Alexander McLeod born 1772 - abt 1825 in Nigg ROC: Help breaking brickwall

[Sildeag]

Alexander McLeod born 1772 - abt 1825 in Nigg ROC, was married or had a relationship with Christina McCulloch 1779 Nigg ROC - 12 May 1857 Forres, Moray.  Served in military bet 30 Jul 1797 and 15 Apr 1817.  He received a gun shot wound in action on the Heights of LaSarge, Portugal and he served at Battle of Waterloo.

Someone wrote me that he was a 'writer' and 'master tailor'.  Tailor is on his military records.   They had 7 children all born in Nigg ROC except where mentioned: Ann b.1 Jan 1801 married Andrew McLeod; Donald M(a)cLeod 27 Oct 1802 - 29 Mar 1881 Lethenhill married to Elizabeth Phillip; Christian 16 Nov 1804 - 14 Dec 1883 Elgin married James Glass (his 2nd marriage); William MacLeod 1816 - 20 Dec 1896 married to Margaret McKenzie; Williamina McLeod 1817 - 16 Jun 1886; Ann Duff McLeod 1824 - 16 Nov 1889; and Alexander McLeod 1826 Duffus, Moray - 31 Aug 1875.

I don't know his date or location of death.  Alexander, in my line, was born in 1826.

My suspicion is he is a son of Sgt Donald McLeod 1688-1796.  Reason for this suspicion is that Donald MacLeod of Geanies, Tain ROC lawyer, helped Sgt Donald get a pension from the King.  Sgt Donald recruited in Ross-shire and north, bragged about many sons serving in army, etc..

Alexander's wife Christina is a daughter of Andrew McCulloch (even though death cert indicates William) and Ann Duff, William McCulloch and Jennet Gallie grandparents.  William Duff being Ann Duff's father.  Informant on her death cert was her son William MacLeod.

Ann McLeod's husband Andrew had a brother Donald McLeod married to Christina McLeod; and a sister Margaret McLeod married to Hugh McLeod.  Finlay McLeod and Margaret Ross are this Andrew's grandparents.  So you should be able to tell from this that they account for a lot of McLeods in Easter Ross.

[Forfarian]

This is a duplicate of Reply #22 on the previous thread https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=860741.0

What is the connection (if there is one) between Alexander McLeod 1826-1875 and James Campbell Macleod?

Whom did Alexander McLeod 1826-1875 marry? Have you found him in any census? Where did he die?

A tailor is a skilled artisan who would have had to serve an apprenticeship with a master tailor and become qualified. A writer is a solicitor, a professional man who would have had to undergo extensive training as a lawyer. It is very difficult to imagine one man serving two long apprenticeships to two such different occupations. So if I were you I would want to know where the person who told you that got the information from.

Was it the same person who suggested that the birth of Ann McLeod's son Alexander was registered in Tain in 1864 (which we have already shown to be incorrect)?

Where did you find the record of Alexander McLeod's birth in 1772? It isn't in the parish records at Scotland's People.

How do you know that it was the daughter of Alexander McLeod and Christina McCulloch who married Andrew McLeod?

[Sildeag]

Forforian, "Whom did Alexander McLeod 1826-1875 marry? Have you found him in any census? Where did he die?"   He married Sarah Gerrard.  He appears in the 1841 in Winchester Close, Elgin.  I have this tree completely, it leads to living people.

James Campbell McLeod b. 20Feb 1871 is the illegitimate son of Jessie Campbell b1843.  The named father James McLeod (1819-21 Sep 1879) married Ann Ross on 24 Nov 1841 in Nigg ROC.  James McLeod's sister Christina McLeod married Hugh McLeod on 13 Jun 1850 and is connected to Andrew McLeod (1796-1855).

Andrew McLeod (1796-1855) married Ann McLeod (MS McLeod) 20 Apr 1810.  She was christened 1 Jan 1801.  Her youngest son William was born in 1817 and died in 1854.  This looks like a 9 year-old marrying a 14 year old but Ann was the only one who didn't move to Moray.

[Forfarian]

James Campbell McLeod b. 20Feb 1871 is the illegitimate son of Jessie Campbell b1843.  The named father James McLeod (1819-21 Sep 1879) married Ann Ross on 24 Nov 1841 in Nigg ROC.

What is your evidence for this particular James McLeod being the errant father?

Andrew McLeod (1796-1855) married Ann McLeod (MS McLeod) 20 Apr 1810.  She was christened 1 Jan 1801.

If she was born in 1801 (or in 1799) she could not have married in 1810 because the minimum legal age for marriage for girls at that time was 12. Either there must be an error in the date in the parish register or there was another couple with the same names.

