RootsChat.Com

Hello Tania
I haven't done a great deal on the Monk family, they only have a brief connection with my grandmothers family. I have identified an Archibald Monk born in 1907 on North Uist, mother MacVicar and a Barbara Monk in 1913. This is on ScotlandsPeople  But I can't find any record of their parents marriage But I can find two records of their Monk grandparents marriage in 1872, the wife's maiden name is recoreded as MacQueen in one and MacQuien in the other.
Using the MacQuien connection there are 5 children:
Mary, Christina, Catherine, Alexander and Andrew. Born between 1873 and 1883.
Marriage records only start in 1855. There are a few church records

I have saved several searches with the intention of downloading electronic versions of the records, along with some Laing and Sinclair records. Something I haven't done yet. Electronic copies from ScotlandsPeople are not too expensive. These are the searches.
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/record-results/97812280766635fdca4787
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/record-results/5518557466635f0f8a8cc
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/record-results/89836118366635c1c6a381
I hope these work for you.
While I've been checking this information I have looked at the census records on ScotlandsPeople for Monk on North Uist. There are as many as 20+ in some years. But I haven't eplored any more than that.  Marriage records only start in 1855. There are a few church records of births in the early 19th century.

I haven't done a DNA test, I have some reservations about them.
We've a few days holiday in North Uist planned for September, ferries permittingas they've had huge problems with breaking down old ones and an inability to build new, so may take some time to ask about family records held on the island.

Hello all,
During the current lockdown I've done a bit of searching for my mum's New Zealand relatives. My great grandfather's brother Joseph Ashwell, born 1859 in Lewisham London emigrated to New Zealand in 1878. In a letter home within a few days of his arrival he mentions a fellow passenger, a Scotsman named Grant.
He married a Cordelia Green and their daughter Cordelia Helen Ashwell married a Lachlan John Grant. I think his father was an Andrew Grant and grandfather Donald Grant. I think they emigrated to New Zealand from Ross and Cromarty.
During World War 1 two of Joseph and Cordelia's sons (Cordelia Grant's brothers)  served on the Western Front. Leslie Ashwell was wounded but returned to New Zealand. Sidney Herbert Ashwell died of wounds at Bagneux, Antony, Seine, France September 1918. Sidney had visited my mothers family on leave early in 1918 and made a great impression on my 7 year old mother.
My mother often talked about the Grants in New Zealand and how Cordelia sent parcels of treats from New Zealand. She was obviously very fond of the family in New Zealand as my elder brother has the middle name Grant. Unfortunately I didn't get details of the Grants before my mother died. But I think they lived in the Temuka? area of New Zealand. I think Lachlan and Cordelia had children named Andrew Ashwell,Lachlan Ashwell, Cordelia and Sidney Ashwell.
I have a PDF copy of the diary Joseph Ashwell kept during his voyage to New Zealand, my mother copied this document, the original must have gone to a different branch of the Ashwell family, that I'd like to pass on to a descendant of Joseph's if they don't already have a copy. As far as I'm aware the descendants of Lachlan and Cordelia are only survivors of Joseph Ashwell's children.

Hi Ken,
Harriet Laing had two children, Robert Alexander Laing Sinclair. my father and Flora Sinclair, who was known as Florence to several branches of the family, which I only discovered this year. Flora was married twice.
This is what I have on Harriet Laing's parents and siblings.
 
Husband   Alexander Laing   
Birth   May 23, 1859   North Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Marriage         
Death   May 30, 1930   North Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Burial   After May 30, 1930   North Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Parents   John Laing and Margaret Laing [MacDonald]
       
Wife   Flora Laing [Macdonald]   
Birth   Oct. 15, 1863   North Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Death   Apr. 24, 1938   23 Cnoc an Torran, North Uist, Scotland, UK   
Parents   Roderick (Rory) MacDonald and Harriet MacDonald       

Children

1   Margaret Laing   
Gender   Female   
Birth   Sep. 11, 1884   23 Cnoc an Torran, North Uist, Scotland, UK   
Husband      
Marriage         
Death   Before 1905   Glasgow, Scotland, UK   
Burial         

2   Roderick Laing   
Gender   Male   
Birth   Sep. 22, 1886   North Uist, Eilean Siar, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Wife      
Marriage         
Death   Dec. 10, 1950   North Uist, Eilean Siar, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Burial         

3   Harriet Sinclair [Laing]   
Gender   Female   
Birth   May 4, 1889   North Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Husband   Archibald Sinclair   
Marriage   Nov. 16, 1916   Govan Parish Church, Govan, Glassgow   
Death   1961   Denniston, Glasgow   
Burial         

4   John Archibald Laing   
Gender   Male   
Birth   Jun. 29, 1891   Knockintorran, North Uist   
Wife      
Marriage         
Death      Kirn, Argyll & Bute, Scot   

5   Donald Ewen Laing   
Gender   Male   
Birth   Nov. 23, 1893   North Uist, Eilean Siar, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Wife   Mary Myrtle Laing [Givens]   
Marriage         
Death   Dec. 7, 1949   Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States   

6   Anne Laing   
Gender   Female   
Birth   Feb. 22, 1896   Knockintorran, North Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Husband      
Marriage         
Death      Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Burial         

7   Alexander Laing   
Gender   Male   
Birth   Jan. 3, 1899   North Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Death      Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Burial         

8   Archibald Laing   
Gender   Male   
Birth   Apr. 17, 1901   Knockintorran, North Uist, Eilean Siar, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Death      Devizes, Wilts, England   
Burial         

9   Flora Laing   
Gender   Female   
Birth   Apr. 19, 1903   Knockintorran, North Uist   

10   Margaret Laing   
Gender   Female   
Birth   Aug. 5, 1905   Knockintorran, North Uist, Eilean Siar, Scotland,   
Death      Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom   

11   Marion MacInnes [Laing]   
Gender   Female   
Birth   Dec. 27, 1907   North Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Husband   John Archibald MacDonald MacInnes   
Marriage   Aug. 30, 1938   Knockintorran, North Uist, Eilean Siar, Scotland,   
Death   About 1974   North Uist, Eilean Siar, Scotland, UK   
 

12   Norman Laing   
Gender   Male   
Birth   Nov. 19, 1910   North Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland, United Kingdom   
Wife   Christina Sutherland Laing [Bremner]   
Marriage   1945   Morningside, Edinburgh   
Death   1986   Wick Caithness Scotland   
Burial      Wick, Cathness