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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Famtreebuilder on Wednesday 25 May 16 02:00 BST (UK)

Title: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: Famtreebuilder on Wednesday 25 May 16 02:00 BST (UK)
I'm trying to find information on a man named James Matthew McKeddie. According to the only two census returns I have for him he was born c1857 in Edinburgh, Scotland but I can find no birth to match him.  I also can't find him on the UK census in 1861, 1871, 1881 or 1891.  In 1885 he married Jessie McKellar in Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland and they had two children (Margaret Moyies McKeddie born 1886 in Bridgeton and named after Jessie's mother and Archibald Leitch McKellar McKeddie born 1888 in St Rollox, Glasgow).  His wife Jessie then died in 1889 and son Archibald is on the 1891 census as an "orphan" while Maggie is elsewhere as a 5-year-old "boarder".  I can't see any obvious family connection with the people they are staying with and there's no sign of their father James. 

He re-married to a Jane Kennovin in 1891 in Old Monkland and they had at least 4 children (Neil in 1891, Jane in 1892, Mary Ann in 1894 and Agnes Jemima in 1899 all born in Coatbridge).  The first census I have the family on is the 1901 census - James, Jane, Archibald, Jane, Mary Ann and Agnes are together and Neil and Maggie are elsewhere living with Jane's sister. 

James died in Glasgow in 1924 and his parents' names are given as John McKeddie (glass blower) and Mary Ann Dunn on his death certificate.  This is consistent with his marriage to Jessie in 1885 although Mary Ann's name was given as just Ann.  His occupation was given as "formerly regimental bandmaster" so I presume he was in the Army and this may explain some of his absences on the census but I can't find any information on this.

I can't find a marriage for or any other children registered to a John McKeddie and Mary Ann Dunn so they're currently a brick wall.  Several of James' children ended up out in Canada and his son Archibald went to visit an aunt named "Jessie Rae" in Newburgh, New York in 1919 but I've not been able to work out how she fits in yet either.  As I don't know which country I need to be looking in and can't find anything in Scotland for John and Mary Ann or James' early life I've put this in Common Room.  I'd be grateful for any help to work this out and take these lines further back.  Thanks.
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: jomcd967 on Wednesday 25 May 16 11:06 BST (UK)
1891 - Burnbank Street Coatbridge
James McKeadie, lodger, widower, 33, musician, born Edinburgh

Can't see anything else though....

Jo  :)
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: ..claire.. on Wednesday 25 May 16 11:25 BST (UK)

Has the KEDDIE family in Edinburgh been ruled out ? They do have a son James bn 1857 with them in census to 1881 that I can see

claire
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: Famtreebuilder on Wednesday 25 May 16 12:30 BST (UK)
Thanks for the 1891 census Jo - I really couldn't see the wood for the trees on that one but that's definitely him! 

Yes Claire I've had a look at the Keddie family but I really don't think they connect - James was born in 1856 to parents John Keddie and Margaret Manson.  The father is always said to be a joiner and the son James becomes a joiner too by 1881.  I'm sure I've found him still on the census in Edinburgh in 1891 and 1901 married to a Mary and described as a "wood carver".  Thanks for the help.
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Thursday 26 May 16 14:34 BST (UK)
I wonder if the Jane Miller that Archibald was with in 1891 subsequently became Jessie Rae.  I have seen Jessie as a nickname for Jane/Janet.  The 1919 border crossing that has him going to Jessie Rae indicates that he was in Newburgh, New York previously. 

This 1913 passenger list says on the second page that he was going to cousin Thos. Moore, 31 Lutheran St., Newburgh.  https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:23X8-57G  This Thomas Moore lived at that address -

1910 - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MP1L-LGC
1920 - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV9N-9XB
1930 - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4TS-SB9
1940 - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7M5-KVW
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: Marigold77 on Thursday 26 May 16 15:02 BST (UK)
Could the Jessie Rae in Canada be an aunt to James's first wife?
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Thursday 26 May 16 15:36 BST (UK)
The Thomas Moore at 31 Lutheran, Newburgh had a brother named John who joined a Scottish regiment during WWI and died circa Sept. 1915 - https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/16020258/  You can sort of see the text of the article without paying if you scroll to the bottom.
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: Famtreebuilder on Thursday 26 May 16 16:31 BST (UK)
Thanks a lot Shellyesq for having a look at Thomas Moore - I spotted his name on the 1913 Passenger List but forgot to investigate it. 

