James Baikie of Canisbay

[wombatultima]

Hi everyone

My name is Bill Bell and I live in Brunswick Victoria in Australia. Unfortunately I have caught the family tree bug and as many of you know it's terminal

Most of my people come from Sutherland - Armadale in fact - but I have one or two ancestors from Caithness that are of interest.

The first is James Baikie and to save time I will give a transcription of his obituary in the Maldon News.

THE MALDON NEWS Tuesday July 15 1902

"A very old identity of this district in the person of Mr. James Baikie passed away Sunday morning last after a protracted illness, at the advanced age of 71 years. Deceased had been under medical treatment for some time past through an affection of the heart to which he eventually succumbed. Mr. Baikie had a somewhat varied career. Born in Caithness, Scotland in 1831, he enlisted when quite a young man in the 24th Imperial Regiment serving in India and spent several years in active military service.

In 1855, he arrived in Victoria, and entered largely into pastoral and farming pursuits, securing a large area of land at Sandy Creek. He was very successful in this respect, but like a good many others he speculated largely in the land boom, suffering heavy and severe reverse. He subsequently acquired a deal of pastoral and agricultural land in New South Wales, where he spent the latter years of his life, eventually returning to Maldon in ill health a few months ago.

By an honest, upright and manly disposition, he gained the esteem and respect of a large circle of friends, who will learn of his demise with sincere regret. A widow and family of four sons and four daughters are left to mourn their loss. The remains were conveyed to the cemetery for interment yesterday, Mr. Pearce conducting the mortuary arrangements.

Out of respect to Miss Baikie, hon. sec. of the hospital euchre party and novel promenade concert, who has suffered a sad bereavement, that function has been postponed for a fortnight from the date originally fixed, and will now take place on August 6th.

Transcribed by William Bell April 2007 from State Library of Victoria microfilm"

From various Australian sources I have worked out that James' sister Sinclair married a Andrew Manson and from that clue I have discovered that James and Sinclair's parents would have been John Baikie and Isabella Robertson of Canisbay.

The IGI gives me some birth dates - James in Aug 1830 and Sinclair in Nov 1832. John Baikie was apparently a tenant farmer and a wool weaver. I have tracked John and Isabella until the 1861 Census and it would appear that they lived in the same location of Heathfield and were never cleared out.

James married my Great Great Aunt Catherine Munro in 1864 in Victoria but Catherine originally came from Armadale, Sutherland.

Now for the questions

Has anyone on this list know anything about the Baikie family of Canisbay?

Are there any descendants of John and Isabella still living in the area. The other children - that I have found - are Catherine, Helen, Anne and William born between 1823 and 1836

Is Heathfield a farm or a hamlet?

Where is Heathfield in respect to Canisbay?

James joined the 24th regiment of Foot (2nd Warwickshire) around 1843/45, which was serving in Glasgow before going to India. Has anyone come across ancestors who have joined regiments other than the usual Highland ones from the Caithness area? I trying to find out how usual an occurance this was.

That will do for now as I am certian I could spend ours thinking up the most obscure questions

Bill

Brunswick Victoria

[r.rackstraw]

There is a house called Heathfield near Ham, a few miles west of Canisbay. The grid reference is ND243733 if you have an Ordnance Survey map.

[wombatultima]

There is a house called Heathfield near Ham, a few miles west of Canisbay. The grid reference is ND243733 if you have an Ordnance Survey map.

I wonder how old the house is and who owned it in the 1830s/40s. Thanks for the map reference

[Mamie_2]

Heathfield is in Dunnet parish. It may be mistranscribed at Heartfield on the Ancestry indexes to the later censuses. I think it is a hamlet as I have found other families there.

Maryann

[Mamie_2]

John is still at Heathfield in 1871 along with son William and granddaughter Jemima MacDonald.

In 1881 William age 45 is living at Heathfield.
In 1891 William, wife Margaret b c 1836 in Canisbay and daughter Thomasina 18 are living at Heathfield.
In 1901 William, Margaret. Thomasina 28 and Isabella S. 27 are at Heathfield.

Maryann

[wombatultima]

I found Jemima in the 1861 Census. It is interesting that she again appears in the 1871 census as still living with her grandfather. It implies that Jemima is either a orphan or is a servant.

In 1861 John is recorded as being a weaver and a farmer of 8 acres. If my knowledge about land usage from Sutherland is to go by 8 acres is a large farm for crofting in that part of Scotland. What was John's primary profession, weaving or farming? And weaving what?

The next question is whether there was any contact with James in Australia

Bill