Bruce family from Watten

[Chiad Fhear]

Hi All

Here's a request for some more information - if anyone can help.  I've traced one of my maternal Laing relations in a marriage to Alexander Bruce of Watten.  They emigrated to Australia.  Here's what I have:


ALEXANDER BRUCE married CHARLOTTE RUMBACK 16 Jun 1882 in Thurso, Caithness. 
   
Children of ALEXANDER BRUCE and CHARLOTTE RUMBACK are:
   i.   PETER BRUCE, b. 16 Mar 1885, By Wester Watten, Caithness.
   ii.   HENRY BRUCE, b. 09 Jul 1891, Old Hall, Watten, Caithness.

More About HENRY BRUCE:
Emigration: 1912, Sailed from London, with his younger brother Alexander, to Townsville, Queensland, Australia

2.   iii.   ALEXANDER BRUCE, b. 10 Dec 1892, Cairn of Dunn, Watten, Caithness; d. 27 Jan 1954, Ayr, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia.
   iv.   WILLIAM NEIL BRUCE, b. 22 Aug 1894, Cairn of Dunn, Watten, Caithness.
   v.   CHARLOTTE BRUCE, b. 12 Jul 1896, Cairn, Watten, Caithness.


Generation No. 2

2.  ALEXANDER BRUCE was born 10 Dec 1892 in Cairn of Dunn, Watten, Caithness, and died 27 Jan 1954 in Ayr, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia.  He married JANET MILLAR PATERSON 1923 in Queensland, Australia, daughter of WILLIAM PATERSON and GEORGINA LAING.  She was born 24 Feb 1901 in Woodmill, Falkland, Fife, and died 12 Aug 1979 in Ayr, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia.

Notes for ALEXANDER BRUCE:
1925 Australian Electoral Rolls: Residing at Norhan Road, Ayr, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia
1936 Australian Electoral Rolls: Residing at Kalamia, Ayr, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia

Alexander worked on road building for Ayr Shire Council in Queensland.  He died of a heart attack and fell from the bridge he was working on.

More About ALEXANDER BRUCE:
Burial: 28 Jan 1954, Ayr Cemetery, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia: Grave Number 2394
Emigration: 1912, Sailed from London, with his elder brother Henry, to Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Notes for JANET MILLAR PATERSON:
1925 Australian Electoral Rolls: Residing at Norhan Road, Ayr, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia
1936 Australian Electoral Rolls: Residing at Kalamia, Ayr, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia
1966, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977 and 1979 Australian Electoral Rolls: Residing at 13 McMillan Street, Ayr, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia

More About JANET MILLAR PATERSON:
Burial: 13 Aug 1979, Ayr Cemetery, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia : Grave Number: 2395
Emigration: 02 Aug 1911, Sailed from London, with her parents, on board the SS 'Rippingham Grange' arriving Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on 16 Sep 1911 then on to Townsville, Queensland, Australia
   
Child of ALEXANDER BRUCE and JANET PATERSON is:
   i.   BABY BRUCE, b. Abt. 23 Mar 1929, Ayr, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia; d. 30 Mar 1929, Ayr, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia.

More About BABY BRUCE:
Burial: 30 Mar 1929, Ayr Cemetery, Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia : Grave Number: 122X (Unnamed)



Do YOU have any more information about the Bruce family?

Please get in touch and let me know.

Regards

Chiad Fhear

[firthview]

I found your Charlotte Rhomback on the 1881 census living at West Watten Mains, Watten ,Caithness.It said she was 18 a farm Servant and was born in Latheron,Caithness but i could not find her birth but i did find a  Charles Rombach and Anne Sutherland   who had 3 daughters

Therisia Annie Romback   b   23/12/1863   Wellington St,Pultneytown,Wick
Rose  Elizabeth Romback b 20/07/1866       """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Elisabeth Romback           b 13/09/1868       """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""

I dont know if this family is related to Charlotte but there was no other Rhomback,Romback  born in this area.If you went on to scotlandspeople and got the marriage cert to check if this is her parents it may get you a bit further on

[firthview]

