I've just answered the same request but from someone else on the ANESfhs Mailing List on this topic. Below's my response. Regards Howard Geddes <> I think your Georgina Jane GORDON is Georgina J GORDON born abt 1859 in Richmond, Melbourne, Australia. And Maggie GORDON is very likely her sister Margaret T GORDON born abt 1861 also in Richmond, Melbourne, Australia. I came across them because their elder sister Elspet Anne Stirton GORDON (Ella) married John GEDDES (who is one of my gt-gd-uncles and was headmaster at Findochty School), in 1877 at Alehouseburn, Banff. Therefore, Georgina's 1881 marriage residence "Alehouse House" is almost certainly Alehouseburn. Ella was baptised 30-3-1849 Creich, Sutherland, as Elspat Anne. You'll see below that there was another sibling: Andrew GORDON: he was baptised 5-2-1847 also in Creich, and married Catherine Christian BROWN on 8-5-1873 at Boyndie, and had family (I have a few more details). This is the critical 1881 census entry. Maybe someone might be able to substantiate its inferences, especially the girls' birthplace and even that they are really their parents' children (and not, say, adopted): Dwelling: Alehouseburn Census Place: Banff, Banff, Scotland Source: FHL Film 0203437 GRO Ref Volume 147 EnumDist 16 Page 4 George GORDON M 60 M Bellie, Banff, Scotland Rel: Head Occ: Farmer Of 120 Ac A Jane YOUNG M 60 F Dunkield, Perth, Scotland Rel: Wife Georgina J. GORDON U 22 F Richmond Melburn, Australia Rel: Daur Occ: Daur Margeret T. GORDON U 20 F Richmond Melburn, Australia Rel: Daur Occ: Daur William SIMPSON U 23 M Marnoch, Banff, Scotland Rel: Serv Occ: Farm Servant James MITCHEL U 18 M Boyndie, Banff, Scotland Rel: Serv Occ: Farm Servant William WATT U 16 M Banff, Banff, Scotland Rel: Serv Occ: Farm Servant George HALKETT U 15 M Macduff, Banff, Scotland Rel: Serv Occ: Farm Servant Isabella KIRKTON U 32 F Alvah, Banff, Scotland Rel: Serv Occ: General Serv Domestic These are my notes, verbatim: "Re Ella's parents George GORDON and Jane YOUNG : They married 18-3-1846 at Creich Sutherland, George Gordon was a farmer of 120 acres arable at Alehouseburn on 4-4-1881. He was born 1820/21 at Bellie, Banffshire (probably baptised 28-2-1820 at Bellie, Morayshire [sic], parents being George Gordon and Ann Hay, who had three other children); his wife Jane Young was born 1820/21 at Dunkeld, Perthshire (possibly born Jean Young 28-10-1821 at Little Dunkeld, Perthshire to Isaac Young and Christian Thomson, who had six other children). Alehouseburn was where Ella was living when she married in 1877. Both parents had died by 1908 when Ella died. "And from the 1881 census we can see that the family, probably with young Andrew and Ella in tow, went to Australia for a time around the late 1850s early 1860s, for they had two unmarried daughters living with them: Georgina J Gordon, b. 1858/59 and Margaret T Gordon b. 1860/61, both in Richmond, Melbourne, Australia. The couple must have more children between Ella and Georgina, although I don't know who, how many, or where they were born. The family could have stayed in Australia for years before returning, although with their son Andrew getting married to a local girl in 1873, they must have returned somewhat before then." Because these GORDONs are not directly related to me I hadn't delved any further although I do have a bit more re Andrew GORDON. I had no indication of any West Indies connection: that must come solely from your Mitchell side. I have no idea the circumstances of the Australian link either. And clearly there are gaps to be filled in. <>

