ballater or tarland

[vickik78]

Hi is there anyone on here who is local to either Ballater or Tarland,looking to find living relatives of a family I am researching any help with this would be great.

Vicki

[jackie1965]

Hello Vicky,  I lived in tarland and still have friends in tarland if this helps 

[ann11]

Hi Vickik78,

I'm local to Ballater. I think I'm part of the family you were looking for.
My grandmother was Lily Smith( Peters)

I'd love to hear from you about your research.

Ann

[vickik78]

Hi Ann, I've been researching my great grandmother's family, she was called Ethel Peters she was the daughter of Lilly's brother Alexander but was brought up by her grandparents James and Frances Peters. We know Alexander emigrated to Canada and as far as I'm aware she had no contact with her mother (Elizabeth Morrison). I know Ethel kept in touch with Lilly's brother Joe after Frances died. Did you or anyone in the family know of Ethel ?

Vicki

[ann11]

Hi Vicki,
No, Ethel was never mentioned by my Granny when she was alive but she died in 1987 so quite a while ago.
I did some research myself & found Ethel's signature on my Great grandfather's death certificate so she must've been living with them near Tarland when he died.
Then she married and was Ethel McBain and lived near Oban? Is that correct?
Lovely to hear from you.
My Dad was James Edward Smith. Brother to Mary and Lilly.
Ann

[vickik78]

Hi Ann, Ethel did live near Oban she was there from about 1935, she married (William McBain) in Tarland. Ethel's eldest daughter who was my gran(Connie) was born in 1930 whilst they were still in Aberdeenshire and remembered vividly going  to visit Frances quite often. Ethel and my great grandad (William McBain) actually met as he worked for frances. Over the time I've been doing the research I've managed to speak to a few distant family relations and nobody knew anything of Ethel but I know all of Frances' children when they became adults all went over to Canada apart from Lily. It would seem there were a few secrets in the family as I know for sure Ethel believed James and Frances were her parents until she was about 13 years old. What surprised me was that Ethel was originally named lily but about six months after she was born her birth certificate was updated with the name change (Ethel). I do have a photo of Frances with Ethel and Connie (my gran) and an unnamed man which I'll send you in a message.

Vicki

[ann11]

Thanks for all the information about our mutual distant relatives. I started looking into Granny's side of the family in 2020. I think Alexander was Frances' son but from a relationship before she married James. His first wife died relatively young. Frances was his second wife.
All Lily's siblings did emigrate to Canada including her sister. She had a younger sister Connie but she died as a baby and Granny did speak about baby Connie.
No mention was ever made of the cause of James Peters death. I wonder why he did take his own life?
It will be great to see the photo, thanks, Ann

[vickik78]

 Check out what I found on the Ancestry mobile app
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/sharing/7307361?token=7b22746f6b656e223a227445703051536d2f703558614732514932354231522b3061576338685156722f556f324948662b664469593d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d

[vickik78]

Hi Ann, above reply is a link to a photo of Frances,Ethel and Ethel's daughter Connie.

Vicki