James Robertson Ross - 1878 birth to Margaret Ross and John Crombie?

[Forfarian]

I see that in 1901 he was one of 16 young men living in a bothy at Minmore - 9 of them farm servants and 7 of them, including your James Ross, carters at a distillery. Minmore House was a property of the Earl of Seafield. In 1895 the tenant and occupier was John G Smith, and in 1905 it was George Smith Grant.

George Smith Grant (1845-1911) was the proprietor of The Glenlivet Distillery. He was the son of William Grant and Margaret Smith. Margaret Smith (1820-1880) was the daughter of George Smith, the founder of The Glenlivet Distillery. Her brother John Gordon Smith (1825-1901) inherited, but he did not marry so on his death the property passed to his nephew. The family graves are at the Chapel of the Incarnation at Tombae in Glen Livet.

Photographs Minmore https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=211225662

In 1881 James Ross and his mother were at Pitmillan in the parish of Foveran https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ9724 but I am not sure exactly where he was in 1891.

[tapi]

I see that in 1901 he was one of 16 young men living in a bothy at Minmore - 9 of them farm servants and 7 of them, including your James Ross, carters at a distillery. Minmore House was a property of the Earl of Seafield. In 1895 the tenant and occupier was John G Smith, and in 1905 it was George Smith Grant.

George Smith Grant (1845-1911) was the proprietor of The Glenlivet Distillery. He was the son of William Grant and Margaret Smith. Margaret Smith (1820-1880) was the daughter of George Smith, the founder of The Glenlivet Distillery. Her brother John Gordon Smith (1825-1901) inherited, but he did not marry so on his death the property passed to his nephew. The family graves are at the Chapel of the Incarnation at Tombae in Glen Livet.

Photographs Minmore https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=211225662

In 1881 James Ross and his mother were at Pitmillan in the parish of Foveran https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NJ9724 but I am not sure exactly where he was in 1891.

Thank you! It looks like Minmore house is now a hotel so I think we will plan to spend a night there when we visit!

[Neale1961]

Looking at the 1881 census for Aberdeen, I can see 2 possible John Crombies, both unmarried.

John Crombie age 32, living in Belhelvie, a farmer’s son, born in Echt.

John Crombie, Age 35, living in old Machar, a general labourer, born in Belhelvie.

Hello again tapi.    I have looked more at these 2 men as potential fathers.
Since the John Crombie born in Echt seems to be fully employed working on his father’s rather large farm in Belhlevie in all census records, I think we can eliminate him.

I believe the most likely father for your James Ross is John Crombie born Belhelvie in 1840.
DNA matching would be the only way to be certain.

In 1871 census this John Crombie is working as an agricultural labourer on Milton farm in Kemnay.
https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/59026cd3e9379091b1e34ba4/john-crombie-1871-aberdeenshire-kemnay-1841-?locale=en
[click on links to open census]

His older brothers (James and George) were also working as farm labourers in the local area throughout the census records. His father’s farm was quite small, and was probably not enough to support all those sons.

His parents were James CROMBIE and Jane BOOTH

His baptism record is on Scotlands People
CROMBIE,     JOHN REID   
parents - JAMES CROMBIE  / JANE BOOTH   
M   01/08/1840   174   40 / 76   BELHELVIE


John CROMBIE died in 1917 (age 76) in Rubislaw.


This is the Crombie family in 1841 census
https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a13fc1ef4040b9d6edf62e6/james-crombie-1841-aberdeenshire-belhelvie-1804-?locale=en

The mother Jean / Jane BOOTH died 20 Oct 1849 in Belhelvie (age 43)

This is the Crombie family in 1851 census
https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5902654ee9379091b1c44a58/james-crombie-1851-aberdeenshire-belhelvie-1806-?locale=en

James CROMBIE re-married in 1852 to Barbara MEANS and had a second family…..

1861 census
https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/590268cce9379091b1d29a43/james-crombie-1861-aberdeenshire-belhelvie-1805-?locale=en

1871 census
https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/59026c73e9379091b1e1b685/james-crombie-1871-aberdeenshire-belhelvie-1805-?locale=en

James Crombie grave in Belhelvie
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150366774/james-crombie

[Neale1961]

Deleted.

[tapi]

I’m not sure what information you have for Margaret Ross. You may already have all of this.