Dear listers: I am looking for information or leads on this family: (1) 1 WILLIAM MITCHELL Birth Date: 4 Apr 1854 Birth Place: AuldTown Ord, Banff, Banffshire, Scotland Occ: Sugar Planter (Wedding Cert, 1881) Farmer (Wife's death Cert, 1889) Father: WILLIAM MITCHELL, Mother: JESSIE STEVENSON aka JANET, (1830-<1901) Spouse: GEORGINA JANE GORDON Birth Date: abt1856 Death Date: 10 Aug 1890, age: 34 Death Place: Trocheslie, Fordyce, Banffshire, Scotland Father: GEORGE GORDON, (->1890) Mother: JANE YOUNG,(->1890) Marr Date: 21 Nov 1881 Marr Place: Ord, Banffshire, Scotland Children: GEORGE G. H., (~1882-) MARGE FLO, (~1885-) WILBERT MONTROSE, (1889-) (2) 1.1 GEORGE G. H. MITCHELL, Birth Date: abt 1882 (from 1891 census) Birth Place: St Vincent, West Indies Reside Date: 1891, age: 9 Reside Place: Trochesly, Fordyce, Banffshire, Scotland – is living with his grandmother Jessie Stevenson. Occ: Scholar (1891) (2) 1.2 MARGE FLO MITCHELL Birth Date: abt 1885 (from 1891 census) Birth Place: Fordyce, Banffshire, Scotland Reside Date: 1891, age: 6 Reside Place: Trochesly, Fordyce, Banffshire, Scotland – is living with her grandmother Jessie Stevenson. (2) 1.3 WILBERT MONTROSE MITCHELL, Birth Date: 17 Mar 1889 Birth Place: Drochedlie, Fordyce, Banffshire, Scotland Reside Date: 1901, age: 11 Reside Place: AuldTown Ord, Ord, Banff, Banffshire,Scotland – is living with his grandmother Jessie Stevenson. Occ: Scholar (1901) Neither WILLIAM MITCHELL, his wife to be, GEORGINA GORDON, her witness MAGGIE GORDON or her parents show up in the 1881 Census. WILLIAM disappears after GEORGINA dies leaving his chidlren with his mother. I wonder if WILLIAM returned to the West Indies. The two older children also seem to disappear by the time of the 1901 Census. Any clues as to who this family is or where they lived would be a great help, __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

> Am looking for any info.about James RIDDOCH, born 30 > Nov 1823 in Deskford, Banff. He married Mary CLARK on > 31 Aug 1861 in Fyvie, Aberdeen. > The question is: Is Mary Clark, the mother, the dau. > of John CLARK & Jean(Jane) SIM and the one that was > born 20 Mar 1838 in Fyvie? Appreciate any thoughts. Go to www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk and invest in a few credits, then use them to download an image of the marriage certificate. This will tell you the names of the couple's parents. HTH Anne

Am looking for any info.about James RIDDOCH, born 30 Nov 1823 in Deskford, Banff. He married Mary CLARK on 31 Aug 1861 in Fyvie, Aberdeen. They had children: Alexander-b.1862,Fyvie; James-1863 in Fyvie; Alexander-1865-Alvah; James-1864-Fyvie; Helen, b. 17 Jun 1867 (md. John M. Ward in 1894 in Ontario, Canada. Other children were: Wm.B.-1869; Mary McCrae-1872, George-1874; Elspet-1878; Ann Duncan-1880-last children born Alvah. The question is: Is Mary Clark, the mother, the dau. of John CLARK & Jean(Jane) SIM and the one that was born 20 Mar 1838 in Fyvie? Appreciate any thoughts. Renee Harris __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/mbexec/msg/5538/ReC.2ACI/2757.1.1 Message Board Post: Hi there Have checked scotlandspeople for Anne Raine's death, suggest you have a look at the image. Looks like she married again after Alexander died. Note the McMan & variations has now changed to McManus! Ann Rainnie (other names McManus/Shanks) died age 82 in 1872 at Keith Banffshire. Ref 159/00 0034. The death cert should give you lots more info. Kind Regards Ellen.

At 03:34 PM 12/1/05 -0700, nada632@aol.com wrote: >Connections also to Lorimer, Rainie and Gordon families who may all be from the Banffshire area. > I'm doing a bit of research for a blind friend in her nineties who can't use a computer or microfilm herself. She has some ancestors surnamed RAINIE-BROWN (or just RAINIE BROWN without the hyphen). By the mid-nineteenth century they were living in Edinburgh, but were supposed to have come from "somewhere on the Moray Firth coast". The original Miss Rainie whose surname was added to that of Mr. Brown for their children and furture generations was the only child of well-to-do parents. She would have been born probably between 1795 and 1805, perhaps 1790-1810 at the outside. Does that time-frame fit with your RAINIEs? Were they fairly affluent? While I'm asking, what is the best way to look up hyphenated surnames in the various internet sources? By the complete name (starting with R in this case, also often spelled RENNIE) or by the second half (BROWN in this example). This line of her family is proving very difficult to trace. Thanks for any advice. Margaret Gibbs Canada

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/ReC.2ACI/2758 Message Board Post: Does anyone have any connections to the above families from Banff and Banffshire? Twins William and Abercromby Calder were born in Banff in 1809. Their father was John Calder born 1762 in Keith who married Jane Murray. Connections also to Lorimer, Rainie and Gordon families who may all be from the Banffshire area.

