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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Aberdeenshire => Topic started by: Kathykins on Monday 10 December 07 08:50 GMT (UK)
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I wonder if someone who is a bit more experienced than me could give their opinion on the following please? I'm fairly confident about it, but it never hurts to check. :)
I've found in the OPRs for my family, the Mor(r)isons a reference to a place called Bognie near Forgue in Aberdeenshire. So using that as my point of reference, I've managed to find Mor(r)isons back to 1689 in the OPR. I also ran a search on the NAS website, and found a few nuggets. There was an Alexander Morison granted lands at Bognie in 1635, then from about 1660 all the mentions are of a George Morison who married the Viscountess of Frendraught. My ancestor is a James Morison, born 1689, the son of Alexander.
So, what I'm thinking is that Alexander who had the lands granted in 1635 had two sons - George and Alexander. George was the eldest and inherited the majority of the lands, and Alexander got a smaller portion which became known as Brae of Bognie?
I'm just concerned that it's a big leap of faith really - especially since the furthest I've got back with any of my other lines is about 1750! Plus my line ended up in Manchester, so I've no idea about Scottish property laws or anything like that....
All thoughts appreciated!
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It is always a possibility.
I find that most work on lines before 1800 is largely based upon guess work and probability.
Probability on on your side.
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Hello Kathy
A few observations:
Scottish laws on inheritance were different from English ones. The Scotland's People web site gives some relevant information:
Land:
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/content/faqs/questions/index.aspx?379
Moveable:
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/content/faqs/questions/index.aspx?380
I'm not clear from what you have said whether you have definitely traced your James Morison to this line. It is a good idea to explore all avenues and test out links, pencilling in when uncertain.
Mor(r)ison, was not a rare name and Alexander and James are/were pretty common.
Brae means hillside, which would imply that Alexander had the upper lands of Bognie.
Regards
Gadget :)
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I take it that this is your lot:
http://www.thepeerage.com/p17167.htm
It doesn't give mention to the line you want, but that is to be expected from that site. It is very selective in the children they mention with children of the lower nobility.
If anyone has a copy of Burkes Peerage, or a similar type book, I'd imagine they'd be more accurate. I'm at University just now. I'll see if we have an easily accessible copy of the book. I will look it up for you if I can find a book, providing it's not in the special Libraries and Archives. (Sorry but I hate that place).
regards
Windsor87
Edit: There is one copy in the Library, but it dates from the 1950s (102nd Ed.). I promise I will have a look for you by the end of the day (providing I can find the book(it is in the basement)). I hope it will provide some more information.
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Wow - yes, that's them! Hopefully, Alexander 1st of Bognie had a son named Alexander who would be the father of my James Morison, born 1689.
James Morison is definitely my ancestor, and he was definitely born at Bognie, so there must be a connection somewhere. I'd just really love to pin it down!
I hate archives as well, so don't go to any trouble :)
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It may come in handy for me as well. I have some lower nobles in the area too.
According to some online reading, if we can prove your descent from Alexander Morison (1st of Bognie), you would also have some relation to the late Princess of Wales. Fingers crossed. :)
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:o
And to think I nearly went to St Andrews in the hope of marrying Prince William....
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And to think I nearly went to St Andrews in the hope of marrying Prince William....
;D
I have checked Burke's, and it doesn't help much.
Burke's Landed Gentry (1937):
Alexander Morison, 1st of Bognie, we find had much influence in Strathbogie in 1640. His issue were a son, George, and two daus., Barbara and Mary.
The son, George, Morison, 2nd of Bognie, registered arms in 1673; m. 1680, Christian, dau. of Sir Alexander Urquhart of Cromarty,... They had issue a son and two daus.
The son, Thodore Morison....(b.1685).
As we can see, there is no mention of the 1st Alexander having a son called Alexander. Does this rule out your hopes? Not really. Burke's is not always final, especially on the lower gentry. In the 1937 account, they seem not to know who the 1st Alexander was even married to, so what is to say that they have accounted for all his children?
I think you should keep digging. Have you tried searching for wills or anything?
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There's quite a few records to do with the Morisons of Bognie including wills and things in the NAS apparently, but being in Devon it's a little difficult to see them!
I have found notes on another tree in ancestry which states that James Morison was in service to George 2nd of Bognie, but she doesn't give her source for this. The name Theodore does crop up in the tree several times which suggests some sort of connection with George.
It's all very confusing isn't it...?
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Theodore was George's son. According to Burke.
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Yes, I have a Theodore as a grandson of James as well and another one as a great-grandson. It's an unusual name to crop up so often isn't it?
There is still a Baron of Bognie today apparently....I'm tempted to write to him and see if he knows anything!
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;D
If you are really stuck it might not be such a bad idea. Some of those families kept well written papers.
Theodore is a very unusual name for that time. Given that it was the name of the local Laird, it may have caught on. It is a pitty not much is known from before the 1st Alexander. Your lot could be nephews of his or something.
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Hi Kathy,
On the Internet, you will find an ebook "The Thanage of Fermartyn..." in which you will find information on the Morisons of Bognie. Google "The Morisons of Bognie" and you will soon find it.
Alexander Morison, along with his wife Elizabeth Gairden, acquired the lands of Bognie from the Crichton family in 1635. You will see he had a son, George (1620-1699), who was his successor. The rest of it I find confusing and will have to read it again to make some sense out of it. I do know from an impeccable source that there was an Alexander Morison (1590-1660) who died without heirs, so I take it this Alexander was George's brother. I'm told there was a Theodore who died in 1766.
It's been a long time (five years) since this blog was last replied to, so I expect you have all this sorted out anyway. I would be interested to see what you have learned.
