Birkenburn Farm , Keith

[Forfarian]

I just wonder why Margaret Bremner Macdonald gave birth to her 4th child at Birkenburn in 1844? Her husband (James Macdonald) died at Blackhillock in 1847 according to his gravestone. Blackhillock is a place name, while Birkenburn is a farm across the road. He may have died at the farm and they wrote Blackhillock on the gravestone as a place name. Who would they have known in 1844-1847 at Birkenburn Farm that would have given them refuge?

Yes, I have been wondering that too.

I don't think anyone in the 1840s or any time since would confuse Blackhillock with Birkenburn. They were two separate farms, one on either side of the Keith to Huntly road. By the 1850s a lime works had been opened at Blackhillock, and there are a now a quarry, a roads department depot and a major electricity transforming station on Blackhillock.

Birkenburn was a property of the Gordons, then of the Stuarts, then of the Earl of Seafield, but the proprietor of Blackhillock in the mid-19th century was Andrew Stewart Esq. This Andrew Stewart is elusive; he is not in the 1841, 1851 or 1861 census in Keith, and the valuation rolls list the names of tenants in Blackhillock.

From perusing the catalogue of the National Records of Scotland, I think he might be Andrew Stewart or Steuart of Auchlunkart, who died in Menton, France in 1905, and seems to have had a London home. The Steuarts of Auchlunkart apparently claim descent from the 'noble house of Athole', so I think that attaching your Stuarts, or the Birkenburn ones, to the Auchlunkart ones might be an interesting challenge.

[NancyMacJ]

Forfarian -

The only person on Ancestry.com I can find who has done research on the Stuarts of Birkenburn is username scseke and he has done great homework but his style leaves a lot to be desired. He cited as a source https://archive.org/stream/houseofgordonedi02bull#page/130/mode/1up

Are you familiar with the source above?

The man I am trying to connect is Robert Stuart (1768/69-1852) who was an army pensioner who married late in life after his military travel was over. When he was 57/8, he married 28 yr old Christian Stuart of Tomintoul. They moved to Dufftown about 1836-38 and raised a family there. Robert died in Dufftown in 1852 and is buried just south at Mortlach. Banffshire. All census records have him born in Banffshire, with one census reporting Rothiemurchas, Banffshire as a birthplace. His marriage record in 1825 reports he is from Delliefure, Cromdale, Banffshire.

John Stuart of Birkenburn (1733-1822) had 4 sons with Helen Anderson - including Robert Stuart baptized at Keith on 8 Oct 1768. According to the poster on Ancestry.com, this Robert Stuart was last heard from in 1815 when he visited Birkenburn, and then he died unmarried.

Could this be the same person? The patronymic naming pattern is present. The birth year is close (all we have is census ages for the Robert Stuart in Dufftown). Both went into the Army.

Coincidental,yes. Still after doing this for so many decades, my nose is smelling something worth researching further. Do you have access to military records by any chance?

Nancy Macdonald Jordan
Houston, Texas

[Forfarian]

The only person on Ancestry.com I can find who has done research on the Stuarts of Birkenburn is username scseke and he has done great homework but his style leaves a lot to be desired. He cited as a source https://archive.org/stream/houseofgordonedi02bull#page/130/mode/1up

Are you familiar with the source above?

Yes, I have come across the 'House of Gordon'. However it is a secondary source, and I always take with a good deal of caution any secondary sources. On the plus side, the author does say that he was given access to the charter chest of the Steuarts of Auchlunkart, so he is only one step away from a primary source.

I wouldn't trust any tree I find online. Especially not one submitted to Ancestry, My Heritage or similar web sites. I would use it as a finding aid and try to confirm its contents from primary sources.

The man I am trying to connect is Robert Stuart (1768/69-1852) who was an army pensioner who married late in life after his military travel was over. When he was 57/8, he married 28 yr old Christian Stuart of Tomintoul.

I see that the marriage was proclaimed in both Kirkmichael and in Cromdale Inverallan and Advie. Do you have the originals of both?

