Margaret
RALPH Mackintosh[i]
A
short Biography
Margaret RALPH McIntosh died 24 August
1873, a pauper, at the Nairn Union Poor House, Parish of Nairn.[ii] She was the widow of Angus McIntosh, shephard
and the daughter of William Ralph [fisherman] and Janet McIntosh Ralph both
deceased. She is listed as a F(emale),
Age 84 years. (Probable birth date of 1789.[iii])
Margaret died of old age. The record of
death was registered September 1st at Nairn. Margaret was buried 27 August 1873.[iv]
By 1873 Margaret and Angus’ oldest son
Lauchlan (b. 28 September 1825)[v]
was married (20 May 1848)[vi]
to Ann Miller (1830-1901) and the father of 9 children. Son Galloway (b. 29
August 1830)[vii]
was in Des Moines, Polk county, Iowa (USA) married (30 July 1857)[viii]
to Mary Atkinson (1837-1915) and the father of 8 children the eldest named
Lachlan! Galloway, my gg grandfather, left Scotland and arrived 27 May 1854 aboard the Ship Adirondack.[ix] I
have not found any other births between 1825-1830 for Angus and Margaret.[x] In
the 1841 census there
is a Margaret MacKintosh, age 44, who was born in Nairn, living on King Street
with John Ralph[xi], age 20 who is a
shoemaker and Lauchlan, age 13 and Galloway, age 10.[xii] Where was Angus? In the 1851 census there is
a 50 year old Margaret whose occupation is grocer and 20 year old Galloway who
is a mason’s apprentice.[xiii]
Margaret is listed as a widow and living at 123 High Street in Nairn! Galloway’s occupation in America would be as
a mason!
When I saw Stuart Farrell’s publications
The Parishes of Moray: Poor Register for the Parish of Elgin[xiv]
I had to have all three volumes!!
So I immediately opened the volume for
1845- 1871 and like manna the book opens at the staple seam to page 50 on which
is listed MCINTOSH, MARGARET whose residence was 123 High Street, Elgin and
whose relief was granted 7 June 1865.
There is another application for poor relief to the parish of Elgin by
Margaret Ralph nee McIntosh in 1866.[xv] It appears these are two women with similar
names; however, one is single and one is a widow. The 1866 application states the family
relationship.
In the 1861 census, Lauchlan (36 years old)
is listed at 12 Commerce Street in Elgin along with his wife Annie and
children.[xvi]
In 1871 Lauchlan was living in Elgin as a
43-year-old clothier employing 11 men.[xvii] He was born in Nairn. He is listed in the Scotland Post Office Directory (1863)
on page 124 as a merchant-tailor at 11 Commerce Street with home at Moss Bank. Google maps and Google earth allows one to
see the address 123 High Street but not “Moss Bank”. Is there a street address associated with the
name---in the 1860’s and 1870’s? In 1851 census Margaret is living at 123 High
Street in Nairn!
HOWEVER, isn’t
there always a however, “my” Margaret in the 1871 census appears as a
76-year-old boarder at 2 Wellington Square in Nairn whose occupation was
"formerly stocking knitter".[xviii]
So it appears that from 1866 to 1871 Margaret was living on her own until the last
few months. AND if she was truly a widow
as stated in the 1851 where did Angus die?
So many questions!!
[i]
Margaret Ralph Mackintosh was my ggg grandmother. I have used Mackintosh as our family use and
left the spelling in documents as recorded. Jeffrey L. Vaillant
(jeffreyvaillant@hotmail.com)
[ii]
Registrar General for Scotland, 1873 Deaths in the District of Nairn in the
County of Nairn, page 23, assessed 9 June 2005. Copy in author’s files.
[iii] In
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search
the Old Parochial Register for the Parish of Nairn in the County of Nairn dated
5 June 1791 (05/06/1791 RALPH, MARGARET (Old Parish Registers Births 123/ 30
172 Nairn) Page 172 of 503 is a RALPH entry that reads:
"June 5th William Ralph in Town and Janet McIntosh
his wife had a child baptised named Margaret Wit(ness?) xxx Falconar and Marge
P----in in town. The child was born
yesterday the 4th June."
