I am tracing my family tree, partly after my now deceased grandma said that her gt-gt (?) grandma had come from Odessa on the Black Sea. My grandma was not one for making random things up so I have no reason for not believing this may have been the case other than the fact that I can only get back to my gt-gt grandparents in Alloa born in the late 1830s - Robert in 1839 and Margaret in 1840.
Can anyone help me find out about any earlier generations - I believe Robert's father was also Robert and his mother was Jean but again this is only guesswork. I do not have Margaret's maiden name.
During the 1860s/1870s onwards, the family lived at Mar Place and were slaters/plasters. My gt grandfather John Macfarlane was born in approx 1879 and lived there, later becoming an apprentice watch and clockmaker, marrying an Adeline Dent from Carlisle (family did furniture dealing) before going back to Alloa as a qualified watch/clockmaker and working for the Earl or Lord Mar. After WW1, I believe the family had to leave the area because of unpaid bills and/or bankruptcy through lack of work.
Any info from anyone in the Alloa area would be fab.
Many thanks.
