Author Topic: Who is the father of James MacPherson, Surgeon Dentist d.Jan 25 1844, Glasgow?  (Read 3278 times)

Offline emmapruen

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I'd love to know if anyone can trace the father of my GGGGrandfather James Macpherson? My father and I have been searching for over 10 years and my father is now 80. It would mean so much to me to break though this wall for him.

James was born in 1795, judging by the inscription on his grave in Glasgow Necropolis:

"In memory of James MacPherson, Surgeon Dentist died January 25 1844 aged 48"

He was married to Mary Ann Hart and had 10 children: Janet/Jessie, James, Walter, Agnes, David, Mary Ann, Robert Nasmyth (my GGGrandfather), John, Jane and Jamima.

They were married in Gorbals, where she came from.

Mary Ann's parents were called Walter Hart and Janet Duncan so we see James and Mary Ann named their first and third children after her parents, so we might assume that his father could be called James or David.

His will showed him to be a very rich man, leaving in today's money over £900000, so I'm guessing the father would have been a professional of some kind, which rules out the David Macpherson who was a cloth lapper who had a son James in 1793.

One other clue is that two people who have matched my father on the Y-DNA test had Macpherson ancestors on the East Coast of Scotland around 1770s.

If anyone has any ideas, or has this man in their family tree I would be so grateful if you could share your info with me.

Offline Rosinish

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Re: Who is the father of James MacPherson, Surgeon Dentist d.Jan 25 1844, Glasgow?
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 01 November 18 00:53 GMT (UK) »
Sorry I can't help with family but looking at it, there's a strong possibility the scottish naming pattern was at work i.e. I woud envisage the parents of James to have been James & Agnes although I may be wrong?

Annie
South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland:- Bowie, Campbell, Cumming, Currie

Ireland:- Cullen, Flannigan (Derry), Donahoe/Donaghue (variants) (Cork), McCrate (Tipperary), Mellon, Tol(l)and (Donegal & Tyrone)

Newcastle-on-Tyne/Durham (Northumberland):- Harrison, Jude, Kemp, Lunn, Mellon, Robson, Stirling

Kettering, Northampton:- MacKinnon

Canada:- Callaghan, Cumming, MacPhee

"OLD GENEALOGISTS NEVER DIE - THEY JUST LOSE THEIR CENSUS"

Offline Rosinish

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Re: Who is the father of James MacPherson, Surgeon Dentist d.Jan 25 1844, Glasgow?
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 01 November 18 01:11 GMT (UK) »
"One other clue is that two people who have matched my father on the Y-DNA test had Macpherson ancestors on the East Coast of Scotland around 1770s"

Have you been in touch with those matches to enquire?

This is surprising (to me) as I was of the belief the name M(a)cPherson was more likely from the Highlands of Scotland which is a good distance from East?

Annie

Add...Having re-read your post, people of course moved i.e. it's possible the matches had moved from other areas?
South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland:- Bowie, Campbell, Cumming, Currie

Ireland:- Cullen, Flannigan (Derry), Donahoe/Donaghue (variants) (Cork), McCrate (Tipperary), Mellon, Tol(l)and (Donegal & Tyrone)

Newcastle-on-Tyne/Durham (Northumberland):- Harrison, Jude, Kemp, Lunn, Mellon, Robson, Stirling

Kettering, Northampton:- MacKinnon

Canada:- Callaghan, Cumming, MacPhee

"OLD GENEALOGISTS NEVER DIE - THEY JUST LOSE THEIR CENSUS"

Offline mckha489

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Re: Who is the father of James MacPherson, Surgeon Dentist d.Jan 25 1844, Glasgow?
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 01 November 18 01:26 GMT (UK) »
Thinking the same as you Annie.
there is this marriage near Perth

MCPHERSON
JAMES
AGNES WHITTET/
00/10/1777
392/
10 446
St Madoes



Offline Annette7

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Re: Who is the father of James MacPherson, Surgeon Dentist d.Jan 25 1844, Glasgow?
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 01 November 18 01:42 GMT (UK) »
The Scottish naming tradition is that the first born son is named after paternal grandfather, in this case indicating that James' father was named James.

You don't mention that on the 1841 census James is stated to have been born in Lanarkshire.

