Stephen family Newhills Aberdeen

[Forfarian]

when Dundee was classed as to be in Forfarshire, now Angus.

Sorry, but this is a case of accurate information being potentially misleading!

The city of Dundee was always in the County of Angus.

However some time in the 18th century someone decided to 'rationalise' the names of (some of) the Scottish counties by renaming them after their respective county towns. The county town of the county of Angus is Forfar, so Angus became Forfarshire to officialdom, but not universally to its inhabitants. The Statistical Account uses both names, and natives of the county often state in census etc that they were born in Angus.

In 1928 this change of official name was reversed by Act of Parliament and the county reverted to its ancient name of Angus for all official purposes.

It was not until the reorganisation of local government in 1975 that the City of Dundee council was made independent of the rest of Angus. At the same time all the historic counties were abolished as local authority areas, but they remain in existence as ceremonial counties.

So in general, for historical research purposes, Dundee is in Angus. Forfarshire, bar the odd minor adjustment of a boundary here and there, is synonymous with Angus. Angus is the ancient and traditional name.

The only time you need to know what place is in which modern local government area is if you are looking for records which may be in the care of the present local authorities - the obvious one being burial records.

[Flattybasher9]

So Angus, including Dundee, was changed to Forfarshire, including Dundee, then reverted to Angus minus Dundee. Dundee then got it's own status.

Regards

Malky

[Forfarian]

So Angus, including Dundee, was changed to Forfarshire, including Dundee, then reverted to Angus minus Dundee. Dundee then got it's own status.

Very nearly. It reverted to Angus including Dundee in 1928, and Dundee became a separate unit in 1975.

It had its own council before 1975 of course, but then so did Forfar, Arbroath, Brechin, Montrose, Kirriemuir, Carnoustie etc. In 1975 all the councils were done away with and replaced by three - Tayside Regional Council which included Angus, Kinross-shire and most of Perthshire and had responsibilities for roads and transport, education, social work, regional planning etc, and two District Councils, Angus DC and the City of Dundee DC, which were responsible for housing, libraries and museums, sports and recreation, burial grounds and local planning etc.

Then in 1995 the Regional Councils were abolished and the districts made responsible for all aspects of local government.

[garryscotland]

"Thanks for your help but Williams parents on Scotlands Peop in 1799 are David Stephen & Jean Kerr, on his death cert is James but no mothers name, dont think it is him. Have you ever got a geneoligist to help with your searching when you hit a brick wall and are they costly"

Some more to add to the confusion

William Stephen b 10 JUN 1791,    Dundee, Angus, Scotland, James Stephen / Helen Lawson
William Stephen b 24 Jan or Feb 1792, Arbroath, Angus, Scotland, James Stephen /  Margaret  Petrie 2 date conflicting records
William Stephen b 28 Nov 1795  Craig By Montrose, Angus, Scotland, James Stephen / Jean Teviotdale
William Stephen b 14 Jan 1799  Barry, Angus, Scotland, James Stephen / Mary Scott
               

Regards

Malky

Hi Malky

2011 was the last time I was on , bored during lockdown  looked at tree again , think you were spot on with the first two as William died 1st May 1869 aged 78 ,so makes his birth 1791/2 , spoke to a lady and she said the census was taken and they rounded it up to the nearest five years after the age of 15 .
Also contacted a man at the Dundee Courier where Williams death was published as well as the Aberdeen Press and Journal as he died and buried in Aberdeen ,he said that the person carrying out the will would have put the death in the two publications as to capture any family in the Dundee Forfarshire Angus area.
Searched for a will but could not find one , just one for his wife Isabella .
Can not get a link to match my William with the first two you mentioned, I see the 1792 William was christened on 24 Feb 1792 Arbroath Angus .
Have run out of options again ,one day maybe one day.