Chris(topher)
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http://www.thepeerage.com/p17167.htm (http://www.thepeerage.com/p17167.htm)
It doesn't give mention to the line you want, but that is to be expected from that site. It is very selective in the children they mention with children of the lower nobility.
If anyone has a copy of Burkes Peerage, or a similar type book, I'd imagine they'd be more accurate.
Much of the information on www.thepeerage.com comes from Burke's, and is accordingly acknowledged, so if a person is missing on that site, they are likely also to be missing from Burke's.
The author of www.thepeerage.com is always happy to receive additional information and to correct any of the inevitable errors which are bound to creep into such an undertaking.
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Kathy, I've had another look at the ebook "The Thanage of Fermartyn..." You need to get to the pages 17-20 of the 72 pages shown. As with many of these ebooks, letters and numbers are missed out and/or replaced with other symbols. Alexander Morison of Bognie married Elizabeth Gairden (Garden) and they had two sons, George and Alexander. I am told that Alexander Morison (1590-1660) had no known heirs.
George Morison (1620-1699) married Christian, Viscountess Frendnaught (nee Urquhart, and a Crighton widow) and had a son Theodore (c1685-1766) who married Catharine Maitland (c1695-1743). They had three sons, Alexander, George and William.
Alexander Morison (c1723-1801) married Catharine Duff (c1722-1803) and had four sons, Theodore, John, George and James. Theodore (c1754-1834) didn't marry and passed on the Bognie title to his brother, John (1757-1835), who had married a Fraser girl. He died a year later and passed on the Bognie title to his son Alexander, who married into the Duffs and died in 1874.
I won't go any further - you can get the rest from the book - so I hope this is of help. Sites you may want to explore include www.anesfhs.org.uk This is the website of the Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society and they have a mountain of information on this part of Scotland.
Chris
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It's all very interesting reading, but I have to agree with Windsor87 that the further back you go, the harder it is to be sure!
My 2xgt grandfather was Peter Morison, his father was John, and I have an entry for 1764 in Turriff that his father was Alexander "in Colp". Some trees on Ancestry say that Alexander's wife was Catherine Duff, but as the mother is not mentioned in the OPR, it's hard to know if I have the right one. I would like to spend more time on this, but it gets confusing with so many of the same names. The name Alexander has come right down the line from my gt grandfather to his 3x gt. grandson!
Cheers, Anne
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You might find this useful: The Morrisons of Bognie
The Morrisons from Bognie in Aberdeenshire have an impressive continuous lineage after they acquired the lands of Bognie in 1635:
1st Alexander Morrison of Bognie (Abt 1570) married 1.Elizabeth Garden, then 2. Katharine Gordon.
Children of Alexander and Elizabeth:
Barbara Morrison
Mary Morrison
George became the 2nd of Bognie
2nd George Morrison (Abt 1620-1699) married Christian Urquhart, Viscountess Frendnaught (second daughter of Alexander Urquhart of Dunlugat, afterwards of Cromarty, widow of Lord Rutherford, who, after the Viscount's death, married George Morison of Bognie)
Susana Morrison
Theodore Morrison became the 3rd of Bognie
3rd Theodore Morrison (1685-1766) married Katharine Maitland.
Christian Morrison
Alexander Morrison became the 4th of Bognie
Philip Morrison
James Morrison
Susana Morrison
4th Alexander Morison (1724-1801) married Katharine Duff.
Theodore became the 5th of Bognie
John Morrison became the 6th of Bognie
George Morrison
James Morrison married Anne Victorie de la Marrre
Anna Jaquette Morrison
Alexander Morrison became 8th of Bognie
John Morrison became 9th of Bognie
Katherine Morrison
5th Theodore (1754-1834) didn't marry and passed on the Bognie title to his brother, John. He acquired the lands of Mountblairy in 1812.
6th John Morrison (1757-1835) (of Auchintoul and Bognie, younger brother of Theodore) married Jane Fraser.
Alexander Morrison became 7th of Bognie, died without issue
7th Alexander Morrison (1802-1874) of Bognie and Mountblairy married Jessie Eliza Duff.
8th Alexander Morrison (1810-1879) married Mary Catherine Young. Known as Alexander Morrison of Bognie and Mountblairy.
9th John Morrison (1812-1886) married Mary Jane Wetherall. He was the second son of James Morrison.
Frederick de la Marre Morrison became 10th of Bognie
10th Frederick de la Marre Morrison (1842-1911) married Janet Forbes Gordon.
Isabel Gordon Morrison
Alexander Edward Forbes Morrison became 11th of Bognie, died without issue
Duncan Maitland Morrison married Sara Margaret Copeland
Donald Fraser Morrison
Alexander Gordon Morrison became 12th of Bognie
11th Alexander Edward Forbes Morrison (1874-1932) married Clementina Graham Stuart.
There was a gap in the father-son line at this point whereby a search of ancestors then uncovered the brother of Alexander, Duncan, who had two sons, Alexander Gordon Morrison who was living in Canada, and Donald Fraser Morrison.
12th Alexander Gordon Morrison (1920-2013) and 12th Laird of Frendraught and Mountblairy, son of Duncan Maitland Morrison and Sarah Margaret Copeland, married Yvonne Isabelle Angus.
Diane Yvonne Morrison
Cheryle Jeanne Morrison
Alexander Morrison became 13th of Bognie
13th Alexander Morrison (1952- ) married Bona McKenzie Murray.
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There was a gap in the father-son line at this point whereby a search of ancestors then uncovered the brother of Alexander
Which Alexander was this?
Duncan, who had two sons, Alexander Gordon Morrison who was living in Canada, and Donald Fraser Morrison.
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Duncan's brother was Alexander Edward Forbes Morrison. He had no children. Duncan had children and it was his son who was Alexander Gordon Morrison who was living in Canada when he was contacted.
Cheers,
Alex Morrison.