RootsChat.Com

Dear Sid,

There is something not quite clear about where they were all born in Scotland.
1. James's aunt, Elspeth Crichton; her husband, Daniel Graham; Daniel's half-brother, Duncan Ross; and James's wife, Annie Bell, were all either born in or raised in Alyth, described as being in either Perthshire or Forfarshire (today Angusshire). At that time, I understand that Alyth was on the border of these two shires (now it is wholly in Perth). If I can attach pictures of graves here I will. James I's grave shows him as a "native of Forfer [sic] Shire Scotland". All in all, it is pretty clear that they grew up near each other and thus met.
2. It is not clear why they went to Edinburgh to get married! But the record is pretty clear on this point.
3. Next stop: Markinch (Fife) where the births of James II (1815) and John (1816) are recorded. Note that Markinch is brimming with  blacksmiths named Crichton (and has a pile of Bells as well in the churchyard). BUT: note that John's grave says that he was b. Perthshire.
4. Next: daughter Margaret is born in Aberdeen (1818). Aberdeen?? My conclusion has been that they were waiting to catch the boat to Nova Scotia, most probably the ship Louisa that sailed in Sept. 1819. All other ships going to Nova Scotia (esp. to Pictou) that year were l from much more distant ports.
5. To answer your actual question, I do NOT know who the parents of James and Annie Bell were, altho' there are many candidates. For her, either John Bell or Jas Bell and Ann Wigham; for him, perhaps Jas Crichton and Charlotte Rind. This is what I would like to know!! The story of an elderly cousin of mine was that Annie came from a family of 10 girls and 1 boy. The boy was seized by a press gang and never heard from again. I've no idea if it's true, but I have been on the look-out of Bell families with a lot of girls...

I did not notice when I wrote my first reply that there was more than one post here and that the posts were so recent!

My grandmother was Katherine Agnes Creighton; her parents were James Creighton III (by my count system) and Margaret Owens; her grandparents were James Creighton II and Agnes (Nancy) Oliver; and her great-grandparents were James Creighton I and Annie Bell, who immigrated in 1819 to Pictou County, Nova Scotia.

Most of the people you say you cannot find I can tell you about if still interested; they are the family who raised me.

How are you-all related to the Creightons? in Nova Scotia Jas and Annie Bell had 9 children, who had 60 children between them. The next generation had I think 160 (I am not looking it up now) and so on. My difficulties arise when I try to go back to the Scottish records. I cannot quite figure out who were the parents of James Crichton and Annie Bell, although there are many candidates. I also do not know why James and Annie, of Perth and Forfarshire, seem to have been married in Edinburgh, had their first 2 children (James and John) in Markinch (Fife), and then had their 3d (Margaret) in Aberdeen. This is just one of many mysteries I would like to track down. Please feel free to contact me if you still want information OR have any to share (like why you are interested in my family!).
--Katherine