John McKay, shoemaker

[janglaschu]

A John Mckay, shoemaker, was a witness at the marriage of Catharine McKay and John Ross in Aberdeen in 1831.

This may be John in the 1841 census:
John McKay age 33, shoemaker, living at Wales Street, North Parish, Aberdeen (born outside county)
Piece: SCT1841/168 Enumeration District: 1 Folio: 1 Page: 20

Does anyone have this John in their tree? I'm trying to establish whether he was a relative of Catharine McKay, and if so, how they were connected.

Thanks for any help.

[flst]

I found John Mckay in Freecen's 1851 census.He was born in Old Machar,Aberdeen. His parents were William Mackie & Margaret Simmers. There were a few other children born to this couple,including a Catherine (christened 13th June 1824).She would be too young for marrying in 1831 though. This information is available on the familysearch website.Regards,
flst

[janglaschu]

Thanks flst.

I know that my Catharine's parents were Donald McKay  & Jean McKay; Donald was a shepherd at Bighouse, Reay, Caithness, and had died by the time Catherine married. Her marriage was in Aberdeen, to a marble cutter named John Ross. I had hoped that the John McKay who was a witness at that marriage was also a relative of Catharine's; it may be that he was a family friend, or a distant relative and that I won't be able to work out the connection at all.

If the John in the 1851 census was born in Old Machar, it may be that he wasn't related at all.

thanks for your help.

[walker_mckay]

Although these marriages occurred much later, have either of you encountered records associated with a John Ross, a mason or stone cutter in the 1740s in Aberdeen? He married a Barbara Pirie and had a son, John, born in 1744. There appear to be ties to the MacKays of Reay or Caithness. John's daughter, Margaret married a William Morrison (a witness was Angus MacKay) of Footdee. Please drop me a note if you know of anyone currently researching this lines in this time period.

Best wishes,

Inez Reed

[blogpiper]

My G-G-G-grandfather was a John MacKay from Sutherland, and recorded as a shoemaker, aged 58, in the 1841 Census for Sutherland. I have come across him only recently, as I've been concentrating family searches in Lochaber and south Argyll. I've yet to ascertain much about him, but he may have been an uncle of your Catherine.

He would have been born 1783 ± 1. If I've worked things out correctly, he died in 1855, and is buried with his wife, Ann Grant, in St Callan's Church, Rogart.

[janglaschu]

It looks like a different John Mackay - unsurprising, it would be a fairly common name, especially in that neck of the woods. The John I mentioned - if I have the correct one - was in Aberdeen in 1841, not Sutherland, and would have been born around 1808.

You might find out more about your John on the County Sutherland site http://www.countysutherland.co.uk/

regards,
Janet

[blogpiper]

Many thanks, Janet. By your Gaelic blog name, I think we're both pretty close to Hurricane Katie just now. I'm in G77.

Regards,

Gilbert

[janglaschu]

It's still blowing, but doesn't seem so bad as earlier.

[blogpiper]

I do have a John (a g-g-gf) who matches the Aberdeen one well in dates (christened in Rogart in 1806), but he was working in the quarries at Ballachulish in 1841.