Military Chat

Thanks a million for the info guys:-

@Kath: I am also really hoping that birth date is correct. What puzzles me a bit is this- I downloaded your newspaper article and studied it at length yesterday. By 1862 John's father (Alex) was already serving as stationmaster at Dingwall and by 1874 he was on his was to Georgemus. As stationmaster at Dingwall, surely they would have stayed in the stationmasters house there? Then why on the 1871 census shown above (assuming we have the correct one which I think we do), did the address show 6 Albert Place, Inverness? And the 2 birth announcements we assume of Alex & John show the same?

When I do a search for Dingwell births for John, only 2 in 1869 come up, nothing for 1870 and 1871 for Dingwell under his name. And, I don't know if I am doing it wrong, but no births come up for John Macdonald in Inverness from 1869-1871. I have my credits ready and waiting to use, but I don't want to make a mistake and waste credits on the wrong entry which I have already done enough of.

Sorry Kath, I am not sure what I am doing with keepsake. The first link I sent you was for the whole folder, so maybe that was wrong. This link is just for the front and back of the coin. Let me know if it works.

https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/68000967

https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/68000873

Thanks so much Chris for that military info which is hopefully our John (if only his parents had given him a 2nd name it would have made searching so much easier!). I am holding thumbs like mad that this is the right one. The web link you sent me charges 80 pounds per hour (min an hour) So I want to be sure I am barking up the right tree so to speak before committing to a huge amount like that.

I have just bought another set of credits for Scotlands People, and I will start trying to find John's birth entry based on those newspaper announcements you sent me. Btw, I tried to find those two birth announcements using all the right key words. If it is not too much trouble to ask, would you be able to send me the exact link or what exact page of that edition the announcement is on, then I can find it more easily.

02 December 1869 - Inverness Courier - Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland
Birth
At 6 Albert Place, Inverness, on the 26th ult., the wife of Mr Alex. Macdonald, Railway Guard, of a son

Many thanks once again.

(grief, we used to go there years ago!)

Chris :)

If you have credits, would take a look at that 1871 census image, for age of John (7mths?)...(the 1869 Birth could have died)

Chris :)

(you need Scottish help, be patient, lol)

(1869 newspaper searching, you need to filter...(name of newspaper) (year) (month) (then date range) (keyword box, albert place)

(leave first and last name boxes blank) (newspaper searching not always a case of using surname)

The keepsafe link worked this time. Having looked at it I don't think it is a medal. It seems to be a crown coin minted to commemorate Queen Victora's Silver Jubilee. See here:-

https://www.silveragecoins.com/en/details.php?item=2198

Kath. x

(brief version, to help with finding Birth on SP, particular interest in 1869 one, to match John on 1871)

(without seeing actual 1871 image, not sure on that age!)

Chris :)

02 February 1866 - Elgin Courier - Elgin, Moray, Scotland

Birth
At 6 Albert Place, Inverness, on the 29th ultimo, the wife of Mr Alex. Macdonald, Guard, Highland Railway, of a son.


02 December 1869 - Inverness Courier - Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland

Birth
At 6 Albert Place, Inverness, on the 26th ult., the wife of Mr Alex. Macdonald, Railway Guard, of a son


(from google, The 1871 Census for Scotland was taken on the night of 2/3 April 1871)

Annie Mcdonald
in the 1871 Scotland Census
Name: Annie Mcdonald
Age: 32
Estimated birth year: abt 1839
Relationship: Wife
Spouse's name : Alexander Mcdonald
Gender: Female
Where born: Alness, rossshire
Registration Number: 98
Registration district: Inverness
Civil Parish: Inverness
County: Invernessshire
Address: 6 Albert Place
ED: 10
Household schedule number: 293
LINE: 25
Roll: CSSCT1871_17
Household Members:
Name Age
Alexander Mcdonald 30 - Railway Guard
Annie Mcdonald 32
Alexander Mcdonald 5
John Mcdonald 7months


1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Railway Station, Edderton, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Alexander McDonald Head Married Male 40 1841 Station Master Invernessshire, Scotland
Transcription
Ann McDonald Wife Married Female 40 1841 Station Master's Wife Ross & Cromarty, Scotland
Transcription
Alexander McDonald Son - Male 15 1866 Bank Clerk Inverness, Invernessshire, Scotland
Transcription
John McDonald Son - Male 11 1870 Scholar Inverness, Invernessshire, Scotland
Transcription
Ann McDonald Daughter - Female 9 1872 Scholar Inverness, Invernessshire, Scotland

At the time of John's birth it looks as if Alexander was still a Railway Guard and not a Stationmaster, so that could be the reason the family home was still in Inverness and not at Dingwall or Edderton. He would only get to live in the Stationmaster's house when he became a Stationmaster.

