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Messages - Downieabz

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1
Armed Forces / Re: Second Anglo-Afghan War 1878-80
« on: Thursday 01 September 16 19:58 BST (UK)  »
Quote from: Garen on Saturday 27 August 05 16:41 BST (UK)
Hello fellow researchers,

I'm new to this forum and just wanted to register my interest in this campaign (Afghanistan 1878 - 1880). I am happy to help with questions anyone might have, and I am also interested in hearing from the descendants of people who were involved in or around the war.

I have a lot of information at hand but am always interested in more. Queries are welcome, as I like to help out if I can, and it also forces me to look into different aspects of the campaign and I learn more for myself each time.

I have a website, which will be going through some bigger updates over the next few months, at http://www.angloafghanwar.info

All the best -
Garen.

James Downie, son of George Downie and Catherine Fraser, born Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire 26 September 1855, died Mar 1928 Campsie, Stirlingshire, probably served in the 72nd Regiment of Foot in the Battle of Kandahar, according to his obituary:

"Kirkintilloch Gazette Friday 20 April 1928 page 2
The mystery of the disappearance of James Downie, farm servant, Inchbreck, who was last seen on March 12, was solved by the finding of his body on Wednesday afternoon in the Kelvin at Torrance. Downie, who was 72, was for 12 years in the Seaforth Highlanders and took part in Roberts’ march to Kandahar. "

I reached this forum as the first step in researching his military history and would appreciate any help anyone can give me concerning James's part in the second Anglo-Afghan War. He was back in Kirkintilloch in the 1891 Census, working as a carter with his father, so could not have been 12 years in the Seaforths as they were formed only in 1881, However he would probably have transferred to the Seaforths on their formation and probably joined the 72nd before they went to Afghanistan in 1878. I presume that he was no more than a private.

2
Fife / Re: Downie Family, of Kirkcaldy.
« on: Thursday 25 February 16 15:07 GMT (UK)  »
Thomas Downie, the head of the household in 1841, was born on 2 August 1801 and baptized at Alyth, Perthshire on 5 August 1801, son of James Downie and Jean Moncur, his spouse. His baptism entry shows that his father was a weaver in Dundee and Thomas's birthplace is given as Dundee in the 1851 Census. His parents were married on 20 April 1794 in Blairgowrie, at which time James was a weaver in Green of Blyth.

I have a fair bit of information about Thomas's siblings and their descendants, and on Thomas's own descendants if anyone is interested.

3
West Lothian (Linlithgowshire) / Re: Dudgeon
« on: Sunday 10 January 16 21:44 GMT (UK)  »
Quote from: chenderson183 on Sunday 10 January 16 17:12 GMT (UK)
I know this is probably useless information but, I own a book that belonged to Rev.d William Wallace Downie who was a priest at Saint Mary's Cathedral at New Abby off Broughton Street. The book is dated MDCCCL(1850) called "Passaglia Commentari. I bought it at an estate sale. I wanted to know who he was because there's a sticker note inside with his name & the church he was a Rev at. So, I just thought I would share. Because I think it's neat I own something that belonged to a member of your family lineage.

Not at all useless. If you look back, you will see my earlier post includes this:
Quote
As an aside (maybe?), I have a William Downie born about 1796 in Crathie and Braemar who became head gardener at Traquair House. He was almost certainly a Catholic (he had a son who was a priest) and his birth is not recorded in the Braemar or Crathie OPRs. There are lots of loose ends in Braemar as there was a large Catholic population and the Catholic registers don't start till 1820. Some people had one or more of their children registered in the Church of Scotland OPR. He married Ann Frazer in November 1820 in South Leith and his son James Duncan Downie was a Gardener living at 43 Home Street, St Cuthberts in 1841. Unfortunately, William's death certificate, on which his son Robert William Wallace Downie of New Abbey Dumfries was the informant, does not give his mother's name, only the father William Downie Farmer (deceased). Most of the other children emigrated to Queensland and I have been in touch with their descendants.
Your book belonged to Robert William Wallace Downie, son of William Downie, gardener at Traquair House, and Ann Frazer. Can you post an exact transcription of the sticker? He was indeed a priest at St Mary's, Broughton Street, and is listed there in the 1856-7 Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory. He later (before the 1881 Census) moved to New Abbey in Dumfriesshire and he was still there in 1886 when he was the informant on his father's death certificate. I don't think anyone who has contributed to this topic is related (I doubt if I am) but I am in touch with descendants of his father who moved to Queensland. Obviously the priest doesn't have any descendants!

Ian

4
West Lothian (Linlithgowshire) / Re: Dudgeon and Downie
« on: Sunday 10 January 16 21:29 GMT (UK)  »
Quote from: MairiD on Tuesday 26 January 10 22:19 GMT (UK)
I have seen the other 'Downie gardeners' at Juniper Green and Currie but have not found a link with John Downie, latterly of Corstorphine.

As far as I know, there is no link - those are my Downies. James Downie was born on 25 October 1806 in Currie, son of David Downie and Mary Kerr, and died on 28 August 1875 in South Leith. David Downie, his nephew and my great great grandfather, was born on 10 March 1821 in Penicuik, son of George Downie, slater and innkeeper in Juniper Green and his wife Ann Robertson, and died on 21 October 1875 in Juniper Green.

