Margaret Smith (née Young)
c1844 - ????

Relationship to me:	Great Grandmother	Gen -3
Born:	c. 1844
Died:	unknown
Age	??
Father:	Simon Young	c.1799 - from census
Mother:	Mary née Bisset	c.1807 - from census
Brothers:	Donald	c.1835 - from census
	Simon	c.1837 - from census
	Marlo	c.1839 - from census
	John	c.1843 - from census
	William	c.1847 - from census
Sisters:	Isabella	c.1833 - from census
	Mary	c.1840 - from census
	Janet	c.1842 - from census
Married:	Alexander Smith m. Cloy, Rosemarkie 18th Sep 1867
Children:	James	b. c1864
	Simon	b. c1867
	Alex	b. c1869
	John	b. c1871
	Daniel	1878 - 1934

Margaret Young

Unfortunately a search of Scotland's People has not yet come up with Margaret's birth record (see search output). Only one Margaret Young is recorded as being born between 1842 and 1848 in Rosemarkie and her parents were William Young and Ann Johnstone. Margaret's 1867 marriage record shows that her parents were in fact Simon Young and Mary née Bisset from Cloy near Rosemarkie.

The 1851 census records show Margaret living with her parents at Wester Raddery near Fortrose. Her father, then aged 52 is described as a farmer with 30 acres of land, and her eldest sister Isabelle is employed at home. Her mother and father are both recorded as being born in Rosemarkie. A Donald Young aged 46 (almost certainly Simon's younger brother) is recorded living next door at Cloy Raddery (presumably Cloy Farm at Raddery) with his sisters Isabella (56?) and Mary (45), and nephew Alexander (aged 20?). Google Maps identifies both Cloy Farm, Raddery and Wester Raddery at exactly the same spot, but includes a photo of Cloy Farm (copied at right from its "street view"). Indeed, this may be so, since the 1861 census shows both families living at Cloy but listed separately under adjoining properties. The 1841 census appears to have no information about the family.

The 1861 census shows Simon and Mary at Cloy with their three youngest children, William, Mary and a new daughter Janet, aged 9. Simon is now farming 55 acres. Still next door was his (presumed) brother Donald Young and his sister Isobelle now aged 56 and 66 together with nephew Alex now aged 30. In addition, Isabelle now had the assistance ofa domestic servant by the name of Ann Grant aged 19. Donald is also recorded as being a "farmer of 55 acres" which serves to confirm that the two brothers were working the same farm but living in separate houses. The land around Fortrose is quite flat and quite intensively farmed. 55 acres should have provided the Margaret's parents and family with quite a reasonable living, even if Cloy Farm appears somewhat modest.

Also of interest is the record of a Bisset family living next door, including an elderly Isobelle Bisset aged 87. Presumably this was Mary Young''s mother and Margaret's grandmother.

The 1867 marriage record of Alexander Smith and Margaret Young show their ages as 28 and 23 respectively. Margaret's age is consistent with her age given in the 1871 census where she is recorded as a "Salmon Fishers Wife" living in Aberdeen, 26 years old, born in Avoch [near Rosemarkie], and with a son James (2). The census was taken on 2nd April 1871 which puts her birth date between 2nd April and 18 Sept 1844 to match the census and marriage records. The 1881 census puts her at 34 (i.e. birth year 1846/7) which is probably an error.

The marriage record shows Alexander as 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 (see Cloy Farm, pictured below). Margaret's parents were Simon Young, farmer and Mary née Bisset. The marriage was witnessed by James Smith (either Alex's father or brother) and Donald Young, Margaret's eldest brother.

According to Alan Johnston, the 1871 census shows Margaret as 26 years old, born in Avoch, Ross-shire, salmon fishers wife with her first-born James aged 2 born also in Ross-shire. She was then living at 20 Bank Street, Old Machar, Aberdeen. Enumeration District 21 Household Schedule 136.

The 1881 census records Margaret Smith as a widow, aged 34, living at 18 High St, Union Tavern, Fortrose, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland, whose occupation was Innkeeper, Fortrose being just a mile south of Rosemarkie.

Neither the 1891 census nor the 1901 census shows any Smiths living in Fortrose, however the Royal Pharmaceutical Society reports that when her son Dan Smith first registered as a Chemist and Druggist in 1900, his registration address was 18 High Street, Fortrose, and that his address remained the same until 1906 when he was deregistered after he had left for India. It is therefore probable that the census records are inaccurate or incomplete. Anyway, it is not known whether Daniel was living with his mother at that time since the year of her death is unknown.

Last updated: 24 Jan 2011
Page created: 1 Oct 2007