research notes:
I have found the marriage of John and Jane, which was registered in the March 1/4 1844 at Wheatenhurst in Gloucestershire. Jane is shown in the index as Jane Bryan Clutterbuck, so it is likely that John Bryan Mackay was their first child.
I have now received the copy marriage certificate for John McKay and Jane Bryan Clutterbuck, who were married on 09 March 1844 at the Parish Church, Hardwick, Gloucestershire. John was a bachelor, of full age (over 21), a baker, of Hardwick, father John McKay, dead. Jane was a spinster, of full age, also of Hardwick, father John Clutterbuck, carpenter. The marriage, by banns, was witnessed by Sarah Ann Nurdin (?) and Edward McKenzie.
I have still been unable to find the family on earlier census returns. Even a search of the 1841 census of Minchinhampton (where Jane was born) failed to find her, as did a search of Hardwick. However, I did find Jane's parents in Minchinhampton, ref. HO107/362/5, details, as follows:
John Clutterbuck 50 Carpenter Y (born in County)
Sarah Clutterbuck 50 Y
Joseph Clutterbuck 20 Tailor Y
Henry Clutterbuck 13 Y
Edward Clutterbuck 11 Y
Charles Clutterbuck 9 Y
I have yet to find the birth certificate for James but will make another search shortly.
I have searched the Scottish Old Parish Register microfiche; however, I failed to find the birth of a John Hugh McKay/Mackay with a father named John. As you can imagine, there a lot of John McKay/Mackay's with a father named John. I am hoping that John and Jane have followed the Scottish tradition in naming the first four boys and girls. The first boy is usually named after his paternal grandfather, the second after his maternal grandfather. The first girl is usually named after her paternal grandmother, the second after her maternal grandmother. So it is likely that John's parents were John and Margaret; however, the remaining children do not follow the traditional pattern.
I did, however, find the baptism in Scotland for a John McKay, the son of John McKay and Margaret McDonald on 13 January 1813, at Barvas, Ross & Cromaty. If this is the correct baptism, then I think that this is why the second son was named Donald.
I now have only one hour of authorised research time remaining, so I think that we will need to check out this John McKay at a later date, should you wish to continue with the research.
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JOHN MC KAY
Male
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Event(s):
Birth: 11 FEB 1810
Christening: 13 FEB 1810 Clyne, Sutherland, Scotland
Death:
Burial:
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Parents:
Father: JOHN MC KAY Family
Mother: MARGARET GRANT
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I spent the last hour of the research checking the indexes of the villages and towns through which the main East Coast line runs, together with those villages and towns that lie close by, going south from Wood Walton. The railway line travels from Edinburgh to London Kings Cross and was opened to the public in August 1851. St Neots is some seven miles south of Wood Walton and I use this line to travel into London for my research.
Success!! I found John and family living in Sun Street, Biggleswade, ref. HO107/1753 page 53, details, as follows:
John McKaye H Married 39 Works on railway born Sutherland, Scotland
Jane McKaye W Married 29 born Gloucester
Donald McKaye S Unmarr 4 born Westmorland
William McKaye S Unmarr 2 born Colehill, Warwick
James McKaye S Unmarr 3 months born Biggleswade. Beds
I rechecked the Scottish Old Parish Registers and found fourteen John McKaye/Mackay's listed for the period 1810-1814 in Sutherland. There is one that does stand out, although it is a little early - that of the baptism of John McKay, son of John Mckay and Margaret Grant, baptised at Clyne on 13 february 1810.
William, the son of John and Jane, is William Grant McKay. I would normally expect a middle name that is also a surname to have been either the mother's or the grandmother's maiden name.
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