During the 19th century, there was a well-documented shift of the British population from rural to urban areas driven by the many challenges and opportunities offered by the agricultural and industrial revolutions. By 1851, for the first time, at least half of the population was living in an urban area but, with the exception of the Maitlands in Blandford Forum, my ancestors were not yet amongst them as they were all remained working on farms in some capacity.
I have already documented the migration of the Maitlands to Portsmouth and the Clarks to Peterhead, but in this post I will focus on the earliest relocation that I have been able to date – that of my great great grandparents, John McDonald and Jean Sim, who moved to Peterhead around 1852.
John and Jean were married in Cruden, Aberdeenshire on 23 June 1827 and went on to have seven children: John (1829), James (1832), Elizabeth (1834), William (1837), Jane (1838), Robert (1841) and Barbara Ann (1844, my great grandmother).
The family can initially be found living on crofts, first at Bogbrae, Cruden and then at Bulwark in Old Deer, but by 1851 John has gone up in the world as he is now the farmer of 17 acres at Kirkhill in Old Deer, which the Ordnance Survey Name Book describes as: “a substantial farmsteading having outhouses, garden &c. attached. Situated about 2 Miles West of the Village of Stuartfield”.
The family must have moved to Peterhead not long after this census was taken, and a series of misfortunes then hit them in quick succession. On 13 August 1852, 11 year old Robert died, followed on 17 January 1854 by his elder brother, James, who was 22. In a final blow, on 24 August 1855, came the death of their father, John McDonald, aged 56. The cause of their deaths cannot be established as Robert and James both died before statutory records were kept, and John’s certificate simply states “unknown, no medical attendant”.
The reason for the move to Peterhead is also unknown, but many people from the surrounding rural areas were attracted to the town by the opportunities offered by the boom years of the whaling industry during this period. It is also possible that the move was forced as landowners were amalgamating smaller farms to maximise their profits at this time, or perhaps John and his sons were already showing signs of ill health and were no longer able to manage their farm. Whatever the motivation, John was described as a labourer when he died, which suggests a step down in circumstances.
John McDonald’s death is recorded as in Broad Street, Peterhead and in 1861 his widow, Jean Sim, is living in the same street at No. 31/2 with her son, William, and daughter, Barbara Ann. She died at this address on 25 February 1862, aged 62, and is buried next to her husband and young sons in Peterhead Old Churchyard. Barbara Ann McDonald married my great grandfather, John Clark, shortly afterwards and they were to continue living in the McDonald’s home in Broad Street for almost 30 years.
A letter from the Curator of Local History at Aberdeenshire Council (supplied by my 2nd cousin, Graham Hamilton) reveals that the numbering of Broad Street has changed, and that the building where the family lived is now part of the block numbered 65-71, which is shown in the photograph. below.
Building formerly numbered 31 Broad Street, 2025
No. 31/2 would have been situated to the rear, accessed through the pend [covered passageway] – the location is shown on the map below and, according to a Category B Listed Building description, the main building dates from around 1790.
Location of 31/2 Broad Street, Peterhead – Ordnance Survey Map, 1868
Broad Street was developed in the late 18th century, becoming the main street and commercial centre of Peterhead. In addition to the many shops, banks, inns and other businesses, a weekly market was held there and, given its close proximity to the harbour, this must have been a very busy part of the town.
The census records reveal that No. 31 was comprised of five separate units, and the inhabitants’ occupations provide an intriguing snapshot of the place – in 1861, the McDonald’s neighbours were the families of a druggist, a confectioner, a ship master’s wife and a seaman’s widow, whilst in later years there are coopers, bakers, gardeners, washerwomen, dressmakers and other seamen’s wives.
It would have been a crowded space as around 40 people are listed there in each census, and Magistrates Court reports in the local newspapers regularly refer to disorderly conduct committed by residents, suggesting that, although by no means the worst part of town to live in, life there would have been far from peaceful.
Broad Street, Peterhead date not recorded
This photograph of Broad Street is in the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland, where it is catalogued as date and photographer unknown. The building occupied by the McDonalds and Clarks is shown in the bottom righthand corner and the shop sign mounted on it, relating to “A. Birnie, Baker”, provides a good clue to when the photograph was taken.
Alexander Birnie died in Aberdeen in 1888 and his probate record states that he was a baker “sometime residing in Broad Street, Peterhead and thereafter at 2 Justice Street, Aberdeen”. In 1871, he was a lodger living in Longside and later that year he married Magdalene Hutchison in Peterhead – as they had moved to St Nicholas, Aberdeen by 1881, it is likely that this photograph dates from the 1870s, making this a street scene that would have been very familiar to the Clarks.
Sleuthing Notes 