VILLAGES OF KINCARDINESHIRE COUNTY, SCOTLAND

For research reference here are villages for Kincardineshire County: Arbuthnott, Auchenblae, Banchory, Banchory-Devenick, Benholm, Drumlithie, Durris Ho, Fettercain, Forduin, Glenbernie, Gourdon, Inverbervie, Johnshaven, Kinneff, Kirkton of Durris, Kirkton of Fetteresso, Lawrencekirk, Luthermuir, Marykirk, Nigg, Portlethen Village, St Cyrus, Stonehaven, Strachen and Torry.

"UNCLE" CHARLES OGILVIE

The family story is that Susan Ogilvie McFarland's cousin "Charlie" Ogilvie talked James and Susan into moving to Canada and that he traveled with them. Charlie's dad, William, was a brother to Susan's mother. He was known as "Uncle" Charlie for most of his life in Canada and Iowa. We have documentation as to Charlie and the family of James and Susan in Canada and then in Emmet County, IA.

The 1836-1925 Iowa State Census Collection lists personal information for Charles that may be useful in additional research in finding the right Ogilvies for Susan's family. He lists his mother's name as Susan Gilbert and his father as William Ogilvie. Both born in Scotland. The Census date is
1 Jan 1925 and Charlie's estimated birth year is 1833. [Note: Spelled OGILVIE in the Census.] Barbara Jacobson's letter says Charlie was born 2 Nov 1832, South Kirriemuir, Forfarshire (now Angus), Scotland, and died 12 May 1925 at Armstrong, Emmet, Iowa. I know I have his obituary someplace. Will verify.

3/29/07: Located the marriage of William Ogilvy and Susan Gilbert on Scotlands People. Banns/Marriage date: 30 Jun 1828, Ruthven Parish, Angus County. [NOTE: Spelled OGILVY this time.]

Also located the births of four children of William Ogilvy and Susan Gilbert. They are as follows: Robert, b. 10 Jul 1830; Robert, b. 4 Nov 1832 (I think this is "Charlie"); James, b. 31 Aug 1834; Susan, b. 7 Aug 1836. All were born at Kirriemuir, Angus.

My thought is the census taker either wrote it down wrong or the person transcribing the records for the web site messed up. The day is within two of our recorded date. The records on Scotlands People show births and baptisms together with no differentiation.

I remember Genealogist Fenwick in Scotland telling me census takers would take notes and then transcribe them into their books at night. Often would mishandle a date or name. He said you can usually tell by how neatly or uniformly the names are entered on the census pages. If they were actually carrying the book with them there would likely be smears, smudges, variance in style of entry, etc. One has to think of the period and conditions in which these records were created.

Also we have heard that sometimes if a child of a given name died early the next child of that sex would be named the same as the one who died. Not knowing when any of these children died that may be a possibility?

It does cause us to want to look for both a Robert and a Charles as we research ship passenger lists, etc. as he may actually have been a Robert Charles or one or the other. Reminds me of George Foreman naming all his boys George.

EARLY SCOTLAND PARISH MAP

For those wishing to see a parish map showing the relationship of Angus, Kincardineshire, etc. click on the link. This is an early 1800's map I believe. Once the map appears click on it and a small directional icon will appear in the lower right corner that will allow you to enlarge the map.

DAME NELLIE MELBA and KINCARDINESHIRE

In searching the Mitchell surnames and clans I found the following: "Helen Mitchell, the daughter of a Mearns farmer is better known as Dame Nellie Melba...". (www.kilts.co.nz/mitclan.htm). Wikipedia says Mearns is also known as the County of Kincardine or Kincardineshire. The new Mitchell family I found and discuss under the "Change of Direction" post is in Kincardineshire. This poses the question as to whether David of Australia was a farmer in Scotland for awhile before going to Australia? He would have been about 25 years old when he left. I don't think his farming in Scotland was mentioned in Lady Vestey's book (although I will check it)? This curiously places Dame Nellie's family and this new family in the same area. Might this support the "cousin" possibility mentioned in the Barbara Jacobson letter? The David in the newly found Kincardineshire family was born in 1814. We believe the Australia David was born in 1829 so I think these are two different Davids. I am communicating with that web site to see if we can determine the source of that "Mearns" information. NOTE: You may have to click on "Old Posts" or "A Shift In Direction" title to the right to find that post.

