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I am trying to track down the extended family of John McLauchlan- he left Perth Scotland around 1858 . His sister Grace migrated to New Zealand- i believe she married a McDonald. A nephew of John was Alexander McDonald-who I know visited Australia in 1924- i believe he was a journalist. John married Catherine Smith.

Hello Megan and

Is this the family in 1841?

Balnaguard, Little Dunkeld, Perthshire
Lauchlan Mclauchlan, 46, born Perthshire, Tailor
Mary Mclauchlan, 35, born Perthshire
John Mclauchlan, 4, born Perthshire
Donald Mclauchlan, 3, born Perthshire
Grace Mclauchlan, 1, born Perthshire
Margery Morrow, 66, born Perthshire

If so, do you know what happened to the brother Donald? I see that Grace is a servant with a Macdonald family in 1851, but not sure where John and the rest of the family have gone to.

All the best,
Sarah

Hi Megan

Assuming that this is the correct family, - given the fact of the names of John and Grace and the Perthshire location, - the registration district of Little Dunkeld, - it looks very likely, - then later censuses show additional children of Lachlan McLAUCHLAN and Mary MUNRO[E] (her surname from Lachlan's death register entry) as Janet, aged 4 in 1851 (Lachlan was somewhere else on census night); Marjory and Janet, aged respectively 19 and 14 in 1861 (this census shows Lauchlan as a labourer, but all the other info fits down to the address and places of birth); in the 1871 census there's also a Peter Harper BLACK, 2 year old grandson of Lauchlan and Mary, who turns out, via his birth register entry, to be the illegitimate son of Alexander BLACK and Elizabeth McLAUCHLAN, - so yet another daughter.

Lachlan's 1874 death register entry, in Glasgow, a very good age match, never mind a match on occupation and widow's name, shows the informant as "Mary McDONALD, Daughter, 92 Cowan Street, Stirling"". There's an outside chance that she could be a daughter-in-law, but much more likely, in accordance with tradition, to be the eldest surviving child of Lauchlan in the vicinity, - left home by 1841 ? There's an intriguing possible matching death record for her in Perth Prison !

Lauchlan's wife Mary MUNRO[E] may have died in Barnhill Poorhouse in Glasgow, but the death register entry doesn't give enough info to be certain, and her deceased husband's given name is shown as John, and no occupation is shown; and there is also a matching 1881 census record for a John and Mary McLACHLAN. The age shown is a good match. Could well be worthwhile seeing what other information there is in the poor inspector's full interview report.

That apart, disappointingly, there's no immediately obvious forward traces via death records for the kids, even for wee Peter Harper BLACK, but then maybe his mammy goat merrit and he took his step-father's name ? In addition, especially when a couple of siblings have emigrated, it's very common to find that other siblings have either followed them, or emulated them and emigrated to other parts of the world.

Obviously the surname McLAUCHLAN doesn't make the search any easier given the many possible spelling variants !

mb

Hi Megan

I rarely give up the hunt, ken ?

Montrose Budie wrote:much snipped .....
That apart, disappointingly, there's no immediately obvious forward traces via death records for the kids, even for wee Peter Harper BLACK, but then maybe his mammy goat merrit and he took his step-father's name ? ...snipped......

Aye, weel, ain't http://www.ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk completely amazing as you can now search for a death on the basis of the given name[s] alone ?!, i.e. no need for a surname to be entered.

In this case, such a search produces the death of Peter Harper Black McKENZIE, "parents" Thomas McKENZIE and Elizabeth McKENZIE MS McLACHLAN, married to Annie BR*LAW, the informant being a son A[??] G McKenzie.

And then there's the death record for Elizabeth McKENZIE MS McLACHLAN, widow of Thomas McKENZIE, informant Kenneth McKENZIE, Marisdene, Glasgow Road (in Dunbarton, by inference of the registration being in Dunbarton and no other location shown)..................

mb

PS the latter death record is in 1931.

mb

Nice find, mb!
Megan will be very pleased when she wakes up down under. I think it is probably the wee hours where she is at the moment... This will give her a good start tracking down the extended family still in Scotland.

Cheers,
Sarah