Jean Mcghie

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 3:59 pm

Hi Liz

Have a look at viewtopic.php?t=6548

This will show you how to use quotes.

Best wishes
Jean

LizzieS · Post by **LizzieS** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 5:30 pm

Hi All,

Just had a trip down to Dumfries-shire and I think I may have unravelled a little of the McConnan/Gracie mystery.

I visited the FHS in Dumfries and had a look at their records - we could find no trace of the birth of either Catherine or Robert though obviously found all the births of their children. In fact there were no other McConnans except one much further back. We did find that Robert & Catherine had another child who I assume must have died as he does not appear in later records. He was called Robert Gracie Mcghie born 13th April 1837.

East Morton was not and is not a village but a fair size farm with farm cottages and guess who the farmer was - Robert Gracie.

His children were born at East Morton , the first one, as far as I have found, in 1816 so the family must have been there when Catherine and Robert were married and having their children.

We can but speculate on their relationships - perhaps Robert M and Catherine were Irish Immigrants, McConnan sounds like a possible Irish name

, and were taken in by the family. I guess we'll never know.

Lizzie

Post by **SarahND** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 8:13 pm

Thanks for the update, Lizzie!
So the farm belonged to Robert Gracie... and presumably the McConnons were workers there. I wonder whether the McConnon parents possibly died young and Catherine was brought up by the Gracies? It seems a plausible scenario.

LizzieS wrote: I traced the death of Catherine Mcghie as suggested by Annette and that seems to fit with other facts in that it states she is widow to Robert Mcghie, Farm Grieve and her father is given as ...... Gracey. Her mothers name I can't make out though it may say Not Known.

On the death certificate, was only the surname of her father given, or is the ...... because it was illegible? And was her mother's name truly not known, or could it be something else? Perhaps you could post the certificate so we could have a look. It would be interesting to know whether the mother was Robert Gracie's wife or someone else altogether. And also whether the Gracey father was Robert or not...

Always more questions! But it's great that you went down there and found out about the farm!
All the best ,
Sarah

LizzieS · Post by **LizzieS** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 6:03 pm

Hi Sarah,

I wondered too if the Gracies had taken Catherine in for whatever reason. I haven't found any record of her parents as yet though, which is why I began to speculate that she might be an Irish Immigrant. There were a lot in Dumfries-shire at the time.

As regards the death certificate it is clearly written as father ......Gracey (wrong spelling) and having looked again mother Not known. As the age is also slightly out and the informant was the son-in-law I thought it likely that he didn't know all the facts!

As you say always more questions and I guess sometimes we never will find the answer but thanks for your thoughts.

Lizzie

Post by **SarahND** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:50 pm

Hi Lizzie,
I spent some time last night with a family of McConnons

Although they are probably not related, it's interesting to see the surname variation...

The children's births were very encouraging:

All are born to Thomas (Mc)Connell/on and Agnes Clark. There is another child, Joseph, who shows up in the census but whose birth I can't find.

Robert Connell, born 26 Jun 1858 Dumfries, Dumfries
David McConnon, born 25 Sep 1860 in Dumfries, Dumfries
Thomas McConnon, born 25 Mar 1863 in Dumfries, Dumfries
William McConnon, born 30 Aug 1865 in Dumfries, Dumfries
John McConnon, born 5 May 1868 Dumfries, Dumfries
James Fergusson McConnon born 29 Oct 1870 in Dumfries, Dumfries

So, nearly unanimously McConnon for these lot. BUT, when you start to look for them in the censuses, things start to vary.

In 1841 Thomas McConnel Sr. is in Troqueer, Kirkcubrightshire

1851 Thomas Connell was an Ag Lab in Caerlaverock, Blackshaw, Dumfriesshire

In 1861 the family is called Connal, and the children and mother all say they were born in Dumfries, Dumfries. The father was born in Irongray, Kircudbright

In 1871 Thomas Connel and family are at 16 Quarry Hall Rd, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire

By 1881 they have disappeared... (Do you think they have changed their name to Gracie?

)

Sarah

LizzieS · Post by **LizzieS** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:48 pm

Hi Sarah,

Sorry not to have responded sooner, been somewhat distracted by birth of next generation - our first grandaughter

Iwonder if theMcConnans you looked at are related in anyway to Catherine. It is interesting to see how spellings have changed.
I did think of that when we were in the FHS in Dumfries but couldn't see any births that looked anything like McConnan.
However some time ago you said:

There IS a Katherine McConnon born 17 NOV 1799 in Morton by Thornhill, Dumfries
Father: John McConnon
Mother: Jean Kerr

and I wonder if this could be Catherine after all. I haven't been able to find this birth. Could you tell me where you found it?
Thanks
Lizzie

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:55 pm

Hi Lizzie

Congratulations on the birth of your first grandchild.

Best wishes
Jean

Post by **SarahND** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:36 pm

Hi Lizzie,
Congrats on the grandchild!

LizzieS wrote: I haven't been able to find this birth. Could you tell me where you found it?

It is on the IGI on the FamilySearch.org site and is an extracted record, so should be in the OPRs on Scotland's People also.

Sarah

LizzieS · Post by **LizzieS** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 5:22 pm

Hi Sarah,
I still haven't been able to find that entry either in the IGI site or Scotlands people. I wonder what I am doing wrong?
Lizzie

Post by **SarahND** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 5:40 pm

Hi Lizzie,
Go to:
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/ ... ch_igi.asp

Fill in:
First name: Katherine
Last name: Mcconnon
Event: Birth/Christening
Region:British Isles
Country: Scotland
County: Dumfries

Search, and it is the only one that comes up

Similarly, on Scotland's People, if you go to Search Old Parish Register Births & Baptisms and fill in last name Mcconnon, date from 1 Jan 1799 to 31 Dec 1799, county Dumfries, parish Morton it is there too.
Regards,
Sarah