Aitken/ McLaren/ Nicoll

[Caroline Larman]

Researching my family tree for these surnames.
Connections with Meigle.
Monifieth Angus. Meigle. Alyth

I am a little stuck with the counties.
Thank you. Caroline.

[Hugh Thompson]

Hi Caroline, I have some Aitkens from St Ninians Stirling who came to Australia in 1855, if that's any help.
Hugh.

[Isabel H]

Meigle and Alyth are both in Perthshire.

If you type the names into any search engine you will find maps and other information. I'd try searching on the surnames too, alone or together with the place names, to see if anything interesting turns up.

Isabel

[JAP1]

Hello Caroline,

A good site to find information about counties and parishes is GENUKI at:
http://www.genuki.org.uk/

As Isabel said, both Alyth and Meigle are in Perthshire - but they are in the east of Perthshire quite close to Angus (Forfarshire).

Indeed, an extract from the 1882 Gazetteer of Scotland, quoted on GENUKI at:
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/PER/Alyth/index.html
reads in part as follows:
"ALYTH. Town on east border of Perthshire, and a parish, partly also on west border of Forfarshire ..."

Do you have any specific queries?

Good luck,

JAP

[karoriclaire]

My Husband is a Nicoll descended from John Nicoll born 6th May 1867 in Ballyguy, nr Annacotty in Ireland. He married a Georgina McLaren and settled near Kirkcaldyin the 1890s. Not sure if these are related to the families you are researching. I was told that the Nicoll family moved to Ballyguy from Perth at the beginiing of 1800s but have been unable to track them down

[Caroline Larman]

I seem to remember an Irish conection.Perth seems to have been very popular.My Gr`t Grandmother married a George Nicoll. She was Aitken.
I will look for John in my tree and get back to you ,if that`s OK?

[Eric M]

Hi karoriclaire,
My grandmother was Margaret Nicoll, b. in either 1865 or 1871, in Ballyguy, Co Limerick, Ireland. I surmise that John Nicoll is most likely her brother but I have no records for him as yet. Their father also John Nicoll I believe came from either Kircaldy or possibly Lockerbie. I have other information which I will share if you like. The story goes that John (the son) returned to Scotland but I have no information about him. Eric

[karoriclaire]

Hi Eric. My brother in law tells me the Nicoll family moved from Scotland to Ballyguy sometime around 1865. John Nicoll & Jessie married in Glenisla in 1865, and had 8 children John promptly died leaving his widow Jessie to do the best for the children. I understand she managed to get a number of them sorted with employment in Kirkcaldy, but I think the family originated in Lintrathen. My father in law also John Nicoll who sadly passed to years ago remembers going to the farm in Ballyguy for holidays -he himself was born in Kirkcaldy. The Nicoll family had a tradition of the eldest so of the eldest son being called John -and this continues today! I have gone back about 5 generations and then been unable to find a John beyond the one born in 1802 -I think his father was Charles but been unable to confirm this. According to my records Margaret was born in 1865 or 1866. he birth registration is In 1866, but baptism was listed as 12th Dec 1865. As John and Jessie married on 21st November in Scotland, I find it hard to believe she was that pregnant on the wedding day and then sailed for Ireland (but I could be wrong!). John, brother of Margaret born 1867 is my husbands great grandfather.

Cheers