NFHM Blogging Challenge - Week 1 - My census story

August is National Family History month in Australia and Alex, at Family Tree Frog has instigated a blogging challenge.

Week 1 – Sunday 7 August – My Census Story – Census Night in Australia is 9 August this year. What extraordinary things have you discovered about your family history in census records?

Australia doesn't have many census records available and those that are are too early for most of my ancestors to be on.

I have however had fun over the years going through English and Scottish census searching for my ancestors and their families.

Some have common names so searching was very hit and miss.  Many were helpful having specific occupations but quite a few just cannot be confirmed as mine, especially when they were boarders or servants in other households.

I haven't found anything that I'd call extraordinary but one that did shock me in the early days of my research was finding my great-great-great grand Uncle, Alexander Thomson FORSYTH, listed as "idiot" in the 1841 census.

Piece: SCT1841/192 Place: Ellon -Aberdeenshire Enumeration District: 10
Civil Parish: Ellon Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 10 Page: 9
Address: Mill Of Broomfield
Surname     First name(s)  Sex     Age   Occupation  Where Born
FORSYTH  Alexander          M        50     Miller           Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Jane                   F        50      Wife            Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Alexander          M        25     Idiot            Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  James                M        20     Miller          Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Robert                M        15     Miller          Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Isabella              F         14                        Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Ann                     F         11                        Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Helen                  F           8                        Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  James                M           2                        Aberdeenshire

It looks like the word has been crossed out and no doubt then the meaning was different to what it is today.

Alexander may have been mentally handicapped in some way, even very mildly.

In the 1861 census, he was living with his brother and sister in law Robert and Helen FORSYTH (my 3rd great grandparents) at the Mill of Aberdour.  He was unmarried and 49 years of age.

I cannot find him in a census after 1861.

There is no burial information for his parents, Alexander and Jean who died at the Mill of Broomfield in 1864 and 1869 respectively, so I don't know if he was buried with them or not.

He is not listed as buried with his brother Robert.

An Alexander FORSYTH died at Aberdeen poorhouse in 1869 but there are no parents listed on the death certificate so I don't know if it is him or not but I do wonder why he would be in the poorhouse when he had six siblings still living. 

Click here to read other challenge contributions

52 Ancestors - Week 33 - Alexander FORSYTH

The theme for week 33 is Defective, Dependent, or Delinquent.

In 1880, there was a special U.S. census schedule for “Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes” — the blind, deaf, paupers, homeless children, prisoners, insane, and idiotic. Do you have someone in your family tree who would have been classified as such? (To learn more about the special 1880 schedule, see Amy's post, “Do You Have a Defective Ancestor?“)

I don't have anyone in the U.S census  but sadly the Scottish census of 1841 for Mill of Broomfield shows my 3rd great-grand uncle, Alexander FORSYTH listed as "Idiot".

Piece: SCT1841/192 Place: Ellon -Aberdeenshire Enumeration District: 10
Civil Parish: Ellon Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 10 Page: 9
Address: Mill Of Broomfield
Surname     First name(s)  Sex     Age   Occupation  Where Born
FORSYTH  Alexander          M        50     Miller           Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Jane                   F        50      Wife            Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Alexander          M        25     Idiot             Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  James                M        20     Miller          Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Robert                M        15     Miller          Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Isabella              F         14                        Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Ann                     F         11                        Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Helen                  F           8                        Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  James                M           2                        Aberdeenshire

It looks like the word has been crossed out and no doubt then the meaning was different to what it is today.

Alexander may have been mentally handicapped in some way, even very mildly.

In the 1861 census, he was living with his brother and sister in law Robert and Helen FORSYTH (my 3rd great grandparents) at the Mill of Aberdour.  He was unmarried and 49 years of age.
We cannot find him in a census after 1861.

There is no burial information for his parents, Alexander and Jean who died at the Mill of Broomfield in 1864 and 1869 respectively, so we don't know if he was buried with them or not.
He is not listed as buried with his brother Robert.

Mystery Monday - Forsyth - Burnett family

Today I found the answer to another question but raised more.  

Isn't that the way genealogy always works!

My great great grandfather's sister was Helen Gordon Forsyth born on January 5th 1859.  Helen died of Phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis or a similar progressive wasting disease.) on the 11th of November 1897 at Mill Terrace of Sandhaven, Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Helen had had a relationship with a James Wood.  

Together they had a daughter, Helen Thomson Forsyth who was born on the 17th of January 1882 at Tyrie, Aberdeenshire.  

In the 1891 and 1901 census young Helen Thomson Forsyth was living with her maternal grandmother, yet another Helen Forsyth, at Shore Street, Pitsligo.

