Possible parish and estate records (part 1)

The parish marriage record for the George Munro who was father of Alexander in 1739 in the parish of Avoch is dated 1729 and shows that his wife was called Ann Munro. It shows that his occupation was as the gardener to Scatwell. This will be the Mackenzie laird of Scatwell. The parish baptism records for George's two daughters say that he was then living in Rosehaugh and there was once also a Mackenzie laird of Rosehaugh. However, by this point in time the Mackenzie of Rosehaugh branch was extinct and the Rosehaugh estate had been bought by the Mackenzie of Scatwell branch. The parish baptism record for George's eldest son, Ludovick, also says that he was a gardener. Kenneth Mackenzie, IV of Scatwell died in 1730 and he was succeeded by his son, Roderick Mackenzie, V of Scatwell, who married a daughter of Ludovic Grant of Grant. It therefore seems that George Munro named his son Ludovick in accordance with the Scottish naming tradition of naming a child after an important member of the community. Before the Mackenzies owned Rosehaugh it was named Pittonachy and owned by the Munros of Pittonachy, a branch of the Munros of Milntown, who were in turn a branch of the Munros of Foulis. Hugh Munro, III of Pittonachy (d.1670) sold the estate before it went to the Mackenzies of Rosehaugh and then to the Mackenzies of Scatwell, who were originally from the parish of Contin. Ludovick Munro's baptism record of 1736 shows that his father George was living at Pittonachy.

Alexander Munros of the parishes of Avoch and Resolis

The document of 1780 in the National Archives, London shows that the wife of Sergeant Alexander Munro who was in the Earl of Caithness's company of the 76th Foot (previously in the 42nd) was Jane Munro who died that year in New York, America when the British Army was stationed there. My theory therefore is that if he is Alexander Munro of Armadale then he must have re-married to Barbara Mackay after receiving his appointment from the Earl of Caithness in 1784. The ScotlandsPeople website guide to forenames says that "Jane could be recorded as Jean, Jessie or Janet". The document of 1780 states that when Jane Munro died in 1780 that there were two children present.

There is a gap in the muster rolls of the 42nd Foot for when this Alexander Munro appears. This is from the muster dated 9 September 1767, where he is first found ranked as a Sergeant, to the muster dated 3 July 1774, as shown in the list on the previous page. There is a marriage recorded in the parish of Resolis, Ross-shire for an Alexander Munro to a Janet Munro dated 18 July 1766 and they appear to have had five children born in the same parish between 1767 and 1773 which matches the gap in the muster rolls for Sergeant Alexander Munro from 1767 to 1774.

The muster dated 1 November 1766, which is the only one where he is ranked as a Corporal, is stated as only being for "183 days from 25 April 1765" which comes to no later than October 1765 and seems to show that he was not present in the regiment at the time of the marriage in Resolis which is dated 18 July 1766. The marriage record states that Alexander Munro was tacksman in Drumdyre which is in the same parish of Resolis and that Janet Munro was the daughter of Finla Munro who was tacksman of Toberchurn which is also in the parish of Resolis. 

Their children were: Elen and John who were twins baptised 17 May 1767, an unnamed child baptised 29 August 1768, Lillias baptised 5 October 1770 and Jannat baptised 7 June 1773. On each of the parish baptism records except for the one for the unnamed child in 1768, Alexander Munro the father is described as a tenant in Drumdyre. However, the term tenant was also used to describe the tacksman, but not vice-versa, as the tacksman was the main tenant. 

The 1768 baptism record for the unnamed child says that he was a gardener to Munro of Poyntzfield, and does not mention the mother's name. Arguably this might not be the same Alexander. However, having checked the parish records there were no other Alexander Munros having children in the parish of Resolis in this period and the occupation of gardener matches that of George Munro who appears to have been the father of Alexander Munro in the neighbouring parish of Avoch in 1739 as mentioned above. The 29 August 1768 baptism date also fits in nicely with the dates for the other children's baptisms. Although the child and mother are not named on the 1768 baptism record, it does mention that the child was born to Alexander Munro's "spouse" so it was probably his actual wife, rather than being an illegitimate child from a different woman.