Margaret Robertson ROSS born 1842 Kincardine O'Neil
Daughter of William ROSS and Margaret SMITH

That is actually a very interesting discovery. I have been working starting with names and dates as provided to my dad by Hazel Ross who married John Ross, who was the son of James Robertson Ross and Isabella Sheret. My dad believes, heavy emphasis on believes, that she got the information from James Ross before he passed.

I didn’t do very much digging into Margaret because I was told that she was born October 16 1839 and there is a Margaret Ross born October 16 1839 in that same parish. I happily traced her up through Lewis Ross, which matches what the family tree details provided to me were, and off I went.

However, it makes a lot of sense to me that the Margaret Robertson Ross you found would be the father of James Robertson Ross. That just seems logical.  I never could figure out where the Robertson came from - there’s no Robertson in the Lewis Ross line.

I have been more interested in tracing the lineage than exactly when people passed away, so I never looked up a death certificate. I have James and Isabella’s marriage certificate and it says his mom Margaret has passed by the time they are married in 1906. 

I can’t find a Margaret Ross of the right age for either woman with a death certificate. I was hoping to be able to nail down which it was with the knowledge that the correct one was deceased by December 1906.

Thanks for this! The plot thickens!

Brooke

[tapi]

Looking at the 1881 census for Aberdeen, I can see 2 possible John Crombies, both unmarried.

John Crombie age 32, living in Belhelvie, a farmer’s son, born in Echt.

John Crombie, Age 35, living in old Machar, a general labourer, born in Belhelvie.

Hello again tapi.    I have looked more at these 2 men as potential fathers.
Since the John Crombie born in Echt seems to be fully employed working on his father’s rather large farm in Belhlevie in all census records, I think we can eliminate him.

I believe the most likely father for your James Ross is John Crombie born Belhelvie in 1840.
DNA matching would be the only way to be certain.

In 1871 census this John Crombie is working as an agricultural labourer on Milton farm in Kemnay.
https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/59026cd3e9379091b1e34ba4/john-crombie-1871-aberdeenshire-kemnay-1841-?locale=en
[click on links to open census]

His older brothers (James and George) were also working as farm labourers in the local area throughout the census records. His father’s farm was quite small, and was probably not enough to support all those sons.

His parents were James CROMBIE and Jane BOOTH

His baptism record is on Scotlands People
CROMBIE,     JOHN REID   
parents - JAMES CROMBIE  / JANE BOOTH   
M   01/08/1840   174   40 / 76   BELHELVIE


John CROMBIE died in 1917 (age 76) in Rubislaw.


This is the Crombie family in 1841 census
https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a13fc1ef4040b9d6edf62e6/james-crombie-1841-aberdeenshire-belhelvie-1804-?locale=en

The mother Jean / Jane BOOTH died 20 Oct 1849 in Belhelvie (age 43)

This is the Crombie family in 1851 census
https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5902654ee9379091b1c44a58/james-crombie-1851-aberdeenshire-belhelvie-1806-?locale=en

James CROMBIE re-married in 1852 to Barbara MEANS and had a second family…..

1861 census
https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/590268cce9379091b1d29a43/james-crombie-1861-aberdeenshire-belhelvie-1805-?locale=en

1871 census
https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/59026c73e9379091b1e1b685/james-crombie-1871-aberdeenshire-belhelvie-1805-?locale=en

James Crombie grave in Belhelvie
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150366774/james-crombie

This is so amazing - thank you so much for these efforts! It means a lot.

[Neale1961]

Well, you may be right. I saw the Lewis Ross family, and it needs to be investigated further, considering the information you posted.
I will look again tomorrow.
It was the Robertson name that caught my attention.
Margaret the daughter of Lewis died in 1904.

I have deleted that post, in case information needs to be corrected.

[Forfarian]

I have been more interested in tracing the lineage than exactly when people passed away, so I never looked up a death certificate.

Scottish death certificates tell you the names of the parents of the deceased, including the deceased's mother's maiden surname, assuming of course that the informant knew their names, so they are very useful indeed for confirming lineages.

[Forfarian]

It looks like Minmore house is now a hotel so I think we will plan to spend a night there when we visit!

It was a hotel until 2009, but, as the description on the photograph says, it no longer is.