I did find your Alexander Bruce born 17/01/1855 Whitefield,Watten,and a sister Margaret  Bruce born 13/09/1857 Whitefield,Watten and there parents were Peter Bruce and Elizabeth Sutherland.I went on to find the parents on the 1881 census

Whitefield,Watten
Peter Bruce m 60  farmer 12 acres     b   Wick
Elizabeth Bruce m 60                          b   Wick

John Bruce son   stone dyker    u 28   b  Watten
Henry Bruce  brother                    62   b  Wick
Isabella Bruce niece                      17  b Watten
Margaret Bruce  grandaughter       7   b Olrig
And i got the marriage of Alexander and Charlotte and it was her parents in my last message so i found them in Glasgow on the 1881 census
Charles Rombach   m   43  master watchmaker     b  Germany
Annie    Rombach   m   43                                      b   Edinburgh

Theresa    artists assistant  17                              b Pultneytown,Wick
Rosa         pupil teacher        14                             b Pultneytown,Wick
Elizabeth                              13                              b Pultneytown,Wick
Joseph                                  10                              b Glasgow
David                                    6                                b Glasgow
Leopold                                 1                               b  Glasgow

and they lived at    15 Edmond Street,Barony,Lanark

and when i was looking for ROMBACH on the census there are a few of Charles brothers between Glasgow and Edinburgh all Watchmakers and all from Germany,there was a George,Leopold and others,if you want them let me know.but i cant find Charlottes Birth.

[Chiad Fhear]

Hi Firthview

Thanks for your endeavours ... much appreciated.

Sorry I haven't replied sooner but I was in Edinburgh all day yesterday trawling the records in New Register House for answers to a mountain of questions I had and didn't check my emails until now.

Unfortunately the Bruce/Rumback link didn't feature yesterday!  I wish I'd found your post earlier.  Never mind ... there'll be another visit to Edinburgh before long!

Your finds do look very interesting

Regards

Chiad Fhear

[Humphreyjohn]

Hello Chiad Fhear

I have some information about this Bruce family, and can trace them back from Caithness to the mid-18th Century in Kettins, Angus.

My great great grandparents, Peter Bruce and Elizabeth Sutherland, were the parents of Alexander Bruce (1855-1937). Their oldest son, William Bruce (1845-1884) was my great grandfather.

Alexander’s wife Charlotte was a child of Johan McLeod and Charles Rombach. This is her 1862 Latheron, Caithness birth registration (038/ 00/ 206):
"Charlotte M'Leod (Illegitimate) 1862 November Seventh 10h. 30m. p.m. Balnabruich, Dalbeath F [Mother:] Johan M'Leod Pauper [Inf:] Johan M'Leod Mother [Reg:] 1862 November 21st At Latheron Wm Sutherland Registrar."  Her father is not named on the document.

(Charles Rombach married Annie Sutherland soon afterwards, on March 24th 1863 in Dornoch, Sutherland. Their first three daughters were born 1863-1868 in Wick, Caithness, but by 1871 they had moved to Glasgow, where they had at least two more sons).

I haven’t traced Charlotte’s mother Johan after her birth – it’s possible that she died, and that Charlotte adopted her biological father’s name. But so far, I haven’t tracked down Charlotte in the 1871 census – either as a MacLeod or as a Rombach. She certainly wasn’t living with the Rombach family in Glasgow, and may never have met them.
As ‘Firthview’ mentions, she’s in the 1881 Watten census, aged 18, a farmworker, calling herself Charlotte Rombach. This is where she met Alexander.

The registration of Charlotte’s 1882 marriage to Alexander Bruce doesn’t even mention her biological mother, whether alive or not:
"1882 on the Sixteenth day of June at Thurso after Banns According to the Forms of the Free Church of Scotland (Signed) Alexander Bruce Farm Servant (Bachelor) 25 [usu Res:] Watten [Parents:] Peter Bruce Farmer Elizabeth Bruce M.S. Sutherland (Signed) Charlott Rhomback Farm Servant (Spinster) 21 [usu Res:] Watten [Parents:] Charles Rhomback Watchmaker Ann Sutherland Agricultural Servant (Signed) John C. Connell Minister of the Free West Church Thurso John Bruce Witness, Margaret Cormack Witness [Reg:] 1888 June 19th At Thurso Jas. Campbell Assistant Registrar."
[1882 Thurso, Caithness Marriages Registry Extract , 041/ 00/ 012]

