St James's Church, Cruden - Alexander Family

[Rosehill132]

I am trying to trace further details of my family, and in particular my GG Grandfather John 'Jake' Alexander from the Bullers of Buchan (I saw another thread about him a while back).  The Alexanders I think go back a good way in the Bullers.  Jake was the unofficial provost of the Bullers and died in 1886 (born 1814), apparently being buried in a paupers grave in Cruden Kirkyard.

I know a fair bit about the family but am trying to get more info through MI's or gravestones - problem is the ANEFHS site doesn't seem to have Cruden listed and I can't find St James's (which is an Episcopalian Church) anywhere either.

Does anyone know where details for MI's / graves in Cruden may be found??

[flst]

Try emailing the ANEFHS & asking them if they've any unpublished M.I's for Cruden. They only list the ones which are complete & have been printed, on their website, but have many incomplete graveyard M.I.'s not yet finalised.  Their information is submitted by volunteers.
flst

[flst]

For the benefit of those trying to assist you with your query, here's the link to the other post giving more information on this Jake Alexander.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=439861.0
flst

[heymin]

If you "google" St. James Church Cruden, there's a few things about it including it's situation. It lies on the main road about half a mile south of Cruden Bay.

[flst]

This book, published in 1988, by A.Strath Maxwell, may well hold information of interest to you. It is available in Aberdeenshire Library Headquarters, in Old Meldrum. The local studies department accepts email enquiries. Hopes this helps.It's also available in the scotlandspeople library.
"The registers of St.James the Less,Episcopal chapel, Cruden, diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney, Scotland, 1807 - 1870"
It will, hopefully, have burial records!
Regards,
flst

[dottie43]

Hi,
I got my great aunts lair just the later part of last year from the minister of the church, i cant remember his name or number in ellon sorry but if you phone the registrars in ellon they will give you it as thats where i got it.
Hope this helps Dottie.

[finequine]

Re the St James the Less Episcopal records, as far as I know, there is a copy in Cruden Bay library, the Aberdeen and North-east Family History Society has a copy as has the Scotlands People centre in Edinburgh. The problem is that they are not indexed, so, for example, the folk at ANEFHS might not be keen to do a look-up for you as they would have to read from cover to cover!
Also, I think the Aberdeenshire Council Registrars have a lair plan from 1794 onwards, of Cruden cemetery, which is just along the road from St James the Less.

[Rosehill132]

I finally got time to get up to Register House to check out John's children and close this one off.  Thanks to all for advice the Registers of St James the Less book by A Strath Maxwell was extremely helpful, and basically listed all births, deaths and marriages for the parish, all cross-referenced - 100 years or so of my family all neatly laid out.  I would recommend it to anyone searching for Episcopalian routes in Cruden parish.

John's history as follows (all in Cruden unless stated):

His parents were William Alexander (d. 23.3.1817 at 43) and Isabella Philip (d. 27.12.1861, Artamford, New Deer at 91 !!).  They married 22.11.1801.

Their children were:

1. William (b. c. 1803, d. 2.7.1846).
2. David (no further details).
3. George (b. 30.10.1808, d. 31.1.1877), m. Barbara McKenzie 16.2.1839.
4. Isabella (b. c. 1808), m. Maxwell Geddes 3.2.1838.
5. Alexander (b. 2.12.1810, d. 30.3.1811).
6. John.
7. James (b. 1.8.1816).

John was born 2.3.1814, and died 5.6.1886.  He married Isabella Hay (b. c. 1810 also in the Bullers) on 1.12.1838.

They had 7 children:

1. William (b. 25.2.1840 - I can't trace the death).
2. John (b. 19.8.1842, d. 7.10.1879), m. Jessie Duthie 20.10.1870.
3. George (b. 23.5.1844, d. 14.4.1930), m. Elizabeth Dow Noble 6.7.1872.
4. James (b. 3.4.1847, d. 16.4.1847).
5. Isabella (b. 29.1.1849, d. 13.9.1918, Aberdeen), m. Alexander Mackie 27.10.1871.  Isabella's death cert shows they had at least one son, John.
6. James (b. 8.6.1851, d. 8.10.1851).
7. Alexander (b. 26.8.1852, d. 26.12.1916, Aberdeen), m. Margaret Bisset 6.11.1875, Peterhead.

Isabella Hay died on 7.6.1855.  John then married Helen Buchan (b. 21.6.1835 at Inverallochy) on 11.2.1860.

They also had 7 children:

1. Ann (b. 2.2.1861, d. 20.8.1928, Boddam), m. Richard Rennie 22.3.1884.
2. James (b. 12.10.1862, d. 6.3.1934, Aberdeen), m. Margaret Taylor 31.3.1893, Aberdeen.  They had at least one son, James.
3. Robert - my great grandfather - (b. 31.5.1865, d. 1.6.1932, Aberdeen), m. Isabella Jane Wood 14.8.1896, Banchory.  They had 5 sons Richard, Robert, David, Walter and Harry.
4. Helen (b. 12.8.1867, d. 30.3.1870).
5. Jane (b. 12.8.1867, d. 3.3.1877).
6. Francis (b. 12.3.1869, d. 5.1.1954, Peterhead), m. Helen Ann Sutherland 27.1.1893, Peterhead.
7. Barbara McKenzie (b. 10.3.1872) - no further trace.

Helen Buchan died 27.12.1873 at Peterhead.

[flst]

So pleased for you! Well done.
flst