Friday, August 3, 2007

MELVILLE in Portgower, LOTH

Researching MELVILLE, MACKAY, CLUNAS, MURRAY & SUTHERLAND in Loth

My GG grandmother, Jane Mackay married John MELVILLE in Portgower (or Loth in other records) on February 22nd, 1828. There are no other details listed on the OPR etc. and I have searched for years trying to find her parents and hopefully siblings. I have much more on the MELVILLE family.

Their first child was Catherine b. in 1829 ; she married James McKAY, son of James McKAY and Mary McLEAN ( also from West Helmsdale) in Edinburgh on March 28th 1856 and it seems they went to Australia.

2) Donald was born on 25, March 1830 in West Helmsdale was marked 10 on the 1841 census in West Helmsdale; but wasn't with the rest of the family on the 1851 census in West Helmsdale.

3) Hugh was born on 20th December 1831 in West Helmsdale and was 8 on the 1841 census; on the 1851 census he was 18 a cooper b. in Kildonan and he seems to have ended up in New South Wales as George Hugh with parents stated as John MELVILLE and Jane McKAY on his certs. and papers. He was an assistant harbourmaster and married Catherine McKINNON in Newcastle NSW on July 7th 1863; he was probably responsible for Catherine and James moving out there. On the birth of their son, George Hugh MELVILLE on 7th March , 1868 it gives his occupation as Master Mariner and birthplace as West Helmsdale. He died in 1911.

4) Jane was b. 21st of May, 1834 and married a police constable, Donald BREMNER of Olrig, Caithness in Edinburgh on November 11, 1855 and stayed there to raise a family.

5) Isabella, my G grandmother, was b. May 31st , 1836 and married George HENSON in Edinburgh on 6th November, 1861 and after living in various Scottish cities and having 4 children they moved to South Shields , England in the 1870s where they had 5 more .

6) Roberta was b. May 09, 1839 and married Alexander MURRAY, son of Angus and Margaret FRASER of West Helmsdale in Edinburgh on January 20th , 1866. They moved back later to help out with the cooper business on the croft and took it over after John and his second wife Grace MacPherson of Caithness had died.

Dorothy Blais, nee Henson, Vancouver Island, Canada

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