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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Aberdeenshire => Scotland => Aberdeenshire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: Peter M. Smith on Thursday 19 April 07 13:16 BST (UK)
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Looking for parents or siblings of my great great grandfather James FINDLAY, who, according to his death certificate (he died in Mar 1874 at Pilkington township, Ontario), was born on 5 Oct 1804 at New Machar.
Unfortunately neither the OPRs for New Machar nor available transcriptions have any record of my gggf's baptism. The OPRs however do show the baptisms, between 1788 and 1802, of seven children of James FINDLAY of Upper Rannieshill and his wife Christian MUTCH, and I could find no other obvious candidates who might have been the parents of my gggf. He married Margaret RUXTON on 20 Aug 1826 (the Foveran OPR refers to him as James FINDLAY of Newmachar). Their only daughter, my great grandmother Agnes, was baptised at Old Machar, Aberdeen on 16 Aug 1827 (James was said to be a labourer living at Causewayend), and between the years 1830 and 1835 four sons (Gordon, William, John and David) were born at Foveran, where James appears to have been working as a tenant farmer. In 1836 the family left for Canada and settled near Fergus, Ontario. Four more sons (James, Alexander, Robert and Charles) were born in Canada.
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I have been trying to contact you regarding James Findlay married to Margaret Ruxton because I am a descendant and would love to communicate further, altho I'm having a bit of trouble using this website! I hope you are seeing this message and can contact me directly, my e-mail is (*). However, don't get your hopes up since I think we both came to the same impass on gathering earlier information. Nevertheless, I would love to hear from you. My name is Leslie Ann Watson, and my dad's mother was named Findlay before her marriage. Hope to hear from you!
Thanks
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Hi Leslie
It is nice to hear from you, even if we are both stuck at the same place in our research. From which branch are you descended? I may have something new for you, as I have gathered quite a bit of information over the last 10 years, but it is only on descendants, not on ancestors, I'm afraid.
Peter Smith
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How nice that you've made contact with each other. Welcome to rootschat Leslie! Please modify your message in order to remove your personal email address. Once you've made a couple more posts you will be able to communicate with p.m.'s (personal messages).
Kind regards,
flst
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Hello Peter & Lesile, I'm Teresa and I'm not sure how much information you have found out since your last posts, but I'm Christain & James' are my 5th great grandparents and This is the information Ive obtained, hopefully some of it can be useful to you both.
Christian Mutch (1761 New Machar, Aberdeen) married James Findlay (1757 New Machar) on Sep 9 1784 in New Machar
They had 8 children that I could find
Elspet (1785 new Machar - 1862 old Machar) married Adam Bothwell on Aug 23 1850
Christain (1790 New Machar.- 1868 Old Machar) She married twice firstly to George Essels on Sep 13 1818 then to Mangus Swanson May 21 1835
Robert Findlay (Oct or Nov 1792 New Machar (Christened 11 Nov 1792) died 1855) married Helen Marshall on Jul 8 1820 In Old Machar
Robert and Helen had 9 children John (1821-1892) James (1822-1904) Robert (1824-? But before 1834) Helen (1825-1857) Alexander (1827-1900) Christain (1829-?) Catherine 1834-1892) Robert (1834-1898) & Thomas (1836-1876) - Robert and Helen are my 4th great grandparents
Isabel (1795 New Marchar - ?)
Alexander 1798 New Machar - ?) Married Elspet Guthie Nov 22 1828
Ann (1800-?)
John (1804 New Machar - 1882 Keith, Banffshire) married Margaret Burness on May 28 1834
James (Oct 5 1804 New Machar - Mar 1 1874 Ontario, Canada) married Margaret Ruxton Aug 28 1826
Like I said before I hope so of this can be helpful and thank you Peter for the information on James as I was unable to obtain a lot about him
Teresa
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Hello Teresa. Leslie here. Very pleasant to hear from you and also to marvel that we may -- or should I say yes we are! -- distant cousins! Peter Smith is really the expert with most of this information; and he and I just found each other a few years ago and he provided me with lots of additional details about the Findlays and all the other relations. I would love to talk to you on e-mail directly so here is my e-mail address (*) Please write and I hope to hear from you soon.
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to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please use the Personal Message (PM) system for exchanging personal data.
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Hi Teresa,
Great to hear from you. I will update my database with your new family info.
