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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Banffshire => Topic started by: Mart 'n' Al on Monday 04 February 19 16:57 GMT (UK)
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We have the will of an ancestor, dated 1869. On it he gives his address as Schoolhill, Macduff. Schoolhill is spelled as all one word. I have been unable to definitively locate this street or house on contemporary maps and would be grateful for any local knowledge. I have found School Lane, Macduff, and I have also found contemporary documents listing the houses in one postcode including 2A Schoolhill.
https://checkmypostcode.uk/ab441tq#.XFht7Vz7SUk
This link takes you to a picture of it on Google Street View:
https://www.google.com/maps/@57.6704608,-2.4968583,3a,90y,244.13h,95.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saGJAmxSL5joOC6a4W4LvmA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
It also Bears the name Aurtigh (any translation? Google suggests 'airtight'!), so I would be grateful if anyone can tell me if this house is "Schoolhill", or whether I am totally wrong. Thank you in advance.
Martin
Martin
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What's the person's name?
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GR2,
Until 1873 he was called James Laird. His late wife was Elizabeth.
I never expected a reply at all, let alone so fast! It looks a great house, if I have the right place.
Martin
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Is this him?
Sacred to the memory of Elizabeth Laird d. 12 May 1869 aged 74. James Laird d. 28 Feb. 1873 aged 82. His grandson James Laird d. 2 June 1864 aged 5 wks. Ann Milne widow of William Wilson late of Macduff d. 3 Jan. 1918 aged 80. Erected by his son James.
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GR2, that is truly amazing and the family will be impressed and very grateful. If I send you a private message is any photograph available, or was this from internet research? On the back of the will, which I only recently realised was the will of James who died in 1873, and not the will of Captain James Laird, born Aberdeen 1821, died 1897 in Brentford London. It seems a stupid mistake now. The will mentions Annie, his, sister, to whom he leaves, I think, from memory, his bed clothes, and her son William Wilson is effectively the executor as the will is addressed to him. Captain Laird extensively sailed the world between 1840 and 1890, including North and South America, South Africa, and all over the Far East, China, Japan and Australia. I've spent much of the last year researching his life.
Thank you a dozen times for your time and efforts and anything else will be most helpful. Do you think the house shown in the Google Street View link is the one referred in the will as Schoolhill?
Macduff looks like a wonderful picturesque Village from what I have seen on Google Street View.
I am confused by the Line. ",Erected by his son James.". Captain Laird died in 1897, so I am confused about this in view of the 1918 dates that you mentioned. I'm not sure which James it refers to. Could James be the son of Anne and William Wilson?
Martin
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There is a specific reference to Schoolhill, Macduff here (3rd paragraph) http://www.macduffparishchurch.org.uk/history.htm
If all else fails you could email the church to find out if Schoolhill = School Lane.
The street you identified in your original posting was certainly called School Lane on this late 1860's map https://maps.nls.uk/view/75066610#zoom=5&lat=5890&lon=7102&layers=BT
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"Erected by his son James" will have been inscribed when the stone was erected. The bit about Ann Milne will have been added later on.
I have a book of the monumental inscriptions in Doune Kirkyard at Macduff. Some of my ancestors are buried there.
Do you know James Laird senior's parents' names? If so I can have a look to see if there is a stone to them either at Doune or, more likely, in St John's Kirkyard.
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It also Bears the name Aurtigh (any translation? Google suggests 'airtight'!)
That looks to me like a rather clumsy attempt to bestow a name on a house that would not originally have had a name.
'Tigh' is Gaelic for 'house' and I can only think it's a 20th century effort to call it 'our house' but make it look authentic by using 'aur' instead of 'our'. The combination of letters 'aur' does not occur in Gaelic, or at least I haven't found any words that incorporate it in my Gaelic dictionary, and I doubt that Gaelic has been widely spoken in Gamrie while the house has stood there.
In fact the only words that spring to mind containing 'aur' at this moment (there are no doubt plenty of others) are 'centaur', 'aurora', aurochs', 'aura' and 'glaur', the last one being the Scots word for mud.
I would expect Schoolhill to be a lane or street leading uphill to or from a school, not a single house.
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There are 2 court documents which refer to "11 Schoolhill, Macduff, Gamrie, Banffshire" so one would expect that there were several houses there.
Malky
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In the 1881 census there are several houses in School Hill, and in the same enumeration district are School Lane (so School Lane is not the same as School Hill), Shore, Market Street, Paterson Street, Crook o' Ness Street, Paterson Street, Nicol's Brae, Gellymill Street and Duff Street - not necessarily the whole of any of these streets.
See https://maps.nls.uk/view/75066610 (zoom in as necessary).
So it is somewhere inside the block bounded by Shore, Crook o' Ness Street, Gellymill Street and Duff Street. I'm not quite sure how it manages to include houses in Market Street but not in Skene Street!
