Tollafraike
The main farmhouse is on the left and the 'newer' bothy or chaumer is on the right.
Tollafraike is situated about a quarter of a mile down from Lochrie at the very top of Glenkindie - derived from Gaelic, 'fraoch' means heather, I am not sure what 'toll' means). This is the usual glen house, slightly larger than the footprint of Lochrie. In a photograph taken in the 1880s (in the possession of John Glennie - my 3rd cousin and reproduced below left) there is only one dwelling house, but at some time a bothy, or chaumer, was added to the north side, a little smaller than the original building and still in existence (see pic left). In addition there is the usual steading in a 'U' formation. It was lived in by the Reid family from at least the early 1700s until the 1890s. After their departure around 1895, the lease was taken by the Stephen family, who farmed it for a further three generations until the farm was finally abandoned around the 1970s.
The earliest record I have for the Reids at Tollafraike (at present) is
GORDON REID b 1773 in Strathdon and his wife JEAN or JANE MCDONALD b 1787 in Boharm Banffshire. They lived there with their 9 children – JEAN (the eldest) born 1812, Harry b 1813, John b 1815, Gordon b 1817, James and Alexander born 28th September 1819 – Alexander becomes the head of the next generation to inhabit Tollafraike – then Elizabeth b 1821, Robert b 1823, Helen b 1824 and William b 1826.
Gordon farms Tollafraike till 1848 when he dies at the age of 74 his wife Jane McDonald dies in 1862 aged 75. They are buried in Kildrummy churchyard. with 5 of their children - Robert, Harry, James, Hellen and William.
The Children of GORDON REID AND JEAN MCDONALD
Eldest daughter JEAN marries PETER REID from East Rinmore (see history of the Reids at Rinmore)
HARRY the eldest son dies in 1836 aged 22 years of consumption.
Son JOHN (2nd son) marries Isobel Brodie and has a son Alexander (B) b 1856. In 1851 John is the head of the household and a farmer of 40 acres employing 4 labs. After this he moves to Ardler where he is found in 1861 as a farmer of 70 acres still with his wife and son. As yet I have not traced his death.
GORDON (3rd son) marries Elizabeth Gordon (1820-1895) around 1842 and they have 9 children - Helen b 1843, Jean b 1844, Elizabeth b 1847, Christina Hariot b 1849, Mary Ann b 1851, Catherine Ellis b 1853, the much longed-for son John Gordon b 1854, Isabelle b 1857 and Alexander Leith b 1860. Gordon in turn like the rest of the family becomes a farmer, this time in Chapelton, Kildrummy. He dies in 1864 aged 47 followed later by his wife Elizabeth in 1895 aged 75. They are buried in the churchyard at Kildrummy.
JAMES (4th son and twin of Alexander) dies in 1838 aged 18 years of consumption.
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(Alexander warrants his own section)
ALEXANDER
(4th son and twin of James) marries Elizabeth
McDonald b 1835 and
has 5
children – Ann 1863-1937.
Alexander b 1872,
Gordon b 1873,
Elizabeth b
1875 Jean b
1878-1971.
More on these children - below right
Alexander
farmed Tollafraike for over 40 years from around the 1850s to the 1890s. He left
Tollafraike with all his children sometime after 1893 and his death in 1900 aged
80. I have a copy of a document that lists the properties in Glenkindie
and who they were rented to for the year 1893. Normally the farms and crofts
were rented for a period of about 19 years. As my own great grandfather
moved in 1895 from his farm at West Rinmore, I am making the assumption that
Alexander left the same year, perhaps both their leases expired at the same
time.
The family moved to 106 High Street, Old Aberdeen. Alexander died in 1900 but the children are all still there in the 1901 census. I can't find their mother Elizabeth, she was not at 106 for the 1901 census, but was still alive on Alexander's death registration documents.
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ELIZABETH (2nd daughter) have yet to find out Elizabeth's fate
ROBERT (6th son) dies in 1824 at only 1 year old
HELEN (3rd and last daughter) dies in 1838 aged 13 years of consumption.
WILLIAM
(7th and last child) dies in 1839 aged 12 years of consumption.
(Robert, Helen and William are buried with their parents and older brother
James in Kildrummy Kirkyard)
the end wall of Tollafraike
This interesting weight and
pulley arrangement can be found built into the end wall of the house. I
have been reliably informed that it is a 'cheese press'.
