Absolutely - I traced a whole branch of my family who were named after a doctor-midwife (all his 3 names were given to the child with only our surname tacked on the end)...I can only assume he delivered the first of that name! Potentially a child could be named after anyone prominent or who offered a special service to that family at a time of need. Louise >...given middle names from local > politicians, church people, business men and neighbours.

Hi Howard, Interesting. One of my Alexander Kerr's daughters, Betty Whyte Kerr had twins. Alexander's son, George was a stonemason. His son, Robert Scott Kerr was a builder as was his son and grandson (my Dad). I believe, Alexander was a crofter. Do you know anything of Alexander Kerr b 1794? Regards Marilyn

Laura ... it's the Sherlock Holmes-ian aspects of this work that really get you thinking! In New Scotland (Nova Scotia, Canada) I have a large number of ancestors on several family lines who were given middle names from local politicians, church people, business men and neighbours. Oh yes, and some great grandparents too. This happened so often that it can be used to connect some branches of the families together. So then this may be a recognizable "alternate" Scots naming convention. Get over it <grin>! Regards - Glen C. Bodie Web http://Bodie.CA Home mailto:glen@glenbodie.com or mailto:Glen.Bodie@gmail.com Cell mailto:TyTN@Bodie.ca (no attachments) Snail Mail: 76 Strathcona Ave, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4J 1G8 -----Original Message----- Date: Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:56:59 -0600 From: "Ron and Laura Bozzay" <rbozzay@earthlink.net> Subject: Re: [ABERDEEN] Charles Cordiner Kerr To: aberdeen@rootsweb.com <snip> Perhaps the family had a friend named Cordiner. I have not found ancestry under Kerr or his mother, the Coplands to tie into the Cordiner family. His grandparents were Kerr and Mackie, Copland and Cheyne. Great grandparents were Kerr and unknown so possible Cordiner, Mackie and Grieg, Coopland and Green, Cheyne and Henderson. I was hoping someone would come back with a Kerr Cordiner liaison that made sense to this line. I have been trying to get it more filled out like the rest of my lines. Thanks for the reply. Sometimes you have to a detective on the level of Sherlock Holmes to make sense out of the clues they leave you! In the Penny line I found that a business partner of the father was used as the middle name for his first son. Talk about not following naming conventions! <snip> Laura (who has Scottish and French root as well as German and Swiss)

Hi, Just because there is no Cordiner is this person's ancestry doesn't mean the name is wrong. There is a James Duff Ogg, born in Aberdeenshire (10/01/1823). There are no Duffs in the Ogg family (my husband's family).. James was named for the person who owned the estate the Ogg croft was on. There is a Robert Gardner Duff born in Perthshire on 05/09/1841. There is no Gardner ancrestry in the Duff family (my family).. We still haven't found where the Gardner came from. So the middle name does not necessarily have to be in the family ancestry. Kathy

Hi Welcome, you have basically accessed the system. If you have a query or need help just ask and hopefully someone can help by either answering your query or pointing you in the right direction. http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ is the place to start, you can download the register entry of birth for your grandfather and that will have his parents names. You can then work backwards to earlier generations. Your best option is to register with Scotlandspeople. You then purchase credits to access the information. Andu ----- Original Message ----- From: "kristen fam" <kristenf@charter.net> To: <aberdeen@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 11:59 AM Subject: [ABERDEEN] a question >I have signed up to what exactly? How do I search using your website? > I am looking for my grandfather, James Gray, born 17/01/1902 in > Aberdeen. I don't know his parents names. Could you please let me know > how to access your system. Thanks for your help. > Kristen Fam > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ABERDEEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Try this site it will help you understand regards Kenny _http://www.aboutaberdeen.com/scottishlighthousemuseum.php_ (http://www.aboutaberdeen.com/scottishlighthousemuseum.php)

Ray Hennessy wrote: > Are you sure? There is a "Signature" at the end of my postings which > includes all the website & email URLs. Is it "hidden" on your email > package? It is just about there - but it is "greyed-out" . I also tend to overlook the stuff that gets appended to people's messages, like the "do not read this if it wasn't sent to you" guff that gets tagged on to mail from public bodies. You could argue that this was my problem, but I doubt if I am the only Lister to do this - I think your message would get through better if the URL was included in the body of the message. G

