George Milne and Helen Shand

George Milne was born in Tillyvale, near Skene, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

He was baptised in the Presbyterian church in Skene on 20 January 1781 to parents Alexander Milne b 1752 and Isabel Clerk 1750-1833.

George moved around 7 miles north of his birthplace to the Kintore area, where he became a farmer in Bogfur, on the outskirts of Kintore.

At the age of 29 years George Milne married 28 year old Helen Shand on 7 July 1810 in Kintore, Aberdeenshire, 6 miles from Skene.

Helen Shand was born in 1782 in the nearby village of  Monymusk, and baptised on 22 March 1782 there to parents James Shand and Sarah Adamson.

George and Helen had a large family of eight children all baptised at the parish kirk in Kintore.

1. James b 1811 Bogfur. Gardener/nurseryman, married Jessie Tait in 1848 Kintore. 6 children.
2. Mary b 1812 Bogfur remained unmarried and looked after her father. After hgis death she became a lodging housekeeper.
3. Susan b 1815 Bogfur, d 1849 Hobart Tasmania.  1 son James Mills. Susan was an Australian convict who was sent to Tasmania aboard the ‘Atwick’ in 1836, after her conviction for stealing in Perth, Scotland. Married Joseph Pooler, had another son Joseph Edward Pooler.
4. Alexander b 1817 Bogfur d 1876 Rothiemay. Marr Jannet McRobert 1 child and Isobel Anderson 7 children. Gamekeeper.
5. Robert b 1820 Bogfur  Marr Elizabeth Adams. 5 children. Railway stationmaster.
6. John b 1822 Bogfur.
7. George b 1825 Bogfur. Only appears in 1841 and 1851 census as a 15 year old.
8. Duncan Forbes b 1827 Bogfur d 1854 Thainston, Kintore. Grocer in Old Machar in 1851 census, lodging house at Summer Street. Died in Kintore aged 26 years.

George senior appears in the Kintore Kirk records as an elder, sitting in for many discussions as a sederant (official of discussions) in 1831, 1833 and 1834.

George’s wife Helen Milne, nee Shand, died in 1838 and was buried at Kintore on 20 April 1838 aged 56 years.

By 1841 their son James had moved out and John may have died. Susan, my ancestor, left home and travelled some 80 miles south to the city of Perth. Sadly she got into trouble with the law and was arrested, tried and convicted of stealing a pocketbook, and sent to Tasmania, Australia as a convict. After her release she married and had two children. Read more about her story here.

In the 1841 Census, 55 year old widowed George is working as a farmer in Bogfur, Aberdeenshire, and is living with his children – Mary 25, Alexander 20, George 15 and Duncan 13.

The ages have been rounded to the nearest five.

 

 

George appears in the 1846 Scottish Post Office Directory under Aberdeen, Kenmay as living at Bogfur. He seems to be the only Milne family living in the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 years later in the 1851 census, George has moved a few miles down the road to Boat Farm in Thainston, where he is now a retired farmer aged 68, and is living with his unmarried daughter Mary, aged 38, described as a house servant, and a granddaughter also named Mary Susan Milne, aged 5 who was born in Rayne, Aberdeenshire.

Young Mary was the daughter of George’s son Alexander and his wife Jannet. Later in the 1871 census Mary Susan Milne, now aged 35 is described as a laundry maid domestic servant at Darnaway Castle in Dyke, Moray. The medieval banqueting hall is described as accommodating 1000 men.

By 1861 80 year old George is still described as a retired farmer, and just has his unmarried daughter Mary for company. They are living at Thainston Lodge in Kintore.

George Milne died in 1864 and was buried at Kintore.