Family Group Sheet

Husband      John MacKENZIE or McKENZIE

Born

Abt 1786-1789

Chr.

 

Married

Presumed 1 Feb 1821, Boleskine, Inverness-shire

Died

Not found.  Still living on 5 June 1862 at daur Catherine's wedding in the Moy Inn.  Had died by 30 Dec 1863 ("deceased" on son Alexander's marriage certificate).  TO BE CHECKED: Only one death 1862-63 of a John M[a]ckenzie in Inverness-shire, in 1862, aged 80 yrs, mother's maiden name Gordon, d. Croy & Dalcross, (1862/094-00/0019 Croy & Dalcross)

Buried

Not known.

Husband’s Father      Not known.                                            

Husband’s Mother    Not known

Other wives  None known, but if John was aged 31 to 34 when married Catherine (20 or 21), he may have been married before and may have had children by a previous wife.



Notes: One other couple, named John McKenzie and Katherine Fraser, married 1 Feb 1824, Dores, Inverness-shire.  Agricultural labourer (daur Cathrine’s marriage cert, 1862). Crofter (widow Catherine’s death cert. 1870). Poss. Patient in Inverness Northern Infirmary, 30 Mar 1851, age 64, Labourer, b. Dores). 

 

Wife        Cathrine FRASER (or Catherine)

Born

Abt 1800

Chr.

 

Died

Catherine McKenzie, died 21 Feb 1870 (age 70), Linnmore, Moy (D/1870/105-/1)
 Cause of death "Severe cold a week".  No medical attendant. Died in home of daur Catherine Fraser, wife of David Reid, gamekeeper on Moy estate.

Buried

 Not known.

Wife’s Father  Not known

Wife’s Mother   Not known

Other husbands




Notes:  Father's and mother's names are left blank in Catherine's death certificate.  The informant was David Reid, son-in-law.

In 1861 Census only one household in Inverness-shire contained H & W named John and Catherine McKenzie, in right age group (Catherine aged 61 years, John aged 60 to 75 years); this was in Inverness (098/00 006/00 014). Another household in Inverness contained one Catherine McKenzie, aged 64 years (098/00 004/00 005). 

 

Children

Sex     Name

Born

Married

Died

1 F  Ann McKENZIE

Chr. 28 Dec 1821, Dores

 

 

 

 

 

2 M  William McKENZIE

Chr. 23 or 28 June 1823, Dores

 

 

 

 

 

3 F  Margaret McKENZIE

b. 21 February 1825, Balcherenach, Dores (GROS OPR 096/A, Dores, Inverness-shire: Births & Baptisms) (bapt. 28 Feb 1825)

 

 

4 F  Cathrine McKENZIE

25 March 1829, Gorcherchan, Dores (GROS OPR 096/A Births & Baptisms) (bapt. no date)

Domestic servant, single, 33? yrs, 5 June 1862, Moy Inn, Moy, groom: David REID, gamekeeper, widower, 51? yrs; both usually resident in Moy (M/105-00/1862/2 Moy & Dalarossie, Inverness-shire)

6 March 1915, 85 yrs, Meadowside, Alvie, “senile decay” (D/090-B/1915/5 Alvie, Inverness-shire)

5 M  John McKENZIE

b. 13 April 1831, Derchaorchan, Dores (GROS OPR 096/A Births & Baptisms) (bapt. 24 April 1831)

 

30 Dec 1863, Dores.  Rebecca FRASER, daur of Alexander Fraser, Serjeant, Royal Artillery & Janet Fraser; 24 yrs; single, dom Servt, Dores (Corobiter); John McKENZIE railway labourer (M/1863/096/7 Dores), residing Cromdale.  In 1851 Census, dDescribed as "Woodcutter", age 20, unmarried, living in Dores parish, with mother Catherine "Ag. Labourer's wife" (51, married, born Boleskine parish) and sister Catherine.

 

6 M  Alexander McKENZIE

b. 9 May 1833, Derchearachan, Dores (GROS OPR 096/A Births & Baptisms) (bapt. 26 May 1833)

Searched Inverness-shire marriages from 1855 through 1875 and no marriage found.

