info you can provide. And now, here comes the story about our family that I know. First I want to share with you what I know about Alexander Ogilvie and his brothers in Mexico, perhaps you know a little more that we can use to complete the story. About George and Norman I know nothing. I don`t know what happened to George, I mean, we are the only Stevenson living in Durango, so either he had no sons, or probably his family migrated from here after he passed away. About Edward, there is a kind of family legend around him. As you already know, Edward died very young in Real de Catorce. At that time, Real de Catorce was a booming, and very rich, mining town. The family story says that Edward got killed during a shootout at a bar. Fernando told me that he went to Real de Catorce looking for his grave, and he couldn't find it. Apparently, Norman took Edward to San Luis and buried him there. As far as I know, Alexander Ogilvie lived for a while in San Luis and El Paso. Living in San Luis makes sense to me, because of the booming mining industry at that time. Perhaps Alexander chose to move to another another place and Normand decided to stay.
Alexander lived two different eras in Mexico. When he and his brothers arrived, Mexico was under rule of a dictator, Porfirio Diaz. Diaz liked europeans so much that he tried to attract investment and labor force into Mexico, obviously gave them a lot of benefits. Mines were built, the railroad, industry... And all of that was possile with the intervention of europeans. I think Mexico looked to the outside world like a land of opportunities. So I have another question for you, how was Scotland at the end of the 19th century? Why did they choose to leave their country and come to Mexico? I think I have an idea why they chose to come here, but I dont have an idea of why they chose to leave. At this time, Alexander married Catalina Torrijos, my Great Grandmother. There is another family story about how they met. Supposedly they met at the main square. Back on those days, if you wanted to meet someone, you took a walk on the main square. Women walked one way, and the men came from the opposite, so they could look at each other. I know Alexander worked on an iron mine here in Durango. A few years ago someone showed me and old record from the municipal archive. It was a complain of a neighbor because Alexander used dynamite very close to his home and he felt the explosion. The complain came from someone living near "El cerro de Mercado", a hill full of iron with a mine that its still operational these days.
I don't know precisely how many sons and daughters had Alexander Ogilvie with Catalina. I have some names, Alejandro Ogilvie (b. 1910 - d. 1966, my Grandfather), Roberto Ogilvie (b. 1916 - d. 2012), Catalina, Alicia (d. 2006-2007) and Leonor. On further posts I will write a little bit about them.
My best,
Alex
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Dear nw_whiskers:
I exceded the character limits, so I had to split my post in two. Here is the rest of the story:
As I wrote before, Alexander lived two very different eras in Mexico. The second one was a very difficult and sad one. On 1910 the mexican revolution started, with the objective of throwing out President Diaz. From 1910 to 1929 Mexico was ravaged with civil war, and when you thought it was over, another one started. Hard times. There is another family story, which honestly I don't know if it's true, but according to it, during this time Alexander returned to Scotland with his family for a short time. I think this is possible, given he situation here in Mexico at that time, but perhaps you can shed some light on this.
According to another family story, a few years before my Great Grandfather died there was a little quarrel between him and my Grandfather. My Grandfather, Alejandro (Alexander in Spanish), was very passionate with a new technology of that time, the radio, and he intended to install some radio stations around the country, but in order to do this, according to the mexican law of that time, you had to be Mexican, born of Mexican fathers. From what I have heard, Alexander wanted Alejandro to take the Scottish citizenship, and Alejandro wanted his father to take the Mexican citizenship, in order to be able to get a radio frequency concession from the government. Finally, Alejandro convinced his father and became Mexican. That changed a lot of things for my family, my Grandfather became one of the pioneers of the radio industry in Mexico. I will get into that on further posts.
Alexander Ogilvie died on August 11th, 1936. According to his death certificate, he died from a peptic ulcer. Last year I went to the old cemetery and found his grave, my father didn't know where his grave was, so I started looking for it. He is buried next to his wife, Catalina, who passed away on 1980 or 1981 I believe.
It's a little late here, time to go to bed. If possible, I shall continue tomorrow and write about my Grandfather and his family. Thanks in advance for your time and quick replies, and if you want to know anything about us, please ask. If you could share some stories, it would be great! Have a nice Friday!
My best,
Alex
To RedMystic:
Thanks for your tip! That comes really handy!! :)
Best regards,
Alex
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Hi Alex
Bienvenido a las paginas escosesas de RootsChat :)
A little bit here available online on the children of Alexander and Barbara - www.rootschat.com/links/0q4a/ Further dates for births here www.rootschat.com/links/0q4b/
Also, as background, from the same link, http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=snjareid&id=I1200
You can click on the various links for further info to see what if anything is there.
Monica
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Dear All, MonicaL has given us a great link to a chart that mirrors what I use so we can fill in the blank spaces from our common knowledge. Alex has given us the death 11 Aug 1936 to fill out the first one on the left. The birth date & place look correct for Alex O Stevenson (II) and he was born at Careston Castle near Brechin in Angus (was Forfarshire at one time). His father Alexander Ogilvie Stevenson was born 29 Sept 1830 (IGI) at Auchanachie near Fordyce in Banffshire. He married Barbara Stevenson on 19 Jan 1865 at Smiddyboyne, Fordyce. They had 12 children between 1865 and 1891 most of them listed on the links given by MonicaL. He died 20 Jan 1916 at Blairshinnoch Farm which is just outside Banff. His wife Barbara was born 5 March 1845 at Smiddyboyne, Fordyce and she died 20 April 1914. The family grave stone is in the Banff Cemetary on the western outskirts of town near the school. It is close to the west wall and carries a great deal of family information including their sons who went to Mexico. Alexander Ogilvie Stevenson was VERY well liked and respected by all who knew him. I think that is plenty for you to absorb in one post. I will fill out the Robert Ogilvie Stevenson space in the next post. We will eventually extend the boundary to the right of the existing chart! Best wishes, nw_whiskers.
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Dear All, The place names in Banffshire, Scotland are going to come thick and fast so a map is going to be a big help if you are tracing the details of this posting. I use Ordnance Survey 1:50000 Banff & Huntly (Portsoy & Turriff) Number 29. It is on Ebay.co.uk for a few UK Pounds. Blairshinnoch farm is on the south side of the A98 overlooking Boyndie.
