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Messages - ahtraM

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1
Stirlingshire / Re: Fanny McAlpine and Robert Stevenson Bannockburn
« on: Sunday 11 January 15 23:58 GMT (UK)  »
Hello Mrs BT

Apologies for the delay in posting a response to your query here.  I think I found the article on Genes Reunited.   It was definitely listed in the Stirling Observer dated 24th January 1861.

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Stirlingshire / Re: Fanny McAlpine and Robert Stevenson Bannockburn
« on: Sunday 16 March 14 18:43 GMT (UK)  »
Sandy

That is interesting to hear that the owner of Birkhill house at that time may have been a doctor, because other than at a Church, it would make sense at that time to leave a foundling at a Doctor's house.

I think being found at Birkhill explains the "Birkhill" part of her name, but of course that leaves the "Mcalpine" part....unless she was adopted by a family called Mcalpine, or even married/lived with someone called Mcalpine before she married Robert Stevenson.  I can't think of any other reasons for the name "Mcalpine" to appear on documents.   Even though it is the end of the line searching for her forebears, there may still be wee snippets of facts which can round out her life.

Thanks for that info.  I'll do a wee bit of research on Birkhill House and the families who lived there, just for "background".   It's amazing how often "gut feeling" can help researching ancestors (as long as you don't go down the wrong family line as a result of not making certain of your facts)

3
Stirlingshire / Re: Fanny McAlpine and Robert Stevenson Bannockburn
« on: Saturday 01 March 14 20:03 GMT (UK)  »
Just an update on the confusion surrounding Fanny Birkhill McAlpine Stevenson.   I have recently found a newspaper Obituary for her, and it would appear that she was a foundling in the vicinity of Birkhill....so the probable reason for that name.   The newspaper article (dated 24th January 1861) says

 
Quote
"STEVENSON - At Bannockburn Muir, on the 17th inst., Fanny Birkhill, wife of Mr Robert Stevenson, in the 63rd year of her age.   Deceased was found 63 years ago at Birkhill, Parish of St Ninians, and strange to say no trace could ever be got of her father or mother

Obviously there is no way to trace "Fanny's" parents........unless it was the Laird and the scullery maid  ;), so that just leaves the question of where the "McAlpine" in her name came from, (as it appears on so many certificates).  Possibly she was adopted by a family called McAlpine. ???   Her name throughout my search has been as fluid as it could possibly be, but I wonder, if in such a close knit area such as Bannockburn, that perhaps they did know who the mother was, and that "Fanny" might be the only of her names which doffs a hat at her true parentage. ???

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Stirlingshire / Re: Fanny McAlpine and Robert Stevenson Bannockburn
« on: Friday 24 May 13 00:45 BST (UK)  »
Hi Sandy

I have just seen your post.   I think we have hit the 1745 Rebellion influence with the McAlpines.   My feeling is that they were averse to being recorded anywhere, and it would appear that even Fanny's own children were not totally sure of her maiden name, as she appears as "Birkhill" or "McAlpine" in various certificates.   The one which ties it all together is her son Robert's marriage certificate where she is listed as "Fanny Birkhill Stevenson" maiden surname "McAlpine".   There is also the possibility that she may have married someone called Birkhill before she married my relative....and round we go again.....

Of course, what didn't help was the amount of time I spent looking for combinations of "Fanny", "Birkhill", "Mcalpine" and "Stevenson" only to be told that Scotland's People had wrongly filed her under "Janet Stevenson"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Of course her death certificate not having parents names, and no sign of a marriage certificate seems to have brought definitive proof to an end.  I'll keep dipping back into her background in the hope a Eureka moment will start things moving again.   Thanks for your thoughts....I'll try to follow more of the McAlpine families in Bannockburn to see if I can make any tenuous links which may lead to a real find.

5
Stirlingshire / Re: Fanny McAlpine and Robert Stevenson Bannockburn
« on: Saturday 02 March 13 15:42 GMT (UK)  »
Sandy

I've spotted the Jenkins connection in the past, and have been trying to work around various Jenkins Trees I have seen.   Yes, there must be a connection as my relatives lived in Muiralehouse, Bannockburn, and when you check "Tom Paterson Genealogy" you often find several houses in one street occupied by siblings after their marriages.

I have found that Fanny Birkhill/McAlpine Stevenson seemed to be very averse to documentation.   I can find no birth certificate for her, or her children, although her husband's parents seem to have recorded births.