Are you sure? There is a "Signature" at the end of my postings which includes all the website & email URLs. Is it "hidden" on your email package? It is hidden - sometimes - on mine. This is occasionally true of the trails on Aberdeen List postings which sometimes display and at other times are hidden. It is visible on the Rootsweb Aberdeen Archive copy of my post so I think the problem is at your end & I'd be grateful if you would let me know. Ray PS The "signature" should show up at the very end of this message. It is present on the copy I am typing. 2009/11/25 Gavin Bell <g.bell@which.net> > Ray Hennessy wrote: > > > > .... > > I've collected Hints & Tips for using the site as shown below > > > > > Nope. > > That is the end of your posting. > > > G > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ABERDEEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- Best wishes Ray ********************************************************** >From Ray Hennessy Forenames website: www.whatsinaname.net Preferred Email address: ray@whatsinaname.net Hints for Scotland's People at http://bit.ly/WIAN-SCP **********************************************************

Hi Marilyn, I have no more on Alexander KERR. What caught my eye was that in 1841, a George KERR age 16 [sic] was a farm servant at Mains of Balmaud, King Edward, farm of Alexander STRACHAN. William STRACHAN was farmer at Mill of Balmaud from at least 1871; his wife died there in 1913. His parents were William STRACHAN & Agnes CLARK (she's a relative of mine) and they farmed Craigmills, Fordyce from before 1841 until his death in 1853 (a grandson then took on Mains of Birkenbog). Craigmills was bought by Col James MOIR when he created Glenglassaugh Distillery in 1875, and the name disappeared. As mentioned, George KERR & Jean COCK (prob parents of George KERR above) were at Mains of Glassaugh across the road. It seemed a good chance that various KERRs worked for various STRACHANs over the years. There is no question that the STRACHANs at Balmaud and Craigmills are very very closely related (MIs and censuses prove that), although I haven't quite established it precisely yet. Another of the same STRACHAN family grouping farmed Morlass, King Edward. Monquhitter and King Edward are adjoining, so it all seems a plausible fit. The occurance of twins and the naming of chidren are positive indications. The challenge is how to prove it! I don't see any problem with a young farm servant becoming a mason by trade. By the way, in 1861 there was a James CAR ploughman age 24 b King Edward, at William STRACHAN's previous farm at Upper Dallachy, Boyndie. Hope that helps. I have asked someone in the COCK family whether they have anything on this Alexander KERR, if anything is knwon I'll let you know. Howard

As we are discussing Car/Kerr, I have: Elizabeth CAR b 27 May 1769 m William PARK (no b or d details as yet) 27 Jun 1799 (? location - resident in Crimond at time of marriage). Elizabeth was named as KERR on her son's death registration) Her parents are Anne WALLACE and Peter CAR who married 15 Dec 1763, "family chapel" in Aberdeen. Any of our CAR/KERR esearchers have a link to this family? I did wonder when I came across this whose family chapel...their own, or someone else's? I can find no record online of a chapel linked to the CAR or WALLACE family in Aberdeen...perhaps one of the locals would know of such a place? Louise

Ken May wrote: > ... >> From replies received on my query about Kinnaird Castle, it would >> seem that in recent times it has ceased to be a Castle and is now >> known simply as the Kinnaird Lighthouse. It is my understanding >> that the Lighthouse was actually built within the castle. The castle is still recognisable as such, but the light pokes incongruously out of the top. The interior of the castle has been adapted to provide office, workshop, storage and living space. Immediately adjacent to the castle is a courtyard of single-storey buildings which were also used by the Lighthouse Service. All these now form part of the Scottish Lighthouse Museum, and there are further 2-storey buildings a bit further away which now house the static exhibitions of the Museum. >> Can >> anyone tell me when the Castle ceased to function, and does it >> actually still exist. The light was erected in 1787. If you Google for "Kinnaird lighthouse" you will find various images. Most show the castle with the original light, although some will show the modern automated replacement, which is less spectacular. The Lighthouse Museum website is at: http://www.lighthousemuseum.org.uk/ Gavin Bell

Ray Hennessy wrote: > .... > I've collected Hints & Tips for using the site as shown below > Nope. That is the end of your posting. G

