RootsChat.Com
Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dumfriesshire => Topic started by: rdarby on Saturday 03 February 24 05:38 GMT (UK)
-
I am descended from a McKenzie family that was living in Kirkcudbrightshire in the early 19th Century.
There is a gravestone in the Kirkcudbright cemetery for 3 brothers, William,(died 1829) George and Cuthbert,(1819).
The intriguing thing is the inscription which states 'Cuthbert and George who died Castle Douglas Dec 1819'.
I realise their grave is not in Dumfriesshire, but in relation to their deaths in Castle Douglas, maybe some records?
I cannot find a death record for any of them.
The fact that 2 brothers, I assume were quite young, died outside their own shire begs the question of what happened. Was it an accident?
If anyone has access to local records from this time I would be grateful for some advice.
-
Hi
Castle Douglas is in the parish of Kelton (KKD).
I have some of the MIs for there and will check late, if no one else has looked.
I'm a wee bit busy this morning.
Gadget
-
Hi again
There's nothing in the burial records.
The Kircudbright MIs inscription reads:
William McKennzie late of Walsall, Staffs died Redcastle 26/4/1829. also Cuthbert and Geo McKenzie died Castle Douglas 12/1819, ed (erected?) by their brother Kenneth McKenzie
I'm not sure about Redcastle. The place that I know of is in Eire. There is a Redhill** dwelling house, cottage and hill listed in Urr, KKD but no details on the monument. http://www.kirkcudbright.co/places.asp?ID=10
Gadget
** mistype - Redcastle
-
RedCastle is a farm near to the village of Haugh of Urr, Urr Parish, Kirkcudbrightshire.
hmcc
-
I gave ref to it in my previous reply.
There is a Redhill** dwelling house, cottage and hill listed in Urr, KKD but no details on the monument. http://www.kirkcudbright.co/places.asp?ID=10
** sorry - mistype Redhill = Redcastle
-
Also, I've checked SP for the Kelton Kirk Sessions minutes, etc. info but they don't seem to be available for that earlier period when the two younger ones died.
If the brothers died in Urr and Kelton, why would their brother erect a monument for them in the Kircudbright grave yard? There's no one else mentioned on the MI. Redcastle is not too far from CD (but Kirkcudbright is further)
http://tinyurl.com/35upjv5n
No info in the newspaper collections that I have access to.
Gadget
-
You say they were living in Kirkcudbrightshire but also mention Dumfriesshire. Could you give any more information about your family so that we might be able to explore further.
Gadget
-
Thankyou Gadget and hmcc for your replies. The McKenzies (Hugh and Bridget) were farmers at Glentoo which is in the Kirkcudbrightshire, although some of their 7 sons were registered in Balmaghie.
One of the sons, Kenneth (my 2xgreat grandfather) married Catharine Burgess in Urr in 1829 and I have noticed that a John McKenzie married Grace McNaughton also in Urr at almost the same time. I'm not sure if he was one of the brothers, but is more than likely.
I note that hmmc mentioned that Redcastle was also in Urr.
Hugh and the remaining four sons went to New Brunswick and I have records of a Petition for Land there in 1827 which ties in well with his details.
John was drowned in a shipwreck in 1831 off the coast of Nova Scotia.
Hugh and the last three sons, Hugh, Kenneth and Edward built a boat called the 'Brothers' and sailed to Albany, Western Australia in 1840.
I am writing a story about the McKenzie brothers, hence my interest in what happened to William, George and Cuthbert who have the monument in the Kirkcudbright cemetery.
-
Hi again
Just to say that Balmaghie and the other places mentioned are in Kirkcudbrightshire not Dumfriesshire. Balmaghie is to the west of Castle Douglas
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/KKD/Balmaghie
This map might help locating the parishes of the Stewartry.
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/KKD/parishes
The correct name for the county is the Stewartry of Kirkcuudbright but most refer to it as Kirkcudbrightshire - or part of the regional name of Dumfries and Galloway.
Many of my mother's ancesters were from that area, mainly Kells, Parton, Balmaclellan and some in Balmaghie. One of the surnames was Burgess but I don't recall a Catherine. Many migrated to Canada.
Gadget
-
Re the Burgess line~
I've just noticed this posting from a few years ago:
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=415684.msg2817883#msg2817883
...but you seemed to have missed
-
Not sure if you have seen that a William Burgess of Kirkland was listed in the Urr Horse Tax Rolls 1797-1798 (1 horse)
Map~ http://tinyurl.com/2ufpe343
Little Kirkland, Meikle Kirkland and Kirkland Burn are all mentioned as in Urr in the 'Place names of the Stewartry' website http://www.kirkcudbright.co/index.asp
Gadget
-
Not sure if you have seen that a William Burgess of Kirkland was listed in the Urr Horse Tax Rolls 1797-1798 (1 horse)
Map~ http://tinyurl.com/2ufpe343
Little Kirkland, Meikle Kirkland and Kirkland Burn are all mentioned as in Urr in the 'Place names of the Stewartry' website http://www.kirkcudbright.co/index.asp
Gadget
Ah yes, thankyou! I'd forgotten about that we must have discussed this connection some years ago.
We visited the Parish Church at Urr in 2016 and found a headstone for John Burgess and his wife, but it was unreadable and we are not sure if there is a connection to Catherine.