A contractor?

[barryd]

In the American language a Contractor translates into English - a Builder.

[Kay99]

In 1841 he was living at Srachie beside Richmond Lime Works https://maps.nls.uk/view/74426509#zoom=7&lat=5307&lon=5103&layers=BT

Kay

[queencorgi1]

Thank you all for your very helpful comments, especially Fordyce who clearly is practically a John Kemp cousin! I am investigating the Kemps for a friend, not for myself, but I think she will be fascinated by your comments. The Scotlands Places sounds a very useful resource and new to me (not a Scot as you will probably have guessed). My friend is related to the Kemps through her father, whose grandmother was Jane Kemp, daughter of Alexander Kemp, who left Mortlach to become a policeman in Sunderland. At the moment I've been pushing the line back for her and have just started (as in my original enquiry on this thread) exploring their lives, occupations and locations.

[Forfarian]

I think at that time (and not in American English) contractor usually means someone who worked on the roads.

[queencorgi1]

OK a new question but arising out of the same family -- possibly one which Fordyce can answer?
Alexander Kemp was born 1787 but his baptism did not take place until 1799. In 1811 when his son John was born, he was baptised in the Catholic church at Buckie.
How unusual was it to be Catholic at this date in Scotland? Do you think that the delay in Alexander's baptism was in some way due to the family being Catholic?

[Fordyce]

How unusual was it to be Catholic at this date in Scotland?

Absolutely usual. Catholicism in Scotland was centred around the Dukes of Gordon based near Fochabers. And switching between religions was also normal, as was intermarriage between the two. One example of laissez-faire was my gtgdmother, always a member of the established church, who had a row with the Kirk Session so simply flounced around to the Catholic Church and got her child baptised there. Next child: back to Church of Scotland.

In 1811 when his son John was born, he was baptised in the Catholic church at Buckie.

Alexander Kemp's children were born at Smerrick, Enzie and baptised at Preshome St Gregory RC Chapel. John was actually baptised 8 Aug 1810, born Smirack, Rathven [sic] to Alexander Kemp & Jean Murdoch.
Use http://libindx.moray.gov.uk/mainmenu.asp to check out the details and/or ScotlandsPeople to see the actual images. For example. "Preshome - 11 July 1818 - This eleventh day of July eighteen hundred and eighteen. I baptised Peter lawful son of Alexr KEMP & Jane MURDOCH in Smerack. The sponsors were Peter WEIR & Elspet GEDDES"

Many baptism events are repeated in the Buckie St Peter records, and not always exactly. ScotlandsPeople will show you that. And you'll have to decide from the images themselves whether the baptism took place at Preshome itself or in Buckie. John Kemp is there recorded twice.

Alexander Kemp was born 1787 but his baptism did not take place until 1799.

I don't recognise those birth and baptism dates for Alexander Kemp (and ScotlandsPeople doesn't have them). My notes have: "Alexander Kemp died 20-2-1872 in Enzie at age 91 - the register states his parents as being Peter Kemp & Elizabeth McIntosh (D-1872-Enzie-10). Alexander Kemp & Jean Murdoch were married 29-8-1802 at Rathven by Church of Scotland [so a 1787 birth isn't possible]: no CoS christenings have been found, all known children being baptised in the Catholic Church at Preshome." I transcribed the death details some years ago when pencils not cameras were the norm, so you'd have to check the actual image to see whether his parents were married or not - or even wrong, for I have his birth [sic] as 14 Sep 1781 Rathven and ScotlandsPeople has "KEMP ALEXANDER parents JOHN KEMP/KATHERINE SUTHERLAND FR311 (FR311) Bapt [sic] 14/09/1781 Rathven".

My interest in these Kemps was only in relation to my family tree, viz Margaret Kemp and Peter Kemp, so I only got their parents' information that happened to come my way, enough to establish they were siblings, and I wouldn't like to claim it's hard-and-fast verified.

Hope that helps! Untangling my folks in and around Enzie/Rathven has been and is a nightmare! Best of luck!

[queencorgi1]

Hi there Fordyce, what an amazing contribution! Many thanks. I attach the entry for Alexander which I quoted, which came from ScotlandsPeople. You will see that the preceding entries are for the 1790s and this one appears to refer to 1787. I think you must be right and this isn't 'my' Alexander as he would have been only 15 when 'an' Alexander Kemp married Jean Murdoch in 1802 which seems a bit on the early side! It doesn't really matter for my current purposes as I think my friend will just be delighted to have her Scottish ancestors traced back to the start of the 19th century and, as previously discussed, doing stuff with lime kilns. I will come back to what you've sent me just now tomorrow and go through it carefully but I think I can now put something together for her. Her real interest is Alexander's grandson of the same name who was the policeman in Sunderland. Thank you again -- once more I am astonished by the knowledge and generosity of RootsChat members!

[Rena]

OK a new question but arising out of the same family -- possibly one which Fordyce can answer?
Alexander Kemp was born 1787 but his baptism did not take place until 1799. In 1811 when his son John was born, he was baptised in the Catholic church at Buckie.
How unusual was it to be Catholic at this date in Scotland? Do you think that the delay in Alexander's baptism was in some way due to the family being Catholic?

I am back to mid 1700s in Aberdeen for my Other Half's Catholic lines.   I haven't looked at it for several years, but had to stop due to different spellings and records not released online at that time.

It used to be really easy to discover if your area of interest had a Catholic church because Genuki used to list the churches and the denominations plus it gave the dates of records available = (for example 1584 to 1805)

You'll know that the country was Catholic until the reformation in the 1500s and many Catholics sailed from Britain to Ireland for safety and only returned one or two generations later.  However, there were still several Scottish churches practicing the Catholic faith of which Aberdeen and  surrounding area was one place.  There were other secret places to worship too, such as in London where an historic table in a pub could be swivelled over to reveal a Catholic alter (sorry can't recall name of pub).

You might find this interesting:-

 https://www.stpeters-pa.org.uk/pa/st-gregorys-preshome/history-of-st-gregorys/

[GR2]

Some Rathven Kemps:

1844 - Jane Kemp with child by William Reach
1832 - Elizabeth Kemp with child by William Copland
1832 - Alexander Kemp (same one as in 1828) in fornication with Margaret Ingram
1830 - Isabel Kemp on the poor list
1829 - Margaret Kemp with child by James Mitchell
1828 - Alexander Kemp father of a child by Helen Garden
1827 (and 1822) - Alexander Kemp tenant of Smearich (rent £1 per annum)
1827 (and 1822) - James Kemp tenant in Nether Clochan (rent 5/- per annum)
1827 (and 1822) - William Kemp tenant of Smearich (rent 2/6d per annum)
1827 (and 1810) - Peter Kemp tenant of Smearich (rent in 1822 and 1827 £2 2/- per annum)
1815 (and 1810) - Isobel Kemp tenant in Cottertown
1803 - Katherine Kemp with child by Alexander Fraser
1800 - Janet Kemp in Baremuir on the poor list
1797 - Alexander Kemp in Damhead paid tax on one farm horse
1797 -John Kemp in Damhead paid tax on one farm horse