Williamson, Alexander - Deskford, Banffshire

[tenterfieldjulie]

I am surprised at how many Alexander Williamsons there are in the Census in Scotland and hope that someone may be kind enough to find the correct family for me.

I have Alexander, Janet (Inglis), 2 children - Isabella and James and 2 grandchildren - Isabella Morrison and Mary Taylor living in Edinburgh in the 1901 Census. (This was a transcription).

Alexander was born in 1833 at Deskford, Banffshire and I am hoping that someone may have a sharper brain than me and find them in the earlier census.

I also have James in Essex in the 1911 just before he emigrates to Brisbane. Thank you. Julie

[Merry]

1881:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1881Scotland&indiv=try&h=1833356

[Merry]

1871:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=1871scotland&MS_AdvCB=1&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=2&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=alex*&gsfn_x=XO&gsln=williamson&gsln_x=XO&msbdy=1835&msbdy_x=1&gskw=banf*&gskw_x=1&cpxt=1&catBucket=rt&uidh=672&msbdp=5&cp=11&pcat=35&fh=0&h=3711947&recoff=&ml_rpos=1

[Merry]

1861:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=1861scotland&MS_AdvCB=1&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=2&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=alex*&gsfn_x=XO&gsln=williamson&gsln_x=XO&msbdy=1835&msbdy_x=1&gskw=banf*&gskw_x=1&cpxt=1&catBucket=rt&uidh=672&msbdp=5&cp=11&pcat=35&fh=0&h=2101046&recoff=&ml_rpos=1

[Merry]

1851 (most likely)

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=1851scotland&MS_AdvCB=1&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=2&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=alex*&gsfn_x=XO&gsln=williamson&gsln_x=XO&msbdy=1835&msbdy_x=1&gskw=banf*&gskw_x=1&cpxt=1&catBucket=rt&uidh=672&msbdp=5&cp=11&pcat=35&fh=1&h=590781&recoff=&ml_rpos=2

[Merry]

1891:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=1891scotland&MS_AdvCB=1&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=2&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=alex*&gsfn_x=XO&gsln_x=XO&msbdy=1837&msbdy_x=1&gskw=desk*&gskw_x=1&cpxt=1&catBucket=rt&uidh=672&msbdp=2&cp=11&pcat=35&fh=7&h=1047740&recoff=&ml_rpos=8

[Merry]

I can't see Alex in 1841 yet. Do you know anything about his parents?

[Merry]

I presume this is him?

Name: Alexander Williamson Or Wilson
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 29 Oct 1836
Christening Place: DESKFORD,BANFF,SCOTLAND
Birth Date: 01 Oct 1836
Father's Name: John Williamson
Mother's Name: Isobel Wilson

[Merry]

Ah here he is, with maternal grandparents, perhaps?

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&MS_AdvCB=1&db=1841Scotland&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=2&gss=angs-d&gsfn_x=XO&gsln=wil*n&gsln_x=XO&msbdy=1837&msbdy_x=1&gskw=desk*&gskw_x=1&dbOnly=_F00027C6%7c_F00027C6_x%2c_F000279A%7c_F000 279A_x%2c_F0003968%7c_F0003968_x&uidh=672&msbdp=2&pcat=35&fh=0&h=1240487&recoff=&ml_rpos=1

[Merry]

This is probably the potential grandfather in 1851 as the address in Deskford is similar.

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=1851scotland&MS_AdvCB=1&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=2&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=alex*&gsfn_x=XO&gsln=wilson&gsln_x=XO&gskw=desk*&gskw_x=1&cpxt=1&catBucket=rt&uidh=672&cp=11&pcat=35&fh=1&h=3274275&recoff=&ml_rpos=2

[Merry]

This looks like your Alexander's mother's bap:

Name: Isobel Wilson
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 28 Mar 1812
Christening Place: DESKFORD,BANFF,SCOTLAND
Birth Date: 28 Mar 1812
Father's Name: Alexander Wilson
Mother's Name: Jean Milne


and her parents marriage:

Name: Alexander Wilson
Spouse's Name: Jean Milne
Event Date: 14 Jul 1804
Event Place: Deskford,Banff,Scotland

[ElizabethHerts]

I'm looking very hard at my tree as I have Wilsons and Milnes from Aberdeenshire and Banffshire, but they are slightly earlier.

[HarrysMum]

Wow, Merry.......would you like to sort my Grants now? They only intermarried for about four generations prior to coming here in the 1830s.

****runs quickly off thread****

[tenterfieldjulie]

Ooh wow Merry. Many many thanks. I will go looking at what you found. I have been helping a lady who is 90 years young, find out about her family. I had found quite a bit about other lines, but the Williamsons did my head in last night. Strangely enough, her husband who was adopted, knew more about his family than she did about hers. Sadly he knew who they were, but they did not want to know him.
That looks wonderful all those links.. Many thanks again. Cheers. Julie

[Olde Crone]

Elizabeth

Me too, I have McWilliam/Milne/Wilson in Deskford.