I have learned something (from a Genes Reunited member) which helps me be more confident in adding my James as the last child of James and Christian Findlay, even though I could find no evidence such as a christening, to confirm it.
Isobel, their 4th child (1795-) married James Sangster of Old Machar on 30 Oct 1819.
If you look at Freecen you can see James and Isobel Sangster and six children living at Old Machar in 1841:
SANGSTER James M 55 Farmer Aberdeenshire
SANGSTER Isobel F 35 Aberdeenshire
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Ann, their 6th child (1800-1843) married Robert Connon (1795 Udny, Aberdeenshire to 1873 Fetteresso, Kincardineshire) on 12 Dec 1824.
They lived at Udny and as far as I can tell 9 had children.
If you look at Freecen you can see Robert and Ann Connon and a large family living at Udny, Tillyeve in 1841:
CONNON Robert M 45 Farmer Aberdeenshire
CONNON Ann F 40 Aberdeenshire
...
What however was most interesting is that their fourth child, Thomas Connon b.1832, came to Canada at some point after 1841, where he settled at Elora, Ontario, the very same village where James and Margaret Findlay settled in 1836. He married Jane Keith on 4 Nov 1854 at Elora. Her father John was originally a close neighbour of James and family when they lived at concession 11, lot 17, just outside of Elora. He was a photographer. As well, their eldest son, John Robert Connon, wrote a book in 1930 about the town of Elora - The early History of Elora and Vicinity. In the book (as well as a passage about my own gggf James Smith of Aberdeen) he talks in some detail about James Findlay:
In this, the fifth party there was, besides Mr. and Mrs. Watt, James Findlay, who was born in the Parish of New Machar Oct 5th, 1804, and his wife, Margaret Ruxton, from the Parish of Foveran. Their four eldest children were born in Scotland, their family being : Agnes, Mrs. George Smith, living in Brantford ; William is the well known auctioneer and resident of Salem ; John is in Victoria, B. C. ; David, lived for many years in Salem, died in Windsor ; James is in Shoal Lake, Manitoba ; Alexander died in Toronto ; Robert is in Sudbury, and Charles in Shoal Lake Manitoba.
This level of detail does not prove that John Robert Connon was related to James and family, but I think adds to the odds that he was.
Peter
PS "Agnes, Mrs. George Smith" is my great grandmother.
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Leslie, as per my reply (no.3) please remove your email address from your message! Thanks,
flst
Moderator's removed it! :)
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Also new for this family, learned from the same source as the information about the family of Ann Findlay, was the burial of her father James Findlay from 1824:
1824 New Machar Deaths & Burials
June 10th, James Findlay, Farmer Upper Rannieshill, an elder of this parish, aged sixty-seven years, was interred in the Chappel of Moniekebbuck-Burying ground.
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Thank you both for your replies and it's great to hear for you. Thanks for the further information, it's very interesting and I'll add that information to my tree.
I have a pretty good tree from Robert downwards if I can fill in any blanks I would be happy to help
Lesile I've sent you a quick email and thanks for giving me your email :)
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Hi Teresa
I was looking for info for Robert Findlay who married Helen Marshall . Your info was invaluable. Robert was my ggg grandfather.anything else would be great. I have a fair bit of info on the family going forward from there
Regards
Robert Findlay Glasgow Scotland
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I have been trying to research my Findlay Family Tree and find that Teresa and Robert Findlay Glasgow Scotland have the same GGG Grandfather Robert born 21/10/1798 who was married to Helen Marshall born 30/11/1797. I have stuck at my GGGG Grandfather but I think they were Peter and Margaret Sinclair. I cannot find their DoB or DoD but found that they were married on 02/07/1780 and had a son Robert born 21/10/1798. I would appreciate any help on this one
Thanks Allan Findlay Aberdeen
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Hi Teresa
I have been trying to research my Findlay Family Tree and find that you and Robert Findlay Glasgow Scotland have the same GGG Grandfather Robert born 21/10/1798 who was married to Helen Marshall born 30/11/1797. I have stuck at my GGGG Grandfather but I think they were Peter and Margaret Sinclair. I cannot find their DoB or DoD but found that they were married on 02/07/1780 and had a son Robert born 21/10/1798. I would appreciate any help on this one
Thanks Allan Findlay Aberdeen
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Hi Robert
I am looking for help to go forward in my Family Tree. I have the following information and I note that you are looking for information regarding Robert Findlay and Helen Marshall, I also have them in my family tree.
