Watt family of Dunnottar

[Alberbury]

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=753251.0
Topic: Watt family of Brechin  (Read 3707 times)


Need a bit of help with the Watt family of Dunnottar. Below on the 1851 census I found William Watt the shoemaker was born here around 1808.   

 


Name    Peter Watt                       Peter Christian Watt
Gender    Male
Christening Date    31 Jan 1818
Christening Place    DUNNOTTAR,KINCARDINE,SCOTLAND
Birth Date    29 Jan 1818
Father's Name    James Watt
Mother's Name    Susan Smith






https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/


8    Marriages in Old Machar          Page 361 of 601


            William Watt, Shoemaker, Printfield,
            and Mary Berrie, Windmillbrae, both
            in this parish, signified their purpose
Watt     of marriage by Mr. William Bathgate,
            Elder, and being thrice proclaimed, they
            were married on the 18th day of July 1829 years,
            by the Rev.d Joseph Drysdale Minister








http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/


1841 C    Parish of  Brechin         Page 15

High Street

Inhabited                                                         born in County
I              William Watt  32        Shoem.                     n
                Mary ann do      29                                    y
               Margaret  do      10                                    y
                William   do   8                                         y
               Mary ann do       6                                      y
                Ann        do       1mo                                y
        Catherine Mathewson  60                                   y         


2  Total Houses Inhabited on Page 15







http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/


1851 C     Parish of           Within the limits of the Royal Burgh of
                Brechin                               Brechin

90 High Street

William Watt  Head  Mar  43        Shoemaker                   Kincardinesh.  Dunnottar
Mary      Do    Wife  Mar      39                                        Forfarshire  Montrose
Margaret Do  Daur    U       19  HandLoom Weaver Linen   Aberdeensh.  Aberdeen
William   Do   Son    U    17       Butcher Journeyman        Forfarshire  Montrose
Mary      Do   Daur   U        15  HandLoom Weaver Linen        Do            Do
Ann       Do     Do              9         Scholar                            Do         Brechin

David Watt    Son           7           Scholar
Charles Watt  Son          5
Joseph Watt  Son           3

[CaroleW]

The way in which your post is set out makes it difficult to read & understand

It gives details of a Peter or Peter Christian Watt parents James & Susan then gives details of a William Watt shoemaker??

I note your previous post ran to 3 pages but despite being read by over 3,700 people it only attracted 2 replies - all other info was posted  by you in a similar format to this post.  It does not make for easy reading when all you are doing is copying & pasting info. 

[Alberbury]

This is all guesswork at the minute.


https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/590344b0e9379091b12a07f4/james-watt-1841-kincardineshire-dunnottar-1781-?locale=en



Census:    1841
County:    Kincardineshire (KCD)
District:    Dunnottar
Civil Parish:    Dunnottar
Piece:    255
Enumeration District:    1
Page:    25
House Number:    
House or Street Name:    King Street, Stonehaven


Surname    Forenames    Sex    Age    Occupation    Birth County    Notes
WATT    James              M    60    Meat Seller    Kincardineshire    
OFFICER    Ann                      F    85    Independent    Kincardineshire    
OFFICER    Isabella              F    85    Independent    Kincardineshire    

[wivenhoe]

Why are you interested in the WATT family?

Are you descended from family WATT?

You have listed details about WATT family....and need help. What help?. 

What outcome are you wanting from your enquiry here?

If your use of this forum is successful, your will finally know..........what?

[Forfarian]

I think I read it all to mean that Alberbury is casting around for the parentage of William Watt, who was recorded in the 1851 census as aged 43 and born in Dunnottar.

He is in the 1841 and 1851 census in Brechin with his wife Mary Ann Barrie. In 1861 he is not with his family, though Mary Ann is still described as married. in 1871 Mary Ann is described as widowed.

They appear to have had at least nine children, only two of whose baptism records have survived: Margaret 1831/2, William 1833/4, Mary 1835/6, Alexander 1839, Anne 1841/2; David 1843; Charles 1845/6; Joseph 1847/8, Helen 1851/2, and Elisabeth 1853/4.

