Joseph Robertson Macgregor

[kap]

Hello.  I am looking into Joseph Robertson Macgregor who was the first minister of the Gaelic Chapel in Edinburgh.  I know that he originally came from Perthshire.  He is recorded as Joseph Robertson on his marriage certificate, but I am not sure if he only dropped the Macgregor once he moved to Edinburgh or he had never used it until later on.  His wife, Janet Brown, was the daughter of James Brown, one time Deacon of the Glovers, and on her mothers side was related to the Penmans and Cleghornes who were Deacons of the Goldsmiths, so all very wealthy families.  Joseph's son went on to marry into a wealthy Welsh family (having inherited pretty much all of James Brown's wealth).  This leaves me wondering, where did Joseph come from?  I can not find a baptism record for him.  Joseph is a very uncommon highland name.  He must have had some wealth or status to make such a good match as he did.  Does anyone have any information that might help at all?  Thank you.

[Forfarian]

Welcome to RootsChat!

Do you have any dates, even approximate? It helps to know which century to look in

[kap]

Thank you. He was married in 1771 ( the name of Janet Brown's father is incorrectly written as Thomas in the marriage record). His children were born in 1776 and 1778. He died in 1801 and is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard.
He appears in Kay's sketches where it says he worked as clerk in an upholstery warehouse before being ordained. The only other clue that source gives about his early life is that he was a native of Perthshire.

[Neale1961]

Some information here
https://www.edinburghbookshelf.org.uk/volume8/page223.html

It goes across several pages (scroll forward) and includes a sketch of him

[Forfarian]

Two clips from Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae attached.

There appears to be some contradictory information.

[kap]

Thank you. Unfortunately some of that information is incorrect. He was using the last name of MacGregor before the repeal of proscription as there are minute books from the Gaelic Chapel with him using Robertson Macgregor in 1780. His daughter was also not long widowed, she remarried the widower of her cousin.  I have a fair bit of information on him from 1771 onwards, it is more detailed information on his roots that I am really looking for.  I am intrigued as to how he marries a wealthy heiress not long after arriving in Edinburgh. I would also like to find out where he was born. Joseph is such an unusual highland name.

[kap]

The second clip from Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae has him mixed up with another minister named Joseph Robertson.  Joseph Robertson Macgregor didn't have a son named Hamilton, his son was Robert Brown Macgregor, and Joseph's wife was the daughter of James Brown, glover.  I have James Brown's will in which he leaves the bulk of his large estate to his only grandson Robert.

The gaelic chapel kirk session minutes from 1780 have him referred to as Joseph Robertson Macgrigor so he was clearly using the Macgregor name pre 1884 as suggested by the other clip.  Those minutes also list an Alexander Macgrigor as one of the Deacons, so that might be a relative.  Unfortunately 1780 is the earliest the minutes go back to.  I would love to be able to find a record of his ordination, or better his baptism, that might give me more details of his parents and where in Perthshire he came from.

[Forfarian]

Extract from the Edinburgh parish register, 10 November 1771, attached.

[Bodingtoun]

If it helps to establish slightly further back re using Macgregor surname, my ancestors William Graham and Agnes Mosman were married by Rev Joseph Robertson MacGregor per their marriage cert on 18 Oct 1779:
Dunsyre - William Graham and Agnes Mosman both of this parish was booked for proclamation in the records of the West Church of Edinburgh by Alexander Gardner and accordingly married by Joseph Robertson MacGregor minister of the Gaelic Chapel Edinburgh before several witnesses on the 18th October 1779.