Annette
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Offline Rosinish

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Re: Who is the father of James MacPherson, Surgeon Dentist d.Jan 25 1844, Glasgow?
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 01 November 18 01:56 GMT (UK) »
there is this marriage near Perth

MCPHERSON
JAMES
AGNES WHITTET/
00/10/1777
392/
10 446
St Madoes

I'm not too convinced on this as "James was born in 1795, judging by the inscription on his grave" although there may have been quite a few siblings?

Annie

Add...Thanks Annette, just got alert, useful info!
South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland:- Bowie, Campbell, Cumming, Currie

Ireland:- Cullen, Flannigan (Derry), Donahoe/Donaghue (variants) (Cork), McCrate (Tipperary), Mellon, Tol(l)and (Donegal & Tyrone)

Newcastle-on-Tyne/Durham (Northumberland):- Harrison, Jude, Kemp, Lunn, Mellon, Robson, Stirling

Kettering, Northampton:- MacKinnon

Canada:- Callaghan, Cumming, MacPhee

"OLD GENEALOGISTS NEVER DIE - THEY JUST LOSE THEIR CENSUS"

Offline Rosinish

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Re: Who is the father of James MacPherson, Surgeon Dentist d.Jan 25 1844, Glasgow?
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 01 November 18 02:13 GMT (UK) »
"He was married to Mary Ann Hart and had 10 children: Janet/Jessie, James, Walter, Agnes, David, Mary Ann, Robert Nasmyth (my GGGrandfather), John, Jane and Jamima.

They were married in Gorbals, where she came from."


When were they married, where/when were all the children born & are there any clues with sponsors of baptisms with family names?

Annie

Edit to add, I've found some of the children...

Children of James McPherson & Mary Ann Hart

All born Glasgow

Janet 1826
James 1827
Walter 1830
Agnes 1832
Robert Nasmyth 1838
John Duncan 1839
Jane 1841
Jamima Margaret (sic) 1843

I failed to find David & Mary Ann i.e. possibly not baptised/records lost/illegible?
South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland:- Bowie, Campbell, Cumming, Currie

Ireland:- Cullen, Flannigan (Derry), Donahoe/Donaghue (variants) (Cork), McCrate (Tipperary), Mellon, Tol(l)and (Donegal & Tyrone)

Newcastle-on-Tyne/Durham (Northumberland):- Harrison, Jude, Kemp, Lunn, Mellon, Robson, Stirling

Kettering, Northampton:- MacKinnon

Canada:- Callaghan, Cumming, MacPhee

"OLD GENEALOGISTS NEVER DIE - THEY JUST LOSE THEIR CENSUS"

Offline Ruskie

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Re: Who is the father of James MacPherson, Surgeon Dentist d.Jan 25 1844, Glasgow?
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 01 November 18 02:52 GMT (UK) »
Might it be worth seeing if there is any record of him in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons? I don't know if they hold historical records or where they might be located.

If you have not already done so, it might be an idea to seek out all of the original records for his marriage, children's births and death in case any of them contain any other snippet of information which may help.

(I would not say it necessarily follows that his father would have been a professional - best to keep an open mind).  :)

Added: Looks like you need to contact the Archivist:
https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/a83b9269-0292-3f6d-8637-d385dcf35b37
(I have no clue if these records, if any exist, would be of any use)

Offline Skoosh

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Re: Who is the father of James MacPherson, Surgeon Dentist d.Jan 25 1844, Glasgow?
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 01 November 18 10:56 GMT (UK) »
Emma, the merchants laid out the Necropolis as their own kirkyard at the Ramshorn Church was full. Is the father buried at the Ramshorn & was possibly a merchant & did he buy the lair at the Necropolis? There won't be many merchants of that name?
 The Mitchell Library should have this info' or possibly the Merchant's House which has a charitable MacPherson Trust.

Skoosh.

A Rootschat query for "MacPherson!" in 2010 has James MacPherson son of John MacPherson & Jean Drummond, Gorbals mentioned also. Plus an Arthur MacPherson whose ancestor had a shipyard on the Clyde, introduced football to Russia!
Enter "Macpherson Gorbals" in the Rootschat search-box!