McKenzie family

[Gordon163]

Hi,

My 3rd gt-grandfather, James McKenzie, spent 17 years in the 21st Regiment of Foot, ending up guarding the remains of the French Army after Waterloo. According to his discharge record, he came from Kirriemuir and was born c1780. Scotland's People has a record of his baptism in December 1779 at Kirriemuir. It gives his father's name as James and his residence as Burnside, Ballindarg.

His father, would have been born 1761 or earlier and most likely in Angus. Scotland's People suggests four possibilities:

Two sons of Donald McKenzie of Glenisla, born in 1751 and 1761. They might have been cousins, or a boy named in memory of a deceased brother.

A son of Kenneth McKenzie of Glenisla, born in 1743.

A son of James Mckenzie and Christian Walker of Brechin, born in 1759.

Any help in eliminating any of the above would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Gordon

[MonicaL]

Hi Gordon

The father James McKenzie you mention is also listed in a further baptism for another James in Kirriemuir some years 8 years later:

JAMES MCKENZIE
Father JAS. MCKENZIE/
30/11/1779
299 10 / 276
Kirriemuir

and

JAMES MCKENZIE
Father JAS. MCKENZIE/
15/04/1787
299 10 / 306
Kirriemuir

Would make me think that first born James died and name was re-used for another son.

Other children showing, where just father James McKenzie is listed, in Kirriemuir:

1777 Thomas
1779 James
1781 David
1784 Fredrick - looks to have died as a baby with further son named after him
1785 Frederick
1787 James
1789 Alexander

Monica

[MonicaL]

Have you managed to pull together a listing of James's (b. circa 1780) children? Specially the early born, to check on first names used.

Monica

[Gordon163]

Hi Monica,

Thanks for your replies.

The Army release record is quite specific and accurate.

He applied to leave the Army on 10th March 1817 (Valciennes , France) and it was finalised at Horse Guards (London) on 24th June 1817. The record states that he was 37 years old, which corresponds exactly to his baptism of Dec 1879. So, he would have been 38 around December 1817.

I think, especially with what you say, that there might have been two James McKenzies in Kirriemuir, who were having children, i.e. the sons of two different Donalds, one James born in 1751 and the other in 1761. The two Donalds may well have been cousins.

There is a 10 year gap in the births of potential fathers, named James and an 8 year gap between the two baptisms of sons named James, which rather supports the idea above.

Gordon 

[MonicaL]

Remember that the Old Parish Registers are patchy, with many lost or destroyed over the years. Also, pre 1855, only about a third of events were recorded in the registers. Not all parents chose to have their child baptised and issues of faith and practice did come in to play also.

Which image have you looked at, the 1779 or the 1787 entry?

Monica

[Gordon163]

I got the 1779 baptism record, as it ftted the Army information.

Gordon

[Gordon163]

I think that I may have solved my own problem.

When 3rd gt-grandfather left the Army, he became a gardener.

There was a James Mckenzie baptised at Forfar in 1740, whose father, James, was a gardener.

Ballindarg lies off the road halfway between Forfar and Kirriemuir. As one enters the village (thanks to Google Maps), on the right hand sid eis a substantial Victorian house, with a burn running alongside the garden.

The Graham(e) family appear to have been the major landowners in Ballindarg, in the past. So, I expect that my ancestors tended the garden of 'the big house' in Ballindarg. This must be why Ballindarg is mentioned on the 1789 baptism of 3rd gt-grandfather.

Ballindarg also gets a mention on the baptism of Jean McKenzie (no date given) and Thomas McKenzie (1787 - ).

Any comments most welcome.

Gordon

[Forfarian]

I think Burnside of Ballindarg is a little further west than Mains of Ballindarg - see
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.7&lat=56.64514&lon=-2.98921&layers=257&b=1 (you may need to zoom in to see Burnside).

Here are some images and a modern map https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NO3850

All the various farms around Ballindarg are in the parish of Kirriemuir - the Roundy Burn, south of Burnside, is the parish boundary.

Do not trust Google maps when looking for places 200 years ago!

[Gordon163]

Thanks very much for the map.

Another place they lived was Turfbeg, which I think is also nearby.

Gordon