 

7 F  Elisabeth McKENZIE

b. 30 November 1935, Derchanachan, Dores (GROS OPR 096/A Births & Baptisms) (bapt. 17 December 1835)

Searched Inverness-shire marriages from 1855 through 1875 and no marriage found.

 

8  Donald McKENZIE

Chr. 25 Jan or Feb 1838, Dores

 

 

 

 

 

References:  Updated by Peter Symon, 15 December 2014

Notes: 1851 Census, Catherine McKenzie, Head, 51, Marr, Ag Lab’s wife, b. Boleskine; Catherine, daur, 22, unmarr, b. Dores; John, son, 20, unmarr, b. Dores.

There were no fewer than nine baptisms of a child named Catherine [or Katharine] Fraser in the parishes of Dores and Boleskine during the five years 1799 through 1803.  If Catherine's age on her death certificate is accurate, the most likely one is the birth in Boleskine parish on 7 May 1799 of Katharine Fraser, to parents John Fraser and Ann Fraser, corresponding as it does with the customary naming conventions.  Usually it was the mother's maiden name that was recorded in the register of births and baptisms, although the practice varies between parishes, between different session clerks and over time; often only the father's name, place and sometimes occupation would be given.   Another possible baptism could be that of a Katharine Fraser, on 30 March 1799 in Boleskine, to a William Fraser and Ann Fraser.  Less likely, because of the fact that it was in Dores parish, and not matching with the declared age at death, is the christening on 15 May 1801 in Dores of a Kitty [Catherine] Fraser, to parents John Fraser and Ann Sinclair.  


As for John McKenzie's parentage, the most likely candidate is probably the christening in Boleskine on 6 May 1790 of a John Mackenzie, son of William Mackenzie and Margret Macdonell, conforming as it does with the naming conventions for John and Catherine's offspring.  Two or three other possible births in Dores or Boleskine may also be John, however, and so no conclusive identification can be made at present.


A hypothetical history is that John and Catherine married, and were firstly living in the farmstead of Balchuirn, where the first three children, William [presumably John's father's name], Ann [Catherine's mother's name] and Margaret [John's mother's name] were born.  Sometime after the birth of Margaret in February 1825 they moved to Dirichurachan, described by RCAHMS here as being shown on OS 6 inch survey in 1871 as a "farmstead comprising one unroofed, five roofed buildings and three enclosures", where from the birth of Catherine in March 1829 some further two daughters and three sons were born.  John farmed a smallholding of land.  In 1851 there was only Catherine, her daughter Catherine and son John living at home. Husband John was in Inverness hopsital with some undefined illness.  He was probably aged between 60 and 65 at the time.   By sometime between 1851 and1861 John had retired from working the smallholding, possibly the lease of the land had ended or not been renewed by the estate owner, and the elderly couple had removed to the burgh of Inverness, and thence to somewhere in Croy & Dalcross parish. Both parents were still alive at daughter Catherine's marriage in Moy to David Reid on 5 June 1862.  By the end of 1862 John had died; later his widow Catherine would move in with her daughter Catherine where she died on 21 February 1870 aged 70.  Both John and Catherine would have been Gaelic speakers and were probably illiterate.

Dirichurachan, around a decade or more after the end of the tenancy of John McKenzie. From OS Six inch, 1st series, Inverness-shire (Mainland), sheet 42, surveyed 1871, published 1875. Reproduced with permission of the National Library of Scotland..
Dirichurachan, around a decade or more after the end of the tenancy of John McKenzie. From OS Six inch, 1st series, Inverness-shire (Mainland), sheet 42, surveyed 1871, published 1875. Reproduced with permission of the National Library of Scotland..

Pictures of a visit to Dirichurachan September 2011 by Peter and Eleanor Symon


So far I haven't started to trace any of the descendents of John and Catherine McKenzie other than those of their daughter, also called Catherine McKenzie, ancestor number 31 (married David Reid).