Youngs and Denoons

Old Toll Booth, Edinburgh 1811

In the previous post, I followed the ancestry of Jemima Jessie Foggo, first wife of James Denoon Young (my 3xgreat grandfather) back to Niel Gow. Now I return to my direct line through James Denoon Young himself.

This is material I've been sitting on for a while. More than two years ago (wow!), a correspondent by the username CasparV directed me to a possible birth record for James Denoon Young (and also two of his sisters). At the time I wasn’t convinced, but hadn’t ruled them out either. Now I am certain that this is just such a record, thanks also to an archaeologists from Scotland who sent me a transcript of the original document, and subsequently an image. So thanks to both for steering me in the right direction.

Scotland, Births and Baptisms is an index compiled from various sources, including microfilm of the original documents. The names of the parents in this record are given as James Young and Catherine Dinoon, but there is always the possibility of the original document containing more information than the index. The original document (scotlandspeople.uk.gov - OPR Births 685/03 0110 0356) consists of the certification of the births of three children of the Revd. James Young and his wife Catherine Dinoon (my 4xgreat grandparents). Unusually, the parents are not the ones attesting to the births, but the mother's grandfather and brother-in-law. As such, it has good deal more information than the index itself. Here is a transcript:

                                                 21^st [April 1813]
              Revd James Young Edinr and Catherine Dinoon his
              Spouse had a Daughter Born the 30^th of November 
              1809 named Mary.
              The said Parents had a Son Born the 16^th of May 
              1811 named James.
              The said Parents had a Daughter Born the 11^th of 
              December 1812 named Catherine. The above 
              Births are Certified by Daniel Dinoon Shipmaster 
              in Leith, Father to Mrs. Young, and Christian Rey-
              mer, Mercht. Foot of Leith walk, her Brother in law.

So, three birth records for the price of one, being those of Maria Denoon Young (later Peddie), James Denoon Young (my 3xgt grandfather), and Catherine Denoon Young (later Ponsonby, and then Smith). I wonder why the parents hadn't registered the older two earlier.

So, what convinced me? Having become accustomed to the imprecision of so many (especially pre-1837) documents, I wonder now why I was so cautious! However, there is additional information in the transcript, not present in the index, plus further information I discovered after I first received the tip, for which thanks are due to distant cousins in Belgium.

First, the occupational data for the father of James Denoon Young from other sources shows he was an ordained minister, and that after the Great Disruption of 1843, he joined the Free Church of Scotland. I have never been able to find him in any of the church histories, and this may be due to the fact that he never was the minister of a church. Family recollections refer to him as a "stickit minister". As part of the process of finding a pulpit, presumably after ordination, the ministerial candidate had to preach a sermon, and some were found to be unable to do so effectively - the sermon "stickit" in their throat, so to speak. This didn't preclude gifts in other areas of ministry - Revd. James Young wrote a whole volume on the Book of Revelation, for example - but they would not be the senior minister in a parish. Joseph Ebenezer Cupples, brother-in-law to Charles Denoon Young, writes in his genealogical biography (Cupples, JE, The Cupples Family: A Record and Family Memorial [Malden, MA 1887]) that the Revd. James Young was a Scottish Presbyterian minister in England. In any case, my prior information had the father of James Denoon Young as the Revd. James Young, and here the father appears on this birth record.

Second, there are many records for Catherine's father Daniel (or Donald, its Gaelic equivalent) Denoon, shipmaster of Leith, and no other for Dinoon, suggesting that Dinoon is merely an odd spelling of Denoon on this document, and not a distinct last name. The Edinburgh Advertiser during the 1780s and 90s mentions Donald Denoon frequently in connection with shipping from Leith to London; his ships are named: The Friendship, The Star, The Jemima, and the Minerva. Subsequently I have received from cousins in Belgium, the scan of a letter passed down through the family of Catherine Denoon Thomson from her cousin James Arthur Young, written in 1913. In the letter James Arthur Young mentions their common great grandfather Denoon as Shipmaster of Leith, who fortunes declined due to the disruption to trade caused by the French Revolutionary Wars.