Her husband died in 1855. According to his death certificate their family was
Margaret, 34
William, dec at 30, 1854
Janet, 29
Catherine, 28
Ann, 27
Bell, dec 1850
Andrew, dec 1843
Philip, 25 (enumerated in the census as Finlay, I think)
Christina, 23
Therefore William was her second child, and her youngest was Christina/Chirsty. Her eldest was Margaret, born 1820/1821, which is consistent with her being born in 1801 and married in, say, 1819. 

The 1841 census records her age as 35, meaning (if accurate) that she could have been born any time from 8 June 1801 to 7 June 1806. In  1851 she is recorded as 50, implying that she was born between 31 March 1800 and 30 March 1801. As these dates don't overlap, at least one census record must be incorrect.

But what evidence do you have of her parentage? Is it likely that her parents would have named her youngest sister Ann while Ann b 1801 was still living? Can you actually prove that the wife of Andrew McLeod was the daughter of Christina McCulloch?

[Sildeag]

In 1851 census.  Andrew age 52 fisher, Ann wife 50, Jane daughter 24, Duncan son 22, William son 20, Donald son 18, Sarah daughter 16, May daughter 14, Andrew C son 12, and Alexander son 9. 
This is Andrew McLeod and Ann Hossack.

The other Ann, Ann Hossack was born 8 Jul 1801.  Their marriage is 4 Feb 1820.  This Andrew died 10 Apr 1877.

There is no other Ann McLeod born around 1801 in Nigg.

Proof of Christina McCulloch being Christina McLeod but it seems that Ann must be 'Ann Duff McLeod':

Piece: SCT1851/123 Place: Nairn -Nairn Enumeration District: 1D
Civil Parish: Nairn-Royal Burgh Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Nairn-Royal Burgh
Folio: 95 Page: 21 Schedule: 106
Address: 57 King Street

          Surname         First name(s)         Rel         Status         Sex         Age         Occupation         Where Born         Remarks    
          MCLEOD         Christina         Head         W         F         76         Pauper (Lab Widow)          Inverness-shire - -              
          DAVIDSON         Janet         Sister         W         F         74         Pauper (Ag Lab Widow)          Inverness-shire - -              
          MCLEOD         Ann         Dau         U         F         29         Dressmaker          Nairn - Nairn
 
"I checked into this.  Janet McCulloch was born 12 June 1775 in Logie-Easter, Ross, Scotland parents Andrew McCulloch and Ann Duff (Ann Duff was used as one of the McLeod girls names)."
 
"Do you think it is possible that Christina McCulloch is Janet's sister and that her father was Andrew McCulloch?  Possibly her grandfather raised her which is why he was recorded as the father on the death certificate.  Andrew McCulloch was born 15 July 1751 and the father William McCulloch married Jennet Gailly 26 Oct 1732."
 
"Andrew McCulloch son of Andrew McCulloch and Ann Duff was born 25 March 1789 and died 09 Nov 1857 Logie-Easter, Ross & Cromarty
Jane "" born 12 June 1775
Elspet "" chr.  24 Jul 1777
Janet ""chr 12 Jun 1775 and 13 Sep 1786 (this second entry seems wrong)
William McCulloch "" chr 01 JUl 1779  all Logie-Easter, Ross & Cromarty"

Lyn in New Zealand found the death certificate for Christina McLeod (nee McCulloch).  It probably is much easier now than then.

Robert Dunbar sent me this years ago:  apparently Alexander the son of Alexander and Christina marriage cert. gave this:
14 Dec 1855 - When married residing at Old Machar aged 29 years Bootmaker Batchelor born at
Duffus Morayshire in 1826 but not registered - Son of Alexander McLeod Writer Decd and Christina
McLeod ms McCulloch  (Surname unclear ? does not agree with Death Certificate ??)

and his death cert.:
On death certificate Mother is listed as maiden Name Cuthbert and Fathers Occupation given as
Writer.

Just so you see that I don't just have everyone look for me, I found this in the Nigg burial records for 3 Sep 1851: Alexander McLeod pensioner Aberdeen interred   age 63.  This could be mine but the dates 1788-1851 make little sense.  It is however Nigg, Kincardine not Nigg ROC.

[Forfarian]

In 1851 census.  Andrew age 52 fisher, Ann wife 50, Jane daughter 24, Duncan son 22, William son 20, Donald son 18, Sarah daughter 16, May daughter 14, Andrew C son 12, and Alexander son 9. 
This is Andrew McLeod and Ann Hossack.
The other Ann, Ann Hossack was born 8 Jul 1801.  Their marriage is 4 Feb 1820.  This Andrew died 10 Apr 1877.