If I were asked to guess where School Hill is/was I'd go for the narrow lane between the 'P' of Paterson Street and the gap between 'S' and 'T' of Crook o' Ness Street.
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Not that it help to locate it, but there are many references to people living in Schoolhill in the 'Macduff Roll of Honour, 1914 - 1918' here https://archive.org/details/rollofhonour19141919dick (use the search box top right).
There are no references at all to any one being from School Lane - is that just coincidence?
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Thank you all for your help. I am following all of these. I see the Slaughter House at the corner of Nicols Brae and Paterson Street is conveniently placed! I have emailed the church.
GR2, Unconfirmed but highly likely, the parents of James (1790-1873) were James (1754- ) and Mary (1758- ).
I'd love to hear about your findings.
Martin
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I can't see any other likely Laird gravestones at Doune or St John's Kirkyards.
James senior's death certificate should name his parents. Have you found him on any census to confirm his place of birth?
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GR2, until you mentioned him yesterday I'd not really given him a thought, thinking it was too far back to justify the effort although I would love to know about him. However if he was born in the mid 1750s there is a good chance that he didn't survive until 1841. I must also plead ignorance of the procedures for finding out about Scottish ancestors which is something I am trying to correct. He might have had connections with Gamrie.
The only other thing I have, is that James and Elizabeth, who died in the 1870s might have been living in Liverpool in Sparling Street in 1861. I have a James and Elizabeth Laird with James working as a ship's keeper. Birthplace Scotland, the ages seem about right, but it's far from conclusive. Thanks for your continuing efforts. One last thing, the son of James and Elizabeth, the one who erected the stone, had a son born just outside Liverpool in 1872 which strengthens the possibility that his parents were in Liverpool at about the time. I haven't been able to find anything else about them.
Martin
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I must also plead ignorance of the procedures for finding out about Scottish ancestors which is something I am trying to correct.
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=24468.0
Basically everything you need to get started is at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, which is pay-per-view but modestly priced. Scottish civil registration certificates are much more informative than English ones. In particular, a death certificate tells you the full names of the parents of the deceased, including the deceased's mother's maiden surname (assuming of course that the informant knew that).
I see that both James and Elizabeth's deaths were registered in Banff, so if you go to Scotland's People you can instantly download images of the death certificates of Elizabeth in 1869 and James in 1873, which will cost you £3 (£1.50 each).
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Forfarian, SP is in my plans, time is my only restriction, but most of all I'd like to know about the first marriage of 1821 James Laird. His 1864 marriage lists him as widow, but I can not find an earlier marriage. It is possible it was on an overseas voyage, or even at sea, but I doubt it.
Martin
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This is a transcription, so you would have to check this out for accuracy with the original on Scotland's People, but it looks like the James Laird who died in 1873 was living in Macduff in 1871, with William and Ann Wilson, both of whom are mentioned in the memorial inscription.
1871 census
93 Duff Street, Macduff
William Wilson, head, m, 52, feuar, Gamrie, Banffshire
Ann Wilson, wife, m, 32, King Edward, Aberdeenshire
James Laird, uncle, widower, 80, retired seaman, Gamrie Banffshire
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JenB, that is lovely. I know that he was at Schoolhill, Macduff in 1869, from his will. Ann is his sister, to whom he left his late wife's bed clothes. William Wilson is here, clearly Ann's husband. James's will also mentions 'William Wilson my sister's son'. What is 'feuar'? (Ah, Definition of feuar. Scots law. : one who holds a feu.) https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=547811.0
A free and gratuitous right to lands made to one for service to be performed by him; a tenure where the vassal, in place of military services, makes a return in grain or in money
http://www.encyclo.co.uk/webster/F/23
This does all make me want to visit Macduff.
I notice that 93 Duff Street, Macduff is mysteriously blurred on StreetView. You can ask Google to do this.
I wonder why he moved from Schoolhill to Duff Street in his dotage.
Martin
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Forfarian, SP is in my plans, time is my only restriction, but most of all I'd like to know about the first marriage of 1821 James Laird. His 1864 marriage lists him as widow, but I can not find an earlier marriage. It is possible it was on an overseas voyage, or even at sea, but I doubt it.
Normally, if someone was married more than once, the death certificate gives the names of all spouses (assuming the informant knew this).
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I wonder why he moved from Schoolhill to Duff Street in his dotage.
Maybe he couldn't manage on his own after Elizabeth died, and moved in with with his nephew or niece.
Putting 'feuar' as an occupation is a bit of a cop-out, because it doesn't really tell how he made his living.
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I'd wondered that, but even blurred out #93 looks substantial, and better than anywhere in School Lane. I doubt I'll ever know.
Martin
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William Wilson, baptised Gamrie 16 June 1818, parents James Wilson and Isobel Laird.
Siblings Margaret, baptised 17 May 1814
Mary, 23 January 1816
Elisa, twin of William
Isobel, 14 September 1820
George, 11 August 1822
John, 20 March 1825
Martha, 2 April 1827
Ann, 12 June 1829
Margaret, 24 April 1833
all in Gamrie.