The brother-in-law turns out to be Christian Reymert, who married Janet (or Jessie) Denoon, daughter of Donald Denoon. Christian Reymert was Norwegian, and the couple moved to Norway. Their son, James Denoon Reymert, emigrated to the USA, and became editor of the first Norwegian language newspaper in the country. Before he emigrated, he spent time in Edinburgh, where he lived under the care of his uncle, the Revd. James Young. Note that the Revd. James Young and Catherine Denoon name a child Jessie Sinclair Denoon Young, who later married David Purdie Thomson. They are the parents of Catherine Denoon Thomson noted above.

Likewise, the problems with the ages are small compared with documents I've found for other people. Of the three children of the birth certification, here is a comparison between ages on documents and their "correct" age, given their certified date of birth.

Ages on documentation for Maria Denoon Young or Peddie (only on this birth certification is she known as Mary; elsewhere as Maria):
          Date of birth given as 30 November 1809
          Census 1841 Age 30 (i.e. 30-34) should be 31
          Census 1851 Age 41 should be 41
          Census 1861 Age 50 should be 51
          Census 1871 Age 61 should be 61
          Census 1881 Age 70 should be 71
          Census 1891 Age 80 should be 81
          Age at death on 23 October 1893 given as 78-80, should be 83


Ages on documentation for James Denoon Young:
          Date of birth given as 16 May 1811
          Census 1841 Age 30 (i.e. 30-34) should be 30
          Census 1851 Age 38 should be 39
          Census Age 48 should be 49
          Age at death on 19 April 1868 given as 55, should be 56

Ages on documentation for Catherine Denoon Young or Ponsonby:
          Date of birth given as 11 December 1812
          Census 1841 Age 25 (i.e. 25-29) should be 28
          Census 1851 Age 34 should be 38

And this information matches the family pedigree produced around 1890, and passed on through James Arthur Young to Catherine Denoon Thomson and her descendants. The pedigree names as children of the Revd. James Young and Catherine Denoon: James Denoon, William Denoon, Charles Denoon, Catherine D, Jessie and Maria. This is the order on the document, but not their birth order, which is: Maria, James, Catherine, William, Jessie and Charles.

This pedigree also claims that the Revd. James Young's parents are James Young and Euphemia Craigh of Torryburn, Fifeshire. If so, the records of their marriage must be these two. First, from Falkirk, Stirlingshire, marriage banns for:

       Euphan Mcrach and James Young on 24 Jun 1774

And in Torryburn:

       Euphame Mccraich and James Young on 25 Jun 1774

The 1851 Scotland Census gives Falkirk, Stirlingshire as the place of birth for the Revd. James Young. And, while I have not found a baptism for the future Revd. James Young, I have this one from Scotland, Births and Baptisms for a presumed brother of his:
       John Young son of James Young and Eupham Mcreach on 8 Mar 1778 in Falkirk

The "Craigh" of the pedigree is presumably the Mccreach/Mccraich/Mcrach of these records. This would make sense if the pedigree passed down orally. Also in Torryburn are the following baptisms, the first, possibly for the future wife of James Young:
       Euphame Mcraich daughter of William Mcraich and Margaret Russel 29 Aug 1748
       Agnes Mccraich daughter of William Mccraich and Margaret Russel 15 Feb 1751

Prior to that on 13 May 1748 at Torryburn is the marriage of:
       William Mccraich and Margaret Russel

Interestingly, the family pedigree has Margaret Russel as the paternal grandmother of Revd. James Young. While the name is not uncommon, it would be curious if he had two grandmothers of the same name. More likely in my opinion, I wonder if the facts have been mis-remembered, and it is this maternal grandmother, Margaret Russel to whom the pedigree name really belongs.

