Peter Raitt - ships'carpenter

jen wilson · Post by **jen wilson** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:36 pm

Hello,

Peter Grant Raitt, born 1870, Aberdeen, was my great grandfather. He became a ships' carpenter, married Jane Milne and lived in Aberdeen until his death in 1959.

He had seven offspring: Ethel, Dorothea, Joseph, Norman, Jeannie, Ernest and James.

I should love to hear from anyone with a connection to this family but also would like to know more about Peter Raitt's working life. Can anyone suggest a way of finding out where he was employed and by whom? I have all his census entries from 1871 - 1901 and I believe he later lived on University Road but that's about it at the moment.

Thanks,

Jen

Post by **paddyscar** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:54 pm

Have you had a look at the Aberdeen & N.E. Scotland Family History site?

http://www.anesfhs.org.uk/index.htm

I was just asking in general terms, because it looked like a good site and you hadn't mentioned any previous searches.

Best of luck,
Frances

jen wilson · Post by **jen wilson** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:01 pm

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, I am a member of ANESFHS and have visited the offices in King Street but am not able to get there very often. I am hoping that someone with links to, or knowledge of, Peter Raitt will pick up this query.

Was there a specific section of the web site which you thought may be relevant or was it just general?

Regards,

Jen

eilthireach · Post by **eilthireach** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:17 pm

A quick google search throws up several links, amongst which the following are of interest:

http://www.twogreens.com/wakeup/peopleo ... penter.htm

http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/ser ... InPictures
(URL shortened to prevent the forum width exceeding the window width - AndrewP)

http://www.usmm.net/deck.html

A query followed by some interesting and informative replies on another forum!:
http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums ... hp?t=10506

jen wilson · Post by **jen wilson** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:28 pm

Well that's fascinating because I didn't think he actually went to sea and am now wondering whether his job description was inaccurate. I know that he was an apprentice house carpenter in 1901 and that at other times described himself as a mason. I assumed he was, later, more involved with the building of ships than the sailing and maintenance of them.

More digging needed now!

Ta,

Jen

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:13 pm

Hi Jen,

Do you know who Peter's parents were and where they came from?

My 2x great grandmother was Ann Raitt from Belhelvie where her father William was a farmer. Ann married John Munro in 1831 and they lived in Newhills where John worked as a farm laborer until sometime after 1861 when they moved into Aberdeen. They had 13 children and raised a couple of their grandchildren as well.

Carol

jen wilson · Post by **jen wilson** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:16 pm

Peter was the illegitimate son of Jane Raitt who was born in 1849, daughter of James Raitt and Christian Crichton.

James, born 1813 in Belhelvie, was the son of William Raitt, a road mender according to most censuses, and Margaret Martin. I have several other offspring for William and Margaret but not an Ann. Do you have her mother's name? It would be on Ann's death certificate.

Jen

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:05 pm

Well, hello Cousin I don't know how many times removed!!!!!!!!!!!

Ann's parents are William Raitt and Margaret Martin from Belhelvie. Ann's birth listing is for Jan. 19, 1808 but her death certificate says she was 69 in 1880 which would make her born in 1808.

Who else do you have for siblings? I haven't pursued the Raitts yet because I've been busy tracking down Clerihews. I do have an 1851 Census for Margaret Raitt living at Cloverhill, born 1783, with Margaret 30, William 33, and Jean 28. Is this the right family?

Ann and John's son Malcolm was my greatgrandfather. He and his family are buried in Nellfield Cemetery. If you look at the Gallery part of this website, there are a couple of pictures which I posted of their gravesite. Malcolm's daughter Ann Raitt Munro was my grandmother's sister and is buried there.

John and his son William worked as "road contractor" at one point, I think in the 1850's. Now I'll have to find those papers and look for his father-in-law.

Carol

PaulaD · Post by **PaulaD** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:39 pm

Hi Jen,

Your Crichtons and Milnes wouldn't be from Methlick area by any chance?
Mine married into my Gibb family. Earliest I have are John Milne born c1819 Longside married Margaret Gibb 1827 - 1903 and William Crichton 1780 - 1865 married to Mary Brichen/Bricken 1778 - 1826.

Paula

jen wilson · Post by **jen wilson** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:25 pm

Paula,

William Crichton and Mary Brichen ( sp.various) were my 4 x great grandparents.

My Milnes were from Lonmay with John Milne, born around 1777, married to Christian Mitchel being the furthest back I have managed to go. They had a son Joseph Milne, born 1815, Lonmay, who married Jean Birnie in Rathen in 1840 and who then most inconveniently died before the 1841 census, leaving Jean with a baby son, Joseph, born 1841, Lonmay.
(Jean Birnie subsequently re-married, Samuel Farquhar.) I'd love to know how Joseph died but I suspect it is unlikely that I ever will. Have looked for a burial record for him with no luck and can't think how else to follow this one.

What are your connections to William Crichton?

Jen