Hacket, Jamieson, Geddes in Forglen

[Forfarian]

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C13200104

There really ought to be a place called Luffbenvery! This will be the parish of Liff and Benvie, which is next door to Dundee and into which the city has expanded.

[Fordyce]

Hullo Tom,
I've attached my notes in a PDF. Hoepfully most is self-explanatory. Everything is verifiable if needs be - in other words it's not guesswork unless I've used some sort of qualification like "said to be".

"SPI" means "ScotlandsPeople's Index" - you can get an image of the actual registration using their website.

MonicaL's link is to Declan Chalmers' tree. If that is the family of 'your' George Simpson, he's one of mine! Albeit a very-distant one of mine - the lines meet at William Chalmers in Muiryhill around 1710. I have in my tree a nephew of 'your' George Chalmers named Alexander Simpson Chalmers born abt 1842 in Forgue - even though this is 10 years before Isabella Simpson & George Chalmers married, I did wonder whether there was a connection!

I have been in contact with Declan in the past in the context of my own Chalmers line. Didn't occur to me that 'your' George leads back there! Bit late now, so will post this now and see in the morning if I can confirm that I am (distantly) related to your Simpson/Chalmers family group.

[Fordyce]

Although there is no explicit proof, on balance George Chalmers is s/o John Chalmers & Jane Tocher. Because:
- a witness to daughter Isabella Chalmers is Jane Tocher.
- daughter Elspet birth details are "Elspet Simpson Chalmers 13-8-1855 11.50am Aberchirder, father George Chalmers ag lab age 32 [if Jane Tocher's son, actually 31 nearly 32] born Marnoch, married 1855 [actually 1852] at Marnoch, mother Isabella Chalmers ms Simpson age 27 [correct] born Marnoch her 2nd child [actually her 3rd]. Inf: Isabella Chalmers mother [signed]. Reg: 31-8-1855." - B-1855-161(Marnoch)-63.
   - in first two baptism records he is down as a labourer, same as in 1855
   - he was born Marnoch
Anyway, that gives me a little more direct interest in the Chalmers/Simpson family group, although on reviewing my notes, I haven't actually proved my Chalmers line from 4xgtgdmother Isobel Chalmers (marr abt 1781) back to Declan's Alvah Chalmers.

Be that as it may, it's odd that George Chalmers simply doesn't appear anywhere anywhen.

After creative cap on, I at last found the family in 1861!
1861: Mid St Aberchirder (161 ED6 Sch 127)
Isabella Chambers   Head Marr   32 Marnoch   Ag Lab's Wife
Elspet Chambers   Dau          5 Marnoch   Scholar
Alexander Chambers   Son          3 Marnoch
Ann Chambers      Son          1 Marnoch
1861: North St Aberchirder 161 ED6 P 13 Sch 95 in h/h William Robertson
Isobel Chambers   Lodger     8 Marnoch   
No sign of Jane Chalmers, unless she is:-
1861: Mid St Aberchirder 161 ED5 P 14 Sch 90 in h/h Elisabeth Milton
Jane Chalmers        Boarder     8  Rothiemay   Scholar

After a dint, I found her in 1871 in Mid St North Side (ED6 Sch 75 Line 20)
Isabella Chalmers   Wife [sic - not Head]   43   Marnoch   Pauper Lab's Wife
No sign of husband - unless the actual census itelf is incorrect he's not there. Certainly she's there by herself.

Check out the Valuation Rolls (at ScotlandsPeople) for 1855 and 1865.
1855: Could George Chalmers (and family?) be there in 1855 (in dwelling house and part garden North St).
1865: there's an entry for a George Chalmers (in part house and part garden Middle St South Side) and an entry for an Isobel Chalmers (in dwelling house and part garden Middle St North Side). Does this show she threw him out?
1875: nothing.

Where did he go?!

[Tom Wright]

Hi Fordyce & MonicaL,

I found the passenger manifest of the immigration of my g-grandfather, John Wright b. 28 Nov 1850 Marnoch, and his step-brother, Alex Chalmers, b. 22 Apr 1857 Marnoch. They came to the USA arriving 29 Mar 1876 on the ship Algeria at the port of New York.  I'm sure this is them because they are traveling together and the ages are correct (see attached). This confirms the family story that John Wright immigrated with a brother who we now know to have been Alex Chalmers. So far, I have not been able to find any additional information on Alex Chalmers in the USA. 

I previously had stated my g-grandfather had arrived in 1872 but that was incorrect. 

Tom

[MonicaL]

That is great news, Tom. Struggling to see a trace of Alexander so far after his arrival in the US 

Monica

[Fordyce]

Tom, well done finding that record. But the 1874 naturalisation document looks pretty appropriate too. Is it possible that John Wright, having first immigrated in 1872 and become naturalised in 1874, returned to Scotland and brought back with him his half-brother, so he wasn't actually immigrating in 1876 - just returning, by now a US Citizen?

[Tom Wright]

Fordyce, I haven't ruled out that he went back to Scotland and returned with his brother.  I have looked for another "John Wright" with the same age in Racine Wisconsin area during that time and I cannot find any close matches.

Are you aware of any records (ship manifests) that would show people returning to Scotland?

[MonicaL]

Tom, pre 1878 is tricky. See www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/passengers/

Monica

[Fordyce]

Tom, no I'm not. As MonicaL says, tricky!

But the naturalisation chitty of 16 Oct 1874 at Racine states he was born abt 1850 in Scotland and that he landed at Baltimore "in or about" Sep 1872. These Baltimore passenger lists do seem to have survived. One has a John Knight arriving in Apr 1872 - h'mmm a mis-recording of Wright? Or maybe even he travelled under an assumed name.

But the chitty also has his signature. Your best bet would be if there some other document/letter of your John Wright you can get hold of which has his signature to compare.