Family Tree

[Shona]

This is an excellent article by the late Ian McDonald concerning the Blues of North Kintyre.

http://www.ralstongenealogy.com/number23kintmag.htm

Malcolm Blue's wife was named More - the Gaelic for Sarah.

[Iain]

Hi Thomas ! And welcome to The Kintyre Forum.

Good luck ! ..., Iain.

[annehastie]

Hi, I am trying to gain any information on the Campbell family from Campbeltown.The information i have is that Colin Campbell born 1861,in Campbeltown who was my g.grandfather,known to have left campbeltown between 1879 & 1882 down to Lennoxtown.He had a twin brother Robert.Their father was also Robert who had a fishing business.(two male family members beleived to have drowned at sea ).Colin Campbell`s mother was either a Mary Wilson or Cathrine Campbell.Any information would be of great help to us.

[Shona]

Hello, Anne, and welcome to the Kintyre Forum.

I wonder if you might like to post this as a separate discussion thread? Or poss the moderators could put the topic under its own heading?

I wonder if you could tell me a bit more about the information that you have. For example, have you looked at Colin's birth record on Scotland's People? That would give the name of his parents. Also, have you tracked the family on any census records?

Had a wee look on both Family Search and Ancestry, but wasn't able to find a Colin Campbell born in C/T in 1861.

Look forward to hearing from you.

[annehastie]

Hi Shona,
I would like to put this on a seperate thread bud not that great with computer.

The information we have on Colin comes from the 1891 scotland census,stating that he was 30 years of age and place of birth was Campbeltown,Argyleshire.We have his marriage cert saying that he was married in the campsie area at the age of 23 and living in Lennoxtown.
We would like to get any information on his father Robert Campbell who was a fisherman,married to Cathrine Campbell or Mary Wilson.we have been on the ancestry sites and we can`t seem to get past Colin.we know Robert Campbell was deceased when Colin got married.
Any info would be of help

Thanks

[Iain]

Hi Ann ! Welcome !

Simply go to...
viewforum.php?f=60

Click on “New Topic” on the top left. A window will then open with two white writing areas.
In the “subject” box, write your title..., then in the box below, ask your question !

Then simply click “submit.”

..., Iain.

[Shona]

I think I've cracked it!

It's a bit complicated, so stick with me as I try to explain everything. Basically, Colin's birth surname wasn't Campbell. Some of the following you will know, but it may help others if my reply is as full as possible.

First, though, have you checked any of the records on Scotland's People, as opposed to Ancestry? There are some appalling transcription errors on Ancestry.

The info below has been compiled using Ancestry, Family Search and Find My Past.

1901 census, Motherwell

Colin Campbell, head, 40, fireman, furnaceman, b Campbeltown
Catherine Campbell, wife, 39, born Glasgow
Louis Geo Campbell, son, 17, ironwork labourer, born Glasgow *
Colin Campbell, son, 15, ironwork labourer, born Glasgow
Catherine Campbell, dau, 13, scholar, b Lennoxtown
Annie Campbell, dau, 11, scholar, b Lennoxtown
Peter Brown Campbell, son, 6, scholar, b Lennoxtown
Robert Camnpbell, son, 4, b Lennoxtown

* Ancestry has his name transcribed as Locus!

1891 census, Lennoxtown

Colin Campbell, head, 30, print furnaceman, b Campbeltown
Catherine Campbell, wife, 29, b Glasgow
Louis G Campbell, son, 7, b Glasgow *
Colin Campbell, son, 5, born Glasgow
Catherine Campbell, dau, 2, b Campsie
Annie Campbell, dau, 5 mo, b Campsie

* Ancestry has him as Louisa.

Campsie is the registration district for Lennoxtown.

I failed to get any hits in Campbeltown for Campbell births that fitted the facts. Nor could I find any marriages which were correct, so I decided to search various databases for Robert born c1861 in any Kintyre parish with a mother named Catherine or a mother named Mary.

Bingo! I found him, but his name wasn't Campbell.

1871 census, Kirk Close, Longrow, Campbeltown

Catherine Curdie, head, 56, washerwoman, born Caradale
Robert Curdie, son, 12, scholar, born Campbeltown
Colin Curdie, son, 12, scholar, born Campbeltown

Working on this surname, I found the family in 1861 - as I said earlier, there are some dreadful transcription errors to contend with!

