John Cairncors, born c1688, probably in Balgillo, died 1739. He married Barbara Miller.
a. Alexander.
b. John, born 1718, in Monifieth. He was a merchant in Monifieth, and for many years treasurer and ruling elder. He married Agnes Anderson, from Barry parish, on June 24th, 1742,
1. Agnes, born 1743, married James Ferrier Jan 13, 1772, (son of John Ferrier and Margaret Hamilton. He was a merchant and magistrate in Arbroath.
a. Alexander Ferrier, born May 3, 1776, died 1852, settled in Monifieth as a small farmer, and was an elder in the Kirk for 25 years. Alexander remained a batchelor, and lived with his sister, Elizabeth, who kept house for him. Here is his grave, which includes his sisters Agnes and Elizabeth..
b. Agnes Ferrier, born Jul 19, 1774, died between 1774 and 1784.
c. John Ferrier, born Jul 13, 1778, in Arbroath, Angus.
d. Elizabeth Ferrier, born Feb 17, 1780, died 1851, kept house for her brother, Alexander, born 1776, who remained a batchelor.
2. David, born 1744, died when a baby. His parents erected a stone to his memory in Monifieth kirkyard. The inscription states his death as Dec 19th, 1744, aged 3 months.
3. John, born 1745. He migrated to Dundee, and was there free apprentice to John Thomas, merchant, ultimately becoming a burgess and paying £40. He was a merchant councillor from 1785 to 1790, and was treasurer in 1791. On December 5th, 1777, he was clandestinely married to Elizabeth Brown at Edinburgh. John died in 1801. There were five children of the marriage:
a. John, born 1781, was an accountant at the Dundee bank and treasurer to the harbour. He married Catherine Kidd about 1802, and they had eleven children; He died in 1855.
1. Elizabeth, born 1803, married John McCracken on Jul 30, 1828. John was born Jul 22, 1801, the son of the widow Mrs. McCracken who married William Cairncross, born 1785, mentioned below, and left two sons and 4 maiden daughters. (Here is a portrait of Elizabeth, and here is the Marriage Certificate of John and Elizabeth. See the McCracken family tree, sent to me by Jerry and Fran, plus this enlarged section of it. According to this tree, Elizabeth and John had the following children: Henry, died in infancy, Rose Ann, Francis 1833, John 1835, Catherine died in infancy, Maria, Elizabeth 1841-1852, Georgina and Catherine Kidd.))
a. John McCracken, who went to Canada and left sons and daughters there.
b. Frank McCracken, left a widow in Belfast.
1. Harry McCracken.
2. Bessie McCracken, who married Mr Bleakley. (There is a signed book cover by the author of “History of a Forfarshire Family”, the inscription says,”To my Cousin Bessie McCracken now Mrs Bleakley”, it is signed A. F. Cairncross 12 Sept 1923. Also, here is the Forward page signed and addressed by Arthur in 1920, plus an image of his calling card. The initials A. F. stands for Arthur Fawthrop.)
c. Rosa.
d. Maria.
e. Georgina.
f. Kate.
2. Thomas, born 1805, died 1877, became a successful banker in Bristol, married and left five daughters and a son;
a. Catherine Kidd, married Todd.
b. Annie, married Tonkin.
c. Elizabeth, married Cherry.
d. Frances, married Fudger.
e. Augusta.
f. Henry, who resides with his wife in Bristol.
3. Alexander, born 1806, died in 1871. Was for many years a shipmaster, and latterly commanded the fast Aberdeen-built clipper ship Frances Henty in the Australian trade. When a young man he had a son Robert, born about 1827, but afterwards he married Magdalene Moncur about 1845, and had the following children:
a. Catherine Kidd, born 1846. Married Suttie.
b. Thomas, born 1848. Was a master mariner, who was chief officer of the ill fated S.S. "Marathon" of Dundee, and was lost in the Mediterranean during March, 1881.
c. Alexander, born 1850. He was a Marine Engineer, of the China Merchant's Steam Navigation Co., who died at the Camp, Broughty Ferry, unmarried, on July 18th, 1913.
d. Francis, born 1852, who died when a little girl.
e. Arthur Fawthrop, born 1854. Was Sub-Engineer and District Surveyor in the Public Works Department, India. Arthur married Hannah Nicklin 26th Oct 1891. They had 4 children. Mrs Hannah Nicklin died at Saharanpur, India, on 1st May 1907. (Arthur was the author of "History of a Forfarshire Family", and co-author of "CAIRNCROSS - The History of a Scottish Family".)(See a photo of Arthur, and another.)
