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James Lorimer Tree. Lorimer Line.
Rachel Lorimer moved to Glasgow and married Robert Foster, a Tree for the Fosters, Descendants James Foster
Pictures for the Stewart Story. Includes Lorimer and Wighton Pics.
Certificates Maps etc for the Lorimer Tale. Lorimer Certs.Updated 6 Dec 2004 .
Photographs for the Lorimer Tale. Lorimer photographs.Created 9 Dec 2004 .
Lorimer Tale starts out with James Lorimer married to Mary Ann Duncan Robertson, they lived in St Andrews Parish. How many children they had is unknown. The correct age is likewise unknown. However we do know they had a son John Lorimer born in 1818, early years are unrecorded but probably worked as a Farm Labourer at the West side of the Parish about Strathkinness area. This borders Kemback.
Catherine Melville was born in Kemback in 1819, no birth record for her, however Kemback is a very small Agricultural Parish, borders St. Andrews Parish, with no real Village in it. A record for children born to
William Melville and Margaret Brown in Kemback does not have a Catherine, but they had children in 1811 1812 1818 1821 1824 1825 1829 1833 and this leaves a nice gap for Catherine about
1819/1820 and that is consistent with the David Certificate. Unfortunately the records have been created by a Researcher and not from the Parish records so the source is unknown.
They married in Ceres just slightly after the birth of William, at this time they lived about Collessie, this was the Records Office so most children are recorded here. Evidence from later shows they moved around the area
including Lumquhat and Clamny Duff, both close to Auchtermuchty. later they moved to Elcho. At some time after 1873, moved to Kilspindie on the other side of the Tay.
It perhaps shows that records were not a strong point at this time, on Davids (1855) Birth Cert, the Official records show John and Catherine had 3 Boys and 3 girls before David but on the Birth record it says they had 4 Boys and 5 Girls living. David was the tenth child. In 1855 John Lorimer worked on a Farm called Lumquhat near Collessie. A girl Christian Lorimer was born to them in 1858 is recorded in Autermuchty. Possibly the Record point changed.
They had eight children that are known.
Catherine Melville died around 1865, possibly in Rhynd Parish, no record found. Later John marries another Catherine McArcher while both work at Grange of Elcho, near Rhynd. They move to Kilspindie and stay at Dalritchmuir,
John became a Road Surfaceman. When William's wife Jane Roy died the surviving child came to stay with them, Betsy or Elizabeth. Later when Christian (Catherine) had a son he lived with them also. In the traditional way that the Grandparents
looked after all homeless children. By the 1901 census both children had left home, only John and Catherine left. They had changed to a Cottage at Mill of Montague. The children, Elizabeth unknown. John worked at Trinity Gask as a
Ploughman, unmarried lived in the bothy. He has a further part to play.
Catherine McArcher, lived until 1916 when she died in Collace, parents shown, her mother was a Robertson. Alexander McKercher recorded her death, her Son. The name Mc Archer and Mc Kercher are exactly the same, see Catherine's
wedding certificate, she is McArcher and her parents are McKercher.
The name Mc Archer or Mc Kercher is the same, has several variations, on Catherines marriage to John Lorimer cert both are used.
In 1881 Census there was a Grandson living with them, age 1 in 1881, John son of Christian he registers his grandparent death. By this time he would have been 22 and the Lady could have been dead for 60 years, so I think he made a
best job possible of the record. Even his Grandmother was dead 15 years before he was born. The names of the Ladies get somewhat scrambled. Catherine Melville becomes Catherine McBean and Mary Roberstson is highly modified.
However how he came up with McBean defies my imagination.
In 1881 the other Grandchild was Betsy, Elizabeth Lorimer the daughter of William and Jane Roy age 12. It is the presence of this child, described as a GrandDaughter that largely overcomes the name problem.
The John Lorimer was the son of Catherine (Christian Lorimer) father unknown, born 9 Aug 1879, recorded by John Lorimer Grandfather, born at Dalritchmuir, Kilspindie. Thus we have two Grandchildren born to John Lorimer's
own Children present in the House, this to me proves that this John Lorimer is our John born in 1818.
A person called Janet Robertson age 79 was present described as a Relative, Catherine's mother was a Robertson, this lady is shown as Unmarried.
See the detail for each person for more.
William has the longest story, and one child is important to Identify John Lorimer later, married in Perth to Jane Roy, several children some lived and are known. Jane Died after 1868. The only known survivor, Elisabeth,
left with Grandfather. William moved to Glasgow area and married Margaret Marge. Margaret was a Widow no record of previous marriage or children. Marge is a corruption of Madge, this is common in Devon so may
have originated there, so she joins the Sages as immigrant names..
John Lorimer the son born 1845 is well known to us as John the "one legged bird stuffer" as he had one leg and was employed as a taxidermist. How he lost his leg has so far not been discovered. He was present at his brother Williams marriage to Margaret Marge where he was a witness. He seems to be connected with Moneydie outside Perth where he married Mary Wighton. When she died he married Helen Duncan, see the Wighton Tale. They stayed in St Pauls at the bottom of the Old High St where P.D.Malloch has a Country Sports shop where John probably worked.
The Elisabeth who married the Farmer called James Young in the 1881 census had a Domestic Servant working for them called Georgina Lorimer, age 20. Visiting was Catherine Lorimer and John Robert Lorimer, all born in Dunkeld Parish. Georgina was the Daughter of a Susan Lorimer (unwed) who lived with her Brother Peter Lorimer, these can be traced back through several Peters's and probably are started by a Brother to our John Lorimer 1818. I have no intention of pursuing this as there are too many holes.
James Wighton Tree Wighton Line.
This story is mostly about James Wighton and his family. James was born about 1808 in Blairgowrie, Perthshire. By 1851 he works at Pitlandie Farm, near Moneydie.
In 1832 he married Mary Smith, born about 1811 in Methven, the only record of birth was a Mary Smyth born 16 April 1809 and that seems reasonable but have no document. The marriage was in Moneydie, but they moved to Forteviot where the first four children were born. About 1838 they moved back to Moneydie where the other six children were born.
In the 1881 census they live at Netherton Cott Cottage near Aberargie. He died in 1882 and was buried in Moneydie churchyard where the family stone stands.
Janet Wighton married David Duncan, they lived in Blairgowrie, they had Twins Mary and Helen. Mary in 1881 was living at home in Netherton. Helen was a Domestic Servant for James Haggart in Caputh in 1881. He was 83 yrs old. By 1884 she was living in Perth with John Lorimer where two children were born, they married in 1888 and had several more children. Johns first wife was Mary Wighton the younger sister of Janet, they had two children then Mary died. Helen was the mother of Annie Lorimer who marries William Stewart so connecting the various families.
The children all have what ever detail is available as part of the individual details.