Moy Churchyard - help

[cabrach]

If there is anyone out there with easy access to the Moy churchyard, 10 miles or more south east of Inverness (OS ref NH 772342), could you check a detail for me.

In the monumental inscriptions prepared by Alastair and Margaret Beattie and published by the Scottish Genealogical Society there is an entry for stone 25 that goes:

"Colin McDonald d Inverness 1846 a 60y, w Margaret Diamond d Moy 1845 a 40y"

Now Colin appears to be a 2G grandfather on my mother's side.  My great grandfather, John McDonald claimed to be from Moy and gave his parents as Colin McDonald and Jessie Fraser.

A Colin McDonald married to Margaret (Diamond) appears in the 1841 census at Moybeg with 5 children.  In the 1851 census there is still a Colin McDonald at Moybeg with some of the same children and a few more - but with a new young wife, Janet. 

If Margaret died in 1845, as in the MI, that works fine.  The catch however is that in the censuses Colin gives his age as 40 and 50, i.e a birth date just after1800, whereas the MI would have him at 1786.  Is there a mistake in transcribing the stone?  If it says 1864 rather than 1846 then it all works out reasonably plausibly.  If anyone is passing by, could they check please?

[ali607]

Hi, i happen to be in contact with the moray family history and transcription group although im in aberdeenshire myself - i can ask them if they could look it up if you like

Alison

[cabrach]

Yes, please!  What a very kind offer. 

I must confess I've been distracted of late dealing with an enormous number of Sparks in Kincardine and confusing Frasers in Auldearn so the Moy folk have been neglected.

I'd certainly be grateful for anything you can do.

[cabrach]

Problem solved.

Just managed to arrange a whistle stop tour around the Highlands and called in at Moy.  The stone is clear.  It says 1866, not 1846.  I've since found Colin's death record and found him in the 1861 census.  He moved to Inverness and became a butcher (flesher).  One of his sons, Colin, also when into fleshing and seems to have had a successful business in Inverness.

Of course, other mysteries remain.  Colin's death record puts him at 57 and gives his father's name as Lachlan, an Innkeeper.  The stone gives his age as 60, so with other variations from the censuses his birth might be anywhere from about 1799 to 1809.  There seems no birth record around those dates however.  There is one, with a father Lachlan, in Inverness in 1792.  Could he have been 10 years out in his age throughout his life?  May never know.

[ali607]

oh congrats!
im sorry iv moved house since i answered your post and have LOTS of things going on - thats why i didnt reply to your post

Sorry
Alison