Take a look at the links that MonicaL has given us. The Family Chart by Sonja Reid is a great framework to work with and we will get to the Reid side in due time. It will get complicated as there are plenty of Stevensons and Reids for that matter so we will need to stay firmly focused on the "main events".
Many thanks, nw_whiskers.
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In the absence of a physical paper map for now, there are a number of map sites that will help enormously such as http://maps.nls.uk/os/6inch/banffshire.html
Alex, not sure how comfortable you are with mapping and locations for this part of Scotland, but if just starting out, a couple of good places to start to get familiar:
Map of Scottish counties - www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/
Maps of parishes within the County of Banffshire and nearby counties - www.scotlandsfamily.com/parish-map-aberdeen.htm
There is also geograph.org.uk which combines modern photos with modern mapping, a good springboard sometimes. See here www.geograph.org.uk/photo/153720 for map and photo of the Blairshinnoch farm you have just mentioned, nw_whiskers. Site is easy to navigate, just search in top right hand corner box, by key word, place name etc.
Monica
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Dear All, Monica has put up a link to the Farm at Blairshinnoch. The Farm Yard looks overgrown as it was in 2006 but the house has been restored since then so it is looking in great condition in this link. We are delighted to see it returned to its former glory. You can imagine Alex & Barbara Stevenson sitting between the two bay windows with the family in a semicircle having their photograph taken. It would be taken before his sons left for Mexico to seek their fortune. I will see if I can find a copy of it for you and you will see the parents without problem and spend some time putting names to the younger faces.
Best wishes, nw_whiskers
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Sounds like it will be a great photo, nw_whiskers :)
Monica
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Dear Monica, Yes, I have just found three pictures on my other computer. The main one has the two adults and 11 of their brood in it. Some of them are full grown adults by todays standards. The one called Barbara Reid Stevenson born in 1872 died 24 Feb 1874 is obviously missing but all the surviving members are in it to the best of our knowledge.
It is a fairly large digital file *.jpg but I will see if I can tidy it up a bit before thinking about upload it. Yes, I see that it will need to be under 500k so I have a target to meet.
Many thanks, nw_whiskers
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Dear All, The picture of what looks to be a very special day for Alex & Barbara Stevenson, two pictures outside Blairshinnoch Farm House and one from the Banff cemetary.
I hope that they bring you pride and joy in the same abundance that they give to us.
They are under 500k each but the system is NOT happy I will attach one at a time!
Best wishes, nw_whiskers
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Picture Number 2.
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Picture Number 3.
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The Picture of the full squad at Blairshinnoch.
Please enjoy the naming puzzle, nw_whiskers.
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nw_whiskers, wow, photos look great!
I have just reduced width of the photos down to under 850 so they don't stretch the page.
Look forward to seeing who is who! Hadn't realised until reading the MI how many of the Stevenson boys had headed off Mexico Way...Sad that so many of them died as relatively young men there.
Monica
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Dear All, Here is the overall chart of where we are in terms of Alexander Ogilvie Stevenson b 1830. It is fairly crowded due to all the references that we have on it but it is the best we have at this point in time.
The pictures will make more sense with the list of names down the left hand side of the chart.
Eliza Mary Stevenson is at the top left as she is our link into this family. It is a *.pdf file so you will have to double click on it for it to open.
Best wishes with the reading, nw_whiskers.
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Dear All, This is the MI for Robert Ogilvie Stevenson & the the slab on the flat beside it is William Stevenson or as known in the Old Parish Records by the various other spellings of Stevenson as listed in The Surnames of Scotland by Prof G F Black pages 746-747 in the copy I have.
Many thanks to Monica for her help and encouragement with these postings.
Best wishes, nw_whiskers.
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Dear All, I see that Robert came up beautifully even although it looks as if I was celebrating in excess before I took it. In fact the stone sits at an angle but enjoy the inscription and the view of the countryside around Marnoch. It really is the most peaceful of places you could imagine.
This is the MI for William Stevenson b ~ 1715.
His three surviving sons errected this one in his memory, the brothers and the sisters that did not make it past infancy. Janet Smith bore tham all but is sadly not even mentioned for reasons that we will never understand.
Sorry the camera work on this one is a bit short of my best but it was a cold, wet and windy 2012 February morning when I was taking it and the camera battery was like myself exausted.
Best wishes, Nw_whiskers.
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Monica:
Muchas gracias por la bienvenida y por toda la ayuda que nos has brindado! (Many thanks for the welcoming and all the help you have given us!)
Finally, the weekend arrived and I should have more time to read and check the links you posted. I'm not familiar with Scotland geography, I visited Edinburgh a couple of times, and that's it. I will take a look to the links you provided, so I can catch up with both of you. ;) Have a great weekend!!
Many thanks,
Alex
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nw_whiskers:
I'm amazed with the quantity of info you have. I loved the photographs!! And you are right, Marnoch countryside looks beautiful and peaceful. It looks so different to what we see here in Durango. I'll read thoroughly all of your recent posts and I will try to put all the pieces together. If I understood correctly, Eliza Mary is the link between our families? Please correct me if I'm wrong. By the way, I have an aunt named Elma and I believe that name comes from ELiza MAry.
On Sunday I will take a little walk on the cemetery and downtown. I will take some photographs that I believe you will find interesting, and I will publish them here on Sunday night. The idea is to send you some pictures about relevant spots in Alexander Ogilvie life in Durango. I believe my father has a photograph of Alexander Ogilvie and his wife Catalina, but right now he's on a holiday. My parents are celebrating their 30th year of marriage and they will be traveling for a while. If I make contact with them, I will ask him where he has the photograph.
As Monica wrote on a previous post, it is sad many of my Great Grandfather brothers died so young. I made a quick search in Google and found out the average life expectancy in Mexico around 1895 was of 29.8 years and in 1930 it was of 36.7 years. By mexican standards at that time, Alexander Ogilvie lived a long life. Since Mexico independence in 1824, had civil wars, then a chaotic war against the United States and the "icing on the cake" was a French invasion. Around 1876 finally we had some peace, at least until 1910. Because of all these issues, I believe health services in Mexico were very poor when Alexander Ogilvie and his brothers came here. I suppose life around here was very rough at that time.