Quote
My brick walls concerned the later lives of James, b. 1844 and John, b. 1848, Edinburgh, the third and fourth sons of John Downie, (1811-1892) the nurseryman and his first wife, Alison Barrie.  They helped their father in the early days.  They may have emigrated.

James B[arrie] Downie died on 19 February 1868 in Edinburgh, as reported in the Dundee Courier and Argus of Friday 21 February 1868 page 4. John Bell Downie did indeed emigrate - he died on 27 March 1871 at Hampden Manse, Jamaica, at the residence of his uncle, the Rev. Thomas Downie - source Banffshire Journal and General Advertiser Tuesday 2 May 1871.

Thomas Downie went first to Nova Scotia as the first minister of the new Presbyterian Church in the Province in 1861 (Dundee Courier Wednesday 24 December 1862 page 4).

That should help with your brick wall.

Ian

5
Dumfriesshire / Re: Kirtle Parish in Annan OPR
« on: Friday 15 February 13 16:20 GMT (UK)  »
Thanks but I know exactly where it is what I want to know is why it appeared in the Annan parish register as a new parish and why it disappeared again in 1844.

6
Dumfriesshire / Kirtle Parish in Annan OPR
« on: Wednesday 13 February 13 17:24 GMT (UK)  »
I've been looking for Downies who I know were born in Annan from later Censuses but found only one of them in the main list in the Annan OPR (Film 812/2 on the reel provided by GROS). Three of them were recorded later in the same film, in the section beginning with the following page title:
The Session-Book of the Parish of Kirtle

The list of names is preceded by:
The New Parish was constituted on the 24th of July 1838

There are numbered entries for each year in this format
1839
no 7. John Downie and his Wife Jane Gordon has a daughter born at Dumbrettan on the 19th of April and named at her baptism on the 21st of April - Janet

The list continues until this one:
1844
No. 5. Irving Taylor and his wife Elinor Liddly had had a son born at Millhouses on the 9th of July and was baptised the 24th July Irving
 
This entry is overwritten "inserted without authority" though there are two more entries for the same year after it. There are no further entries.

Can anyone shed light on the history of Kirtle Parish?

7
Northumberland / Re: ferdinand fredric rudolf meier
« on: Thursday 01 December 11 13:24 GMT (UK)  »
That's very helpful, Janis. Could you transcribe the other six if it isn't too much trouble?

The first three children were baptized elsewhere:

Baptisms solemnized in the Chapelry of Newbiggin in the County of Northumberland in the Year 1814 no 16 
Baptized May 3d Mary Ann Daughter of William and Mary Downie Newbiggin Seaman by The Revd Benj. Kennicott Vicar

Baptisms solemnized in the Parish of Tynemouth in the County of Northumberland in the Year 1815 no 1271 PBT/2/255/1018
[1815 December] 5th John Son of Willm and Mary Ann Downey North Shields Mariner by Wm. Haswell Lecturer

William baptized 29 Dec 1816 Christ Church, Tynemouth [IGI C155983]

Ian

8
Northumberland / Re: ferdinand fredric rudolf meier
« on: Thursday 01 December 11 12:21 GMT (UK)  »
I'm searching the British Newspaper Archive (which is not free, but not too expensive) and have found the marriage notice for Mary Ann Downie and Ferdinand Frederick Rudolph Meier:

Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury Sat 11 Dec 1852 page 8
At North Shields, at the Baptist Chapel, on the 8th inst. by the Rev. J. D. Carrick, Ferdinand Frederick Rudolph, son of Frederick Meier, Esq., collector of customs, Stettin, to Mary Ann, eldest daughter of Mr Wm. Downie, shipowner, North Shields.

Mary Ann's birth is recorded in IGI, in the  Stephenson Street Particular Baptist Church film C092111: 7 April 1830. Her father William was born on 8 February 1786 at Newbiggin according to the family bible of his parents, John Downie of Dalvanie, Glenisla (born 15 April 1750) and Mary Lisle.

If you read this, Cathy, I would be interested in any information you have on the daughter who married in Edinburgh. William and Mary Ann had seven sons and only three daughters (one another Mary Ann who presumably died before the other one was born in 1830); the remaining daughter was Isabella born 17 July 1833 (again recorded in C092111).

Ian Downie (probably not related)

9
Northumberland Lookup Requests / Re: Robt Downey-Death info-N.Shields, Nbl
« on: Wednesday 20 October 10 08:41 BST (UK)  »
Quote from: ankerpep_52 on Wednesday 20 October 10 00:11 BST (UK)
I went through all of the incorrect certificates received & I had ordered the 1858 Death for Robert-This one is 34 yrs & was a colliery labourer, residing at Stable Row, Seaton Delaval.  Now back to square one---I do wish the ages were put onto the BMD-It would save ordering the wrong certificates and getting frustrated.     Janet
This Robert was the son of George Downie (tailor) and Maria Stark.

While looking for him, I found in my database the death of Robert Downie, son of your Robert and Ann Fitchard, who died in Glasgow on 22 September 1887 aged 38. He was married to Helen Anderson. If you send me a personal message with your email address, I will send you a copy of the certificate, which gives much more information than an English one.

Ian

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