We're not sure what happened to James Wood but in 1885 Helen Gordon Forsyth married a mason named Thomas Burnett.  They went on to have four children together.  Thomas pre-deceased Helen in 1892.

Their children were:-

Margaret Dickie Burnett born 1886 Sandhaven - died 1890 Aberdour

Annie Burnett born 1887 Aberdour - died 1921 Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Isabella Sangster Burnett born 1889 Aberdour - died 1914 Aberdeen

Alexander Merson Burnett born 1891 Aberdour - possibly died 1976 Alberta, Canada.

Helen Gordon Forsyth's nephew Patrick and his wife Dorothy have been an amazing and invaluable source in our family research.   Dorothy had sent me this postcard/photo

On the back was a letter dated Jun 1906 to Helen Forsyth at Eddle House, Sandhaven, by Fraserburgh,  from her sister Bella.

The letter says:  "Dear Sister,  just a few lines to let you know I am well.  I have been a long time in writing to you.  This is a photo of my chums and myself by Mr. Pender.

Write soon please.

Kind regards from your sister Bella xxxxx

So one of the girls in the photo is Isabella Burnett.  I wondered where she would have been living in 1906 as her parents had both died.  I thought Mr Pender may give me a clue.  Sure enough I found Isabella Burnett aged eleven years in 1901 census at a boarding house at 37 Belmont Street, Aberdeen South with an Alexander Pender the headmaster and his wife Matron.  

A Google search revealed that Mr Pender, (who wore long johns under his kilt!  see photo and story here ) was the headmaster for the Aberdeen Institution for the Education of the deaf and dumb. 

So Bella must have been deaf.  She died in 1914 at the young age of 24.  I have added her death certificate to my "to do" list.

Her sister and brother, Annie and Alexander Burnett both migrated to Canada.

Below is a photo of Alexander in uniform.  Another thing on the "to do" list is to find his military details.  

From this photo and the one of the three girls, which girl do you think his sister Bella would be?

O is for .... Occupations

This is my O contribution to the  Family History through the Alphabet Challenge  by Alona from Gould Genealogy.

Knowing or finding out our ancestors Occupations  helps enormously with researching their families as many continued on in the same line of work even if they moved away.
A number of my ancestral families have followed the same occupations for generations.
My research has produced, as do many family trees, a few good old "ag labs"  

I've also found grocers in London, England,  builders and bricklayers in Essex, England whose descendants carried on the same trade here in Australia. I had wheelwrights in Lincolnshire, Carters in New Zealand, a currier (tanner) in Australia as well as miners, blacksmiths, drystone dykers, gardeners, shepherds and many domestic servants.

I'm very pleased to have had 3rd great grandfathers who were farmers in Ireland as without the  Griffith's Valuation Rolls I probably wouldn't have got as far as I have with my Irish research.

My Forsyth families in Aberdeenshire Scotland were meal millers for many generations.  The earliest (confirmed) found in parish records is my 5th great grandfather, James Forsyth.  He was a meal miller at the Mill of Auchterellon in 1781.
He may also have had a brother, Alexander Forsyth, who was a meal miller at Little Mill of Esselmont.

James Forsyth's son Alexander (my 4th great grandfather) was also a meal miller.
Alexander's first three children (1811 to 1815) were born at Old Mill Foveran where some of the old buildings still stand.
His next 7 children's births were all registered at Ellon.
They were most likely born at the Mill of Broomfield as by 1841 Alexander was miller there until about 1851 when he moved to the Mill of Aberdour.
His older son James stayed on as master miller at the Mill of Broomfield until the late 1870s when he moved back to the Old Mill at Foveran where his older siblings had been born.

I'm told nothing remains of the Mill of Broomfield.

When Alexander retired at Aberdour, his next eldest son Robert (my 3rd great grandfather) took over as head miller.  My great great grandfather, also Robert Forsyth who was born in 1852, became a Miller at the Mill of Aberdour until he and his wife decided to pack up and head to New Zealand in 1874 where he became a farmer at Kaiapoi  just North of Christchurch.

The following photos are what today remains of the Mill of Aberdour.  They were very kindly taken for our family history research by Patrick and Dorothy Forsyth.  Patrick's ancestors stayed in Scotland.
It is wonderful to have someone living in the area who knows so much about the family's history.

To be continued .......................

