1839 m.i. inscription eroded

[don_niagara]

Recently was sent this photo of a much eroded stone in the Gaelic churchyard at Cromarty. The sender's (Lisa) digital camera unfortunately was set at 640 X 480 pix, so no higher res image will probably be available till spring. Lisa notes "my transcription matches the transcription on the Ross and Cromarty burial grounds site though I confess I saw their transcript before I saw it in person so I would not have questioned it". I think she is referring to Roddie Macpherson's great site "Ross & Cromarty Roots", which has a 2008 photo of the stone and his transcription of it at http://gravestones.rosscromartyroots.co.uk/picture/number1685.asp

ERECTED BY  /
John and William  /
Mackenzie in memory  /
of their father  /
John McKenzie  /
who died 21st March  /
1839 aged 75 years  /

A friend (Sharie) has an ancestor John Mackenzie noted in family histories as died 21 March, 1839, at Cromarty, this is no doubt the stone for that guy, however her John has birth year estimated about 1790 (based on marriage year and births of his children), which does not match this transcription which suggests birth year around 1764.

The inscription is much eroded, though age looks to be "75", loading the image into my photo editor and drawing a straight line across what appears to be the top of "1839" leaves a space between that line and the top of "75", I wonder if the original inscription may actually have been "46". Assuming the "1839" is correct, that would give this guy a birth year about 1793, which would give his age at marriage as about 22, a likely age then.

Anyone have any more clear thoughts?

Donald

[Geoff-E]

... however her John has birth year estimated about 1790 (based on marriage year and births of his children) ...

Unless the marriage register gives his age, you have no legitimate grounds to suspect he was aged 23 or 25 or whatever.  You might find that he had an earlier wife who died, leaving him in need of a babysitter.

One of my ancestors fathered an illegitimate child before his second marriage at the age of 73 to a woman 50 years younger than him.  They had two more kids before he died aged 79.

[Isabel H]

The age looks like 75 to me. I don't think it could be anything else.