Hi again Catherine, we've talked before - regarding Robert GRAY! The Braes of Crombie are in Marnoch parish, Banffshire. My understanding is that Braes of Crombie is not a place as such but is more a locality comprising several crofts and farms, roughly between Crombie Castle (on a minor 'yellow' road following the Crombie Burn north-south) and the Moss of Crombie and Meikle Brown Hill a mile or so to the west. Confusingly, on the Braes of Crombie there is a farm named Brae of Crombie between Mains of Crombie and Moss of Crombie. Brae of Crombie was a 'one-horse croft' (i.e. it only needed one horse for ploughing etc, so was quite small). A close Geddes colateral of mine farmed it from abt 1888 until at least 1935 and I think until the late 1950s/early1960s. The person who currently lives there bought the farm from James GEDDES who died in 1962. In June this year, I visited Brae Of Crombie with a gdson of the original Crombie Geddeses, who had stayed there on many occasions, one time at least was in 1935. Even more confusingly, there is another farm about half a mile to the south also named Brae of Crombie and also on the Braes of Crombie. I don't know anything about this farm. The surname McQUEEN has never turned up in the context of the Geddes Brae of Crombie. Hope this helps. Regards Howard Geddes

Hi Alistair. Thanks for your response with that info, regarding the recent Banffshire Board posting "Re: Geddes family". That posting's topic involves GEDDES from Edinburgh, with no (known) connection with Banffshire (yet!). I'm continuing the discussion off-board because of my own PENTLAND research in Edinburgh, which involves a GEDDES there. I don't have anything to indicate a linkage to your Geddes/Littlejohn line, but being always on the lookout for connections, can you add any detail from the OPR like witnesses and places? That said, I have a couple of references to Rottenslough involving my CLARK line, which I'll add as grist to your mill! 1. "December 5th 1754 Clark - Janet daur to Charles Clark & Janet Ramsey in Muirycrook was baptized, witnesses John Weir in Lonhead & James Clark in Rottenslough" - Rathven OPR. 2. "December 6th 1754 Clark - James Clark & Jean Smith in Rottenslough had a child baptized named Alexander witnesses Alexr Smith yr & Alexander Robertson in Conage" - Rathven OPR. It is likely James CLARK is a relative (so far unresolved); my own ancester James CLARK [5xgt-gdfather] was in Mains of Buckie at the time with wife Elspet ANDREW and family until they removed to Raemore in Deskford in 1771. My Clarks were also at Muirycrook and Connage, even earlier. And one of mine Isobel GEDDES from Clashendamar, Fordyce I believe married (yet another) James CLARK: "Clark Geddes : August 6th : James Clark in Burnside brought a testificate from Deskfoord of his being contracted to Isabel Geddes & married Sept 20th" - Rathven OPR 1726. I find I have this possible reference to your GARDEN family too, where John Clark & Margaret Robertson are my 6xgt-gdparents: bpt 20-5-1739: "Alexander son to John Clark & Margaret Robertson in Muirycrook was baptised witnesses Alexr Gordon [Garden?] your in Freuching[?] & Alexr Robertson in Conaghed" - Rathven OPR [difficult to read]. Anything to make a linkage there? I hope you don't mind that I've copied this reply to the Banffshire List. I'm looking for a linkage between my CLARKs (my earliest reference being the 1726 marriage of John CLARK Woodside and Margaret ROBERTSON/ROTSON Connage) and another line of CLARKs who were nearby at Carnoch and Arradoul (one of whom - Archibald CLARK - had moved to Slogmahole in Fordyce by 1709). Regards Howard ----- Original Message ----- From: ALISTAIR MACDONALD > Hello Howard, > I missed the beginning of this thread but what I have may add something to > the grist of the Geddes mill. I have in my GARDEN line a Janet Geddes born > in Buckie in 1763, the daughter of Alexander Geddes and Janet LITTLEJOHN. > She married Alexander Garden in Rathven in 1782. Alexander was born in > Rottenslough in 1764. > Does this fit in? > Alistair

