John was reportedly a tailor. Birth record GROS: 485/ 0020 0333. Marriage record: LDS M114851.
Birth record LDS: C114724.
Marriage Notes for John McOustra and Mary FAIRLEY-807
Marriage record: LDS M114851. Mary's surname is spelled "Ferly".
Birth record LDS: C114851.
Birth record LDS: C11485-1
Birth data LDS: C113484. Marriage record LDS: M113504. Some of the children's birth records are listed under 'Eddie'.
Birth record LDS: C113504.
Birth record LDS: C113504.
Birth record LDS: C113504. (Eddie)
Birth record LDS C113932. (Father listed as 'Alexander', mother not listed). Marriage record: LDS M113934.
Birth record LDS: C113932. Marriage record LDS: M11393-4
Birth record LDS: C113932. (Male birth, no given name listed).
Birth record LDS: C113932.
Birth record LDS Film #457697. Marriage record LDS submitted entry.
(Some records use a prefix of "Mac" and others use "Mc"). John shows up on the 1841 census at Badachro, Gairloch, (age 60) with his wife Mary and three children. Nothing more is currently known about him but it is most likely he lived and died in the same general area of Gairloch as did several generations of his descendants. Birth record: LDS Batch #7529615. Marriage record LDS M110582. (It is noted the LDS birth and marriage records for both John and his parents shows the same surname of MacKenzie. This does not necessarily imply a 'cousin relationship' as Mackenzie was, then and now, the dominant surname in Rosshire and a major location of Clan Mackenzie).
Birth record LDS Batch #7608521.
Birth record: LDS #C110662
All that is known about this man is that he fathered a child by Helen Meiklem and that the birth registration was marked "illegitimate". The child was named James and had Meiklem as his surname until sometime prior to the 1881 census when it was changed to "Miller" at the time he was adopted by James and Sarah "Miller" in Balfron. The later 1901 census for Balfron shows him as James MILLAR and was the spelling used from that point onward.
Nothing is known about Helen other than she had a son named James, (father unknown), born in 1878. Sometime prior to the 1881 census at Balfron, he was adopted by James and Sarah MILLER and shows as "James M. MILLER" on that census as their "adopted" son. Whether or not it was a spelling error by the census taker is not now known, but on the later 1901 census at Balfron, James age 23, now shows as "MILLAR" establishing the spelling he then used for the rest of his life.
Robert's first wife Maggie died in 1893 and in June 1896, Robert (age 37) married Elizabeth Notman a 22-year old housekeeper. Robert was a witness at the marriage of his older brother David. He was also the "Informant" at his father's death and either mistakenly told the clerk his grandfather's name was "Archibald" -- instead of the correct "Alexander" -- or more likely, he never bothered to check the accuracy of the death record. (Either way, this error has never been corrected). Birth Record LDS: C116711. Marriage record GROS (1st) 479/01 0031. Marriage659A. Marriage record GROS (2nd): 479/00 0091. Marriage659. (Robert's second wife Elizabeth is known to have re-married in 1918 so the assumption is Robert died around 1917).
It appears Margaret may have died from post-natal complications shortly after the birth of her daughter Maggie. Birth record LDS: C114793. Death record GROS: 479/00 0245.
Robert's marriage registration records him as being a "Private in the R.A.S.C."
Margaret, "age 11mo", shows on the 1901 census taken at "Little Camoquhill" with her mother and grandparents.
John served in the Royal navy in convoy duty to Russion ports during WWII. This must have toughened him up as he was credited with never missing a day's work in his peace-time employment.
Jim is the youngest of 9 children in his family. He served with the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment mainly in Cyprus.
Margaret was very grateful to receive a kidney from their younger son Andrew in 2010. She has now been able to resume most of her social activities including golf and walking. Margaret has also been a major contributor of family data for this section of the family file.