To summarize there are seven main reasons which when combined are why I believe that the Alexander Munro who was the father of the unnamed child in 1768 was the same Alexander Munro who was father of the other four children born in the same parish between 1767 and 1773:

1) I am fairly confident that the Alexander Munro who was father of the other four children between 1767 and 1773 was the Sergeant Alexander Munro given the dates provided by the muster rolls when compared with when he married, when the children were born and the wife's name match of Jane/Janet.

2) I am confident that the Alexander Munro who was father of the unnamed child in 1768 in Resolis is the same Alexander Munro born in 1739 in the neighbouring parish of Avoch, son of George Munro, because both father and son have the same occupation as gardener to the estate owners: George was gardener to the noble estate owner Mackenzie of Scatwell and Alexander was gardener to the noble estate owner Munro of Poyntzfield. Mackenzie of Scatwell did actually have estates in both parishes.

3) I am confident that the Sergeant Alexander Munro was born somewhere between 1735 and 1744 as per the Muster Rolls and the Inspection Return of 1774 and this fits well with the Alexander Munro born in 1739 in the parish of Avoch. The parish baptism register for Avoch dates back to 1727 and for Resolis back to 1731, and although they do not provide 100% coverage of births, there are no other Alexander Munros who were baptised in these two parishes between 1735 and 1744.

4) Alexander Munro of Armadale named his second eldest surviving son with Barbara Mackay, George (b.1799), and their only daughter was named Chirsty/Christina/Christian (b.1808), and the Alexander Munro b.1739 in the parish of Avoch was the son of a George Munro and had a sister called Christian, who could be the people who Alexander Munro of Armadale named his children after, bearing in mind that he could also be the same man previously married to Janet Munro in Resolis as per the matching dates of service with the Sergeant in the 42nd Foot.

5) Although Alexander Munro's occupation on the 1768 baptism as gardener to Munro of Poyntzfield is different to that of tacksman/tenant on the marriage record/other children's baptism records, it is confirmed that the first and previous gardener to Munro of Poyntzfield, David Aitken, moved on to be a tacksman in the parish of Fearn and elsewhere, and therefore his successor as the gardener, Alexr Munro, could have been a tacksman as well. Noting that as per the other children's baptism records, the term tenant was also used to describe the tacksman, but not vice-versa, as the tacksman was the main tenant. Drumdyre and Toberchurn where Alexander Munro and his wife Janet Munro were from were both part of the Newhall Estate, and David Aitken had been gardener to both Newhall and Poyntzfield. So it is possible for Alexander Munro to have lived on the Newhall Estate and worked as the gardener to Poyntzfield. See article about David Aitken - The First Gardener at Poyntzfield. 

6) In 1761, the property and estate of Ardoch in the parish of Resolis were sold by Captain Gordon of Ardoch to George Gunn Munro who renamed it Poyntzfield after his wife, a Poyntz heiress. He then became known as George Gunn Munro, 1st of Poyntzfield. By October 1764, David Aitken who was the first gardener at Poyntzfield had moved to the parish of Cromarty as confirmed by the parish registers. National Records of Scotland item RH15/44/207 shows that in November 1764 there were no Munros who were tenants on the estate of Ardoch/Poyntzfield. This is four years before the baptism of 1768 but it could be that if Alexander Munro was the gardener to Poyntzfield at this time that he was also a tenant on the Newhall Estate. 

7) As mentioned below the estate records show that Alexander Munro was replaced in his tenancy in Drumdyre sometime between 1772 and 1776 by Donald Simpson who's wife was Katharine Munro. This could be the same Katharine Munro, daughter of Alexr Munro, who was baptised in Avoch in the same year of 1739 as Alexr Munro, son of George Munro the gardener, appearing on the same page of the parish register and dated within a month of each other. They could have therefore been close cousins. Notably Donald Simpson was "servant to Finla Munro in Toberchurn", the father of Janet Munro, wife of Alexr Munro. Donald Simpson and Katherine Munro's second son was named Alexander b.1776 who could have been named after Katharine's father as per her possible baptism of 1739 in the parish of Avoch. On Katherine's baptism record of 1739 her father Alexr's location is given as the farm of Murialehouse and on Alexr's baptism record of 1739 his father George's location is given as the farm of Hallach or Halloch which was right next door to the farm of Murialehouse, although only the latter is shown on modern maps.

