Help with lost Frasers, Portmahomack

[Maia261]

I would love some help to try and fill in the missing blanks with this family please, here are the details I have managed to find so far.......

1837 Dec 15th – Marriage of Alexander Fraser & Jessie Campbell – Tarbat by Fearn, Ross & Cromarty – From OPR

1841 Census - Portmahomack
Alexander age 24, Fisherman, born Ross & Cromarty
Janet age 22, born Ross & Cromarty
Bell age 12 born Ross & Cromarty – could be Alexander’s sister?
Mary age 2, born Ross & Cromarty – Found birth on IGI (1839)
James age 3months, born Ross & Cromarty – Found birth on IGI (1841)

1851 Census – Unable to find any trace

1861 Census – George Street, Portmahomack, Tarbat, Ross-Shire
Alexander age 44, Head, Fisherman, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire
Janet age 42, Wife, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire
Isabella age 16, Dau, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire – Cannot find a birth anywhere
Jessie age 14, Dau, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire – Cannot find a birth anywhere
Alexander 12, Son, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire – Cannot find a birth anywhere
David age 8, Son, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire – Cannot find a birth anywhere
Hugh age 6, Son, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire – Birth on IGI (1856)
Ann age 3, Dau, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire – Birth on IGI (1858)

1871 Census – Police Street, Portmahomack, Tarbat, Ross-Shire
Alexander age 45, Head, Fisherman, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire
Janet age 49, Wife, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire
Alexander age 16, Son, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire
Hugh age 12, Son, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire
Ann age 11, Dau, born Tarbat, Ross-Shire
Janet McKay age 40, Lodger, Unmarried, Servant, Domestic

*There seems to be huge discrepancies between the ages on the 1861 census and the 1871 census

1873 Dec 2nd – Marriage of Jessie Fraser age 23 & William Mackay age 21 at 14 Abbotsford Place, Glasgow – Jessie’s parents showing as Alexander Fraser, Fisherman and Janet Fraser, M.S. Campbell, neither of them are shown as deceased

1914 Sep 1st – Death of Jessie Mackay at 9 Castle Wynd, Inverness aged 64 years, married to William Morrison Mackay. Parents showing as Alexander Fraser, Fisherman (deceased) and Jessie Fraser M.S. Campbell (deceased)

The family seems to disappear between 1843 and 1856 during which time Isabella is born c.1845, Jessie is born, could be anywhere between 1847 and 1850ish, Alexander is born c.1849 and David is born c.1853. I have tried everything to find these births but have got nowhere, can anyone else manage it?

Lynn

[MonicaL]

Hi Lynn

This looks like the family's 1851 entry. Everyone showing as born in Tarbat:

Alexr Fraser 32, fisherman
Janet Fraser 30
Mary Fraser 11
James Fraser 9
Bell Fraser 7
Jess Fraser 4
Duglina (female) Fraser 2

Address: Portmahomack, Tarbat

Monica 

[Maia261]

That's lovely, many thanks Monica.

My head must have been minced with the 8 hours straight on the PC for me not to find that one, I'm going to have to stop doing that......but I can't, attempting to trace my Family Tree is far too addictive. 

Ahhhh Duglina, another birth for me to find within the wonderfully disappearing or non-existent birth records.

Lynn

[MonicaL]

Lynn

The one thing I noticed from that 1851 entry is that there was no mention of Alexander that you have as son age 12 in 1861. Can't easily see him elsewhere. Also, his age matches that of Duglina (age 2 in 1851) who then doesn't show in 1861.

Monica

[Maia261]

Monica,

I know, I saw that too and it's been puzzling me. I wonder if a sort of half plausible theory could be that they were maybe twins and maybe staying somewhere else on the night of the censuses. When I put that down in black and white it does seem a bit too far-fetched. 

Did they have sex changes back in the 1850's as this does seem more plausible?  Sorry I couldn't resist that one, plus he would surely have been called Douglas as opposed to Alexander. 

I was over at Portmahomack today trying to find some answers but am still no further forward. What I did find out was that the old church in Portmahomack, which is now the Tarbat Discovery Centre, was abandoned in 1846, the Free Church seemed to come into being about 1844, maybe this is why there are gaps in some of the Fraser records from this date until registration started.
There doesn't seem to be any gaps in general records going by the IGI Batch Numbers though.

One theory I thought might be plausible was that the family moved to a different area for a time but later census records show that all the children were born in the parish.

Lynn

[maclennan25]

sex change?  - how about this from igi?? lol

ALEXINA. FRASER, Female, B:10 JUN 1843, Tarbat By Fearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
Father: ALEXR. FRASER, Mother: JANET CAMPBELL


could this really be your Alexander? 

[Maia261]

Aye that could well be Alexander, anything's possible now really. 

Lynn

[JEANETTA]

Hi: my grandmother's grandparents were janet campbell and alexander fraser married Dec. 15, 1837.  their children were mary, james, alexina, bell, jess, and duglina.   James was my direct ancestor - his daughter Jamesina (Jamima) was my grandmother.   I'm very new to this genealogy, but is any of this helpful?    jeanetta

[JEANETTA]

Hi: my grandmother's grandparents were janet campbell and alexander fraser married Dec. 15, 1837.  their children were mary, james, alexina, bell, jess, and duglina.   James was my direct ancestor - his daughter Jamesina (Jamima) was my grandmother.   I'm very new to this genealogy, but is any of this helpful?    jeanetta   ps they were of course married in Tarbat, ross-shire and janet campbell died january 21, 1879  in portmahomack.    (Duglina was born about 1849).      j