Mary Ann Watt, mother's maiden surname Matthieson, died in Brechin in 1882 aged 70. This matches the baptism of Mary Ann, daughter of James Barrie and Catharine Mathewson in Montrose in 1812. Note that there is a Catherine Mathewson, 60, with the family in 1841.

So it would appear that William Watt died between 1861 and 1871. There are 12 deaths between 1855 and 1871 of William Watts born 1803-1813, none of whom died in Brechin. See attached.

Two of these can probably be safely dismissed:
William Watt, son of William W and Margaret Cochrane, was baptised in Lochwinnoch in 1809
William Watt, son of William W and May Sangster, was baptised in Tyrie in 1808
but there are no obvious baptism matches for the others.

Of the rest, some can possibly be dismissed by referring to the 1861 census
There's one one in Monifieth who was born in Logie Pert
There are two in Gamrie; one was born in Gamrie and the other in Forgue
There's one in Dundee 2nd who was born in Old Machar
There's one in Forgan who was born in Kingsbarns
There's one in Milton who was born in New Monkland
There's one in Aberdour who was born in Aberdour

And none of the ones in the census transcription I am looking at was born in Dunnottar.

So there are various possibilities
- he wasn't in Scotland in 1861
- he was in Scotland but was missed by the enumerator in 1861
- his wife was lying in 1871 when she said she was a widow
- he died before 1861 and his wife was lying when she said she was married
- he died outside Scotland
- his death has been omitted from the index at Scotland's People
- one or other of the enumerators made a mistake when he transcribed Mary Ann's marital status
- I have got it wrong
- something else I haven't thought of

[Forfarian]

One possible avenue of enquiry would be to scrutinise the 1811 and 1821 'census' of Dunnottar which is in the Kirk Session section of Scotland's People to see whether there is a William Watt of appropriate age with parents there.

[Alberbury]

Thanks Forfarian, I will digest this good information.
I think supplying the information I have collected might help and save time for others.
Also thanks for your time.
I took your advice on the census of 1811-1821 Dunnottar from ScotlandsPeople.


https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

Dunnottar kirk session, Census of parish (1811-1821), CH2/110/12


Population of Dunnottar Parish 1811

Page 1   Starts in Stonehaven

Page 3


                                Houses&Families Families empld.      Population
                                      Family                Trade        Male Female Total
James Woods property

James Watt
Susanna Smith
Jean
Joseph   Paterson
James    Watt                     1                         1            5       2        7
William
John


I am not saying James Watt is the father of William Watt, born around 1808. It might be the closest match to a family member, without buying any certificates or census returns. How is the surname Paterson used correctly. Is Joseph using Paterson as his middle or surname?

[Alberbury]

https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

Census:    1841
County:    Kincardineshire (KCD)
District:    Dunnottar
Civil Parish:    Dunnottar
Piece:    255
Enumeration District:    1
Page:    25
House Number:   
House or Street Name:    King Street, Stonehaven


Surname    Forenames    Sex    Age    Occupation    Birth County    Notes
WATT    James              M    60    Meat Seller    Kincardineshire   
OFFICER    Ann                      F    85    Independent    Kincardineshire   
OFFICER    Isabella              F    85    Independent    Kincardineshire   




Dunnottar kirk session, Census of parish (1811-1821), CH2/110/12


Population of Dunnottar Parish 1811

Page 18

James Officer's property

James Officer
Isobel  Officer
Anne   Officer
Chris  Officer
James Watt



Dunnottar kirk session, Census of parish (1811-1821), CH2/110/12

1821 census

62  James Officer  70
      Ann               60
     Isabel             50
      Christh          40
      James Watt    30
   

[Forfarian]

Hmmm. I note with interest that William Watt and Mary Ann Barrie had a son whom they named Joseph.

On the other hand they didn't name any of their (known) daughters Susan. Then again, they don't seem to have named one Catherine after Mary Ann's mother.

Have you checked on Scotland's People for other children to James Watt and Susanna Smith?