June 2005 RootsChat Challenge

[Manchester Rambler]

Having spent all yesterday evening doing a summary of Charlotte Muir's Barbados ancestors, I lost the lot due to a power cut just as I went to post it...  After a suitable interval for swearing and cursing, I had another go today, and the result is at http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,62822.15.html

Can we fill in any more details here? Is there any way we can find out when these families settled in Barbados and where they came from?  Do we know what their occupations were?

I think all the summaries are pretty well up to date (at least for the main families) for anyone who wants to check how far we have gone on each line.  I haven't added the latest Davidson info yet, but will try to do that tomorrow.  As usual, let me know if I've left out anything important or made any horrible mistakes!

Rambler

[Burrow Digger]

And just to confirm that I have had no response from the John Robertson from Jumbrella and I don't see that BD has posted a mention of him either.

Mary

Nope I've had no response from him either 

BD

[Manchester Rambler]

According to a Pedigree Resource File, Charlotte Muir's ggg-grandmother Margaret Bissell was born on 4 Aug 1712, dau of Benjamin Bissell and Hepzibah Salmon.  There is an extracted IGI record for the marriage of Benjamin Bisssell and Hepzibah Nelson in Barbados on 4 Nov 1711 - I guess Salmon/Nelson could be confused with bad enough handwriting. 

Interestingly, there is an extracted IGI record for the christening of Hephsiba Byssel, daughter of Benjamin Byssel and Hephsiba, in Ledbury, Hereford on 11 Sep 1715.

The same Pedigree Resource file names Margaret Bissell and Richard Forte's children as William Forte, Margaret Forte (19 Dec 1739) and Benjamin Bissell Forte (8 Oct 1742) - all born Barbados.

Rambler

[Joanna Tolhurst]

Bit more on the Davidsons:
The estate at Balnagask was past on to Alexander by Robert Davidson (wife Christain Philip) in 1829.  The oldest son Robert had died crossing the river Dee in 1827.
Alexander died 1868 and gave most of the estate to his sister's (Margaret who married William maule Molison), daughter's (Margaret Maria who married William adam Davidson) son James Davidson born 1854.  Craigieshaw was given to his sister's son James Molison (father of Australian Molisons) where he died 1869.
Why was none of the estate given to Alexander's sister's (Margaret) other daughter's (Catherine who married James Adamson) sons ?  Would it be that they were just a few years younger and James was the oldest male great nephew?
Catherine's son Henry McKenzie Adamson born 1862 and a medical student in 1881 was obviously into some interesting medical research being at both Balnagask House and his parent's farm at the same time!
Going back to Robert davidson who drowned in the Dee.  He married Alexandrina davidson Duthie 29 March 1813 at Nigg.  She died 1870 when living at Fetteresso.  looking for children of theirs, although had there been they would have surely inherited instead of Alexander? (Of course not if they were girls)
Jo

[Joanna Tolhurst]

No straight forward link to the Davidsons with Alexandrina davidson Duthie:
Chr 25 June 1783 Fetteresso parents William Duthie and margaret Duthie.
Brother John chr 16 Oct 1778.

[piedstilt]

Is it July yet

[Manchester Rambler]

I found some info about the Forte family at http://ancestrees.com/pedigree/1913.htm

Among other things:

As a Lt. Col., Samuell Forte was a representative to the House of Assembly for St. Johns Parish from the years 1712,1715-1719, 1721 and 1723-27. He was elected in the place of John Rouse Aug. 19, 1712. (F-193, F-748) As well as Lieutenant Colonel he had also been Justice of the Peace of the St. John's Regiment of the Militia.

Samuel's father was also named Samuel, according to the same website:

Samuel Forte came to Barbados in 1680 from the Somersetshire family according to Burkes Landed Gentry. He was supposedly exiled from England, obviously with portable wealth in tack.

This website suggests that the Forte's are an offshoot of the Fortescue family, descendants of 2 brothers who came to England with William the Conqueror.  They were wealthy plantation owners in Barbados.

Samuel Jr, who married Ann Eastwick, was the father of Richard Forte, Charlotte Muir's direct ancestor.  The website has no record of Richard's marriage, but there is an extracted IGI record for the marriage of a Richard Forte and Margaret Bissell - identified by a Pedigree Resource File as the parents of Charlotte's ancestor Wiliam Forte. 

However, the website quoted above gives William Forte's father as a different son of Samuel Forte and Ann Eastwick: Christopher Forte, who married his cousin Thomasin Leslie (dau of Col. William Leslie and Thomasine Forte). 

Interesting comment on William Forte:

There are many Fortes living in Demerara, South Africa that descend from this William Forte. He apparently emigrated to South Africa during his life time.

Rambler

[Joanna Tolhurst]

Each branch we have followed from our original Allan Robertson has unturned fascinating families.  What do we have of the Marshall family (Augusta Jane Marshall married Alexander Strachan Molison 1829 at St George in the East London)?
Their first daughter who married John Robertson, took her mother's name and the second daughter was Mary Jean Marshall who married James Robertson.  Was Mary named after her mother's mother?
Jo

[Manchester Rambler]

We have absolutely NOTHING about the Marshalls.  Augusta Jane's birth isn't in the IGI, and we haven't any info about her parents.  There's a possibility Mary was named after Augusta's mother, but no way to be sure.

Could someone with access to the BVRI try looking her up?

Rambler