Anyway, expect some photos on Sunday. Enjoy your weekend and many thanks for your great posts!
My best,
Alex
P.S: I'm attaching a photograph of Durango around 1900's. There you can see the main square where Alexander met Catalina, just look for the kiosk. Also, our Cathedral is visible in the background. Alexander lived nearby with his family, at least that was what an aunt told me once. And I believe the hill on the right side of the picture is el Cerro de Mercado, the place I wrote about on a previous post.
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I am really enjoying this post...and it is not my family I know!
As a personal aside, Alex, if I tell you my middle name is Guadalupe ::) I was born in DF to Scottish Papa and Spanish Mama...
Monica
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Dear Alex, I am very pleased that you are enjoying the material that I have posted. It was and still is a most absorbing subject as I always see another avenue of research when I stand back and reflect on what I have done to date. Yes, the name Elma comes from Eliza Mary which has been carried into the modern generation. If we recall correctly my late mother in law was in contact with Catelina by written mail many years ago. Going back to Barbara you will see on the *.pdf chart posting that it is carried all the way forward from Barbara Murray in the 1700s to the one that died in 1874 but it is still carried by at least one living member living in Scotland. She must be in her 90s and we must go and see her with our latest work.
I am posting the MIs for the Barbara Stevension side as they include the Reid family aspect that is of a wider interest.
Yes, MonicaL is doing a great job for us and we greatly appreciate her efforts.
Best wishes, nw_whiskers
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Dear All, The George Stevenson and Alexander Reid MIs which I hope you will enjoy.
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Dear Monica, I had the feeling that you were taken with this one and we greatly appreciate you input on every aspect of the subject. We know that Alexander Ogilvie Stevenson B 1830 was in Mexico in his early years and that he may well have been married out there and suffered a sad loss which brought him home to Scotland. It is an interesting conjecture at this stage but Alex may come up with something.
What I found very moving and still do about a great deal of it is the fact that I am reading what was actually written 300 years ago about the family I married into. I am a most fortunate person indeed on both points.
The book on The Church and Churchyard of Fordyce (1886) by William Crammond is a "compelling read" for anybody interested in the MI for the Old Church Yard there and also the everyday workings of the Parish in the 1800s. William Crammond was a schoolmaster in Cullen and did a number of books for places around there. Google for the list! Best wishes, nw_whiskers.
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Dear All, The difficult stuff that flows from the William Stevenson MI picture that I posted earlier and where it leads. Considering the state of war in Scotland around 1746 it is surprising that any records exist at all but the ones for Marnoch & Deskford are in a surprisingly legible state. The variations in the spelling of Stevenson is a local thing and the person performing the writing was possibly the only one with that capability. I thank William for marrying Janet Smith as I would never have been able to piece this together without her as they always spell her name the same way. It makes for a more successful computer search!
Best wishes, nw_whiskers
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Dear All, The memorial to the rebellion and the plunder that followed:-
nw_whiskers
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Dear Alex, You must be "shell shocked" with a 300 year old history for the family in Scotland that you thought you would never find. Take heart and start with the Sonja Reid chart that Monica pointed us to. Start on the far left hand side of the chart with the one person you associate with. Each step to the right is "one generation" backwards in time. The number of people you have to think about raises to the power 2 at each step back. 1, 2, 4, 8, and then 16. I hardly think that another generation is on the cards but then again!
The Sonja Reid chart is of the same style as the *.PDF one I put up and they tell the same story although they were done by different persons working without the knowledge of the other. Incredible but they do agree on the main points of interest so you are on a winner.
I attach a few notes on Alex Reid b ~ 1765 and his family which will be useful when you get involved to that depth but that will take time and patience.
Best wishes, nw_whiskers
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Dear Alex and Monica, A few notes on George Stevenson b 1748 Marnoch and his immediate family. This tell us why these Stevensons have so many Ogilvies in their family history. George & Margaret had Mrs Anna Ogilvie, Anna Fordyce at Mill of Auchintoul, Alex Ogilvie elder & younger of Culvie as witnesses when the first born was baptised and Robert Ogilvie Esq & Robert Fordyce as a witnesses for the 1st son when he was baptised. They were into one of the Big Five Landowners around Marnoch at that time. So now you know where the Robert Ogilvie bit came from but you have not been exposed to the Anna Stevenson aspect before. It has no real bearing on your interest at this time other than to illustrate where some of the early names came from. Take a look at the far left of our chart and see that the first two go back to the grandparents and the next two go back to the parents. The interesting question is who was Helena Northey named after?
The far right top births in 1742 and 1744 (Janet & James) raises the same question of relevance.
Best wishes, nw_whiskers.
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Dear Alex, I have attached a few short notes on the William Watt side and the Alexander Steinson ones for you when you get into that depth of interest.
On the names of the seven young Stevensons outside the house at Blairshinnoch we reckon that Eliza Mary 1877 is in the back row with Charles 1884 on one side and Norman 1882 on the other but which is which is difficult to determine. Front left on the bench with the watch and chain is Douglas 1875 then Helena 1880 with Edith 1891 sitting on her knee and Bertha 1886 on the right.
The "young men" who went to Mexico could have flown the nest by that stage so we will see if you have good ideas on them.
My long suffering wife is beginning to worry that I have caught another bad bought of the Family History Bug again after several months of inactivity she is probably right. Perhaps a lengthy field trip is in order if I can only judge the weather correctly which is difficult in Scotland these days in spite of the fact that it is supposed to be summer.
Best wishes, nw_whiskers.
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Dear nw_whiskers:
I got out of work and right now I am outside the municipal cemetery. I'll take some pictures and I will send them later to you when I get back to my office. Also, I have a new goal: finding George. Lets see if I can find the man in charge of the cemetery and get some directions. Last year I couldn't find this man and I had to take a long walk in the cemetery. There is a place inside the cemetery called the "English Section". According to a plaque I saw there, the English Section is the place where prosperous immigrants and their families were buried. Right there you can find Alexanders' grave. If I don't get any directions, I think there is a good place to start. We have a sunny day here, with nice temperature, its going to be a nice walk! As I wrote before, I have visited Edinburgh a couple of times (2004, 2007) and I remember the weather. It was summer and it looked more to me like autumn, cloudy, sometimes rainy, then a little bit of sun, rain again... Sometimes it seemed unpredictable to me.