Hi people, Sorry, sorry, I should know better, and have given more info than I did. The entry is from the Marnoch OPR Christian, daughter of Charles McQueen and Ann Porter in Braes of Crombie born 23rd Nov 1799 bap 1st Dec 1799 before witness John Anton and John Porter in Nannie (looks like) I don't know if these McQueen's are related to me, but there was a Charles McQueen as a witness on my ggg grandfather's birth entry, and it's around the same times. Hector Gray, natural son to Robert Gray and Margaret McQueen in Tillydown bap 28th Aug 1797 witness Charles McQueen and Janet Buchan Thank you to Ann, George and Ray who answered me. Best wishes, Catherine

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/ReC.2ACI/2757.1 Message Board Post: Hi Bill, A few things: 1881 Census: Dwelling: Mill Of Glanderston Millers House Census Place: Kennethmont, Aberdeen, Scotland Source: FHL Film 0203459 GRO Ref Volume 212 EnumDist 5 Page 2 Marr Age Sex Birthplace William MC MANN M 51 M Dufftown, Banff, Scotland Rel: Head Occ: Miller Master Anne MC MANN M 39 F Glass, Aberdeen, Scotland Rel: Wife Occ: Millers Wife George MC MANN U 8 M Kennethmont, Aberdeen, Scotland Rel: Son Occ: Millers Son Scholar William MC MANN U 7 M Kennethmont, Aberdeen, Scotland Rel: Son Occ: Millers Son Scholar Maggie MC MANN U 5 F Kennethmont, Aberdeen, Scotland Rel: Daur Occ: Millers Daur Alexr. MC MANN U 3 M Kennethmont, Aberdeen, Scotland Rel: Son Occ: Millers Son ** You searched for: Birth/Christening, Scotland, British Isles Father: William Mcman, Mother: Ann Exact Spelling: Off International Genealogical Index / British Isles - 2 Select records to download - (50 maximum) 1. GEORGE MC MANN - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Birth: 01 JUL 1872 Kennethmont, Aberdeen, Scotland 2. WILLIAM MC MANN - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Birth: 26 SEP 1873 Kennethmont, Aberdeen, Scotland ** I find the following quite unusual: - The difference in age of William and his wife, and his age at this marriage. - That their first born was a George, with an Alexander being 4th. Are you positive that William was not previously married? A master miller might be sought as a husband. Further - There may be the possibility of perhaps an Alexander being born seeing the first child in the records above was 3 years after the marriage date. The George does not follow usual patterns. Have you have checked the 1861 at Scotlands People this might chop 8 years off the 1869 you mention - if Alexander is not found? Ditto re death searches 1855 forward to 1861(or 9) for both Alexander and wife Ann Rainie. The 1841 at FreeCen reveals nothing for Banff or Aberdeen. The partial 1851 census there is a ditto. The MI database at the Aberdeen society shows many “Alexander Mann”s. http://www.anesfhs.org.uk/ And I know it’s a long haul – but have you tried viewing the relative microfilms of parish records at an LDS centre? Regards, Larry

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: McMann, MacManna, Rainie, Rainy, Mavor Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/ReC.2ACI/2757 Message Board Post: I wonder if you would spare a minute to help me My great great grandfather was Alexander Macmanna who married Anne Rainie at Mortlach Banffshire June 5 1825 I have the OPR extract which verifies this. It gives no information about his birthdate or parents. I have successfully traced Anne Rainie. When his son William was born at Mortlach on 23 July 1828 he appears to have the surname McMann ---different spelling Then when William is married in 1869 to Anne Mavor his parents are Alexander McMan and Ann Rainy both deceased and again I have a different spelling I have an extract of the marriage record While I know that the spellings can indeed be variable my efforts to find anything further on Alexander have failed completely So all I know is that he married at Mortlach in 1825 and had died by 1869 He could have died in either Banffshire or Aberdeenshire as his son William was in Aberdeenshire when he married in 1869 Is there any way you can access early 1840 or 1850s censuses to see if he turns up Any possibilities for his death between 1828 and 1869 Thank you---Bill McMann