This is Charlotte’s death registration 7 January 1928:
"Charlotte Bruce (married to Alexander Bruce Farmer)  1928 January Seventh 4h 0m am Whitefield Watten F 65 years [Mother:] Johan McLeod Domestic Servant (Deceased) [Cause:] Cerebral Haemorrhage As Cert by A.J. McGregor MRFS [Inf:] A Bruce Widower Present [Reg:] 1928 January 9 At Watten FAS Doull Registrar."
[Watten Deaths Registry Extract 1928 042/ 00/ 01]

This is Alexander’s death registration 20 March 1937:
"Alexander Bruce Farmer (Widower of Charlotte McLeod) 1937 March Twentieth 11h 0m P.M. Whitefield Watten M 82 years [Parents:] Peter Bruce Farmer (Deceased) Elizabeth Bruce M.S. Sutherland (Deceased) [cause:] Myocarditis Old Age As cert by J. Leask M.D. Wick [Inf:] Charlotte Lyall Grand-Daughter Present [Reg:] 1937 March 24th At Watten F.A.S.Doull Registrar." [Watten Deaths Registry Extract 1937  042/ 00/ 005]

Charlotte and Alexander had at least 8 children that I know of:

1.   Elizabeth Bruce, born 9 October 1883: [Watten Births Registry Extract 1883, 042/ 00/ 030] She went on to marry David Lyall, and their daughter Charlotte was informant on Alexander Bruce’s death registration in 1937.

2.   Peter Bruce, born 16 March 1885: "Peter Bruce 1885 March 16th 7h 0m A.M. Bylbster, Watten  M [Parents:] Alexander Bruce Farm Servant Charlotte Bruce M.S. Rhomback [Mar] 1882 June 16th Thurso [Inf:] Alexander Bruce Father Present [Reg:] 1885 March 27th At Watten John Doull Registrar." [Watten Births Registry Extract 1885, 042 /00 /05]            Peter emigrated to Townsville, Queensland in 1908. A few years later, he enlisted with Australian forces in the Great War, and was killed at Ypres 24 Sep 1917.

3.   Johan Bruce, born 3 December 1886: "Johan Bruce 1886 December Third 12h 0m Noon Toftcarl, Parish of Wick F [Parents:] Alexander Bruce Agricultural Labourer Charlotte Bruce M.S. Rumback [marr:] 1882 June 16th Thurso [Inf:] Alexander Bruce Father [Reg:] 1886 December 17th At Wick John Sandison Registrar." [Wick Births Registry Extract 1886 043/ 00/ 367]

4.   Margaret Bruce, born 10 November 1888: "Margaret Bruce 1888 November Tenth 4h 10m P.M. Bilbster, Parish of Wick F [Parents:] Alexander Bruce Ploughman Charlotte Bruce M.S. Rumback [marr:] 1852 June 16th Thurso [Inf:] Alexander Bruce Father [Reg:] 1888 November 25th At Wick X? Sandison Assist. Registrar." [Wick Births Registry Extract 1888, 043/ 00/ 346]

5.   Henry Bruce, born 9 July 1891: [Watten Births Registry Extract 1891  042/ 00/ 017]    Henry emigrated to Townsville, Queensland in 1912, and then enlisted with Australian forces in the Great War. He was killed at Ancre, in France, 1 Feb 1917.

6.   Alexander Bruce, born 10 Dec 1892: [Watten Births Registry Extract 1892  042/ 00 /034]  He emigrated to Queensland in 1912. I’m not sure what his service was during the Great War.

7.   William Neil Bruce, born 22 August 1894: [Watten Births Registry Extract 1894 042/ 00/ 018]

8.   Charlotte Bruce, born 12 July 1896  [Watten Births Registry Extract 1896 042/ 00/ 014]

I will follow this up with some census records in case you don't have them.

Best regards  John (Toronto, Canada)

[Humphreyjohn]

Hello again Chiad Fhear

Here is the census record of Alexander Bruce, before and after his marriage to Charlotte Romback/ MacLeod.