1861 census, Main Street, Campbeltown

Roberta Carder, head, 55, shoemaker, b Southend
Catherine Carder, wife, 45, born Glenbarr
Flora McNeill Carder, 10, scholar, born Campbeltown
Robert Carder, son, 2, born Campbeltown
Cater Carder, son, 2, born Campbeltown

Next I found a marriage between Robert Curdie and Catherine Campbell - 25 December 1856 in Campbeltown. So Flora above was born to a previous marraige of either Robert or Catherine, or she was illegitimate. I'm inclined to think there was a previous marriage somewhere as there is also a Catherine Curdy on the 1871 census - she was 18, b in C/T and working as a domestic servant.

Then I found the twins' birth record.

Colin Campbell McCurdy 9 September 1858, Campbeltown
Robert McCurdy, 9 September 1858, Campbeltown

Parents named as Robert McCurdy and Catherine Campbell.

I'm fairly sure that the births above are correct, although I've not looked at any of this on Scotland's People. I'd look at the 1871 census record to see if Catherine was a widow at the time. I didn't find any other children born to this couple, so it is poss she was a widow. If she was, then you could try to look for Robert's death on SP. If you do double-check this on SP or make any further discoveries, let us know what you find.

I'm going to look into this a wee bit more to see if there are any first marriages for Catherine and Robert...and to see where this mysterious Mary Wilson fits in.

[Shona]

Some more leaves to add to the McCurdy/Curdie family tree.

Robert McCurdey was baptised in Southend parish on 23 April 1805. Father named as Charley McCurdey. In addition to this baptism record, there is a corresponding record in Campbeltown. Robert Maccurdy, born 22 April 1805 and baptised on 25 April 1805. Father: Charles Maccurdy. Mother: Mary MacMath. Charles and Mary had a daughter named Mary born in Campbeltown in April 1803.

Looking through various notes that I have, I came across this:

Mary Morrison, a former sick nurse, died in the poorhouse at the age of 78 in 1881. Her father was Charles Curdie (dec), stone mason. Mother named as Margaret McMath (dec).

It does seem as if Robert married more than once as there is a marriage between Robert McCurdy and Mary Loynachan in Campbeltown on 23 December 1828.

Here they are in the 1841 census:

Broombrae Street, Campbeltown

Robert Curdie, 35, fisherman, born Argyll
Mary Curdie, 40, born Argyll
Christie Curdie, 10, born Argyll
Alex Malister, 11, born Argyll (I reckon this is McAlister)

And in the 1851 census:

Shore Street, West Side, Campbeltown

Robert Curdie, head, 45, fisherman, born Southend
Mary Curdie, wife, 50, born Campbeltown
Christina Curdie, dau, 19, dressmaker, born Campbeltowm
Margaret Burrell, 16, lodger, scholar, born Cupar, Fife

[Shona]

Turning to Catherine Campbell, she, too, had a previous marriage.

Catherine Campbell married Neil Menzies on 22 November 1840 in Saddell and Skipness parish.

Children born to Catherine and Neil (all Campbeltown):

Mary Menzies, born 1 Sept 1841; baptised 20 Spet 1841
George Menzies, born 17 Dec 1844; baptised 19 January 1845
John Menzies, born 1 Oct 1847; baptised 31 Oct 1847
Flora Menzies, born 18 Aug 1850; baptised 3 Nov 1850

The Flora Menzies above looks like the Flora McNeill 'Carder' who appears as a 10-year-old in the 1861 census.

[Shona]

Re: Charles McCurdy and his wife Margaret Mary McMath, I'm sure that I've read somewhere that Charles McCurdy as born in Ireland - possibly Rathlin Island.

Iain - are these McCurdy people linked to your Black family from Rathlin?

[Shona]

Playing around with the search facility on Scotland's People, there is a death of a Robert Curdie in 1863 in Campbeltown.

[Iain]

Playing around with the search facility on Scotland's People, there is a death of a Robert Curdie in 1863 in Campbeltown.

[annehastie]

hi shona
the info you have supplied us with has been of the greatest help .we are now going to consentrate on cathrine campbell.
we are doing this family tree for my father who turns 80 next week,and one of his surprises is that we are making a trip up to campbelltown this saturday with him.

many thanks again

[Shona]

What a lovely gift. I hope he enjoys the trip.

[Iain]

Bon voyage Ann !

Just a short note... It was "Lizspean" who started this post concerning the Blacks and I found it rather unusual that she did not reply to any of the three pages..., and the post then seemed to “wander” a little.
This was obviously due to the fact that being a new member and confused, she started using PMs instead of answering directly to her post.
In order not to mix apples and oranges I've posted a new updated post for her independent of this one; under her title...


Black, the Bakers, Saddell St.

viewtopic.php?f=60&t=16301