GEDDES family of Banffshire

[Jimbo of Canada]

My Great grandfather JOHN GEDDES b. 1844-46 Buckie  d. May 1, 1938, buried at Hillhead cemetery,  m.  Jan.14, 1871  to  HELEN SPALDING b.1849-52 Tannadice, Forfar, had 11 children: Helen, Anne, Isabella, John, James, Elizabeth Jane, John, George, Mary, Alexander and Jesse. They were born in Boyndie and Fordyce.  Jesse was my grandmother.
This is as far back as I have info.
I am trying to find John's parents or any of his brothers and sisters. 
     Hoping someone recognizes some of these names.

Jimbo

[Gadget]

Hi Jimbo

The Scotlands People web site www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk  has his death cert:

GROS Ref -  164-010052

Rathven, Buckie

1 May 1938, 5.00 a.m

John Geddes, 93, carter (retd), widower of Helen Spalding

Parents - John Geddes, Carter, (dec) and Ann, maiden surname Dow

Cause of death - senility

Informant - James Geddes, grandson

Gadget 

[Jimbo of Canada]

Hi Gadget,
   Thanks for the info. This fills in another part of my lineage. I had a John and Ann living at 38 High St. in Buckie and  Geddes  families all living at various homes along High Street but couldn't put them together as being of the same family.
   Now I have to try and find both John  & ( Ann )'s  parents, and John &  ( Helen ) 's  brothers and sisters.
   My wife and I are  planning a trip to Scotland next year.  I want to check out both my mother's side ( Geddes and Proudfoot ) and my father's side (McGill of Renfrewshire ) . Hopefully I can get  some more info in person at various places as well as see where they lived.
   Scotland's a long way from Calgary, Canada.
 
Again,  thank you very much for filling in a missing link.

James

Again 

[Gadget]

Hi James

Happy to help. I know Canada fairly well -was in Ontario 1968-9  Some of my D & G collateral kin also settled there in the early 1830s and I have some wonderful letters and documents about them.

It might be worth your while taking out a subscription to Scotlands People www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk . All the OPRs are there - no deaths though  and the official registrations are fantastic.

You might also like to read Pam's piece on researching Scottish records - a good account of what you can find - remotely:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,24468.0.html

Cheers

Gadget

[Little Nell]

Just to help a wee bit more, here is the 1881 census information:

Little Auchmillie, Fordyce, Banff
GROS 153/1   ED 5  p1

John Geddes Head M 35 b Buckie, Banff  Agricultural Labourer
Hellen Geddes wife M 29 b Tannadice, Forfar
Hellen Geddes daughter 11 b Boyndie, Banff  Scholar
Ann Geddes daughter 9 b Fordyce, Banff  Scholar
Isabella Geddes daughter 5 b Boyndie, Banff scholar
James Geddes son 3 b Fordyce, Banff
Elizabeth Geddes daughter 1 b Fordyce, Banff

I wonder if this is John's parents?

High Street Rathven, Banff
GROS 164 ED 5 p15

John Geddes Head M 62 b Rathven, Banff Carter & Feuer
Ann Geddes wife M 63 b Buckie, Banff
Mary I. Geddes daughter 20 Buckie, Banff Net worker ( I think this should be Mary J - birth for a Mary Jane shown on the IGI)
Alexander Winchester grandson U 17 b Buckie, Banff  Ironmongers Apprentice
George Cumming grandson 7 b Buckie, Banff scholar
Jeanie Davidson granddaughter 1 b Buckie, Banff
John Keir Boarder U   25 b Keith, Banff saddler
Catherine Coutts Boarder U 68 b Carmichael, Banff  Pauper

If so, then the implication is that John had at least three sisters!  There are two brothers listed on the IGI, both born after civil registration began in 1855.

Nell

[Gadget]

Hi James

Do you have any idea when Helen died (obviously before 1938)? I could see if we could find her parents too.

Gadget

[Gadget]

Found it:

GROS Ref- 164-000152 

18th December 1916, 5am, Farquhar's Lane, High St, Buckie
Helen Geddes, wife of John Geddes,carter, aged 67
Parents - John Spalding, farm grison (dec) and Ann, maiden surname Wallace (dec)
Cause - chronic valvular disease of the heart - acute
Informant - James Geddes, son, 35 High Street, Buckie


I knew that there was something about your posting - I have a Scottish Spalding (Jean) as an ancestor!

Gadget

[runner]

Hi Jimbo

Just to add to Gadget & Little Nell's contributions.

If you want to look further back for the Geddes' line in Rathven try;

http://rgu-sim.rgu.ac.uk/history/family_history.htm

Previous generations are all there on the Port gordon site.

Russell

[Jimbo of Canada]

Hi Gadget and Nell and Russell,
    First of all, the 1881 census is right on. I also do have a son John b. July 21,1873 d. in infantcy. Jesse (my grandmother) b. June 21, 1882,  another John b. Sept. 1884 d. unknown,   George,  b. Apr.11,1886 (emigrated to Washington DC )  d. date unknown,   Alexander b. Apr. 14, 1893  d. 1953 and Mary d. infant.
   Secondly, I have Cummings' in my Proudfoot line as well.  It's going to be fun finding out these sisters and brothers names and matching them with Winchesters, Cummings, and Davidsons. A good question would be : " where are the grandkids parents and why are the kids living with John and Ann " ?   The family really branches out with all these children.
    As for Helen Spalding, I didn't have any info on her parents. My mother, Helen Spalding Proudfoot McGill was named after her. My grandmother, Jesse Geddes married Robert Proudfoot and emigrated to Toronto Canada.    Gadget, does any of your lineage match up with John and Ann Spalding ?
    Russell, I checked the Port Gordon site, and I can't go back any further yet beyond John Geddes and Ann Dow until i find out his parents names and if they were from this same area or PG although its so close. 
   Again, I want to thank all of you for all this great help.