1861 Caithness census, Watten, 042 ED 1 p2 Schedule: 14.
"Whitefield: -  Peter Bruce Head Mar 40 Farmer of 10 acres b Wick;
Elizabeth Bruce Wife 39 Farmer's Wife b Wick;
William Bruce Son unm 15 Scholar b Wick;
Peter Bruce son 11 Farmer's son b Watten;
John Bruce son 8 scholar b Watten;
►Alex Bruce son 6 b Watten;
Margaret Bruce daughter 3 b Watten;
Henry Bruce Brother unm 42 Labourer b Wick;
Jane Sutherland sister-in-law 45 Labourer b Wick."

1871 Caithness census Watten, 042/ 01/ 07.
"Whitefield  - Peter Bruce Head Mar 50 Farmer of 12 acres Arable b Wick;
Elizabeth Do Wife 50 b Wick;
►Alexander Do Son 16 Scholar b Watten;
Henry Do Brother Unm 52 Ag Lab b Watten;
Charlotte Cormack Niece 12 Scholar b Wick; 
Helen Bruce Niece Unm 30 General Servant b Wick; 
Isabella S Do  Niece Daur 7 Scholar b Watten."
[Isabella Bruce was the illegitimate daughter of Peter's unmarried niece (by his brother Alexander) Helen Bruce, who lived at Whitefield].

1881 Wick Census 043 ED 11 p14 
"Ingminster
George CAMPBELL   M Head 44 M Farmer 45 Ac (40 Ar) employ 1 Man   b Wick
Sofiah CAMPBELL M Wife 34 F Farmers Wife b Wick
Isabella CAMPBELL Daur U 15 F Farmers Daughter b Wick
George CAMPBELL   Son U 9 M Scholar b Wick
►Alexander BRUCE Servant U 23 M Farm Servant b Wick."

1891 Wick Census, 043 ED 11 p5 hh15
"W Sq Sibster
Alexander Bruce Head Mar 35 Ag Lab b Watten
Charlot Bruce Wife Mar 28 b Latheron
Lizzie Bruce Daur 7 Scholar b Watten
Peter Bruce Son 6 Scholar b Watten
Margaret Bruce Daur 2 b Wick."

1901 Watten Census, 042  ED3 p6-7 hh 27
"Cairn:
Alexander Bruce Head Married 45 Ord. Agric Labourer b Watten
Charlotte Bruce Wife Married 38 Ord Agric Labourer's Wife b Latheron
Elizabeth Bruce Daur Single 17 Farm Servant/ General Field Worker b Watten
Johan Bruce Daur Single 14 Farm Labourer's Daughter b Wick
Margaret Bruce Daur 12 Scholar b Wick
Henry Bruce Son 9 Scholar b Watten
Alexander Bruce Son 8 Scholar b Watten
William Bruce Son 6 Scholar b Watten
Charlotte Bruce Daur 4 b Watten"

Alexander moved from Cairn, Watten to take over the croft at Whitefield in 1904/5, when his father Peter Bruce died.

My grandfather, James Bruce – son of William – like several of his cousins was killed in the Great War. He was Company Sergeant Major with the 5th Seaforth Highlanders, and died 27 Jul 1918 at Chaumuzy, France, during the 2nd battle of the Marne, when my mother was 18 months old.

I would be happy to exchange further information.

John

[Chiad Fhear]

Hi John

This goes back a few months and I'd all but given up on getting anything more

I've printed out all of this information and will have to go through it carefully to tie it in with what I have then send you a PM so I can arrange to forward what information I have.

Regards for now

Chiad Fhear

[WendyWh]

Hi ...

I just found Charlotte Rombach on the 1871 Census ... she is listed as Charlotte Rumback and is at Knockalley. It looks like she is in the Workhouse ??

Regards
Wendy

[Chiad Fhear]

I just found Charlotte Rombach on the 1871 Census ... she is listed as Charlotte Rumback and is at Knockalley. It looks like she is in the Workhouse ??

Hi Wendy

I just called up the Census and ... what can I say?   Who's the Head and who isn't?  Seems they're all Estate Workers ... though in various guises.

A confusing one that'll take some sorting out.  It appears that she was with her mother (Olson) and that there was an other child ... maybe more! Who can tell?

Thanks for the information

Regards

Chiad Fhear[/color]