Alexander Symon 1861-1871

[Moray_Lass]

I am trying to track a number of 'Alexander Symon' and one is being elusive. I used *ymon, ??mon and ??m?n wildcards. Can anyone help?

My ggxgrandfather was Alexander Symon (Kirk Session Minutes) problem is there are three possibilities. I am trying to come at this sideways by identifying where they all were in 1861 and 1871 and hoping they stayed thereabouts between 1863-5 (when the case for paternity raged) so I can look at those Kirk Session Minutes first, next time I get to Edinburgh. The Bellie KSM says he was a farm servant, making the first two less likely and the elusive one more likely.

ALEXANDER SYMON
Christening: 07 DEC 1826 Bellie, Moray, Scotland
1841 Bellie, farmer son
1851 Aberdeen, Visitor, Student
1861 Garmouth, Grocer
1862 Married Isabella Clark
1871 Drainie, Painter
1881 Buckie Rathven, Painter
Died 1907 Buckie

ALEXANDER SYMON
Christening: APR 1828 Boyndie, Banff, Scotland
1841 Alvah, farmer son
1851 Alvah, farmer son
1861 Alvah, farmer son
1862 Married Anne Winton
1871 Alvah, farmer
1881 Alvah, farmer
Died 1916 Alvah

ALEXANDER SYMON
Christening: 20 DEC 1828 Grange, Banff, Scotland
1841 Rothiemay, Ag Lab
1851 Marnoch, Farm Labourer, Born Deskford
1861 ?
1871 ? (not Monquhitter, that is miss-indexed)
1881 ?
Never married ?
Died ?

Grange OPR
James Symon in Rothiemay had a child in fornication with Margaret Watt in Deskford named Alexander, baptised before witnesses John Symon and William Fraser

[SarahND]

Hi Maggie,
Sorry, I haven't had any more luck with this than you have
So the Alexander you are searching for was the illegitimate son of James Symon and Margaret Watt, then he grew up and had an illegitimate child also in the early 1860's and was a farm servant at the time? Did he ever show up at the Kirk Session, or was he only talked about? When was his child born?

All the best,
Sarah

[Moray_Lass]

Hi Sarah

I only managed to identify a name by a comment made in the Bellie Kirk Session Minutes in 1865 about him finally admitting paternity. Unfortunately the whole case between 1863-5 took place in the Deskford Kirk Session Minutes which are lost so I was hoping to identify him from the Kirk Session Minutes in whichever parish he was between 1863-5 - and I know that is hard as farm servants could move every 6 months, but what else have I got? This Alex may have died before 1861, but he is the best fit with the farm servant mentioned in the Bellie Kirk Session Minutes...

Yes he was illegitimate and had an illegitimate child, who went on to have 5 herself! But he is proving the hardest nut to crack The child was born in Bellie parish which was her mothers home, and she was raised by her grandmother there, but the only reference to it was an entry in the KSM saying they had seen the Deskford Book of Correction and the matter was closed. Look like he caved in when they threatened to take him to court.

Ruling out the other two Alex Symon's could be difficult too - the Alvah Kirk Session Minutes stop in 1840, so the best I could do that way is rule out the Alex Symon in Speymouth/Urquhart. And he is the only one I know would have known the mother - they came from the same hamlet in Bellie.

Thanks for trying Sarah

[nelmit]

This is the only one I can see in 1841 at Rothiemay -

Alexander Symon
Age: 10
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1831
Gender: Male
Where born: Banffshire, Scotland

Civil Parish: Rothiemay
County: Banffshire
Address: Claymires
Occupation: Ag Lab

This boy's surname became Duncan as can be seen in subsequent census records.

Is this the one you saw in 1841?

Regards,
Annette

[Moray_Lass]

Hi Annette

Yes that is the one I found in 1841 - so you think that isn't the right Alexander Symon? There is also one I found in 1851 in Marnoch, he was born in Deskford, which ties in with the Grange OPR saying the mother was in Deskford.

There was an Alexander Duncan born in Keith in July 1826 an Ag Lab in the 1851 in Grange. Is this who you think he became?

