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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Fife => Topic started by: Forfarian on Thursday 29 December 11 12:11 GMT (UK)
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Does anyone have the Fife burials book, and if so would they please be kind enough to look for Rhinds for me?
I am interested in
William Rhind, Excise Officer, born 1757, his wife Jean Samson, and their family
Susan, born 1786
Margaret, born 1788
Jean, born 1790, married William Bell, Leven, in 1815, and their seven sons (I have Jean's death and burial)
Elizabeth, born 1791, married Robert Nicolson, Leven, in 1814, and their five sons
James, born 1792
William, born 1795
Ann, born 1797, married Robert Thomson
Isabel, born 1788
Thomas, born 1805
All the Rhinds except Thomas were born in Forfar, Angus, so it would seem that the family moved to Leven between 1799 and 1805.
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Jean,Rhind born 1790, married William Bell, Leven, in 1815, and their seven sons (I have Jean's death and burial)
This is a headstone inscription from Scoonie Cemetery
If you require a photograph' PM with your E mail
Norrie
195 195,196,197 are sides of the same stone
Inscribed by Mary BELL wife of William BELL
In memory of Jane RHIND his mother b 1770? d.1858?
The Above Mary ANDERSON wife of William BELL
Died ------ age 56
196 William BELL ships Carpenter in memory of his
wife Honory McDONNEL died 1875
very worn stone
197 William BELL ships Carpenter born 1819 died 25.1.1880?
this could be the husband of Honory no 196
From IGI this is the son of William BELL & Jean RHIND
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Thank you, Norrie, that's great. I also assume that's it, so the rest of the family must be elsewhere or in unmarked graves.
Jane/Jean Rhind was born 1790 and died in 1868 .... William died in 1881. His first wife Honorah O'Donnell died in 1873, and his second wife Mary Anderson in 1888.
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I have just joined Rootschat to trace the Scottish history of a 1610/11 Geneva bible bound with the 150 metrical psalms, when it arrived in Portland Vic Australia and the family who brought it with them. In three places within the Bible are inscriptions relating to the Rhind Nicholson family. Leven is the only Scottish placename.
I hope the following information is helpful to someone and members can help me gain more knowledge of the life of this unique Bible. The task is a labour of love.
??? = difficult to read. Jpegs can be provided
1 Inside the front cover written in pencil
“William Nicholson Leven”
“A C Cathels Portland” (see below)
2 Immediately after the NT head page
Robert Nicholson was born 7th Nov 1790 and married the 10th ??? 1814 with Betsy Rhind who was born the 21st May 1791
Robert Nicholson the first son of Robert Nicholson was born the 31st January 1815
??? Nicholson born the 1st February 1817 and died 4th February 1818
3 On a page between the end of the NT and a table of names etc. in the NT
Alexander Nicholson was born the 7th October 1787
Robert Nicholson was born the 7th November 1790
Thomas Nicolson was born June the 25th 1792
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Robert Nicholson was born January 31st 1815
Jean Nicholson was born February 1st 1817
William Nicholson was born July 20th 1819
Margaret Goodsir Nicholson 7th Sept? 1822
Alexander Nicholson born ?? 7th 1825
Jean Nicholson died Feb? 4th 1819
Margaret Goodsir Nicholson died Feb 2nd 1827 aged 4 years and 5 months
Written in faint/worn pencil
Thomas Nicholson was born ?? 20 1828 died 5th April ????
The Bible was purchased by my uncle at a 1956 executor's sale related to the Cathels and Herbertson families. It was willed to me in 1982. The Cathels, ex- Perth arrived in Portland 1854, are intertwined by marriage to the Herberstons, (from whom my mother descends) who left Glasgow circa 1830 to settle in Launceston and came to Portland in 1841. Both were pillars of the Presbyterian church. Despite extensive research I cannot link either family to the Nicholsons.
A possible breakthrough in the mystery occurred when I found a 1909 obituary of William Halley who died in the Cathels Herbertson home. Born in Muthill Perth he arrived in Portland 1854 and became a leading stonemason. In the late 1880s he was stricken with rheumatism. His wife died in 1901. There were no children. In his latter years he lived with the Cathels. The A C Cathels inscription is Amelia Cooper Cathels one of the two sisters who cared for William Halley, most likely inscribed after his death.
I have explored his ancestry but cannot find a Nicholson link.
John Urquhart
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Thanks for this, John.