Kath. x

Here I am, Chris - couldn't resist your prompt, though I'm just about to go out!

Looking up the 1871 census for Alexander (railway guard) in Inverness, I see I've already viewed it in the past - must be on one of your other threads, Janet.

(I'm pretty sure there's another long thread about John.)

So I haven't had to pay again to look at it.


EDIT:
I see you've already got it, Chris!


John's age on the image is just given as 7 - but could be a mistake by the clerk.

If it was my search, I'd be satisfied that it's the right family. Everything else fits.
Alexander born Kiltarlity, and Annie in Alness, both as in 1901 census - already on the other thread, but posting again here for ease:

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Wynis Cottage, Fodderty, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Alexander MacDonald Head Married Male 60 1841 Railway Stationmaster Kiltarlity, Invernessshire, Scotland
Transcription
Annie MacDonald Wife Married Female 60 1841 - Alness, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland
Transcription
Annie MacDonald Daughter Single Female 24 1877 General Serv Inverness, Invernessshire, Scotland
Transcription
Catherine Munro Visitor Single Female 63 1838 Annuitant Alness, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland

(lol, now can you see the problem AG, Janet has credits to get Birth, but...which and where?, phew!, glad I'm orf' in a minute, lunch at garden centre!, will look in later)

Chris :)

(yes, below was previous)

https://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/ancestors/thread/1367328?page=0

Argyllgran!!!!....... I thought I had lost contact with you when my computer was stolen and all my records and logins for this site lost. Fortunately I had put a copy of all of the information you gave me on the cloud when I first started my search last August when I was in London. You were instrumental in helping me in those early days, and the reason I am so far along with my research today. I started these two new queries to fill in a few gaps I still had, ie a DOB/Military Records for John Macdonald and to see if I could pick up a DOB for his son, my grandpa, Alexander Macdonald who was born in Bulawayo.

Chris & Kath have been so helpful with filling in some gaps, especially the links to newspaper articles giving such amazing details of their lives. And it is nice to hear your affirmation that we are on the track and are following the right family. That makes me so happy. Now I am on a mission to confirm that I have the correct DOB and military info for the right John Macdonald which will make my year!! Chris says to have patience, but it is not in my Scottish blood ;-)

Now that I have the hang of this keepsake thing, I am uploading the marriage certificate of John Macdonald (town clerk) & Mary Dougall, as well as his death certificate. You can see that the ages shown on these certificates point to two different years of birth, which is why I have been so confused about them.

https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/68034509
https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/68034498

For those that may be able to gleam more information off them, here are the marriage certificate of Alexander (Stationmaster) and Anne Munro and the death certificate of Alexander.

https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/68005894
https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/68005785

From FamilySearch:

John Mcdonald
Scotland Births and Baptisms
Name John Mcdonald
Gender Male
Birth Date 26 Nov 1869
Birthplace INVERNESS,INVERNESS,SCOTLAND
Father's Name Alexr. Mcdonald
Mother's Name Ann Munro


Unfortunately, you still don't know which birth cert to look at on SP, as the free basic search only gives the year, and not the month, (as you know).

There are 13 John Mcdonald (without a middle name) births registered in Inverness 1869-70.
His birth might not have been registered until the beginning of 1870.


EDIT:

But at least all the images are viewable on SP. 13 x £1.50 (cost of 5 credits) is "only" £19.50, so won't break the bank even if you have to look at all of them - and it would be particularly bad luck if the right one was the 13th! You'd likely find it sooner than that..

Re the keepsafe links you've posted, Janet -

John's birth [EDIT: I mean marriage ] cert won't show automatically - GR directs me to a page asking your permission to view - so I've done that.

His father was the informant on the death cert, and he was approx 78 at the time (though not that much older than me!), and may have got confused about John's age .

@Argyllgran: The information that you provided on Family Search as good as buttons down the confirmation that John was born 26/11/69, because it corroborates the birth advert that Chris found of a birth at Albert Road, Inverness on that date (see above). And the Albert Road part of the birth announcement verifies that the 1871 census showing Albert Road is the correct one for our family. I am going to download some of those births on SP, but even if I don't find it I am happy enough to know that I got the right DOB, even though I don't have official proof of it.

