McKay & Calder marriage 1771 Durness & Edinburgh

[dawn-in-nz]

Hello Folks

I have just asked Andy for a lookup in the Durness parish records but wondered if there was anyone else who might be interested in the same line as me.

I'm looking for the birth of John McKAY about 1773 in Midlothian (in 1841 he said yes he was born in that county), he died in 1848 so that put a damper on finding out just where he came from 

However, one of his daughters is named Isobel Calder McKay and I've just found submissions on the IGI for two marriages between an Isobel CALDER and John McKAY - the first on 21 May 1771 in Edinburgh and the second on 28 May 1771 in Durness, Sutherland. There are actually five submissions for this marriage and on one of them it says John McKAY or McWILLIAM.

It seems likely that this couple MIGHT be my John's parents. I have his burial records, various details from other sources like daughter's marriage, census etc etc but still working on who his parents were.

There is only ONE baptism for John McKay & Isobel Calder anywhere in Scotland, a daughter Licia bap 22 Jun 1777 Durness, Sutherland.  It seems like a long way for them to have been flitting back & forth between Durness and Edinburgh to have had a son born in Edinburgh and a daughter in Durness but I expect it was possible.

I'm just not sure where to go from here although I have ordered the Durness PRs film from my local LDS Family History Centre - which takes ages because it has to come from Australia hence asking Andy for a lookup.

It's just that the marriage is listed in both parishes so one must be the bride's and one the groom's but which is which - time will tell I guess. The only Isobel Calder bap I can find on the IGI is in 1745 in Edinburgh which leads me to think that Durness might be John's parish.

Searching for a baptism for MY John McKay about 1773 yields 3 all in Midlothian but none of them with parents John & Isobel. Unfortunately my John doesn't seem to have had any sons, only daughters, so the naming pattern doesn't help except for daughter Isobel Calder mentioned above!

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now in the hopes someone might be able to help & put me out of my misery.

Cheers....Dawn
Waitakere, NZ

[IanB]

Dawn,

Isobel Donn (Down) Calder was a daughter of the Gaelic poet, Rob Donn,  and a sister of my 4xgreatgrandmother, Christian Donn Calder. She and John Mackay, alias macIain mhicUilleam 'icNial  (son of John, son of William, son of Neil) had 8 children, all recorded in the Durness Parish Register. Apparently, Isobel died a few days after giving birth to her last two children (twins)  Mar 11, 1786.

I know nothing about a MidLothian connection and if these were entries submitted by members of the Church of LDS, I would ignore them. Such entries are often inaccurate.

If this is the Isobel Calder you are trying to trace, you may be interested in reading "The World of Rob Donn" by Ian Grimble, which is the story of the poet's life.

I have information concerning some of Isobel Donn Calder's parents and siblings, as well as her children. I would be happy to send it to you privately, provided you first satisfy yourself that this is "your" ancestor.

In the 1770s, it was not customary to record the name of the mother in the Durness Parish Register which is why searching under John Mackay and Isobel Calder might not produce many "hits".

Ian Morrison

[dawn-in-nz]

Thanks for you reply IanB.  I don't ever take submissions seriously but they do come in handy when looking for someone, they often point you in the right direction.

I have no idea if I'm on the right track but anything is worth persueing and if you don't then you won't find anything, right?

I think it rather strange that their marriage was submitted as taking place in both Durness and Edinburgh yet the Durness PR marriages have been extracted from 1765 to the IGI but theirs is not there at all.

However, on looking at the extracted baptisms for Durness I see that the mother for some of John McKay's children is listed as Isobel Down - it seems their son John was baptised in 1786 in Durness so it certainly does look like he's not MY John McKay born c1773 in Midlothian - if the 1841 census is correct.

It just seemed like worth a look at seeing the name of one of my John's daughters was Isobel Calder McKay.

Oh well, ever onward - onto the next problem 

Cheers.....Dawn

[IanB]

Hi Dawn,

I will reply more fully when I get back from golf but I think you should still pursue this possibility.

The marriage of John Mackay and Isobel Calder, nin Rob Down, is recorded in the Durness PR 28 May, 1771. Isobel Calder and Isobel Donn (Down) are one and the same.

Ian

[dawn-in-nz]

Yes I have already ordered the Durness film to have a look at it but unless no one knows what happened to son John bap 1786 then I think there's a too big a gap between 1773 and 1786 - although I suppose he could have been baptised aged 13 - anything is possible!

[wini]

Daw,

It is quite possible that he was around 13 when baptised.
I have found that now the OPR's are available on line some of my ancestors from both Sutherland and Skye have had 2 or 3 children baptised at the same time. The oldest of mine so far was nine years old

wini

[IanB]

Dawn,
There was another son John in this family, christened in 1779. The fact that they later named another son John may mean that the first one died but this is not always the case.

The entry reads as follows:
John Mackay, alias maceanmacuilammacneil, tenent in Uaibeg, and . . . Isobel Down, alias Mackay, alias Calder, alias Eckel,  John  17 Nov. 1779

Perhaps not too helpful but should be kept in mind.

Ian

[Emily_gb]

I am curious about Licia McKay baptised 1777. My sister's name is Licia (Italian origin) and I am wondering if there is also a Gaelic diriviative or there is a Italian connection in Durness in 1700's. do you have any more information about her?
Emily

[IanB]

Emily,

In the Durness PR she is shown as "Lucie"

BTW, this is the thread where the alias MacEanMacUilliamMacNeil arose. Robert Mackay who married Janet Murray and John Mackay who married Isobel Calder appear to have been brothers.

Ian