Well, its time to put my mobile down and start walking. I'll post my findings later.
Best regards,
Alex
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Monica:
You have a very Mexican name! Guadalupe! I have a cousin with the same name and we call her Lupita. I will send you my best regards on December 12th, el día de tu santo!! ;) You still living in DF?
I'm glad you are finding our history enjoyable, lots of things have happened on every generation. I don't know if you have read One Hundred Years of Solitude, by García Márquez. In that book, every generation of a family lived a different reality and had very different experiences. Well, this is something like that, so many things have happened that you probably could write a novel like the one of García Marquez. Anyways, enjoy your weekend!!
Many thanks again!
Alex
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nw_whiskers:
Good news! I was able to find George! I can't believe I didn't see him last year, he is on the left side of Catalinas' grave. Here is the main entrance to the old municipal cemetery. It was created on 1859, previous graveyards were absorbed by the city, so there is nothing left of them. Couldn't find the man in charge, so I took a walk inside.
My best,
Alex
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nw_whiskers:
Here is a photograph from the "English Section" I wrote about on a previous post. Here you can see in the middle of the caption a path and then three graves. Starting from the left, a stone grave marker apparently without a name on it, then two white crosses very close together. Well, from left to right that's George, Catalina and Alexander. More images coming up.
My best,
Alex
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nw_whiskers:
This is Georges' grave. I couldn't find it last year because the inscription is facing the opposite way from the rest of the graves on that row. George grave looks old, so I believe its the original one. You can read the following on his grave:
"Jorge Stevenson, born April 1st 1868 on Brechin, Scotland and died December 1st 1905. R.I.P" By the way, Jorge is the spanish version of George. No signs of a wife or children, so its still a mistery if he ever got married.
My best,
Alex
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nw_whiskers:
Another angle for George, Catalina and Alexander graves.
My best,
Alex
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nw_whiskers:
This is my last picture from this excursion into the cemetery. Is a close up of Alexander Ogilvie grave. You can read the following:
"Alejandro O. Stevenson, died August 11th 1936. R.I.P. In loving memory from his wife and children"
Tomorrow I intend to take a walk around historical downtown, so expect more pictures. I have three possible locations for Alexanders' house. I have two certified addresses where my Grandfather lived on 1931 and 1934. At that time Alexander was still alive, so its possible he lived in the same house. The third location is just a street, and I can't verify the location precisely. Its a vague memory from a relative.
By the way nw_whiskers, I have heard that story about Alexander Ogilvie b. 1830. What I know is that he came to Mexico, married a generals' daughter, who unfortunately died giving birth to a son. That hard loss made him return. Does anyone in Scotland know where Alexander Ogilvie b. 1830 lived in Mexico? If he married after 1858, there is a small chance that we could find his marriage certificate. On 1857, according to a new Mexican Constitution, it became mandatory to register births, marriages, and deaths through the government. Prior to that, church records are the only source, but they are lots of churches in Mexico, and I don't think they were very careful with that info. The problem trying to take a look into the government archives is the fact that they don't have old records digitalized, that makes searching a little more difficult and lenghty. Knowing the place where he lived or married would be very helpful.
My best,
Alex
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Hi Alex
The photos look great and how wonderful that you and nw_whiskers are now able to connect all the generations after all this time.
nw_whiskers, unless I am missing it, I think you have Alexander Ogilvie Stevenson Snr. in the census for 1841 and then a gap until after his marriage in 1865, so in the censuses from 1871 onwards. It could well be those years that he left and returned from Mexico. UK inbound passenger lists only really start from around 1878 onwards so we cannot pick up on his return to the UK from those unfortunately. How would someone have travelled to Mexico in those days? Via the US, not sure.
With all the later names we have talked about, this looks to be the family's 1930 Mexican census entry. Alexander Jnr. must have been away from home that day/night - https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/SP8H-RKX
PS: We returned from DF many years ago but have gone back a number of times :) I think for me the two main pieces that capture that era in Mexico that we are talking about are One Hundred Years of Solitude, by García Márquez (which yes I have loved) and also the film with Rupert Everett: Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Spanish: Crónica de una muerte anunciada) directed by Francesco Rosi.
nw_whiskers, if you are able to read this book (there is an english translation) or view the film, it will give you a real flavour of that era in Mexico when the Stevenson brothers were arriving and living there.
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Dear Alex & Monica, The pictures from Mexico are brilliant and most appreciated. Does anybody in Scotland have a thought of where Alex O Stevenson b 1830 was in Mexico when he was out there is a difficult one. I have a recollection of a Mexican saddle been spoken about by Charles Anderson who lived Arbroath but he had a stroke some years ago so that is probably a non starter. Edith b 1891 married Uncle Moss Anderson so Charles is one of their sons. Barbara Morrision nee Anderson is in her 90s so she is our next best hope or only on that front. We reckon that Barbara took her mother Edith b 1891 to Mexico at one stage but that was a long time ago. We will work on it! I see the brilliant sunshine in the photographs and highlight the contrasts with Scotland.
A few notes on Robert Stevenson and Family to keep the pot boiling. It takes you back to Alex Ogilvie Stevenson b 1830 before we digress excessively. As an aside my linguistic skills are somewhat limited until I get into the computer ones and then it is a totally different matter but I do enjoy a challenge.
Best wishes, nw_whiskers.
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Are these modern images connected to Auchanachie Farm, Fordyce www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=35151339 (Have to admit, I love photos and maps ;D 8)).
There are Wills & Testament entries (doesn't state what type :-\) on SP www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk for both Robert and Isabella (Watt):
Robert Stevenson -20/02/1874
Isabella Watt (Stevenson) - 29/04/1873
I see the brilliant sunshine in the photographs and highlight the contrasts with Scotland.
Alex and nw_whiskers , weather in the UK, wild and mixed in this Olympic 2012. London this weekend is the hottest few days this year...too hot and humid with our UK house furnishings! Sunny weather in Durango too!
