Hi Shirley I do have some information on this family. Here is a brief ! outline. By private email I will send you the address of another descendant of this family in New Zealand. We believe there is a tie up between this family and my Gordon family in Rogart but still to be found. As you will see we did not know about the marriage of Helen to Donald Bruce so thankyou very much for that. Sorry this is so long but I think our list members will find it interesting: ALEXANDER GORDON married CATHERINE MACKAY [17/10/1802-c1853] [c1813-24/9/1877] Alexander, a shoemaker and a tenant, is the son of John Gordon and Isabel Mackenzie - see GN420. Catherine was born in Tongue. Alexander and Catherine married around 1832 and had the following children born in Rogart (SCR/OPR): JANE, born 28 December 1833 [died 5 August 1873] [married Donald Murray - see GN335]; JOHN, born 1836; WILLIAM, born 11August 1837 [died 1900] [married Margaret Matheson - see GN586]; DONALD (Dannie), born 10 January 1840 [died 1905] [married Jessie Cameron McKenzie - see GN168]; ISABEL, born 10 April 1841 [died 1910] [married Bernard Skene - see GN292]; HELEN ANN, born 28 November 1842; ROBERT, born 3 April 1845; CATHERINE, born 1847; ANN, born 1850 and GEORGE, born 1852 [died 1855]. According to the marriage registration of his son, William, Alexander was a shoemaker. He and his family were recorded at Blairmore, Rogart, in 1841 and 1851. The rental accounts show that he owed rent of 10/-, 1d, 2d, in 1852 but having paid it with that year's rent. That is he paid £1.0s. 6d for the two years. In 1853 Alexander is recorded as paying 10/- but in the remarks column is written "dead" - "now Catherine McKay, his widow". Catherine's name is also pencilled in the tenants' name column. The 1841 census gives Alexander's address as Blairmore, and his occupation as "tenant". This would not raise a question except that the rental accounts for the period covered by this show no Gordon on the accounts until 1850 when Alexander is recorded as being a squatter at Blairmore. In 1851 he was still referred to as a squatter, though in that year he must have begun to be charged rent because in 1852 he was recorded as owing rent for that year, plus the last. That he told the 1841 census enumerator he was a tenant must have been done with tongue-in-cheek! Blairmore, sometimes spelt Blaremore, is shown on the Ordnance Survey map to be near the village of Rogart. The name is said to mean in the Gaelic "Big Flat". Blairmore consists of something like four crofts or lots. They are situated on the shallow, north-western slopes of a hill, 206 metres above sea level, called Skrag, which itself is part of a roughly circular series of hills. The 1851 enumerator's description of his district describes the terrain in more detail. "So much of the Parish of Rogart as lies between the range of hills from Badlhrarkie (Badachrasgaidh) to Lochsalclue (Loch Salachaidh) on the East, and the range of hills SW of Ardichonder (Ardichonachir) to the North of Badlugan (?) on the West Bounded on the South by the range of hills from the Burn of Pittentrail to the Free Church, and on the North by Garvault (Garbh-allt) and Dithbuic (?)". Though the 1841 census, and later ones, have only four croft dwellings there were several more as the rental accounts show. One of the other cottages of Blairmore had Alexander's mother recorded as living there. In fact, his and Catherine's two youngest children at the time were living with their grandmother as was her daughter Ann. By 1861 Alexander had passed away but Catherine and her sister-in-law, Ann show as the tenants. Blairmore had now been recorded as South Rogart. There is recorded in the 1871 census an Ann GORDON boarding at the home of John and Barbara ROSS at Torbreck, Rogart, a group of 17 dwellings. She was aged 78 years, unmarried, formerly a general servant, and was born in the parish of Rogart. This Ann was very probably Alexander's sister. At least three of Alexander and Catherine's children went to New Zealand though at different times. Apart from William, there was Donald (also known as Dannie), who arrived about five years earlier than his elder brother. A letter dated 14 December 1861, and written by David Murray of Achvaich, Sutherland, to his brother Robert in Milton, Otago, referred to some money, £5 sterling, being passed on to the "widow GORDON". She acknowledged the gift with her "thanks and blessings" to Dannie and wished him to be told that "herself and family are quite well". Christine -----Original Message----- From: Shirley [mailto:squartly@paradise.net.nz] Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2001 1:05 AM To: SCT-SUTHERLAND-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: Re BRUCE/GORDON Hi Christine Helen GORDON, b 28 Nov 1842, christened, 02 Dec 1842, Rogart, daughter of Alexander GORDON and Catherine MACKAY, married Donald BRUCE, 05 Jan 1872, died Glasgow, 12 Jan 1888. Children of Donald Bruce and Helen Gordon were: Isabella, b, 22 Sep 1872, Alexander, b, 06 Feb 1875, Donald, b, 10 Apr 1876, Annie Gordon, b, 18 Apr 1883 I think these are baptismal dates. Alexander GORDON, b 1801, was a crofter. Rogart, and Catherine, b 1813, Tongue, was the daughter of ? MACKAY, farmer, and Jane MCLEOD. Catherine d 24 Sep 1877. Children of Alexander Gordon and Catherine MacKay were, William, b, 1828, Donald, b, 1840, Catherine, b, 29 Apr 1839, Isabell, b, 10 Apr 1841, Helen Ann, b, 25 Nov 1842, Robert, b, 16 Dec 1844, Ann, b, 1850. I'd be delighted to find a link with any of my many branches. They confuse with all the christian names repeated, and there is a great lack of variety in the Sutherlandshire surnames, too. Is this of any help? Shirley > A while back you posted a list of your Bruce ancestors. This list included > Donald BRUCE married to Helen GORDON of Rogart. Do you have any further > information on this couple? > This Gordon may link to my own. ==== SCT-SUTHERLAND Mailing List ==== You may, at times, wish to check out previous messages to this list. You can do this at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/SCT-SUTHERLAND-L/ ============================== Create a FREE family website at MyFamily.com! http://www.myfamily.com/banner.asp?ID=RWLIST2 --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.248 / Virus Database: 121 - Release Date: 4/11/01 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.248 / Virus Database: 121 - Release Date: 4/11/01