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Banffshire / Re: Mitchell mystery in Portsoy.
« on: Sunday 27 May 12 10:04 BST (UK) »
I have a Mitchell mystery in Portsoy too, and I'm beginning to wonder whether it's the same person.
I've been asked to identify the *step*brother of Minnie in a photograph a copy of which I've had for some years. The penny has only just dropped that the person that Minnie's daughter (my second cousin) gave me (James Riach] is actually a *half*brother.
That set me looking deeper, and I alighted on this thread as the result.
Martha Jane Farquhar was second wife of Alexander Riach whose first wife Elizabeth Geddes is one of mine on my paternal side. As well, her dau Williamina Ann Grant Riach ('Minnie'] marr James Duff Wilson Adamson who is one of mine on my maternal side. Obviously I would like to add to the info I already have on these family lines, and happy to reciprocate.
But it's the mention of Jean Mitchell in this thread... Until yesterday I hadn't connected this Martha Jane Farquhar with Hay Farquhar and his mother Jean Mitchell.
Ann Smith of 2 Schoolhendry St calls herself a cousin when she is informant upon the illeg birth of Jessie Morrison Watson to Margaret Watson in Chapel St Portsoy on 1 Dec 1864. Margaret Watson was d/o blacksmith William Watson & Jessie Geddes my 3xgtgdparents.
Ann Smith was born 1820/21 in Portsoy. She died 23 Jul 1907 at 54 Church St, when her gddau Jane Wilson gave her parents as George Smith general merchant and Jane Scott ms Mitchell. Jane Wilson was born 19 Mar 1885 illeg d/o Jane Ann Littlejohn who herself was illeg d/o Ann Smith. It looks like Ann Smith was also illeg.
Finding out just how Ann Smith was related is proving near impossible, especially as one cannot put too much reliabilty on someone knowing accurately the names of her gtgdparents of some 86 years previously. But Jane Wilson was very specific. I have a fair candidate for George Smith; I'm drawing a blank on Jane Mitchell.
But now I find not only that there is ample time enough for Ann Smith to be born to Jane Mitchell before her Farquhar marriage, but also that in 1851 Alexander Farquhar & Jane Mitchell lived next door to said William Watson & Jessie Geddes, and in all likelihood Hay Farquhar worked alongside or indeed was employed by William Watson.
The grandmother of Jessie Geddes is named as Janet Moir, who I can estimate as born approx 1760. And Janet Mitchell's mother is named as Janet Moir, who since married in 1797, could be the same person. By my reckoning, there is potential for Ann Smith and Jessie Geddes to be cousins, with Ann Smith being 1st cousin twice-removed to the child whose birth she registered.
Another connection. Is this Ann Farquhar d/o Hay Farquhar?
1892: same Jessie Morrison Watson had an illeg child Alfred Morrison who died. Informant: "Ann Farquhar Nurse Present N.H.S Portsoy". N.H.S will be North High Street, not National Health Service!
1894: Jane Watson dies. Informant: "Ann Farquhar neighbour present North High St Portsoy".
Maybe this is all simply coincidences of names, but it does bear looking into.
Re the Cairnrankie shipwreck, my Watsons had almost exactly the same story - they watched their man's boat wreck itself at Portsoy - indeed so close to the harbour "that all the crew got off and went home for their tea; Capt Watson was so ashamed he never went to sea again". I eventually solved the story with the excellent help of Davy Mair from Buckie Fishing Heritage Museum - the boat was the Jane Shearer and it foundered at Cullen, the whole town came out to watch, it was reported in the local papers and I even have a photograph of the boat foundering. The timbers can still be seen over 100 years later at low tide after a swell, right in the corner of Cullen Bay beside the harbour wall.
I wonder if the two family stories relate to the same event?
And the halfbrother or stepbrother anomaly? I can see no reason to suspect a stepbrother situation, so a Riach halfbrother he is.
Sorry for the long post, but at least two longstanding brick walls of mine look as they might be about to crumble.
How best to proceed?
I've been asked to identify the *step*brother of Minnie in a photograph a copy of which I've had for some years. The penny has only just dropped that the person that Minnie's daughter (my second cousin) gave me (James Riach] is actually a *half*brother.
That set me looking deeper, and I alighted on this thread as the result.
Martha Jane Farquhar was second wife of Alexander Riach whose first wife Elizabeth Geddes is one of mine on my paternal side. As well, her dau Williamina Ann Grant Riach ('Minnie'] marr James Duff Wilson Adamson who is one of mine on my maternal side. Obviously I would like to add to the info I already have on these family lines, and happy to reciprocate.
But it's the mention of Jean Mitchell in this thread... Until yesterday I hadn't connected this Martha Jane Farquhar with Hay Farquhar and his mother Jean Mitchell.
Ann Smith of 2 Schoolhendry St calls herself a cousin when she is informant upon the illeg birth of Jessie Morrison Watson to Margaret Watson in Chapel St Portsoy on 1 Dec 1864. Margaret Watson was d/o blacksmith William Watson & Jessie Geddes my 3xgtgdparents.
Ann Smith was born 1820/21 in Portsoy. She died 23 Jul 1907 at 54 Church St, when her gddau Jane Wilson gave her parents as George Smith general merchant and Jane Scott ms Mitchell. Jane Wilson was born 19 Mar 1885 illeg d/o Jane Ann Littlejohn who herself was illeg d/o Ann Smith. It looks like Ann Smith was also illeg.
Finding out just how Ann Smith was related is proving near impossible, especially as one cannot put too much reliabilty on someone knowing accurately the names of her gtgdparents of some 86 years previously. But Jane Wilson was very specific. I have a fair candidate for George Smith; I'm drawing a blank on Jane Mitchell.
But now I find not only that there is ample time enough for Ann Smith to be born to Jane Mitchell before her Farquhar marriage, but also that in 1851 Alexander Farquhar & Jane Mitchell lived next door to said William Watson & Jessie Geddes, and in all likelihood Hay Farquhar worked alongside or indeed was employed by William Watson.
The grandmother of Jessie Geddes is named as Janet Moir, who I can estimate as born approx 1760. And Janet Mitchell's mother is named as Janet Moir, who since married in 1797, could be the same person. By my reckoning, there is potential for Ann Smith and Jessie Geddes to be cousins, with Ann Smith being 1st cousin twice-removed to the child whose birth she registered.
Another connection. Is this Ann Farquhar d/o Hay Farquhar?
1892: same Jessie Morrison Watson had an illeg child Alfred Morrison who died. Informant: "Ann Farquhar Nurse Present N.H.S Portsoy". N.H.S will be North High Street, not National Health Service!
1894: Jane Watson dies. Informant: "Ann Farquhar neighbour present North High St Portsoy".
Maybe this is all simply coincidences of names, but it does bear looking into.
Re the Cairnrankie shipwreck, my Watsons had almost exactly the same story - they watched their man's boat wreck itself at Portsoy - indeed so close to the harbour "that all the crew got off and went home for their tea; Capt Watson was so ashamed he never went to sea again". I eventually solved the story with the excellent help of Davy Mair from Buckie Fishing Heritage Museum - the boat was the Jane Shearer and it foundered at Cullen, the whole town came out to watch, it was reported in the local papers and I even have a photograph of the boat foundering. The timbers can still be seen over 100 years later at low tide after a swell, right in the corner of Cullen Bay beside the harbour wall.
I wonder if the two family stories relate to the same event?
And the halfbrother or stepbrother anomaly? I can see no reason to suspect a stepbrother situation, so a Riach halfbrother he is.
Sorry for the long post, but at least two longstanding brick walls of mine look as they might be about to crumble.
How best to proceed?