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deslambley
18-Jul-07, 11:38
Hello All
I am retired from Sydney and living on the tropical north coast of Queensland in Oz. I have been researching my Colonial family histories now for 45 years. All immigrant ancestors were here between 1818-1860. Three of them (two male and one female) were convicts.

Drawing a "long bow" but someone at Wick might have an idea or some knowledge about the following. One must sleuth around and eliminate all possibilities no matter how wild they are.

My great great grandfather David Bruce b.1801 at Barony in Lanarkshire. He was a weaver. In 1823 he committed highway robbery near the Camlachie Bridge in Glasgow. He escaped and was additionally charged with fugitation. He disappeared for six years. In 1829 he came back to the Camlachie Bridge and committed the same crime! How stupid is that? I have his court documents from Scottish Records. He was sentenced to 14 years transportation. A 96 year old local historian told me a few years ago David "liked the ladies". His Oz life supports the fact that he was quite a scoundrel.

Where did he get to in those six years as a fugitive. It is unlikely he would go back to Glasgow had he gone abroad. That he "liked the ladies" suggests to me that he lost himself under his own or an assumed name somewhere remote in Scotland and had "married". On his transportation records he is reportedly "Single".

ScotlandsPeople research has located the births of three children to a David Bruce and a Mary Calder between the years 1823-1829 in the Parish of Wick. Is he my David? The children, Catherine b. 1825, Margaret b. 1827 and Alexander b.1829. Catherine was David's grandmother's name. "Alexander" persists in the family. No Banns or Marriage details can be found for David and Mary at Wick. Mary Bruce (Calder) died at Wick in 1863 age 77. There are three David Bruce deaths in Wick in the years 1830-1880. Two are eliminated as wrong age while the other the age is "U" (probably unknown).

Wick might have been his remote "bolt hole". However if it was my David who took up with Mary Calder he would have been 15 years her junior. This does not necessarily eliminate him. Maybe it also gives a reason for him to escape this domestic scene too when the fascination wore thin. Maybe he repeated the same crime in the hope of being sent far away to Australia and from his matrimonial obligations. He "liked the ladies".

Does anyone know of this David Bruce and Mary Calder of Wick. I trust I am not doing an honest family a gross discourtesy. Would any early local newspaper have carried such a story of deception by my David Bruce?

Any suggestions most welcome.

Cheers to all from the warm Australian tropics
Des

WeeBurd
18-Jul-07, 12:36
I'm sorry I can't shed any light, Des, however your story has certainly intrigued me, he sounds like quite a fellow![lol] I'll be keeping an eye on this thread in the hope that someone else can fill in the blanks to your story.