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/ReC.2ACI/2756.1 Message Board Post: Hi Tania, I suggest you spend a few moments at IGI searching and you will discover that the surname “Bichan” is predominantly from Scotland within its database of the UK. Try the searches yourself using the surname alone and select British Isles then England, Ireland and Scotland one at a time and see…. http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true I did not try other countries around the globe but you could………. To make sure there are not larger concentrations elsewhere, earlier in time. But in the UK I’d say Scotland is the largest on that exact spelling. (Ireland is a scratch) ** Further: At ScotlandsPeople (the government site) we see the following distribution of the surname across time: http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ Free Surname Search Results re “Bichan” Search Count Census 1861 67 Census 1871 56 Census 1881 74 Census 1891 88 Census 1901 113 Old Parish Records Births & Christenings 1553 - 1854 102 Old Parish Records Banns & Marriages 1553 - 1854 32 Statutory Register Births 1855 - 1904 130 Statutory Register Marriages / Banns 1855 - 1929 82 Statutory Register Deaths 1855 - 1954 153 Wills & Testaments 1513 - 1901 10 == Not a lot of people but significant still the same and definitely not all spelling mistakes or mis-transcriptions. ** Hope that helps a wee bit. Regards, Larry

Hi Catherine, There, that's better!! Right, Marnoch ... Brae of Crombie [1] is a ?Croft? at NJ582523. You can see it at http://tinyurl.com/cxdl7 Brae of Crombie [2] is a group of tiny buildings at NJ580514 [see http://tinyurl.com/bryxe ]. Looks like a few huts on a ridge, 600m from the ?Croft. Maybe someone local can tell you about them. Ray __________________________________________ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cci" <cci@arach.net.au> To: <SCT-BANFFSHIRE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 8:57 AM Subject: [Banff] Braes of Crombie > Sorry, sorry, I should know better, and have given more info than I > did. > > The entry is from the Marnoch OPR: Christian, daughter of Charles > McQueen and Ann Porter in Braes of Crombie born 23rd Nov 1799 bap 1st > Dec 1799 before witness John Anton and John Porter in Nannie (looks > like) > > I don't know if these McQueen's are related to me, but there was a > Charles McQueen as a witness on my ggg grandfather's birth entry, and > it's around the same times. Hector Gray, natural son to Robert Gray > and Margaret McQueen in Tillydown bap 28th Aug 1797 witness Charles > McQueen and Janet Buchan

Hi group, I have looked on the Gen UKI site for any reference to Braes of Crombie, but can't find anything, and a general search of Braes of Crombie on Yahoo. Can anyone tell me what other town or parish it's near. Many thanks, Catherine At the moment researching the surname McQUEEN.

I have looked on the Gen UKI site for any reference to Braes of Crombie, but can't find anything, and a general search of Braes of Crombie on Yahoo. Can anyone tell me what other town or parish it's near. There is a Brae of Crombie close to Crombie Castle which is probably in the parish of Marnoch (I am not at home and haven't got my maps with me here in Edinburgh to check the parish boundaries). If you go to www.streetmap.co.uk and search for Crombie it will produce various ones including Crombie Castle. HTH Anne

Hi Catherine, It appears that by posting your query on the Banffshire List, you have been searching for the McQueen family somewhere in in that County. It is possible that the information you have only refers to the Braes - better known as the Braes of Glenlivet in upper Banffshire. There is however a small river within the Braes called the Crombie Water or Crombie Burn. According to my research, there is one family residing in the 1851 Census of Inveravon which at that time included the Q.S. parish of Glenlivet. Tomalienan is a small croft in the Braes. PLACE NAME REL MAR AGE OCCUP BIRTH E D Pg Tomalienan MACQUEEN, Donald head mar 28 shoemaker Lochcarron ROC 9 16 Tomalienan MACQUEEN, Agnes wife mar 36 Fort George l 9 16 HTH George Watt in Ottawa, Canada ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >From: "Cci" <cci@arach.net.au> >To: SCT-BANFFSHIRE-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [Banff] Braes of Crombie >Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 21:10:01 +0800 > >Hi group, >I have looked on the Gen UKI site for any reference to Braes of Crombie, >but can't find anything, and a general search of Braes of Crombie on Yahoo. >Can anyone tell me what other town or parish it's near. >Many thanks, >Catherine

