RootsChat.Com

Dear malbec:

Don't get hung up on the Mackenzie / Mckenzie thing the two were pretty interchangeable and many families only became fixed on one or the other as literacy improved toward the end of the 1800's.  This was certainly the case with my ancestors.  I have also seen it suggested that McKenzie is just a contraction or abbreviation like can't for cannot.

Also don't get fixed on a particular age - on early census data it was very common for people to round their ages to the nearest 5 so 42 becomes 40.  This has led me astray more than once.

I can offer no help in tracing your line but i send my sympathies when dealing with Mackenzies - they really were 10 a penny in the region  Speaking from my own experience keep plugging away and eventually something will click into place.

Good luck

Jane

Dear Listers:

Does anyone have any information regarding a family by the name of Dewar living in the Reiff area.  With the help of Gadget I have recently found the death certificate for my gt-gt-grandfather who died in Laide fo Reiff Oct 1919.  The informant as to the death is given as Mary Dewar, a grand neice.  Having consulted the 1901 census and birth and marriage entries I cannot find a Dewar from that area and was wondering if any of you could help me track this lady down?

Jane

Dear Jim and Jacquie;

The age old problem of one answer leading to several more questions is the bain of the family historian.

In answer to your question yes our ancestors did spend time and actually marry in Wick.  The thread titled "Lochbroom, Rossshire" should shed some light on this for you but here is a brief synopsis:

Kenneth Mackenzie was born the third son of Hector Mackenzie in Reiff, Coigach 1824.  As a young man he worked as a fisherman and left the Coigach area to fish in the seas off Caithness, possibly stationed at Wick.  In Wick he met and married a lady by the name of Margaret Murray, daughter of Alexander Murray and Janet Manson of Olrig.  Kenneth and Margaret had five children all born in Wick (Pulteney Town).

The family left Wick and moved south via Falkirk (1881) to Manchester, England (1891).  Kenneth the patriarch of the family moved back to the Coigach area in the latter years of his life where he died in 1919, Laide of Reiff.

If you want to know any more information do not hesitate in contacting me.

I am looking forward to seeing how you fit into our large extended family.

Jane

Donald:

Glad to see you on the board and thanks for the picture.

Jane