Drysdales on Islay

[Sunsetbay4me]

I am looking for any information about the Drysdales on Islay. There was Dugald Drysdale mentioned in the 1861 census. further research show that there was a brother Neil and a sister Catherine. I would like to know if possible where they were born and died. I am 90% sure that Dugald is my Great Grandfather. I would also like to find out who his parents were and what happened to them. Thanks

[Millmoor]

Hi

Welcome to Roots Chat! If I have located the Dugald Drysdale to whom you refer in the 1861 census it shows him age 7 and living with his grandparents. His age shows that he was born before statutory registration commenced in Scotland in 1855. However sister Catherine is shown to be aged 4. You should therefore be able to locate her birth on Scotland's People. This would give the name of her parents and enable you to locate them in census records and probably in statutory death records and thus take your search further. Scotland's People is a credits only site. (I have looked on Family Search for baptisms for Dugald and Catherine but did not find any results. Dugald is also recorded in the 1871 census as a servant. There is a possible census entry for him in the 1881 English census showing him in the Navy but the year of birth is slightly out).

Good luck with your search.

William

[Millmoor]

Hi

Further to my previous post it is possible that Dugald and Catherine were illegitimate. Noting that the grandparents surname in the 1861 census is Ferguson I found the following births on Family Search.
Catherine Ferguson b 31 March 1857 Kilchoman, Argyll, Scotland Mother Ann Ferguson.
Dugald Ferguson b 5 June 1853 Kilchoman, Argyll, Scotland Mother Ann Ferguson.

The 1841 census for grandfather James Ferguson does show an Ann Ferguson age 13 in the household.

Cheers

William

[Sunsetbay4me]

Looks like the mother's name matches. I found the following info from my Great Grandfathers Death Details.

Australia Death Index, 1787-1985
Name:             Dugald Drysdale
Death Date:          1931
Death Place:          New South Wales
Father's Name:          James
Mother's name:          Ann
Registration Year:       1931
Registration Place:       Bowraville, New South Wales
Registration Number:       5266

[Sunsetbay4me]

Now it seems that I need to find James Drysdale and how he came to meet Ann Ferguson. He is a real mystery man.

If any one has any idea where I might find him, I would love to hear from you.

Thanks,
Allan

[MonicaL]

Allan, just adding link to other post to keep it all together  www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=686947.0

[dijaks]

Your Dugald's father James Drysdale, may be the James Drysdale born 3 Nov 1837 to William Drysdale and Lillias Boyle, in Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.  James' next brother was named Islay or Ilay Ferrier Drysdale, born 27 Jul 1840.  This Christian name seems significant for your search.  Another brother was Romeo Drysdale, born 8 Mar 1831.  And yet another was born Dugald McLachlan Drysdale on 2 Sep 1842.

[PandaBud]

I'm afraid that Islay Ferrier Drysdale isn't named after the island. The name comes from General Islay Ferrier. James Drysdale's grandfather, Romeo Drysdale, served under him at Dumbarton castle and named one of his sons after him. The name was a family name for several generations into the present day. The James Drysdale born in 1837 may not be the James you are looking for but I wouldn't discount him. Having a brother Dugald may point to a connection but the Islay name doen't.

[dijaks]

I have always wondered where the name came from!  One of the Islay Ferrier Drysdale's married my distant cousin Mary Lindsay Murray in 1865.   The son of William Drysdale and Lillias Boyle!  They had five children, but none seem to have married.   I was intrigued by the name and have looked at the family and know about Romeo at Dumbarton Castle, but did not know about General Islay Ferrier.  Thanks for the heads up!