They moved to Dufftown about 1836-38 and raised a family there. Robert died in Dufftown in 1852 and is buried just south at Mortlach. Banffshire.

Dufftown is actually in Mortlach - the parish kirk there pre-dates Dufftown by several centuries; Dufftown was established in 1817, close to the Kirk of Mortlach which is over 1000 years old.

All census records have him born in Banffshire, with one census reporting Rothiemurchas, Banffshire as a birthplace. His marriage record in 1825 reports he is from Delliefure, Cromdale, Banffshire.

Rothiemurchus is not in Banffshire. The transcriptions of the 1851 census on FreeCEN and FindMyPast both give his birthplace as Rothiemurchus, Inverness-shire, and the 1841 (from transcriptions) says he was not born in Banffshire. Delliefure is quite close to Rothiemurchus, and both are in the opposite direction to Keith. In 1851 his age is given as 81; if accurate that would indeed put his birth in 1769/1770.

John Stuart of Birkenburn (1733-1822) had 4 sons with Helen Anderson - including Robert Stuart baptized at Keith on 8 Oct 1768. According to the poster on Ancestry.com, this Robert Stuart was last heard from in 1815 when he visited Birkenburn, and then he died unmarried.

Noting that John Stuart of Birkenburn mentioned only sisters in his will, in spite of having 3 brothers and 2 half-brothers*, does suggest that the various brothers and half-brothers must have predeceased him.

*this assumes that I am correct in deducing that Ann St*art was the second wife of Helen Anderson's widower. I have yet to find definite proof of that, though The House of Gordon also says so.

Could this be the same person? The patronymic naming pattern is present. The birth year is close (all we have is census ages for the Robert Stuart in Dufftown). Both went into the Army.

Given the consistency of the birthplace information in the census, I think it is unlikely that the Robert St*art who died in Mortlach in 1852 was the one born in Keith in 1768, but I don't think it can quite be ruled out. However The House of Gordon says that Robert Stuart of Birkenburn died in England in 1815.

As for the patronymic naming pattern, I can find five children: John, baptised 21 February 1826; Peter, baptised 13 June 1827; Barbara, aged 7 in 1841 so born 1833/1834; Robert, born 26 May 1835; and Jane, baptised 24 January 1838. If he had been the son of Helen Henderson you would have expected his second daughter to be named Helen, but there are gaps in the family so the naming tradition cannot be relied on. Do you know the names of Christian's parents?

Coincidental,yes. Still after doing this for so many decades, my nose is smelling something worth researching further. Do you have access to military records by any chance?

Only those available online, unless I were to take a trip to London.

[NancyMacJ]

Sorry for the Rothiemurchus BANFFSHIRE error. I knew it was Inverness - I've been there. Also, the reference to Mortlach being south of Dufftown, I know about the history of Dufftown, I was referring to the cemetery being south of Dufftown proper, been there, too.

Good point about John Stuart death in 1837 mentioning only his sisters.

Thanks for helping me.

Nancy Macdonald Jordan
Houston, Texas

[NancyMacJ]

Forforian,

Regarding the patrynomic naming pattern for Robert Stuart and Christian Stuart:
known children:

JOHN Stuart
1826–1899 d Covington, California

Peter Stuart
1827–1898 d Ontario, CAN

Helen Stuart
1833–1911 m1 Ross, m2 Cole, d Ontario, CA

Barbara Stuart
1834–1894 d Ontario, CAN [unmarried, lived with her mother, and then her sister Elspet Tocher - may have been mentally challenged - see 1861 Ontario census]

Robert Stuart
1835–1913 d Ontario, CAN

Elspet Stuart
1836–1904 m Tocher, d Ontario, CAN

[Forfarian]

Good point about John Stuart death in 1837 mentioning only his sisters.

That's another thing.

I have yet to see a primary source for John's death in 1837, although it is quoted in LIBINDX.

However

- In the 1841 census (transcription) John Stewart, 70 is in Fife-Keith with Jean 60; Ann, 60 and Cathrine, 50, three of the half-sisters of John Stuart of Birkenburn. If this John Stewart is not their half-brother, still alive and presumably kicking in 1841, who else could he possibly be?