 My family history through the alphabet list

Private Robert Forsyth - 1st Gordon Highlanders

Private Robert Forsyth, service number 817, enlisted in the 1st Gordon Highlanders at New Maud, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Robert Forsyth was born on the 3rd of February 1895 at Aberdour, Aberdeenshire, Scotland to John Gill Forsyth and Jane nee Birnie.
He was the younger brother of  George Forsyth who also died in WW1.

Photo of Robert’s memorial card courtesy of Gael Thomas in New Zealand from her mother’s collection.

Gael’s mother Inez evelyn Florence Butcher was Robert’s niece.

Printed and published by Wm. Duncan, 19 High St., Kirkcaldy (only address).  No.5. Reg.D (on the back.).

Thankyou Gael x

Both Robert and George are commemorated on the War Memorial at Rathen.

Photo from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/217714

Photo from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/217714

Robert was killed in action on the 20th of November, 1914 at Flanders, most probably the infamous first battle of Ypres where the British were outnumbered by seven to one.

A note from Robert’s cousin Patrick Forsyth who lives in Fraserburgh gives headstone inscription “from the Kirkyard of Aberdour, Fam/Hist/Soc….number 262…..Erected by JANE BIRNIE in loving memory of her husband JOHN FORSYTH d.at Hillfoot,Cortes,Lonmay,22 sept 1927 aged 66.Their family John d.1 July 1889 aged 17 mths……Jessie d.3rd July 1896 aged 13…Isabella d. 6 may 1899 aged 11 mnths……ROBERT d.of wounds France 20 Nov.1914 aged 19…..GEORGE killed in action in France 9 Aug.1916 aged 26……Jean died in New Zealand 24 Oct 1928…….Edward d. Canada 20 Oct.1935…..The above JANE BIRNIE d.8 Sept.1946”

I don’t know if his war service records exist as in 1940 there was a World War Two bombing raid on the War Office in London where the records were held. During this raid, a large portion (approximately 60 per cent) of the 6.5 million records was destroyed by fire. The surviving service records have become known as the ‘Burnt Documents’.

On the 4th August when the Germans struck through Belgium the shock had to be met at the fields of Flanders and France and within a few days the `contemptible little army` as the Kaiser called it had been thrown across the channel and by the 22nd of the month had reached Mons. The 1st Battalion as part of the 8th Brigade in the 3rd Division helped to line the Conde-Mons canal near Nimy Bridge and it was here on the morning of the following day that the brunt of the German onslaught fell and two days later, after the longest march of the retreat, they made their famous stand at Le Cateau. At last after 8 days of retreat and with only one company left they reached a line behind the river Marne and it was from here that General Joffre struck at the German flank and turned the tide of invasion away from Paris.  http://www.thegordonhighlanders.co.uk/History.htm

By late November 1914 the old British army had virtually disappeared.

Robert Forsyth’s medal card

POPERINGHE OLD MILITARY CEMETERY

is where Robert Forsyth is buried.

Tribute page for our Servicemen

Tombstone Tuesday - Farquhars at Rathen Aul' Kirk

My 3 x great grandparents Alexander Farquhar and his wife Margaret nee Yule are at eternal rest with some of their children at the Old Kirkyard, Rathen, Aberdeenshire,Scotland

Erected by Alexander and Margaret Farquhar Quarryburn, New Aberdour in memory of their children Margaret and Elizabeth Jane twins b 11 April d 16th and 21st April 1859, George d 18 Feb 1868 aged 2, Alexander d 26 May 1872 aged 14, Alick W Farquhar grandson d 22 Aug 1891 aged 7,  Above Alexander Farquhar b 21 April 1820 d 28 Feb 1899, his wife Margaret Yule b 23 Oct 1822 d 15 May 1907.  Their daughter Ann b 20 march 1849 d 2 April 1908, Mary their eldest dau d 31 Oct 1932 aged 87

Two Farquhar headstones at the Auld Kirkyard

Auld Kirkyard at Rathen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Many thanks to Wayne Easton of Tyrie for taking these photos for me.

Wedding Wednesday - The Old Manse

The former manse in Low Street New Aberdour, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

It was in this manse on the 6th of March, 1847 that my 3rd great grandparents, Robert Forsyth and Helen Thomson married.

This photo of Robert Forsyth and his wife Helen, nee Thomson, taken possibly early 1870s.

Then on the 8th of February 1873 

their son (my great great grandparents) 

Robert Forsyth jnr and Jannet 

(Jessie) Farquhar were also married at the manse.

side view of the old manse from Low Street.

I have only just found out that the current sign "The Old Manse" near the door was made by Patrick Forsyth of Fraserburgh who is the grandson of Robert Forsyth Senior and nephew of Robert Forsyth Junior.