HELP ...

[Mykayla's Gran]

After trying all sorts of combinations to find a marriage record for my GG Grandparents Finlay McGillivray and Mary Gibson I finally found this OPR – and I’ve been struggling with it ever since

16/12/1824 GIBPSON, MARY
(O.P.R. Marriages 282/ 0210 0132 Dundee)

Contracted 27 November
Married 16 December

Findlay McKintosh, Mason, and Mary, daughter of John Gibpson, Sailor, of South Ferry, both in this Parish.

The spellings are slightly off, but Mary was definitely born in Tayport, Fife (previously known as Ferryport-on-Craig or South Ferry). The details regards her father are correct, as is Finlay’s occupation. The only thing way off is Finlay’s surname – McKintosh. Now, coming from the Isle of Skye Finlay’s first language would have been Gaelic, but could that in any way sound like McGillivray to a non-Gaelic speaker .

Historically, the Macgillivrays were under the protection of the Macintoshes, so could that somehow explain it, or am I clutching at very slippery straws 8-[.

I’d be very interested in your thoughts.

Regards

Vee

[Russell]

Hi Vee

This one throws up some very interesting images for me.
A dottery old Session clerk whose hearing was not very good looking, in the light of a candle, at the notes he made last month. All the while he is muttering to himself.. " It looks like McGillivray, I wish I had sharpened that nib, I'm sure he said McIntosh. I must make my notes a wee bit clearer next time. No! I'm positive he said McIntosh !"

I would be inclined to put this one down as an almost positive. When you check off the number of positive factors in the entry against the negative ones, especially as you have not been able to find anything even closely matching. This looks to good to set aside. I would give it a score of about 94% for accuracy. As long as you keep that little question mark in your head just in case and follow up this couple to see if any of their siblings match in with your established naming patterns.
Ministers could be fallible too and not all of them enjoyed the book-keeping that went with the job.

Russell

[momat]

Hi Vee,
Do you have this ?

http://www.familysearch.org

Mary Gibson
Female

Event(s):
Birth:
16 MAY 1801 Ferry Port On Craig, Fife, Scotland
Christening:
Death:
Burial:

Parents:
Father: John Gibson
Mother: Margaret Simson

And this
MARY GIBSON
Female

Event(s):
Birth:
Christening:
Death:
Burial:

Parents:
Mother: JOHN GIBSON

Marriages:
Spouse: FINLAY MC INTOSH
Marriage:
27 NOV 1824 Dundee, Angus, Scotland

[Mykayla's Gran]

Russell and Maureen – I’m sorry for the delay in replying. I’ve had a lot of diversions in the past week and have hardly had a minute to call my own, so thank you both for your very welcome input … and patience!

Maureen, I did find your info a wee while ago but I put it aside because I found it puzzling and felt I wouldn’t be able to PROVE it was connected to my family, even though I was fairly convinced. Anyway, I finally got onto SP earlier this morning and found a bit more info on Finlay and Mary, and also young James (by the way, Finlay and Mary are my GGGgrandparents and not GG as I stated previously – I just feel like I’ve been around forever – since starting this wee hobby … ).

Russell I’ve downloaded the marriage from SP for Finlay (McKintosh) and Mary (Gibpson) which was recorded as 16 12 1824, but can’t find a McGillivray/Gibson marriage.

Also, I've downloaded the OPRs for all of the couple’s 9 children. They were recorded in Forgan (Marytown/Newport) some time (years!) after their births, and one had 2 JOHNS on it, one born 1827 and the other 1834. I presume one died young. On this OPR JAMES MCGILLIVRAY’S birth is recorded as 29 05 1825 but … I’ve also downloaded the OPR birth that you found Maureen, for JAMES MCINTOSH, which was registered in DUNDEE with his date of birth as 29 05 1826. If the 1826 birth was correct the gap between JAMES’ birth and JOHN 1’s birth would only be 8 months - mmm … still possible). Are you both still with me or have you run screaming off to the hills?

Also, (sorry!!) on the DUNDEE OPR for JAMES there’s a column headed “after”, as in who the child is named after, and I can’t make the surname out. That’s the first time I’ve come across that heading on an OPR and it could obviously be very useful! I wonder if I could upload it to the Gallery for someone with a sharper eye than mine to have a look at?

I hope you’re still awake guys . As for me, I didn’t get to bed until after 1.30 am and was up again at 4 so I’m having difficulty concentrating at present … another cup of coffee maybe? I do hope this makes sense to you. Please feel free to pull me up for any discrepancies - I’m almost asleep myself $ ! Thanks for looking!

Regards –

Vee