Alex, is this your granfather, el Ing. Alejandro Ogilvie Stevenson Torrijos? www.canal10.com.mx/?mod=historia
Monica
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I do not have a subscription unfortunately...but very tempting for you both (and me, the adopted child!)...
Aberdeen Journal
Births, Deaths, Marriages and Obituaries
“... city of Mexico, June 14, Mr ALEX. - STEvENsoN, late of Banff, Seotand (sonof Mr RobertStovenson, Achanaeby), and now of the Hacienda ... ”
Source: Wed 18 Aug 1858, Aberdeen Journal, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
nw_whiskers, are you able to access this from local archives?
Monica
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OK, I am excited ::)...another online source...
Marriages:
At the British Consulate, City of Mexico, June 14, Mr Alex. Stevenson, late of Banff Scotland, (son of Mr Robert Stevenson, Achanachy), and now of Hacienda de Guajolote, near Mineral del Monte to the eldest daughter of General MORENO.
Wed 18 Aug 1858, Aberdeen Journal
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Dear Monica & Alex, The wills on Scotlands People are often just a list of items that turn out to be a bit boring according to what I have been told and cost 5 UK Pounds each but the THOUGHT is good. I have used the Death Record Area a few times and it often turns up excellent pointers for us. It is about Mort Cloths like the one for William Stevenson d 1771. It is in George Stevenson-Marnoch 1748.rtf attachment and they are usually "one liners". Unfortunately the OPR Death Records are far from complete but it one avenue of research that is there and should be used.
The Aucanachie pictures look good but if you zoom out a bit on the map you will also see Auchmore where Alex Reid b 1765 lived on the outskirts of Portsoy. If you look a wee bit to the West you will see Durn House and then up the road to Mill of Durn & Knockdurn. Douglas O Stevenson b 1875 was in about there after Alex O Stev's brother died (Robert O Stevenson *.rtf notes). I will put the photograph of the Grave Stone up for you but the events on that are a bit sad. A bit more to the West is Fordyce and I have the Stevenson connection to the War Memorial ready for that one.
On the Aberdeen Journal it may be better if I go into the actual physical archive for that one but you are correct it is a VERY interesting link.
You are doing a great job and it is appreciated, nw_whiskers.
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Dear Monica & Alex, Now you can see why the Alex O Stevenson b 1830 male line has died out in Scotland. Many were lost in WW II for our western freedom which we all value greatly but we also need to mourn for those who did not come back. On the map you can see that the new cemetary is on the outskirts of Fordyce and the War Memorial is just inside the gate. The attached picture is a family one and is further into this cemetary. The Old Cemetary is right into the village and is part of the ground that the Church stands on. I have been searching for the relevant photographs but it looks like a trip to Fordyce to get them but you have the MI in text for now thanks to the work of William Crammond 1886.
It has been mostly hot, humid and sunny in Scotland today which is great if you want the plants to grow but it is not near as bright as Mexico or SanJose, CA or Alice Springs in Australia for that matter but it passes for me!
Best wishes, nw_whiskers
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Dear Monica & Alex, A happier picture this time as all these head stones can get you down if you are not directly involved in picking over the family details.
On a personal note I discovered to my horror that I had reached 88.6Kg over my lazy winter at the computer but it is improving as I am now down to just over 85Kg which is great. The only problem is that the Duke of York potatoes are ready in the garden and I love the taste of them as long as my wife does not boil then excessively and they go into soup. Perhaps I will consider the 5 + 2 regime before next winter. The 5 days sound good but 600 calories on the other two sounds like I will need more determination & will power.
Sleep well and have a happy Monday at work, nw_whiskers
Moderator Comment: Image of cert cropped due to copyright issues. Only small relevant sections can be added.
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Dear all:
As promised, I had a field trip today and I have some photos to share with you. Monica, great findings! I think you gave us a great lead to find some info about Alexander Ogilvie b. 1830 and his time in Mexico. I looked for this place, Real del Monte, and it's a mining town in Hidalgo state. Looks like a nice little town and a good place to start looking for what happened with Alexander there. I think you turned one of our family stories into a fact. And you are right, its wonderful to be able to share with our relatives what has happened to us here, and to read/listen to what happened to them there. I want to thank nw_whiskers for taking some time to do that. It has been really nice sharing all this stuff with both of you. ;D
I knew my Grandfather lived in Monterrey at that time but I didn't know the whole family moved with him. I have an hypothesis to share, but I will write it later, as I have another one that I would like to share first.
As I wrote before, there is a family story about my Great Grandfather returning to Scotland for a while with his children. I believe our family left Durango for a while on 1913. If you see the census Monica kindly shared with us, you can see that in 1930 Leonor had 17 years and was born in San Luis Potosì. My Great Grandfather had a brother there. Anyways, I tried to find they moved from Durango and found an interesting article here: http://revistabicentenario.com.mx/index.php/archivos/la-toma-de-durango-una-mirada-femenina/ (Sorry nw_whiskers, it's written in spanish, I suggest you try using an online translator to read the full story)
It is an account of the siege of Durango by someone who lived in town at that time. Since March of 1913, Durango had issues with the "maderistas", a rebel faction that fought against the man that killed President Madero. First they cut all the communications with the outside. It was hard to find goods and food. They tried to take city on April, but failed. That's when local businessman funded a militia, called "Defensa Social". Their objective was to protect their businesses and families. As we know, back at that time Alexander worked at the Cerro del Mercado mine. Perhaps he helped funding this militia. Finally, the revolutionaries took the city on June and the city was plundered. Business were burned, houses were robbed. I believe this situation triggered another migration for my Great Grandfather and his family. It looks like they moved to San Luis Potosì and lived there for a while. But there is also this family account about my Great Grandfather returning to Scotland. Do you know if this is true nw_whiskers?
And here comes one of the pictures I took today. Its from the tower of the Temple of Santa Ana. This is very close, like one or two blocks, from where I believe Alexander lived at that time. If you pay close attention, you can still see the scars left by the battle of 1913: there are bullet and cannon holes.