Just one thing: I think I might be searching wrong on SP, cos when I search births for John 1869-1870, I get 20 names and not 13. Where it says "County/city/minor records", what should I put there? And where it says "District", what do I put there? I tried Inverness for both and it didn't work.

I thought you may like to look at the obituary from the Bulawayo Chronicle (in 2 pieces). There it stated his birth at 1869, but it conflicted with the DOB that I deduced from his ages on marriage/death certificates. Now I know it was right all along:-

https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/68001043
https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/details/68001057

(well that looks right!, suppose he might be buried same place as Alexander below)

Takes time to learn with 'searching' Janet, a case of 'playing' round, not helped when FMP change things, we had this not long ago!, and sometimes less is more when filling in those boxes!)

Chris :)

05 February 1920 - Aberdeen Press and Journal - Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire

LATE MR A. MACDONALD, FOCHABERS.
The funeral of Mr Alexander MacDonald retired stationmaster, Fochabers, took place on Tuesday to Tomnahurich Cemetery Inverness. A large gathering of the general public accompanied the funeral to the railway station, while the members of Lodge Lennox of Freemasons also attended.

Select "Inverness" in both places on SP, Janet. It brings up 14 names, but one has a middle name, so I assume that's not your John.
I don't understand why it doesn't work for you.

I've looked at the marriage cert now, and that agrees with the 1869 birth - though could mean a birth any time between 6 March 1869 and 5 March 1870.

I'm afraid the print's too small in the obituary image for me to read!

From find a Grave:


Alexander McDonald
Birth unknown
Death 1920
Burial
Tomnahurich Cemetery
Inverness, Highland, Scotland
Memorial ID 182535304 ·

Gravesite Details Spouse: Munro Annie

No sign of John in that cemetery - or anywhere on Find a Grave (for what that's worth.)

Perhaps he was cremated and his ashes sent back to his wife in Bulawayo.

lol AG, that's another one about to change also!, I'm hangin' on to the old site search, live in fear when it changes!, been useful on here over the years)

https://www.findagrave.com/

Chris :)

Edits

(I posted below earlier, perhaps she related somewhere!, at Albert Place also, between 1866 and 1869 Births)

09 January 1868 - Inverness Courier - Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland

Death
At Albert Place, Inverness, on the 25th ult., Ann Munro, daughter of Alex. Munro, Mason

Thanks Chris for the additional link to a newspaper article. I love reading (and saving) them. I had a good giggle about the "Find a Grave" site - never heard of such a thing.. I am grateful for those grave details of Alexander, because my uncle (dad's brother) went over to try and find it and John's and could not locate it. John's widow never went back to Bulawayo, she came to live with her eldest son Alex (my grandpa) and is buried in Pietermatizburg, very close to where her husband fought in the Boer War.

I suspect that the Ann Munro death at Albert place is just coincidental, because unless my records are wrong, Ann's father was a John Munro and her mother was Anne. She was married to Alexander (stationmaster).

On a separate note, maybe the team can help me with my final loose end. I have very little information on Alaxander's (stationmaster) parents, Alexander Macdonald (shoemaker) and Christian (Christy) Sutherland. They are referenced on the 1841 census and they are references on Family Search under the birth of one of their Son's, Alexander's brother Donald. For your info, here is the info sent to me by Argyllgran in August:-

Alexander Mcdonald
in the 1841 Scotland Census
Name: Alexander Mcdonald
Age: 7 Mo
Estimated birth year: abt 1840
Gender: Male
Where born: Inverness, Scotland
Civil Parish: Kiltarlity
County: Inverness
Address: Lenakyle
Parish Number: 101
Household Members:
Name Age
Alexander Mcdonald 45
Christy Mcdonald 45
Margaret Mcdonald 20
Anne Mcdonald 14
Christy Mcdonald 10
Donald Mcdonald 8
Alexander Mcdonald 7 Mo
Joh Mcbean 30

Alexander was born 1796 and Christy 1796. The parents are also mentioned on Alexander's (stationmaster) death certificate and his birth certificate which is barely readable, but here is the link: https://www.genesreunited.co.za/keepsafe/asset/edit/68005925

AG also found a marriage reference for Alexander & Chrisy, but we wonder if it is the same couple as it would make their first two kids in 1820 and 1827 born out of wedlock which was unusual in those days:

MCDONALD
ALEXANDER
CHRISTIAN SUTHERLAND/
07/01/1830
038/
30 30
Latheron

How does one find more information on people prior to the first census of 1841? Or have I pretty much reached my dead end now? Your thoughts?