The name "Thirlow" or Thurlow Fraser

[Forfarian]

Curiously, SP has only 93 baptisms of Frasers in Fraserburgh before 1854 (and the IGI has only 23 community indexed ones), none with mother named B*rnet*. Given that FreeCEN finds 62 people born in Fraserburgh in 1851 alone, there must be an awful lot of missing ones.

I have been wondering whether they might have been episcopalians, but I have no idea what episcopalian registers (if any) are still extant and if so where they are.

[Gadget]

...and for completeness:

Death 12 July 1883 at 34 Hanover Street, Fraserburgh

Isabella Mitchell, Pauper (formerly Washerwoman). Widow of Peter Mitchell, meal miller.
Aged 64
Parents - Alexander Fraser, joiner (!) and Christina M.S. Burnett. Both deceased.
Cause  - Abdominal cancer. 1 1/2 years. cert. by Wm. Beddie (?) M.B. C.M.
Informant - John Mitchell, Son. Elgin

So, it looks like the 1841 family were indeed Christian and her 2 remaining daughters and Richard (nothing on him after 1841 so far).


Gadget

[novens]

Hi there -I was greatly amused to find that people have been discussing the very minutiae that I have been hurting my head on for weeks...  Christina Burnett was (very probably) my 5th Great grandmother. I would love to head further up to find their parents , but haven't been having too much luck with that.

I recently found a thread from 2001 where someone explained the source of the name Thurlow (Jim Shirer was the source). The explanation given was "Alexander Fraser was the head forester in the first quarter of the 19th century at the Philorth Estate, Fraserburgh. His employer was Sir George Fraser, later 16th Lord Saltoun. Sir George had married Catherine Thurlow, one of three illegitimate daughters of the Lord Chancellor Edward Thurlow (1731-1806) who was later 1st Baron Thurlow. Sir George and Lady Catherine had no family, so she asked Alexander when his seventh son was born to call him Thurlow."

 It further went on to describe Alexander Fraser as having married twice firstly to Jean Bruce 17 July 1803 & secondly to Christina Burnett 19 January 1806.  I can't see this as Jean Bruce had a child in Oct of that year (Although in life anything is possible). I see a lot of people use the Alexander Fraser/ Chrstn Burnett 1806 marriage document.  I don't think this is Christina Burnett, so,  I'm not sure if Alexander Fraser that married Jean Bruce also married Christina Burnett later than 1806 (and we just don't have the certificate).

Christina Fraser nee Burnett is listed as the mother on the death certificates of George 1814-60/ William Findlay 1816 – 1904 and Thurlow Fraser 1825 – 1889. Alexander Fraser's occupation on each of these is described as Forester (WFF),  Gamekeeper (TF) and  Wright (GF).

I believe that the Alexander Fraser on the certificates was born at Headroom Farm of Pittendrum, which is a short distance from the Philorth Estate (Frasers of Philorth) where  Alexander was forester/ game keeper.  This estate was the one that George Fraser and the illegitimate Thurlow story seems to come from.

[daisypetals01]

   Yes, it is all rather mysterious! 
I was wondering what did Catherine Thurlow die of in 1825?  Seems interesting a Thurlow pops up born in that year. 
Especially mysterious when I read of her husband's exploits as a soldier who rarely was home. Gone for many months at a time, sometimes over a year.
Funny, that her name was rarely, if ever mentioned after she died. Husband considered her "his dearest Catharine" in his letters to her before her death;  went on to talk about other women in his book soon after her death.
Just speculating....

[flst]

daisypetals01, I was curious about the Margaret Fraser & George Mutch marriage so I downloaded the certificate. George was the son of the late George Mutch, also a blacksmith, & Elizabeth nee Bisset. Margaret's parents were James Fraser,blacksmith & Susan, nee Johnstone.
flst

[flst]

There's an announcement in "The Aberdeen Journal" of James Imlah & Margaret Dunbar Fraser's marriage. I quote "youngest daughter of the late Alexander Fraser,Forester to the late Lord Saltoun, Philorth"
 

[daisypetals01]

   Thankyou!
Like putting pieces of a quilt together, every little bit of information helps. A thread can lead to a treasure trove of information and facts. I found this out when I was researching the Smiths.

