1851 Census MIA: Hugh Fraser, b. 2Mar1783 Kirkhill & Mary McTavish ??

[JESSH]

Hello,
I'd really appreciate any suggestions or help in finding in the 1851 census either Hugh Fraser, his wife Mary McTavish or 4 of their 5 children.  In particular, I'd love to have some idea of Mary McTavish's birthplace and birthdate to help find her parents.

1. Catherine Fraser, b. 8 February 1812 Kirkhill; not with the family in 1841 census in Urray
2. Frederick Fraser (b. 7 Mar 1814 Kirkhill) in 1841, living with mother-in-law Catherine Cumming in Cromdale; in 1851 census, he and his wife Janet McGregor and 2 children at Glaichbea, Kiltarlity;
3. William Fraser, b. 18 May 1817 Kirkhill; in 1841 with family in Urray
4. Janet Bethel Fraser, b. 17 Nov 1822 Kirkhill; in 1841 with family in Urray; she marries Alexander Donaldson 2 October 1857 in Glasgow, reporting her father Hugh Fraser as deceased [which was not true] and mother Mary McTavish as still living]. She dies at the N. Infirmary in Inverness in 1864 and had one son, Robert Donaldson, b. 14 Oct 1858 in Anderton, Glasgow.
5. John Fraser, bap 11 April 1828 Kilmorack [living in Muir of Ord]; in 1841, with family in Urray

By 1861 and still at his death in 1866, Hugh Fraser is with his son, Frederick at Glaichbea, seemingly living separately  from his wife as both documents state he's married but she's no where to be seen.

Any subsequent info on Catherine, William and John would also be very, very welcome!

Warm regards,
Jessie

[Br1gau]

Hi Jessie,

Is this the 1841 census you refer to at Muir of Ord, Urray, Ross & Cromarty? Everyone born outside the county apart from John:
   
Hugh FRASER, 55 Crofter   
Mary FRASER, 45         
William FRASER, 20
Bethel FRASER, 15
John FRASER, 12             

I can see Catherine's 1812 birth on IGI with parents Hugh Fraser & Mary McTavish, but (Janet) Bethel who you say was born 17 Nov 1822, comes up with that same birth date and baptised 25 Nov 1822 at Kirkhill with parents Hugh Fraser & Mary McDonald, this is also the case with her OPR birth record from Scotland's People.

Were there two wives called Mary, or is the entry in the OPR misrecorded?

It's sometimes a nuisance that the 1841 census doesn't give family relationships.  Given the birth place of the older children, Inverness shire is probably the best place to start looking for Hugh & Mary's births/marriage.

Sorry I'm not much help so far, but will look for the 1851!

brigyn

[JESSH]

Hi Brygyn,
Thanks so much for your interest and willingness to help!

Yes you found the right 1841 census and the OPR entry for Janet Bethel where I do believe that the mother's name was incorrectly recorded.

Her mother's surname is different on every record: McDonald on birth; McTavish on marriage and McIntosh on death but the Janet Bethel name is unique so I actually think it is the same person. Her brother, Frederick, consistently reports mother as Mary McTavish.

On the second day of October 1857 at 147 Stobross St., marriage after banns, was solemnized according to the forms of the Free Church of Scotland
{Charles Armstrong replaced with} Alexander Donaldson, 29 147 Stobcross Street, Glasgow, Hammerman, batchelor, par: Robert Donaldson, Wood Sawyer, dec'd & Ann Donaldson maiden name Ross
Janet Bethel Fraser (her mark; George Macleod witness), 26 Cramden Hill, Anderston, Glasgow, spinster,  Hugh Fraser, farmer, deceased & Mary Fraser maiden name MacTavish
witnesses: Alexr Ross & Robina Donaldson
Hugh Fraser actually didn't die until 1866 but perhaps Janet Bethel took her mother's side in a divided family.