My best,
Alex
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Dear All:
Thanks to the census page Monica found, I spent some time thinking what where they doing in Monterrey. So I started a little research to try to somehow explain that movement. I knew Fundidora Monterrey bought a long time ago the mine at El Cerro del Mercado, but I didn't know the exact year until today.
Turns out Fundidora Monterrey bought the mine on 1920. So Alexander Ogilvie now worked for them. As you probably have guessed by now, Fundidora Monterrey headquarters were located on Monterrey, so I believe they spent some time there because Alexanders' job. I found two more articles I would like to share with you. This one has a paragraph about my Grandfather, Alejandro, in Monterrey: http://radiomty.blogspot.mx/ I will translate an excerpt from this article:
"The third radio station, identified as X.E.F.B, was founded on April 4th, 1931, with the motto of "Quintanilla and Stevenson". It was found by Gilberto Quintanilla and Alejandro Stevenson, with the advice of don Jesùs Quintanilla, Gilbertos' father." By the way, I discovered this about three years ago. I was studying at Monterrey (lived there from 2000 to 2004, and then returned from 2008 to 2009) and I did a thesis called "How to make a profitable radio station" for my Masters Degree. I had to research a lot about the history of radio in Mexico, and I found that fact on a published book. The climate in Monterrey is the worst thing I have endured on my life. It's as hot as Mexicali, the place where Fernando lives, the climate changes very quickly, its very difficult to predict, and on top of that, it gets hit by hurricates, so flooding is a problem sometimes.
So, on April 1931 the family still lived in Monterrey, so, when did they returned to Durango? I have found another article, written by a local historian, about the history of radio in Durango: http://www.elsiglodedurango.com.mx/noticia/138325.foro.html Again, I will translate a little excerpt:
"You may say that radio in Durango started with the X-2-A, located on Coronado Street 1003, on 1931, that transmitted daily from 20:00 to 22:00, but formally, radio started with the founding of XEE, "The voice of Durango", inaugurated on Wednesday, June 27th 1934, on 20 de Noviembre street 122 Poniente, home of Mr. Alejandro O. Stevenson Jr."
I believe my Grandfather was behind X-2-A. On Coronado Street lived some relatives for a long time, even I think my father lived with his parents on that street. So by 1931 I suppose they returned to Durango.
I'm attaching a couple of photos from my sunday excursion. On one, you can see how does the mine in el Cerro del Mercado looks today from a nearby hill. On the other one, you can see Durango from the same hill.
Hope you had a repairing sleep!
Alex
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nw_whiskers:
Thanks for sharing all this with us. I'm very grateful and amazed by the quantity of info you have. On your post you solved one question I hadn't posted: what happened in our family in Scotland with the Stevenson surname? Is still carried by someone?. It's a shame and really sad we had some of our ancestors killed on WWII. As you wrote, we should be thankful for their sacrifice, as they helped to stop a threat to the whole world, and we also should mourn or remember all the ones that didn't return to their homes.
I still have more pictures to share with you. As you wrote before, I am "shell shocked" with all the info you have posted. I have plenty to read yet in order to catch up with you. Also, I will start a checklist of info I should try to find over time. I am very intrigued with Alexander Ogilvie b. 1830 time in Mexico. Tomorrow I will post more photos. For now, I will attach a picture of the Main Square, so you can see how does it look today. It is a little late here and sleep is starting to win over me. Right now we have a nice rainy night. I believe it will help my sleep. I hope you both had a great weekend! Good luck with your daily activities!
Best regards,
Alex
P.S. Monica, another good read for you: Battles in the desert, from Josè Emilio Pacheco. A nice short story about growing up on Mexico City on the late 40's, early 50's. By the way, you found the family business, we still work in the radio & tv industry. Alejandro Stevenson T. its my Grandfather. nw_whiskers, I have been gaining weight too! My usual weight was 85 Kg, now I am 92 Kg. I blame my work, I spent all the time sitting behind my desk. I love cooking and eating, so a diet is very difficult for me. Instead, I started playing basketball again. Thankfully, my height is 1.90 m, so when I gain weight its not so easily noticed ;)
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Dear Alex, Your photographs illustrate the scene beautifully so you can be sure that they are admired by many people. You are correct in that this is overwhelming and that we will need to stand back at some point in time and take stock. The Mains of Durn connection is attached and you will see how these granite stones reflect light making a good picture difficult. The transcript for the three in the Marnoch Cemetary will also follow as that will make it a lot easier to read. Some of the bits after that are almost impossible to read but we keep working on it. I am sure that you will need to go to work to get away from some of this compelling Stevenson History stuff.
Best wishes, nw_whiskers.
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Dear Alex & Monica, The transcript of the three MI in Marnoch are attached. You can see from the numbering that they are located close together and give us a unique record from the past that could have been otherwise lost forever. The Isabella Watt MI transcript includes what is engraved on the 2nd face and covers the younger generation. As you can see they were in the Portsoy and Deskford areas. Unlike you I am from a generation that does NOT know about mobile phones or laptop computers and most certainly needs a "lengthy siesta" during the course of the day. I am looking into the Aberdeen Journal connection that Monica kindly gave us and will keep you posted when I get a result.
Your thumbnail is great and it reminds me that I have not finished my morning task with soap and razor. Otherwise engrossed for sure!
Best wishes, nw_whiskers.
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Dear Monica, I have noted that I need to keep my "external extracts" tight which was something that I thought about after I posted it. Sorry about that one.
Sorry about that one, nw_whiskers
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No problem, nw_whiskers :)
So many MIs that you have (how lucky and hardworking have you been ;)), there is a need as you say to balance out with life!
Monica
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Dear Alex and Monica, The wedding according to the Banffshire Journal of 17 Aug 1858 reports that it was at the residence of the bride's father at Quintinillo, Lianos de Apam, Mexico was a VERY fine event to the eldest daughter of General Morino. Alex O Stevenson at the Haciendo of Huajolote, near Mineral del Monte. The bride is described as "beautiful and accomplished". They retired to the town of Tacubays which I assume is nearby . The grand ball was at Progreso attended by the fashionables. Those are the main words used as it is a lengthy report. It was in the Mexican paper 15 June 1858.