Elizabeth (Betsy) Rhind is definitely one of mine, but I am not at home at the moment and don't have easy access to my file to look up what I have about the family. I'll get back to you when I make it home.
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Thank you for your prompt reply. Appreciate you not at home at the moment. Tomorrow I will send you a detailed report on my latest research. Have discarded the William Halley link in favour of Daniel Nicholson of Keswick in Cumberland - will spell out in detail tomorrow! Some home work for you. You now hold the key to a solving beautiful mystery. Coincidentally both families came to Portland on the Shand January 1855 and developed a relationship of several decades in the building of key Portland buildings that still stand.
Re Bettsy Nicholson , in SP 1841 census she was in Dundee - with, I think, her mother Jean aged 79
and Betsy's death in Edinburgh 28 April 1843 wife of Robert Nicholson - I think in an infirmary. Do you want screen shots. Your reading of 19C script probably better than mine.
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Yes please to screenshots.
Have made it home, on icy roads and through occasional blizzards, and will get on to this once I have unpacked the car and sorted things out.
Never heard of Daniel Nicholson, I'm afraid.
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I've had a look at my file, and a rake about to see what I can add. See the attached file.
Betsy or Elizabeth Rhind's uncle Alexander Rhind left a will which confirms a lot of the relationships of the various Rhind descendants, but the only information about Robert Nic(h)olson is that he was a sailor or seaman, and that he had died before Alexander drew up the will in 1840.
I have made the assumption that, because he and Betsy named their first son Robert and their second daughter Margaret Goodsir, Robert was the son of Robert Nic(h)olson and Margaret Goodsir. They also had a son Alexander, born 1787. The baptism of Thomas Nic(h)olson in 1792 is not recorded in any of the registers on Scotland's People.
It seems clear that Jean, Margaret Goodsir, and Thomas, children of Robert Nic(h)olson and Betsy or Elizabeth Rhind, all died before their great-uncle Alexander Rhind drew up his will, but I have no information about what became of their brothers Robert, William and Alexander.
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Thanks for your vary informative info. I am otherwise occupied for the next few days. When free I will go thru various state immigration records by port looking for Alexander, Thomas and William. As they were born 1819-28, they were of the right age to benefit from the 1850s immigration schemes. Post 1851 gold in Ballarat there was a huge shortage of basic tradesmen and ag labour plus gold seekers with dreams of richness. Of particular interest is Tasmania as there was regular trade and passenger movement between Launceston and Portland e.g. Mum's Herbertson family arriving in 1841 and later her grandfather marrying a Tasmanian Annie Whittle. Might yet be able to crack the mystery. Will also send my research on Daniel to the Cumberland Family History group. They may have knowledge of any later generations still living. Daniel's story stands by itself. Regards John U
John Urquhart
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Great.
However I have since dug a bit further and it looks as if Alexander Nicolson may not have emigrated.
I think he beame a sailor/seaman, married Mary Muir in 1847 and had two children, Robert in 1850 and Elizabeth in 1853, then died before the start of civil registration in 1855. However I would like to find some more evidence to confirm that this is the right Alexander Nicolson.
I have looked for him in the VIC death indexes and there isn't anyone who could be him unless there is a significant error in the death record.
His elder brother Robert became a tailor, opened a shop in Dundee in 1841, then disappears from the records in Scotland, so he may well have emigrated after the deaths of his mother in 1843 and his grandmother in 1845. But I can't find a possible candidate in the VIC deaths index.
On a cursory look William too disappears from the records, but I'll keep looking.
The other avenue to be investigated is that Elizabeth Nic(h)olson, born 1853, died unmarried in Fife in 1937, and her death was registered by David Smith, Grand-nephew. I need to investigate David Smith to see whom he was descended from. It would be straightforward enough, albeit potentially tedious, if I could get to a Scotland's People Centre, but that will have to wait until after the pandemic.
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Have searched for Nicholsons on the 37 shipping lists of assisted migrants who arrived in Portland between 1851-1857. There were very few. From Skye there were 2 families on the Arabian and 1 on the Edward Johnston. All agricultural families. Also, one 18YO servant girl on the New Zealander. Only other family I have previously mention was Daniel Nicholson, wife and daughter on the Shand. Also searched Tasmanian shipping list from UK for Alexander, William and Robert Nicholson of the appropriate ages. No luck.