[Garthkh]

Hi The names of Jane Cowie and Thurlow Fraser have caught my attention as my family is trying to resolve a link into the Fras(z)er family in Scotland. 
My wife's great grandfather is Alick Cowie Frazer according to the marriage certificate and the name Frazer has been spelt with a Z.  We have hunted for this relative and can find nothing - however recently we contacted a relative, Michael Fraser, who has in his possession an old bible with the name Alex Cowie Fraser in the front cover and an old newspaper clipping of Jane Cowie's funeral (see attached). I'm sure those discussing this will find these interesting. Alick (or Alexander) Cowie Frazer seems to have been born in Scotland about 1860 and came to South Africa where he married Louisa Godden.  He then disappeared after the birth of their 2nd son Thurlow John Frazer, and Louisa remarried a John Herbert Eaton.   Their marriage certificate shows her as a widow. The two young children Charles Alick Frazer (my wife's grandfather) and Thurlow John Frazer were raised by the Goddens and the Eatons.
A further relative (Jennifer Frazer, a 2nd cousin) has come into the picture who is also looking for answers to Alick Cowie Frazer.  She has done some DNA tests which are currently showing up Cowie relatives.
I, and Jennifer, are becoming convinced that it is possible that Jane Cowie might have had a son, Alexander, before marrying Thurlow Fraser and that this son was adopted by Thurlow hence having the name Fraser. He is, however, not listed in the children of Jane and Thurlow on FamilySearch.
What we are speculating now is the following:

Our cousin Michael Fraser says his granddad Charles Alick Frazer said that his dad Alick Cowie Fraser apparently left to go to the Rand goldfields and never returned.
Michael also sent us a postcard of the Denburn Mill with the following comment - A postcard of Denburn Mills, written by Auntie Joannie informing that Uncle Frank and all the Fraser family were born at the mill. (I have no idea who these are and will need to get more info from Michael).
From what Michael has sent us (bible contents) we can now assume some things:
1. Alick Cowie Fraser on the bible pages is Alex which has to be Alexander - he used Alick on the marriage certificate.
2. The name should definitely be spelled with S. - Michael wrote, "My Dad told me once that Grandad was so angry that Grandma Eaton had spelt Fraser wrong on his and my Dad's birth certificate".
3. Alick Cowie possibly died (before 1890) on the goldfields (or wherever) as the marriage cert of Louisa to John Eaton says she is a widow. We still have to find his birth records to link him into the Scottish family
4. The newspaper clipping is very interesting. The Jane Cowie funeral is on 14 July 1917 (assuming July and 1917 from the other notices above). Jane Cowie the widow. Why is her name given as Cowie and not Fraser? Could this be our Alex Cowie Fraser's father and mother?
5. The address on the bible looks like 14 Handover  Street, Fraserburgh. Looking up on Google Maps this is right in the middle of New Pitsligo.
6. So far the DNA results that Jenny Frazer is getting are pointing to Cowie cousins. So possibly Alick Cowie was not a Fraser but a Cowie.

Hopefully this is of use to you researchers and we can solve our riddle through your knowledge.

[Forfarian]

Hi Garthkh, and welcome to RootsChat.

First if all, don't assume that spelling is important. Until the early 20th century it wasn't. Alick Cowie Frazer is undoubtedly the same as Alick Cowie Fraser. There's no such thing as 'correct' spelling, though Fraser is commoner than Frazer.

Secondly, don't rely on Google maps for anything serious.

New Pitsligo is mostly in the parish of Tyrie, which is south-west of the parish of Fraserburgh, though there is apparently a small part of New Pitsligo which is in the parish of New Deer. There is a Hanover Street in Fraserburgh (it's quite a common street name) so there is no reason to think that this address is in New Pitsligo, 12 miles away. If you have read this thread carefully you will have noticed another mention of someone who died in Hanover Street, Fraserburgh.

See https://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?x=399560&y=867065&z=110&sv=hanover+street&st=6&tl=Map+of+Hanover+Street,+Fraserburgh,+Aberdeenshire,+AB43&searchp=ids&mapp=map

Yes, Alick and Alex are both used as abbreviations for Alexander.

In Scotland, a married woman does not lose her maiden surname. It is customary to include her maiden surname on gravestones and in newspaper death announcements. In legal documents she would be named as Jane Cowie or Fraser.

In the 1861 census, Thurlaw Fraser, aged 34, married, miller journeyman, is at Little Mill in Ellon.

In the 1861 census, at Backhill, New Pitsligo, are
James Cowie, 60, farmer
Agnes Cowie, wife, 60
Jane Fraser, daughter, married, 26, miller's wife
Agnes Duff, granddaughter 5
Alex Fraser, Grandson, 8 months
all born in New Pitsligo except James and Agnes senior, who were born in Aberdour and New Deer respectively.

Alexander Cowie, son of Jane Cowie, was born in New Pitsligo on 23 July 1860.

So he looks very likely to be your Alexander Cowie Fraser.

In 1871 the family are at 54 Low Street, New Pitsligo:
Thurlow Fraser, 44; Jane, 33; Agnes, 15; Alexander, 11; Thurlow, 7; Jane, 5; Margaret, 3.

Agnes Cowie, born 26 April 1855, mother Jane Cowie, is presumably listed under her father's surname, Duff, in 1861, but in 1871 she is listed under har stepfather's name.

There are quite a lot of Backhills but I think the one where your Cowies were is here https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ8655 - Double-click on the map, then single-click again, to zoom in.

It's also on the mid-19th century map https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.1&lat=57.59383&lon=-2.21633&layers=5&b=1&marker=57.57130,-2.26079