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Kincardineshire / Re: STEPHEN family late 1700's Stonehaven
« on: Tuesday 18 October 16 20:51 BST (UK) »
Good to hear from you, Heather. For some reason I have great difficulty accessing your replies through Roots Chat. Could we correspond in future via our normal email addresses? It would be much easier. Mine is eileentownsend@btinternet.com.
I'll start with our McBey/McBay line first.
The first McBey to arrive in this area was James McBey who was chris. 31/8/1729 in the parish of Rathven, Banff, (parents Alexander McBey and Janet Anderson married Banff/Rathven 24/22/1726). He was a seaman and was put off his ship for disobedience in 1756 at the small fishing village of Miltonhaven, three miles down the coast from Johnshaven. He married a Margaret Blews from Miltonhaven in 1770 and was joined a few years later by his elder brother John, our ancestor, born Banff/ Rathven on 19/9/1727. John married Margaret's cousin Barbara Blews/Blues in 1787 in Miltonhaven and their eldest son, your ancestor, James McBey was christ. in Miltonhaven on 4/11/1778. He died in Johnshaven 13/8/1858 and is buried at St Cyrus. My ancestor is their second son Alexander chris. Miltonhaven 30/11/1783, who was press-ganged for over 20 years and died in Johnshaven aged 92.
James married Mary/Marion McDonald and they had three children James ,born 1808, Charles born 1815 and Elizabeth/Betty (actually christened Betty) born 1818. Betty was the one who erected a gravestone for their parents in St Cyrus kirkyard. It says "Erected by Elizabeth McBay in memory of her father James McBay, late of the Coastguard, died Johnshaven 13 August 1858 aged 83 (sic). Her mother Mary McDonald died 5 July 1857 aged 79. The above Elizabeth McBay died 20 August 1865 aged 47. Her brother James died 25 July 1869 aged 61." James actually died in Sunnyside Royal Hospital (the asylum at Hillside just outside of Montrose).
James and Mary (McDonald) McBay and their family lived at Tangleha' - a beautiful but very tiny fishing hamlet about a mile north of Miltonhaven built by the fishermen's own hands from the retrieved stones of their village of Miltonhaven which was washed away in a terrible storm in December, 1793. ( I wrote an article about the tragedy for the "Scots Magazine" some years back.) Eventually they all moved into Johnshaven.
My great granny Mary McDonald McBay of Johnshaven (Mrs Joseph Stephen) was named after her great aunt - your ancestor.
Must dash as we're going up to Kenmore for a few days tomorrow and I've a million things to do this evening.
Hope this has been of some interest.
Best wishes from your cousin,
Eileen.
I'll start with our McBey/McBay line first.
The first McBey to arrive in this area was James McBey who was chris. 31/8/1729 in the parish of Rathven, Banff, (parents Alexander McBey and Janet Anderson married Banff/Rathven 24/22/1726). He was a seaman and was put off his ship for disobedience in 1756 at the small fishing village of Miltonhaven, three miles down the coast from Johnshaven. He married a Margaret Blews from Miltonhaven in 1770 and was joined a few years later by his elder brother John, our ancestor, born Banff/ Rathven on 19/9/1727. John married Margaret's cousin Barbara Blews/Blues in 1787 in Miltonhaven and their eldest son, your ancestor, James McBey was christ. in Miltonhaven on 4/11/1778. He died in Johnshaven 13/8/1858 and is buried at St Cyrus. My ancestor is their second son Alexander chris. Miltonhaven 30/11/1783, who was press-ganged for over 20 years and died in Johnshaven aged 92.
James married Mary/Marion McDonald and they had three children James ,born 1808, Charles born 1815 and Elizabeth/Betty (actually christened Betty) born 1818. Betty was the one who erected a gravestone for their parents in St Cyrus kirkyard. It says "Erected by Elizabeth McBay in memory of her father James McBay, late of the Coastguard, died Johnshaven 13 August 1858 aged 83 (sic). Her mother Mary McDonald died 5 July 1857 aged 79. The above Elizabeth McBay died 20 August 1865 aged 47. Her brother James died 25 July 1869 aged 61." James actually died in Sunnyside Royal Hospital (the asylum at Hillside just outside of Montrose).
James and Mary (McDonald) McBay and their family lived at Tangleha' - a beautiful but very tiny fishing hamlet about a mile north of Miltonhaven built by the fishermen's own hands from the retrieved stones of their village of Miltonhaven which was washed away in a terrible storm in December, 1793. ( I wrote an article about the tragedy for the "Scots Magazine" some years back.) Eventually they all moved into Johnshaven.
My great granny Mary McDonald McBay of Johnshaven (Mrs Joseph Stephen) was named after her great aunt - your ancestor.
Must dash as we're going up to Kenmore for a few days tomorrow and I've a million things to do this evening.
Hope this has been of some interest.
Best wishes from your cousin,
Eileen.