"Erected by Alexander Peterkin, Farmer in Skeith, to the memory of his father John Peterkin, later Farmer there, who died on the 22nd December 1820 agred 55 years. Also of his brother James Peterkin, who died the 26th July the same year aged 7 years. Likewise in memory of the above mentioned Alexander Peterkin who died at Dytach the 11th September 1810 aged 31 years."
AlanZed, is there possibly an error here?
If Alexander P died in 1810, how could he erect a stone to his father and brother who died ten years later? Could this be 1840 rather than 1810?
John Peterkin and Elizabeth Gray had a son Alexander, baptised 3 January 1810, and a son James, baptised in 1813, both in Deskford. Skeith is actually in the parish of Deskford - see
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ5060.
There is a widowed Elizabeth Gray, aged 62, in the 1841 census in Fordyce, with an unmarried sister Mary Gray, 53, and a daughter Janet MacCurach, unmarried, 26. Could this be Elizabeth, using her maiden surname as was quite usual?
If Alexander Jr did indeed die in 1840, then he is the obvious candidate to be phyllismcrae's errant Alexander.
