Where do i look next.....

Post by **Tracey** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 11:58 pm

Hope your sitting comfortably

My gt grandmother had three sisters (found so far) all born illigitimate - one ive found Alexina Grant Gray Geddes after RCE found as Gray. The other two, between us, me and family in Scotland have exhausted avenues we can think of looking for them.
Mary Ann Geddes b 1868 Gamrie Banff. The last i have for her is 1881 census living with her grandmother (who died 1886) at Blackcairn Gamrie Banff
Bessie - born Bessie Sangster Gordon Crawford Geddes 1879 St Ninians Stirling - no RCE but later known or found as Bessie Crawford or Bessie S G Crawford re 1881.Slains 1891 Cruden, 1901 Edinburgh. I have clicked nearly every name on SP to find their marriages, possible deaths but to no avail.
When all goes well were happy but when this happens

. Do i eventually assume that they quite possibly emigrated or worse move to England

. The closest i have is a few letters and a postcard of signed B?S from Manchester 1904. This postcard is of Heatan Hall and mentions a Scotch Fete (?) signed BS. Someone did try to find Bessie in Manchester but no luck there either. There is a 1901 English census for a Mary Geddes POB Barriff !! but the age is out big time (not that unusual).
Bessie i get the feeling could have gone anywhere. Mary Ann lived most of her life it seems with her grandmother and possibly nievely cant see her straying too far as she seems to have a very close family by her.

We have been looking for a long time but sometimes these things need a fresh mind to make sure you've looked in the right places

So, what do i do now

as these two could hold a key or two to what happened next

James Tabago · Post by **James Tabago** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 10:56 pm

Hello Tracey
I hope to go to Gamrie this week end. I can have a look for the grandmother of Mary Ann Geddes who died 1886 at Gamrie, do you know her name? If there are any other names you would like me to check please let me know. Will do my best.
J

Post by **Tracey** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 11:15 pm

Hello James

I actually know all about the grandmother but cant find her grandfathers death

He died somewhere between 1851 and 1861 census but more likely before 1855. They had a farm - croft, called Blackcairn in Gamrie and i havnt found when his son took over the running of it yet.
His name was James Geddes and all i know is he was born c1800 more likely in Fordyce. The grandmothers name was Mary Geddes (miss Sim). as i said know all about her but not where she is buried.
I know Blackcairn still exists as i was recently in touch with someone who stayed their for 6 months as her friend owned it

Thanks for your offer James and please dont go out of your way what i dont find now im saving for something to do in my retirement but by that time there wont be anything you cant find on the www

Tracey

James Tabago · Post by **James Tabago** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:30 pm

Hello tracey
Report back from trip to Gamrie, sadly no sign of any James Geddes or Mary Sim at St. John's Churchyard. The name you have for one of your line Bessie Sangster Gordon Crawford Geddes, I did find quite a few Sangster at St. John's also Gordon but alas again no link. St John's which is the older of the churchyards had the graves in groups ie Sangster, Strachen, Gordon, Watt etc.
There was one sim in the Gamrie yard but no link to you. I will keep the info I have on your line so that when I visit the Macduff and Banff graveyards I will keep a look out. I did find that in the St johns there were a lot of family memebers buried there but they came from other areas ie macduff, Turriff, Banff, Fordyce so still might be a chance of a find, ever hopeful.
J

Post by **Tracey** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:42 pm

Huge thank you James for looking.

My family often go up to Gamrie but also have found nothing so far. Last time they went they video'd most of the trip so i could see the coast line. If im correct St-John's church - you can only drive so far then have to reach it by foot. Fantastic church yard with iron gates and the ruin of the church. As seen on the DVD of the trip a lot of the head stones are unreadable. Shame. But its kept beautifuly and in a wonderful setting.
As for Bessie we have no clue to who her father was although a clue must be in one ofher many names but we suspect the father was a Crawford.
I just wonder how far away for their home in Gamrie (most of them did die at home) they would have been buried ?

Once again thank you for your time it is very much appreciated.

Tracey