First of all, this is a brilliant website, please keep up the hardwork!

Looking for information on my ggg-grandparents John Barclay/Lydia nee Sellar (married 1811) - and lived at High Street, New Pitsligo. Lydia Sellar was from Artamford, New Deer in her days prior to the marriage. Both are buried at Turlundie Kirkyard, although no sign of their gravestone. They had the following children:

John who died in the West Indies of fever
Andrew married to Ann Finnie, buried at New Pitsligo
William
James
Peter, b.1826, my gg-grandfather who married first Mary McDonald who I descend from (Mary d.1858), he then married Jean Murison Park also from New Pitsligo - (Peter/Jane are buried at Turlundie Kirkyard)
Jean

Kindest regards
Graeme A. Barclay
gbarc22535@aol

I agree.... wonderful website! Had never heard of New Pitsligo, until I found it today, listed as the place of birth for my husband's great-great grandmother, Mary Rennie Finlay, on the 1891 Census. I was delighted to find this great website about her home town; gives context to a woman we know very little about.

Mary married James Fin(d)lay circa 1889, they moved to Glasgow a few years later, then to Canada around the turn of the century. They settled in the Rainy River District of Ontario and went on to raise 8 children, literally carving a home for themselves out of the bush. I have a photo of James and Mary and their family if anyone is interested. I a willing to share family history information, and can be reached at gordann.blake@sympatico.ca.

For starters excellent website you have here, great for us people tracing our family history. If anyone can help me trace my great grand parents or point me in any direction I would appreciate it. I`ve been through scotlands people, and run into a few illegitimate births which kind of puts a wall up?!
My grand father was James Rollo born 24.7.1890, 25 or 35 Low Street to a Maggie Rollo! On his marraige certificate it shows him staying in Garmouth, Morayshire and marrying Mary Grant on 4.7.1915 and on the certificate shows father being Geotge Rollo-mother Mary Rollo I see on your 1931 cenus theres a few Rollo`s still kicking around! Please conatact me at qwerty500@hotmail.com if you can help. With thanks Iain

Does anyone have any pictures or even better history of one of the most hidden away houses in New Pitsligo. The house is just on the curve of the road on High Street across from where the old doctors surgery used to be.
There is also a fenced off road at the bottom of Low street which goes directly to the house.
There is what used to be stables there too.
If anybody has new or old pictures and some info about the building please share as i always found the house fascinating as a child as by the fact it was fanced off and hidden away from everything.

my gggg grandfather alexander norrie(1791) was from the aberdeenshire area.his son migrated to australia in the mid 1800s.i hope one day to get over there and meey any of the norries still n residence,

My maternal grandparents were William Horne Buchan and Agnes Gammach. I have visited New Pitsligo and found my grandmothers siblings in the mid 70's. I remember Auntie Jean who raised William..What a lovely town and people..Any info is most welcome..

cdunbar@imagewireless.ca

just found this website -what a wealth of fasinating info - i was just wondering if anyone could help me with some research i am doing. i am the ggggggrand daughter of james Milne born abt 1730 christian Guthrie born abt 1734 - Thier children were William b 1756 (I think he married Anne Chessor) james b 11.11.1765 and Jean b 1758 - we think she married a john milne in 1781 in pitsligo, but the dates we have for his birth is 1796 which must be wrong they had a daughter called Andrina who married my ggggrandad john rennie - If anyone could help i would appreciate it email is f_kent_ledger@hotmail.com

This website is great!
I have loads of ancestors who lived in New Pitsligo. One of them was John Cartney Scott, born 62 Low Street, on 5th October 1908. His mother was Mary Jane Scott who later married James Cobban Taylor.There were 2 older siblings, Jeannie Davidson Scott,born 1904, 58 Low Street, & Mary Davidson Scott born 1907 in 67 Low Street. They were all known as Taylors (according to school admission rolls). Mary went on to have another 5 children with James. I would like to find out more about John. The last I heard of him was in 1926 when he was working in Bogs, Kininmonth.

My grandfater was John Knox Norrie who latterly lived at 3 Church Street, New Pitsligo. You have a photograph of him and my granny Whillamina with their 1st born. You also have the story of George 'Dancie' Norrie who is my Great Grandfather. To complete the set I have a newspaper cutting of the Obituary of my 2great grandmother Ann Norrie who died in 1932 aged 101 years.

So many great photos, even ones of my dad when he was at school.