Grand Parents:-
Robert, Born 25/06/1860 - Margaret Jane Ingram, Born 18/03/1861
Great Grandparents:-
John, Born 02/04/1821 - Elizabeth Reid, Born 18/06/1830
Great Great Grandparents:-
Robert, Born21/10/1798 - Helen Marshal, Born 30/11/1797
Great Great Great Grandparents:-
I am stuck at this one, I think they were.
Peter - Margaret Sinclair
I cannot find Date of Births or Date of Deaths. I did find a marriage date of 02/07/1780
I also found that they had a son Robert Born 21/10/1798. (I think this would be my Great Great Grandfather.
I would appreciate any information you may have
Regards
Allan Findlay Aberdeen
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Hi Teresa
I have been trying to research my Findlay Family Tree and find that I also have Robert and Helen Marshall in my family tree. Helen died of and accident when a horse and cart fell on her in 1858 at the age of 68 years.
I would appreciate any information regarding Robert's Father and Mother.
Thanks
Allan Findlay Aberdeen
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Hi Teresa,
Not sure if you have missed Allan reply from last year?
Regards
Sarah :)
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Hi Teresa
I have been trying to research my Findlay Family Tree and find that you and Robert Findlay Glasgow Scotland have the same GGG Grandfather Robert born 21/10/1798 who was married to Helen Marshall born 30/11/1797. I have stuck at my GGGG Grandfather but I think they were Peter and Margaret Sinclair. I cannot find their DoB or DoD but found that they were married on 02/07/1780 and had a son Robert born 21/10/1798. I would appreciate any help on this one
I hope that you still look at Rootschat on the odd occasion.
Thanks Allan Findlay Aberdeen
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Hi Robert
I am looking for help to go forward in my Family Tree. I have the following information and I note that you are looking for information regarding Robert Findlay and Helen Marshall, I also have them in my family tree.
Grand Parents:-
Robert, Born 25/06/1860 - Margaret Jane Ingram, Born 18/03/1861
Great Grandparents:-
John, Born 02/04/1821 - Elizabeth Reid, Born 18/06/1830
Great Great Grandparents:-
Robert, Born21/10/1798 - Helen Marshal, Born 30/11/1797
I would appreciate any information you may have
I hope that you look at Rootschat on the odd occasion
Regards
Allan Findlay Aberdeen
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Hello
I have just discovered this forum...
I am working on my brother-in-law's genealogy.
his mother
Ann Cummins FINDLAY 1922-2015
Grand-Parents
Francis FINDLAY B 31.03.1876 D 15.09.1947
M 5.3.1912
Catherine GALLOW B 26.04.1883 D 23.02.1952
Grand-grand-parents
Robert FINDLAY B 28.05.1835 D 30.03.1898
M 11.3.1864
Jessie STEPHEN B 1835 D 8.11.1920
Alexander GALLOW B 24.12.1846 D 15.02.1902
M 17.12.1869
Ann CUMMINS B 12.05.1851 D 13.03.1931
GGGP
Robert FINDLAY B 11.11.1792 D 1836-1851
M 8.07.1820
Helen MARSHALL B ca 1790 D 11.01.1858
Alexander STEPHEN B ca 1800 D aft 1877
M 29.01.1826
Elizabeth JAMIESON B ca 1799 D 28.06.1877
George GALLOW B 26.09.1816 D ca 1896
M 08.03.1844
Helen MELVIN B 27.08.1820 D 08.01.1891
Edward CUMMINS B 16.03.1789 D 20.02.1875
M 14.10.1839
Margaret MOIR B 26.02.1815 D 14.09.1881
Teresa's post seems to confirm what I have found.
Maybe we can share more...
Alain
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Hello Alain,
Welcome to RootsChat, hopefully the other member will reply to your post very soon.
Regards
Sarah :)
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Thanks for posting this. I added the data for your brother-in-law's grandparents to my tree.
Peter Smith
(I believe, but am not certain, that a gggf James Findlay, who came to Canada in 1836, was a brother of Robert Findlay (1835-1898))
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Indeed Robert FINDLAY 1835 had a brother James, born ca 1823.