Munro of Poyntzfield

The parishes of Resolis and Avoch are right next to each other and are both on the peninsula that is known as the Black Isle, even though it is not actually an island. The Munros of Poyntzfeild were a cadet branch of the Munros of Foulis, chiefs of the Clan Munro. Poyntzfield also being a place in the parish of Resolis. George Gunn Munro, 1st of Poyntzfield (1743-1806), who Alexr Munro was gardener to in 1768, was the son of John Munro the minister of Halkirk, Caithness and Janet Gunn, daughter of George Gunn of Braemore, Berridale, Caithness. John Sinclair, 11th Earl of Caithness who Alexander Munro of Armadale received his appointment from in 1784 was previously known as Lord Berriedale which is the subsidiary title to the earldom. George Gunn Munro, 1st of Poyntzfield's father, John Munro the minister of Halkirk, Caithness, was son of Robert Munro, whose father was Andrew Munro the portioner of Lemlair, parish of Kiltearn, Ross-shire and whose father was Hector Munro, I of Findon, parish of Urquhart and Logie Wester, on the Black Isle. Hector Munro, I of Findon was the third son of John Munro, I of Pittonachy, parish of Avoch, Black Isle. As mentioned above the Munros of Pittonachy were a branch of the Munros of Milntown, who in turn were a branch of the Munros of Foulis.

Estate records

Estates

Regarding the lineage of Janet Munro who was the wife of Alexander Munro in the parish of Resolis, Drumdyre where he was tacksman and Toberchurn where her father Finla Munro was tacksman were both part of the Newhall Estate. The Newhall Estate was was owned by Henrietta Gordon of Newhall. Notably, the above mentioned David Aitken who was the predecessor of Alexr Munro as gardener to Munro of Poyntzfield was also the gardener to Gordon of Newhall. Henrietta Gordon of Newhall married David Urquhart of Braelangwell, also in the parish of Resolis. Her designation then became Henrietta Urquhart of Braelangwell. There is a parish baptism record in Resolis dated 28 August 1768 for a David Munro, son of Finla Munro the "servant to Braelangwell" and his spouse Janet Munro. This Finla Munro and Janet Munro could also be the parents of the Janet Munro who was wife of Alexander Munro and whose marriage record of 1766 already confirms her father's name as Finla. 

In Alexander Mackenzie's History of the Munros of Fowlis (1898), pages 460-462, there is a Janet Munro, daughter of John Munro, IV of Tulloche, a cadet of the Munros of Foulis, who married a Finlay Munro, farmer in Ferintosh. Ferintosh is a place in the parish of Urquhart and Logie Wester which is the parish immediately to the west of the parish of Resolis on the Black Isle. It could be that this Finlay Munro and Janet Munro were the same people who were Finla Munro and Janet Munro the parents of David in 1768 and possibly also the parents of Janet Munro the wife of Alexander Munro. However, according to R.W Munro, editor in Clan Munro Magazine No.14 (1977) p. 43, Mackenzie could be incorrect in naming him Finlay because the death certificate of his son John, which is more likely to be correct, shows his father's name as William. 

There is also a marriage record in the parish of Cromarty in 1716 for a Finlay Monro to a Jean Gair who could also be the parents of Janet Munro, wife of Alexander Munro, given that her mother's name has not actually been confirmed.

Donald Simpson

National Records of Scotland items RH15/44/199 and RH15/44/274 show that Alexr Munro who lived at Drumdyre, then part of Wester St Martins in Ross-shire (as opposed to Easter St Martins in Cromartyshire), left sometime between 1772 and 1776 and that he was replaced by Donald Simpson in the tenancy. The parish registers show that Donald Simpson was married to Katherine Munro and that they had thee children in the parish of Resolis: William Simpson born 1774 (father Donald Simpson is "servant to Finla Munro in Toberchurn" and mother as Kathrien Munro), Alexander Simpson born 1776 (father Donald Simpson is "tenant in Drumdyre" and mother as Kath. Munro) and Donald Simpson born 1780 (father Donald Simpson as "tenant in Drumdyre" and mother as Kate Munro). Noting that in the parish of Avoch, on the same page that the baptism of Alexr Munro, son of George, is recorded on 7 April, 1739, there is also a baptism for a Katharine Munro, daughter of Alexr Munro, dated 9 March, 1739. The marriage record for Donald Simson and Cathrine Munro is in the neighboring parish of Urquhart and Logie Wester, and although it says that he was "in" the parish of Resolis, it says that she was "in" the parish of Urquhart and Logie Wester, but it is dated 1774 which gives her 35 years to have moved from the parish of Avoch. The marriage was also in the same year of 1774 that their first child was born. 