- According to LIBINDX http://libindx.moray.gov.uk/mainmenu.asp John Stuart was buried in Keith on 3 March 1884. The page reference is MF A Ke (105), which is the same reference as the burial of Ann Stewart in 1864 and Catherine Stewart in 1868, John of Birkenburn's half-sisters.

- The testament of John Stuart of Birkenburn was confirmed on 4 April 1844; his sister Mary Stewart or Stephen stated that her brother John died on 29 February 1844 and the date of his will was 7 March 1842. The confirmation aso names his sisters Jean, Ann and Katharine.

So where (other than an unsourced reference in The House of Gordon), did the death date of 1837 come from? And, in the face of three pieces of primary evidence against him having died in 1837, do we still believe that he died in 1837?

[weeaza]

This is an extract from the burial records.


Page 105.
Name: John Stuart Esq of Birkenburn. Section Number on Plan 91. Extent of Ground 13 feet 0 inches. 
Age
Depth of Grave
Number of Grave
Stone
Date of Burial
Jun 21st 1839 Miss Elizabeth Stuart   4 
Mar 4th 1844 John Stuart Esq're   3 
Nov 27th 1856 Miss Jane Stuart   5 
Apr 25th 1864 Miss Ann Stuart   4 
Oct 23rd 1867 Alexander Kynoch   1 
Jun 30th 1868 Miss Catherine Stuart   5 
Aug 21st 1875 Magdalene Stephen or Kynoch   3 
Feb 5th 1937 Jessie Mc G Clifford or Kynoch 84 4 ft 4 
Feb 10th 1937 George Kynoch 82 4 ft 2

Hope this helps

Steven

[Forfarian]

Yes, very much, thanks, Steven.

[HeartofScoAncestry]

Hi,

I was really interested to see these various posts about Birkenburn, Keith.  I have been researching this for some time although there was some information I was not aware particularly relating to the death of William Stuart in Madras.  Not sure I can help about Robert but I would agree with what seems to be the conclusion that the Robert being sought is not the one from Birkenburn.

I am a direct descendant of John Stuart Esq of Birkenburn who died in 1844 as previously mentioned. I am also at a loss as to why his death was recorded in various sources as 1837.  The will is very clear.  He appears in the 1841 Census living in Keith with his half-sisters. 

I am descended from him via the illegitimate son mentioned in the will who was left £500, his shirts and other clothes.  I doubt I have seen a better worded will for help prove someone was the father of an illegitimate child!   Its wording described the name, location and occupation of James at the time of the 1841 Census a year before the will was written.  James was born to John Stuart Esq and an Isobel Dey from Keith and I have found the records from Keith Kirk Session Records when they were summoned to appear before the Session in 1793 to answer for their "sin".  He was referred to as "Young Birkenburn" and his father paid a nice amount into the Poor Relief to atone for his sins!

In terms of Birkenburn Estate, the National Records of Scotland hold two plans of the estate.  One was produced for John Stuart and the other for the Earl of Seafield when he purchased it.  I managed to obtain these a few weeks ago when visiting NRS and for some reason the cartographer has flipped the layout of plans so they initially appear different but are definitely the same estate.  It appears that the Stuarts were not great with money and, as was common at that time, had to sell off the estate.  I think there was perhaps a tax levied to help pay for the Napoleonic War that caused a lot of estates to be sold off.  There is a story which was in one of the books mentioned that one member of the Gordon family was not happy when the Stuarts sold the estate to Seafield instead of selling to him to keep it in the Gordon family.  He was apparently willing to pay more!!

I am delivering a talk on this family later in the year and will be doing more research this summer, hopefully including a trip up to Keith to look at the site and the kirkyard etc.  If anyone has any more information or wishes to exchange more information please let me know.  I know that there is nothing left of the house but hopefully, equipped with the estate plans I may be able to make some sense of its scale and location.

Thanks again and it is amazing how sharing of information on a site such as this can help people cover gaps in research.

Gary Lawrie