Hello cavers89. I found your last post very interesting indeed. Your tree intersects with mine so much that it's difficult to explain, but I'll try!
Your 3 x great-grandparents were Robert Meldrum and Christian Chiene Dewar, who were married in Crail in 1863. Robert was the son of James Meldrum, carter, from Pittenweem, and Elspeth Ritchie of Crail.
James Meldrum was the son of John Meldrum, sailor then coal-miner in Pittenweem, and his 1st wife Margaret Sives. Margaret died, leaving John with about 6 or 7 children to bring up, and he subsequently married Christian Keay from neighbouring Cellardyke (parish of Kilrenny) in 1807. John died later that same year, and Christian, by now pregnant, skedaddled back to Cellardyke, abandoning her large brood of stepchildren. The Pittenweem kirk-session wrote to John's eldest child, Agnes, who was then in service, offering to pay her a small weekly wage if she would come home and look after her siblings.
Meanwhile John Meldrum's widow Christian Keay, the wicked stepmother, gave birth to a son called John Meldrum who was to be the ancestor of the later Cellardyke Meldrums, including my great-grandmother Annie Meldrum. John Meldrum and his 2nd wife Christian Keay were my 3 x great-grandparents. I have traced the Meldrums back to a James Meldrum born in Cupar parish in 1734. The Meldrums of Colinsburgh(par. of Kilconquhar), St. Monans, Pittenweem, Cellardyke and Crail can be shown to be descended from him.
I also have a Dewar connection. I had 3 x great-grandparents on my mother's side called Robert Peebles and Ann Dewar, and Ann was the daughter of William Dewar of Crail and Penny Spence of Kingsbarns who were married at Crail in 1800. Moreover, my mum's best friend at Crail primary school was a Lizzie Dewar whose ancestry I have traced, and she was descended like you from James Dewar and Janet Mitchell (through their son Archibald Dewar).
Moreover again, this Archibald Dewar and his wife Elizabeth Grubb were the parents of James Dewar who married Marjory Taylor in 1892. Marjory was a half-sister of my great-grandfather James Peebles (they shared the same mother, Marjory Myles).
I'm interested in the name Marr too, and some friends of mine have done a lot of work on the Marrs in east Fife. I went to school with a Jack Marr from St. Monans, who now lives in West Vancouver, and my wife and I went out to Canada for the first time ever in 2004 at his invitation and stayed with him there. Your 2 x great-grandmother Janet Mentiplay Marr was the daughter of James Marr and Betsy Wilson and the granddaughter of James Marr and Janet Mentiplay. I have lots on the Mentiplays too, but I won't go into all that here!
I think that's enough for one post. Hope I haven't baffled you too much!
Harry