I've done a bit more digging and it's actually his wife Isabella that's the link.  As Isabella was listed as Scottish on the census returns I thought I'd follow her and see what that turned up.  I found that Thomas Moore married Isabella Dollar Fleming in Glasgow in 1909 just before they emigrated and had their 2 daughters in the US (I got Isabella's maiden name from their social security application).  Thomas' parents were William Moore and Mary Crawford and Isabella's were Samuel Fleming and Margaret McKellar (Archibald's mother Jessie McKellar's sister of course).  So Isabella Moore (MS Fleming) was indeed Archibald's first cousin.  It doesn't bring me any further forward with the McKeddie mystery but a nice McKellar addition nonetheless (most of the McKellar clan emigrated to Australia).  Thanks again!
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Thursday 26 May 16 16:53 BST (UK)
You're welcome.  The newspaper article that references John Moore's death also says Samuel Fleming, the brother of Mrs. Moore, died and another brother Duncan Fleming was missing in the war. 
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: Famtreebuilder on Thursday 26 May 16 17:12 BST (UK)
Thanks Shelly - yes I read that.  Now if only there was an article that mentioned Jessie Rae!  She seems to be the invisible woman :-\
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: Famtreebuilder on Thursday 26 May 16 17:32 BST (UK)
Could the Jessie Rae in Canada be an aunt to James's first wife?

Hi Marigold - it's a possibility Jessie was a grand aunt but I think it's unlikely.  Jessie had an aunt Jean McKellar born c1836 that I haven't full traced and she had an aunt Janet Moyies also born c1836 who I'm sure died in Scotland.

If Jessie Rae was genuinely Archibald's aunt then the most likely explanation is she was his father's or his stepmother Jane's sister/sister-in-law.  There's no sign of a McKeddie or a Kennovin marrying a Rae in Scotland though. 

I've also had a further look into the Millers who were looking after Archibald on the 1891 census but I really can't see a connection.  I think they are James Gray Miller and Jane Lang who married in Bridgeton in 1880.  James Gray Miller was born 23 Mar 1855 in Calton to James Miller and Mary Whyte.  Jane Lang was born c1858 in Glasgow but I'm not 100% sure who her parents were.  There are a number of possibilities but none of them has a name that jumps out as being related to James/Archibald.
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Thursday 26 May 16 18:24 BST (UK)
Looking at the address for Jessie Rae on the border crossing, it looks like 18 S. Miller.  I found a Rea family living at that address in the 1900 & 1910 census.  The wife was Elizabeth/Libbie, so I wonder if Libbie Rea got mangled in Jessie Rae?  The head of the family, Andrew, was born Ireland and, per a city directory, died 27 Mar. 1916. 

1900 - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSLQ-NT5

1910 - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MP1L-455
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: Famtreebuilder on Thursday 26 May 16 19:31 BST (UK)
Thanks Shelly - I agree the address is 18 S Miller. Elizabeth/Libbie Rea is intriguing especially due to the surname and the address but I'm just not sure.  I've found her still at 18 S Miller in 1915 but it's a family named Bligh living there by the 1920 census.  I've also found her in an old person's home in 1930.  She was born in New York and census consistently states both parents were too which doesn't seem right for an aunt of Archibald's but then again we don't know where his father James was born!  Despite three census returns stating it was Edinburgh there's no sign of his birth there. 
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Thursday 26 May 16 19:48 BST (UK)
Libbie Rea is in the Newburgh city directories at the same address up to 1919.
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: Famtreebuilder on Thursday 26 May 16 19:54 BST (UK)
Thanks Shelly - it does sound likely it's her Archibald was going to visit then but I just can't reconcile how she would be his aunt.  More mystery....
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: bonniej on Saturday 13 January 18 18:12 GMT (UK)
Hi Shelly, This is my first posting so I'm not sure I'm doing anything right!
You were commenting on this post back in 2016
"Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Regarding: 
« Reply #11 on: Thursday 26 May 16 18:24 BST (UK) »
Quote
Looking at the address for Jessie Rae on the border crossing, it looks like 18 S. Miller.  I found a Rea family living at that address in the 1900 & 1910 census.  The wife was Elizabeth/Libbie, so I wonder if Libbie Rea got mangled in Jessie Rae?  The head of the family, Andrew, was born Ireland and, per a city directory, died 27 Mar. 1916. 