Hi, Ray, Ken sent me a note off list that indicated Cordiner came from a French word. I sent him back the following: Cordiner is not French as it stands... it could come from any of the following: corde: rope, cord, string, cordee (accent on 1st e): cord of wood, roped party of climbers cordonnerier, cordonnier: shoemaker It is his listed middle name. We have no idea why since we can't find where anyone in his ancestry came from the Cordiner family...at least not yet. Perhaps the family had a friend named Cordiner. I have not found ancestry under Kerr or his mother, the Coplands to tie into the Cordiner family. His grandparents were Kerr and Mackie, Copland and Cheyne. Great grandparents were Kerr and unknown so possible Cordiner, Mackie and Grieg, Coopland and Green, Cheyne and Henderson. I was hoping someone would come back with a Kerr Cordiner liaison that made sense to this line. I have been trying to get it more filled out like the rest of my lines. Thanks for the reply. Sometimes you have to a detective on the level of Sherlock Holmes to make sense out of the clues they leave you! In the Penny line I found that a business partner of the father was used as the middle name for his first son. Talk about not following naming conventions! So, Ray, yes, I agree it could be a leather worker, a rope worker, a climber, or a shoemaker... all have basis in linguistic roots. The problem is Charles was a farmer and his father from what I can tell was a farmer... so, where did the name come from... the missing link is his paternal grandmother. Somehow I just don't think it is going to be that simple! Laura (who has Scottish and French root as well as German and Swiss) > [Original Message] > From: Ray Hennessy <ray@whatsinaname.net> > To: <aberdeen@rootsweb.com> > Date: 11/24/2009 5:44:16 PM > Subject: Re: [ABERDEEN] Charles Cordiner Kerr > > Hi Laura, > > For what it's worth Cordiner seems to be an archaic Scottish form of > Cordwainer. > > These terms refer to workers in Cordovan, a special goatskin leather, > originally from Cordoba in Spain. Having started as signifying a > special leather worker, the term later came to mean a shoemaker in a > general way. > > There is a list of Old Occupations at Julie Groucher's ** Angler's Rest website: > http://freespace.virgin.net/anglers.rest/OldOccupations.htm > > Though it doesn't have Cordiner as such [only Cordwainer], I found it > in Chambers Scots dictionary. > > Ken May commented: > > > ..., I would be very surprised if Cordiner was ever used as a middle name for Charles. > > I'm intrigued by your assertion, Ken. If the "...Cordiner surname was > very prominent in the Peterhead area ...", would it not be natural - > and typically Scottish - to find it used occasionally as a middle > name? Or have I misunderstood your comment? > > Best wishes > > Ray > > [** Julie is one of our esteemed List Administrators.] > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ABERDEEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

2009/11/25 kristen fam <kristenf@charter.net> wrote > I have signed up to what exactly? How do I search using your website? > I am looking for my grandfather, James Gray, born 17/01/1902 in Aberdeen. > I don't know his parents names. Could you please let me know how to access > your system. Thanks for your help. > Kristen Fam > ________________________________ Hi Kristen This is a Discussion List, not a database site. Having said that, you will find many people on the List who are willing to try to help you find your ancestors. To find out James GRAY's parents, go to the Scotland's People website and register as a new user: http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.aspx You will need to splash out £6 [or equivalent] and for this you will get 30 credits and 90 days access to the site. Click on Births 1855-2006 at the bottom left and then search on GRAY, James, Male [in case some females have James as a middle name], From=1902, To=1902, County=Aberdeen, District=All Distircts. [If you set District=Aberdeen you will get no hits] At the top it will show there are 9 boys of that name born in Aberdeenshire in 1902. It will cost you 1 credit [i.e. 20 pence] to see the nine hits by clicking on the View button, top right. When you see the list you can decide which is your man and then click on the View button at the right end of the row. It will cost 5 credits [i.e. £1] to download the image of the orignal birth registration. There will be an entry in blue near the top of the page, click on that and an image will be downloaded for you to store/print/keep. This will most probably give the parental names and address. You'd have to be really unlucky if they weren't named, i.e. he'd be a foundling. I've collected Hints & Tips for using the site as shown below -- Best wishes an good hunting Ray ********************************************************** >From Ray Hennessy Forenames website: www.whatsinaname.net Preferred Email address: ray@whatsinaname.net Hints for Scotland's People at http://bit.ly/WIAN-SCP **********************************************************

Hi Laura, For what it's worth Cordiner seems to be an archaic Scottish form of Cordwainer. These terms refer to workers in Cordovan, a special goatskin leather, originally from Cordoba in Spain. Having started as signifying a special leather worker, the term later came to mean a shoemaker in a general way. There is a list of Old Occupations at Julie Groucher's ** Angler's Rest website: http://freespace.virgin.net/anglers.rest/OldOccupations.htm Though it doesn't have Cordiner as such [only Cordwainer], I found it in Chambers Scots dictionary. Ken May commented: > ..., I would be very surprised if Cordiner was ever used as a middle name for Charles. I'm intrigued by your assertion, Ken. If the "...Cordiner surname was very prominent in the Peterhead area ...", would it not be natural - and typically Scottish - to find it used occasionally as a middle name? Or have I misunderstood your comment? Best wishes Ray [** Julie is one of our esteemed List Administrators.]

