Agnes Jane Duffy

[jamesjg]

I am trying to find the connection between Agnes Jane Duffy and John McKenzie and his wife Mary Ann Kerr.  Agnes was born on 30 November 1875 in Pancras, London, the daughter of William Duffie and Mary Kane.  William Duffie was shown as a Chief Engineer on a steam boat at his marriage to Mary Kane in Dumbarton on 8 November 1875.

Agnes J Mckenzie (as recorded on the census) is shown as a boarder living with John and Maryann Mckenzie at 12 Charlotte Street, Helensburgh on the 1881 Census of Scotland.  Agness Duffy is shown as living with the McKenzie's at the same address on the 1891 Census of Scotland.  Agnes Jane Duffy married my great-grandfather James Martin Gilda on 11 November 1896 at Helensburgh; and he registered the death of Mary McKenzie on 9 January 1898.

I can find no details of William Duffie on the 1881 census although Mary Duffie does appear there as a Spirit Dealer living at 18 High Street, Dumbarton.

It seems strange that Agnes Duffy was living with the McKenzie's in 1881 and 1891 and I can't find a link to them and the Duffie family.

Has anyone got any suggestions as to why Agnes was living with the McKenzie family?

Thanks,

Jim

[elizabeth.m]

Hi

I am just answering this off the top of my head and I will have to go back to my records, but there must be a connection somewhere.  My ancestors were Spirit Merchants in Dumbarton, one Sarah Smith married Peter Kane and had 3 children, Peter, James and Sarah.  Both boys and her husband died before 1850, Sarah ran a boarding house in Dumbarton and Sarah her daughter married a William Duffie.  He went on to be a publican and died about 1929.  He had one son with Sarah before she died and he married someone else whose name escapes me.  I have not done a lot of research into Duffie as they were not my direct line, but between spirit merchants, Kane's and Duffie, its too much like a co-incidence.  I will not be able to look at my records until Saturday, but will get back to you.

[jamesjg]

Hi Elizabeth!

Thanks for the initial response.  Sarah Smith and Peter Kane are the parents of Mary Kane in my tree.  I agree that this is too much of a coincidence.  No rush for a reply I've been lookin at this for a long time without success!

Regards,

Jim

[elizabeth.m]

Sorry Jim,

You are quite right, her name was Mary not Sarah, and we are talking about the same people.  I did not know about Agnes, only James Bernard, then William had another son with his second wife.

Sarah's aunt Elizabeth also married a Duffie and I wondered whether they were the same family, but never got around to checking.  Will get back to you on Saturday.

Liz