Janet illegitimate daughter of Sir Alexander Mackenzie, 3rd baronet of Gairloch

[saphorr]

Hi all, the 1879 book History of Clan Mackenzie ^[1] contains biographies from many Mackenzie cadet branches, including the Mackenzies of Gairloch. In the entry for Sir Alexander Mackenzie (1730-1770), 3rd baronet and 10th of Gairloch, following his legitimate children this bit appears:

He had also a natural daughter, Janet, who married John Macpherson, by whom she had Hector Macpherson, merchant, Gairloch; Alexander Macpherson, blacksmith, and several others.

The updated 1894 edition, titled History of the Mackenzies ^[1], has an shortened version of this information without any of the names of Janet's children:

Alexander had also a natural daughter, Janet, who married John Macpherson, Gairloch, with issue.

I have found the GRO death records and old parish birth records for Hector (who is my ancestor) and his brother Alexander. Hector lived from 1807-1885 and Alexander from 1813-1882.  The professions are as described (merchant and blacksmith) and their parents appear as John Macpherson and Jessie (née Mackenzie). Their father John's profession is given as "Farm Manager" and "Sheep Manager", so I suspect he was involved in major agricultural changes at work in Gairloch. The ages work, barely: Sir Alexander died in April 1770, so Janet could have been born no later than 1771 if she were his daughter; that would put her in her early forties at Alexander's birth in 1813, which is still possible.

So: the facts fit so far, but how would one go about verifying the claim of Janet's parentage, or finding out who her mother might be?  Gairloch OPR birth records start in 1792.  I can't find a marriage record for John and Janet, nor would I expect such an entry to mention her father's name.  Both John and Janet seem to be gone by the 1841 census.  Are there any other possible sources of data, apart from maybe the archives of the Gairloch Mackenzies (which I presume aren't digitized)?

Would appreciate any suggestions or insights.
References

• Mackenzie, Alexander. (1879) History of the Clan Mackenzie, with genealogies of the
  principal families. https://archive.org/details/historyofclanmac1879mack.
  
• Mackenzie, Alexander. (1894). History of the Mackenzies, with genealogies of the principal
  families of the name. https://archive.org/details/historyofmacken00mack/.

[MichaelJCompagnoni]

Hi Saphorr,

Alexander Mackenzie didn't permenantly live at Gairloch.  I believe it was Conon Bridge.

There is a marriage parish record for "a" John MacPherson and Janet Mackenzie.   

Her name is under JANET MACKINZI at Inverness on 29 Nov 1793.  This couple had at least two daughters.  Ann and then Ann Reid...

My believe is there is at least two John Macpherson and Janet Mackenzies living around that region at that time.

John and Janet parents of Hector and Alexander died
07 Jun 1864 and 29 Aug 1869

[mckha489]

John and Janet parents of Hector and Alexander died
07 Jun 1864 and 29 Aug 1869

If Janet was born 1771 at the latest, that would make her nearly 100 at her death.
Which of the 1869 Janet McPherson deaths on Scotland’s people are you suggesting is she? The eldest I can see are 84 & 85. (I presume they died in Scotland?  You don’t say).

[saphorr]

Hi MichaelJCompagnoni,

Thanks very much for your reply and your insights into the Macphersons of the era.

Alexander Mackenzie didn't permenantly live at Gairloch.  I believe it was Conon Bridge.

There is a marriage parish record for "a" John MacPherson and Janet Mackenzie.   

Her name is under JANET MACKINZI at Inverness on 29 Nov 1793.  This couple had at least two daughters.  Ann and then Ann Reid...

I agree this could be "her" (either an illegitimate daughter of Sir Alexander or the mother of Hector and Alexander, whether or not those are the same person), but how could we securely tie some couple married in Inverness with such generic names and no information on parents to some similarly-named couple in Gairloch later on?

My believe is there is at least two John Macpherson and Janet Mackenzies living around that region at that time.

John and Janet parents of Hector and Alexander died
07 Jun 1864 and 29 Aug 1869

I suspect there are indeed multiple couples with those names living around Gairloch. Regarding these death dates:

• John Macpherson who died 7 Jun 1864 at South Erradale is aged 87, has profession "crofter", and was "married to Jane Macpherson". His parents were John Macpherson, crofter, and Isabella Mackenzie, both deceased. Informant is grandson Colin Mackenzie.
  
• Janet Macpherson who died 29 Aug 1869 at South Erradale is aged 92 or 72 (its looks like a "92" to me but ScotlandsPeople has digitized it as 72) and was the widow of John Macpherson, crofter. Her parents were John Mackenzie, crofter, and Annabella Fraser, both deceased.  Informant is grandson John Mackenzie.

I can certainly buy that these two people were married. And I have found are a couple of later entries that, on the basis of names and professions, look like their children:

• Ann Macpherson, died 1882 aged 79 at Inverasdale, widow of Roderick Mackenzie, crofter and Murdo Macdonald, crofter.  Parents were John Macpherson, crofter, and Janet Mackenzie, both deceased. Informant is son Alexander Mackenzie.
  
• Isabella Macpherson, died 1884 aged 73 at South Erradale, widow of Farquhar Mackenzie, crofter.  Parents were John Macpherson, crofter, and Janet Mackenzie, both deceased. Informant is daughter Jessie McKenzie.
  

If this John and Janet were the parents of Hector and Alexander, I think we could consider the rumoured connection to Sir Alexander to be discredited or at least much less likely, especially as Janet's father was given as  "John Mackenzie, crofter" and the years don't work (if Janet was 92 when she died in 1869, she was born around 1777, too young to be Sir Alexander's daughter).