VILLAGES OF ANGUS COUNTY, SCOTLAND

To help with our research I have compiled a list of many of the villages in Angus County, Scotland so that we have quick place to refer to as we are researching information and wondering if locations may be proximal to where we think James and Susan originated. The villages are: Aberlemno, Arbirlot, Arbroath, Barry, Brechin, Bridgend of Lintrathen, Broughty Ferry, Carmyllie, Carnoustie, Craichie, Dundee, Easter Meathie, Edzell, Farnell, Fern (Fearn), Forfar, Friockheim, Hillside, Inverarity, Kettins, Kinnell, Kirkhill, Kirkton of Glenisla, Kirriemuir, Liff, Logie, Logie Pert, Lunan, Monifieth, Monikie, Montrose, Muirhead, Newtyle, Old Montrose, Panbride, Rescobie, St Vigeans, Tennadice, Tealing, West Ferry and Westmuir.

NAME VARIANCES

For the purpose of future research I will list name variations here for the families we are following: MITCHELL, also MacMichael, MacMichell, Mechel, Meitchel, Michell, Michill, Michie, Michison, Mitchal, Mitchel, Mitchellson,Mitchill, Mitchison, Mitchol, Mitschael, Mitsschal, Mittchel, Mychell, Mytchell. McFARLAND, also McFarlane, Mac Farlan, MacFarland, Macfarlane, MacFarlene, MacFarlin, MacFarling, MacFarquhar, MacFarran, MacFarren. OGILVIE, also Ogelbie, Ogelby, Ogilbie, Ogilby, Ogilvy, Oglesby.

SUSAN & JAMES OBITUARIES

The obituaries for Susan and James provide some relevant details. The obituary for Susan McFarland Mitchell says in part: "She first saw a new light of day among the picturesque scenes of Forfarshire, Scotland, born in April 1830. Her maiden name was Susan McFarland...in 1851 married James..lived two years in England....16 years in Canada and remainder in eastern Emmet County." ( James was alive at the time this was written; it seems to set the last version of the spelling of her last name; month and date of birth; Forfarshire connection; marriage date; verification of time in England.) The obituary for James Mitchell says in part: "...was born in Forfarshire, Scotland on the 22nd of August 1822. " (Again, verifies a birthdate and the Forfarshire (now Angus County) connection.)

RE: ANDREW McFARLAND AND SUSAN OGILVY

Fellow researcher Lois Riekens reports that pictures of Andrew McFarland and Susan Ogilvy are at the town museum in Armstrong, IA and are noted as parents of our Susan Ogilvy McFarland. James and Susan lived in Armstrong after moving from Canada and are buried at the Armstrong Grove Cemetery.

ANDREW McFARLANE and SUSAN OGILVY

I'm curious to know if anyone knows how we concluded that our Susan Ogilvie McFarland's parents are Andrew McFarlane and Susan Ogilvy? I'm trying to verify everything at this point.

Fellow researcher Betty McKean referred me to a post on RootsWeb that caused me to verify some information on the Scotlands People web site. Searching the Births and Baptisms for 1553-1854, narrowing the search to Ann McFarlane, 1826, I found her birth date as 9 April 1826 and her parents to be Andrew McFarlane and Susan Ogilvy of Kirriemuir Parish, Angus. The thought being that Ann may be a sister to our Susan. (NOTE: Notice here the name is spelled McFarlane.)

Betty's reference was to a post on RootsWeb which showed the marriage of this Ann to a James Neill on 7 Jun 1866 at Auchnacree Fearn, Angus, Scotland. He was born 24 Jan 1841 at Lochlee, Forfar, Angus, Scotland. Their children were: James Neill, b. 8 Dec 1866 at Farmerton Fearn, Angus, Scotland and John Neill b. 15 Mar 1868 at Tannadice, Angus, Scotland.

[NOTE: This provides some confirmation to the comments about this marriage in the Barbara Jacobson letter several of us have.]

Several types of searches for our Susan on Scotlands People now and in the past have produced no results for me. I did a births/baptisms search for S McFarlane, using Soundex, for period 1/1/29 through 12/31/31 to frame her birth year. There were only 7 locates. The only Susan was a Susan Douglas MacFarlane, b. 9 Nov 1930, to an Andrew MacFarlane and a Margaret MacNiel in Torosay and Kinlochspelvie Parish, Arygll. Where is our Susan??

HOW TO CONTACT ME

I can be reached by email at: br_huntsinger@yahoo.com. If you have research to share please email me with the information and I will add it to the site for the benefit of others. If you see errors in what is posted please bring it to my attention. Thank-you.