And the Banffshire Journal of 24 Jan 1865 wedding reports him as late of "Real del Monte" and now of Ashgrove, Aberdeen so there you have it.
We were reading it in Aberdeen from the film copy of the paper as it was printed in 1858 so we did have our field trip to make it go!
Best wishes, nw_whiskers
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Wow, so much more detail there in the Banff Journal (than the Aberdeen Journal) in terms of places and locations of events. I'll leave to Alex to sort out the history/geography but from the little I know, a number of places seems to be located around the north east of Mexico City (D.F)
Just in case place names get lost in the translations, which would not be surprising with some Mexican place names ::)
Haciendo of Huajolote, near Mineral del Monte - Hacienda de Guajolote www.maplandia.com/mexico/hidalgo/mineral-del-monte/el-guajolote/
Quintinillo, Lianos de Apam, - Quintanilla, Llanos de Apam - http://travelingluck.com/North%20America/Mexico/Hidalgo/_3532815_Apan.html
Tacubays - Tacubaya, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacubaya - now part of Mexico City suburbs?.
Seems very real now!
Monica
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Dear Alex and Monica, A bit of light relief with one of our endangered species at a breakfast of sunflower seeds. He is a fine looking chap but a bit camera shy. He has a least two other Red Squirrels to keep him company but they are no allowed to eat at the same table with him.
We see the battle scars on the Temple of Santa Ana and are enjoying your narrative greatly. Apart from the newspapers in Aberdeen we had another look at the Deskford Church entry from 1714 but that area of the book has been damaged around the edges with water at some time so it is a difficult one to decipher. The Paternal "James Steinstone" bit is there and two witnesses with "Wm." and the "date" but the best of technology may be frustrated in the end. On the Maternal side we are having another look at the Steinsons at Mill of Durn around the 1750s so we may have better luck there.
Best wishes, nw_whiskers
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Dear all:
I want to apologize for my delay. There has been a lot of work to do (thank God!) so I've been very busy. Since Monday, I started managing another business, that's why you haven't heard from me until now. You've made nice findings about Alexander b. 1830! As I wrote on a previous post, I'm doing a checklist of things that I will have to investigate further on a holiday or somethng. Trying to find something about Alexander b. 1830 is one of them, lets see if I have the chance to visit those places or at least make a phone call and see if someone could help me there.
So, from my previous field trip, I still have some pictures to share. The ones attached to this post are from a street I believe Alexander Ogilvie lived on for a while, but I don't have any evidence to turn it into a fact. Its just some family oral tradition. Right now its a walk for pedestrians, full of shops, restaurants and night clubs. On the end of that street, you can find the main square and the Cathedral.
My best,
Alex
P.S. nw_whiskers, I love that squirrel!!! Near my home, here in Durango, you can find some squirrels too, but they look very different. Also, there is another thing, not as nice and lovely, that you can find here in Durango: Scorpions. Very poisonous scorpions. As a matter of fact, Durango is recognized for the scorpions nationwide. Not a nice thing.
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Dear all:
On weekend, with a little more time available, I will try to expand a little bit more about what happened to my Great Grandfathers children, and where do you have relatives in Mexico and the USA. As an advance, I want to share an old family picture with you. You can see my Grandfather, Alejandro Ogilvie Stevenson, born 1910, with my Grandmother, Bertha Bradley, born 1917. This photo was taken the day they married. Take care and have an excellent friday!!!
Best regards,
Alex
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Abuelo (grandfather) Alexander looks handsome on his wedding day....but how beautiful was Bertha Bradley :) Great photo - looks almost like one of those black & white film Hollywood promo posters!
Just curious about a name like Bertha Bradley. Was she English born?
Monica
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Dear Monica & Alex, I thought that they were a "Real Hollywood" looking couple but I did not want to overload Alex with another post before the weekend. The Red Squirrel was for a bit of light relief all round and yes he needs our local support as he is under pressure from the larger Grey ones that carry a virus that he has NO IMMUNITY to!
Anyway back to what happened to another of the Blairshinnoch Family that Alex is asking about and where she lived in the town of Banff. You are doing a great job Alex so relax and enjoy the weekend.
Best wishes, nw_whiskers.
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Dear Alex & Monica, Thomas Barton was her husband but they had no "issue" so he enjoyed the company of the other members of the family and their issue. Banff Castle is in fact a large house in a lovely setting in the centre of Banff but it is not a castle in the defensive sense. Many of the visitors to the town enjoy walking around the grounds and perhaps the interior.
Thomas Barton with one of the family in a setting that puzzled me for a long time. The picture is probably taken in the early 1930s. I thought that it was in Egypt but I was very wrong!
Best wishes nw_whiskers.
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Dear Alex & Monica, As you can see the 1930s picture was taken just outside the house itself in the centre of Banff which is kept is perfect condition for the enjoyment of those who wish to walk around the place . The relatives and the house that Helena came home from Canada to visit is just across the road from this one so many of them lived fairly close together.
Best wishes nw_whiskers.
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Hello there wondering if you can help me I stay at Blairshinnoch and I notice you were researching your family history online. I was searching to see if I could find any old photos of Blairshinnoch and came across some lovely old ones on this website. Can you help me obtain any copies of these please? I am very interested about the history of the house and would like to find out more.
Kindest regards
Marie
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There is also geograph.org.uk which combines modern photos with modern mapping, a good springboard sometimes. See here www.geograph.org.uk/photo/153720 for map and photo of the Blairshinnoch farm you have just mentioned, nw_whiskers.
Also http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ6462 - the grid line on the map goes through the farm and the best views are from this square.
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Dear Maire, I have sent you a reply on Blairshinnoch House from the 1890s but it must have gone by another route which is a pity but I will do my best to press the right buttons next time. I will search for a digital picture or two for you so do NOT worry as they will come. Enjoy the house as it is a lovely house and we are sure that you made a super job of upgrading it.
