Gordon McIntyre Collins (#523) is researching his maternal & paternal Scottish grandparents, respectively McIntyre & Terras, who lived in Fife.
"As my grandparents died before I was born, I have no direct knowledge of their names, and, as far as I know, my mother, who died in 1981, also had no knowledge of them. Some years ago I spent a week in Fife searching records in St. Andrews & Cupar, as well as visiting as many cemeteries as I could find. [I must say that Scottish gravestones, from which I gleaned a lot of information, are very informative.]
"The most distant McIntyre that I have discovered was a Hector McIntyre. He married Helen Pringle [her father, James Pringle, being a tenant in Dewarsmiln] in St. Andrews on 20.11.1797. He is shown as being in the Breadalbane [sic] Fencibles. When in Perth some years ago I visited the library & was shown a book entitled 'A Military History of Perth' which included a section entitled 'The Fourth {or Breadalbane} Regiment of Fencible Men,' p160 states that early in October 1797 the Breadalbane Fencibles marched into Fife, 3 companies {of several} entering to St. Andrews. If, as seems very likely, Hector McIntyre was one of the soldiers, he didn't waste too much time in getting married! Copies of births in my possession from GRO Edinburgh show Hector & Helen as parents of the following children:
Helen b. 14.12.1800
James b 08.11.1802
David b 09.6.1807 [d.29.7.1881]
Fanny Lindesay b 14.5.1809
John b 7.5.1811
"The IGI shows another John b. 4.9.1798. David was my 2x gt. grandfather and it his descendants that I have researched. I seem to recall that Hector McIntyre was a tailor.
"I believe that at one time there were documents relating to the McIntyre family. They were in the possession of the elder Catherine ['Big Kate'] Ednie who lived in Langlands Road, St. Andrews; she was born 13.10.1870, and died 3.8.1951, aged 80. She was the illegitimate daughter of my grandmother, Agnes McIntyre, and Robert Niven. The documents are most likely to have been handed to her daughter, Catherine Laura Ednie ['Wee Kate'] b.16.12.1897, d.4.8.1991. Where they went subsequently I do not know. However, there were, probably still are, distant relatives by the names of Honeyman & Croll [possibly others] to whom the documents may have been transferred. If anyone can offer any help I should be most grateful. 'Big Kate' had 2 brothers: Alexander b.23.11.1902 in Lochgelly, m. Annie Watson Harris 22.2.1928, d. Edinburgh 4.2.1976; Andrew b. 4.11.1900 St. Andrews, d.25.12.1928, unmarried.
"A further name likely to be connected is that of Isobel Lawrie [spelling uncertain], which I understand to be her maiden name. She was often talked about - a particular memory of my mother was that there was a large portrait painted in the hall of the house in which she lived, which, I understand, was in the Carslogie area.
"My evidence that my grandfather is the John Terras, aged 7 in the 1871 census for Lawhead, Cameron parish, is:
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1. The fact that the 1881 Census shows him at 122 Market St., St. Andrews, as a farm servant, born in Cameron & aged 17, with McIntyre family, where Agnes Blair* [nee McIntyre] was shown as a domestic servant. [There is absolutely no doubt as to the McIntyre family connection.]
2. My grandfather's marriage certificate dated 9.8.1918 [to Agnes Blair, nee McIntyre] on which his father is shown as John Terras [deceased], profession - coal miner.
"It follows that Alexander Terras [Tarrras], almost certainly is my 2x great-grandfather: he is shown as head of household in the 1851-1881 censuses."
The following photographs are of the McIntyre family, presumably the late 1800's. I am not able to put names to them apart from the Figure 13. It is a possibility [remote?] that someone else has copies in their possession which would help to identify them.
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If you can help Mr Collins with his family history, he can be contacted at:
Mr G M Collins, 14 Prunus Avenue, Willerby, Hull, HU10 6PH (email: mulberry@mulberry.karoo.co.uk)