Cleughbrae , mouswald

[NicMadge]

Many, many thanks, Stoop. 

I have messaged several managers of FTs which include the April 12th date in their trees asking for their source, so far without success.  I have just emailed Dumfries Archives and DGFHS to see if they are aware of any old parish registers which have not been digitalised. I will let you know if/when I make progress.  The dates seem likely to be too far back to come from a family Bible.

With regards the earlier generations, do you have evidence that the Midlothian James is from the same immediate family as the Mouswald James?  I looked at the 1722 Norwich baptism and was far from convinced of the connection.  The father was described as a linen merchant.  James Kerr and Martha are both common names.

I see that Mouswald Church is in the process of being sold for c£90,000. 

Best wishes,
Nic

[stoop]

Hi again Nic I agree with your concerns  mentioned ,curiously regarding Kerrs who have left Scotland have primarily become linen merchants even into the early 20th century. I will explore some more ancestry that is relevant to both of us, regards stoop.

[NicMadge]

Stoop, here is another concern.  A number of on-line trees show William and Sarah Kerr baptised in Dumfries in 1765 and 1767 as children of James Ker and Martha Moffatt in Mouswald.  That cannot be correct.  Their father James was described as a shoe maker.  An entry in the Mouswald Kirk Accounts for 7 August 1766  refers to “Jas. Ker Cleughbrae”.  I think that is inconsistent with him also being a shoemaker in Dumfries.  Also, the June 1767 baptism of Sarah in Dumfries is probably also too close to the 8 May 1768 Mouswald baptism of Joseph Kerr, son of JK and MM.

[NicMadge]

I have also received a very helpful email from Erica Johnson, Genealogy and Local History Researcher at the Ewart Library in Dumfries who says that she is unaware of any reliable sources for the following three baptisms which appear in some on-line family trees:

James Ker           12 APR 1718, Dumfries. [It appears from his burial in Mouswald in 1789 that he was born c1718.]
John Kerr            2 JAN 1756, Mouswald Banks, son of James Ker and Martha Moffatt
Rachael Kerr      16 JUN 1762, Collin, Mouswald, daughter of James Ker and Martha Moffatt

She says that "The Mouswald Old Parish Registers have a note on the front which says that there were no regular records kept at the Kirk until the minister took office there in 1765, the entries in the register before 1765 are copied in by his hand from “all that is left” of the records he could find when he took office."  Best wishes, Nic 

[NicMadge]

And a question.  How would you pronounce Ker/Kerr?  Cur? or Care? or Carr?

[stoop]

Hi ,nicmadge definitely pronounced Kerr  with a long eeeeeeeee will reply to you soon as I can comment on your latest posts regards Roger.

[NicMadge]

Roger, when I try to say it out loud with a long eeeee it sounds like "Kier", as in Hardie or Starmer.  Is that right?

[stoop]

Good afternoon Nicmadge, think of berry without the y and I think we have it,write to you soon. I was born and brought up in the stoop area of Dumfries.regards Roger.

[NicMadge]

Roger, I've been going through the Mouswald Kirk Accounts and found the following entry relating to John Ker (b c1756) which you may find interesting
“John Ker & Jean Tweedy’s fine for Ante-nuptial Fornication 6s 8d
Returned of Do’s Fine on Acct of Yr Circumstances 3s 0d "
Nic