Best wishes, nw_whiskers
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Good night my name is Daniela Claudina De Alba Stevenson and my great-grandfather was called Alexander Ogilvie Stevenson, and he came to Mexico. Sandy Ferguson from Scotland contacted me and told me that her grandmother was my great-grandfather's sister. Do you know anything about the Ferguson family. greetings from Mexico
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Although I do have a Stevenson in my lineage, I also would like to know if you or someone you could recommend would have information on Troup Head and which church in this area to look for Protestant records. My Stevenson fellow came to Canada about 1818 from Ireland, married to Mary Long. St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. Daughter Ann married Alexander Moore who also arrived in 1818 from Newtownards, Down, Ireland. Lloyds insurers records, ship Jessie from Belfast to St. Andrews, NB. Canada, 1818. cheers, Cal Moore, Sarnia, Ontario
As for mining enterprises, Lord Troup had a son who went to Africa, diamond mining. Our family lore is that a Troup gal eloped with a fellow by the last name Angus to Down, Ireland. Perhaps married at Gretna Green then to Ireland. cheers.
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As far as church records are concerned, the vast majority of Scottish church records are available in digital form at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk so it is not necessary - or indeed advisable - to go to the individual churches for records of births/baptisms and marriages before the start of civil registration in 1855.
What do you want to know about Troup Head?
It is in the parish of Gamrie, which is the most easterly parish in Banffshire, and next door to the parish of Aberdour in Aberdeenshire (not to be confused with the parish of the same name in Fife).
There are photographs at http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ8267
As far as I know there have never been any permanent houses on Troup Head itself. The nearest farm is Northfield. There were some cottages at Northfield Croft, a little north-west of Northfield, but these have long since vanished.
There is a photograph of Northfield at https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ8266
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Troup House and the Troup estate were owned by the Garden family and the nearby Northfield estate by the Keiths. The parish kirkyard, St John's, contains no gravestones to anyone called Stevenson or Stephenson.
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Dear Calhun, Do you reckon that your Stevenson fellow had connections to Banffshire in Scotland where a great number of them were into farming in one form or another just like Alexander and Barbara Stevenson in the subject of this post. I note that you have your fellow leaving Ireland about 1818 with no first name?
I hope that the other two replies that you have are of help to you. nw_whiskers
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Richard Stevenson born about 1788, from Ireland and married to Mary Long, b. 1804, Ireland. Settled in Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada. Two children born in N.B. Ann Stevenson b. 1825 married Alexander Moore, b. 1812, Armagh, County Antrim, Ireland. Alexander to Canada in 1818. Ann's brother born c1826 Canada, Andrew Campbell Stevenson. Thank you for your reply. Genealogy is great!
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Troup House and the Troup estate were owned by the Garden family and the nearby Northfield estate by the Keiths. The parish kirkyard, St John's, contains no gravestones to anyone called Stevenson or Stephenson.
[/qu
Thank you for your response. I believe I have heard of the relationship between Troup and Gordon before. These times would have been 1740 to 1780 if in fact Sarah Troup ran off with the gardener's son, John Nathaniel Angus. John Angus had a son, Nathaniel Angus who married "Agnes" Nancy Hamilton Gordon in County Down, Ireland, about 1811. Many from this line have heard of the story but further proof remains to be found. Many thanks!
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I suspect the elopement story might be somewhat mythical, or happened in Ireland, rather than Scotland. In the time-scale you mention, the laird of Troup was Alexander Garden (Garden, not Gordon). He was born in 1714, succeeded his father in 1740, and served as MP for Aberdeenshire from 1768 - 1785, when he died. He never married and left no children. His younger brother succeeded to the estate.
If Sarah's surname was Troup, she would have no connection with the Garden family.
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Thank you for sharing your knowledge of those long ago times. Perhaps our story has changed over time? Perhaps parts are correct and others not.
FAMILY BEGINNINGS
“ Twas seventeen hundred and seventy, Maybe!
In Northern Ireland, Lord Troupe lived with his Lady.
A daughter they had, Sarah by name.
She would make a good match, but Sarah won’t play the game.
While her Ladyship planned a Duke to be won
Sarah was off to Gretna Green with the Gardeners son.
They leapt over the anvil; Scotland said they were wed
But back home in England, they might as well have been dead!
John Angus, this Treachery will bring you no gain!
Sarah Troupe, this mischief will bring you much pain.
The years roll along and on Ireland's shore
Their dear Sophia marries John Moore.
An Irishman sure, with two wee red headed sons.
But what about Sarah and her other young ones?
Nathaniel’s in trouble for poaching off the grandpa’s Estate
So he’s off on the next ship and not as first mate!
But dressed as a woman or so the story goes
He left Mother and Country and all of his woes!
In Nova Scotia he settled his own land.
Soon back home in Ireland, more journeys were planned.
With their Treasures all packed up, boxed up and baled,
On Captain Lyon’s ship “Jesse” the Angus and Moore crew sailed.
They sailed and they sailed ‘til off Newfoundland’s Shore
Sophia gave birth to the first little “Black” Moore!
They landed at last at St. John, New Brunswick.
Those poor and hardy ancestors of you and of me!
They were both given land grants on Goose Rivers Shore
Where they settled side by side, John Angus and John Moore.
John Angus, then Nathaniel, William, Allison, Ernest and Thee,
John Moore, then Samuel, Thomas, Whylie and Me.
Hope you enjoy the poem. Written by an Angus girl and friend. c1960
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You might find it interesting to read the comments here https://www.artuk.org/artdetective/discussions/discussions/which-lord-troup-is-this-can-it-be-dated-from-the-sitters-plaid/username/Jade-King/status/active/page/4
Just a note about the original question. A plaid is a woollen garment, unstitched, and worn in a variety of ways. It may or may not be made of tartan cloth.
What it is not is the design or pattern of the cloth from which plaids and other garments are made.
The checked woollen cloth usually associated with Scotland is tartan, not plaid.
A specific design or pattern of tartan is called a sett.
It might be possible, if the tartan were clearly depicted, to deduce what clan or family the wearer belonged to. It would always be impossible to tell from the plaid who the wearer is unless the plaid is made of tartan cloth.
Modern tartan setts are mostly 19th century or later inventions.
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Ref:- The subject matter has drifted away from Alexander Ogilvie Stevenson & Barbara Stevenson from Banff, Scotland so I think it is time to CLOSE the subject out even although Tartan Cloth is close to my heart!
Many thanks to everybody for their contributions, nw_whiskers