Good morning AMBLY
I had the feeling Jean and Adam must have been related somehow, too much of a coincidence I guess, but you certainly have been busy!!! Well done AMBLY, once again you've come up trumps!!!
Newtyle was a definite favourite with the Balharry family, and the immediate surrounding area, so it's no surprise to find that these connected Jaffreys come from there too.
I've spent most of today searching census under variations of spelling of Balharry that I haven't tried before - had some success but not the ones I was looking for! I wonder about Adam being with, it would appear, his aunt. Given that I can find absolutely no trace of David Balharry and wife Margaret anywhere on any census, do you agree that this would suggest they'd already left the country? If Benjamin Franklin was born in 1849 in Chile, it would seem that between Adam's birth in c.1834 and the census of 1841, they may have already emigrated. If the birth date for Margaret according to the IGI record is correct (and I'll check SP just to make sure), then this would make her 47 when Benjamin Franklin was born - this helps a bit because I always presumed 'our' David would be younger than is now apparent. I've also been trawling the emigration records but rather than going in with variations on the surname spelling, I'm using wildcards, so it's slow going.
I have a birth cert for David Balharry, son of David Balharry and May Fleeming, born in Longforgan in 1806 - I'm off to see what more I can find on this particular David ............
My cousins tell me that David and his sister lived in Burdeos - I have a suspicion that this is incorrect and that she is confused with Burdeos, France, where the sister later ended up with her French husband as I have tried to google Burdeos, Chile and am getting nothing except a reference to wine! Perhaps it's known as a region where they grow the wine.... The living grandson tells that David went to work on the construction of part of the Chilean railway network in the north of Chile (that is the internal railway line, not the Chile-Bolivia line for example) and that the work on the line was completed in 1865. Family legend on the Scottish side initially believed David to have been a direct relative to me, born in 1840 but I have since discounted this particular ancestor as other records contradict this. But, interestingly, the grandson is suggesting that the date of birth would fit with his understanding of David being very young when he 'arrived' in Chile.
They are certainly still working on the premise that David was born here, but I agree with the idea, from the knowlege you've gleaned so far, that this seems unlikely and that it was actually his father who arrived first.
All I have from the cousins on the elusive sister is that she married the French consul in Concepcion.
Another interesting snippet I've just connected after reviewing my online conversation with my cousin: 'their' David, who married Benigna Nunez de la Vega had 7 children, one of whom was named Benjamin - I know that was a popular name in Chile, but for me it harks back to Benjamin Franklin
I'm sorry folks, I've just realised I'm rambling again, I seem to be incapable of making a short post!!
Thank you again AMBLY, it's so wonderful to be in touch with you as you obviously know from experience where to look next!! I haven't spoken to my cousin this weekend, so fingers crossed I'll maybe catch up with her tonight.....