Inside the steadings
This section of the 'U' shaped steadings is in
ruins, as opposed to the other side (below)
Inside the steadings
This section of the 'U' shaped steading is still intact with its individual animal stalls.
Elizabeth Reid with two of her children,
presumably Alexander and Gordon, I don't know who the other two boys are
In the photograph above, there does not appear to be another building behind, so we presume that the chaumer has yet to be built. This photo dates from the 1880s and is in the possession of Elizabeth Reid's great grandson - John Glennie.
THE CENSUS RETURNS FOR TOLLAFRAIKE
1841 CENSUS (taken the night of June 6th)
Gordon
Reid (head), 68, farmer
Jean Reid (wife), 55
John Reid (son), 26, agricultural labourer
Gordon Reid (son), 24,agricultural labourer
Alexander Reid (son), 22, agricultural labourer
Elizabeth Reid (daughter), 20
James Gordon, 13, agricultural labourer
Daniel McAllan, 70
Maria Robertson, 15, agricultural labourer
NB.
Gordon and Jean have lost 5 of their 10 children, namely Harry in 1836, James
and Helen in 1838, Robert in 1824 and William in 1839, not sure about Robert,
but the others died of consumption.
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1851 CENSUS (taken night of 30th March)
Jane
Reid (head), widow, 65, farmer's mother
John Reid, farmer of 4 acres, employs 4 labourers, 35, unmarried
Alexander Reid, farmer's brother, 31, unmarried
John Yeats, servant, agricultural labourer, 18, unmarried
James McPherson, servant, agricultural labourer, 15, unmarried
Helen Mathieson, servant, house servant, 21, unmarried
Jannet Ross, servant, agricultural labourer, 14, unmarried
NB. Gordon died in 1848 and two children Gordon and Elizabeth have left Tollafraike. Gordon has married Elizabeth Gordon (around 1842) and they go on to have 9 children and live at Chapelton, Kildrummy.
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1861 CENSUS (taken night of 7th April)
Alexander
Reid (head), 41, unmarried, b1820 farmer of 40 acres
Jane Reid, 71, widow, b1787, farmer's mother
Elizabeth McPherson, 59, visitor, b1802, house servant
James Campbell, 15, servant, b1846, agricultural labourer
Ann McDonald, 16, servant, b1845, general servant
Mary Ann Stewart, 20, servant, b1841, dairy maid
NB. Alexander is the only child left at Tollafraike, John Reid married Isobel Brodie in 1853 and appeared to move to Ardler
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1871 CENSUS (taken night of 2nd April)
Alexander
Reid, married, 51, farmer of 70 acres
Betsy Reid, wife, married, 36, farmer's wife
Ann Reid, daughter, 8, farmer's daughter
NB. Jean (Jane) Reid, mother of Alexander, died in 1862, Alexander is the last one left at Tollafraike
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1881 CENSUS (taken night of 3rd April)
Alexander
Reid, head, married, 61, farmer of 74 acres, 53 pasture. Employs 2 men, 1 boy,
2 women
Elizabeth Reid, wife, 46,
Ann Reid, daughter, unmarried, 18, farmer's daughter
Alexander Reid, son, 9, scholar
Gordon Reid, son, 8, scholar
Eliza Reid, daughter, 6, scholar
Jane Reid, daughter, 3
Robert Reid, servant, unmarried, 19, farm servant*
William Glennie, servant, unmarried, 15, farm servant
Eliza McBain, servant, unmarried, 16, domestic servant
*
Robert Reid is Peter Reid's son from East Rinmore
and a cousin of Alexander
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1891 CENSUS (taken night of 5th April)
Alexander
Reid, head, married, 71, farmer
Elizabeth Reid, wife, 56, farmer's wife
Ann Reid, daughter, unmarried, 28, farmer's daughter at home
Alexander Reid, son, unmarried, 19, farmer's son
Gordon Reid, son, unmarried, 18, farmer's son
Lizzie Reid, daughter, unmarried, 16, farmer's daughter at home
Jeannie Reid, daughter, unmarried, 13, farmer's daughter at home
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1901 CENSUS (taken night of 31st March)
The Reid family have now left Tollafraike and are living at 106 High Street, Old Aberdeen. Alexander died in 1900 at this address, aged 80, of softening of the brain. The informant was his son Alexander. His wife Elizabeth is still alive, but I am not sure where she lives.
