Death by drowning...

Alienore · Post by **Alienore** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:14 pm

The other day I had a foray into Register House, looking at the various collection of weird and wonderful ancestors that I am accumulating.

I was looking at some Fergusons who moved around a bit. During the 1850s they move from Nairn to Kinloss, where they have various children.

One of the sons was an Alexander Ferguson, who married Georgina McBain. Alex dies in very mysterious circumstances - I shall quote from the death certificate.

According to his death cert, he is supposed to have fallen from a temporary bridge into the river at the Findhorn Viaduct on 19 July 1892. His body was found in the river Findhorn at the mouth of the Terr Burn in Ardclach. His brother James was the informant but was illiterate. James lived at 38 Friars St Inverness at the time.

Alexander's death cert was originally signed in Ardclach in Nairn but there is an amendment to it - 'Cancelled - this Death having occurred in the Parish of Moy and Dalarossie, where it has now been registered.'

Going to the second death certificate, it simply says that he died in the river Findhorn near Tomatin, Moy Parish, Inverness-shire and that his usual residence was Soilsean Said Parish. The informant here was Duncan Shaw.

Any ideas how we take this one forward? It was a bit of a shock (mind you, one of his younger brothers dies in extremely mysterious circumstances in Australia and the eldest brother may have contributed to that death! so the family are .... peculiar, shall we say?) to find him dying like that.

Deborah

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:12 am

Hi Deborah
It may be that a local newspaper might have mentioned the incident - either in his home area (usual address should be given on the death entry) or the area where the accident occurred.

Best wishes
Lesley

Jockbird · Post by **Jockbird** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:55 am

Morning All!

This is my great times whatever uncle too, the James mentioned as the informant is Deborah's and my Gx2 grandfather.

I'm ashamed to say that I don't know what neck of the woods to start looking in for the local newspaper

Would it be Moray for Findhorn, as the incident happened there, or do we look towards Inverness for Moy and Dalarossie? Could something like this have made it to the Scotsman? (it may have been a quiet day for news!)

I've looked on the Moray heritage page and there are no references for our Alexander....although there is one who was had up on Malicious Mischief...fits the bill for this family...but I don't know if it is him.

Any help and direction would be very much appreciated.

Thanks
Donna

x

setait · Post by **setait** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:42 pm

Hi Donna and Deborah

It was a quiet day in the Scotsman for news

Scotsman, Thursday 21 July 1892, page 4 (it's in segment 4 if you want to download a copy)

FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE FINDHORN VIADUCT
Yesterday a navvy named Alexander Ferguson, employed on the Findhorn Viaduct works, accidentally missed his footing and fell into the river. He was quickly carried down by the current, and before assistance could be rendered he was drowned. His relatives reside in Inverness

What we'd call an industrial accident nowadays

Sheena

Jockbird · Post by **Jockbird** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:21 pm

Thanks Sheena for finding that, that's a great help.

The poor soul

, I've seen pictures of that viaduct, I'd be scared in the passenger seat of a car on it, let alone working on it & missing my footing.

Thanks again,
Donna

x

Post by **AndrewP** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:59 pm

A couple of pictures of the Findhorn Viaduct can be seen at:

http://www.railscot.co.uk/Inverness_and ... /frame.htm

About ¾ of the way down, click on more photographs of Tomatin. Then scroll down to the bottom of page of photographs to see two showing that railway viaduct. Click on the picture to see a larger view of it.

All the best,

AndrewP

Jockbird · Post by **Jockbird** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 1:25 pm

Thanks for that Andrew.

Best wishes
Donna