Hi Ray and Gavin; Thank you both for your input. My research has been done on the SMART family of Aberdeen / shire and Banffshire. The information was an added detail that came verbally from a cousin who as a young lad remembered his father mentioning that either his grandfather or grgrandfather had lived at these places. The information I posted was as he remembered it with no further details and as you say hearsay changes with time. Ray, The 1881 Census is when they were found in Methlick and I believe you may be right with your suggestions about Methlick and the places near Burnside. Since I have all the Copies of actual BMD Certs and Census Returns for this family and none refer to either place, the family must have been living at those locations in between the dates that the records reflect. Smarties Wells may be a house name. The extended family were mostly Agricultural labourers and moved frequently before finally settling in Aberdeen. I have been trying to get photographs of their dwellings / farms where possible. I was hoping to add two more. Sadly, some areas have been demolished and no original buildings remain. Ruth. On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 7:08 AM, Ray Hennessy <ray@whatsinaname.net> wrote: > 2009/11/23 RUTH DUNNE <abersyl@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Thank you to Gavin and Ray for their replies. Unfortunately, I have only > "Family Lore" to refer to. > > Some further questions, Ruth, in the interest of furthering your research. > > a] What was your gggf's name? What are his parent's names on his MC > and/or DC? Are they in the Censuses with a parish of birth noted? Do > you have a birth record for either of them? > > b] Was the "family lore" written down or passed on orally? If > written, was it by one of the "passed" relatives, or did you write it > yourself from chatting to someone? Was there any other detail? > > c] What was the family context in which the place names were > mentioned? If it was pre1855, the location in Methlick in 1891 after > moving several times [initially from Banffshire] is not entirely > relevant. > Note: North Arnybogs and Burnside are less than half a mile apart [in > 1881 Sheena's ggm lived c300 yards up the road from Burnside but had > moved by 1891!!] > > d] Are you sure that the "North" applied to Aberdeenshire and not to > Auchnie Bogs? This may be a mix up in the recording of these names. > > -- > Best wishes and good hunting > > Ray > > ********************************************************** > >From Ray Hennessy > Forenames website: www.whatsinaname.net > Preferred Email address: ray@whatsinaname.net > Hints for Scotland's People at http://bit.ly/WIAN-SCP > ********************************************************** > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ABERDEEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Hello I am new to this list, I am to trying to find the rest of my tree, I am looking for. Andrew Low b.1762, Foveran James Low b. 1763, Foveran Alexander Low b.1766, Foveran William Low b. 1770 Foveran. Jean Low b.1773, Foveran. Margaret Low b.1775, Foveran Robert Low b.1798, Foveran Mary Low b.1801, Foveran. Hope some can be of help. karen

For what it is worth: cordonier is the French word for cobbler, used in Canada. -----Original Message----- From: aberdeen-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:aberdeen-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Ray Hennessy Sent: November-24-09 6:43 PM To: aberdeen@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ABERDEEN] Charles Cordiner Kerr

Ken May jean-ken@xtra.co.nzwrote:  ...Cordiner was also an occupation.   It is an old name for a shoe maker.      ________________________________ From: To: rbozzay@earthlink.net; aberdeen@rootsweb.com Sent: Monday, 23 November, 2009 22:43:18 Subject: Re: [ABERDEEN] Charles Cordiner Kerr Sorry Laura, none of the names you mention are in my tree.  However, I would be very surprised if Cordiner was ever used as a middle name for Charles. The Cordiner surname was very prominent in the Peterhead area from the 16th century onward.    I believe its origins are in France but more knowledgeable people than I would need to verify that. Ken ________________________________ From: Ron and Laura Bozzay <rbozzay@earthlink.net> To: aberdeen@rootsweb.com Sent: Sun, 22 November, 2009 8:20:41 PM Subject: [ABERDEEN] Charles Cordiner Kerr I have Charles Cordiner KERR in my line.  I show he was born 25 July 1847 in Kininmonth, Lonmay, Aberdeenshire.  He was listed as a farm servant in one of the OPR records.  He is the son of William Kerr and Catherine MACKIE.  He was married twice.  First to Anne COPLAND 12 June 1869 Lonmay. (She was the daughter of John COPLAND and Elizabeth CHEYNE).  They had 6 children. After Ann died in a bovine incident, he married Annie Minnie COOPER and they had two more children.  The second marriage was 28 Jun 1879 Rathen.  I am looking for more info on this Kerr family.  How does Cordiner fit in as it is a middle name of  Charles? Thanks! Laura ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ABERDEEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ABERDEEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I have signed up to what exactly? How do I search using your website? I am looking for my grandfather, James Gray, born 17/01/1902 in Aberdeen. I don't know his parents names. Could you please let me know how to access your system. Thanks for your help. Kristen Fam