Davidson/Wilkie of Cruden/Peterhead

[t1m]

Hi all,

I'm quite new to genealogy -- been doing it off an on for about a year now.  I've been trying to find more on the origins of a gg-grandfather of mine, who came from Aberdeenshire.  I'll list what I've been able to find out, and perhaps someone will be kind enough to point me in the right direction of where to go next.

His name was Alex, or Alexander, Davidson.

According to census records, he was born in Peterhead or Cruden.  As earlier censuses indicate Peterhead, and later censuses indicate Cruden, and Cruden is smaller than Peterhead, I assume he was saying the nearest town he came from but that the correct place was Cruden.

By 1871, he has moved to Monikie in Angus.

Censuses indicate he was born about 1839-1840.

He married Ann Sturrock 23/Feb/1869.

From his marriage certificate, his father's name was John Davidson, and his mother's name was Margaret Wilkie.  At the time of his marriage, his father was still alive (a farm servant) but his mother had already died.

Looking at their children's names, Alex almost certainly had a grandfather (maternal or paternal) whose forename was James, and possibly one called Thomas.  The names go:
1: Alexander Sturrock Davidson, mother's father (confirmed by surname used as middle name)
2: John Davidson, father's father
3: James Davidson, unknown origin -- has mother's mother's father's name, but no middle name as with others named after mother's family
4: William Lumgair Davidson, mother's mother's father's father (confirmed by surname used as middle name)
5: Thomas Davidson, unknown origin
6: unnamed (died a few weeks old)
7: Margaret Davidson, only daughter, probably named after father's mother
8: George Davidson, unknown

I think son 3 is named from Alex's family, and perhaps 5 too.  There may be a child missing between 2&3 (as it goes: mother, father, father, mother).  I also should try and find a Thomas on the mother's side of the family.

Unfortunately, I've not been able to find any census, or any other record, for Alex or his family in Aberdeenshire (I only have records for Alex from when he moved to Angus).  I know some records go missing, but Alex has become my Don Draper of the family tree (for fans of Mad Men!)

Hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

Tim

[t1m]

This evening, I've tried the following searches for Alex Davidson son of John Davidson and Margaret Wilkie, and none returned any possible match:

Any male birth, with surname DAVID*, born in Cruden or Peterhead, 01/01/1837 to 31/12/1842

• no Alexander born to a John
• no Wilkie

Anyone, with surname DAVID*, born anywhere to a WILKIE, 01/01/1538 to 31/12/1854

• only one Alexander, but father's name is George Davidson, mother's name is Janet Wilkie, and born 1835 in Angus.
• no fathers named John

Any female death, forename MA*, surname WIL*, other surname DAVIDS*, between 01/01/1538 to 31/12/1854 (I know from Alex's marriage certificate that his mother had died by 23/02/1869)

• no Wilkies

Any female death, forename MARG*, surname WILKIE, other surname DAVID*, between 1855 to 2009.

• this search returns the closest possibility, but not close enough.  Margaret Wilkie (married name), father's name Alexander Davidson, married to a William Wilkie (seaman), died 1861 at 83 years old in Banff.  Age 61 at time of Alex's birth.  Just coincidences.
• Remaining three all died 1913 or later.

Any death, forename MARG*, surname WILKIE, (no other surname), between 1855 to 1869.

• one Margaret Wilkie died at age 93 in 1864, in Aberdeen City.  Would have been aged 68 at time of Alex's birth.
• No others.

Anyone, with forename ALEX*, born anywhere to a WILKIE, 01/01/1837 to 31/12/1842

• only one to a Margaret Wilkie, father's name Alexander Bennet
• no Johns

Anyone, with forename ALEX* and surname DAVID*, born anywhere to a JOHN, 01/01/1837 to 31/12/1842

• no Margarets
• no Wilkies
• no unrecorded mothers

I also discovered today that my great-uncle had told my mother that Alex Davidson went to Monikie from Arbroath at the age of 15.  My mother thought Arbroath is in Aberdeenshire, and consequently told me that Alex came down from Aberdeenshire to Monikie (no mention of Arbroath).  However, the censuses I do have for Alex do indicate that he was born in Cruden or Peterhead.

I'm completely lost now, there seems to be no record of his mother's existence, or of anything that could be his birth.  Is it possible that he didn't know one or both of his parents' forename/surname?  Or that he didn't know where he was born?  Or could there be a more complicated reason?  Or am I missing something obvious?  Or is this just a dead-end, with no way forward?

[Hydes]

Seen you not active here for some time but incase you come back or someone else is searching.
I found this death certificate for Alexander DAVIDSON  when I was searching for my margaret wilkie.

[t1m]

Ah yes, that is my GGGF, and one of the few pieces of evidence I have for his mother's name. Unfortunately I was not able to find her. Genealogy has taken a back step lately as I am currently back at university studying for my masters. But thank you for posting this, and if you find this Alexander Davidson is a relation of yours, feel free to message me for anything that I might be able to help with.

[Hydes]

Good luck on the studying! Not sure if this is your Margaret ?

[Hydes]

Wrong person sorry 😞

[t1m]

No, she's a difficult one to find, if there are even any existing records of her.    But unlike before, I now have wheels! So when I can get back into the search, I'll be heading to Aberdeenshire in the hunt for clues! 

[Hydes]

Well good luck with your future searches !

[Forfarian]

A couple of things to bear in mind.

Records of deaths before the start of civil registration in 1855 are very patchy. Married women, if there is any record at all, may be listed under their maiden surname or under their married surname. There's no guarantee that the record, assuming it's there at all, will contain both surnames.

According to the New Statistical Account of Scotland (1845) some 5000 of a population of 8000 in the parish of Peterhead were adherents of the Church of Scotland. The Episcopal Church congregation was 1400 to 1500, and three other denominations were present, so there is a possibility that your Alexander Davidson's family did not belong to the Church of Scotland, which could explain the absence of a baptism record.

The parish of Cruden also had an Episcopal chapel besides the Church of Scotland, but the writer of the NSA does not say how large its congregation was.

Have you found Alexander in the 1851 or 1861 census before he moved to Monikie?