The Margaret McCulloch Mystery...another "missing"

[LesleyB]

If anyone can suggest a way forward with this one I'd be most grateful as its stumped me for ages:

Andrew McCulloch & wife Catherine Ross had 9 children I know of, all born Calrossie, Logie Easter Parish, Easter Ross:
Andrew b.1819 - d after 1851
Janet b. 1821 - d. after 1861
Ann 1824- 1890
William 1826-1916
Thomas Ross 1828-1890
Alexander 1830-1912
*Margaret b.1833
James Duff 1836-1926
Catherine Ross 1839-1920

In the 1851 Fearn Census Catherine age 50 & Andrew McCulloch, a Mason aged 60 and their children Janet, *Margaret, age 16 Ag.Lab, James and Catherine are at (33) Balnagore.

Balnagore is/was a farm. (this may not be the correct technical term - but thats what it looks like from the road! Might be a steading, an estate?? Only wanted to illustrate that it is not a large settlement population-wise.)

A Margaret McCulloch married a Hugh Munro (or Roy) in Fearn Church Vestry on 2 March 1852 She was residing at Balnagore at the time of marriage [NAS CH3/962/8], so it seems likely it may have been "our" Margaret, though not 100% conclusive.

On the assumption that it might be "our" Margaret I followed her:

Margaret McCulloch and Hugh Munro had (as far as I'm aware) 6 children ; Hugh 1851 (- the result of anti-nuptual fornication CH3/962/8 states) , Anne 1853, Mary 1856, Isabella 1862, Walter 1863 & John 1866 all born Fearn. (odd that there are no Andrews or Catherines, but I did wonder if maybe the child born before the marriage caused a major family fall-out. The McCullochs were a family who had to move Parishes in the disruption of 1843 due to being staunch Free Church supporters - they were "warned out of their land" and had to move from Logie Easter to the "next-door" Parish of Fearn. Maybe the family didn't approve of Mr.Munro. After all, he is mentioned in the Free Church records with an alternative surname of "Roy" and I'm not sure what this implies...?)

Margaret Munro then appears to turn up on several census returns, although her age and place of birth seems to alter substantially:

1871, Loans of Fearn
Hugh Munro H 53 Ag Lab born Fearn
Margaret Munro wife 42 (would expect around 38yrs) born Fearn
Hugh son 19
Margaret [this is Mary?] Dau 14
Isabella Dau 10
Walter, son 8
John, son 5, all born Fearn

1881
Meikle Rhynie, Fearn, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland
Source:FHL Film 0203408 GRO Ref Volume 064 EnumDist 1 P. 9
Hugh MUNRO M 63 M Fearn, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, Head Occ:Agri Lab
Margaret MUNRO M 55 [expected 48yrs] Fearn
Rel: Wife
Occ: Labourers Wife
Hugh MUNRO U 28 M Fearn, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Agri Lab
Mary MUNRO U 25 F Fearn, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Serv (Domestic)
Isabella MUNRO U 19 F Fearn, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: General Servant
Walter MUNRO U 17 M Fearn, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Agr Lab
John MUNRO U 14 M Fearn, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland

1891 Mgt Munro living at Rhynie Farm, a widow, former farm servs. wife aged 68 [expected 58yrs], but born Tarbat. This looks like it is the same family as above as children Hugh 40, Mary 35 and Walter 27 are all still at home - all unmarried farm servants. There is a granddaughter with them too - Mary Ann Fraser aged 9 born Fearn. (so born approx 1881/2 - not got far with investigations into that one yet!)

1901 Living at 20 Smiths House Tain (between Bogbain Farm House and Rosemount House) - Margaret Munro, widow, formerly farm crofter, age 80 [expected 68yrs!] born Tarbat, sons Hugh single 56 unemployed, feeble minded, and Walter single 38, Labourer Agri, living with her.

1905 - Son Hugh Munro died at Rosemount, Tain - Margaret McCulloch stated as mother, so looks like she was still alive.

1922 - Son Walter Munro died 20 Scotsburn Road, Tain. Margaret McCulloch stated as deceased.

1912 Also, in an obituary for Margaret's brother, Alexander McCulloch, who died 1912 at Newmilns, Ayrshire, it states (if you believe all it says in the Newspapers?!) that Alexander had two brothers and two sisters still living - brothers would seem to be James Duff McCulloch (Principal of the Free Church College, Edinburgh died 1926 Glasgow) and William who died in 1916, Kirknewton. Sisters were likely to be Catherine (Mrs Angus Graham, d.1920 Fearn) and Mgt. so Margaret may have died after 1912? This is not conclusive either as I don't yet know what happened to sister Janet, last sighted in the 1861 census.

I have been unable so far to find Margaret's death, despite having what looks like a fairly limited time-frame (1905-1922) to search. She could, in theory, be anywhere in Scotland as I don't know what happened to her other children - they may have moved away from the area. I hoped her death entry might confirm once and for all that she was indeed the daughter of Andrew McCulloch and Catherine Ross... but knowing the way these things seem to turn out, I will not be surprised if she died at such a great age that no one could remember who her parents were.....

I apologise for the great length of this but I felt it was necessary to give as full a picture as I could! Many thanks if you've read this far.

Best wishes
Lesley

[sporran]

Hello Lesley,


your posting was opportune, since it proved to be a useful test for the "new" site, which includes deaths using two surnames and a choice of years either side of the birth year. I searched based on 1833 ±5 years and there was only one. Margaret Munro ms McCulloch, widow of Hugh Munro farm servant, died in 1906 at Dornoch, Sutherland. Her parents were not who you hoped for.


