McKenzie's of Croy

sasplin · Post by **sasplin** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:38 am

Good morning -

I have hit a brick wall and wonder if anyone can help?

I am looking for the parents and/or siblings of John McKenzie, born 1824 in Croy (according to 1851/61 Scotland Census). I have looked on 'Scotland's People' but it comes up short with this search criteria.

Can anyone help or point me in the direction of other resources?

Many thanks,

Steve

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:56 am

Welcome to Talking Scot

If he lived to 1861 then you should be able to find his death certificate on Scotlands People, that should give you his parents' names [providing the informant knew them correctly]

Was he married before 1855? if after that date, again his parents' names should appear on his marriage entry on SP [and potentialy more accurately].

sasplin · Post by **sasplin** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:26 am

Many thanks -

I believe he was married in 1843 to a Mary McKay who was also born in 1824 and also from Croy, and again I can't find any parental details for her.

I am unsure of when they died, so will try and look that up as advised.

Thanks

Steve

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:08 am

sasplin wrote:Many thanks -

I am unsure of when they died, so will try and look that up as advised.

Steve

If you look for them in the census returns, then you can narrow a date of death to a ten year window, and once you find one death it will say widow/widower of... or married to.... which will further narrow down the spouse's death.

SP seems to have 2 Mary M*Kenzie M*Kay deaths for around that birth date. Using * covers Mac/Mc variations. Whether or not either are yours I couldn't say.
As there are 6 pages of John M*Kenzie deaths the wife might be an easier one to look for!

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 3:13 pm

Hi Steve,

Do you have the names of John and Mary's children? I've been looking at the census records and there are a couple of John and Mary McKenzies in Nairnshire at the right time to be yours.

If this is yours, then John and Mary were both alive in 1881, but I can't find John in 1891. A couple of possible Mary's come up.

1881 Census from Ancestry.com.

John McKenzie
Age: 55
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1826
Relationship: Head
Spouse's name : Mary
Gender: Male
Where born: Croy, Inverness-Shire
Registration Number: 123
Registration district: Nairn
Civil parish: Nairn
County: Nairnshire
Address: No 1 Tradespark
Occupation: Gen Lab
ED: 11
Household schedule number: 10
Line: 6
Roll: cssct1881_36
Household Members: Name Age
John McKenzie 55
Mary McKenzie 56
James McKenzie 20

Carol

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 4:54 pm

Ah THAT Croy, my mind went to the Bishopbriggs / Lenzie one.

I pass that on the train to Glasgow.....

sasplin · Post by **sasplin** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 6:17 pm

Thanks for the hints and tips, and yes, that is my lot on the 1881 Census. However, I'm still struggling to pin these people down! The two Margaret McKenzie's (McKay's) don't seem to be right and I'm concerned at following a wrong turn with the numerous John McKenzie's the SP throws up!

The birth certificate of one of their children James, tells me they were married in Croy in January 1844 - but that doesn't seem to be on Sp either!

Any other thoughts?

Steve

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:29 pm

Hi Steve
One thing always to bear in mind is that the OPRs primarily record those belonging to the Established Church. If your relatives attended any other church there is a strong possibility then will not turn up in the church records on SP.

If for instance they were Free Church (which given the area is a good possibility I reckon!) then given that the Free Church broke away from the Established Church in 1843 in The Disruption, the marriage, if it was recorded at all, would have been in a Free Church Register, if one was kept for that area.

Do you have any post-1855 marriages for any of the family? Looking at the entry, what church is named in the first column?

Best wishes
Lesley

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:18 pm

Steve,

Do you have the birth records for any of the other children? I see that SP has the OPR for John Jr. in 1846.

Check the birth records for the names of the witnesses. They frequently were relatives of the parents of the child.

This certainly is a slippery bunch considering that the census records show them mostly staying right there in Croy, Nairnshire all their lives! Doesn't help that Croy keeps moving from Nairnshire to Inverness-Shire!

Carol

sasplin · Post by **sasplin** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:40 pm

Many thanks for the feedback. The Free Church angle is an interesting one. The only post 1855 marriage I have is for John McKenzie and Mary's son John, but he worked for the OS and moved (and married) in to England and then Ireland.

How would I go about checking Free Church records - if at all possible?

Steve