John MACLEOD of Aird, Lewis.....

[kinsearcher]

I'm trying to trace backwards the family of John MACLEOD who left Aird, Lewis to study to become a Doctor. John MACLEOD was born 25th April 1893, died 13th April 1958.
John MACLEOD married Martha Gertrude Ingram SCOTT from Fraserburgh born on 14 May 1901,died 6th June 1997, on 15 Oct 1924 in Aberdeen.
I have some information already on his descendants, so I really want to find out about his forbears and any other family he may have had.
However, any information will be gratefully received.
Thanks,
James

[DavidWW]

Hi James

Welcome to TalkingScot


A John MACLEOD in Lewis, - that has to be difficult

No it isn't, actually, as we have the place and exact date of birth, as well as the names of his parents from the marriage register entry, - Donald MACLEOD and Annie MACLEOD MS CAMPBELL.

Firstly, Aird is in Stornoway parish (there's 10 places of this name in all Scotland!).

Sooo.... on to www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk and search for John M*CLEOD's birth in Stornoway registration district only in 1893, - OK this is a gamble in the sense that he was not only "from" Aird, but was also born there, but there has to be a good chance that he was born somewhere in Stornoway registration district.

There's 23 hits, but this number also includes Lochs registration district, so that there's only 10 records for a plain John. I'd have thought that a middle name would have come through on his marriage register entry so will ignore for the moment the 2 possibilities where there's a second, middle name, and the 3 possibilities where John is the middle name.

Now all we need to do is to pick the result that will be around April, - I lucked out and went first for #132 in the register, which is the correct birth record. Had #132 not been the correct record, then I'd have gone for a higher or lower number depending on the date of birth shown on #132 (but watch out for the fact that the entries are in order of date of registration not date of birth)

John's birth register entry gives the date and place of the marriage of his parents.

That marriage register entry gives the names of the grandparents of John b 1893. (Watch out for Mac and Mc ) There's a marriage in 1855 or later for one of those sets of grandparents, taking that line back a further generation. And there's post 1854 death register entries for two of those greatgrandparents, taking that line back to great-greatgrandparents.

IGI info suggests that the other marriage was pre-1855,; and it looks like someone else has extensively researched this line.

Had the search not worked out as above for the 1893 birth register entry then I'd have gone looking in the 1901 census for a family grouping matching the known info. (Later: not straightforward due to the surname M*cLEOD and the given names of John, Donald and Ann[ie], and the fact that the relevant entry is split over two pages , - it required viewing 4 images due to false matches.)

It may well be possible to extend the tree further via census entries, but these should be checked in any case due to the very common, and plain commonly occurring surnames involved, since I haven't checked that places given in the register entries are consistent; nor have I checked all the birth records, having jumped from one marriage to the next..........

David

[kinsearcher]

David,
Many thanks, both for the information, but also the speed you went at - I'm suitably impressed.
Now, while I'm aware of scotlandspeople, I've not used it so that's a learning process all of its own. I've registered and am now attempting to navigate around the site.
I've been delayed thanking you as I have plumbers in changing hot water tank/heating system stuff.
Here's who I'm looking at -
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i102/ ... acLeod.jpg
Thanks again.
James

[DavidWW]

David,
Many thanks, both for the information, but also the speed you went at - I'm suitably impressed.
Now, while I'm aware of scotlandspeople, I've not used it so that's a learning process all of its own. I've registered and am now attempting to navigate around the site.
I've been delayed thanking you as I have plumbers in changing hot water tank/heating system stuff.
Here's who I'm looking at -
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i102/ ... acLeod.jpg
Thanks again.
James

Hi James

You just caught me at the right moment

Shout if you need any assistance with ScotlandsPeople, but please read the extensive general "Help" as well as the context sensitive "Help" first

What a well preserved gravestone, - any idea on the translation of the Gaelic text?

David

[AndrewP]

What a well preserved gravestone, - any idea on the translation of the Gaelic text?

From the photograph:
Bha suil aige ri baile aig am bheil buneatean. Heb. 11. 10

Assuming the clue is the biblical reference:
Hebrews 11 10
For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

From what I can make out using my Gaelic-English dictionary, the Gaelic text is some shortening of the verse quoted above.

I make no claim to understand Gaelic, so if someone can read more into the text, please do.

All the best,

AndrewP

[kinsearcher]

Yes, translation would seem about right.

Now, do you clever folks believe in coincidences?

I was attending Hospital today - having painkilling spinal injections, carried out by an anaesthetist. Nothing remarkable you say? Right, and wrong. He is a Doctor John MacLeod from Lewis! This one is definitely ALIVE.
He is now suitably intrigued, as he apparently has Johns in his line before him and I think also a Doctor maybe. I'd printed a copy of the photo and added some details. Is there something in the air or the water over there?
James.

[mallog]

Wow ! That's amazing timing.

[kinsearcher]

Are there any on this list familiar with or living in Stornoway?
I have a streetmap already so am looking for more detailed info.
Thanks,
James.