Next up: continuing with Catherine Denoon and  the maternal lineage of James Denoon Young.

Famous Fiddler Connection

Niel Gow by Sir Henry Raeburn

As a genealogist, I enjoy moving beyond immediate family to potentially interesting in-laws, step-cousins and first, second or third spouses. I'm driven by the piecing together of clues and the building of family stories. So, I'll start with the spoiler that Niel Gow (1727-1807), the famous Scottish folk composer and musician, is not directly related to me. This post may, however, be of personal interest to some of my distant step-cousins descended from James Denoon Young (1811-1868), civil engineer and ironmonger (my 3x great grandfather) and his first wife Jemima Jessie Foggo, who died sometime before 1851. We first met this family in November 2012. James Denoon Young remarried Charlotte Taylor (1826-1890), from which marriage I am descended. Here I will lay out the documentation for the fortunes of his first marriage, followed by information on the Gow-Foggo connection.

Scotland, Select Marriages has James D Young and Jemima J Foggo married on 10 July 1837 at Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. James had lived in Perth since at least the year before when J D Young ironmonger was assessed at 2s 6d in the Valuation Rolls. The following four children of this marriage are to be found in Scotland, Births and Baptisms also in Perth:

      Jemima Young                       born 17 Feb 1840
      Catherine Denoon Young      born 31 Oct 1841
      Ann Walker Young                 born 20 May 1843, baptized 6 Jul 1843
      James Denoon Young            born 12 Mar 1845

In the 1841 Scotland Census at 7 High Street, Perth, Scotland, we find:

      James Denoon Young  Head   30 Ironmonger
      Jemima Jessie Young  Wife     20
      Jemima Young             Daur     1
            Helen Dewar (60) Charlotte Murie (15) are F.S. [i.e family servants]

Jemima Jessie Foggo’s death is fixed between March 1845 (the birth of the youngest recorded child) and March 1851 (James Denoon Young, Sr. is listed as a widower in the 1851 England Census), although I have found no burial record for her. However, I can follow each of the children through to their deaths.

Ann Walker Young appears in no subsequent census, and, indeed, Perth, Scotland, Burial Records have Ann Young, age 3 who died 25 Mar 1846, and was buried in Greyfriars Cemetery, father James D Young, Ironmonger. Cause of death is listed as burned, presumably a tragic domestic accident, and she was buried in a small covered coffin. Walker appears to be a family name for which I had no explanation at this point in my research, but read on.

In the 1851 Scotland Census at 6 Drummond Place Edinburgh, Jemima and Catherine are with their Aunt Catherine (Mrs. Ponsonby), while James Denoon, Jr. is at 6 Grove Street, Edinburgh with his Aunt Maria and Uncle Robert Peddie. Their father, James Denoon Young is enumerated in the 1851 England Census in lodgings at 31 Michaels Place, Brompton, Kensington – where his future wife and mother-in-law are also living.

In the 1861 England Census at 56 Stockwell Park Road, Brixton Jemima and James are with their step-mom Charlotte nee Taylor, and step siblings. Their sister Catherine is an assistant mistress at a school at 42 Kensington Park Gardens. Their father is enumerated in the 1861 Scotland Census lodging at 15 Gardners Crescent, Edinburgh. The death registration for Catherine Denoon Young is indexed at FreeBMD:

      Catherine D Young Jun(Q2)1868 Wandsworth 1d 312 age: 24

And she was buried on 7 April at St. Mary, Battersea.

Of the surviving children from the marriage of James Denoon Young and Jemima Jessie Foggo, James Denoon Young, Jr. and Jessie Stewart Robson were married on 30 Oct 1869 at All Saints, Battlebridge, London. His occupation is given as clerk. They moved to Edinburgh where I have found them enumerated in 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901. They had two daughters: Gertrude Jessie (born 1871) and Annie Denoon (born 1875). Statutory Registers record James’s death:

      1914 Young James Denoon M 69 Morningside Edinburgh City/Midlothian 685/06 1088

Both the daughters were unmarried at home in 1901. They may have later married, and there may be descendants from this line, although I have not followed them any further than this. If you are such a descendant I would love to hear from you.

