Fort George in Dunbartonshire?

[kahu]

I have a Catherine McFarlane born abt 1781 in Fort George, Dunbartonshire but am unable to locate a place of this name in Dunbartonshire, only the Fort George near Inverness.

Does anyone know of a Fort George in Dunbartonshire, and where it was located?

Catherine was married at Arrochar.  Possibly it was not far from there.

Thanks.

Bob 

[MonicaL]

Hi Bob

What is the source of the info regarding Catherine's place of birth (Fort George, Dunbartonshire)?

Monica 

[kahu]

Hi Monica,

1851 Census where she is living at Port of Menteith gives where born as "Dumbarton Fortgeorge"

1861 Census Port of Menteith says simply "Fort George"

Father Walter McFarlane and husband Peter McKellar were both farmers, the latter at Gartmore.  I don't know about Walter.

Catherine was married at Arrochar and record says she was of what looks like "Stronpine" which may have been a farm name.  Husband Peter is from Feorline, Lochgoilhead.

The more well known Fort George near Inverness is a possibility but a long way from where she got married.

Cheers
Bob

[MonicaL]

Hi Bob

Any thoughts on who Catherine's mother was? In the absence of an entry so far for Catherine, sometimes you get clues from locations of siblings's births or christenings.

Always worth checking, have you actually viewed the original images for the censuses for Catherine? Sometimes errors creep in when looking solely at the transcripts unfortunately.

Why don't you add a snippet of the image of "Stronpine" and maybe people can try to help you here with that?

Closest I could see was a Will & Testament entry (a testament dative - TD) for a Walter McFarlane at Strontian, Argyll in 1806.....no, take that back! Just noticed an unconnected entry in Wills on SP which gives the place name ref as:

Joint Tacksman of the Stronafyne Farm in Parish of Arrochar, Dumbarton County.

There is however some connections between the McFarlane name and Stronafyne Farm such as showing here www.clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info/genealogy/TNGWebsite/getperson.php?personID=I44029&tree=CC ....but this is McFarlane land, so hard to say how relevant this may all be.

Not sure how your Catherine will connect to the McFarlanes of Stronafyne Farm (looks to have been a large farm, with over 6,000 acres and part of the Tarbert Estate)...but great collection of photos here www.arrocharheritage.com/GalleryParlaneMacFarlanesPictures.htm It may be that Walter, Catherine's father was a tenant or other farm/estate worker at the time of Catherine's marriage in 1801. Or perhaps, Catherine herself was working there at the time of her marriage.

Monica

[kahu]

Hi Monica,

Many thanks for an extremely helpful reply.  You may have hit the bullseye with Stronafyne Farm!  I am attaching (I hope) a snip of the image from Catherine's marriage (haven't yet figured out how to insert the image in the text).  It could easily be "Stronfine".

Catherine's mother (from death reg.) was Sarah Fletcher.  I have just downloaded a Marriage Walter McFarlane / Sarah Fletcher in Glasgow 16 Jan 1776, which are possible parents.  Now this Walter Mcfarlane is a Soldier (can't decipher regiment - looks like "Lots" - will post that separately).  If they are Catherine's parents she may well have been born Fort George, Inverness, if Walter was posted there at the time, and returned to farming later.  I have copies of the original census images for Catherine and definitely written Fort George.

I have also downloaded the TD for Walter Macfarlan Argyll 1806 (missed that previously as only searched on exact spelling!).  He was at "Stronfian" at the time of his death but it is not clear what his occupation was (although inventory does include Stock which suggests farming).  Executor is an Andrew Macfarlan

I haven't found the other Wills entry on SP you mention (Joint Tacksman of the Stronafyne Farm in Parish of Arrochar, Dumbarton County).  What name would I search on to find that?

Thank you for the Stronafyne Farm links.  The photos are marvellous.

I can see I have a little more work to do to definitely prove the Stronafyne and Fort George connections but you have really taken me a long way overnight Monica for which again many thanks.

Bob

[MonicaL]

Bob, just linking to post on the 'deciphering' board re Walter's military details http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,631120.new.html#new

Great news! See also the reference to Fort George Invalids....don't know what that means but we have a referece to Fort George for the first time elsewhere.

Monica

[MonicaL]

Fort George Invalids:

....By 1795 the permanent garrison of Fort George consisted of a company of 'invalids', men who were deemed no longer fit for active service....
www.fife.50megs.com/fort-george-scotland.html

Makes perfect sense now. Walter was retired at the age of 66 in 1802. With 46 years service under his belt, he likely saw out his service at Fort George. He may have returned to the Arrochar area in his later years and this may well explain why Catherine (confusingly) stated Fort George/Dunbarton as her birth place perhaps?

Monica

[kahu]

Monica, wow, I can't thank you enough for your help and finding the military record for father Walter.  I have requested a quote from TNA for copying the document and will certainly order it.

Yes it is all making complete sense now and the inclusion of the word Dumbarton in the 1851 census may have just been a slip up by the enumerator.  It was written only "Fort George" in the 1861.

The description of Walter as farmer (deceased) on Catherine's death reg. (informant was another Walter, a grandson) does suggest he may have returned to the Arrochar area after retirement.

It will be very interesting to see the date of Walter's actual retirement, as there is a remarkable proximity of the date of the military record 1802 to the date of Catherine's marriage recorded 23 July 1802 in which the couple "acknowledged that they were irregularly and clandestinely married in the month of Nov. last".  Maybe Dad came home and waved the big stick!

This is most exciting - an ancestor who may have served in the Black Watch in the American War of Independence (although my daughter may want to keep quiet about that in front of her American friends).  Hopefully there will be some mention of his service in the retirement record.

Monica, thanks so much.

Bob

 

[MonicaL]

Please update here on his military history when you get his papers from TNA!  Some of these older military records are great. You never quite know what will be on these until you look through, so fingers crossed. You may find details of children/siblings to Catherine too.

Monica