1900 - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSLQ-NT5

1910 - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MP1L-455"

I'm actually looking to determine who Jessie Rae is (actually I think Lizzie, or Elizabeth based on the census details), who states she was born in New York on the census docs.  My Grampa was Archibald McKeddie - the person that was going to visit her in New York back in 1919.  He also sent his army payments to her in Newburgh NJ.  I have found that she was still at the same address in 1915, living with her husband.  and she is in a home in 1930.  The 1900 census states that they have only been married for 2 years, but I have searched for their marriage, or either of their deaths and can't find anything at all.  She cannot be a relative of Archie's Mom as they were all born in Scotland and moved to Australia.  His step mom's family is all from Scotland as well. 
The only small possible connection I can find is that Grampa visited Newburgh New York in 1913 with Thomas Moore, who was his cousin's husband - Margaret (nee Fleming).  Margaret's mother was my Grampa's aunt Margaret McKellar.  Again all from Scotland (except for Thomas who was from Ireland).  I just think Newburgh New York is a common thread that might be related?
I hope I'm doing this right!  Any info you might have would be very much appreciated!
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Saturday 13 January 18 18:37 GMT (UK)
You did fine, bonniej.   :)

It's been so long since this thread was started that I've managed to forget all about it.  Luckily, there are some new New York records/indexes online since then, so we may be able to fill in a few blanks.

In case Elizabeth/Libbie is the right person, it appears that she was in a home for aged women in the 1925 NY state census and 1930 federal census.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KSW1-65S
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4R1-PWL

She is in a Middletown, NY city directory from 1922 through 1939.  The NY state death index has an entry for Elizabeth L.S. Rea who died 4 Nov. 1939 in Middletown.  The certificate # was 63856.

The NY state death index also has a death for Andrew D. Rea on 27 Mar 1916 in Newburgh.  His certificate # was 19458.
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: bonniej on Saturday 13 January 18 18:49 GMT (UK)
Wow, thanks!  I'm still going to try to find the marriage and her birth.  I'm wondering if she was a Neilson/Nelson relative.  Will keep working it!
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Saturday 13 January 18 18:51 GMT (UK)
You're welcome!  There should be something out there.

Regarding Andrew & Elizabeth's son Thomas, I think this is his WWII draft registration card, as it gives a birthplace of Newburg, NY:  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3FD-BMJ

Considering his wife's name on there, this may be him in 1910 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MP1S-3P5

The 1920 census shows him with a son named after his father:  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJT3-NM4

Based on his birthdate on the draft registration card, his Social Security claim indicated that Thomas died 4 Aug. 1949.

Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Saturday 13 January 18 19:01 GMT (UK)
Looking more closely at the 1900 census, it looks like Andrew & Libbie had only been married for 2 years and she had no children, so it seems like the children were not hers.  Too bad, because I figured maybe her maiden name would show up in the children's records. 

This looks like Andrew & family in 1880 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZXT-QDN  A possible marriage record for son William gives his mother's name as Agnes Black.  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24Z6-9R1
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: bonniej on Saturday 13 January 18 19:04 GMT (UK)
yes, i did note that they were only married 2 years in 1900, that's why i'm so frustrated that I can't find their marriage anywhere...!  I thought her death records would also show her maiden name, but no luck there either.  I can't find them even on the death index that you mention, no graves that I can find...  I think she went by Lizzie, but I'm not sure why my Grampa called her Jessie, I'm thinking that this must have been transcription errors based on his VERY thick Scottish accent!
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Saturday 13 January 18 19:18 GMT (UK)
New York state death records from that time frame are not generally online.  The death certificate would need to be ordered from the town or the state.  From what I hear, the town is usually faster.  The state charges $22 and usually takes over 6 months if you send it by mail.