At this point distant cousins in Belgium sent me a scan of a Young Pedigree, apparently made around 1890 – for which many thank yous!  This turned out to be quite useful here. Among much else, the Pedigree had the following information:

      James Denoon [Young] = Jemima Foggo
                                                  Note: Great Grandaughter of              )
                                                  Neil Gow the Great Scottish Musician )
[their children]
      James        James Denoon = Jessie S Robson                           Jemima = John Linton
[and their children]
                       Gertrude Jessie     Annie Denoon                 Catherine Denoon       Annie
                                                                                                  ob. abt 24            ob. abt 10

And this serves as a useful tool in determining the accuracy of the document. So first, a glaring inaccuracy: Catherine Denoon and Annie are not children of Jemima [Young] and John Linton, but in fact, Jemima’s sisters. They did, however, both die young, Catherine at 24, but Annie at three years old (not ten). James Denoon [Young] and Jessie S Robson did indeed have the children assigned to them. I have no record of the first mentioned James, son of James Denoon [Young] and Jemima Foggo, but this is plausible given that three years elapsed between their marriage and the first recorded child, Jemima.

It seemed worth pursuing the marriage to John Linton, and just such a record exists. Jemima Young and John Linton (Banker) were married on 15 Oct 1861 at St George’s, Bloomsbury. The witnesses are James D Young (probably father, but possibly brother) and Zoe Taylor (step-aunt). They had many children:

      Ethel Jemima                1863-1912 died in New Zealand
            married Wilhelm Urban Rudolph Kummer in 1895 NZ
      Mary Gertrude born     1864
      Hubert Denoon born    1865
            married Mabel Ellen Bradley in 1906 NZ
      John Douglas                1866-1869
      Evelyn StClair                1868-1954 died in NZ
      Muriel                            1870-1960 died in NZ
      Kenneth McDonald       1874-1949 died in NZ
      Maud Elizabeth             1879-1955 died in NZ) twins
      Jessie Irene                  1879-1954 died in NZ)

New Zealand Death Index has Jemima Linton died in 1925 also in New Zealand, presumably the mother, but I have no idea at this point where the father, John ended up. Their last England census is 1881, and during the following decade they likely emigrated to New Zealand. As you see, I have marriage records for two of the children, so there may be descendants of these families reading this in New Zealand – in which case greetings to you as well!

The Linton connection in the Young Pedigree turned out to be correct. The Young Pedigree also noted that Jemima Jessie Foggo was a great granddaughter of Niel Gow. What of the Niel Gow connection; can we connect Jemima Jessie Foggo and Niel Gow? Working up the tree, I quickly discovered a Foggo/McDonald marriage in 1810, and, working down, a McDonald marriage in 1787. The will of Niel (or Neil) Gow notes his daughter Margaret Gow or McDonald and her daughter “Jimima” as beneficiaries. Here are the details.

The children of Niel Gow are well documented, so I'll only note that Scotland, Births and Bapatism have Margaret Gow, the daughter of Niel Gow and Margaret Wiseman, baptized at Little Dunkeld, Perthshire on 18 Nov 1759. Scotland, Select Marriages records her marriage to James McDonald on 30 May 1787 in Edinburgh, Midlothian. The only birth record for children of this couple is Flora born 8 Apr 1790. In addition, Niel Gow’s will mentions “Jimima”.

