Coincidence?

[Andrew C.]

I found my 3xGGrandparents James (44) and Jean (38) Murcar on the 1851 Freecen living at 28 Kirk Street, Peterhead along with their two surviving children Christian and Jean (my 2xGGrandmother). I by chance looked at the previous households and discovered there were a number of households at 28 Kirk Street (anyone know what kind of building this would have been? A tenement I guess) Two of the households caught my attention in particular.

One was a Christian Mitchell aged 73 a farmers widow. As I believe Jean Murcar’s parents were George Mitchell and Christian Watt I am presuming this was Jean’s mother.I again guess the same Christian Mitchell who is on the 1841 census at Easter Collilaw along with George Mitchell, farmer 70 and two sons (21 & 20) and a daughter (20), although she does seem to have left it late in life to have these children! The two sons seem to have disappeared by 1851 although I would have thought there would have been other children. Anyway I think it is two much of a coincidence for this lady not to be Jean’s mother.

The other household of interest is a Margaret Mitchell (75) from Panbride, Forfar who is down as being an Annuitant with a 22 year old servant. Now if she is going to be a relative to Christian I would guess she would have to be a sister in law. The thing is I can’t find her in Aberdeenshire in the 1841 census. There are four Margaret Mitchells born in Angus around 1775 including a 65 old “Independent” living with a 70 year old Jean Mitchell “independent” in Dundee and a 66 year old in Forfar who seems to be head of a household of handloom weavers (she is the only Mitchell among them). None of these ladies are in Angus in 1851 census. Is it more than likely just a coincidence this other Mitchell is also at 28 Kirk Street, if so it begs the question why would she have moved from Angus to Peterhead in her late sixties? Is this something worth pursuing or would it be wild red herring chase?

[nelmit]

Can't really help with the Mitchells at the moment - as it's my husband's name I know how common it is.

I wonder though if you've checked the death entry registered in 1855 of Christian Mitchell/Watt at Peterhead? Female death entries in that year are usually a mine of information.

Regards,
Annette

[Andrew C.]

I will check it out.