Forbes

[Magian]

Is anyone else looking into the family of John Forbes who married Katherine Taylor 15/5/1801 at Cullen.

According to the IGI they were both born at Claypotts, Cullen yet I can no trace of a Claypotts at Cullen.

John born 1776
Katherine born 1780

Any help is appreciated

Margaret

[MonicaL]

Hi Margaret

The birth entry for John Forbes is a submitted entry rather than an actual extract from the OPRs and the place name of Claypotts may have been entered in error. There is the index entry from the OPRs to John Forbes's marriage in 1801 and that's simply Cullen, Banff. I can see no reference to a Claypotts in Banff only this reference to Claypotts Castle near Dundee http://www.electricscotland.com/history/gazetteer/vol1page265.htm

Regards.
Monica

[Forfarian]

Looking at the IGI suggests that someone has been looking at this family and has submitted details taken from the parish register, because the list of children 'submitted' more or less matches the list of children 'extracted' from the parish register.

As far as John and Katherine being born at Claypots, and their dates of birth, the angle brackets show that this an estimate, based on the idea that they would have been aged 25 and 21 respectively at the time of their marriage, and that they were both born in the same place where their family were born.

Claypots Bridge is marked on the 1871 Ordnance Survey map. Go to www.old-maps.co.uk and search for Grid Ref: 350435,866666. You will need to zoom in to see it. In modern terms it is National Grid reference NJ504667.

However it does not seem to be listed in the current post code directory, so presumably no longer exists as a dwelling house. For confirmation of this, try the Seafield Estates Office, Cathay House, York Place, Cullen, Buckie, Banffshire, Scotland AB56 4UW.

The Seafield Estates archives are in the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh www.nas.gov.uk - but be warned, there are said to be two and a half tons of documents, so searching it for your people could take a long time!

[Magian]

Thanks very much for this information. I have had a look at the old map and the current one and both have Home Farm listed (so some things never change!).

I am hoping to get up to Cullen later this year so will have a look around.

I am interested to read about the Seafield Estates Office as I wrote to them asking for information on 2 former employees (my great grandfather and great grandmother). I was advised that they couldn't assist as they hold no records of former employees. I found this very hard to believe but didn't argue. I will pursue this through the NAS.

Again, many thanks for your help.

Margaret

[Forfarian]

I am not at all surprised to hear that the Estates Office in Cullen has no staff records - I imagine that any such which survive would indeed have been transferred to the NAS.