Mary Robb - Whose the parents?

[dkmcad]

Guess no one was around when he died

Strichen must have been quite a place in those days.  I have a death certificate which says "about 2 p.m. at or near Wardhead"

DD

[dmatt]

Mary Robb was my great-great-grandmother and was the 6th wife (at the last count!) of George Gordon Benzies (1803-1877) and I have been doing research on the Benzies line for over 20 years.

The first problem has been over Mary's death certificate of 1911 when she was living at Logiemuir, Udny, Aberdeenshire. The certificate was registered by a neighbour and he may have been unaware of her full family history. The only thing that seems to agree with her death certificate and her marriage certificate to George Gordon Benzies in 1862 is that Archibald Robb was her father and was deceased and he was an agricultural labourer. I personally would put more reliance on the marriage certificate.

To me it seems that Ann Jaffery may be the one who married on 3rd February 1833 to William Willox, which would mean that Mary's biolological father Archibald Robb was dead when she was about 6 years old. I know that when Mary married George Gordon Benzies (whom I will call GGB from hereon) he took in her illegitimate son William Willox Robb, later being brought up by GGB as his son as William Benzies but who married as William Smith. I believe that William Robb/Benzies/Smith's father was Robert Smith of the Gordon Highlanders (then the 92nd Foot). There is some evidence in the Strichen Kirk Session registers to suggest that Mary had 2 other illegitimate children, if (and I stress if) it was the same Mary Robb. I do know that Mary Robb is buried at Udny Green and not at Strichen where GGB should be buried (if anyone knows where, please let me know).

As far as the relationship between Mary and GGB there is evidence (see Lorna Moon, My Secret Mother, by Richard de Mille) that by this GGB was a bit unhappy (not surprising as 5 of his wives had died and 6 of his children). GGB had been widowed for a year when he married Mary. When GGB left the 92nd Foot his pension was small and it has been suggested the regiment did from time to time send him supplies to keep him going. Although GGB was a crofter after leaving the regiment in 1842 (having joined in 1821) he was (it was said) to be a local recruiting agent for the regiment.

The question of GGB's death seems to be an accident, the local magazine The Journal (from Aberdeen) reported GGB as being very sad when he disappeared and his body was not found for nearly a week. There has been a suggestion of suicide but the corrected death entry (after being sent to the Deputy Procurator-Fiscal) talks of cuts at his elbow. This was before Fatal Accident Inquiries were started.

I would be interested in the staement about two of Mary's children who "lived to make old bones", these seem to be my great-grandmother (Isa Ann Benzies and her sister Margaret Benzies). Isa (Isabella) like Margaret worked in a mill in or around Strichen, Isabella at one time ran a boat service to help people cross the loch of Strathbeg near Rathen and Margaret (Maggie) ran a temperance hotel in Strichen for many years. One of Margaret's daughters (Helen Nora Wilson Low, also known as Lorna Moon) ended up in Hollywood working for MGM pictures during the 1920s before Lorna's death in 1930.

[kenjo]

Hi dmatt 
WoW!
Even though, this is not my posting or my tree, what you have written is very impressive, even though, I am confused
There are so many twists and turns, aren't there!
Well Done to you.
from kenjo

[ysabeau]

Hi,

Kenjo you're not the only one who is confused............does this mean "GEN10" and "dmatt" are cousins ?

Ysabeau

[IanA]

Hello all - I'm new to this site.  Apologies for butting in on a long-running dialogue.  I have a problem that seems to have some things in common with names discussed here and I wondered if anyone could help me with it:

Andrew Scott (born about 1755) and Ann Dunbar (born about 1755) lived at Dartfield, Lonmay.  They had two children (that I know of) – Andrew Scott (Sept 10 1775) and James Scott (February 14, 1782).

(I note that in the 1851 census, the occupants at Dartfield are Andrew Jaffrey, his wife Ann, their children Elizabeth, John, Margaret and Andrew, and his widowed mother-in-law (?) Elspet Jaffrey.)

James Scott (February 14, 1782) had an association with Margaret Bissett to produce William Scott (July 27, 1806) – the entry is in the Lonmay Episcopal Register and reads ‘1806, July 27, Margaret Bissett, in Blairmormond, a natural son which she gave to James Scot in Badycairn in this parish, named William’

Margaret Bisset subsequently had an association with William Will (?) and had a daughter Mary Birnie (or possibly Binnie) (April 25, 1827) – the entry in Lonmay Episcopal Register reads ‘1827, April 25, William Will, road[?] labourer a daughter Mary Birnie (Binnie?). Mother’s name, Margaret Bissett, daughter of Alexander Bissett, Blairmormond, Par of Lonmay’

James Scott subsequently married Anne Dunbar on February 21 1808 at Lonmay (although I’m a little worried about this as his mother was allegedly an Ann Dunbar as well) and had two children – Margaret Scott (October 18, 1808) and George Scott (August 29, 1830) – James Scott continued to lived at Baldycairn / Bawdycairn / Badoycairn / etc, Lonmay.

Convoluted relationships but could Mary Birnie (Binnie?) be a candidate for the Mary Robb mentioned here.

Grateful for any information/views

[GEN10]

Hello IanA, no your Mary Birnie is not one of our candidates. It has already been clarified that Mary Robb's mother was Ann Jaffray and her father was James Robb. Ann and James never married. Ann married William Willox and it looks like Ann was pregnant with Mary when she married William. GEN10

[Gyp]

Hi, i am new to roots chat so please forgive any errors on my part.i stumbled on this site and discussion by chance and i am delighted to have done so. like many others the domestic arrangements of my ggg/grandmother mary robb have intrigued and puzzled me particularly the entry on her death cert. having read through the forums comments i am now much more at ease with the idea of misinformation by a neighbor as for GGB who knows i have never found his grave as yet in strichen but will have another look and will also visit udny. Mary's son william my gg/father committed suicide in arbroath, angus 1932 i would be delighted to chat to any of this branch of the family.

[GEN10]

Hello Gyp, it's good to hear from you. I often wondered what happened to William and Ann's children.
Mary's son William was my gg grandfather, yes he committed suicide in 1922 Arbroath Angus from coal gas poisoning. His daughter Sarah was my ggrandmother. Which one of the family are you descended from?
As for GGB's grave perhaps it's unmarked because he also committed suicide or perhaps the family couldn't afford a grave stone? I think the latter is more likely.

[GEN10]

hELLO gyp just realised who you were!