I really do wonder if her family just took the name Birkhill from the Birkhill House Estate which is so close to where she lived (and where they may even have worked).   It does seem a strange coincidence to have the name Birkhill with an estate of that name so close by, given that Birkhill seems to be a very unusual Scottish name, together with Fanny's apparant dislike of having her name documented (until forced to by official Registers came into effect).

6
Stirlingshire / Re: Fanny McAlpine and Robert Stevenson Bannockburn
« on: Saturday 06 February 10 12:22 GMT (UK)  »
Hi DDJJake

No, I'm not sure I've even been to that part of Stirling.  There doesn't seem to be any connection to Bannockburn after my GGrandad Robert (William and Janet Henderson's son) left Bannockburn, although all roads seem to lead back to St Ninians for so many of the various strands of my Family Tree.

I only discovered the "Birkhill Estate" connection after Jean confirmed Fanny had Birkhill as a second name on so many documents, and then decided to ferret about to see if I could find out if the name Birkhill was possibly connected to a placename as well as a Surname - having a village called Birkhill nearby lit that lightbulb.  That's when I discovered all the street names called Birkhill in the vicinity.

Sad, I haven't found a long lost relative this time, but thanks for all the info you have given me.   Much appreciated.

Cheers
ahtraM

7
Stirlingshire / Re: Fanny McAlpine and Robert Stevenson Bannockburn
« on: Saturday 06 February 10 00:23 GMT (UK)  »
DDJJake

What can I say!   Thank you very much for all that information.   I had started down the road sorting out Robert and his parents Robert and Katharine, but this will help me confirm what I have found or will find.  A lot of the names which appear in the first grouping of Robert Stevenson and Katharine Mackieson children, are almost exactly the same names as the children of Robert Stevenson and Fanny Birkhill McAlpine.   The final grouping you gave me is also names which have appeared in recent generations of my family, (over and over) if you change Jennet to Janet.

I've been following the Scottish naming patterns etc and it is such a help when you hit a brick wall, to actually be able to pull that one out of the hat to see if it gets you through the brick wall.

I had moved onto another branch of the family, as I was all "Stevenson-ed out" after the Fanny McAlpine/Fanny Birkhill/Janet Stevenson false leads, but now that you have given me all this information it has put a new sprint in my step.

Cheers and thank you very much for this help

8
Stirlingshire / Re: Fanny McAlpine and Robert Stevenson Bannockburn
« on: Monday 01 February 10 19:42 GMT (UK)  »
Jean

I had to come back and thank you for the help with Fanny Birkhill/Mcalpine.   I have been uploading documents for the children of the family and in amongst all of it, (there are a lot of children) there is a Marriage Certificate for Fanny and Robert's son Robert and his wife Isabella.   His parents are listed as Robert Stevenson and "Fanny Birkhill Stevenson, M.S. McAlpine".   So, we have managed to tie the McAlpine and Birkhill together as the same person.   A sad note is that Robert and Isabella were married for less than three months before Robert died. :'(

It was a totally unexpected Eureka moment, and I now feel that as Fanny's Death Cert lists "Parents unknown", that I have probably gone as far back as I can with this line.   I cannot thank you enough for finding Fanny wrongly indexed as Janet, and giving me the incentive to just keep ploughing on.

I also took your advice and contacted Scotlandspeople to point out that Fanny was wrongly indexed as Janet.  Have to wait and see what they say.

I'll just keep ploughing on with Fanny's husband Robert and see, if after all this time, I can find a breakthrough with him (his parents are listed as Robert Stevenson and Catherine Mackieson on his Death Cert, so I think I will now concentrate on him.   Strange how you become a bit obsessed with one of your ancestors.   Fanny has been that one for me.

I cannot thank you enough for your help.

9
Stirlingshire / Re: Fanny McAlpine and Robert Stevenson Bannockburn
« on: Friday 29 January 10 19:44 GMT (UK)  »
Of course, when I thought of the village near me named Birkhill, I decided to see if there is any information about a Birkhill nearer Bannockburn, and found an Estate called Birkhill in the 17th Century and Birkhill House and umpteem Birkhill connections to Cambusbarron and even the Parish of St Ninians (which contains Bannockburn) ::)

Fanny has proved a bit of an enigma, and it may be that her name simply comes from the area she came from.   

I even wondered if as a McAlpine her parents generation may have changed their name to something else.   All speculation and no use in my quest, but, it is nice to find that although Birkhill may be an unusual name, it seems to have been all around her in placenames from where she lived during her life.

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