Help tracing missing ancesters please

[FermLoon]

Hello - I'm interested in your post on the McKenzie/Chisholm family and the information you've found about Duncan McKenzie and Elizabeth Cruden, particularly about their niece, Catherine Wishart Duthie.

Catherine married Robert Bruce on 17th February 1899 shortly after Duncan died on 31st January, i think: the family story I have is that Catherine or Kate as she as known, went to stay with them following her father's death before returning to Montrose to work, but then returned to Nethermuir to look after her grand uncle(?) after Elizabeth died. The SP death certificate I have seen lists her as grand niece.

When Catherine married Robert, her parents are listed as Robert Duthie and Mary, nee McKenzie: there's no mention of Duncan and Elizabeth on the certificate. I am intrigued about why she was adopted and was unaware that she was: I had assumed that they had no family of their own.

Catherine was my Granny Bruce.

I'm interested in the Inverness-shire connection, but can't tie down Donald and Ann McKenzie there: John Peter's death certificate listed Donald as having been a crofter; Duncan's marriage certificate described him as a mason, and I think I've also seen him listed as a stone dyker elsewhere. He was a servant when he got married. McKenzie and Chisholm are very prevalent names in that part of the world.

I hope this is useful and I'd be pleased to know more.

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Duncan McKenzie married Elizabeth Yule Creden in Fraserburgh 1856 and I have tracked him in 1861 Banff; 1871 Aberdeenshire; 1881 & 1891 Old Deer, Aberdeenshire to his death in Jan 1899 Old Deer.  What I have found extremely interesting here with this particular couple is that they adopted Catherine Wishart Duthie (born 1874 Montrose) and she appears on the 1891 census as adopted daughter.  Catherine also was the informant on Duncan McKenzie's death cert on SP in 1899.  Catherine Wishart Duthie was the daughter of Robert Duthie & Mary McKenzie, Mary McKenzie being the daughter of John Peter McKenzie & Catherine Wishart (already discussed in previous postings).  So, Duncan McKenzie was in fact (accordingly to my FTM11  the great grant uncle of Catherine Wishart Duthie).

I must admit that this is a difficult family to trace but I wont be beaten yet.

Thanks in anticipation ...

[Rosinish]

When Catherine married Robert, her parents are listed as Robert Duthie and Mary, nee McKenzie: there's no mention of Duncan and Elizabeth on the certificate. I am intrigued about why she was adopted and was unaware that she was: I had assumed that they had no family of their own.

Duncan McKenzie married Elizabeth Yule Creden in Fraserburgh 1856 and I have tracked him in 1861 Banff; 1871 Aberdeenshire; 1881 & 1891 Old Deer, Aberdeenshire to his death in Jan 1899 Old Deer.  What I have found extremely interesting here with this particular couple is that they adopted Catherine Wishart Duthie (born 1874 Montrose) and she appears on the 1891 census as adopted daughter.  Catherine also was the informant on Duncan McKenzie's death cert on SP in 1899.  Catherine Wishart Duthie was the daughter of Robert Duthie & Mary McKenzie, Mary McKenzie being the daughter of John Peter McKenzie & Catherine Wishart (already discussed in previous postings).  So, Duncan McKenzie was in fact (accordingly to my FTM11  the great grant uncle of Catherine Wishart Duthie).

Did the parents of Catherine Wishart Duthie die between 1874 & 1891?

The use of the word 'adopted' was probably a loose term meaning they'd taken on the responsibility of bringing her up.

I see no reason why she shouldn't give her rightful parents names on her marriage cert.

What relationship term did Catherine use as informant of the death of Duncan McKenzie in 1899?

Can you please post links to "previous postings" for others following this family?

Annie

Add...The OP has been online since the reply from Sancti at Reply #8 but hasn't acknowledged it.

[FermLoon]

Thanks for your post, Annie.

In response to your questions:

Did the parents of Catherine Wishart Duthie die between 1874 & 1891? Father Robert Duthie died on 27th February 1878. Mary was around 35 and left with a family of four, the youngest under one.
Mary died on 26th August 1905.

When her great uncle Duncan died in 1899, Catherine was described as his ‘Grand Niece’.

Thanks for the information about why Catherine might be called 'adopted': though she is listed in both 1881 and 1891 censuses as staying with Duncan and Elizabeth McKenzie, I think she may have gone back to Montrose and then returned during that time.

Many thanks

[baltibluebird]

Hello, Please accept my apologies for my late reply;  I have not looked at that particular branch of my tree for some time, I needed time to pick things up.  I’m sorry I don’t have any further information as tKate Wishart Duthie is not my direct descendant. If I come across any further information I will post. All the best with your research.

[FermLoon]

Hi BaltiBlueBird,

Thanks for your reply - no problem.

I wonder if you've been able to find birth dates/places for John Peter McKenzie's parents, Donald and Ann, or the dates and places of death? I've not succeeded in either.

I did locate the family's location in the OPR when Duncan was born, as Balmacahan - today called Balmacaan, but where on the estate they were or what Donald/Ann did is unclear.

Also, can I please ask if you've found a birth and/or death place/date for Catherine McKenzie, nee Wishart?

Any assistance will be welcome.

[baltibluebird]

Hi I have these but the death date minus 66 years does not equal the birth but in my experience dates can be wrong when given by someone else.

Catherine Wishart 9 July 1806 Kilmorack, Inverness - George Wishart Mary McDonald
Catherine Marriage to John Peter McKenzie 5 June 1835 Inverness
Catherine Mackenzie death 11 Dec 1877 age 66 Montrose John Mackenzie informant widower present
George Wishart, cooper father. Mary Ferguson mother

George (cooper) and Mary 1841 census Beauly

George Wishart deceased cooper shown on son Hugh’s death cert 29th Oct 1859 Beauly so died between 1841 and 1859

See my post years ago …

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=453439.0

Please give me time to look for rest of info. Hope this helps

[FermLoon]

Dear BaltiBlueBird,

Thanks very much for bringing the information on the Wisharts together for me, and for signposting me to your previous posts on the Wisharts. I'll be pleased to hear about the Drumnadrochit McKenzies when you've time.

Meantime, the following may be of interest:

I had a look at the following books published by the now defunct Kilmorack Heritage Association: the first includes in the list of monumental inscriptions in Kilmorack Old graveyard, stones for a Jas Wishart, d. 1847 and his wife, Ann McKay, d. 1844; it also lists a Roderick, d. 8th December 185?, Catherine MacKay, d. 21st November 1828, and daughter Mary, 1st June 1834, aged 18  in the same lair, but not with the Wishart surname in the inscriptions, and a separate stone listing a later, but presumably unrelated Alistair (Wishart). Burials were made until c. 1900 -  Memorial Inscriptions: Parish of Kiltarlity and Convinth https://www.ambaile.org.uk/asset/48220/

In The Village of Beauly – Parish of Kilmorack [part 1], 104, there's a reference to Donald Wishart, cooper and his wife, Helen Noble having Rachel Steven baptised on 14th March 1832 - https://www.ambaile.org.uk/groupitem/453/

Cruivend and some of its nineteenth century inhabitants are listed in The Braes – Parish of Kilmorack [part 1], but there's no mention of Wisharts - https://www.ambaile.org.uk/groupitem/453/

What struck me in an online search is that Wisharts seem to be much more common in Inverness-shire than I'd have thought - https://wishart.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/1851-Census-Inverness.pdf  there's a few born in Kilmorack and two from Cromarty.

Thanks again,
Neil