Henry William McKenzie born 1869

[Forfarian]

I note the birth record but he is not there 1871/1881.
HENRY MCKENZIE   1869   Born    Maryculter, Kincardineshire

He's in the census, spelled McKensie, in Maryculter in 1871, and as McKenzie in 1881 in Glenmuick, Tullich and Glengairn.

He's probably the unmarried stonecutter, aged 22, boarding in Aberdeen in 1891, and the unmarried sculptor at 124 Parson Street, Glasgow in 1901.

[Penberthy]

Not the stonecutter or sculptor as he joined army aged 18 at Stirling in 1887.
Probably Maryculter McKensie.  Did it give an age in 1871 should have been 2 or 12 in 1881.
Amazing and thanks.  From Claremont Western Australia.

[Forfarian]

No, the Henry Mackenzie born in Maryculter is absolutely not your Henry William McKenzie.

- he had no middle name
- he was born in February and yours is said to have been born in May
- he was born in Kincardineshire and yours said he was born in Inverness(-shire)
- his mother was Mary Cockie and yours said his mother was Ann Gordon
- his mother was born in Maryculter, not in Cromdale Inverallan and Advie
- he is in the 1891 census in Aberdeen, described as a stonecutter
- he is in the 1901 census in Glasgow, described as a sculptor
- he married Isabella Shirlaw in Glasgow in 1901, described as a bachelor, monumental sculptor, parents William Mackenzie, gardener, and Mary Mackenzie, maiden surname Cockie.
- he died in Glasgow in 1928, and his death certificate says he was a monumental sculptor, aged 59, married to Isabella Shirlaw, and son of William Mackenzie, labourer, and Mary Mackenzie, maiden surname Cockie.

- he did not join the army in 1887
- he did not emigrate to Australia
- he did not marry Charlotte Page
- he did not die in 1949
- he did not die in Australia

[Penberthy]

You have done so much work on this and I thank you.  I now believe that he did come from the William McKenzie and Ann nee Gordon who married in 1838 in Cromdale, I and Advie.  Had 4 siblings much older and that he probably killed his mother in childbirth or something similar.  I think his father went to Crimean war as they found a William there but all records destroyed, probably went onto India as getting a salary, came home and Henry maybe a mistake.  He joined the 1st Bn Argyle and Sutherland Regiment as a groom as in MC said his father a farmer.  So you have done me a favour at least as I now believe that he did come from Inverness as stated and sent to Shanghai.  He left for Hong Kong and became a Policeman there.  What a life but no fighting luckily for him as I think that his father was quite damaged as he used to hit Henry.  Cheers.

[Forfarian]

I am wondering if perhaps he was a grandson of William M and Ann Gordon who were married in 1838, rather than a son? It wasn't unusual for an illegitimate grandchild to be brought up by its grandparents, under the impression that they were his parents.

Ann McKenzie or Gordon, mother's maiden surname Collie, died in Cromdale Inverallan and Advie (CIA) in 1897 aged 89. If her age is accurate she was born in 1807/1808, and would have been too old to become the mother of Henry William in 1869.

She's in the census in CIA

1841: aged 33, with husband William, aged 51, and four more McKenzies, two of whom are too old to be hers - so she was probably a second wife.

1851: aged 42, born Knockando, with husband William, aged 60, born Boharm, a son too old to be hers, four children of her own and a grandson.

1861: not found.

1871: aged 62, widow, with grandson Mathew Allan, 4.

1881: aged 72, with grandsons William J, 13, and Alexander B, 11, both born in Staffordshire, England.

1891: aged 82, with daughter Annie McKenzie, aged 50, married.

Don't worry too much about CIA sometimes being listed under Morayshire rather than Inverness-shire. Until the rationalisation of boundaries in about 1890 bits of CIA were in Inverness-shire and bits of it in Morayshire. I've never managed to get my head round which bits were in which county!

John Gordon and Christian Collie had four children baptised in Knockando between 1798 and 1805, then another one in CIA in 1811. So it looks as if Ann's baptism isn't on record but she is probably another of their children.

William John Mackenzie, mother's surname Mackenzie, was born in Walsall and registered in the March quarter of 1868. The birth of Alexander Bruce Mackenzie, mother's surname Mackenzie, was registered in West Bromwich in the December quarter of 1869. In 1871 John McKensie, 30, born Scotland, is in Walsall with wife Annie, 30, born Scotland, and sons William J and Alexander Bruce. Looks as if John and Annie married in Birmingham on 5 September 1867.

In 1841 the sons too old to be Ann's are Alexander, aged 19, and William, 17. There is a baptism of Alexander to William McKinzie and Elspet Gordon on 20 September 1821 in CIA, and a baptism of a son William on 31 January 1824. William M and Elspet G were married in CIA in 1821.

None of which gets us any closer to finding the record of Henry William's birth.

[Penberthy]

It is late and I will have to study it all.  Yes, maybe a grandson as he says Ann Gordon mother dec’d in 1898 on MC. Brilliant!
I found the marriage of Wm and Ann nee Gordon in 1838 at Cromdale, Intervallan and Advie and children Helen 1839, Ann 1840, John 1842 and Elspet 1844.  How I would love to talk to this family!

One other thought is that maybe daughter Ann 1840 had Henry unmarried and illegitimate, as he said that he was an only child.  He was very well educated.  Maybe not loved by his grandfather if the others all married and he was brought up by grandparents.  He joined the army the day after he turned 18.
There is a parallel here as Henrys youngest son Ronald’s wife died very young, and he and his wife Charlotte took on two very young children so that Ron could get on with life although he never remarried.  Regards Diane
Interesting re the parents of William and Ann.  I will have to look into it all.  It has given me a new way of looking at it.

[Forfarian]

One other thought is that maybe daughter Ann 1840 had Henry unmarried and illegitimate

Probably not, as she had Alexander Bruce legitimately later in 1869, the same year as Henry says he was born.

Also, he may have lied about his age - claiming to be 18 in 1887 when he was actually a few years younger. It isn't uncommon for a young man to lie about his age in order to join the army.

[Penberthy]

It would be so easy to adopt this family, but no mention of him as other grandsons are, so not convinced.
Maybe sent to an orphanage which I now suspect, or child of Helen or Elspet. Have examined many papers from army and age seems to be correct. 
I still think somehow Ann Gordon was his grandmother, but I may never know. Thanks.

[Forfarian]

More speculation.

Did he change his name when he left home to join the army? If he didn't get on with his father, or his father was difficult or abusive, perhaps he's in the records under a different name.

It would be quite unusual for a child to be sent to an orphanage if there were relatives who could take him in. And if he had been, he would surely show up there in the census?

Also, if he was brought up in an orphanage, he wouldn't have been in his father's household to begin with.