Parish Church yard of Portmoak

trish1 · Post by **trish1** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 9:54 am

James Hoy who died in 1858 is registed as being buried in the parish church yard of Portmoak, Kinross (He died in Glasgow). His parents died when he was young (between 1832 and 1841) and there are no OPR death records for Portmoak for this period - it seems likely that James may have been buried near his parents.

Does anyone know if there are any MIs available for this parish

thanks

Trish

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 12:35 pm

Hi Trish,

I have a booklet for pre 1855 MI's in Kinross-shire (though there do appear to be some post 1855 ones). I had a look in the Portmoak Churchyard section and there's this entry:

Robt Hoy, son Alex 5.3.1834 21, Jas Hoy 3.12.1881, wife Cath Miller 14.7.1885; Agnes Miller Merry 27.8.1861 4

Sorry I can't be of more help!

Best wsihes,
Meg

trish1 · Post by **trish1** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 3:01 pm

Many thanks Meg - they are probably all related - but I haven't found the links. The parents of my James Hoy who died 1858 (aged 25) were George Hoy and Grace Miller/ar - so the names are certainly familiar.

I probably need to go back some generations to find any links. George had 2 sisters & their father was a James Hoy, and grandfather James Hoy (I think). I will see if I can find a link to the Jas who died in 1881, although the names Robert and Alex don't seem to be part of my Hoys. The baptisms for Portmoak go back to 1701, tis difficult to find anything other than naming patterns, however, to prove who definitely belonged to whom.

Sometimes the name was spelt Hoey - was that in your book at all?

My Hoys (one of the sisters of George) married into a family by the name of Haxton/Hackson/Halkerston who supposedly came from a property called Balgeddie in the parish of Portmoak (but I can't find any records for them, apart from a small farm owned by the family in 1900, so I wonder if a story has been built around same). They appear in Kirkcaldy from 1790 onwards. Would those names be in your booklet at all?

thankyou again for your help

Trish

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 3:48 pm

Hi Trish,

I'd already checked for variations of Hoy so no is the answer to that question. I looked for the Haxton variations not only in Portmoak but in all the other churchyards ( Blairingone, Cleish, Fossoway, Kinross, Milnathort, Orwell, and Tullibole) and I'm afraid there were none

Sorry!

Don't you just love those old family stories that you spend hours puzzling over?!

Meg

trish1 · Post by **trish1** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 7:46 am

I thought you would have checked the variations but my irish part (how did my irish catholic dad get together with my scottish presbyterian mother!) was wanting to be sure.

Thank you for checking the other names. I had completely disbelieved this story until I found the farm mentioned in a 1914 will - I will try and find some sassines for same - but I think it was a story woven around very little - and think it likely that the farm may have originally belonged to the Hoys - which was never considered by anyone in the past.

Australia is a long way from Scotland (& England, Wales, Ireland) and many a man and woman reinvented themselves in their new land. It is an interesting (if rather long) path to determining what really happened.

Trish

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 9:39 am

As you say a wonderful chance to reinvent yourself when starting a new life so far away!
The possibilities are endless aren't they?

Like those grand job titles on certificates!
Does make life difficult for the family historians though - but hey isn't that part of the fun?

Meg

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 10:38 am

Hi Trish
Just thought I'd metnion, though it may not be relevant to your search, that I have a small collection of Hoy/Hoeys in my tree, Irish RC from Co. Fermanagh, who married into my lot and some of whom then came to Glasgow around mid 1850s.

Best wishes
Lesley

trish1 · Post by **trish1** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:03 pm

Hi Lesley

I don't think I have any Irish Hoys - unless they came from Ireland in the 1700s or earlier. I think I am back to a George Hoy who was having children in Portmoak in the 1730s - I am somewhat surer of a James Hoy and Christian Brydie who had their children in the 1760s including a James who had the son George & a daughter Christian who married my John Haxton in 1827 and moved to Kirkcaldy (where the Haxtons were born). Thus said my pre 1800 information is based mainly on OPRs and naming patterns - plus the localities. I dream of visiting NAS to maybe find some other sources.

My Irish catholics came directly to Australia (to the best of my knowledge), not long after the potato famine - they gave such varying stories however, I have little idea as to their origins. Unless I can find someone famous enough to get included on WDYTYA - their origins will probably remain hidden.

Trish