Her death sounds gruesome:
Bethel Jessie Donaldson, married to Alexander Donaldson, Railway Labourer,
1864, October 17th  7h PM N. Infirmary, female, 36 years  Hugh Fraser, crofter Mary Fraser MS McIntosh
cause of death: gangrene of feet, ??stangrow [couldn't read] of stumps after amputation, 10 days as certified by Alexr Carcross, House Surgeon
Reported by Alexander Donaldson, widower, 1864 October 25th

Hope we can find them in the 1851 census or even siblings Catherine, William or John subsequently!

Warm regards,
Jessie

[Chortlegirl]

Hi Jessie

I'm not sure if the following is of any real help, but here goes!

I do have McTavishes in my family tree and some of them settled in the Kirkhill area (at Lentran to be more precise) in the mid 1800s. My McTavishes originated from the Boleskine/Dores/Farraline area - could your Mary McTavish have come from here too? I have wondered what attracted my ancestors to Lentran - perhaps they already had relatives in the area?

I found the cause of Janet Bethel Donaldson's death intriguing as well as gruesome. I have found a strong suggestion that there is a family history of diabetes in my McTavish ancestors. My McTavish grandmother had type 1 diabetes (she relied on insulin injections). I've found quite a few other McTavishes who were blind (a recognised complication of diabetes) or who died of gangrene (again a recognised complication of untreated or poorly controlled diabetes). One of my McTavish ancestors from Lentran died in her 40s of "acute gangrene of the right arm and left leg". Could diabetes have been responsible for Janet's gangrene too?

Best of luck with your searches!
Lynn

[Br1gau]

Hi Jessie,

How tragic to have such a dreadful death at such a young age!

Having different names on the various records makes life difficult doesn't it?  Not to mention the confusion as to whether the parents were deceased or not.  I also notice from IGI that Frederick was christened Archibald Frederick, a family name perhaps?

In your first post you mentioned that in 1861 Hugh was living with his son, Frederick at Glaichbea.  I can't find that census in A*try anywhere, is it one that is only available from SP?  I'm wondering about Hugh's recorded age at the time and if he was still a crofter.

Sorry about all the questions!

brigyn

[JESSH]

Hello Brigyn,
Thank you for making me think again about that 'Archibald'.  If Hugh Fraser had followed traditional  naming patterns, the first son should have been William for his father but that was used for the second son. When I first starting researching, I tried to make sense of it and didn't find an Archibald in the family and so thought that it was part of the pattern of increased frequency of the name linked to Archibald Fraser who assumed the Chiefship of Clan Fraser in 1782. Archibald died 8 December 1815, at the age of 79.  That may be the explanation but...

There are a two Archibalds that are born in Kirkhill and one in Kilmorack with father William that I should look at:
Archibald Fraser  birth: 04 Aug 1774 christening:  08 Aug 1774 KIRKHILL,?INVERNESS,?SCOTLAND
parents: Hugh Fraser,? Anne Fraser

Archibald Fraser birth: 16 Jun 1783 christening: 17 Jun 1783 KIRKHILL,?INVERNESS,?SCOTLAND
parents: Finlay Fraser,? Katharine Fraser
 
Archibald Fraser christening: 21 Jul 1788 KILMORACK,?INVERNESS,?SCOTLAND parents: William Fraser

[I had wondered if I hadn't missed siblings for Hugh besides Jean born 22 Sep 1776 Wester Moniack as the gap of 7 years stood out.  If there were, since there aren't any records with Janet Stephen (or Steven) they were probably just recorded with William's name. I was rather discouraged since there are dozens and dozens in Invernesshire (even if limit to Kirkhill, Kiltarlity and Kilmorack).