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: BICHAN...................... Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/ReC.2ACI/2756 Message Board Post: Hello there....my name is Tania and i come from New Zealand......i have been trying to find out any information on the surname BICHAN...in reference to its origins and where the actual name comes from.....I have info indicating that it could be IRISH or SCOTTISH?????.........but i am unsure about its true origin.....if anyone can help....it would be very much appreciated in trying to formulate my family history.........hope to hear from someone soon.....so till then....ttfn....Tania

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Geddes McLean Gordon Walsh Ives Pentland Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/ReC.2ACI/535.599.1902.2265.2.1.1.1 Message Board Post: Hi Robert, Well, your posting was a fortuitous unintentionality!! Banffshire is not south nor east of Edinburgh! But that doesn't matter, we've made the connection. There's absolutely no problem 'invading' this particular thread; the reason for my asking was to understand whether you had found or had thought there might be a connection between your Edinburgh GEDDESes and the Banffshire GEDDESes that were the subject of the thread. In the event, there doesn't appear to be any connection. There easily could have been. Because a posting on this Board automatically appears on the Banffshire List, I'll explain that one reason why I am more than passing interested is that the 1851 census has an Alexander GEDDES turning up in Edinburgh age 67 born Fordyce Banffshire, with wife Isabella GEDDES née MCLEAN (age 55, from Perth) and son Peter GEDDES age 13 b Edn. I am reasonably happy but haven't been able to prove that Alexander GEDDES was bpt 26-Nov-1783 the son of Peter GEDDES in Mains of Birkinbog, Fordyce, Banffshire, and his wife Margaret GORDON. Young Peter GEDDES next turns up in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia in 1865 when he married Mary WALSH. A son of his second marriage to Margaret IVES, also named Alexander GEDDES, was witness to the death of one of my Fordyce GEDDESes in 1916 in Rockhampton. I have yet to figure how these two lines of GEDDES relate to each other; but relate to each other they surely must. Because your Edinburgh GEDDES aren't anything to do with Banffshire, I'll reply to you about them direct off-board. My interest in your Edinburgh GEDDES is because of my Edinburgh PENTLANDs. Confusing? Yup!! Regards Howard Geddes

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/ReC.2ACI/535.599.1902.2265.2.1.1 Message Board Post: Thank you Howard for your information. I live in the Unted States and ws part of the 1881 Census project but I cannot get access to the census here. Only those Scots who live in England are available to me. However, I have found LDS 1881 census discs available on e-bay, and I have tried to purchase them through e-bay. My posting on this thread was unintentional, but I felt "impressed" to post there. I have looked for data on this family for years, and when I posted in your thread, I found answers in a day. I think the impression is right. I see the entire planet as brothers and sisiters, inasmuch as we are :"a' Jock Tamson's bairns," as even expatriates say. For that reason, I just knew that I would find Geddes contact by specifically speaking with Geddes relatives south and east of Edinburgh. I found Marion Geddes, b. 4 Aug 1858, Bolton, East Lothian Margaret Geddes, b. 5 Jan 1861, Bolton or Borthwick, E.Loth. Rosina Geddes, b. 25 Janue 1863, Gladsmuir, East Lothian Euphemia Geddes, b. 3 Mar 1865, Pencaitland, East Lothian Alexander Geddes married Rosina McMennamy, McManmona, McMcManomay 12 March 1858. In Bolton, East Lothian. Her name variations make it hard to find a lot about her, I suppose. Forgive me for "invading" your thread. That was never the plan. When I went back to the main page, I saw nothing that suggested I could find success there. I have viewed these pages before, but it was only last week when I really committed to work here, and thus, I am making mistakes which caused me to receive a 'warning' from the adminitrators of the site today, along with the notification of your response. Margaret Geddes Married John Gallagher, the son of John Gallagher and Ann Bennett. My mother remembers her father as being of Irish descent, and her grandfather as having a thick Irish brogue. He, John Gallagher apparently died in the Grangemouth area. However, I cannot find anything on the IGI in SCotland, and I have hitherto not had the nous to take it to Ireland, duuuh. Rambling is what I am now doing, but I follow prompts, which sometimes bring amazing results. I called my mother in Scotland an hour and a half ago, and we were talking about this line. I will contact her agin with this news. Once again, forgive me for the improper use of your thread, that was not intended, but had I not done so, there would have been no success. God bless you in your search and discussions.