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So who was 'William Wilson my sister's son'?
Martin
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This may be Forfarian's Wilsons:
In memory of Isabella Laird, wife of James Wilson, farmer in Upper Auchnamoon of Byth, who died 30th June 1849 aged 60. Also the said James Wilson, who died 24th April 1850 aged 65 years. Also their son William who died 5th August 1872 aged 54 years.
In St John's Kirkyard.
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That's them. So James Laird who died in 1873 had a sister Isabella who married James Wilson and became the parents of all those children. William's death certificate should confirm that his parents were James Wilson and Isabella Laird.
Looks as if they were at Greenskairs in 1841 (though I wonder who Suffia was?)
Piece: SCT1841/155 Place: Gamrie
Address: Greenskairs
WILSON James M 55 Farmer Banffshire
WILSON Isabel F 50 Banffshire
WILSON Suffia F 30 Banffshire
WILSON George M 15 Banffshire
WILSON Martha F 14 Banffshire
WILSON Margaret F 8 Banffshire
WILSON Stephen M 11 Banffshire
Looks as if Stephen was the son of William Wilson and Jean Andrew, baptised in Alvah 17 January 1830.
https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ7763
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Stephen was not a very common name, so there may be a link with these folk at Logie, Gamrie, in 1841:
Stephen Wilson, "80", Independent, not born Banffshire
Ann Wilson, "75", born Banffshire
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Thanks everyone, I will be studying this carefully. I feel a holiday coming on, too.
Martin
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I feel a holiday coming on, too.
Some photographs of Macduff https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=91171102
Note that the photographs labelled 'Macduff Parish Kirk' are of the Doune Kirk. Gamrie Parish Kirk isn't in Macduff, but several miles east https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ7962
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I was looking at Gamrie on StreetView. Apart from a very interesting-looking, well-packed cemetery, there doesn't see to be a lot there, considering how many Lairds seem to have come from there.
Martin
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I was looking at Gamrie on StreetView. Apart from a very interesting-looking, well-packed cemetery, there doesn't see to be a lot there, considering how many Lairds seem to have come from there
Don't confuse the parish of Gamrie with the town of Macduff, which is just one small part of the parish.
There's always something going on in Macduff Harbour, and the Marine Aquarium is well worth a visit. There were, and may still be next summer, boat trips along the coast. If you're into geology there are some very interesting features, and if you are keen on birds there are usually plenty in Banff Bay, to the west. That's between Macduff and Banff, which is full of historic buildings, including Duff House. East of Macduff are some of my favourite cliffs, though you need to be used to fairly rugged walking to make the best of them. Picturesque villages along the coast include Gardenstown, Crovie and Pennan (featured in the film 'Local Hero'). Troup Head has the only mainland Gannet colony in Scotland, and a chance of good seabird-watching including the occasional Puffin. The Den of Troup has some excellent walks, best at the end of May when the whins (gorse) are in flower.
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Ah, just before I saw your last post I realised I was looking at Gamrie Cemetery, not Gardenstown. It looks like a good walk from town to church.
Macduff looks idyllic. Thanks again.
Do you live locally? Alice is a birder, and we went to Farne in Northumberland last summer and saw just one puffin, but we were a week or two late.
Martin
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Ah, just before I saw your last post I realised I was looking at Gamrie Cemetery, not Gardenstown. It likes like a good walk from town to church.
It is seven or eight miles. Hence the building of the Doune kirk to serve the much larger population of the town.
Do you live locally?
About an hour's drive away.
Alice is a birder, and we went to Farne in Northumberland last summer and saw just one puffin, but we were a week or two late.
Best place for Puffins is the Isle of May - easily accessible by boat from Anstruther. 42,000 pairs according to the boat skipper last summer.
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Some new photographs of Macduff including School Lane
http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=91552403
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Thanks again, it looks good for research and a holiday.
Martin
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We have the will of an ancestor, dated 1869. On it he gives his address as Schoolhill, Macduff. Schoolhill is spelled as all one word. I have been unable to definitively locate this street or house on contemporary maps and would be grateful for any local knowledge. I have found School Lane, Macduff, and I have also found contemporary documents listing the houses in one postcode including 2A Schoolhill.
https://checkmypostcode.uk/ab441tq#.XFht7Vz7SUk
This link takes you to a picture of it on Google Street View:
https://www.google.com/maps/@57.6704608,-2.4968583,3a,90y,244.13h,95.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saGJAmxSL5joOC6a4W4LvmA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
It also Bears the name Aurtigh (any translation? Google suggests 'airtight'!), so I would be grateful if anyone can tell me if this house is "Schoolhill", or whether I am totally wrong. Thank you in advance.
Martin
Martin
There is some info here :
https://www.checkpostcode.uk/ab441tq