Annie
Reid, 39, housekeeper, b Strathdon
Alexander Reid, 29, carter (general), b Strathdon
Lizzie Reid, 25, dressmaker, bStrathdon
Jeannie Reid, 23, dressmaker, worker at home, b Strathdon
Gordon Reid, 28, visitor, tobacconist, (something that looks like
warehouse........) b Strathdon
George Cruickshank, 22, boarder, stonepolisher
Jennie Cruickshank, 18, border, shop assistant (draper)
NB.
Annie, Lizzie, Jeannie and Gordon emigrated to Massachusetts some
time in the 1900s. Alexander stayed in Scotland.
In
the US Census for 1910, Annie and William Glennie are living in North
Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts.
CHILDREN
OF ALEXANDER REID AND ELIZABETH MCDONALD
*Ann 1863-1937 (eldest
child) of Alexander and Elizabeth born at Tollafraike. Lived at the farm
with the rest of her family until her father retired sometime between the
census of 1891 and her father Alexander's death in 1900. The whole family
moved to 106 High Street, St Machar, Old Aberdeen. In the 1901 census Annie is
aged 39 head of the household and a housekeeper, still at the above
address. But we have an anomaly here as Annie emigrated to the USA on
September 26th 1893 on the boat the State of Nebraska from Glasgow into Ellis
Island. She married William Glennie from Leochrie Farm (just above
Tollafraike) who had also emigrated with his parents brother Charles and
sister Elizabeth to the States in 1887. We know that she gave birth to her
first son Everett Glennie in December 1901, so assume they married between the
census taken on 31st March in Aberdeen and the date of her son's birth.
According to her grandson John Glennie there exists correspondence between
Annie and William which intimate that she visited her family in Scotland in
the summer of 1901, returning to the States in the autumn, so I think we have
to assume that she also was on visit at the time of the census (she would
have conceived the baby around this time, perhaps William Glennie was also
over in Scotland)! But the anomaly remains that she was described as the head
of the household in the census. She later had another son John
Alexander (1904-1976).
In
the US census for 1910 she is living with her husband in North Andover, Essex
County, Massachusetts. William became a house builder and died in 1916.
Annie outlived him by quite a few years, dying in 1937. They are buried in
Ridgewood Cemetery in North Andover, Massachusetts.
Alexander b1872 (second child) of Alexander and Elizabeth also born at Tollafraike. He also moved to 106 High Street, St Machar, Old Aberdeen with his parents and siblings. Alexander was the informant for his father's death in 1900 and in the 1901 census was described as aged 29 with the occupation of a carter (general). After this time, I do not have any more information on him. But I do know that he was the only sibling that did not emigrate to the US.
*Gordon b1873 (3rd child) moved from Tollafraike between 1891 and 1900 to Old Aberdeen. In the 1901 census he is described as aged 28 and a tobacconist and a warehouse......? the rest is illegible. Gordon emigrated with his sisters Elizabeth and Jean to the US in June 1902 from Glasgow on the ship Laurentian. It states on the manifest that they were going over to stay with Mrs Annie Glennie in North Andover, Massachusetts. Gordon was a farmer in Auburn, New Hampshire and married twice, he had no children. He died around the late 1950s and is also buried in Ridgewood Cemetery in North Andover, Massachusetts.
*Elizabeth b1875 (4th child). Known as Lizzie. In the 1901 GB census, she was a dressmaker aged 25. Emigrated with Gordon and Jeannie in June 1902 to the States on the Laurentian. Lizzie married Robert Duncan, a fellow Scot before 1907, as documents exist of a visit to Scotland and her return back to the US where she is aged 32 and already married. They lived in chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, where Robert was a head groundskeeper on a private estate. Upon retirement they moved to Exeter, New Hampshire where they bought a house and lived comfortable lives into their 80s. Robert died first in the mid 1950s and Lizzie a few years later in 1958, they had no children.
*Jean 1878-1971 (5th and last child). Known as Jeannie. In the GB census of 1901 she was also a dressmaker the same as her sister Elizabeth. Emigrated with Gordon and Lizzie to the States on the Laurentian in June 1902. Jeannie married John Baskin, of Irish decent, and they lived in their own home in Marion, Massachusetts (Marion is a located on Cape Cod). John died in the early 1950s, but Jeannie lived well and independently for the most part after until her 90s. She also became a naturalized American. She spent her last years in a nursing home, but was (according to her great nephew) until the very end, able to get around and her mind functioned well. She died in 1971 and had no children.
*I am grateful for the information on their lives in the USA from their great nephew (and in Annie's case grandson) John Glennie.