However, I find him as farm labourer in the 1851 census. But for that reason he could not have emigrated to Canada in 1836.
This does not look positive...
Do you have other data about the FINDLAY family?
Alain Wuilbaut
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Hello,
Sorry, I was not paying attention to what I wrote! I should have written that my James was (I believe) a brother of the Robert Findlay (1792-) who married Helen Marshall. I have the parents of this Robert Findlay as James Findlay and Christian Mutch, and that this James Findlay was buried in 1824:
1824 New Machar Deaths & Burials
June 10th, James Findlay, Farmer Upper Rannieshill, an elder of this parish, aged sixty-seven years, was interred in the Chappel of Moniekebbuck-Burying ground.
This farm (Upper Rannieshill) is a short distance (c. 2 km) from the farm of Edgehill in Foveran where my gggm Margaret Ruxton was born, i.e. they could easily have met.
The only written evidence I have is that on his death record was written that he was born 1804 at New Machar.
Peter Smith
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Hello,
Thank you for the correction.
Small detail: I find 2 marriages for James FINDLAY and Margaret RUXTON: 20/8/1826 in Foveran and 27/8/1826 in New Machar. Could that mean that the wedding took place in Foveran and was transcripted in New Machar registry the following week? Or that the marriage was announced in Foveran and took place in New Machar? Or...?
Alain Wuilbaut
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I have seen the Foveran parish register on microfilm, and it appears they were married there:
Marriages
1826
August 20 James Findlay Newmachar and Margaret Ruxton were married.
Why the marriage was also recorded a week later at Newmachar I can't say, but I have seen this more than once in Scotland, i.e. a marriage recorded at both the bride's and the groom's parish, so perhaps it was a custom to in some way celebrate the marriage a second time at the groom's parish.
Peter
PS Another bit of (circumstantial) evidence re the parents of my James Findlay. Anne Findlay, born 1800 at Upper Rannieshill, i.e. a sister of your Robert, married Robert Connon of Udny. Their son Thomas Connon, born 14 Sep 1832 at Udny, came in 1853 to the same village (Elora) in Ontario where my James Findlay and his family had settled in 1836. A son of this Thomas Connon, John Robert Connon, wrote a book about the history of Elora and in it mentions the family of James Findlay in quite a bit of detail, as if (so I hope!) he was related:
The Early History of Elora and Vicinity, by John Connon, p.92:
About this time a young man came on the scene who was to play a conspicuous part in the community. This was Mr. George Barron, whose native place was Savoch i'Deer in Aberdeenshire, Coming to Canada, several years before this, he had worked in the vicinity of Whitby. There he heard of the Bon accord colony, and came up to investigate. He returned some time later, and, about Christmas, 1835, married Miss Elspet Watt, who had, up to this time, kept house for her brother. This was the first marriage in the settlement. A few days later. Mr. Watt set out on a visit to Scotland, leaving the newly-married couple to look after his house until his return. Having married in Scotland, Mr. Watt again sailed from Aberdeen on the 16th of April, on the ship 'Pacific, and arrived at Elora on the 10th of June, 1836. In this, the fifth party there was, besides Mr. and Mrs. Watt, James Findlay, who was born in the Parish of New Machar Oct 5th, 1804, and his wife, Margaret Ruxton, from the Parish of Foveran. Their four eldest children were born in Scotland, their family being : Agnes, Mrs. George Smith, living in Brantford ; William is the well known auctioneer and resident of Salem ; John is in Victoria, B. C. ; David, lived for many years in Salem, died in Windsor ; James is in Shoal Lake, Manitoba ; Alexander died in Toronto ; Robert is in Sudbury, and Charles in Shoal Lake Manitoba.
("Agnes, Mrs George Smith" is my great grandmother)
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Why the marriage was also recorded a week later at Newmachar I can't say, but I have seen this more than once in Scotland, i.e. a marriage recorded at both the bride's and the groom's parish, so perhaps it was a custom to in some way celebrate the marriage a second time at the groom's parish.
No. There was only one celebration, most commonly in the bride's parish.
What is actually recorded in the OPRs is not always the actual wedding, but the proclamation of the banns. If the couple lived in different parishes, the banns had to be called in both, and this resulted in two records of the proclamations, one in each parish. The different dates would be because one clerk wrote it down before the banns were proclaimed, and the other wrote it down afterwards.