[nelmit]

Hi Annette

Yes that is the one I found in 1841 - so you think that isn't the right Alexander Symon? There is also one I found in 1851 in Marnoch, he was born in Deskford, which ties in with the Grange OPR saying the mother was in Deskford.

There was an Alexander Duncan born in Keith in July 1826 an Ag Lab in the 1851 in Grange. Is this who you think he became?

Actually I seem to have got it wrong Here is that family in 1851 where Alexander Duncan is only 11. It's definitely the same family so this must be a different Alexander.

Thomas Duncan 41
Margaret Duncan 36
Alexander Duncan 11
William Duncan 9
Thomas Duncan 7
George Duncan 6
Margaret Duncan 5
Mary Duncan 3
John Duncan 1
Child Not Baptized 7 days
Isabel Duncan 23
John Innes 21
Margaret Cruickshank 19

Sorry for confusion.

Regards,
Annette

[SarahND]

Hi all,
I had wondered whether this one was a mistranscription:

1861
Slackdale, Fordyce, Banffshire
Elspe Donaldson, 85, Head, born Fordyce, Banffshire, Farmer's Mother
Bathia Duncan, 28, Servant, born Boyndie, Banffshire, House Keeper
Alexr Stephen, 31, Servant, born Deskford, Banffshire, Ploughman
James Smith, 61, Servant, born Grange, Banffshire, Cattleman

But that's about all I have to offer on the subject!

Regards,
Sarah

[Moray_Lass]

That is okay Annette we all get confused sometimes - I know this guy is giving me headaches. If this Alex Symon is the father *his* father is going to be just as hard to track down, I am hoping the Grange Kirk Session Minutes will help with that...

Whichever Alexander Symon is the father his daughter was registered as Margaret Thomson, there is no RCE but she 'became' Margaret Symon in the 1871 Census and ever since... So I am pretty sure he was still Alex Symon up until 1865.

[Moray_Lass]

Thanks for that Sarah

Sadly there was an Alexander Stephen born in Deskford in 1829 But it was worth a try

[SarahND]

Grasping at straws

[Moray_Lass]

Yeah me too

[nelmit]

Was there an address on Margaret's birth entry?

Regards,
Annette

[Moray_Lass]

Hi Annette

Unfortunately Mary Thomson came home to her mum in Bellie to have her daughter - she was working as a domestic servant in Deskford in 1861 census - which is why that Kirk Session raised it. They probably met there. I did trying and track down the Margaret Watt mother of this Alexander Symon, in case she was still in Deskford and he was visiting her - but no luck. And that puts any comments in the lost Deskford Kirk Session Minutes again...

Just can't think what other angle to take at this brick wall...

[Moray_Lass]

Got him. Unfortunately (for me) it is my ghost farm labourer from above. The 'lost' Deskford Kirk Session Minutes have been found and digitized - they were written on blue paper... So I can fill things out a bit -

ALEXANDER SYMON/Simon
Born Deskford
Christening: 20 Dec 1828 Grange, Banff
1841 Rothiemay, Ag Lab
1851 Marnoch, Farm Labourer, Born Deskford
1861 ?
1863 cMar - Farm Servant at Nether Blairock, Deskford, with Mary Thomson
1863 2 Nov - case put before Deskford Kirk Session, Alex at Newmills, near Keith, no corresponding Keith entry
1863 26 Dec - Margaret Thomson (later Symon) born in Bellie
1865 4 Apr - Alexander acknowledged paternity in Deskford Minutes
1865 21 May - Bellie Kirk Session closed case
1871 ? (not Monquhitter, that is miss-indexed)
1881 ?
Married ?
Died ?

So no ongoing argument to trace him by, only two entries in the Deskford Minutes. I used the FMP time but can't see him there.

If anyone has any suggestions where else I can look, I'd be very grateful.

[SarahND]

Congrats on the progress, Maggie!
Does that mean that other supposedly non-existent kirk session minutes may also come to light?

I'm afraid I can't see him anywhere At least not in the UK, Canada or the US. I think he must have fled somewhere-- Australia?

Best of luck,
Sarah