(McWilliam is of course the other way of writing Williamson, or so I am told).

OC

[tenterfieldjulie]

I have been to Inverness, but never further south, although we did find Glenlivet somewhere in that region I think and a wonderful herd of Heeland coos with their lovely shaggy coats. I would love to go back to that area, but not at this time of year.

Alexander Williamson and Janet Inglis married at Deskford 22/6/1861.
Janet's daughter Eliza Porter aged 2 was living with Janet's widowed mother Eliza in the 1861 Census. Eliza's birth is registered in 1859 father as William Porter.

[tenterfieldjulie]

What is going on here !!!??
on Find My Past - 1871 England, Wales & Scotland Census
66, Chapel Street, Rathven, Banffshire, Scotland
Janet Inglis Wife Married Female 34 1838 Banffshire, Scotland
Eliza Porter Daughter - Female 12 1859 Banffshire, Scotland

and no sign of Alexander Williamson.

But on Ancestry in the 1871 Census (see Merry’s post) -
They are living at 67 Chapel street with Alexander Williamson who Janet had married in 1861 … so why the difference!! ..

Is it because of the way I searched on FMP,
but why the one number difference in Street address .. a typo maybe ???

[Merry]

When I compare fmp and ancestry I find exactly the same people for both transcriptions (Alexander shows up as the head in both versions).

Ancestry has your family at number 67 and also this family at the same number:

John Findlay 62
Margaret Findlay 51
Isabella Findlay 10

Ancestry doesn't have anyone at number 66.

fmp has your family at 66 and the Findlay family at 67.

You would need to check Scotland's people for the image.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Thanks Merry. It just puzzled me .. maybe I just put in a search for Janet Inglis and it cut out Alexander Williamson, I've never experienced that before.

By quirk of fate, I worked for an accountant here in Tenterfield in the late 1960s by the name of Alexander Inglis. Janet's father was Alexander, his father was Alexander and his father was Alexander and they had a croft I believe that was called Berryhillock at Deskford, Banffshire. Deskford has it's own transcription site, like a OPC which was very easy to follow.

Alexander was a very popular name in Scotland, I was surprised to see, as I had never really considered it a Scottish name.

Janet signed herself Jessie on her marriage, but I had heard of that through the forum.

[Olde Crone]

Oh Julie, we are related! One of mine was at Berryhillock in the early 1800s. I'll go and look.......

OC

[tenterfieldjulie]

I wish we were related OC but I am doing this for a friend's half sister who turns 90 this year.
I have had a lovely time writing her mother's story and supplementing it with photos. I should have sent it to you for you to make sure I haven't made too many assumptions lol .. I know she will be very happy to know something .. My friend says she is so excited, as are her children who ring her and say What's the latest Mum!! .. This is on their father's side of the family, Dorothy doesn't know that I have been writing an account of her mother's family.

In what I have written I didn't tell her what it said about Alexander Williamson's birth..... Not that she would be surprised but I left a bit out. I found him aged 4 with his mother's parents on the 1841 Census. I am not sure what happened to his mother, who was Isobel Wilson.

Actually I'm not sure what happened to Alexander finally. I can track him through the Census to 1901 in Edinburgh and then he disappears. I did see an Alexander Williamson's death with the right age down south in England and maybe that is how James ended up in Essex. If things weren't good in rural Scotland, maybe he thought work opportunities were better in England.

It has been fun having a look at Buckie, Deskford, Fordyce, a part of Scotland I am not familiar with. You certainly would have needed be very strong to survive their winters. I have trouble here when it get's below -10 degrees, even with mod cons.

[Olde Crone]

Amendment - Oh Julie, your friend and I are related, lol.

BerryHillock is/was a small hamlet. My 4 x GGF John Reid, shoemaker, died at Berry hillock (address: House at Berry hillock). He was living there in 1841.

OC

[Merry]

In what I have written I didn't tell her what it said about Alexander Williamson's birth

What did it say?

[Olde Crone]

Merry

The Deskford church registers take a no holds barred approach to rcording, so you have three kinds of babies in Deskford.

1. Those babies you have with your wife.
2. Those babies you have as the result of fornication.
3. Those babies you have as the result of adultery.

Note: In Deskford, only married WOMEN commit adultery. All the married men are absolute saints and never commit adultery. The adulterous married women have the names of their husbands mentioned in the register.

OC

[Merry]

Why don't any of my relatives come from places where the minister has a no holes barred approach to recording?!

[Olde Crone]

Oh, that's not all though, Merry. The Kirk Sessions took a rather unhealthy interest in the details of the said fornication and adultery, which had to be laid bare (I pun!) before the audience.

Oddly though, this terrible punishment did very little to reduce fornication and adultery in the parish.

OC

[Uncle John]

My aged auntie (now deceased) was fascinated by the tale of her maternal granny's "goings-on" which was part of the tree I did for her 90th. What she didn't know was that after she died I received a pic from NZ of an unknown cousin (from granny's adulterous relationship) who was the spitting image of her brother. A further coincidence is that said brother was working in NZ at the same time as his alter ego.