I'm not convinced however that this John and Janet were the parents of Hector and Alexander. Compare the description of John's profession in the death records for Hector and Alexander to what I've listed above:

• Alexander McPherson, blacksmith, died 28 Jun 1882, Strath Village, aged 67. Parents given as John McPherson, Sheep Manager, and Jessie McKenzie, both deceased.
  
• Hector Macpherson, general merchant, died 16 Dec 1885, Strath Village, aged 77. Parents given as John Macpherson, "Farm Manager, Sheildag", and Jessie Mackenzie, both deceased.
  

I know very little about early 19th-century Highland agriculture, but "farm manager"/"sheep manager" really sounds like something distinct from "crofter", so I'm inclined to believe the John and Janet who are the parents of Ann and Isabella are a different couple than the John and Janet who were the parents of Hector and Alexander.  I have found one other Macpherson who seems to me like a possible sibling of Hector and Alexander:

• Kenneth Macpherson, shoemaker (journeyman), died 3 Aug 1879, Strath, aged 74, widower of Hannah Macintyre. Parents given as John Macpherson, Farmer, and Jessie Mackenzie, both deceased.
  

If the parents of Hector and Alexander were indeed different from those of Ann and Isabella, I can find no trace of their death statutory death records for Gairloch, but it would not be strange for people born in the 1760s/1770s to die before 1855.

Can you find any further evidence about any of these people shedding further light on their possible relationships?

[lachlanw]

There is also DNA that can be checked against. Descendants/documented relatives of the Gairloch Baronets have uploaded their gedmatch DNA kits here: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackenzie-7511 (the Douglas gedmatch kit number appears on his test page) and https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackenzie-3115 . My mother Margaret Williams (Gedmatch kit number: SW4420542) and https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/37744392/family?cfpid=19133765773 (via Janet McKenzie b. 1768) appears to be a descendant of https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackenzie-557 (6th of Gairloch), and has material DNA matches with Moira MacLean GEDmatch EM1423356 and Sarah Dean https://www.ancestry.com/profile/02BDD0F4-0006-0000-0000-000000000000 (a descendant of the MacKenzies of Kilcoy and Highfield, and distantly Gairloch). If there are any DNA matches it would be appreciated if you could please post the kit numbers here or on wikitree. It will assist other researchers, myself included.

[MichaelJCompagnoni]

Lachlanw,

Concerning Y-DNA.  If you go to the MacKenzie/McKenzie project on Familytreedna, you'll find a person who has Alexander Kenneth Mackenzie as their "Paternal Ancestor Name" within the CORE.  This Alexander Kenneth Mackenzie is here -> https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackenzie-4031

The Y-DNA tester is not on WikiTree.  Just showing you and anyone who is interested which line this DNA comes from.  This tester should be encourage (or even someone else offer pay) to update his test to at least Y-dna111.

There are a also couple DNA Mackenzie groups on Facebook.  I'm a member of and so is Moira MacLean.

I'm the profile manager of https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackenzie-3115

I dont share DNA with Moira or Gord.

Just to be clear Alexander Mackenzie, 3rd Bt of Gairloch [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackenzie-2173] illegitimate daughter Janet married a John McPherson a not Alexander McPherson.  Also Alexander was not born about 12 July 1730 in Balvealie, Nigg. 

[lachlanw]

Dear MichaelJCompagnoni

Thanks for your post. I am aware that there are many descendants of Alexander McPherson (b. Prescaltin) and Janet McKenzie (b. Kilcoy) on ancestry.com who believe that Janet is the illegitimate daughter of the 3rd Baronet of Gairloch. As you suggest - that is demonstrably false (a bit involved to explain for current purposes). My tentative conclusion to date, suggests that Janet is a descendant of the Mackenzies of North Erradale, a not particularly prosperous cadet of Gairloch (based on gaelic nicknames, naming patterns, DNA and the published Mackenzie pedigrees of Ord, Highfield, Gairloch and North Erradale). Interestingly, the author of the History of the Mackenzies is of the North Erradale family, and published a foldout "pedigree of the author" as part of his book.

Kind regards

Lachlan

[MichaelJCompagnoni]

Lachlan,

History of the Mackenzies lists a "John Mor Og MacKENZIE (Ian Mor Aireach)" around pages 431-435 I think.  He does lists some names but no birth dates or locations.  I started looking at this line some time ago.  I came across some croft records while googling "North Erradale" and various gaelic names.

Murdoch is one of the sons listed in History, but I believe is mentioned in the croft records, born about 1775.  Life got in the way and still is.  So haven't looked further.

I'm aware of a few other Mackenzie testers.  A 3rd cousin and his mother to Sarah Dean.  They don't match me, but match to my half sister who isn't a Mackenzie. Lucas Cooper - https://www.ancestry.com.au/profile/040534A3-0006-0000-0000-000000000000?compareToTestId=511B1726-FB6B-455C-AC38-83AB1E9D0706

Sean Dean on paper is 9th cousin x2 removed from me.  Well, outside of normal autosomal DNA testing range.  Colin Mackenzie 2nd of Kilcoy being the common ancestor.  She is also from Snodgrass family.

There is also another Mackenzie tester that matchs my Aunt on my paternal side (my non Mackenzie side).  A Tara lecomber.  https://www.ancestry.com.au/profile/00DDE72E-0006-0000-0000-000000000000?compareToTestId=46F4FB2F-6AFF-4692-90AD-B673B03212AC.  She is a 6th 1/2 cousin 1x removed - Alexander Mackenzie 8th of Davochmaluag. 

Ha.  A quick google. 
CROFTS 1 -4, 6-8; NORTH ERRADALE