George Mackay and Barbara McKay

[annie bear]

Hi
Can anyone help me to locate the death record of Barbara Mackay, wife of George Mackay. According to the headstone photo [ online] at Scullomie, Barbara died 13 Mar 1899. I used Scotlands People for the death certificates but ended up with two wrong ones.  She is still alive on the 1891 census with her daughters, Catherine and Annie. Barbara's parents were John and Catherine Mackay [ according to the details on the headstone]

I found the correct death certificate for George Mackay d 11 Jan 1888 at Scullomey, Tongue. [ son of Hugh Mackay and Ann Mackay]  George Mackay married 13 Feb 1830 at Tongue to Barbara McKay. According to census records, both George and Barbara were born c1808 at Tongue.

Some of the dates and ages on the headstone don't appear to be correct.


Regards

Annie

[Mary Young]

Can anyone help me to locate the death record of Barbara Mackay, wife of George Mackay. According to the headstone photo [ online] at Scullomie, Barbara died 13 Mar 1899. She is still alive on the 1891 census with her daughters, Catherine and Annie.

Hi Annie
My husband's family came from Scullomie, so I have researched all the Scullomie families to some extent.
I too was unable to find Barbara's death in Scullomie. Perhaps she was away, living with one of her children.

Barbara's parents were John and Catherine Mackay [ according to the details on the headstone]

John and Catherine Mackay lived in Coldbackie, only a short walk from Scullomie. The were both born c.1775. The gravestone definitely shows Catherine's death as September 1866 (wrongly transcribed by Cowper and Ross as 1888). However, I believe she died in 1860. A Catherine Mackay, pauper widow, age 86, died April 3 1860 in Scullomie, the death was registered by her son-in-law, George Mackay.

Some of the dates and ages on the headstone don't appear to be correct.

Yes, there are quite a few errors on the gravestones in Tongue.
This family isn't connected with ours, so I don't have much on George and Barbara's 10 children beyond what's on the gravestone.
Their son Alexander married Johan Mackenzie from Braetongue in 1878; they are at Braetongue in 1881. In 1891 a Johan Mackay annuitant is living at Rhitongue (possibly Alexander's widow?)
There is a description of the Scullomie crofts and families on my webste http://cmy.org.uk/resources/scullomie.htm
Regards
Mary Young
www.cmy.org.uk

[annie bear]

Thank you for your reply Mary. I had obtained two death certificates for Barbara Mckay/Mackay in 1899 and both were the wrong ones. She must have died in another parish but there are too many Barbara Mckays to go through the whole lot.
My  interest in this family is through their son Hugh who emigrated to Queensland Australia c1863 and d 5 Jun 1872 at Copperfield from a heart attack. He married ? my great grandmother's twin sister Jane Baird and they had two children, Barbara Jane b 17 Dec 1869 and George Hugh Alexander b 20 Mar 1872.
According to Barbara's birth certificate, her parents married 17 Mar 1869 in Queensland but there is no record of this marriage and highly unlikely as Jane Baird had married Joseph Beattie in 1865, Fife and they emigrated to Queensland in 1866. Joseph Beattie remarried in 1875 and died in 1880 . There are no records of a divorce for Jane and Joseph.
When Hugh died, his death certificate has no wife or children mentioned but the newspaper report of his death states he left a wife and two children. According to this report, he was a carpenter had had built quite a few establishments in the town. Hugh's intestate papers have the estate going to his father George Mckay in Sutherland.

Hugh's son, George Hugh Alexander Mackay became a prominent member of the Australian Parliamnent and  an article with photo is in the Australian Dictionary of Biography online.

Regards Annette

[Mary Young]

Dear Annette
Thanks for all the information on HUGH MACKAY born 1839 in Tongue who married (?) Jane Baird in Australia. How sad that he died age 33 leaving Jane with a 2-year-old daughter and a son less than three months old. Even if they weren't officially married, they were obviously living as husband and wife (recognised as such in the press). So it does seem strange that his estate didn't pass to the wife and babies if died intestate (i.e. without leaving a will).
The children did well after this early setback, with son George Hugh Alexander Mackay successful in business and politics.
As to the elusive death of Hugh's mother, BARBARA MACKAY, widow of GEORGE MACKAY "Roy" of Scullomie, Tongue ... I will have another look next time I'm in the record office in Edinburgh. Barbara was certainly not 80 in 1889, she would have been about 92 that year. However, as w both agree, the gravestone is suspect to say the least.
Barbara's age was consistent throughout the censuses, i.e. 1841 age rounded down to 30; 1851 age 43; 1861 age 52; 1871 age 63; 1881 age age 74; 1891 age 83.
Regards

[aspin]

Hello all and A Happy New year to you all

I'm too am looking for the parents of  Barbara Mackay who married  Murdoch McBeath ( MacBeath )their son Robert married Jamesina MacKay in 1891The parish of Halkirk County of Caithness Sutherland witnesses are Christopher MacBeath  and Ellen Mckay  ( note like we have seen before the C and A added in the Surnames )
 I have this marriage also Roberts first marriage to Margaret Ferguson in 1869 both from Scotlandpeople
Barbara is still alive on both these certificate

Help would be appreciated
Elizabeth

[rosie17]

Happy New Year to you also

Did you check this death on S P
Barbara Macbeath other name Mackay
Died 1872 Wick age 56 years
Mothers maiden name Matheson

Are the family at Strathmore Road Wester Dale Caithness if so Barbara is not there on other census records after 1871

Rosie

[rosie17]

There is a baptism for a Barbra Mackay
16 April 1819 Farr Sutherland
Father Donald Mackay
Mother Betty Mathison

Rosie

[aspin]

Thank you Rosie I will check this out looks good
Elizabeth

[rosie17]

Thank you Rosie I will check this out looks good
Elizabeth

Fingers crossed