Steel family Midsummercairn, Fyvie

[MonicaL]

Frances, I have just looked at the marriage entries for John Manson Steel. A little cat amongst the pigeons.... Below are snippets from marriage 1 and 2. The second is easier to read. I think in the first, there may be a further spelling variant for Gracie:

[francestogneri]

Monica (and Flst)
I don't believe this!!!!  My friend is mad about genealogy - I think I must phone her tonight and tell her about this!  She loves anything unusual or unexpected.

OK, so I need more sp credits to check the latest revelations.  I seem to have come so far in just one day.  It's amazing how much you have added, not just to my knowledge but to my understanding of how this family hangs together.  Now I have death dates it should be easier.

I will be in Aberdeen in May and again in June, so I hope to visit some of the places I have come across.  I also plan to visit the ANESFHS at Old Aberdeen.  I might also discover Marcy Steel!

Thanks.  I may be in touch again once I have sorted out this batch.

Frances

[MonicaL]

There is a death/burial showing on the Fyvie OPRs for:

Helen Gresse/Still (John Still) on 18 August 1840.

Also, from the OPRs, a John Steel married a Helen Gracie in Fyvie on 26 December 1833 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XTNK-RMK.

Potential children from OPRs and 1841 census:

William b. 13 October 1834 - possibly died/buried on 2 February 1838.

John Manson b. 28 Jan 1837   - I think first born son John, son with Susan Moffat, may have died/buried on 5 April 1836 ( born/chr. on 22 March 1817).

Isabella b. 18 October 1838

Monica

[MonicaL]

Frances, I wondered why you had a Janet/Jessie as daughter to John and Susan...but have joined the dots now 

Janet seems to also be the only one of the children who named any of their daughters after their mother Susan, which is unusual for a larger family, that none named a daughter after their mother...or at least I haven't seen an entry for a Susan elsewhere!

1841:

Alexander Robb 35, constable
Janet S Robb 25
John Mair 8
Mary Robb 4
Shusan Robb 3
Alexr Robb 7 Months

Address: Village Of Kin Oniel

And from 1851:

Alexr Robb 48, Sheriffs Criminal Officer, b. Midmar, aberdeenshire
Jessie Robb 37 b. Penicuik, Midlothian
Mary Robb 14
Susan Robb 12
Alexr Robb 10
Hellan Robb 8
Ann Robb    5
Catherine Robb 1

Address: Castle Street, Dufftown Banff

It was the fact that Janet showed as born in Midlothian that made me doubt her connection to the family in Fyvie. However, her death cert shows father John as a blacksmith and pensioner (army) which made me wonder if this was the reason he and Susan may have been in the midlothian area at the time of Janet's birth?

Just another little thing that is worth commenting on. I know that the a/try transcript shows in 1841 a Marcey Steel in the household. However, both SP and FreeCen show her as Marey (you also have 1 yr old Marey Duncan showing then - maybe it was just the spelling of the enumerator of the name Mary? Like he spelt Susan as Shusan?).

Monica

[francestogneri]

Monica
Once again I am impressed!

I agree the first child John (Steil) was born/baptised on 22 Mar 1817.  I checked my tree and have two sources - one from a family tree on Ancestry and one from FamilySearch.  The Ancestry tree is Gilfillan/Christensen.  The owner usually supplies sources or other information and occasionally media.  I have made my own checks based on hers and found the information good.

Marcy is still haunting me.  Do you think she is a third wife or one of John Steel's children?  Flst drew my attention to Marcy Duncan, age 1 in 1840.  I am assuming James Duncan was her father and she is not obviously connected.

I received your last post while working on this one.  I have Janet/Jessie only because she was shown in another tree.  I have not looked at her entry since.  Are you certain this is the same Janet in the 1841 and 1851 Census?  As you comment, why would the daughter of a Fyvie blacksmith be born in Penicuik?  Also, another marriage to Robb?

The plot thickens!

Frances

Frances

[MonicaL]

Regarding daughter Janet (variant Jessie) she does seem to have been born in Midlothian, going by the census entries. She also shows as daughter to John S. and Susan Moffat. Given her 1835 marriage to Alexander Robb was also in Fyvie, makes me think she was a daughter of John, the Blacksmith from Fyvie and wife Susan Moffat. With her husband's surname of Robb, wonder if there is any connection to James Robb who married Mary Ann in the late 1830s in Fyvie also?

[francestogneri]

OK - I am now totally amazed!  I can't believe Susan Moffat's identity has been confirmed, not once but several times.  I was really beginning to believe she didn't exist as I could find no trace on any searches.

I agree there have been two Robb Marriages in the familly.  The spelling of Steell was uncommon and only occurred within a few family members.  I don't think I would have found this marriage.

Thanks
Frances

[francestogneri]

Hi Monica
I've been going through the information.  Where do you see the fact that John Steell was a Pensioner (army)?  I can't find it.  I also suspect that Janet's birth place of Penicuik might be an error.  I can't work it out but I may be missing something.

[flst]

On Jessie's death certificate.
flst