A SHIFT IN DIRECTION

After many months of trying to piece together the belief that our James John Mitchell was a brother to David Mitchell, the reknown Australia builder, and an uncle to Davids daughter, Dame Nellie Melba, opera singer, I have concluded we cannot make that connection and have removed all that information from my current work.

You will find it posted at: bhuntsinger.tribalpages.com or use the quick link in the upper right hand corner of this site titled MITCHELLS OF FORFAR.

My decision has come after pondering the 1841 Scotland Census. It shows that the James Mitchell in the Dame Nellie Melba's family was born abt. 1828. We know from the obituary for our James and from his tombstone in the Armstrong Grove Cemetery, Armstrong, IA that he was born in 1822. Unless we find an error in the future I just don't think the link is valid. We may at some point find that these people were cousins. Therefore I have removed William Mitchell and Ann Fraser and their descendants from my current work. William and Ann are clearly the parents of David, the Australia builder, and his siblings.

What has my attention is another Mitchell family from the same 1841 Census. This is a Mitchell family from Marykirk (parish), Kincardineshire (county). It shows the father as David (b. abt 1781) ; the mother as Jane (b. abt 1793) and children: Mary (b. abt 1812), David (b. abt 1814), Williamina (b. abt 1818), Peter (b. abt 1820), James (b. abt 1822), John (b. abt 1826) and Ann (b. abt 1828).

This draws me to the notes several of us have from Barbara Jacobson, whose mother Bernice was a sister to my mother and was 11 years older than my mother. Bernice helped to care for James in his final months (as did others).

She writes: "James had two brothers, Peter and David. David served in the English Army and was serving with General John Mitchell in the Union of South Africa when James and Susan moved to Canada in 1854. David later joined General John Mitchell and settled in Queensland, Australia. David married an English girl and were the parents of two girls, Susan and Nellie. Peter married in England and his wife's name was Susan and they were the parents of four boys. All settled about 65 miles from Melbourne, Australia about 1886 or 1887. Peter visited James Mitchell in Iowa in 1886 on his way to Australia to visit David. Then shipped his family to Melbourne soon after." Then she reflects on the story that Dame Nellie Melba was the daughter of John Mitchell and was a first cousin of Grandma Moore's.

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NOTE 3/23/07- Reviewing ships arriving in Australia during the period likely for this David and Peter going to Australia, I found the following:

NAME, AGE, SHIP, DATE

MITCHELL, David 23 Hastings 30 May 1857
MITCHELL, David 25 Prince Consort 30 Mar 1864
MITCHELL, Peter 17 Scottish Wizard 5 Jun 1883

Certainly there are many ship lists yet to be researched.

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[We know that Dame Nellie was actually the daughter of David Mitchell of Forfar, the builder, not John. Grandma Moore was Flora Mitchell, the mother of Bernice, my mother, etc. It has also become clear to me as I have researched that many Mitchells went to Australia in that period. It's quite possible that the chase has been after the wrong James and the wrong David?? ]

Barbara went on to write that her mom thought our James was born in Kelso, Scotland near the English border and at his age 6 the family moved 10 miles into England where they had a 50-year contract on land where they raised sheep.

(NOTE 3/23/07: Does this paragraph conflict with Susan's obituary which says they married in 1851 and lived in England two years? Does that suggest they were living in Scotland at time of marriage? Or were they living in England at the time of the marriage and stayed there two more years? And again, both obituaries refer to Forfarshire?)

[ The Kincardineshire Mitchell family is the first time that I have found a David, James and Peter together in a single family, along with the birthdate for James being the same as our James. We know that David the Australian builder did not go to Africa; he went directly from Forfar to Australia.

We have complete documentation of our James and Susan in Canada and I think we are all comfortable from that point on. The problem continues to be linking James and Susan to their homeland.

I hope to web base my file (over 5000 names) this coming Fall. I'm waiting for a beta test to be completed for the site. It will allow all of us to see the work I've compiled with the help of everyone and will then allow each of us to be able to add to, edit, etc. I hope this will allow each of us to pool our best thoughts and work in a central place as we all have our individual stacks of research. Thanks to everyone who has shared their work to date.

I would be interested in your comments as a visitor to this site and I would appreciate knowing of any relevant research that you may have found regarding these issues in hopes that one day we will make the connection to the homeland of the Mitchells and Macfarlanes. ]