May 4th

May 4th in 1854 was when your fist cousin 3X removed, Alexander Ironside, was born in Monquhitter in Aberdeenshire.  The Ironside name came onto our family tree through the marriage of Alexander's father, also Alexander, to Jane Donald.  Alexander was their first born.  Eight siblings followed.  The family were crofters / farmers. 

And May 4th is also the day when your German grandparents got married.  Karl Muller and Klara Schwalb tied the knot in 1929.  I fear I know nothing about the marriage - but would assume it took place in Rheinbach or nearby - maybe in Fritzdorf where Oma was from.  At the time of the marriage Karl was 23, Klara was 22.

May 3rd

Got a bunch for May 3rd:

In 1815 Hellen Christie was born.  She is your 3rd great aunt.  She was born in Mannellan in Banffshire, Scotland.  She was the 2nd child of nine for farmers John Christie and Helen Gordon.  She was baptised on May 14th.

It's also the birthday of your great great grandmother Isabella Donald.  She was born in Monquhitter in Aberdeenshire to farmer George Donald and Ann Matthew.  She was their fourth child and many more (not totally sure just how many) followed.

Then there's the birth of your 3x great aunt, Christian Smith Donald in 1847.  She's a sister of Hellen above but by the time Christian was born, the family had moved into Monquhitter in Aberdeenshire.

It's certainly the day for the Donalds!  Next up is Ann Donald - another 3rd great aunt of yours - sister to Hellen and Christian.  On this day in 1856 she married Andrew Clark.  At the time of the marriage she was 19 years old and a domestic servant. Andrew was 26 and a farm servant.  They were married in Monquhitter in Aberdeenshire.

Now to a 2nd great-aunt - but still in the same family - the Aberdeenshire clan.  Christina Christie died on this day in 1891.  She was just 19 years old.  She died at Ewebrae Croft.  She was a domesic servant, the daughter of your great great grandparents, Adam Christie and Isabella Donald (same person as above).  Cause of death was Phthisis Pulmonalis.

May 1st

On May 1st in 1959 your second cousin 2X removed, Annie Isabella Glover, died in Newcastle upon Tyne.  She was a packer at a chemists as a young adult.  She married Henry Mason at age 33.  They had no children.  She was 67 when she died and had been recently widowed.

 

 

April 30th

On April 30th in 1861 your first cousin 4X removed, Philip Barker Fisken, was born.  His father was Thomas, one of the Fisken brothers of steam plough fame.  His mum was Frances Barker.  Philip was born in Crieff in Perthshire.  He was Thomas and Frances' third child (of four).

Also on this day - in 1868 - your great great grandparents, Lily Campbell and William Fisken, were married.  

Great Great Grandparents, William & Lily

Last fall when I was in Glasgow I visited the church where they were married in Dumbarton which was pretty cool.  

William was 30 at the time of the marriage.  He was sawyer and living in Tarbet on Loch Lomond in Dunbartonshire.  Lily was 29 and a dressmaker.  She also lived in Tarbet.  But they were married in Dumbarton - at the church on West Bridgend - and they continued to live in Dumbarton.  The church where they were married is the "old" church.   A new church was built right next to a few years later.  Both church buildings remain - but the "new" one (which is really quite old now) is used for worship, the old old church is used as the church hall.  The photo is one I took last year.

And another birth on this day was of Archibald John Page Glover.  He is your first cousin 2x removed.  He was born in 1916 in Newcastle upon Tyne.  He is the son of great grandfather William Fisken Glover's brother, Archibald Ritchie Lawrence Glover and Caroline Anne Page.  Of particular interest is that his first marriage was to Pauline Anna Emma Weisse who is the daughter of Grace Marie Igel who figured in the recent BBC production of A House Through Time (which you will watch very soon!).

April 28th

On this day in 1891 your second cousin 3X removed, William Butchart Coull, was born in Dundee in Scotland.  He was the 7th of the eleven children of Archibald Coull and Ann Burchart.  The Coulls were originally from Ferryden.  Sadly William didn't see his first birthday.  He died a few months later from bronchitis.

April 27th

On this day in 1879 - 140 years ago - grandad Glover was born.  This is William Fisken Glover - your great grandfather.  My dad's dad about whom we have recently learned that he fathered a child before he married great grandma.  

Great Grandad was born in the Northumberland village of Horsley (I hope you'll see just where he was born next month!!).  His father, William, was the minister of the congregational church there.  His mother was Flora Fisken.  He was their first child but he also had a half-sister, Gertrude, who was the child of his dad's first marriage.

The Manse at Horsley

Also on this day - in 1947 - Victor McBean West married Marjorie Vera Turk.  Victor is your first cousin 2x removed.  He was grandma's first cousin and I remember meeting him once.  He had a brief pop-in visit with us at Duchess Street.  I was about 8 or 9 I think and as he was leaving he put a coin in my hand and I was gobsmacked that it was half a crown!  

Victor and Marjorie were married in Isleworth Congregational Church in Middlesex.  He was a 25 year old bachelor, a police constable (at the time he was a police constable in Perthshire, Scotland - he continued his career with the police down south).  Marjorie was also 25 and was a widow.  

April 26th

For today we head for the U.S. again - to Barre in Vermont where on this day in 1990 your 2nd cousin once removed, Henry Milne, died.

The Milne name married into the Riddel family who after marrying into the Christie family left Aberdeenshire to work in the granite industry in Vermont.

Henry was born in Barre and seems to have lived most of his life in Vermont.  It would appear that he was a political figure like other Milnes and was a lawyer.  I don't have much info on him.  I'm quite sure I could find out more detail - but I'm finding it a bit time consuming making sure I've got the right Milne - so will just leave it at this for now or I'll never get caught up on this blog!!

Henry was married to Catharine Fraher with whom he had four children.  He died in Manchester, New Hampshire.  He was 81.