If they married in Newburgh, which seems likely, there are not currently any records or indexes for those marriages online.  There is a group called Reclaim the Records that has filed suit to get an index for New York state, as explained here - https://www.reclaimtherecords.org/records-request/9/  They have been successful in a suit to get the NY state death index, so hopefully they will again.  The New York state death index can be viewed year-by-year here:  https://archive.org/details/nydeathindex or searched on Ancestry.com.
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: bonniej on Saturday 13 January 18 19:28 GMT (UK)
thanks again, so the mystery continues!
Appreciate all of your help.  Will let you know if i ever figure this out!
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Saturday 13 January 18 22:04 GMT (UK)
I found a funeral notice for Andrew Rea at the bottom of the page here - https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AyhHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CjQNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1278%2C6813385  It said his funeral would be held at the United Presbyterian Church and internment at St. George's cemetery.
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: bonniej on Saturday 13 January 18 22:40 GMT (UK)
interesting info, but my quest is for Lizzie Rae, I'm desperate for her maiden name!  It's such a mystery because I know all of my Grampa's direct aunts (or so I think!) and why would he be sending his army pay to her in 1917 - right after her husband died - this would indicate a rather close relationship I think...she's the right age to be a relative of his father, but everything states that she was born in New York which throws the entire search out of wack because his direct relatives are from Scotland...
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Saturday 13 January 18 22:51 GMT (UK)
Sometimes it helps to search out all the family members.  I thought she might have been buried with him, which could have led to further information there, but it looks like she wasn't.

I found an obituary for Elizabeth Rea in the Middletown Times Herald from 6 Nov. 1939. It said she was the oldest member of the Brick Reformed Church of Montgomery.  It says she was born in Montgomery to Henry and Susan Merle Lineburgh Smith.  Elizabeth was first married to Charles B. Couch in 1870 and he died 21 years later.  It says she married Andrew in 1898 and he was an elder of the United Presbyterian Church.  Internment would be at the family plot, Brick Church cemetery, Montgomery.  No survivors were mentioned one way or the other.
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Saturday 13 January 18 23:02 GMT (UK)
I think this is her parents' marriage - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6HP-LPK 

I found some Dutch Reformed church records that seem to list her parents' death
It looks like Susan is buried as Lineburgh - http://www.interment.net/data/us/ny/orange/germanreform/german_reform_amc.htm and Henry Smith appears to be the one who died in 1849 - http://www.interment.net/data/us/ny/orange/germanreform/german_reform_miz.htm
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: shellyesq on Saturday 13 January 18 23:06 GMT (UK)
Possible Libbie & Susan in 1870 census - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8VJ-2GD
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: bonniej on Sunday 14 January 18 01:29 GMT (UK)
Wow, you're amazing!  but, this is the weirdest information -  smith (unless you go back 9 generations!) and couch are 2 names that are not in my family tree... so far anyway... I just cannot get my head around this.  But I don't see how it can be wrong, the address for them is the same, the spelling is different than my Grampa's records (one is Mrs A E Rae in 1917 for his army pay, and one is Aunt Jessie Rae in 1919, both documents list 18 S Miller in Newburgh New York.  I think I must be missing something very obvious but none of this seems to make sense (at all!)
I think that Lizzie and Jessie could be misunderstood for sure, and A E Rae vs A D Rea is also understandable.  The rest is making my head spin!

Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: bonniej on Sunday 14 January 18 01:45 GMT (UK)
AHA - Now that I think about it, maybe he was actually related to Andrew Rea, even though that is also not a connection as of yet.  But he was dead in 1917 when grampa started sending money to lizzie, and also when he visited in 1919.  I also found out that Margaret McKellar's daughter married a gentleman named Thomas Moore, born in Ireland in 1879, my grampa travelled to Newburg (where Thomas moved in 1906!) and Thomas was listed as his cousin (actually was his cousin's wife).
Now my head is really spinning, need to take a break and think about this one...
Maybe Thomas Moore's Mum was Andrew Rea's sister?  hmmmm
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: bonniej on Sunday 14 January 18 11:53 GMT (UK)
More AHA moments!  Margaret McKellar married a Fleming, and guess who is living next door to the Rea's BEFORE he married Lizzie - The Johnsons, with Step Son James Fleming and mother Jane!  So I have a lot more to do now... !
Title: Re: James McKeddie Mystery
Post by: bonniej on Friday 19 January 18 00:04 GMT (UK)
I just realized this is way off topic (where is James McKeddie's info?) so I'm sorry, this is my very first time on here, I think I should have started a new topic.

On another note, I still don't know where James McKeddie's backup info is.  We do know that he was born in Midlothian Edinburgh because every document, including his death certificate, states that.  Also, documents that list his parents consistently list his parents as John McKeddie Glassblower, and Mary-Ann Dunn, who were both deceased when he married in 1891, it doesn't say deceased on his first marriage to Jessie McKellar in 1885 for either of them.  It says his father is a glassblower journeyman on the 1885 wedding cert.

So the James McKeddie mystery is still out there in case anyone gets this far down the strings to see this info!