Aged 90, mother's maiden surname McLeod. There is no record of his baptism in the index at Scotland's People.

There is no other Ann McLeod born around 1801 in Nigg.

There is no other record of the baptism of an Ann McLeod born around 1801 in Nigg. This doesn't mean that there wasn't another one. After all, only the last two of the children of Andrew McLeod and Ann McLeod are recorded in the Nigg parish register, so you can't be sure that the baptism of Ann herself is recorded. Nor is her husband's, for that matter.

Proof of Christina McCulloch being Christina McLeod but it seems that Ann must be 'Ann Duff McLeod':
Piece: SCT1851/123 Place: Nairn -Nairn Enumeration District: 1D
Folio: 95 Page: 21 Schedule: 106
Address: 57 King Street
MCLEOD Christina Head W F  76  Pauper (Lab Widow) Inverness-shire - -              
DAVIDSON Janet Sister W F 74  Pauper (Ag Lab Widow) Inverness-shire - -              
MCLEOD Ann Dau U F 29  Dressmaker Nairn - Nairn

What about this
1851 Census, 92 North Bk Street, Forres district 137 ED2 page 23
Christina Macleod   Head W F 71  Supported by family at a distance   Born Nigg, Ross (This entire enumeration district appears to be missing from FreeCEN, which will be why you didn't find it)

As Christina McCulloch or M(a)cLeod, widow of a tailor, died in North Back Street, Forres in 1857, she's far more likely to be 'your' Christina McCulloch than the one in Nairn. Also, you said in one of your earlier posts that Ann Duff M(a)cLeod was born in Nigg, not in Nairn, and that she was born in 1824, not 1821/1822. 

Janet McCulloch was born 12 June 1775 in Logie-Easter, Ross, Scotland parents Andrew McCulloch and Ann Duff (Ann Duff was used as one of the McLeod girls names).

But the Christina McLeod in the census in Nairn was born in Inverness-shire, not Ross and Cromarty. And she is five years older than your Christina. 
 

Janet chr 12 Jun 1775 and 13 Sep 1786 (this second entry seems wrong)

If there are two records of baptisms of a child with the same name and the same parents in the same place, it usually means that the first one has died. In which case the Janet Davidson in Nairn in 1851 is not the daughter of Andrew McCulloch and Ann Duff as she is much too old. Also, the 1775 baptism is Jane, not Janet, so even if Jane/Jean didn't die before 1786 she still isn't the Janet Davidson in Nairn in 1851.

Robert Dunbar sent me this years ago: apparently Alexander the son of Alexander and Christina marriage cert. gave this:
14 Dec 1855 - When married residing at Old Machar aged 29 years Bootmaker Batchelor born at
Duffus Morayshire in 1826 but not registered - Son of Alexander McLeod Writer Decd and Christina
McLeod ms McCulloch  (Surname unclear ? does not agree with Death Certificate ??)

Well, at least that answers the question of where 'writer' came from - and 'tailor' came from Christina McCulloch's death certificate. But he gives his father's name as Alexander, not Andrew.

What do the marriage and death certificates of the other children of Andrew/Alexander/William M(a)cLeod and Christina McCulloch say that their father's occupation was?

and his death cert.:
On death certificate Mother is listed as maiden Name Cuthbert and Fathers Occupation given as
Writer.

Generally speaking, if the information on a death certificate differs from that on a marriage certificate, the marriage is more likely to be correct because the information is from the person involved, while the information on a death certificate is only as good as the knowledge of the informant.

Just so you see that I don't just have everyone look for me, I found this in the Nigg burial records for 3 Sep 1851: Alexander McLeod pensioner Aberdeen interred   age 63.  This could be mine but the dates 1788-1851 make little sense.  It is however Nigg, Kincardine not Nigg ROC.

1851 Census: 3 Flourmill Lane, Aberdeen
Alexander McLeod Head M M 63  General labourer  Born Kingston, Jamaica
Mary McLeod Wife M F 47  Born Inverness
So I think you can safely dismiss this particular Alexander McLeod.

[Sildeag]

Forforian, thanks for finding the 1851 census for Christina MacLeod.

The other death certificates for sons and daughters say father was Master Tailor or Farmer.

I did not have Donald's (1802-1881) but was surprised to find his was witnessed by son David whom I thought had died 13 Jun 1879.  Couldn't find David McLeod's death cert. (born 19 Aug 1847, Dallas - ?) son of Donald McLeod and Elizabeth Philip.

I had used http://libindx.moray.gov.uk/