I had previously assumed that Donald Simson was the same person found baptised in 1751 in the parish of Urquhart and Logie Wester, son of William Simson, and this was based on the idea that he named his eldest son in 1774 after his father William. However, NRS item RH15/44/199 shows that the father of Donald Simpson who lived on the Newhall Estate in the parish of Resolis was named Alexander Simpson and who was deceased. There is also a parish baptism record for Alexander Simpson, son of John Simpson in the parish of Avoch dated 1733. It is possible that Donald and Katherine's second son, Alexander Simpson who was born in 1776 was named jointly after both his paternal and maternal grandfathers who were both named Alexander. The rent records also show a William Simpson living on the estate who their eldest son could have been named after in 1774. NRS item RH15/44/240A lists Alexr Simpson and Donald Simpson as both being in arrears in 1778 and 1780.

Halloch and Murialehouse

The Alexr Munro and Katherine Munro baptised in 1739 in Avoch could have been cousins who were close being born in the same year and in the same parish, their fathers George and Alexander possibly being brothers. There were seven daughters and two sons born to an Alexander Munro in the parish of Avoch between 1729 and 1769 including Katharine. However, Alexander was only recorded as living at Murialehouse at the first five of these baptisms (1729, 1731, 1734, 1736 and 1739). At the sixth for a daughter called Sarah in 1742 he is living at Halloch where his potential brother George had been in 1739. At the seventh, eighth and ninth which were in 1749, 1756 and 1769 he is recorded at different locations which means that it could have been a different Alexander Munro who was the father of these last three. There were also three children born to a Robert Munro in the parish of Avoch between 1734 and 1742.  As explained in part 2, the possible brothers Alexander and George Munro could have been born in 1683 and 1684 in the parish of Cromarty respectively.

Robert Munro

As explained in more detail in part 2, there was a Robert Munro in Avoch was the tacksman as per his parish marriage record of 1729 to Janet Mckeddie. The marriage record confirms that Janet Mckeddie's father was called Donald. NRS items RH15/44/199 and RH15/44/274 show that there was a Robert Munro living on the Newhall Estate in the parish of Resolis in 1762-1778 and also listed on the rent records are Donald Mckeddie and Janet Mckeddie. Although only name matches it would appear to show that Robert Munro along with his wife Janet Mckeddie and her father Donald had moved from the parish of Avoch to the parish of Resolis which Alexr Munro could have done as well. If as explained above Alexr Munro's unnamed child of 1768 in the parish of Resolis is Hugh Munro then it could be that Hugh named his second son Robert in 1791 in Caithness after this Robert Munro as they lived in the same parish of Resolis.

Jacobite rising of 1745

The Jacobite George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie threatened Mackenzie of Scatwell with military execution if he did not raise his tenants for the Jacobite cause during the rising of 1745. Despite of this Mackenzie of Scatwell did not raise his men and he was apparently happy that Cromartie did not return from his expedition to Sutherland where he had been captured after the Battle of Littleferry. (Source: Origins of the Forty Five. Publications of the Scottish History Society, Second Series, Vol. II, March 1916, p.100). As mentioned above Mackenzie of Scatwell had married a daughter of Ludovic Grant the Baron of Grant (1641-1716) who George Munro the gardener named his son Ludovick after in 1736. Ludovic Grant (1707-1773) had raised an independent company to oppose the Jacobite rising of 1745. (Source: Marriott, Patrick (2022). The Battle of Littleferry - A History and a Trail Guide. p. 14).

Links showing that a tacksman could also be a gardener: 1, 2, 3.

Janet Simpson

Given that as explained above Alexander Munro had close links with Donald Simpson and the Simpson family in the parish of Resolis, he may have had a second wife named Janet Simpson who was a relation of Donald. This would make Jane or Janet Munro his first wife and Barbara Mackay of Armadale his third wife. See page: Janet Simpson for more information.

John Munro born in 1767

For what might have happened to John Munro born in 1767 in the parish of Resolis, eldest son of Alexander Munro and his possible first wife Jane or Janet Munro, see page: John Munro (1767).

Continued on page: Possible parish and estate records (part 2)