Hi,
Looking for information on the Smith family had owned bakers in New Pitsligo, in particular any information relating to spinster sisters taking in and bringing up an abandoned baby boy (which was my great great grandfather). Thanks

Fantastic website, well done and I echo the comments from past posts that all villages should have such a record. My great-great grandparents were John and Andrina Wood (nee Noble), they lived at 44 Low Street and had a family of 10, he was a stone mason and she was a dressmaker. My great-grandmother was Mary (born 1907) and the eldest of the children, other 9 were Robert, Richard,
Mitchell, William, Janet, Georgina, Helen, Andrina and Gladys. Their spouses were/are in respective order Wilma ??, Margaret Low(e),Katherine ??, Mary ?? (children Edna, Gladys, Wilma and George Wood),Sandy
Mundie, Doddie McRobbie, Sandy Martin, William (Dan) Hunter and Johnston Cruden (children John and Gary Cruden). E-mails or posts about further information/relatives would be gratefully received. Chris, Inverurie.

RE The post number 137, i would like to give a big thank you to Mike Murray for his info on Elisa, who was my grandmothers sister, I was the submitter of the article. Many thanks for your info. It has given
me a new lead on finding out about Elisa.

Flo.

My great great grandparents immigrated from New Pitsllgo, Aberdeeshire in 1871. He was George Cardno Mackie. She was Mary Cameron Mackie. George came to Barre VT to to work in the quarries. 10 years later he started the 1st granite manufacturing plant in Barre. I would love to go to Scotland and visit his birth place. I am thinking I must have relatives in that area. They both left behind brothers and sisters. George was born in1849. Anybody out there know of a connection? My e-mail address: megbarre@aol.com. I am Meg Denton.

Re photographs with a story - Maggie Milne there is the following comment. Its not known what happened to Elisa but Maggie appears to have lived with Ann Smith up untill Ann`s death in 1908 aged 90yrs
According to www.familysearch.org Elisa married a Charles William Israel on 16.01.1904 in New York. Maybe this information could help the contributer of the article.

What a wonderful website! I've already spent over an hour browsing and will, I'm sure, be back many times.
I was born in the village in 1943 and have lived in New Hampshire since mid 1960's. I'd love to hear from some of the folks I went to school with. My family moved to Aberdeen in 1955. My grandparents were John and Margaret Smith founders of the bakery. My parents were Dillon and Grace (Morgan) Smith. My brother John still runs the bakery. I have very fond memories of my early childhood in the village. My 11 grandchildren are anxious to know all about their Scottish heritage and will hopefully make the effort to visit New Pitsligo sometime in the future. Again, congratulations on a truly great website. Margaret Smith Trumbull
marstrum@comcast.net

I am son of William and Maggie Helen Wallace who left for Zimbabwe(Rhodesia)...looking for relatives of my grandfather, James Wallace....William and his brother Alexander(Sandy) both went to Zimbabwe...believe grandmother's name was Georgina.

Hi, fantastic website :) I'm actually looking to stay in New Pitsigo, the place is brilliant and the school is second to none! If anyone knows of any places to rent here could you let me know? E-mail micki27@hotmail.co.uk, thanks a bunch xx

Great website! My paternal grandparents are William (Horne) Buchan and Agnes Gammack who emigrated to Canada after WWI (William came before and went back during WWI after enlisting). William was the first son of Rachel Horne and my great-great-grandfather is Sticky Horne so I am related to the lady from Australia (Tricia Gall, Jan 23 post)! Although we don't share the same great-grandfather as William was the illegitimate son of Rachel before her marriage to Youngson. There was another son Norman Youngson prior to Joeina's birth but he died fighting in WWI. There was a family story that someone emigrated to Australia so now I know who!

Taught at the school between the years1986-95 and recognise lots of the pupils in the pics from those years, possibly could add a few more names to the pics.
Have also got more photos that I am sure I could find and let you have a shot of!
Haven't escaped the photos either have found 2 of myself and it's scary..lol

Loved the pictures. Saw my dad on a school photo. His mum & dad, Ian & Elizabeth Davies lived at 57 Low St. 1931 She was born at 8 Low St. 1913. Any info on Margaret Johnstone would be much appreciated.
normandavies1@hotmail.com

Great website. Loved the photos and the story about the shopkeepers. Very interesting to see the Bodie relatives were taylors here . Maybe there are still some Bodie's living there ?? Orginate from Willam George Boddie, 1891- ? son of Peter Fyvie Boddie 1857- ? and Annie Wright . Peter was the son of William Boddie1818- ? and Elspet Fyvie, and William was son of Peter Boddie 1788-1863 and Agnes Ironside 1791-1859

I enjoyed looking at the old school photos and picked out my Dad (J. Grant) and uncle G. Grant. My uncle E. Grant and family still live in the village as do some of my cousins. The site was recommended to me by my auntie Julie and I in turn will pass on the information to my brothers and sister.

great site loved looking back at old photos saw my grandad as a young man, great place to grow up in lots o great memories

Our link with New Pitsligo stems from my paternal grandmothers family.