Regards,

John

[LesleyB]

John-
Many thanks for your input on this one. I take it the "new" search options are not public yet? I didn't notice anything different but I look forward to using it - it should make a big difference.

What a disappointment though! I was a bit suspicious that her children's names just didn't look "right" but felt she was still worth following up.

Ho hum... Back to the drawing board....

Thanksfor your help,
Best wishes
Lesley

[sporran]

Hello Lesley,


the new site is undergoing its final test with the User Group, but that does not necessarily mean the end of testing. There is no definite release date at present, but SP are keen to release it as soon as it is ready. It has a very different look, so you will know when it has arrived.


Regards,

John

[Hil]

Hi Lesley,
I was interested to read that you have Ross (McCulloch) relatives that lived in the Fearn area & in particular Meikle Rhynie. Can you tell me if this was a farm or a town or...............
My Ross family was living at Meikle Rhynie in the 1871 census. The children were born in Tarbat/Fearn & remained in the general area for many years. Our family later joined with Mitchell's & Munro's but stayed in the general area, Fodderty, Balintraid, Saltburn, Invergordon. I still have relatives in Invergordon & I'm sure there are lots more I don't know about yet.
Your family's names are all very similar to mine, but I don't see any connection so assume they are just good, well used scottish names.
I'd love to hear from you if you have any info
Hil

[LesleyB]

Hi Hil
As far as I'm aware Meikle Rhymie is a farm/steading. It is certainly NOT a town. Although I've been up in Easter Ross several times I've not looked at it especially, but on the map it looks like lots of farms in that area - probably big house, maybe another smaller farm house, probably several small cottages for the many Ag. labs(!) and quite a few farm-type outbuildings. I expect quite a few families would have been living there at the time of the 1871.

To see it in 1881 on a map go to:

http://www.old-maps.co.uk/
Choose the co-ordinate option and paste in:
285552,879801

- then click on enlaged view.
Best wishes
Lesley

[DavidWW]

It never ceases to amaze me what turns up in Google. Search on "Meikle Rhynie" produces an amazing number of hits, including a Danish site listing the sightings of a particular type of goose ! - pink-footed in English, but it appears to short-beaked in Danish !

Nothing unfortunately that really helps the genealogical situation...........

David

[balaross]

Hi Leslie,

May have just a bit of possible light to shed on your Margaret McCulloch (Munro) and where she may have been in 1915.

First of all a bit of background. My Great Grandmother, Jane McCulloch Ross was the daughter of the Alexander McCulloch (b. Oct. 27, 1792 at Logie Easter) who was a younger brother of Andrew McCulloch (b. March 25, 1789 Drumgelly, Logie Easter) Both Andrew and Alexander were sons of Andrew McCulloch and Anne Duff. I have tracing McCulloch, Ross, Fraser, Banks and other related ancestors in all possible branches of their trees in Easter Ross and beyond for about the last 15 years. I have been working to a greater extent on this since I retired in 2006 from my position as a Reference Librarian
here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

I had come upon your Margaret McCulloch message before when doing Google searches on the McCulloch family, but did
not think I had anything to add to what you had. Your message did have useful information for me.

Here is what I have to share now in terms of a possible connection to Margaret McCulloch Munro. My Great Grandmother Jane McCulloch Ross had 9 children with her husband Alexander. Alexander Ross was born and lived at Balnagore and Jane McCulloch's family was living at Balnagore at one time (the Ross family and Jane's McCulloch family turn up next to each other in one of the censuses). Shortly after their marriage in 1846 Alexander and Jane Ross lived at Balavack, Delny, Kilmuir Easter where they farmed from about 1841 until the last of their family died or left the steading sometime in the 1930's. Jane McCulloch Ross's parents, Alexander and Catherine and her siblings, Donald, Betty and Fanny all lived at Balavack with the family at some time or until their deaths. I have over the years traced all of Alexander and Jane's children, but I couldn't find a death or other information for the eldest daughter Catherine (b. 1828). I thought perhaps she had married and indeed she did. In 1913 when she was about 65 years old she married a railway guard, William Birkens.

In looking at valuations I discovered that Catherine Ross (Birkens) had been living at Balintraid Pier at the time of her
marriage in 1913. The 1915 valuations show Catherine Birkens to be the proprietess of a house and garden at Balintraid
Pier occupied by a Miss Margaret Munro. So my thought of course is, that perhaps the Margaret Munro living in Catherine
Birkens property at Balintraid Pier might be Margaret McCulloch Munro. She would be first cousin to Catherine's mother Jane
as their fathers were brothers. Jane McCulloch Ross was born January 12, 1821 at Loandhu and Margaret McCulloch in September of 1833. I know that Andrew McCulloch (my Jane's uncle) died at Loandhu in 1857 - so perhaps the families overlapped their for some years and even though 12 years apart Jane and Margaret would have known of each other etc.

Let me know what you think. I will be glad to share any and all McCulloch information that might be of use or interest to
you. I keep two trees - an offline one (work in progress) and an online Ross tree in Ancestry.com that has Ross, McCulloch forbears, descendants, information etc.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Very sincerely, Jean R.

[paddyscar]

Hi Jean, and a warm welcome

Lesley will be pleased you've been able to take this forward.

Frances

[LesleyB]

Hi balaross

I've replied to your PM - great to hear from you.
I need to digest all your information! Will get back to you soon.

Best wishes
Lesley