Kellas Family .. Assistance Please?

[New Zealander]

James Kellas (22.08.1846 - 10.04.1932) married Mary Jane Kellas nee Glennie (06.03.1837 - 26.03.1927) on 23.11.1876.  Mary Jane Kellas was my great aunt.  They lived / farmed at Cot Town until James's passing in 1932.

I know very little about the couple apart from census records and Mary Jane's own family the Glennie's.  They all came from around Strathdon.  For example I have no photograph's of either James or Mary Jane Kellas.  I do know for certain that they had no family or descendant's of their own.

Now I was hoping by tracing James's family .. his parents, brothers and sisters and their descendants this just might reveal some other information including photographs of James and Mary Jane Kellas, who again is my great aunt.

James and Mary Jane Kellas were living in a time when cameras and photography was available.  It is difficult to imagine that there is not some photographic record of the couple.

Information from the "Kildrummy Families" website tells me  that James parents were Charles Kellas born 1814 and Janet Riach born 14.02.1815 and were married on 09.05.1844 at Strathdon.  They had family of Jean Kellas (14.10.1844), James Kellas (22.08.1846), John Kellas (10.05.1849), Mary Ann Kellas (07.09.1851) and Alexander (25.05.1860).

Any information to trace the above family and information on my great aunt Mary Jane Kellas would be much appreciated.

In anticipation thank you.

Alex G

[New Zealander]

Have also searched Scotland's people where I obtained the Death Certificates for James and Mary Kellas.

On James's passing in 1932 his Death Certificate records that nephew Alexander Kellas was the informant.

Still hoping that someone can assist

Alex G

[Forfarian]

You say that you have the death certificates. Do these confirm the parentage of James Kellas and Mary Jane Glennie? Also, do you have all the relevant original census records (as opposed to transcriptions)?

Also, you say that they lived at Cot Town. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of Cot Towns in Scotland, beacause a cot (or cotter/cottar) town or cotton was the row or group of tied cottages where married farm workers lived with their families. Normally they are known as Cot Town/Cotton/Cotterton/Cottartown of xxxx, where xxxx is the farm to which they belonged. Was this Cot Town in the parish of Kildrummy or the parish of Strathdon? Or a different parish again?

[loobylooayr]

Hi Alex G,

There is a Charles Kellas at Locharmuck , Strathdon on the 1841 Census
Kellas       Rachel       F       50       Farmer        Aberdeenshire           
Kellas       Charles       M       27                       Aberdeenshire           
Kellas       Alexander       M       29                       Aberdeenshire           
Kellas       Peter               M       15                        Aberdeenshire           
McHardy        Jean               F       15       Female Servant        Aberdeenshire           
Ingram       John              M       96       Independent        Aberdeenshire   

Haven't found him yet on the 1851, but his wife Janet and children are on it living with Rachel Kellas who must be his mother.
As Forfarian has said, does his death certificate or his marriage certificate name his parents? - just to be sure that your James Kellas is descended from Charles and Janet of Strathdon    

Looby    
    
        

[loobylooayr]

Here's Rachel Kellas and daughter-in-law Janet on the 1851 Census at Locharmick, Strathdon.

Kellas       Rachel       Head       W       F       68       Farmer's Widow        Aberdeenshire - Strathdon           
Kellas       James       Son       U       M       30       Shoemaker        Aberdeenshire - Strathdon           
Kellas       Peter       Son       U       M       26       Ag Lab        Aberdeenshire - Strathdon           
Kellas       John       Son       U       M       11       Scholar        Aberdeenshire - Strathdon           
Kellas             Janet       Da-Law       M       F       35       Farmer's Wife        Aberdeenshire - Strathdon           
Kellas        Jane       Grnchd       -       F       6       Scholar At Home        Aberdeenshire - Strathdon           
 Kellas       James       Grnchd       -       M       4       Scholar At Home        Aberdeenshire - Strathdon           
Kellas    John       Grnchd       -       M       1               Aberdeenshire - Strathdon       

The family also have 7 members of a family called Martin lodging with them.
No sign of Charles but Janet is listed as Married and a Farmer's wife opposed to Rachel who is clearly recorded as a widow. That would lead me to believe that Charles is alive. But where???

Looby

[New Zealander]

Hi Looby and Forfarian

Thank you for the interest in my post and Cottown Farm.

Yes I am very certain of the parentage of both James Kellas and his wife Mary Jane Kellas nee Glennie.  I have no trouble locating them on either Census or Valuation Rolls and knew exactly where they lived at Cottown (or is it Cot Town) Farm near Strathdon.  Actually viewed Cottown Farm on Google Earth with little difficulty and have corresponded with the current owner of the farm and obtained an aerial photograph of the place taken in the 1960's.

In essence I am trying to locate something a little more personal of the couple i.e.  a photograph or two perhaps their death notices from a local newspaper or a relative who might have some record or knowledge of my aunt and uncle that they can share with me.  We have nothing other then that stated above.

In this regard they had no children of their own and I see the possibility of locating the family of Alexander Kellas who was the informant (and nephew) on James Kellas's Death Certificate as the best possibility of finding such information of the family.

I have looked at the other siblings of Charles and Janet Kellas parents of James... information from Kildrummy Families but perhaps I should revisit the Census Records again as there perhaps to be some conflict here.  Likewise I found some other discrepancies with records on Ancestry.Com.

I understand that Charles and Janet Kellas nee Riach had 5 children :-  Jean 1844, James 1846, John 1849, Mary Ann 1851 and Alexander 1860 (This information from Kildrummy Families). 

John did not marry and Alexander married a Margaret Kirkcaldy and these two brothers seem to be the best possibility (I believe) of tracing the nephew of James (Alexander who is informant on the Death Cert).  Another possibility might be a local museum with information.

The parents of Charles Kellas (father of James) are :- Alexander Kellas and Rachael Ingram (born 1783)

I stand to be corrected on any of the above.

Alex G

[loobylooayr]

Hi Alex.

Sorry didn't realise from your initial post that you had the earlier Censuses.
Also sorry having no connection to the Kellas family that I can't assist futher.
Good luck with finding family members with photos and more personal data.
Regards.
Looby

[New Zealander]

Looby

Thank you much appreciated.

I have just managed to locate the Death Notices for both James Kellas (1932) and Mary Jane Kellas (1927) in the Aberdeen Journal.  Doesn't tell me a lot else about the family unfortunately but at least that is a start.

Alex G

[Lynlee]

Hello,
I have The Kellas/Riach details on my Wiki-tree account. There are pictures of other family members but not James as far as I know. Search Wikitree "John Kellas" and have a flick though what's there.