ALEXANDER MORGAN and AGNES MACKIE (Written by Margaret Officer Lawson 1928-2010)

Alexander Morgan (1808-1895) =Agnes Mackie (1804-1842)

ALEXANDER MORGAN AND AGNES MACKIE (Written by Margaret Officer Lawson 1928-2010)

Name Alexander MORGAN Agnes MACKIE Born 1808 27th November 1804 Place Kincardine O’Neil Old Deer Married Died 2ND April 1895 May 1842 Place Keig Midmar Buried Occupation Farm Labourer Parents: Father Alexander Morgan John Mackie Mother Jane Mitchell Agnes Watt

Children: -

1 Jane Morgan 1837 - 1924 2 Agnes Morgan 1838 - 3 Alexander Morgan 29/8/1839 – 27/7/1892

ALEXANDER MORGAN (1808-1895)

I can find no record of birth for Alexander Morgan although his death certificate states who his parents were.

I have been unable to find the record of marriage between Alexander and Agnes, which I feel sure, must exist. Although births sometimes failed to be reported, this is the only instance I have come across where a marriage has not been recorded. It is possible that some of the Midmar records have been lost or have deteriorated but sometimes records do get mixed up and I may yet come upon it.

Censuses are generally taken towards the end of March or the beginning of April, but the one in 1841 was taken in June. This was the first census which recorded names (as opposed to numbers only) but it was still fairly rudimentary. The ages of all persons above the age of ten were supposed to be rounded down to the nearest five years. The place of birth, so useful in backtracking, was also not included. EXTRACT from CENSUS RECORDS

1841 Midmar Census Nethershiel Farm

Alexander Morgan 30 farmer Agnes “ 35 wife Jane “ 4 dau Agnes “ 3 “ Alexander “ 1 son Jane Glashan 14 farm servant Elizabeth Grant 35 ag. labourer Jane Clerihew 20 “

Alexander Morgan (1808-1895) =Agnes Mackie (1804-1842)

Nethershiel Farm would have been part of the Estate of Shiels which was owned by Captain John Gordon of Cluny. In the Grampian Region Archives I could only find the ‘Croft of Nether Shiels’ which was about 5 –6 acres. If this is the same as the farm above it seems likely that Alexander would have been able to work the croft on his own and not need the help of two labourers as shown in the census.

Addendum.

Alexander appears in the Census at Keig after 1841 (where he dies in 1895)

Surname Forename Year Gender Age at Ref RD Name County/

Census City

MORGAN ALEXANDER 1841 M 30 222/ 6/ 1 Midmar Aberdeen

MORGAN ALEXANDER 1851 M 41 205/ 3/ 4 Keig Aberdeen

MORGAN ALEXANDER 1861 M 51 205/ 2/ 7 Keig Aberdeen

MORGAN ALEXANDER 1871 M 60 205/ 2/ 4 Keig Aberdeen

MORGAN ALEXANDER 1881 M 70 205/ 2/ 8 Keig Aberdeen

MORGAN ALEXANDER 1891 M 83 205/ 2/ 1 Keig Aberdeen

In each of these census’s his birth year varies between 1808 to 1811. The census information gives his place of Birth as Kincardine O’Neil but there are still no good candidates for Birth OPR records. There is one possible birth record I have located in the OPR, but this is for a Mary Mitchel married to Alexander Morgan and having a child Alexander on 19/3/1811 but this is at Old Machar some 25 miles away. (OPR ref 168/B-50/344) However, I am unconvinced given the consistency of place of Birth as Kincardine O’Neil in the Census records.

He has a further 7 children (Christian, John, Samuel, Margaret, Mary, James and George) by his second wife Christian Gerrie for which I can find no definite Marriage record either. Christian Gerrie was born 10/7/1825 (OPR Ref 214/20/35 Leochel & Cushnie). This place of birth is consistent for Christian with the census records after 1841. There is a possible Marriage on 17th Sept 1843 to a Christian “Garioch” in Midmar. (OPR Ref 222 20/255 Midmar). This name might be a recorder mistake because I cannot locate a suitable birth for a Christian Garioch based on census dates and the 1843 date is consistent with Agnes dying around 1842. Nb My mother mentions below his re-marrying in Sept 1843 suggesting she also considered this a possible record though I can find no other reference in her work for this. Maybe lost now in some old notes.

It is his son Samuel, by Christian, born around 1848 who reports his death. His death certificate in formation suggests his 2nd wife was a Christina Gerrie and that his parents were Alexander Morgan and Jane Mitchell. Thomas Lawson West Hawick July 2021

Alexander Morgan (1808-1895) =Agnes Mackie (1804-1842)

AGNES MACKIE (1804-1842)

Since Agnes died before registration became compulsory, there is no official record of her parents. However, from the 1841 census, it is certain that she was born between 1802 and 1806.

The only Agnes Mackie that I was able to find in this period was the one born to John Mackie and Agnes Watt in November 1804 in New Deer, and it is highly probable that these were in fact her parents. There is little point in speculating further back than this generation, however, because of lack of positive proof.

Death of Agnes Mackie

Agnes Mackie must have died between the June census of 1841 and the re-marriage of her husband, Alexander, to Christina Gerrie in September 1843. The records of death for Midmar sadly no longer exist having been either lost or destroyed. However, I came upon the Kirk Session Accounts for Midmar stored in the Scottish Record Office in Edinburgh. There I discovered a sum of 1/6 (one shilling and sixpence) paid to the church accounts for the hire of a mortcloth in May 1842. There was only one such entry between 1841 and 1843 so it is fairly certain that this was for Agnes Mackie, giving her date of death as sometime in May 1842.

N.B. A mortcloth was a large black velvet cloth usually ornamented with white. Its purpose was to cover the coffin from the time the body was placed inside until the interment. The custom largely dates from the 17th and 18th centuries. The dues were the hire charges which supplemented the kirk session funds.

Addendum.

I feel less confident that the Mortcloth record is evidence of Agnes death in 1842. I think the time of death is quite likely, but I wonder if Alexander Morgan who did not even register his first two children could have afforded the expense of a Mortcloth. If Agnes family were well to do though (i.e., were linked to the farm ownership or secure tenancy) then it might be more likely. However as there are no Midmar death records for this period there is no way of telling

Equally the fate of her three children I am unable to track in the 1851 census. They do not appear to be with their father and stepmother. Of course, they could all have been “in service” so are not easily identified with any certainty and it is possible Agnes died young before registration in 1855.

I was able to track down Jane. She married a George Benzie in 1868 and was living in Aberdeen by her death in 1924. Her death certificate confirms her parents’ names as Alexander Morgan and Agnes Mackie

Thomas Lawson West Hawick July 2021