We had family living in #55 in 1861 and they then moved to #32 High Street, New Pitsligo between 1860 and 1863 (children born in different addresses) The parents names were Alexander and Jessie Clark.

Donald Clark, one of the sons and our direct relative, immigrated to South Africa, in 1890 went up what was Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe :( where he was involved in the early railways. He went back to South Africa for the Relief of the Siege of Mafeking during the Boer war, and after the war, worked with the de Beers Consolidated Diamond Mines.

Donald Alexander Clark is buried in the Old Cemetery, Krugersdorp, South Africa

Small world

Gary Shaw
burjaman@yahoo.co.uk

My late mother was born at Scarehill, being Alexandria Fraser Garvock.
It's sad that nothing remains of the croft but a solitary tree, all the building material being shoved aside.
I can remember (vaguely) as a bairn being taken there & wondering why we were visiting a ruin.
A shame as it's still social history now gone, leaving that lonely tree in a field.

Found this website totally by accident...wow! So glad I did! So many photos of me @ school and of the village which brings back so many happy memories!!
Excellent website!!! xxx

Just found your web site and very glad I did. My maternal family is the Rose family. Thomas born ab1830, William born ab 1853 both were born in Tyrie. Thomas passed away at the age of 29, William immegrated to the United States and settled in Massachusetts. He passed away in 1944 and is buried in Chester, Massachusetts. This is just the tip of iceburg. I would love to know if there are any living Roses stilling residing in New Pitsligo. Would love to hear from you.

I really enjoyed looking at your website.
My dads family came from around and in New Pitsligo.
I wonder if you have heard of 'old baker smith'.well that was my great grandfather.
My grandfather was Dillion Smith and grandmother was called Grace,
and my dad runs the business today [john].Old' baker Smiths father was a blacksmith out at Darralea,accross the road from Darralea,and the building is still there today, maybe I will get to go and look at it soon.It was nice talking to you,

helen g burnett.

I forgot to say the site is excellent. What year was the school built?

My ggg grandparents George and Margaret (need Brodie) Scott lived first of all at Low Street and then at 8 School Street in the 1800s - as far as I can ascertain, they had farms at the Greens, Monquhitter before moving to New Pitsligo. Their son Thomas (married first to Margaret Davidson and secondly to Christian Elrick) moved to New Pitsligo in the 1870s and lived at 2 School Street - he had farmed at Balthangie (presumably as a tennant farmer) from the 1840s until the 1870s. I do not know why he left the farm - perhaps financial problems. There are Scott relatives all over the place - Australia, Canada, America and goodness knows where else. Anyone related can contact me on chas.scott@btopenworld.com

Can you tell me the origin of the name Pitsligo please ?

Regards

Mike

I am interested in the name Forbes

In my family tree I have a John Stuart Forbes MacDonald b 1 8 1843
from Fraserburgh
very interesting site

Elizabeth

Great website, love the photo's. My g grandmother and my grandmother both born New Pitsligo.
In October 2009 I brought my mum on a visit to New Pitsligo to see where her mother came from . Although she used to stay at her uncles farm in Udny she had never seen New Pitsligo. We stayed at The Pitsligo Arms and loved our visit. I can't wait to come back again.

I come originally from Aberdeen and have recently been tracing my geneology - My grandmother was an Urquhart and I know the family came from around Strichen and New Pitsligo - I vaguely remember two sisters, cousins of my grandmother called Mina and Jeannie and one of them had a son called Doddie. I believe their surname was Robertson. My grandmothers father was William Urquhart - known as Jake - It would be great if anyone knew anything about the family - I don't have a web site but my e-mail is marlenefrench@uwclub.net

I have found that my Christina Watt married Alexander Jamieson, a music teacher, of School Road in 1864. They lived at 22 Low Street in the census of 1871 and he was an organist, presumably of the church where they were married - St John The Evangelist. Hope this means something to someone! Any help appreciated!

