Alexander Smith
1839 - c1878
| Relationship to me: | Great Grandfather | Gen -3 |
|
| Born: | 17 May 1839, Old Machar, Aberdeen, Scotland | ||
| Died: | c. 1878 | ||
| Age | approx 39 | ||
| Father: | James Smith | ???? - ???? | |
| Mother: | Mary née Nicol | ???? - ???? | |
| Brothers: | Possibly a James Smith (see below) | ||
| Sisters: | Unknown | ||
| Married: | Margaret Young m. Cloy, Rosemarkie, 18th Sep 1867 | ||
| Children: | James | b. c1864 | |
| Simon | b. c1867 | ||
| Alex | b. c1869 | ||
| John | b. c1871 | ||
| Daniel | 1878 - 1934 |
Alexander Smith: Not very much is know about Alex Smith. :His 1867 marriage record when he married Margaret Young show their ages as 28 and 23 respectively, which in the case of Margaret is inconsistent with the 1881 census which put her age at 34 (when perhaps she lied about her age!). Alexander is shown to be both a ship's carpenter and salmon fisherman who was then resident in Aberdeen. Margaret is described as a Farmer's daughter, hailing from Cloy in the parish of Rosemarkie (which doesn't exist on Google Maps). Daniel's parents are shown to be James Smith (also a salmon fisherman) and Mary née Nicol. Margaret's parents were Simon Young, farmer and Mary née Bisset. The marriage was witnessed by James Smith (father or brother?) and Donald Young (presumably Margaret's brother).
Going back further, Alexander Smith's baptismal record shows that he was born on 17th May 1839 and baptized in Old Machar, Aberdeen, his parents being recorded as James Smith, farmer at South Murcar, and Mary Nicol. I'm not sure where Murcar is or was located, but it is still a commonly used name in the area. Old Machar is the old town on the north side of Aberdeen, where the university's Kings College is located; also Crombie Hall where I spent my first two years at the university. Perhaps Alexander was baptized in the Old Machar cathedral, though I guess it is unlikely.
The only record of death of an Alexander Smith that I have so far been able to find through http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/search/death/index.aspx is that of a man aged about 40 who died in Drymen, Stirling, on 18th April 1879 from "congestion of the lungs". This could not have been Dan's father if he was deceased at the time of Dan's birth in 1878. Furthermore, I can find no record of Dan or Margaret Smith living in Ross and Cromarty in the 1891 census, so presumably they must have moved on by then. With a name like Smith, they may not so easy to trace!
Last updated: 1 Nov 2007
Page created: 1 Oct 2007
