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relatives of james nicol gardener in 1917

annette moylan on April 7, 2009 - 8:03pm
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looking for any decendants of james nicol and did he have a daughter jean or jane

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Growing Up in Wartime Kemnay

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To the post war generation the last war will appear as distant as the 1st World War does to those of my generation. To those of us who were around at that time however it appears very close and as the war years coincided with my teenage years in Kemnay, growing up in Kemnay and the war are closely linked. In retrospect I find it surprising how I accepted the war and the changes it entailed in everyday life. To a schoolboy this was something new and I suppose I regarded it as something of an adventure, not being aware of the full implications at that age.

Certainly being in the country we were shielded from many of the unpleasant aspects of the conflict and there were many advantages to living in a country village. Food rationing for example was never felt by country dwellers to the extent it was by those in the city. I can' t honestly remember being adversely affected by rationing and if one was on good terms with the local grocer, as mother appeared to be, additional items could always be obtained "under the counter" as the saying went.

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Skinner, Beattie & Walkers from Kemnay

Cheryl on February 15, 2008 - 8:08pm
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My Grandparents were James and Mary Walker (Skinner). They left Kemnay and came to the Boston, Massachusetts, USA area in 1921 when my mother was 9 years of age. Mary was the eldest of, I believe, 12 or 13 children of William Skinner and his wife Elizabeth (Beattie).

I remember my Grandmother speaking of her brother Bob and a sister Lizzie. Her youngest brother, Daniel Breslin Skinner, also immigrated to the Boston area. Thanks to the wonderful records that are now available online, I've been able to track 4 generations back but I have many missing names. If there are any Skinners, Beatties or Walkers with Or without a knowledge of our genealogy, I would sincerely appreciate hearing from you.

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A Child who lost her connections

Patricia Nelles on October 27, 2007 - 8:46pm
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On February 1, 1901, a little girl was born to Phillip and Barbara Mackie. They named her Alexandrina, and she had a big brother James, a sister Jean, and later two sisters, Barbara and Willamina (sp?).

But before she could grow up in this family, her father died, and so did her smallest sister, Willamina, the last tragically at the home of her grandfather, who was a woodsman.

With no husband and five children to raise, Barbara must have been distraught, so she accepted the offer of her sister Helen, and her brother-in-law John Jaffray, to take Allie, as she was called, to Canada with them.

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Local Hero

Mr Bon Jovi on September 6, 2007 - 12:42pm
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Does anyone remember local paper boy Peter Downie? He was an affae fine lad and dedictaed many years to prompt newspaper delivery in Kemnay 1980-1990.

Well, young Peter's all grown up now and away to get married down in London on the 15th Spetember.

Does anyone mind Peter delivering their papers? He was affae good at it.

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Early 1910 postcard

Ian Murray on December 28, 2006 - 6:05pm
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I collect old postcards for various parts of Aberdeenshire and a most interesting Kemnay one came my way recently . The title is Entrance in to Kemnay . The scene looks as if it is the entrance to Kemnay House , the subject matter is three children in a small cart pulled by a donkey , standing beside them is three other children . The date is obliterated but the postcard has been written at Ardennan and posted in Kemnay to Little Millbrex at Fyvie .

I can e-mail on a scan of it if anyone can tell me more about it ... ian@imurray13.fsnet.co.uk

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Roots, McDonald, Christie, Milne

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Recently, Bill Summersgill and his wife Midge, from Vancouver in British Columbia visited the area in search of their roots.  Bill's grandfather, William McDonald was the younger brother of John McDonald, who older members of the community will remember as vanman to Gordon the grocer in the village.  As a young man, John lost his right arm in a threshing mill accident.  Their father Donald McDonald was born in Croy, Invernesshire, around 1838 and as a young man travelled to Aberdeen in search of work.  He was staying at 25 Gaelic Lane in Woodside when he married Ann Brown, a Kemnay lass, on 19th June 1865.  Donald soon moved to Kemnay and obtained a lease of ground on Parkhill where he built a house overlooking the farm of Wellbush and with views to the Hill of Fare and Learney.  This was a small thatched cottage, but here the couple reared their family of four daughters and three sons, Donald earning his living as a labourer at the nearby quarries.

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Simon, Killing House

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E Glennie (via email) asks:

Can anybody tell me anything about a family that lived in the Killing House (I presume a butchers)
Elizabeth Simon would have been my great aunt.

 

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James (Shephard) Law. 1669

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Hi

I am trying to trace my family line, and I have been able to establish that I am a descendant of James Law (maybe James Shephard Law) who was born in Kemnay around 1669. One source says June 23, 1669.

Are their any Law or Laws descendants in Kenmay that might have more information on the family prior to James?

Regards
Robert James Laws, III

 

Watsons of Kemnay

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continued from question
said jaywalker on August 27, 2006 - 10:10pm

Hi there, I dont know if anyone can help me, I am trying to find any information on JAMES WATSON, his wife BARBARA(nee SCOTT) both born approx 1840ish.. They had at least 2 sons JAMES and ALEXANDER... or indeed of any of their descendants... I believe JAMES jnr lived at FORD LODGE in KEMNAY in 1931....

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