Jemima Jessie McDonald (daughter of James) and David Foggo were married 14 Aug 1810. A search in Scotland, Births and Baptisms yields the following children:

       Niel Gow Foggo                   born 1 Jul 1811

       Ann Foggo                           born 31 Oct 1812

       Margaret Gow Foggo          born 7 Oct 1814       

       Flora McDonald Foggo        bapt. 23 Oct 1826

The Scottish Law Reporter Vol 19, p.829 details an 1882 case involving property inherited by Niel Gow Foggo from his sister, Ann Walker Foggo, who died in 1845. Niel Gow Foggo had been missing since the early 1830s, and a nephew of his, David Foggo, resident in Calcutta, wished to succeed to the inheritance. Ann Walker must be the Ann listed above, and, if I’m right, was the aunt of poor Ann Walker Young (1843-1846) who died of burns in Perth. 

India, Death and Burials, India, Marriages, and India, Birth and Baptisms were useful here in tracing possible Foggo relatives. I can find a David Foggo of Calcutta, the son of John Thomas Foggo. The latter is enumerated, along with a brother (also David), sister, and mother, in the 1851 Scotland Census at 43 Dalhousie Street, Barony, Lanarkshire. The household consists of:       

       Jemima Foggo               54 Head         Annuitant       

       Margaret Gow Foggo    36 Daughter  Teacher of Music       

       David Foggo                  17 Son            Family Blacksmith       

       John Thomas Foggo      12 Son           Scholar at Home

Also in India, I have also found James Walker Foggo who married Amelia Fenwick Campbell on 8 May 1839 in Calcutta. They had several children including Ann Walker Foggo and James David MacDonald Foggo, names suggestive for this family. An unreferenced obituary for John Thomas Edward Fenwick Foggo (1853-1863), son of James Walker Foggo, and grandson of the late David Foggo, "Principal of Edinburgh Academy", while the gravestone of James Walker Foggo gives his date of death 23 October 1873 aged 51 years 11 months and 13 days, and describes him as son of the late David Foggo of Edinburgh.

Thus I have four more children to add to the four children in Scotland, Births and Baptisms from the marriage of David Foggo and Jemima Jessie McDonald:

       Jemima Jessie Foggo   born 1816-1821 (based on 1841 census age)       

       James Walker Foggo   born 10 Nov 1821 (calculated from age at death)       

       David Foggo                 born abt 1833       

       John Thomas Foggo   born about 1838

David and John Thomas are the strongest candidates, being present as brothers of Margaret Gow Foggo on the 1851 Scotland Census. James Walker has a good claim as being a son of one David Foggo, plus his middle name Walker and his use of Walker and MacDonald as middle names for his children. And finally Jemima Jessie because her given names are those of her mother, and the discovery of Ann Walker as a family name in this Foggo lineage both confirm the claim of the Young Pedigree. 

The claim on inheritance was upheld for David, son of John Thomas Foggo. Niel Gow Foggo was judged to be likely alive when his sister Ann Walker Foggo died in 1845, and subsequently missing and presumed dead by 1882. Incidentally, the court was correct in its judgment. Niel Gow Foggo died in Tasmania in 1870. His original disappearance in 1833 was due to a 7 year sentence of transportation. He resurfaced in Kent, 1844, receiving a further 15 year sentence of transportation for larceny. He died in 1870 at Port Arthur, Tasmania, where he taught the prison orchestra.

On the Foggo side, Scotland, Select Marriages records the marriage of Thomas Foggo and Anna Walker on 17 Sep 1768 in Little Dunkeld, Perthshire. Among their children is David Foggo, born 2 Jun 1779 and baptized on 6 June also in Little Dunkeld. This may be the David Foggo, husband of Jemima Jessie McDonald, and the schoolteacher of Edinburgh, and is probably the origin of the family name Walker.

The evidence so affirms the family claim of Jemima Jessie Foggo being a great granddaughter of Niel Gow. My relationship with him is somewhat indirect; my 3xgreat grandfather was Gow's great grandson-in-law! Here is his Lament for the death of his second wife, written 1805. Gow himseld died in 1807 aged 80.