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Hi!
Someone suggested that we might be able to find out a birthplace for Kenneth McLean of Loftus from his and Jane Wilkinson's the marriage bond (1787).  I have received the following from the Borthwick Institute in Yourk, who hold such documents in their archives, but sadly the record does not indicate Kenneth birthplace:

''Thank you for your email. I can confirm that we hold the marriage bond (the paperwork associated with marriage by licence) for the marriage of Kenneth MacLean and Jane Wilkinson in 1787. Unfortunately, I don't think the bond is going to give you the information you are searching for. Marriage bonds don't give the place of birth of the bride and groom, but their place of residence at the time of the application. For people who didn't move far from home, this can be their place of birth but it isn't necessarily. For Kenneth McLean (as he signs his name on the bond), his place of residence is given as Lofthouse. He had probably been living in Lofthouse for some time before his marriage. Where marriages involved a minor, a parent needed to give consent and this can be another avenue for research but as Kenneth was of age (28), there was no need to involve his parents.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It is always difficult to track individuals when they move over long distances. I've had a look but I can't find any sign of a probate for Kenneth (which could have given hints to the whereabouts of his wider family). Is he likely to have fallen on the parish for relief? You could check to see if any poor law records survive for Loftus, as a settlement examination would give you good information about his movements - although, unfortunately, their survival is extremely patchy. The Loftus parish records are held by Teeside Archives. I have had a quick look at their online catalogue and can't see any settlement papers listed, but it would be worth checking with them as they may have other ideas about places to check.''

Best wisheas all
Belem

Looking for information on Elizabeth Jane Todd born about 1829 at Thorpe, Durham and who married Thomas Herron born 1825 born about 1829 also in Thorpe (daughter of Elizabeth Jane Todd born 1787 in Wolviston, Durham).  Thomas died aged 73 in 1898 and his death was registered in Lanchester.  The family story is that Thomas was training to be a priest but then fell in love with a farmer's daughter and was cut off by his well-to-do family.  Can't however, find either Thomas or either of the Elizabeth Jane Todds in the 1841 census nor Thomas's forbears (reported to have originated from Ireland), nor anything yet to support the family fable.  Also, no information yet about Elizabeth Jane Todd's father (wife of Elizabeth Jane senior, later listed as a pauper).  Anyone have any information?
Thanks

Hi!
I am descended from Kenneth McLean who was living in Loftus in 1787 tho apparently coming from somewhere in Scotland, through his son, Kenneth, grandson, George and great grandson, George, who was my grandmother's father.  Happy to fill in gaps / occupations and some stories for our branch of the family.
Anyone tracked down the original Kenneth in Scotland yet?

George Mclean (born 1830), son of Kenneth Mclean junior

I wrote to the Loftus History Group enquiring about any record of the family of Kenneth Mclean locally.  Unfortunately the group folded over a year ago, however, they kindly passed my query onto Rodney Begg from the Loftus History Group who was able to provide some very interesting information, both on George Mclean and the alum industry in and around Loftus.  Here is what he says:

'George McLean (born 1830) was at Darlington in 1851, as a servant to a master Miller.  From this I would assume that he was apprenticed about 1845 (I haven’t studied the indenture terms for a miller, but i would assume 5 – 7 years. As his brother John is with George at Spite Mill, Osmotherley in 1861, 2 years before George’s death, but at home with his parents in 1851, then it is fair to assume that as he gives his profession as Miller then he was apprenticed to his brother George.

(Although he worked for a miller called Thomas) Taylors, (Rodney hasn't) found any trace of a relationship (between these Taylors and the family of Barbra / Barbara Taylor (born Dalton on Tees))'.

The census is difficult to read, but the mill may be called Steam Mill

'The alum works stretched from Hummersea to Boulby, along the cliffs.  I would recommend “The Loftus Alum Makers” by Peter Appleton, a local researcher, as an easy-to-read non-technical book.  Although specifically about the Hunton family (who would be Alum Managers when your relative was the clerk of the Alum Works), it gives a good overview of the declining years of the Alum Industry – your relative was to be the last manager of the Alum Works – it was closed between 1861 and 1871 as the process became redundant, superseded by the Sulphuric Acid process which was much more efficient and it too was to become redundant with the invention of Aniline Dyes, which didn’t require fixing!
There were millers at the Alum Works – not corn millers, but cement millers! The process is the same, only a local cementite rock is ground down between the stones to make the cement dust to cast into conduits and channels used in the making of the Alum.  They would find it very easy to adapt to corn milling when the works closed.
Gallihow (where Kenneth Mclean lived near Loftus) is in the middle of the Boulby Alum Working area and cottages exist there to this day, still inhabited.'
Belem