Michie - Shot in the Dark

[cnickless]

This is a true shot in the dark!  Family history has told our family that two brothers, sons of David Michie & Helen Morris settled or at least lived a time at Dumfries / Dumfriesshire.  Their names were James, born 1816 & William born 1818, both born in Kilmonivaig, Inverness.  Or that is at least what the OPR tells me though I do wonder why David & Helen were way up there for a short time after their marriage.  David & Helen were married 1814 at Clunie.  There five next children were all born at Clunie.

Given the marriage and the five other children I do wonder about their recorded births and Kilmonivaig is very similar to Kilmaveonaig, but unless their is something wrong with the OPR records on Scotland's People I have to go with that.

In anycase back to the story, this two brothers born Kilmonivaig, evidently settled or went to Dumfries according to family history.

The parents and the 5 youngest children emigrated to Canada in 1838. 

I have had absolutely no luck in trying to find out what happened to James & William Michie.  I cannot find any record or mention of them anywhere including the census returns, and none of the Michie families in Canada seem to tie to either of them.  Did they die before 1838 or did they head off somewhere else?  Like I said, a bit of a shot in the dark but maybe hoping someone somewhere has stumbled across something about them.  Many thanks in advance for any thoughts.

Regards, Cary

[MonicaL]

...sons of David Michie & Helen Morris ...

Hi Cary

Just so that people can help better. Sure you meant to put down down Alexander rather than David Michie, husband of Helen Morris....

Monica 

[cnickless]

Oh dear! 

Yes, you are correct, they are the sons of Alexander Michie & Helen Morris.  Their eldest son David Michie came to Montreal, the next two brothers are the two lost in Dumfries and the five youngest siblings all came to Ontario, Canada with their parents in 1838.

Thank you for catching that!

[MonicaL]

There is always the possibility, which I am sure you have considered, that James and William may have died as children. Without a census to cross check against, it is hard to say isn't  Given this is all before the start of official registration in Scotland, coverage of OPR burial/death entries is the worst of all unfortunately.

There does seem to have been a complete exodus by the family to Canada in 1838 from what you have said you have found.

Monica

[cnickless]

Hi Monica,

That is a possibility for sure.  But two things lead me to believe the brothers were at one time in Dumfries.

1) the eldest son David's marriage entry in Montreal, Quebec in 1837 states that his parents were of Dumfriesshire, Scotland, so this lead me to think that the parents had come with the family down to Dumfries sometime in the 1830's from Perthshire.

2) An old family history or should I say tree, written about 80 years ago lists the two brothers as being in Dumfries but there is no other details about them, nor any indication if they married or not.

My feeling is that they were in Dumfriesshire and may have both died there in their early 20's (but as you say the death records in Scotland are rather dismal to say the least), and at that point the parents and five youngest children came to Canada.

But this is just conjecture at this point!  Was hoping to find some fact of any kind but ultimately that may never come about! 

Cheers, Cary

[MonicaL]

Cary, what was father Alexander's occupation back in Scotland? Have I got the right David from what I have seen, a brewer in Canada?

Monica

[cnickless]

Hi Monica,

From what we know he was a farmer / agricultural labourer back in Perthshire.  He youngest children were born at Cottertown Farm, Drumellie, Caputh, Perthshire, though the youngest John, born about 1829, I have never been able to find a birth record, so he may have been born elsewhere.

Yes, David was a brewer in the Montreal region.  Where did you find that out?  Now you have my curiosity going!   

Cary

[MonicaL]

Cary, not really anything excitingly new I am sure on David:

http://genforum.genealogy.com/michie/messages/115.html and

www.rootschat.com/links/0gej/

Monica

[cnickless]

Hi Monica,

That's my man.  He ran the Brewery in Ste Martine a village south of Montreal.  One day I would love to find out where the source material for that book came from though it was written so long ago.

And the genforum link is actually myself many years ago.  Have found out much since those days and have a lot of the structure of the family in place till about the early 1700's.  Now spending time trying to figure out some of the lose ends and lost cousins, like the two brothers in Dumfriesshire...maybe one day their tale will come to light.

Thanks so much for your efforts, much appreciated.  Next option might be to try and look at the gravestone inscriptions for Dumfriesshire and see if anything comes up there.  Problem at this point is I don't even have a village to go on...    ...but genealogy is about those hard to find ones isn't it!

Cheers, Cary