A closer look at the two pencil inscriptions in the Bible throw another perspective to the mystery.
• The writing style indicates that the same person wrote the two inscriptions.
• Enhancing the Thomas Nicholson born 1828 inscription reveals his death was 1883.
• Have checked PROV death records for death of Alexander Nicholson. There are 3 in the 1880s but do not match up.
It is highly likely the Bible was still in Leven after 1883. If it was, did a subsequent generation or another family bring the Bible from the Leven region come to Portland after 1883.
Do you have any suggestions of any Leven based researchers I could contact to see if they know any families who went to Portland?
P.S having trouble sending other thee jpegs
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Now that you have made a few posts I can send you my direct e-mail by Personal Message.
I am now almost certain that Alexander Nic(h)olson, seaman, born 1825, married Mary Muir in 1847, had two children, Robert and Elizabeth, and died between 1851 and 1854, so I am not surprised that none of the Australian deaths matches him.
Their great-uncle Alexander Rhind, who died in 1841, bequeathed "To Robert Nicolson William Nicolson and Alexander Nicolson, all children of the deceased Robert Nicolson in Leven, the sum of Ten pounds Sterling each". This is in a codicil dated 29 February 1841, so it is reasonable to suppose that all three were living in 1841. There was no mention of Jean, Margaret or Thomas.
I have found Robert in the 1841 census and I think Alexander in the 1851. I have not yet found William in 1841.
If that image is the part of the bible with the date of death of Thomas, I cannot see it as 1883. I can only read it as April 1831.
The Fife Deaths Index records a death on 5 and burial on 8 April 1831 of Thomas Nicolson in Scoonie. The source of this information is the Scoonie parish register.
There are only two deaths of Thomas Nic(h)olsons in 1883 in Scotland, both infants.
Also, Thomas was not with his grandmother, mother and brother Robert in the 1841 census, and there is no Thomas Nic(h)olson in the census in Scotland who could possibly be him.
So if Thomas is not the one who died in Scoonie in April 1831, he must have managed to fall out with his great-uncle before the age of 12, leave (or be sent away from) home by the same age, evade the census enumerators and eventually die somewhere other than Scotland.
Robert became a tailor, and opened a shop in Dundee in 1841. However the shop is not listed in any of the trades directories, and I have yet to find Robert in the 1851 census, so I suppose that the shop was not a success and that Robert emigrated after the deaths of his mother in 1843 and grandmother in 1845. As he was the eldest son, I surmise that it would have been Robert who took the bible with him when he emigrated.
No idea what happened to William.
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Could this be the missing William?
William Nichalson died 14th Jan. 1851 at Scoonie, aged 33yrs. [OPR Deaths 456/00 40 492 Scoonie]
Viewing actual entry might not give any more information than the above OPR Index.
Also, on the Death Entry for Betsy Rhind she is described as Relict of Ro. Nicholson, Sailor. (ie: Widow of). Buried: 28th April 1843. Place: 1 DP? or OP? N.E. (North East) end of Donald Grants Tomb. [OPR Deaths 685/1 1010 108 Edinburgh]
Regards, Dod.
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Well found. That does look as if it must be him.
I've been searching using Nicolson and 'name variants' so it looks as if the algorithms don't recognise Nichalson as a variant of Nicholson. Though having looked at the original I don't think it is Nichalson at all - it looks like Nicholson to me.
Though 'my' one would not actually have been 33 - he would have had his 31st birthday in August 1850.
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Update on the Nic(h)olson family.
I have found what became of all of the children of Robert Nicolson and Elizabeth Rhind in Leven, parish of Scoonie, Fife.
Robert Nicolson, born 31 January 1815, died in Dundee and was buried there in the Howff on 6 May 1845
Jean Nicolson, born 1 February 1817, died 4 February 1825
William Nicolson, born 20 July 1819, died at sea aboard HMS Monarch on 21 April 1842
Margaret Goodsir Nicolson, born 7 September 1822, died 2 February 1827
Alexander Nicolson, born 7 September 1825, married Mary Muir on 4 December 1847 and was lost at sea before 1855
Thomas Nicolson, born 20 September 1828, died 5 April 1831.
Alexander Nicolson and Mary Muir had three children
Robert, baptised 20 July 1850, died 9 December 1854
Margaret, born 1852, died 25 July 1852
Elizabeth, born 15 May 1853, died unmarried 22 November 1937.