Info about Robert Murdoch Lawrance, F.S.A.Scot.

[SANTUDM]

Hello everyone! I am interested in the work of Robert Murdock Lawrance, F.S.A.Scot., who was a well-known genealogist and historian of Aberdeen, Scotland. This gentleman was the son of Robert Scott Lawrance and Mary Anne Murdoch. I would like to know if someone know if he did a genealogical work about his maternal family, the Murdochs. Further, if anyone know if he has living descendants would it be very useful! Many thanks!

[MonicaL]

Hi Santudm

Just some pieces of info on the lines:

Robert Scott LAWRANCE
Birth: 15 Sep 1845 Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Baptism: 7 Oct 1845 Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Note: Robert was a master Mariner commanding several vessels in the merchant service.
Marriage: 19 Jun 1877 Mary Ann MURDOCH (b. 27 Feb 1848, d. 2 Mar 1919), daughter of Robert MURDOCH and Isabella BRODIE; Footdee Ironworks, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Daughter: 3 Apr 1878 Ida Mary LAWRANCE; Old Machar Parish, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Son: 9 Aug 1879 Robert Murdoch LAWRANCE; Old Machar Parish, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Daughter: 19 Sep 1881 Louisa Mary LAWRANCE; Craigielea, Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Death: 13 Jul 1885 British Hospital, Port Said, Egypt (smallpox)
www.lawrence-ons.org/cl2.htm


With these parents' names for Mary Ann Murdoch, there is this:

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dcoreilly&id=I24872

http://home.cogeco.ca/~ken.waldron/FamilyMembers/RMurdoch1809-IBrodie1821.html (with these death dates, you should be able to find corresponding death certs for Mary Ann's parents on www.scotlandspeople.gov which should help in trying to work back to the next generation.

Monica

[1pds]

Hi Santudm

Just some pieces of info on the lines:

Robert Scott LAWRANCE
Birth: 15 Sep 1845 Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Baptism: 7 Oct 1845 Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Note: Robert was a master Mariner commanding several vessels in the merchant service.
Marriage: 19 Jun 1877 Mary Ann MURDOCH (b. 27 Feb 1848, d. 2 Mar 1919), daughter of Robert MURDOCH and Isabella BRODIE; Footdee Ironworks, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Daughter: 3 Apr 1878 Ida Mary LAWRANCE; Old Machar Parish, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Son: 9 Aug 1879 Robert Murdoch LAWRANCE; Old Machar Parish, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Daughter: 19 Sep 1881 Louisa Mary LAWRANCE; Craigielea, Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Death: 13 Jul 1885 British Hospital, Port Said, Egypt (smallpox)
www.lawrence-ons.org/cl2.htm


With these parents' names for Mary Ann Murdoch, there is this:

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dcoreilly&id=I24872

http://home.cogeco.ca/~ken.waldron/FamilyMembers/RMurdoch1809-IBrodie1821.html (with these death dates, you should be able to find corresponding death certs for Mary Ann's parents on www.scotlandspeople.gov which should help in trying to work back to the next generation.

Monica

Hi Monica,

Is that the right Lawrance?  The initial post is for Robert Murdoch Lawrance, your post referes to a Robert Scott Lawrance.   

The Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland for 1925 - 26 record a Fellow called Robert Murdoch Lawrance donating several books to the Society's library.  If this is the Lawrance in question, he probably didn't die in Port Said in 1885!   

[MonicaL]

Robert Scott LAWRANCE looks to be the father of Robert Murdoch LAWRANCE (Son: 9 Aug 1879 Robert Murdoch LAWRANCE; Old Machar Parish, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland).

Monica 

[1pds]

Ah!   

Thanks!   

[MonicaL]

No probs 

It is all the extra sets of eyes here on RC that pick up any errors etc. which is a good thing 

Monica

[SANTUDM]

Dear Monica and 1pds thank you very much for that info! Mary Ann's parents were Robert Murdoch and Isabella Brodie.
My interest in Mr Robert Murdoch Lawrance is because he wrote in "Scottish notes and queries" in 1925 that a George Murdoch, according to Mr Lawrence a relative of him, Wood Merchant at Mossat Sawmill, received from Harry Leith Lumsden of Auchindoir a Feu Charter of two pieces of ground in Lumsden Village, of date 29th July, 1830. He also wrote that this George Murdoch have had born at Moors of Clova, and baptised 30th October, 1784. I have found George Murdoch's baptism where is mentioned that his father was Alexander Murdoch. The most interesting is that in the same record page I have found the baptism of George, I had already found my ancestor Adam Murdoch, another son of Alexander Murdoch. My Adam Murdoch and George Murdoch were brothers. If Robert Murdoch Lawrance was alright about that he was relative of George, son of Alexander Murdoch, this would be a clue that me and Mr Lawrance are distant relatives too. This would not be so imposible since my Murdochs are from Kildrummy, near Strathdon, where Mr Lawrance's ancestor are.
If Robert M. Lawrance wrote that, it was because he knew that both Murdoch families had a posible conection.

[Forfarian]

There's a George Murdoch, aged 67, born Kildrummy, at 1 Invermossat, Kildrummy in the 1851 census with wife Janet, son Alexander, 24, born Alford, nephew John Murdoch, 13 and father-in-law Peter Smith. Also other children and employees.

The same family is at Invermossat in 1841. Neither listing includes a Mary Ann Murdoch.

See http://www.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl for the full details.

It's possible that George lived until 1855, and if so there will be a death certificate which will tell you the names of his parents.

You need to find either Mary Ann Murdoch's death certificate, or you need to find her with her family in the 1851 or later census to see where she was born.

[SANTUDM]

Dear Forfarian. I forgot to mention, I know the names of the parents of Mary Ann Murdoch (Robert Murdoch Lawrance's mother). She was the daugther of Robert Murdoch and Isobel Brodie. See http://www.glenbuchatheritage.com/picture/number785.asp
Robert Murdoch (Mary Ann's father and hence Mr Lawarance's maternal grandfather) was born on 05 Jun 1809 at Glenbucket and was the son of Robert Murdoch and Jean McKenzie. And Robert Murdoch (Mr Lawrance's great-grandfather) born on 06 Dec 1777 at Gask, Aberdeenshire was the son of Adam Murdoch. Therefore, Robert Murdoch Lawrance's most distant ancestor was Adam Murdoch. This Adam was living in the same time period of my most distant ancestor Alexander Murdoch.
George Murdoch married Janet Smith, who was living at Invermossat, Kildrummy in 1841 and 1851 is a son of my most distant ancestor Alexander Murdoch, hence George was a brother of my ancestor Adam Murdoch born in 1793 at Kildrummy (note that the name Adam is repeated in both Murdoch families).
Therefore, if the genealogist Robert Murdoch Lawrance was correct, and as he said George Murdoch (husband of Janet Smith and son of Alexander Murdoch) was a distant relative of him, the relationship must have been between Mr Lawrance's most distant ancestor Adam Murdoch, and my most distant ancestor Alexander Murdoch. Adam and Alexander Murdoch could have been brothers or close relatives at least. There are many similarities in both families, both were living in the same place, Alexander had a son named Adam, etc.