1. Catherine Kidd, born 1893, died 1894.
2. Louise, born 1894.
3. Alexander, born 1895. On the declaration of war with Germany, enlisted in the local territorial R. G. A. and fought voluntarily through the Great War, being gassed and wounded. He was then employed as clerk in a jute office in Dundee.
4. John Colmslie, born 1900.
4. William, born 1807.
5. George, born 1809, died 1890, was for some time a wood merchant in Newburgh, Fife. He left a son, John, and a daughter, Mary, in Perth - both dead.
6. Patrick (Peter), born 1810, was a merchant in Dundee and London, but was unfortunate in business.
7. John, born 1812, was also a wood merchant in Newburgh, Fife. He died a batchelor in Broughty Ferry in 1877.
8. David, born 1814.
9. Henry, born 1816, died 1963, was a successful business man and ship owner in Dundee, and lived to enjoy many years of retirement. Left 2 sons, Frank and Andrew - both dead.
10. Catherine (1818), who died entering womanhood.
11. Augustus (1820).
b. Alexander, born 29 Aug 1783 in Dundee, named after Alexander Cairncross, his uncle. He had a long and distinguished military career starting 25th June, 1803, rising to the rank of captain; he fought with his regiment in 17 battles in the Peninsular war. He was wounded in the head, then severely wounded losing the use of his right arm. He recovered enough to continue his career eventually rising to Major by about 1826. By 1837, he was made a K. H. (Knight of the Order of the Ghelphs). He went abroad again in 1841, losing his health, and sold out after a service of 39 years. He died at sea on his passage home on 10th May, 1843. Lieutenant-Colonel Alex. Cairncross, K. H., left two sons, John and William. Here is a tablet erected by the Officers of the 96th Foot. Image 1, image 2, image 3.
1. John, born 1830, died 1914.a Major-General of the Royal Marines, deceased
2. William, died in Australia. Married and had 2 daughters and a son.
a. Laura. Married Stoyles.
b. Florence. Married Gilbert.
c. Alexander Reginald. Married and had 4 children.
1. Alexander John, born 1903, in Sydney, N.S.W.
2. Minnie Glendenning, born 1905, in Sydney, N.S.W
3. Dorothy Jean, born 1908, in Sydney, N.S.W
4. Ronald William, born 1910, in Sydney, N.S.W.
c. William, born 1785, named after William Cairncross, his uncle. He commenced life as a naval cadet, but latterly was an accountant in Belfast, where he married a widow, a Mrs. McCracken, and died there, leaving no issue.
d. Elizabeth, born 1787, named after Elizabeth Brown, her mother, and Elizabeth Ramsay.
e. James, born 1792, named after James Brown, his great-uncle, and James Walton of Manchester.
4. Alexander, born 1747. It is not known what became of him, or where he went; but as in those days it was considered unlucky to name a child after anyone deceased, we may be sure he was alive and well in 1783, when his nephew, Alexander, the son of his brother John, born 1745, was named after him.
5. William, born 1750. There were two William Cairncrosses having children in Arsludie, Monifieth, at the same time. One married Christian Milne in March 1772, and the other married Isobel Cramond in July 1781. William and Isobel call their first children (twins) John and Alexander, and their third child Agnes. This is the very thing that William the son of John Cairncross and Agnes Anderson would do - name the first son John after the child's father's father, and the second son after the child's senior uncle (father's brother), and the first daughter after the child's grandmother. The only flaw is that the eldest daughter was by custom called after the child's mother's mother, if granny was alive. But the first two sons is strong evidence that this William was the son of John Cairncross and Agnes Anderson. Also, Christian Milne's William does not call his first son John, but William.
(Thanks go to Louise
Bradley for
all the images related to Elizabeth and John NcCracken and Bessie
McCracken.)
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