where was Cathlan?

[raybakes]

Thanks Forfarian and Lady Macbeth, I've just returned from short trip upto the area and was amazed to find that the farms they worked on are still called the same names! Alexander Crighton was a farm overseer or grieve. His father John was a ploughman in kingoldrum and around kirriemuir - Alexander worked on a couple of farms in tannadice, then appears in 1841 in maryton near montrose (got a picture of the grieve's house at powis farm!) - so far haven't found him for 1851 and 1861, although his daughter ann is listed as a servant in fearn in 1851. Alexander's son David - my g-g grandfather appears in London as a shipwright in 1865, but I don't know where he was between 1841 and 1865. Are there any passenger records for boats to london at that time?


The family on later censuses that I have managed to find are not that consistant with their birthplaces! Think moving around so much was confusing, but take your point about the two different parishes.

I have managed to find one death certificate, and as you say it had so much information - I need to find some others but haven't been successful as yet.

Thanks,

Ray

[Lady Macbeth]

Hi Ray, I'm so glad you managed to visit the area and have such success.  I agree that finding the actual places and seeing them makes it all much more real.  As I am in Forfar, it is fairly easy for me to visit places although, when I found the birthplace of one of mine in 1797 and found the farm on a C18th map, I discovered it no longer existed and had been eaten up by a nearby farm.  However, I managed to visit where it used to be and envied the views they must have had over the hills to the mountains and glens.  Also, seeing the 'lie of the land' will have made it easier for you to imagine them moving around so much from farm to farm.

I would hold off trying to find them in the '51 and '61 censuses until they are online as that should make things much easier.  Keep in mind that the area a bit north east of where you are looking becomes Kincardineshire and to the north becomes Aberdeenshire so don't just look in Angus.  I have found that anything is possible!!

Unfortunately, there don't appear to be any passenger lists of ships between the ports in the UK (or over to Ireland) at that time but I think it likely he would have taken the train.

Good luck
Lesley

[raybakes]

Thanks Lesley,

I'm a little impatient, and have, with the help of the local fhs have found two of the family in montrose in 1851....but look forward to the them being available online!

David Crighton was a shipwright, I guessed he might have gone by boat, because of shipping connections, but do you still think the train would have been more likely?

Ray