I am looking for my ancestors and wondered if anyone could help... In the census of 1851 Christina Watt aged 25 (of 55 High Street) was listed as "teacher of female school" and resided with her mother Mary at the same address. Which school was this? Does anyone know of the family? Mary was I believe a widow at that time and her husband was William Watt, a carpenter. They were in Strichen around 1811 - 1827, maybe a bit longer. Christina's sister Mary was my great-great granny.

Is there anybody left in new pitsligo that remembers the robertson family, My nan helen robertson[nee] sangster lived in low street and my mums brother stanley robertson was married to lizzie They had christina jean margaret anne and stanley: My mum ruby used to come up in the summer and stay with them : Im trying to trace any of my cousins as im coming back up to new pitsligo in september :

I loved the story and pictures of George "Dancie" Norrie.
How fabulous to have cycled to his venues all over Banff and Buchan his trusty fiddle. A fabulous story. Thank you.
I'm trying to contact David Will of New Pitsligo. I knew him many moons ago. He'd be about 70 years old now and he lived at 2 High Street,I think. My mobile no.is 07905 390081.

started school 1964 to 1976 interested to see any school photos excellent web page.

omg i couldnt believe it when i found this site. My mum and dad was Robert and Alexis Wood, they have now past away 6 vand 7 years ago. I found a lot of people i know on this site .

Just looking through some of the old school photographs, I can't believe I ever looked that young!
Following on from Lee's post, the name Craig Aspey seems to ring a bell, I don't know if it 's right or not.

Hello
Just been looking at the recently added school pictures and i have a few names that you can add.
The school picture with Mr Black, the boy stood next to Colin neal wearing the scotland football shirt isn't called charles brown. His name Craig. i forget his surname but he a slightly younger brother called Keith. Thet moved to NP from Blackpool in 89/90. They lived next to Ronnie's Mace store on the High Street. They moved back down to Blackpool in the early 90's. In the 1989 Mrs Hardie pic, the big lad on the back row is from the Shewan family. But his first name escapes me also. Hopefully the names may jog peoples minds. p.s. your site is getting better and better.

Your website is the next best thing to actually visting New Pitsligo! My great-great-grandfather David Cooper, son of George and Lizzy (Kidd) Cooper, was born at 1 Low street in 1792. He and 3 brothers and 1 sister emigrated to Oregon Territory, USA at various times between 1850 and 1872.

Great site! My Great Grandmother, Mary Ann Ferguson, was born in NP in 1859 and she married James Innes, a journeyman shoemaker from Longside in 1883. Her father, James Ferguson, was a Hand Loom Weaver and lived at 41 Low Street. He, according to the 1841 census, was also born in NP. It was good to be able to look at photographs and see where they lived and worked. All I can say is that it looks a lovely place and thank you for the site.

Really, really impressed. I have thoroughly enjoyed going through the site which I came across whilst searching for my great grandafther's roots. have looked with great interest at the old photos, particularly of High Street as it was at number 90 and then at number 129 John Edward, my great great grandfather, according to the census returns was a linen hand loom weaver

Hi,
Just happened upon your excellent site. As someone who has roots in Pitsligo, New & Old Deer etc. I thought it was wonderfull to find such a site.

Hi I have really enjoyed looking at photos.I now live in Australia but was born in New Pitsligo,My Parents Robert and Elma Patterson and brother George.Lived at 115 High Street.Worked at Smiths Bakers before marrying and moving to Aberdeen in 1967.Been in Australia for 5 years.Have two children and grandchildren all living in Australia.Really enjoyed your site and saw photo of my dad and granda.Thank You.

Hi,
have very much enjoyed looking at your site. My Great Great Grandad, William Rattray was living at 58 Low Street in 1851 and my Great Grandad, also William, was born there in 1858. My Great Great Great Grandma Ann, nee Murdoch, was living there too, with another son James and his family. William's daughter Helen (b. 1850) died at 19, Low Street in 1928. Any further information would be welcome.
Thanks
Sue

Hia
I have just found your site and really enjoyed flicking through. I have booked marked it.
My late husbands family came from New Pitsligo and I have been researching for years.
There name is Sim-Mutch but came from Sim and a reputed father of George Mutch also Milne.
I will hopefully visit in August
But i will visit the site again
Thanks for a brill site
Polly