For someone I have so much detail during his life and his movements he has become my brick wall.
Alexanders Fraser, 1808 (ish) - 1890.
He is the son of Alexander Fraser (Shepherd) and Janet Fraser (M.S. McKenzie)
Parents names obtained from Alexanders (I'll call him Alex jr) Death Certificate in 1890,
If I go to the earliest find, the first finding I have for Alex jr is in 1830, when he married Catherine McGruer. At that time, as stated on their Marriage Certificate, both were residing at Ness Castle in Dores. It was a basic entry, just giving His name/residence and Her Name/residence.
By the 1841 Census, he was at Bauds in Speymouth, with his wife and 4 Children, then between 1855 and 1861, he moved from Bauds, to Queenspark (farmhouse,) in Urquart, Moray, where he died in 1890.
All the findings I have, from the 1841 Census, through to the 1881 census, and his age at the time of his death, show him pretty much consistent with his age and place of birth, so I can approximate him having been born around 1808, in Dores. However, I can't find him.
I do use Scotlandspeople site, so it's been easy enough to spread it out, looking for his birth from as early as 1800 to 1815, giving a variation of surnames if Frazer was written, rather than Fraser. I did a search just for "Fraser" and I did come up with 3 girls born in 1813, 1821, 1823, all born to an Alex Fraser and Janet McKenzie, I decided to purchase two of the 3 girls certificates in hope, but again, the entry is basic, there is nothing that would help confirm this could be the same family as Alex jr,
Nor can I find a marriage between Alexander Fraser and Janet McKenzie that fits, the earliest finding was in 1818, and not in Dores.
I have found a Janet Fraser in the 1841 and 1851 Census, in the 1851 Census it has her as being formally Shepherds wife, and her age given as 66, her place of birth as Dores, Inverness.
At the same address, in Urquhart, Inverness (though no actual address is given) is Mary McDonald aged 27. Mary's age coincides with the birth certificate I have for 1 of the above mentioned Children of Alexander Fraser and Janet McKenzie,
in 1841, Janet Fraser is listed as a Cotter, aged 60 and living with Mary Fraser aged 18, addres is Ballaggan, in Dores
Taking the age given at the census, I did a birth search between 1770 and 1790 and came up with nothing.
Are there any pointers anyone can give me that can knock down this wall regarding Alex Jr's birth, his parents marriage?