Way back in my OH's Scottish roots is an 1850's birth which has a link to the Register of Corrected Entries (RCE) giving the lowdown on the Procurator Fiscal's enquiries as to the identity of the father of the child.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Alexander's baptism is recorded:

29 OCTOBER 1836 JOHN WILLIAMSON in Huntly had a Child in fornication with ISOBEL WILSON in this Parish born the 1st Inst baptised this day & named ALEXANDER. Witnesses Alexander Wilson, Alexander McKenzie, Jessie McKenzie and Isobel Bennet.

Alexander kept the name Williamson.
He is living with Isobel's parents in the 1841 Census.

I have not found anything more about John Williamson.

Isobel's baptism:
28 MARCH 1812 ALEXANDER WILSON in Burnheads had a Child by his Wife JEAN MILNE born this day baptised and named ISOBEL. Witnesses James Dougal, William Longmore, Isobel Milne and Isobel Wilson. [Deskford OPR, Vol.1 p.215].


Alexander Wilson was a weaver and it is great with the children's baptisms it gives locations Carrothead, Burnheads, Auldmore (one written as Oldmore).

In the 1841 Census, Alexander Wilson's transcription says H L W - does that mean Hand Loom Weaver?

[Merry]

And there was me thinking you didn't have anything before the 1901 census for this family!

In the 1841 Census, Alexander Wilson's transcription says H L W - does that mean Hand Loom Weaver?

Yes, it does.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Very sleep deprived beavering way too late Merry .. Extremely appreciative of what you found for me.

I also found that the OPCs in that area have very manageable records.

On rechecking I thought I had outsmarted myself with Alexander Inglis who married Eliza Ross and that he was too old for her. Fortunately on rechecking he was alive in the 1841 census and his age is 50 and her age 35.

I am now thinking that he could easily have been married before .. and there was a marriage to Margaret Whyte with half a dozen sons and then 2 years later a marriage to Eliza Ross, so I am conjecturing that Margaret died and Eliza came to look after the children .. and ended up marrying the boss .. weeeeelll it has happened before.

I had a brain wave a few minutes ago and reduce the 10 pages (I used some of my photos I took in Scotland) that I sent Dorothy into a 5 page article for our FHG Newsletter ... so I now just have to find another 7 ..

[ElizabethHerts]

Julie, I'm so pleased you are making good progress on this.

Could you please post the links for the OPCs? I struggle with my Scottish research and many of my Scottish grandmother's ancestors came from this area.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Liza I google a lot and it linked me to Dusty Docs ,which I really like, because it tells you who have done transcriptions.
I just looked at the Deskford entries and the ones I am using are called Sheena & Charles Family History. I found this time that they have also had done transcriptions of headstones in the churchyard. I don't think I will find any I am interested in, although I did see the name Brebner which comes into one of the lines.

[tenterfieldjulie]

This man I like - despite the odds he survived and cared for his family.

Born 1836 to an unmarried mother who is appears didn't want him.

She married another man in 1839.

In 1841 Census Alexander Williamson is with his maternal grandparents Alexander Wilson (every 2nd person is called Alexander!!) and Eliza Ross.

1851 Census he is a 13 yr old farm servant on quite a big farm, where maybe he learnt the trade of carpentry.

1861 Census he is a 24 yr old carpenter journey man living at Saughs, Rathven
as a lodger with the Wright family who had a farm of 35 acres.

Later that year he married to Janet Inglis who had a young daughter.

In the 1871 Census they are at Buckie where he is a carpenter and they have Janet's daughter and their 5 children with them.

In 1881 Census they are living at Rathven where he has his own cottage and they have 7 children at home

In 1891 Census they are living at Abroath, Angus and he is a house joiner. He is now 53 and her 32 yr old domestic servant daughter Eliza Porter who is unemployed is living with them, as is their son John who is 20 and a house painter and the baby of the family James who is 12

In 1901 Census they are living in Edinburgh
Alexander joiner, Janet, Isabella 26 charwoman, James 22 a car conductor. 2 granddaughters Isabella Morrison born Abroath and Mary Taylor born Dundee (staying with them).

In 1904 James marries in Chelmsford, Essex he is a farm worker, where he and his family are living in 1911 shortly before they migrate to Australia.

I don't know what happened to Alexander and Janet, but despite the odds, they survived and kept their family with them.. I think that is a great epitaph.

[Olde Crone]

Elizabeth

Google "Deskford OPR" and you should get the transcription site. (Which is excellent). Let me know if you can't find it and I'll find the link tonight.

OC

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks, OC. I've found it. I will have to investigate further.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Links to registers I have been using:
English Parish Registers Online
http://www.dustydocs.com.au/

http://www.dustydocs.com.au/link/153/41166/156361/baptisms-1660-1855-marriages-1659-1855-sheena-charles-family-history.html

I have au after my search but probably you don't need that.

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks, OC and Julie. The OPRs I seem to need aren't covered, unfortunately. It's tantalizing as some of the nearby places are covered.