[iv]
Records relating to Nairn Poorhouse, Nairn, Complies by Stuart Farrell, Moray
& Nairn Family History Society, 2015, Nairn Cemetery Burial Register
1864-1957, page 91.
[v]https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search
01/10/1825 MCINTOSH, LAUCHLAN (Old
Parish Registers Births 123/ 40 58 Nairn) Page 58 of 454
[vi] https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search
20/05/1848 MILLER, ANNE (Old Parish Registers Marriages 135/ 90 270 Elgin) Page
270 of 881
[vii]
Birthdate calculated.
[viii]
Found record in FHL film #1014765 for
Polk County Courthouse Des Moines Iowa Marriage Register Volume A 1846
1866. On the second page there is an
entry under Brides which reads --kinson, Mary and the Groom listed is G K
McIntosh with an additional entry on page 190 which is cited under the
source. They were married July 30, 1857
by J. A. Nash a Minister of the Gospel.
The marriage license was returned for recording on November 2, 1857.
[ix] According
to the 1900 census. Found a Galloway
Mcintosh who arrived in New York 27 May 1854, age 23 from Glasgow, Scotland
aboard the Ship Adirondack.
New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Name: Galloway
Mcintosh
Arrival Date: 27
May 1854
Birth Date: abt
1831
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Ethnicity/ Nationality: Scottish
(Scotish)
Place of Origin: Scotland
Port of Departure: Glasgow,
Scotland
Destination: United
States of America
Port of Arrival: New
York, New York
Ship Name: Adirondack
Search Ship Database:
Source Citation: Year: 1854; Arrival: New York, New
York; Microfilm Serial: M237; Microfilm Roll: 140; Line: 33; List Number: 612.
[x] https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search
Angus Mackintosh and Margaret Ralph were married. The Old Parish Record reads
November 1824 and in the left hand column is McIntosh under the date 30. Angus McIntosh, labourer Nairn, and Margaret
Raff of Inverness by the Revd Alex Rose. 30/11/1824 MCINTOSH, ANGUS (Old Parish
Registers Marriages 098/ 100 174 Inverness) Page 174 of 417
[xi] *relationship
not established thus far!.
[xii] https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search
1841 MACKINTOSH, MARGARET (Census 123/ 1/ 19) Page 19 of 33
[xiii]https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search
1851 MACKINTOSH, GALLOWAY (Census 123/
3/ 4) Page 4 of 36
[xiv]
Moray & Nairn Family History Society, Fishertown Press, 2016. The amount and
description of relief is sent to Poor House, County and Place of Birth, Petty,
Religious Denomination, Protestant, Condition, Single, Trade or Occupation,
House servant, Wholly Disabled, Disablement, Old Age & Rheumatism, Wholly
Disabled, Earnings None, Register nd.
[xv]
Moray Council Heritage Archives LibnidxRef: NM247200 which I obtained 12
December 2008. There are 17 columns of
information in the original Record of Applications. The entry is located at
line 475. The application was made 22
May 1866 at 2 p.m. The applicant was
Margt Ralph or McIntosh whose residence was South Guildy Street. She was born in County Nairn and was visited
at home on the 22nd of May.
She is a widow, age 74 who is wholly disabled. “This woman has been
living with her son Lauchlan McIntosh Tailor, but says she cannot live there
longer, he is quite will to support her.
The application was refused by the Inspector. The application was refused by her son offers
to keep her.
[xvi] https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search
1861 MACKINTOSH, LACHLAN (Census 135/ 6/ 20) Page 20 of 21 The children listed
are Margaret, Galloway, Ellen, Ernest, Annie and his mother-in-law Ellen
Millare who is an 81 year old widow.
[xvii]
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search
1871 MACKINTOSH, LACHLAN (Census 135/ 7/ 10) Page 10 of 16
[xviii]
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search
1871 MCINTOSH, MARGARET (Census 123/ 1/ 38) Page 38 of 39
The document citation for https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search
where accessed on 7 April 2017.