Regarding the 1861 census, I transcribed it years ago at the General Registrar's office in Edinburgh so hadn't looked again for it:
Frederick Fraser, head, mar 46, farmer of 30 acres, b. Kirkhill
Janet, wife, mar, 42, farmer's wife, b. Duthil
Ann, dau, unm, 19, farmer's dau, b. Kiltarlity
John, son, unm, 16, farmer's son, b. Kiltarlity
Hugh, son, unm, 14, scholar, b. Kiltarlity
Robert, son, unm, 3, b. Kiltarlity
William, son, unm, 1 b. Kiltarlity
Jane Fraser, serv, unm, b. Kirkhill
Hugh Fraser, father, mar, 78, former school master, b. Kirkhill

The description of Hugh Fraser as a former school master may be an exaggeration as in other documents he's listed as a wright. I do know that he was a poet in gaelic known as Huisdean a Craggen and one of his poems was included in an article by Hugh Barron in the Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness. The poem was a image-rich rant against his landlord who cleared him off of his land.

Thanks for the ideas and questions which make me think!
All the best,
Jessie

[JESSH]

Hi Lynn,
Thanks so much for telling me about your McTavishes from Lentran!  It's very close to Craggan so opens some angles for research.  I noted a family headed by Hugh McTavish, 76 at a place called Dunbaloch, Kirkhill in the 1841 census--does that relate to your family at Lentran?

Is there a Simon McTavish as part of that family and any farm name that ends in drop?   I recorded Archibald Frederick's baptismal entry as: "Hugh Fraser, Wright, Cragan and his spouse, Mary MacTavish, had a male child born the 7th day of March and baptised this date (April 10th 1814) named Archibald Frederick. Witnesses: William Fraser Knocklain and Simon MacTavish ?drop".  I couldn't read the placename when I looked at it on microfilm but should download it from SP and see if it's clearer or if others can help. 

Btw, the only death record that I found that came close to being my Mary McTavish was:
Mary Fraser, widow of Hugh Fraser, crofter
died 15 March 1873 6 h am  Inverness Poor House   72 years old
parents: John McTavish, farmer, deceased & Catherine McTavish ms Fraser, deceased
chronic bronchitis, 6 years as cert by Wm M Davies  M.B.
informant: D Macfie, Governor of Poor House, present
The husband Hugh seemed right, and it's encouraging that her oldest daughter was named Catherine and third son was John but the age would have to be out by about 5 or more years as as her oldest child was born February 1812.   

I got a transcript of the entry log in the poor house register:
Number: 1020
Name: Mary McTavish or Fraser
Sex: Female
Age: 70     [not sure if they were precise or  just approximate in the entries]
If adult whether ... Widow
Employment: Servant
Religious denomination: Protestant
If disabled - description: poverty/age
Name of Spouse: Hugh Fraser
Number of children: 2   [if means in total, was incorrect; if means living, could be right as I know (Archibald) Frederick was still alive but don't know about Catherine, William or John]
Observations on admission: "very dirty"  [sad to imagine]
Parish: Inverness
Admitted: 9th November 1871
Died/left: Died 4pm - 15th March 1873.

The diabetes angle is interesting too. In my direct line, I haven't found other instances of early death, blindness, gangrene or other indicators but I've found it hard to trace a lot of the siblings so now I wonder.

Warm regards,
Jessie

[Br1gau]

Hi Jessie,

You've been busy thinking and doing; it sounds as if the research is paying off!

I wondered if these entries in the newspaper indexes at Am Baile might relate to your Hugh

http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/newspapers/search_results.jsp?newspaper=0&PrimarySubject=0&startyear=*&endyear=*&keywords=Huisdean+&StartRow=0&MaxRows=25&inforequest=&x=0&y=0

Articles are available free on request from Inverness Library.  Can take 2 days to ~3 weeks, depending on how busy they are

brigyn

edit to add: the link above doesn't work, try this one:

http://tinyurl.com/7fvjjru

[Br1gau]

More from Am Baile:

There are 4 articles about Hugh Fraser, Schoolmaster at Kirkhill, 1827, 1857, 1861 and 1864 (death at Inverness, age 72)

And also.........

Law & Order > Licences
Kiltarlity - Frederick Fraser, farmer, Glackbea, Kiltarlity, hawking whisky
Inverness Advertiser Tuesday, 13 November 1866
Page/Col Ref:3C